Alonnisos Challenge

So, Friday evening there was a meeting to discuss what the volunteers would be doing and where they would be.  Unfortunately it was all in Greek and I didn't understand most of it!  I did manage to recognise my name and Votsi in the same sentence and once I had collected my T.Shirt I was free to leave!  I asked Kostas (husband of my landlady Karen) what my duties were and he said to point the runners and walkers in the right direction and to meet at the harbour front at 7.30am!  7.30AM....on holiday???
Having set my alarm for 6.30am, the day dawned bright but not too hot.  I put some long trousers and my Alonissos Challenge T.Shirt on and after a cup of tea and some toast, with homemade lemon marmalade and headed for the harbour. 

 

 A lovely lady drove me to my 'station' and dropped me off in the middle of the road saying Kostas would be along to show me the route for the runners/walkers to follow.  He duly turned up and said 'stand here and point this way'.  So that was it....I was left standing in the middle of the road, no table, no chair and most importantly, no umbrella!  I had been there all of 5 mins when it started to rain.  I had my sun hat but no brolly so I took shelter under an archway.  At this point various runners started to appear so I took my place in the middle of the road....at exactly the same time as there was a torrential downpour!!!  So, there I am, stopping traffic to allow the runners through whilst getting soaked to the skin....and that's how my morning began!  All I needed at some points was a hat a whistle and some white gloves and I could have been a NY traffic cop.  I could also have entered a wet t.shirt competition if someone had organised one! Once the last walkers (according to Kostas) had passed me I was able to leave my post. Unfortunately I couldn't get a lift back so I had to walk. By this time, I had been standing in soaking wet sandals for 2 hrs and they squelched when I walked so I ended up taking them off and walking back barefoot.  My sandals and hat will probably never be the same again! So that's it...my volunteering days are over, as are 6.30 starts to an alarm clock....my days are now my own once again!