LAND OF THE GODS

Marcus, Kim and the children fulfil long-held ambitions to explore Greece's legends and landscapes

"I don’t want to alarm anyone, but there are two men with guns standing on the hill just behind us,” I said, having heard a noise that caused me to glance out of the back window from where we had parked the motorhome.

Despite my warning to the contrary, Kim and the children were understandably alarmed, a feeling that escalated to panic when I added that one of the men was heading towards us, gesturing for me to get out.

Against my better judgment, I followed his orders, hastily putting on my shoes and stepping outside, the mountain air cold against my skin, my heart thumping and my mind racing.

He turned away, beckoning me to follow him up the hill. It was only then that I noticed the barbed wire fence, the lookout tower, reinforced metal gates – and the presence of several other armed men. Soldiers. They were all soldiers.

Spectacular Mount Olympus

I breathed a huge sigh of relief, having had all manner of scenarios running through my head. Such was the beauty of the views back down Mount Olympus that we’d failed to notice we had parked in front of a military base. The armed men were soldiers patrolling the perimeter, rather than anything more sinister, as I first thought.

“Sorry to disturb you, but we must know if you intend to come in or stay out there tonight?” asked the soldier I had followed up the hill.

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean,” I replied, somewhat confused. Our intention had been little more than to wild camp on the mountain, given its great prominence in Greek mythology – one of the main focuses of the past few weeks we had spent in Greece.

“You must sleep in the car,” he said, pointing at the motorhome with his gun. “But if you want to come in for dinner, you can.”