Fastest doctor visit ever!

Ruth had been complaining of some back pain the last couple of days, and Tuesday night she had a fever and didn't sleep well. So, obviously something was not right, and it was getting worse instead of better.

We aren't the type to go running to the doctor with every ache or pain, however she has experienced these types of symptoms before, so we were pretty confident it was time to see a professional.

She's been prone to kidney infections in the past, so she was pretty sure that was what it was. And the earlier you can start antibiotics, the faster the problem goes away. But of course in this age of Covid, you're never quite sure, given the variety of symptoms people can experience.

I looked up a doctor on google maps and we got lucky in that there was a medical clinic in the beach town of Asprovalta which was right along our route. There were a lot of positive reviews, and some of them mentioned that the doctor speaks English.

We set off at 8:00am...

Obstacles on the road through town!

We had never called or made an appointment, so we just showed up. Asprovalta would be vey busy during the summer, but in the off season it's the exact opposite... very quiet. Easy to find parking almost right in front of the entrance to the clinic.

We walked inside, and the doctor himself was sitting at the reception desk. Nobody else around... like I said, the town is very quiet at this time of year. So Ruth was seen immediately. He first gave her a Covid rapid test which came back negative. Then he listened to the story of the symptoms and her previous experience with this problem, asked a few questions, and wrote out a prescription for Cipro which is the same antibiotic she has had good luck with in the past. 

The total bill was €30 ($42.50 CAD, $34 USD) and we were in and out of there in about ten minutes! Fastest doctor visit ever! It was €8 for the Covid test and €22 for his services. We have medical insurance through Heymondo, but there is a €75 deductible, so it was not enough to warrant making a claim.

Directly across from the clinic is a pharmacy (funny how that works!) and we were in and out of there quickly as well... the Cipro cost €8 ($11 CAD, $9 USD).

With that done, we went and found somewhere to park and have breakfast.

Max, parked for lunch with a view.

It looks like a beautiful day, doesn't it? And with the blue sky and sunshine it really wasn't bad... but it was cold. It had gone down to -5C (23F) at night where we had spent the night and even when I took the photo above the temperature was only about 5C (43F). But in the sun it was pleasant enough.

View from the driver's seat.

We were waiting to see if friends Katja and Yves were going to show up, so we decided to sit here until after lunch. I ended up going for a walk through town on my own because Ruth was still not feeling up to it.

Looking back at where Max is parked.

Palm trees at the beach, and snow in the mountains.

A modern statue of Alexander the Great.

They have a really nice waterfront park in Asprovalta.

Free camping is forbidden!

However, there are still a lot of spots where you would have no trouble spending the night, especially out of season.

After lunch, we decided to move on to meet up with friends Glen and Steve who were waiting for us at a campground 90 kms (55 miles) east of Asprovalta. Katja and Yves would be able to catch up with us there.

Back on the road, heading east.

We had read about a giant lion statue sitting beside the free road heading east. We had both kind of forgotten about it until we came upon it, and if you're on the free road it's impossible to miss. It's massive!

It dates back to the 4th century BC, and it was only rediscovered in 1912 by Greek soldiers who had dug down for other reasons and came across parts of it. Archeologists unearthed other parts, and they eventually put it back together as it stands today.

It looks big in this photo.

But it looks even bigger with Ruth standing beside it!

It's huge!

Here is the story.

The detail is amazing.

We got on the toll road for a little bit.

Ended up paying a small €2.60 ($3.75 CAD, $3 USD) toll.

Nice view of the mountains.

Church.

Scenery along the way.

We pulled in to the small town of Nea Karvali and the Alexandros Camping where Glen and Steve were waiting for us. At €22 ($31.25 CAD, $25 USD) a night it's a little pricey for what you get, but it's pretty much standard for what we've seen in Greece. A little run down and rough around the edges. But it's nice to be able to put your chairs out (even if it's a little cold!) and plug into electric (because of the cold!).

Nice to get caught up with them, and we'll spend some time together today. They've just finished their three months in Turkey, so we've got lots of info to share with each other.

Sunshine again today, but still cool... high of 9C (48F).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nice deal on this Anker Fast Charger.

And in Canada....

If you ever wanted a Kindle, now is your chance... Kindle e-Reader