Athens to Candili

Philip Noel-Baker's Mobile 6974 062100 Candili Telephone 22270 41298 Fax: 22270 41468

How to get from Athens to Prokopi, and Candili, the Noel-Baker Estate

Get onto the National Road (main motorway E75) heading north in the direction of Lamia and Thessaloniki
Zero your odometer at the Varimbombi junction on the National Road, so that you will be able to use the distance references in these instructions.

*10km Go through toll post 1.
*44.2km Toll post 2. (Both cost €2.00, both free for your return to Athens.)
*45km After the second toll post, filter off right for Halkida-Χαλκίδα. Pass through village of Vathi-Βαθή.
*57.5km Cross a suspension bridge onto the island of Evia-Εύβοια.
*At a cross roads with traffic lights, go straight over heading towards North Evia - Β. Εύβοια. (Signs here also point left for Halkis-Χαλκίδα centre, right for Eretria-Ερέτρια.) Pass under an old aqueduct, then bear LEFT going between two BP petrol stations.
*RIGHT at a T junction with the sea ahead, heading North Evia -Βόρεια Εύβοια.
From here you have about fifty minutes to go with moderate driving.
Follow any signs for Aedipsos- Αιδιψός, Mantoudi- Μαντούδι, Ioannis Rossos-Οσιος Ιωάννης Ρώσσος. (Ioannis Rossos refers to the church of St John the Russian, which is at Prokopi. The other two are beyond Prokopi.)
*67.5km Artaki-Αρτάκι. Pass straight through.
*73.5km bear LEFT at traffic lights, for 'Osios Ioannis Rossos' and for Kastella-Καστέλα, leaving to your right a Greek liberation fighter on his pedestal. Go through Kastella, (see gypsy houses on your right).
*75.7km over a newish bridge. Just after this bridge, go
*STRAIGHT as possible, at a somewhat confusing junction (petrol Stn on L). Follow signs for Mantoudi- Μαντούδι, Ioannis Rossos-Οσιος Ιωάννης Ρώσσος. (You have right of way at this junction, but be prepared for anything!)
About 40 minutes to go from this point
The road starts to climb and wind, down for a bit, then up for a lot until the summit at
*94.8km Αγιος-Agios and descends into our valley. 15 minutes to go
*110.3km Prokopi-Προκόπι, about 3km kilometers after you reach the valley bottom * You come into the village square, and turn sharp RIGHT passing the Olympia Cafe on your right, still heading for Mantoudi-Μαντούδι and the north of Evia.
*111.2km 900metres after the square of Prokopi turn LEFT at, following a sign marked Dafnoussa-Δαφνούσα.
*After this, there is a straight of about 150m at the end of which you bear left just after a bent gate into a field on the left. The road climbs steeply.
*At the very top of the hill, turn left through our gate into our courtyard. You’ll see a small plane tree in the middle. Welcome!

Airport to Candili

Route From Eleftherios Venizelos Athens Airport, to Candili.

Candili is on the edge of the village of Prokopi - Προκόπι which is in the middle of the north of the island of Euboea or Εύβοια (prounounced You beer in English, Ev ear in Greek). Candili is also the name of the local mountain so don't be surprised if you get a bemused look when asking how to get to it! The drive from the airport should take you about 2 hours, depending on traffic. There are three sets on tolls, one for €2.70 and two for €2.00.

You start off from the airport on the impressive round-Athens new Attiki Odos, and turn right onto the E75 National Road, heading north in the direction of LAMIA, turning off the motorway some 40 km north of Athens, for Halkida where you cross onto Euboea, and then follow the main road that runs through to the north of the island in the direction of Limni and Aedipsos until you get to Prokopi, famous for its very own and well signed Saint John the Russian, Oσιος Ιωάννης Ρώσσος. Pray to him, or follow these instructions, and you won’t get lost.

Rules of the Road: Anything Goes! Pay attention to others! If you get into trouble, best not to try to speak any Greek, smile stupidly, don't shout and phone Philip Noel-Baker on his mobile: 6974 062100.

GOOD LUCK. SEE YOU IN ABOUT 2 HOURS.

* At the airport, SET YOUR ODOMETER TO ZERO
* km 0. Head out of the airport, following signs for Athens (AΤΗΙΝΑ – ΑΘΗΝΑ and ELEFSINA-ΕΛΕΥΣΙΝΑ) on the Attiki Odos. Toll of €2.70.
* km 31.5 At Junction 8, 15 to 20 minutes from the airport, filter RIGHT heading north for LAMIA, onto the National Road-Εθνική Οδός. -If lost, ask for the “Ethniki Odos pros Lamia”. This is signed as (but not known as) the "E75" in European parlance.
(You will have ignored Junction 11 at km 25.5, offering Kifissias Ave and Ol. Stadium, quickly followed by Junctions 10, signed for Plapouta Rd and 9 for Irakleio Ave.)

Once on the National Road going north in the direction of Lamia
*Stay on the National Road for about 20 – 25 minutes, passing through two toll posts ( Both €2.00 outbound, free for your return to Athens). First toll post is at km 39.5, second is at about km 73.0.
* At km 73.9, just after the second toll post, filter off right for Halkida-Χαλκίδα, with a brown sign announcing a "rare tidal phenomenon". Pass through village of Vathi-Βαθή.
* At km 87.2, Just under an hour from the airport cross a suspension bridge, which brings you onto the island of Evvia. After the bridge the road bears right, by-passing the town of Halkida and wiggles by the sea and over a small hill.
*At km 90.2, go STRAIGHT OVER a large junction with traffic lights, following signs for N. Evia –Β. Εύβοια, Aidipsos-Αιδιψός and Mantoudi-Μαντούδι. (Other signs here pointing left for Halkis-Χαλκίδα centre, right for Eretria-Ερέτρια.). Very soon, pass under an old aqueduct.
At km 91.1,follow the main road as it bears left, passing between two BP petrolstations, on your right and on your left.
*Turn RIGHT when you see the sea in front of you, at a T junction with a traffic light, heading for North Evia -Βόρεια Εύβοια. Also signs for MANTOUDI-Μαντούδι and AEDIPSOS-Αιδιψός.
From here you have about fifty minutes to go with moderate driving.
Follow any signs for Aedipsos- Αιδιψός, Mantoudi- Μαντούδι, Ioannis Rossos-Οσιος Ιωάννης Ρώσσος . (Ioannis Rossos refers to the church of St John the Russian, which is at Prokopi. The other two are beyond Prokopi.)
Km 97.2, about ten minutes after the suspension bridge, pass straight through Artaki-Αρτάκι. (Often gets clogged at the week-end.)
*Pay attention here!
At Km 103.2, about 4 minutes beyond Artaki, you bear LEFT, at a set of traffic lights, leaving a Greek liberation fighter on his pedestal to your right. There is an invisible sign pointing Left for 'Osios Ioannis Rossos' and for Kastella-Καστέλα. You will see the liberation fighter, but not the sign.
Go through Kastella, (see gypsy houses on your right) and when you come out the other side, cross over a newish bridge. Keep straightish, slightly left, following signs for Aedipsos- Αιδιψός, Mantoudi- Μαντούδι.
(1hr 20mins from the airport and about 40 minutes to go from Kastella)
The road starts to climb and wind, down for a bit, and then upwards and upwards.
* At km 124.5, about 20 minutes from Kastella, you reach the summit at Agios-Αγιος.
* After another 20 minutes, at km 140, and about 3km after you have stopped descending, where the gorge opens out into our valley, with the river on your right, you reach Prokopi-Προκόπι.
Sharp RIGHT as you come into the village square, passing the Olympia Cafe on your right. Stay on the main road north, still heading for Mantoudi-Μαντούδι..
*At km 140.9, about 900 metres after the square of Prokopi, turn LEFT following a sign marked Δαφνούσα.
*100m after turning off the main road, at the end of a straight, KEEP LEFT (by a bent metal gate leading into a field), and continue up the hill.
* At km 141.5, at the very top of the hill, turn left through our gate into our courtyard. You'll see a small plane tree in the middle, and Millie the Euboean Dachshund and Jack smiling.

Πώς θα μας βρείτε

Ξεκινήστε από την Εθνική Αθηνών - Λαμίας πηγαίνοντας βόρεια πρός Λαμία
Μηδενίσετε το κοντέρ στη γέφυρα της Βαρυμποπης - Εθνικη Οδος.
Μετα τα δευτερα διοδια (στα 45χλμ. Με το κοντερ) δεξια για Χαλκιδα

Περνατε το Βαθύ και στα 57,5 χλμ περνατε την αερογεφυρα της Χαλκιδας
Μετα την γεφυρα και μερικες στροφες φτανετε σε ένα σταυροδρομι με φαναρια. Συνεχιζετε ευθεια προς βορεια Ευβοια ένα χλμ. Μετα φτανετε στην θαλασσα και εκει στο φαναρι στρίβεται δεξια.
Ακολουθείτε τις πινακιδες για Οσιο Ιωαννη Ρωσσο, Μαντουδι, Αιδιψος.
Περνατε την Αρτακη( 67,5 χλμ)
Στα 73,5χλμ συναντάτε μια διχαλα και φανάρια. Εκει ακολουθείτε αριστερη πορεια για Καστελλα και Οσιο Ιωαννη Ρωσσο (η ταμπελα δεν φαινεται καλα, επανω στη διχαλα υπαρχει ένα αγαλμα)
Περνατε την Καστελα και μια γεφυρα. Μετα τη γεφυρα στα 75,7 χλμ στην διασταυρωση συνεχιζετε ευθεια για Οσιο Ιωαννη
Από αυτό το σημειο εχετε ακομα 40 λεπτα.
Ο δρομος ανεβαινει λιγο κατεβαινει λιγο και ανεβαινει πολύ μεχρι την κορυφη στον Αγιο (στα 94,8 χλμ)
Κατεβαίνετε 15 λεπτα μεχρι να βρειτε το ποταμι δεξια και το Προκοπι στα 110.3 χλμ.
Στην πλατεια του χωριου κανετε δεξια στην αποτομη στροφη και συνεχιζετε για αλλα 900 μετρα προς Μαντουδι. Στριβετε στα 900 μετρα αριστερα στην πινακιδα προς Δαφνουσα. Στο τερμα της ευθειας στριβετε ελαφρως αριστερα και ανεβαίνετε. Στην κορυφη μπαινετε-στριβετε αριστερα και εισαστε μεσα στο Κτημα.
Καλως ηρθατε…!