24/07/2009 Greece VI: Fahrenheit 100

We knew today was going to be hot. The weather reports here are all pretty accurate in the summer, and, apart from the odd unexpected local thunderstorm there's very little that isn't predicted.

As a result of the forecasts, we decided to head up into the high mountains to search for ores. I started off by panning in a stream filled with boulders from the high mountains above us, but came up with only a couple of grains of magnetite and chromite. Not exactly a huge shock! We then saw a black crane, which I managed to get a few pictures of before it disappeared (much to Annie's disgust!)

We then moved up towards Vassilitsa, and picked up some Listwanite (gold-bearing in some localities in the world, though probably not here) from the road next to a a ramshackle hut beside which goats bleated contentedly in the green sun-soaked hillsides.


Just above the chalets at the Vassilitsa Ski Park, I managed to find some greenschist facies amphibolite (I can't get away from the stuff) at the base of some beautiful green, red, blue and purple serpentinite). Dina managed to find some mylonitised (now serpentinised) peridotite shot through with quartz veins, which is extremely unusual... apart from that, no real surprises. I forgot my hammer sheath at the listwanite stop, which we returned for after having lunch at a spring on the Vassilitsa road.

Then we journeyed along a scenic route through the mountains to some SSZ basalt and boninitic lavas. While I had another (unsuccessful) attempt at panning in an idyllic alpine stream with only an electric-blue damselfly for company, Dina and Annie bashed at the outcrop to find metalliferous jaspers laced with arseno- and ironpyrites. After three days of rock collecting, the Blazer was pretty full with specimens for museum exhibitions, but this didn't deter us from further loading the vehicle with these glittering blocks.

After our excursions, we made our journey back to Grevena; the automatic Blazer wheezing and revving in the heat, which by now had reached 98F. By the time we arrived back in the town, the car thermometer read a steady 108F. The pharmacy thermometer near to Annie's didn't tell a much better story at 39C. We retreated into the cool, to rest, before Annie, myself and Mike headed out to a very nice chicken restaurant in the evening. A free beer from the lady who owned the place made a pleasant end to a very satisfactory day.