The path from the Gelidonia Lighthouse to Adrasan began with a steep climb on a G1 path - this means the path is barely distinguishable form the surrounding terrain. Nothing new there but, with the steep gradient, back-tracking when you have strayed from the path can be time-consuming and tiring. I was accompanied for the first 100m or so by Pelin and Samir (who seemed to be leading their group), a very kind courtesy; they seemed to spring up the hillside while I struggled behind. The vigour of youth perhaps, but of course I was a carrying a 7kg backpack.
I soon found a much better marked path and the climb became more moderate. It was not long before I crested the first hill, but it was one of many to come. On the tops the limestone lay in flatter slabs and flora like the pink daisy seemed at home growing from the cracks. For the most part the path took the flank of the hill that forms the central spine of the peninsula. At times the path ran close to a wall of rock where the side of the mountain had fractured.
There were a number of points where it was necessary to cross a scree slope, but the boulders were blocky and seemed to have stabilised. Nevertheless it was daunting and vertiginous to gaze up the slope to the mountain or down towards the sea. The whitish leaves of senecio maritima looked ghostly against the white stone.
Again and again the path climbed to cross a saddle - a natural short-cut where successive headlands projected eastward to the sea. The profile of Sulu Ada (Water Island) appeared as a golden pyramid floating on an azure sea.
Later the terrain became populated with pines. In some places a number of pines had fallen, presumably the result of storms, and their shallow grip on the rock. The path weaves between these and it is necessary to heave oneself over occasional trunks that have fallen across it. The reward was the sight of numerous woodland orchids that must like the peculiar conditions of an acidic pine-needle mulch on top of alkaline rock.
Later still there was a change in the rock type, from limestone to a darker more crystalline structure, with other colours, ochre and amber too. Almost immediately I came upon a wild tulip - the first I have seen on this visit - of a wonderful deep red colour. Other flowering plants appeared that I had not previously seen - a "stoechas" lavender (the one with feathery petals at the top) and a fuzzy-leaved "chandelier" plant with yellow flowers. These must be adapted to this particular mineral base.
Very soon I got my first glimpse of Andrasan, though it was to be over an hour before I arrived. After a long trek down a broad red earth drive I emerged at one end of the wide bay - a charmingly shabby resort with low-rise restaurants and pensions strung along the front. At the end of the beach to my right stood a cafe with decking and a veranda going by the name of Chill House Lounge. It's decor, ranging form surf-boards to painted pony skulls, a photo of Buffalo Bill and a sign saying "Don't worry - get drunk!" made me feel instantly at ease and within minutes I had a hand-pressed lemon juice in hand. I had arrived!
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