Walking holiday in Greece
Libby Sharp, clinical director, recalls a walking holiday in beautiful Greece & managing an ankle sprain en route.
I had planned a short 5 day holiday with a very good friend who now lives in Tasmania. We usually try to meet once a year and for the last 5 years we have done a walking holiday. This year with limited time, and a desire to go back to Greece, we organised our own walking holiday around Kardamyli in the Southern Peloponnese known particularly by the British for the fact that Patrick Leigh Fermor lived here and wrote about this area.
Twisted ankles on walking trip – physio self help
Potential disaster struck when I sprained my left ankle in a stupid split second incident when my flip flop twisted under my left foot just as I stood up (the moral of this is beware of flip flops) causing a searing pain and certain damage to the lateral ligaments of my ankle. Despite having to walk with a crutch the next day the ankle improved miraculously day by day (with some expert physio self-help including ice, compression, elevation, ultrasound but not much rest!) and 5 days later I could walk unaided but carefully and so we flew to Athens, hired a car (manual car using left foot on clutch recommended for good foot strength and mobility exercise!) and drove the 200K along an excellent motorway from Corinth to Kalamata and then along a winding hill road south to Kardamyli arriving at midnight.
Tackling ancient mule tracks
The next day with clear blue skies and site of a blue sparking sea we decided, despite ankle, to tackle the planned 7.5K walk up in to the hills with a 200m climb behind Kardamyli on ancient stone mule tracks beside hills covered with marjoram, thyme and lavender.
We saw old churches under the shale covered mountains and had a fantastic view of Kardamyli and the sea.
The walk ended down a tortuous stone path and finished with a swim off the pebble beach next to Patrick Leigh Fermor’s beautiful house.
A therapeutic swim to ease swelling
The pebbles where a bit more of a challenge for the ankle but the sea and swimming was great for getting rid of residual bruising and swelling and working the muscles of the foot.
The rest of the holiday was spent swimming and walking in Mycenae again up and down stone pathways.
The ankle did brilliantly. Mission accomplished!