The Carnival Weekend Hiking Challenge
Here in Greece the start of Lent is preceded by ten days of carnival festivities, starting with ‘Smokey Thursday’ and ending with a big carnival weekend. Clean Monday is the equivalent of Pancake day, but a little different and a big holiday.
Not being carnival people we wanted to come up with something fun to mark the weekend… I would love to go and enjoy the carnival (some of the floats are great) to take some photos to share with you, but just the thought of all those people makes me shudder. We did it many a time (BC – before camera) when the children were young and I just can’t face it anymore.
And So The Hiking Challenge Was Born…
![What better time to take on a hiking challenge than over a carnival weekend? Join us through my lens...](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-featured.jpg?resize=700%2C406&ssl=1)
As some of you know Sunday’s are the day a group of us don our walking boots, grab our backpacks and sling a dog or two in the boot of the car to go hiking around Zakynthos.
Thinking that most people would be heading to the carnival it was suggested that the few of us who weren’t interested could do a nice long hike… And so The Carnival Weekend Hiking Challenge was born!
Twenty of us turned out at the meeting point at 6.30 am on the morning of the carnival. Now that’s dedication for you… The walk was advertised as 19km with a 7km hill involved. It turned out the walk was actually 20km with 10km of that being uphill. It was a challenge, but we honestly had a fantastic time and saw Zakynthos from all angles.
Would you care to join me on our hike?… Come on then, follow me…
The Carnival Weekend Challenge – Through My Lens
![The Carnival weekend challenge on Zakynthos started just as the sun began to rise.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-1.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![The carnival weekend challenge on Zakynthos saw us having an early start. I loved the way the early morning sunlight caught this tree.](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-3.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Let the challenge begin! It was a really fun thing to do as a group and the views we saw of Zakynthos were amazing.](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-2.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![It wasn't long before the carnival weekend challenge had us seeing views across Zakynthos. We just had to get around this mountain.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-4.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-5.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Some of us in the walking group enjoy the views more than others. I'm not sure what the rush was here, we had the whole day ahead of us.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-6.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Zakynthos was slightly hazy that morning, but I think it added to the photo.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-7.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![And another early morning photo of the view across the middle of Zakynthos.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-8.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Zakynthos may not be such a big island, but there are so many different types of terrain.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-9.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![It's such a shame to see beautiful old houses like this left to go to ruin. The views across the island are spectacular from this one.](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-10.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Time for a breakfast stop, don't you think? And just check out that view!](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-11.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![These photos are in order, but the angle of the sun made the view towards Skopos look darker.](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-12.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-13.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-14.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![It's amzing how much the position of the sun can effect the way we see things. In this photo we can see Skopos on the right and the mountains in the center are the backdrop to Zante Town.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-15.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![A zoomed in photograph of the salt flats at Alykes.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-16.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
And The Uphill Begins…
![As we climbed above Katastari, the cloud cover was a welcome blessing](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-17.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![The mini mountain range runs from Katastari towards Keri.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-18.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Taking regular stops to have a nibble and a drink kept our energy levels topped up.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-19.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Some of the four legged walkers on the Carnival weekend challenge found the going tough, but it gave us a chance to take in the views.](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-20.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Zakynthos is a very green island. Sadly much of it gets damaged by wild fires during the summer. This area above Katastari is still recovering from fires.](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-21.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![This neat meadow was a strange sight among the rough.](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-22.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Kefalonia rising above the clouds in the distance. It really is a majestic sight.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-23.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Many a true word said in jest. We joked about having to walk to the top of the mountain on the left... And we did!](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/NIK4348_result.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
Nearly At The Top…
![Stopping to refuel is part of the fun of the longer hikes we do on Zakynthos. This time there was no shade to be found.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/NIK4349_result.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Alykes and Alykanas viewed from the mountains above Katastari.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-24.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![10km of the hike was uphill and the strain is starting to show in this photo.](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-25.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-26.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Regular fuel stops are essential on such long walks and they're not always comfy.](https://i2.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-27.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Just a pretty photo taken on a long walk on Zakynthos.](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-28.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![Coming to the end of our carnival weekend challenge, the cars are somewhere not too far away now.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-29.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![One of my favourite things about hiking on Zakynthos is how the terrain changes in a relatively short distance. walking through this wooded area was quite magical.](https://i0.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-30.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
![It is a strange photograph to end on, but in all the excitement of finishing the hike I forgot to take an end photo.](https://i1.wp.com/debsrandomwritings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-03-14-DRW-Carnival-Weekend-19km-Challenge-31.jpg?resize=700%2C467&ssl=1)
A couple of days after the hike I noticed that it was my 50mm lens on the camera and not the 24mm as I had thought. I had wondered why I didn’t seem to be getting the wide angles but put it down to being up high… (??- sometimes it’s best not to ask!… The two lenses are very, very similar, that will teach me to put my glasses on when doing things like that. It also gives us an excuse for a repeat walk!
Did you enjoy the hike? Are you a carnival sort of person?
© 2019, Debbie. All rights reserved.
Tagged In...
Greece • my photographs • Sunday Hikes • Through My Lens • Views of Greece • Walking On Zakynthos • Zakynthos
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