Travelling north from Lárissa, the motorway heads towards Thessaloníki, a highly scenic route through the Vale of Témbi , between mounts Olympus and Óssa, before emerging on the coast. If you are driving, be aware that the upgrading programme for the motorway has now reached the Vale of Témbi - and more or less stalled there while some gargantuan tunnels are bored. This means highly dangerous, two-lane conditions, best avoided at night, between Lárissa and Kateríni until at least 2004.