|
Post by cariad23 on Sept 12, 2019 8:34:48 GMT
Dennis been sat here glued to laptop for ages saw boat come into port at 9-22. Arguing with windows who keep saying we will configure in 5 minutes noooooo! boat disapeared off left hand side of screen have i got wrong view? tried another site showed night time
|
|
|
Post by *Di* on Sept 12, 2019 8:35:21 GMT
Are u sat down?
|
|
|
Post by kelso on Sept 12, 2019 8:36:03 GMT
Yes, gotcha again and I'm frantically waving. Great - now I still have time to head off for my coffee. Bob
p.s. I hope you've bought a replacement hat. The sun can still do some damage!
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 12, 2019 10:01:58 GMT
Live view place now. Statue. Updated appearance, blue t-shirt, beige trilby with hatband, large red shopping bag.
|
|
|
Post by kevb on Sept 13, 2019 10:03:47 GMT
First time I've logged on since Wednesday so didnt know you were going this week, thought you might go next Thurs. Ah well, hope you had a good day out.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 13, 2019 14:50:15 GMT
First time I've logged on since Wednesday so didnt know you were going this week, thought you might go next Thurs. Ah well, hope you had a good day out. I so hope everybody agrees this is the worst excuse ever. I mean, doctor’ s appointment doesn’t hold a candle to this perfidy, does it? I shall be waving from the elbow site on the new Skiathos clock tower camera at some point soon - I actually did so today, but without giving you notice. Photobucket is still being an absolute plonker with uploading so I still can’t post the very important photos. Grrrr!
|
|
|
Post by kevb on Sept 13, 2019 17:16:48 GMT
Whether everybody agrees or not, not everyone has a job where they can keep track of non work related forums all day. I won't be posting further to this thread.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 13, 2019 17:26:41 GMT
I’m completely sorry Kev, I thought we were doing harmless banter. It is surely plainly obvious to everybody that looking at a computer screen to watch my movements and read my ramblings is an activity for those who have loads of spare time. Clearly, the vast majority of members do not, so it’s wrong of me to see them like that.
Again, I apologise sincerely. I misunderstood the situation as light hearted.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 13, 2019 18:16:31 GMT
Thursday 12th. The great maritime expedition on Agios Nikolaos boat to Skopelos and Alonissos.
Nothing really to report. We couldn’t do our Sunrise swim due to having to catch the bus into town. There were quite a few people at the bus stop, also going maritime, but when the bus came most of them didn’t get on, apparently on Tour Operator jaunts. When we actually met them on the boat later, it turned out they paid 80 Euros each for the added benefit of a coach to and from the new harbour (and “guided walk” to the old harbour and the boat). We had paid 40 Euros for the pair of us, plus 8 Euros bus fares. So for 32 Euros a pair, they saved themselves about 100 yards walk, but apparently endured a packed coach!
After a rather fruitless waving to Bob at Skopelos, we ate somewhat disastrously. From the waiter who dumped a menu on the table in a sort of “pick the bones out of that then” gesture, we ordered tsatsiki and Greek salad. No tsatsiki, he grumped. So just Greek salad. It was the smallest we’ve ever had, in a bowl and with no plates except for one carrying the bowl, and the knives and forks were child sized. The accompanying bread was toasted, presumably yesterday’s because it was of old boot texture, three slices between the two of us. Can’t remember the price, but we didn’t leave a tip - and we always tip! Having forgotten to bring my hat, I bought a new one as approved by Vera - I don’t like it, but brownie points trump my preferences! I think probably nobody saw my wave from the live camera position. I have photos of both waves, but will Photobucket let me upload them? Not likely!!!
in Alonissos, I admired a pair of sandals, then dropped them like hot coals when she said 79 Euros. We had a wander round, then got an ice cream from the cafe in the cave. The water in the harbour there is crystal clear, unlike Skopelos which is typical harbour mucky.
We saw no dolphins either outbound or returning, unfortunately, the sea was a little too choppy. So we had fun playing with a small Serbian boy, sticking thumbs up and doing high fives for ages.
Back in town for 6pm, we ate at Nikos Taverna, I had fish and chips (yes, I know, but I had to beware of leaving even a crumb after the previous night’s misbehaviour) and Vera had jacket potato with chicken, ham and coleslaw. Her potato had a fair amount of black inside, but she ate the rest and was full enough.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 13, 2019 18:56:26 GMT
Friday 13th. The thunderstorm at 4am put paid to the Sunrise swim - that’s two days missed. We went into town on the zebra bus. Vera went to sit on a seat, but pulled back, thinking there was a bag on the seat, but it was a dog. We sat behind it. Due to my bad back, we had to apologise to passengers far and wide because my liniment is REALLY linimenty - sort of horse doctor times seventeen, really clears the sinuses! One woman acknowledged she could smell it from half a dozen rows away. The dog never stirred, except to adjust position so that it spread across both seats. The bus filled up as usual, with at least a dozen standing - several had spotted the row in front of us with no heads, but stood back on seeing the dog. Eventually one young woman shooed it across a bit and got into the aisle seat. With a straight face I announced that it really stank and wafted my aroma about a bit - Vera and I went into stitches at that. The dog sat up to lick and scratch itself and the young woman reached to pat it, but I said “careful, the bugs can jump” so she stopped. When she got off, she confessed that ever since I’d said that, she had an urge to scratch (herself, not the dog). It was difficult not to roar with laughter. We had arranged to meet Denise, a resident worker, for coffee in the Bourtzi and decided to stick with it as the weather cleared up, lovely girl, pleasant chat, good atmosphere. It got super busy as we were ready to leave, our waitress looked like harassment personified. We had our snack at Nikos Taverna, then made our way to bus stop 4, so that we could see if the fruit shop had figs - it did, so I bought greedily. The buses were packed - I mean not just packed, but Skiathos packed and we got elbowed away from three of them in more than an hour. We joined forces with another couple who were not minded to scrum down to get on and tried to flag down a taxi - then discoverEd it was Friday, not a spare taxi until tomorrow! So we finally followed Vera’s suggestion and got on a bus going the other way to get one at town terminus. We ate tonight at Ratatouille, large water, beer, tsatsiki, chicken souvlaki for Vera, Bolognaise for me and we both agreed the best ever of both dishes, E28.60 plus tip. And we made a point of poking our heads into the kitchen to tell the chef so. How can people post on Facebook that it’s expensive?
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 14, 2019 4:33:53 GMT
Daybreak, Saturday 14th
Heads up, today the submarine should arrive for the Katsonis ceremony tomorrow. I hope to goodness it will be visible for you on the camera. It arrives some time in the afternoon and at night it is “dressed” with lights from stem to stern, up over the conning tower. We were informed the other day that stern means rear (although up north we call it t’back), so you’ll need to know that stem means front. You may have seen that camera views are quite excellent in twilight (that’s gloamin for anyone roamin in Scotland), so I expect we shall be straining the camera around sunset, which will be 5:35pm your time. I could kick myself for not calling in to the nice computer man to ask (hint) if the camera will capture the submarine and maybe even zoom in on it. I don’t suppose he’ll be at work today.
Katsonis ceremony - the Katsonis Greek submarine was sunk by the Germans in WW11 on 14th September and every year Skiathos honours their memory on the Sunday nearest 14th. There’s a video of the tribute in the Video section of the forum. Skiathian’s blog has the story.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 14, 2019 7:40:17 GMT
Addendum to Katsonis ceremony. Skiathian has blogged about it this morning, with a copy of the Greek announcement and details. There is a translation below the picture, which has the usual quaint results of translation apps - I’m guessing “The boats we wound” should be “lost” and “rescue of submarine wrecks” is probably better translated as “rescue of shipwrecked submariners”.
What I so admire of the Greeks is such observances - this loss happened 76 years ago and still Skiathos and the Navy hold the ceremony every year. I have commented in previous September feedbacks, which you might like to scan for a few more details.
|
|
|
Post by kelso on Sept 14, 2019 16:36:17 GMT
I see that the submarine is in port. For those who haven't seen the service, I posted a short video of the 70th memorial service on You Tube. It can be found under "SKIATHOS submarine memorial service", along with several videos posted by other people. It is a very moving service. Bob
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 16, 2019 14:03:55 GMT
Saturday 14th i think only two things out of the ordinary. Vera ordered a cake for my birthday and we bought a bottle of wine for our hosts. I’m no wine guru, so I went into a wine shop and asked if they’d got a good white wine and came away with a right proper looking one with the bottle painted white and black writing on it. It has since crossed my mind, that if I had a wine shop and the village idiot came in and asked for a good wine, what would I do, sell him a decent-ish wine at a price saving price? Or the best margin wine I had? Or the top price stuff that looks fancy and costs a bomb?
The cake worries me. I think it will be big and I don’t really eat cake. Hopefully lots of people will come to my birthday party and they’ll eat it. But nobody came to my party last year, what if nobody comes this year?
We ate at Sunrise Taverna and both decided for omelette, one Special and one Sunrise, mine with chips, Vera’s with salad/veg. Hers came with chips too, so she gave them to me. Memory fails me again, but I think it cost about 25 Euros.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 16, 2019 14:31:10 GMT
Sunday 15th,
Katsonis Memorial Day. So we had the alarm on to defeat the dark morning slothfulness, to get our sea swim in in time to get the bus into town.
Wegot to the old port about 10:30 and nothing was happening, except a harbourmaster boat idling just off the jetty, to stop boats messing up the ceremony. So we went into the nearby Jasmine for a fresh orange juice to pass the time. Sadly, Jasmine was very busy- there was only one of her and lots of us, so by the time ours arrived, the ceremony had started! But we were able to join it. I could see only one hat and one baseball cap still on heads, shame. At the end, the gathering joined in singing the Greek national anthem softly and it was so beautiful.
This year, they resurrected a tradition which had stopped - a boat (Kalypso) did a (free) trip to the site of the sinking to lay flowers. Carrying dignitaries and members of the public, we didn’t think of going, but they returned as we were wending our way back, so I was able to catch their mooring line for them.
Nikos Taverna again, gyros for me and fruit salad for Vera. Unfortunately, Nikos chose to give a special enhancement to the fruit salad and glopped it generously with honey. Vera doesn’t have sugar or honey, so it was spoiled. We didn’t say anything until the end - I tried to help by taking some of it off, but to be honest, honey doesn’t go down too well with gyros!
At last! Our return bus was Katerina’s. She gave us both a huge hug as we climbed on and remembered both our names, how lovely. And after collecting all the fares, came and stood chatting to us all the way back to Troulos - if she hadn’t told us, we’d have missed our stop. Apparently the reason we had found trouble getting a bus the other day was because they had one off the road.
We ate at Vareli, treating ourselves to their Lamb Kleftiko. It’s to die for, tender lamb, veg that isn’t al dente, I hate veg al dente, why don’t they cook it? So Vareli cook it properly and it has real peas and carrots. I have no idea what the recipe contains, I just know I love it there.
|
|