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Post by balddave on Sept 10, 2021 6:52:49 GMT
It’s been a long time coming Dennis, hope you and Vera have a fabulous holiday, looking forward to your updates
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Post by Woody (Admin) on Sept 10, 2021 6:56:16 GMT
Have a great time Dennis! Unfortunately for me this years holiday was a long weekend in Great Yarmouth last weekend.
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Post by balddave on Sept 10, 2021 19:16:44 GMT
Dennis it appears the sun shines on the righteous
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Post by kelso on Sept 11, 2021 2:30:28 GMT
Well Dennis, I watched your arrival on Flightradar24, so I know the flight got there. I suppose you’ll soon be getting ready for your early morning dip. I wonder if your Greek lady friend will be there this year. I hope you and Bera have a great time and, like everyone else here on the Forum, I look forward with bated breath to your reports. Who knows, you might even show up on one of these great video reports that Jamie Coxon is doing. Bob
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Post by dennisn on Sept 11, 2021 3:59:58 GMT
Well good morning everyone from actual real Skiathos at long long last.
Our Bristol flight was called to Gate 15 so off we set. Now you’d think 15 wouldn’t be far when after a decent trek and escalator we reached the first one, 25. But it was VERY far. We had to pause a couple of times and I said next time we’ll do the assistance thing. It was awful 20 years ago and not improved by time! So we ended up being almost at the back of the steps into the plane. Which was actually a good thing because we had a clear route to row 13 and no worry about holding the queue up in the aisle.
Flight was OK apart from the total disastrous disappointment of inflight catering - they don’t sell Baileys. I always have six Baileys with my ham and cheese melt. They don’t get me drunk and they start the holiday proper. So I ordered two cans of the only thing resembling lager, Brewdog. They made a garbled (as usual) announcement about drinks which led me to get another two before they disappeared to their places for the rest of the flight. Room temperature, yuk! The ham and cheese melt has transformed into ham and cheese toastie and the two toast bits were the hardest toast I’ve ever come across. I asked for a knife which came in plastic and required exceptional skill to perform without snapping and managed to create soldiers which I then gnawed persistently into lumps which my plastic teeth could gradually wear down into swallowable goo. The warm beer made me borderline drunk.
And so we landed and once again managed to get our hand baggage to the last bus and back of the queues for arrival clearance. Took quite a time with three lines all paperwork checked, passports, Passenger Location Form and vax certificates, but no trouble and I didn’t see anybody sent for testing. As we got to the carousel I saw one case disappearing for another circuit and we had both in short order. Transfer bus was the furthest away, naturally! I drag the two big cases, Vera drags the two hand baggage ones. We’re going to have to change these for more mobile things.
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Post by dennisn on Sept 11, 2021 4:30:33 GMT
We arrived at Villa Maria maybe 90 minutes after landing and were greeted warmly by a beautifully smiling Angela, such a welcome as most boomerangers get everywhere in Skiathos, but gosh, doesn’t it make us feel special.
Our weary butler unpacked and stowed all our stuff as soon as I opened the padlocks for her. And eventually we achieved the first objective of a swim in the pool. Readers of my previous feedbacks will understand that the recent days of rain were obviously going to have had an effect on the pool and such was the case. Vera got in and declaimed that it was lovely. My second foot struggled to join the first and both buttocks were so reluctant it was embarrassing! So eventually I achieved a few lengths and exited like a champion.
7:30am, beach calling, more to follow.
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Post by cariad23 on Sept 11, 2021 6:07:50 GMT
Plane food never fails to diss appoint and very expensive
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Sept 11, 2021 15:25:40 GMT
It must feel so good to be back after all of the last 18 months carnage.
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Post by dennisn on Sept 11, 2021 17:44:34 GMT
It must feel so good to be back after all of the last 18 months carnage. Words of pure gold.
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Post by dennisn on Sept 11, 2021 18:21:15 GMT
After my heroics in the pool, we went out for some supplies, only to find that two of our supermarkets have closed and looks like forever, not just end of season. The third looked like it had been looted comprehensively, so we managed very little in the way of victuals.
And so to Varelli for evening meal. As usual we turned up very early, around 6pm, to yet another warm greeting. Happy chatty banter and we settled into our meal, satsiki starter, then we both had kleftiko, the first of what will no doubt be many examples of something we’ve been waiting for these last two years. Excellent food and greetings, 35 Euros plus tip.
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Post by dennisn on Sept 11, 2021 18:45:14 GMT
I have absolutely no idea what time we went to bed on Friday night, just that I woke for the first of three nature calls at 11:05pm, thanks to sundry servings of alcohol.
The last awakening was 6am Saturday morning, still dark and the floor tiles were no warmer than the first time. At the first call I had been cold enough to seek out a blanket and this third awakening proved just as cold. So I lay there a bit huddled waiting for the rest of us to stir.
Upon opening our shutters to daylight, I saw a light mist proving the low temperature, quite mysteriously romantic it seemed. Started feedback until we were all out of bed and off to the beach for the traditional early morning swim.
Sadly, all is not well in that regard. Since her fall early last year, Vera has found walking any distance difficult and despite a walking stick struggled to get to the beach. Then once in the sea, a much warmer experience, she somehow lost her self confidence in the water and we had to abandon it, followed by another difficult walk back. I called in the supermarket at bus stop 20 and managed to get a few items to make breakfast tolerable.
After breakfast we slowly went into town. The bus stop wait was a welcome break from walking, then going down the streets was done at leisured pace, with distractions of curative retail therapy. A new cozzie for Vera, some things (don’t ask), some flippy floppy things for me and into Nikos Taverna for gyros and beer.
We passed on to Bourtzi by soon after 2pm to welcome any guests at my practice birthday party to which nobody turned up!
Evening meal, we always go early, around 6pm, so no booking. Jasteri - I always ask the chef what’s good and he said lamb and something about plums so I had that and Vera had kalamari. Mine was surely one of the best I’ve ever had. Complimentary little chocolate pots topped with cream and were we ever happy bunnies - 37.50 Euros without tip.
Goodnight - I’ve been warned that I haven’t recharged my iPhone since we arrived and it’s about to cut me off in my prime!
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Post by dennisn on Sept 13, 2021 18:39:17 GMT
Sorry for the break - we’ve been busy enjoying ourselves!
Sunday morning we realised the season has moved on and no longer are we awakened by daylight. But anyway, we decided to forego early morning sea swimming to see if Vera recovers her confidence. It’ll be a few days because we’ve booked a Jimny for three days starting Monday. So we had a quite idle day out in town. In Nikos when I ordered a beer he asked small or large, I raised my Denis Healey eyebrows and asked what do you mean? He said well you are getting old.
Popped across to the t-shirt shop for a new one. Although he recognised me, he really couldn’t recall supplying a Google one to Tommy andAndrew to bring back for me. Strange, most shopkeepers here seem possessed of photographic memories - for instance, later on, the olive wood shop man hopped down his steps to greet us and asked after my leg injury.
We wended our way slowly back to the bus terminus, grabbing a couple of Magnums to help and I made a bet that the bus waiting there would leave without us and it did. I believe one bus is out of commission just now so the next one turned up after three quarters of an hour. when we got back, we went in and booked our Jimny, I said I’d go get it to save feeling pressed into doing my makeup in a rush.
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Post by dennisn on Sept 13, 2021 18:43:47 GMT
Edit to add the most notable bit for Sunday. Whilst we were in Nikos, Kate caught up with us. Such a nice lady, I felt somewhat ashamed to be caught by her with my mouth round a gyros!
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Post by dennisn on Sept 13, 2021 19:27:45 GMT
Today, Monday, we rose at leisure again and after breakfast (feta on digestive biscuits for me, sensible stuff for Vera)I walked along the road to the Jimny shop where I found the nice man gazing malevolently at the locked door whic was refusing to open for his key. After a certain amount of useless comment and suggestions from me, he rang his colleague to come and try his key. Which did the job immediately. We agreed I should be allowed an extra 22 minutes hire and away I drove. Off we went to Koukounaries (note the spelling all who can’t read what it says on the front of the buses) to see how much more Elivi has imposed there. Smart fences etc, no doubt a fairly successful ploy in relation to visitors who don’t have the determination to March through all the obstacles. Doesn’t bother us because we don’t visit ”their” beach. Drove off on the unsurfaced road north from (Eleni beach?) to follow the northern coastline. I was surprised to find the track in such good condition in view of the recent rains, but they were as good as I’ve ever seen them, all the way to Ligaries, via Aselinos for a refreshment. I’ll bore you all again by my regular refrain that this drive is hugely pleasant and blessed with more green than you can imagine, light, dark, all shades in between, shiny, matt, gloss, glowing. Etc, etc and more etc. at Ligaries we had a gorgeous Greek salad with lovely cold contents, absolutely heavenly bread and super cold alcohol free Fix. 18.50 Euros with an extra portion of bread - I simply can’t resist dipping it into salad juice and oil. We moved on then into town and had a bit of a go at the big supermarket on the ring road. Vera expressed herself unimpressed by it, but I’m relishing the big bag of grapes! Onward then to the new port to check my location for parking tomorrow - the submarine (Katsonis) remembrance service is being held on the actual anniversary rather than the nearest Sunday to 14th September. Back to Troulos for our regular pool swim (dear Lord, please let it warm up a lot from Big Girl’s Blouse this week) then change into dining out mode for Sunrise Taverna. Satsiki with pitta bread starter, then Vera had fillet steak and I had pork chop. 40 Euros before tip. Good grub, but I think I shall have to consider turning veggie - no matter what meat I order my plastic teeth don’t appreciate the treat.
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Post by dennisn on Sept 13, 2021 19:28:04 GMT
(Today, Monday) I duplicated one report, sorry!!!
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