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Post by kevb on Aug 19, 2022 8:33:53 GMT
This will be a different sort of holiday from previously reported in earlier years. I'm going to have less time to report and probably get up to fewer activities but I'll send the occasional dispatch when I can. As it happens this year there are quite a few forum members overlapping my dates so the pressure's off, shoud be plenty of posts from others.
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Post by kevb on Aug 22, 2022 16:32:02 GMT
Flight yesterday delayed, apparently change of aircraft at east mids. The fastrack was wasted as it was very quiet at 10:30am on Sunday. Escape Lounge was worth especially as we were delayed by time we came out among the great unwashed the airport was very busy, as busy as ive seen it in years.Finally arrived around 9pm but an interminable wait for luggage and mums case was last off the plane so gone 10pm by time we were collected from airport. Long day...
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amy115
Full Member
Posts: 341
Visits to Skiathos: 5
Accommodation Stayed At: Thymis House Hotel
Dream House
Elizabeth Studios
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Post by amy115 on Aug 22, 2022 16:49:08 GMT
... and relax.
Hope your first day has been a good one
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Post by cariad23 on Aug 22, 2022 19:30:46 GMT
we loved escape lounge too, well worth it to avoid crowds. what do you think of accommodation?
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Post by kevb on Aug 23, 2022 8:40:23 GMT
In general the accommodation is OK but there are issues with our room in that there is only one proper mains socket apart from the one keeping the fridge on and its over the sink draining board. None under or behind dressing table or beds. Theres a socket for hair drier by dressing table but its had extra holes drilled so cant be used as a general socket. No shower head bracket (other 2 rooms have them and have more sockets so looks like we have the duffer. Its room 4 if anyone wants to avoid it). Location good, not too far to walk to town and bus terminus. Quiet most of time, neighbouring chickens not too intrusive in morning.
The room as Asimina's house. Think we got one of the poorer rooms. Only 1 working power socket for general items (unless we tried the one the TV was plugged into 5 ft off the floor) plus the hairdrier socket.
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Post by kevb on Aug 23, 2022 9:04:23 GMT
Yesterday morning was spent getting provisions from supermarket that used to be Spar near bs 1.I realised I had failed to pack an adaptor that I could plug my rechargeable razor into. Stopped at the hardware shop and took the cable I needed at one end of adaptor so they could see the issue. This appeared in to start some internal squabble among the shop owners about which was correct. Gave me what they thought was correct, paid the princely sum of 1:70 euro for it and thought I was on my way.Not so. Man in shop then insisted upon taking it out of packet and jamming the 2 pin end of my cable into to prove it was correct. This took a suspicious amount of effort. He then couldn't get the cable back out. The woman on the till had a go and failed too. It was like the sword in the stone. Maybe the true king of Skiathos might turn up and be successful? This prompted a few knowing looks from me to woman behind till and the poor fella now hidden behind a display of power tools desperately trying to get the jammed cable end out.Eventually he took the whole thing into a back room where the sound of drilling commenced. He eventually emerged victorious and showed me how he had drilled new holes to make it fit the cable. I had visions of my razor catching fire when I tried this Heath Robinson contraption but it seems to work. I daren't take the cable out of the adaptor though. Think its there for good as my 'holiday cable'. Worth 1:70 just for the entertainment value.
Outside the apartments at Asiminas House
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Post by cariad23 on Aug 23, 2022 9:18:26 GMT
You probably got one of the awful rooms we did not even elect kettle found room dark depressing . Couldn’t use my shower head thingy as no tiles to stick to we moved out after a week and the toilet bins hadn’t even been emptied then! Sent a lot of time at oasis outback gate about 50 yards up the lane at least had a bar
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Post by kevb on Aug 23, 2022 9:34:38 GMT
After the haberdashery shenanigans I eventually caught up with Helen and her friend Anne who has joined us for the 2 weeks and is also at Asiminas. They had half finished the shopping so did the rest and if you spend over a certain amount they deliver for free so we took that option. Anne is waiting for knee surgery so isnt too mobile so driver gave her a lift and us two sauntered back on foot, its not far. Shopping put away time was getting on. Bus round to stop 5 and down to Meg Ammos, mum came along so we had lunch at Swells and managed to get 4 sunbeds close together eventually so all worked well. Had a few hours till it got a bit gloomy so walked down the sand, up through Twilight, stopped for cocktails at Cafe del mar (cocktails not that great tbh, too much ice and not enough drinkable liquid) then bus back from 4 to terminus. Home to get scrubbed up and then out to Avlios Yard where we had a table booked. Joined by a facebooker who was on holiday on her own, we knew her from last year so it was nice to catch up. 4 starters 5 mains plus 2 large carafes of house red and 2 g&t's a little over 160 euros before tip. We planned to try to get a table outside Totem on way back but it was too busy so we had one at the bar opposite think its Kir or similar? We had all imbibed pretty well by now and it was well after midnight. Our friend is staying at Bourtzi hotel so she was off in one direction and we wended our way (at times not in a straight line) back to Asiminas. We were all in the land of nod in no time at all, a nice day not doing much but that's Skiathos.
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Post by kevb on Aug 23, 2022 10:17:03 GMT
Early days but just a note on buses. So far we have used 2 new type and 1 old. Whether they are taking note of feedback or we just got lucky there were no issues in terms of unfriendliness or excessive speeding. Yes you need to know when to hit the button to request a stop, no calling out of stops or entertainment value but they are relieving the pressure on the green ones. The island does seem pretty busy. Just got bus to Kolios this morning (new type) and it was pretty much full by bs 4 out of town.
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Post by katet on Aug 24, 2022 9:26:33 GMT
Great dispatches, Kev - thank you. Your description of the experience in the hardware shop had me giggling ... Sword in the Stone indeed! It's a shame that your accommodation is below par, but I'm sure that it won't ruin your holiday.
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Post by kevb on Aug 24, 2022 12:25:34 GMT
Update of rest of yesterday. We had posh sunbeds with fancy lockable cubby holes built into the parasol stand at the Beach House at Kolios booked from 11am then a table there for late lunch. Cant recall final bill but Anne and Helen had been before. Not cheap but good food. I had a shrimpy dish of some sort, Helen had beef linguiny (weird combo but nice) and other 2 shared seafood paella. Shifted 2 bottles of rose between us but we were pretty stuffed. Weather cloudy but warm enough for swimming. Didnt leave until after 6pm. My mate Nasos was playing at Christakis last night so as we werent hungry enough for full meal mum had early night and I took Helen for her first visit to Troulos. I told her all about Dennis & Vera as we passed Villa Maria. As its Nasos' birthday in Sept I got him a t shirt he would appreciate and passed it on to him in between songs last night and he was bowled over by it. He says next time we see each other he will give me a copy of the book he has written. Helen and I had a couple of hours watching Nasos and shared a pizza plus a couple of cocktails and another drink each, under 35 euro for it all inc tip. Bus back into town to meet Anne at Blind Dog for a couple of ouzos and out by 1:30am but then stopped for liqeur coffees on the port en route back to apartments. Bit of a fuzzy evening but we were both fine this morning.
Beach House at Kolios beach, can see the lockable boxes attached to the parasol post.
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Post by balddave on Aug 24, 2022 12:50:17 GMT
For a guy that was going to find it difficult to post you’re putting me to shame, excellent updates Kev
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Post by kevb on Aug 24, 2022 13:17:39 GMT
Helen had a lie in this morning so I pottered down to Amoretto for a frappe and toastie with a bit of casual bird watching on way back after watching 2 planes take off. Back to apt by 10:30 just nicely under cover before the heavy deluge. Used the rainy downtime to sort my wardrobe out a bit and make Helen a breakfast of soft boiled egg with toast soldiers. I know, it must be love. Also fed a selection of the apt cats having bought cat biscuits last night. I know, it must be insanity of some sort. Weather cleared enough by early afternoon to pop round the corner to the tennis club. I dont recognise anyone on the staff here from last year but Ive not seen anything official about a change in ownership so guess just new casual staff in for the season. We wont be here late as we have a fairly early sitting booked at Amfiliki tonight and need showers and general tarting.
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Post by kevb on Aug 25, 2022 6:16:01 GMT
As I found last year, Amfiliki was OK but a bit underwhelming food wise. The view, until it gets dark, from the end tables like ours is stunning but I dont think the food is anything special at all. Cards on table Im not a big seafood fan and it is predominantly a seafood restaurant so its never likely to wow me. Still, 3 out of the 4 of us were happy with main courses and the prices are sesnsible so you dont feel ripped off. 4 starters, 4 mains and 2 small carafes of house plonk came to less than 100 euro including tip. The portions arent big so 1 starter plus 1 main is easily accommodated, in fact we all had room for the mini magnum ice cream freebie at the end. So on to Old Port House to meet another facebooker who we met last year and who was also here on her own. Helens friend Anne has always been a bit sniffy about visiting 'english bars' on holiday but she came along and was hopefully won over a bit. Its not like we spend all night there but for a 'couple of drinks then move on' sort of place its fine and David & Libby have always been friendly. We were all feeling a bit jaded after not sleeping much the previous night due to thunder so after a small ice cream at Alaska on pap street we wended our way across town through the harbour and to Asiminas House. Its not too much of a walk, even mum is coping. So not a wildly eventful day but they just seem to slip by and we still havent sorted meeting with 2 couples we have been in touch with who live here permanently.
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Post by cariad23 on Aug 25, 2022 11:25:29 GMT
Thanks for updates, we had great meal at profani this year on the new harbour very close to you. is that hut open by the bus terminus that sell fried honeyballs with choclate or honeysauce, it wasnt in july. we used to finish off with them often when walking back to oasis
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