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Post by dennisn on Sept 4, 2016 20:12:40 GMT
Right, enough of this waiting around, we are now in our week of departure, champing at the bit to get there.
I had my holiday haircut a fortnight ago, we got Euros yesterday at 1.1583 and have divvied them up into their respective envelopes two for food kitty, two each for spending money and one for the jeep (incidentally we have quite a bit in both food and spending envelopes left over from June). If anybody cares, we used compareholidaymoney.com to get a decent rate and for Β£1200 got only 10 Euros less than top internet rate. Could have done slightly better, but 10 Euros is a drop in the ocean compared to travelling to another town to get more.
I printed off our boarding cards on Saturday and the meet and greet parking ticket.
I guess all I have to do now (bearing in mind I don't do packing except the gadget stuff) is get the lottery tickets to cover our stay.
Of course, Egg will have left by the time we get there, but anybody else is welcome to come and meet at the Bourtzi some afternoon - it will be pretty definite that we'll be there this coming Saturday and quite a lot of afternoons following over the next two weeks.
John of Newport we shall try to walk past Byzantium quietly in order not to wake you as we go through the field on our way to crack of dawn swim!
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Post by exgreekgod on Sept 6, 2016 7:26:14 GMT
Have a great time Dennis and everyone else who are here or arriving soon. Hope the thunderstorms have passed!
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Post by katet on Sept 6, 2016 8:35:06 GMT
Thanks Egg - safe journey tomorrow . Enjoyed your reports? We arrive a week tomorrow (Myrtia) & the forecast looks good!
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Post by exgreekgod on Sept 6, 2016 13:13:10 GMT
Thanks Katet forecast looks good for next week, we stayed in Myrtia last year, very nice!
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Post by dennisn on Sept 6, 2016 18:08:31 GMT
Thanks for the weather Egg - NOT! I don't mind it now, but I'm quietly panicking about it for Friday's flight/landing.
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jlo251
New Member
Hi I'm new will be visiting Skiathos for 1st time in Sept staying in Troulos π
Posts: 14
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Post by jlo251 on Sept 6, 2016 20:33:19 GMT
Checked into Gatwick Hilton our little pre holiday treat....... as we depend on M25 can't be doing with last minute panic so always check in here night before...... because we can π not bothered about thunderstorm it's only weather !!!!! Hope we meet up with those there whilst we are, we are at Morfia Troulos so please feel free to come say hello we don't bite π. # 1 more sleep π
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Post by amy114 on Sept 6, 2016 20:37:30 GMT
Have a great time jlo251 and look forward to your feedback! :-)
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Post by dennisn on Sept 6, 2016 21:32:11 GMT
Jlo, do start your own feedback thread so that we can enjoy variety.
My own feelings about weather are very different. I'm a poor flyer who has been getting better in recent years, so bad weather could set me back. I shall therefore be hoping sincerely that it clears for Friday.
I packed the bug machine and the shower sucker (cheers Bob) last night and this morning had my ears dealt with. I had thought only my left ear needed syringeing, but they did both and to my great surprise I found I had to reduce the volume in the van of both the radio and the hands free set. Now that raises the question - not only will I avoid horrible ear pressure in the plane, but also maybe I will discover that it has been my fault that I haven't heard the captain's announcements?
Watch out for me on Friday, flight TOM7534 from Birmingham at 07:10, due at Skiathos 12:40.
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jlo251
New Member
Hi I'm new will be visiting Skiathos for 1st time in Sept staying in Troulos π
Posts: 14
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Post by jlo251 on Sept 7, 2016 15:31:07 GMT
Great flight, very slight turbulence a few times but I didn't spill my Gin so all was well. Got off to a bad start with our taxi transfer which we paid Thomas Cook for ......we don't do coaches anymore ended up having to share it which I was not happy about, I didn't blame the other couple they were as confused as we were. TC told me to read the small print !! I'll deal with them later. But I was mad as hell I don't pay extra for comfort to end up being squashed up in a taxi. However got over it will see what happens when it's time to return. Any advice anyone? Enjoying a Frappe now and looking forward to my dinner in Ratatouille. By for now. π
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Post by dennisn on Sept 7, 2016 17:16:03 GMT
In your place J-lo, I would have vehemently refused to share and bugger the small print! I'd have got out if they wanted to put somebody else in - did they have small print there to show you? I have to say if I booked a taxi I would expect exclusive occupancy (having said which, if you get in a taxi in Skiathos, you risk him stopping to get others in there - remember that when you consider accepting a cruising taxi ride into town when you can't be bothered to wait for the next bus - at least he will only charge the same as the bus fare, 4 Euros for the two of you). Personally, my opinion is a taxi is a three passenger machine at most. I'm even getting mad on your behalf. Show me the rep when I get there on Friday and I'll be grumpy to it. (Except we're with Thomson and we don't use taxis). I would now be demanding compensation and refund of the price paid. You could do better than that on your own.
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jlo251
New Member
Hi I'm new will be visiting Skiathos for 1st time in Sept staying in Troulos π
Posts: 14
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Post by jlo251 on Sept 7, 2016 20:24:27 GMT
Thanks Dennis I will see rep at meet n greet tomorrow to discuss the issue and what to expect for our return trip. At the time I was hot, tired and confused. The TC rep who said check the small print was on of the greeters at arrivals. I will deal with TC on my return home. Never ever in all my years coming to Greece have I got angry with a local but that taxi driver was nasty saying that TC only pay him half? With the language barrier I wasnt going to take it further with him. My husband has hearing difficulties so he was even more confused as to why I had suddenly become a woman possessed! Lol!! Hence the reason in the end we got back in the cab with another equally confused couple. Had a lovely dinner and now having a nightcap before lights out !! Safe journey to you and yours. π
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Post by Tre on Sept 7, 2016 22:09:49 GMT
I can understand your annoyance jlo251. Point to note; don't pay for taxi transfer with tour operator. On our arrival we picked up a taxi, β¬22 to our accom in Kolios. Skiathos taxis!!! Yes, can be very infuriating Especially, while on phone, eating lunch & drinking coffee, while driving you to your destination !!! On our June/July visit, buses heaving early evening, taxi stops & offers β¬5 from Kolios to town. Problem, there were 5 of us. No problem, we got 4 in the back (not a pretty sight!) The driver was lovely, chatting all the way & TBH we did feel safe. Paid β¬7 Bargain!!
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Post by Tre on Sept 7, 2016 22:13:54 GMT
Hey Dennis, hope you're packed & ready! Weather looking promising for you, except a bit of rain over Saturday lunch. Hope it doesn't spoil your regular Bourtzi visit! Looking forward to your reports.!
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Post by dennisn on Sept 10, 2016 8:04:21 GMT
So here's the first report proper.
When the captain fired up the speakers on the plane, he told us something unintelligible as usual. I did manage to catch "congestion" and decided it was the usual excuse for not setting off on time, blame Skiathos airport, not us. The man sitting st the other side of Vera though he meant Birmingham airport. So I suppose you pays your money and takes your choice. But anyway, we left less than half an hour late.
This time, drawing on past experience, I declined to order anything from the hot food menu - the photos in the inflight magazine flatter to deceive!! We were both under the influence of lack of sleep. Vera's bottle of water did little to help, but my four Baileys worked wonders. Decent flight which arrived only 15 minutes behind schedule at 5 to 1. A lovely welcome - as we came out of the plane at the top of the steps, Costas was standing next to his bus waving to us. Sadly, we were beaten to his bus by a load of English people, so we had to catch the next one to the terminal.
Impressive performance - even though our suitcases were last off the carousel, we were on the transfer coach, off down the road and delivered to Villa Maria, welcomed by Angela and Stamatia, unpacked and changed into more appropriate clothing within an hour of landing. We felt so much at home too.
Stroll off to the supermarket to be greeted like long lost friends, 60 Euros worth of provisions and back to the Villa for a dip in the pool. It was for me another big girls blouse experience which became fine once I had wet myself all over.
Back in our room, I zonked out and Vera had to wake me to go up the road to our first meal at Varelli Taverna. Long lost friends again! Tzatziki (the best I've ever tasted), lamb kleftiko, chicken a la crème, one water and one Amstel, 35 Euros including tip and complementary pieces of chilled fruit.
I don't know how long it took Vera to go to sleep - I may have gone off on the short walk back! So we slept until 6:30am, then rose and breakfasted leisurely and left for the beach at 8am.
Four white swans and one black one. A shoal of the tiny fishes skittered across even before we got in. I was quite brave and only hesitated a short time to get in. Quite cloudy to start, eventually it tried to rain on us at 9am, so out we came and it brightened up as we walked back. Now at 11am we have lovely blue sky for our trip into town.
To be continued.....
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Post by dennisn on Sept 10, 2016 11:31:41 GMT
Hey, they've got fancy new twirly things at this Bourtzi.
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