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Post by Tre on Jun 25, 2017 19:30:45 GMT
I'm red hot & exhausted reading it Amy Can just imagine the heat. Get ready as it's forecast to be even hotter this week! How to cope with more lazy days Wishing you a happy Monday
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Post by dennisn on Jun 25, 2017 19:38:11 GMT
Today i decided to have a couple of boiled eggs for breakfast. Now, how do you get past having no egg cups to eat them from? Revert to when you were little When you were little and were taught things like that for camping. Get a piece of toilet paper and fold it lengthwise a few times until you have a strip half an inch or more wide, several thicknesses. Place it round the egg like a belt and hold the ends together in imitation of a cup handle. Eat the egg. Or was it just me - we were too poor to have egg cups!
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Post by Tre on Jun 25, 2017 21:58:31 GMT
Blooming eck Dennis, did you really have toilet paper ! We had to make do .........
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Post by dennisn on Jun 26, 2017 6:14:51 GMT
We didn't HAVE toilets, dad grew vegetables. But that was a tip we were told like wrap your gruel in your hanky to stop it leaking.
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Post by amy114 on Jun 26, 2017 17:12:18 GMT
Sunday
Up at 8.00 am this morning and on baloney by 8.15 am with my first cuppa. No sign of kitty! My new neighbours left at 8.30 am for the beach and by the time i had my second cuppa, kitty was reclining on her usual chair.
That early in the morning, not overly hot but whilst i was reading, i could feel the temperature rising! Very fast! Got ready for the day and continued to read my kindle and felt another cup of tea coming on. By this time it was so hot, neither the kitty or i were for moving, apart from which, i was really enjoying my book.
After breakfast of banana and yoghurt, i eventually covered myself in suntan liquid, and went into the bar to write up and post Saturday's adventures. I have to admit that after a number of days being totally lethargic, i was going just a tad stir crazy so a walk was in order.
At around 3.30 pm i took myself off down the lane and coming upon Jimmy's on the main road decided to stop off for a late lunch of tuna salad and small water (i think it was 7.50 euros)! Left there and wandered down to BS15 to check out Kolios beach. Hmm, sunbeds, brollys and people. Stayed about five minutes and made my way back to the studios.
By the time i was by Pegasus, i needed to quench my thirst, and as i spotted someone i knew, i joined them for a very delicious cider and chat. Left there eventually to get ready for the evening!
First night dining on my own since arriving and decided on the Avli as i Had enjoyed two lovely meals last year. So after greeting the owner, sat under the covered area and put in my order for tzatziki with a garlic pitta bread and red snapper cooked in the oven. What i actually received was tzatziki, aubergine paste and butter and two slices of bread and two slices of plain pitta. The snapper arrived accompanied with potatoes, carrots and a flower of broccoli. This was the first time i have eaten snapper and wasn't sure what to expect. It was a meaty fish but somehow managed to taste quite bland! The vet was tasty though. With a small bottle of water and half a carafe of red wine, the bill came to 23 euros.
Paid, with a tip and went straight back to my studio as i had to be up very early for the boat trip. Surprised i managed any sleep as it was so hot!
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Post by balddave on Jun 26, 2017 17:26:46 GMT
Yet another wonderful post,enjoying reading about your adventures, Hope vet was happy ,being found tasty by yourself !!! I shall say it for you ,dammed predictive spelling. Enjoy your boat trip .
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Post by amy114 on Jun 27, 2017 14:40:40 GMT
Monday Boat trip Alarm woke me at 6.30 am and on balcony with my first cup of the day. No sign of kitty. It was lovely to sit in the of the morning before the sun comes up, many degrees cooler than the studio. Had a second cuppa, showered, dressed, suntan lotioned and bag packed, nipped over to the supermarket for bag of croissants as he'd already sold the fresh ones he gets daily. In the bar for 8.40 am as taxi had been ordered for 8.45 am. There is a new people carrier which holds eight plus driver, although we did squeeze nine in on the day of the wedding, and each time we have used it, we have been charged 30 euros per trip. Very comfortable and a reasonable price from AP to Skiathos town. Wasn't long before we boarded the Ag Nicholas and claimed our seats inside on the port side of the boat and two of us went off for the coffee run at Sea U. The boat continued to fill and at 10.15 am we set sail, Victoria being our guide. Such a very talented person. Not sure how many languages she does speak but we were privy to three today, English, Greek and Italian. About 20 minutes out of Skiathos, the call went out - dolphins, and Victoria announced they were on the right of the boat. I stood up grabbing for my phone when a lot of people moved over to starboard. Victoria asked for people to stand in the middle of the boat to take pictures as it would cause problems otherwise and i just had time to see a single dolphin jump out of the water when my sight was blocked by a line of people! I sat down then when Victoria announced they were at the bow of the boat but by the time i got there they had gone! We sailed around the northern tip of Skopelos and i was surprised to see how many small beaches it had, albeit that the majority of them were inaccessible at the foot of the cliffs. However, there were three beaches very close together, one with umbrellas and sunbeds, and two natural, which looked to be accessible. We saw another two with just one or two houses built close by, which were very accessible. Victoria pointed out various places where Mama Mia had been filmed, including the church and the boat slowed down so pictures could be taken. Sailing into Skopelos again was a lovely feeling and you know instantly that the island is more laid back than Skiathos. As we only had a couple of hours on the island i chose to look around the shops and have lunch at one of the tavernas. Three of our party recommended the crab cakes so i ordered those with a small water. They arrived in a metal chip scoop on a small white plate with a tiny pot of spicy cheese dip, some bread and garlic butter. They were good and after paying my bill, 7.95 euros, plus a tip, i joined the boat for its next port of call, Alonissos. All the time we had been sailing, i had been taking short videos of the different islands and suddenly my phone battery died on me. I had bought my tablet along, fully charged, so wasnt worried. As we sailed around Alonissos, we could see the old town perched at the top and a short while !ater, we entered the port. As we only had two hours here, i decided to go on the bus to the old town as i had been told it was very pretty. Unfortunately, it was very hot as well so wandered up and down a few of the streets, taking photographs, then headed for a taverna for a much needed drink of water! We only had 45 minutes and before i knew it, we were boarding the busses back to the harbour. We met up with the rest of our party i. in the taverna next to the town beach, and had a drink before boarding the boat back to Skiathos. i was disappointed that the time spent in Alonissos was so short so maybe next time i will at least do an overnighter or a couple of days. It did have a very different vibe to the other two islands. On our way back i kept my tablet on so that i would be ready for the dolphins but it was not to be. About 10 minutes out of Skiathos harbour i noticed a big ferry in front of us and at the same time, to portside, there was a patch of water close to the bow, that was dancing with lights that appeared to flick on and off like fairy lights. I realised it was the reflection of the sun but when i looked towards the ferry, the whole wash behind it was twinkling merrily away. After five minutes, the twinkling stopped and five minutes later we were in the harbour. Our party split up and four of us caught a taxi back (15 euros) and we met up with everyone back in the bar. Dinner was at Calma. I had wine, water and chicken a la creme, and we we were served three plates of delicious, fresh fruit to finish off. Bill was split between 13 of us (18.46 euros each) but we all put in 20 euros each which covered the tip. Back to bar for a coffee before going to bed in my own private oven!:-):-):-
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Post by kelso on Jun 27, 2017 17:15:45 GMT
A great read again Amy. Many thanks. Bob
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Post by balddave on Jun 27, 2017 17:57:45 GMT
Skiathos magic works yet again, wonderful post. Did you do spell check before posting 🙂
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Post by Tre on Jun 27, 2017 19:10:29 GMT
How lovely. We've done that trip twice & each time we say we want more time in Alonissos. Agree, an overnighter would be good but we've never got round to it. I think the best way would be to book at home before going out to Skiathos. As once you're there it's just too laid back! Keep enjoying Amy x
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Post by *Di* on Jun 27, 2017 22:09:13 GMT
Lovely lovely read thank you Amy x
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Post by amy114 on Jun 28, 2017 12:30:38 GMT
Balddave dont have the facility to spell check on my tablet but if I do not save new words to the directory, predictive text jumps in and although it can be so annoying, sometimes it can be quite funny. After typing your name, it was changed to Boldface before I saved it!
I usually type my reports in a different document, then copy and paste and read through before posting. Sometimes it doesn't work! :-):-)
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Post by amy114 on Jun 28, 2017 13:16:55 GMT
Tuesday
My routine is becoming predictable so will just say that my day until 4.00 pm was spent on balcony, then to the bar to write up yesterday's post.
Wi-Fi has not been good this trip, taking so long to even open up the forum page and curser sticking in the middle of words when trying to amend! As exhausting as the weather! :-):-)
After posting Monday's events, i went for a very short walk up past Vassos Home, Marialena and up to the gates of the Villa Platanias, before turning around and coming back.
Sat on balcony with a small glass of red before getting ready for the evening. Couldn't quite believe it but got myself two bites, one mosquito and one other, and the sun was still shining. Usually get bitten once sun has gone down. I have averaged two bites every couple of days since arriving but expect to be attacked quite vociferously by the little monsters before i leave! I did get my revenge, whilst one of them was biting my ankle, i managed to swat it off and put it out of its misery!
Once ready, i nipped to the bar for a refreshing B&C before dinner. I had decided on Boubourniaki (not sure of the spelling) tonight. A couple of my friends came through the bar and asked if i wanted to join them and two others for dinner at Pegasus but i informed them of my plans for the evening and off they went.
There was a lot of laughter and people as i passed the Dream House, and learned later that it was a pre-wedding celebration. It was good to see it full to bursting. That is what i have noticed most this holiday, some places empty and others full around evening time.
Arrived at my dinner venue. The restaurant was a little over half full so no problem getting a table. I ordered the house beefburger with another B&C, and waited for the meal to arrive. A chap sat at the table next to me had finished his meal, started to chat to me, then joined me at my table. My meal subsequently arrived, two burgers, two rounds of pizza bread that looked a little like waffles, some halved cherry tomatoes, a small mound of mushrooms and some oven cooked potatoes. Very enjoyable, 16.50 euros plus a tip.
My dining companion left shortly afterwards and after paying my bill, i too left and met up with my friends in the bar for a last B&C before going to bed.
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Post by Tre on Jun 28, 2017 23:13:27 GMT
And that's what holidays are about. Doing what you want to do. Just wish I could do a "Small" glass of red! Sat here with a large glass ! Packing yet to be contemplated!
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Post by amy114 on Jun 29, 2017 14:05:47 GMT
Wednesday
Arrived at the bar around 2.00 pm today. Joined three of my friends who promptly announced that my lunch was about to be served, a special treat from the owner who had cooked it the night before! Not really feeling very húngry, i thought i would not be able to do it justice but ever the open mind! :-):-)
Out came two large bowls of greek salad, a dish of tzatziki and a dish of warmed feta topped with chopped peppers and onions plus a basket of bread. Had a little of the tzatziki and warm feta then the main arrived, the greek version of scotch eggs but obviously made like a meatloaf plus potatoes cooked in the oven in oil and lemon. It was really, really good. One of my friends remarked that you would not get food like this in a taverna as it was considered peasant food. My response to that was that surely originally, all taverna food was peasant food and shame it was that we never really gotto taste the real basic greek food when we visit. It was really tasty and filling.
I was meeting up with the first holiday friends i met in Skiathos so around 6.00 pm, back to the studio to get ready. What a treat that was in the heat! :-):-)
Made the bus, standing room only, and a couple of bus stops in a chap asked me to move further down. When i explained to him that i could not go any further he said there is a seat behind you! I looked around and there was, sort of. A young greek boy was sat on the aisle seat whilst his little plastic bag had its own airconditioned seat by the window. Not much different from home! Once the boy had moved over and i sat down, the woman in front (tourist) moved and sat her daughter on her knee and offered the chaps wife her seat. The bus conductor didnt get down to me so i thought i would pay him at the terminus. As the bus emptied i walked to the front but before i could get off, people were pushing on so i walked back to the rear door, and the same thing. After three people had got on and the fourth had his foot on the bottom step, i asked politely if he would let me off first! He then stepped down and allowed me off.
I made my way to the conductor and let him know that i hadn't paid my fare. He looked a little non-plussed and asked you haven't paid? I said no, i got on at BS16 to the terminus. He waved his hand and said, it's ok. I asked if he was sure and he said yes you are honest, its ok. I thanked him and went to meet my friends.
Had a lovely evening catching up, club sandwiches, alcohol, etc. and around midnight left and got a taxi back to the studios. I am sure that those of you who have had the pleasure of a taxi ride in Skiathos know that the drivers like to go fast and the worst thing for them is to get stuck behind a tourist driving below or on the speed limit, so i knew that at some point he was going to overtake. It was a little unnerving finding us three feet from the boot of the car in front on a number of occasions but when he did decide to overtake it was on a short stretch of straight road, past two cars with a bend looming very close. I was relieved that nothing was coming in the opposite direction! Suffice to say, we made it back safely! :-)
Lastest night so far of the holiday - 3.00 am!
Only one full day left!
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