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Post by Tre on Aug 15, 2017 20:24:15 GMT
Kev, your Mum sounds amazing βΊοΈ Glad she got the dress sorted! By your time, it's 11:15pm now so would like to think that your mum & the old Port won!! Lol π Yiammas! Have you tried Cafe Del Mar for lunch? Bus stop 4, down the steps towards Thessaloniki Taverna ? In town on the old port, I can highly recommend "orange cushions" & Gregory at Archontikos. Though many would argue "Red cushions" & Dimitris at Syrainos. Both lovely & hospitable. Actually, spent a night in May with friends "over the fence" so to speak, so as to please both!! π€£ Enjoy this fabulous time with your Mum.
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Post by kevb on Aug 15, 2017 21:59:07 GMT
Its nearly 1am. Mum texted me that she got back to apts ok after leaving old port house so all ok. Im currently slightly worse for wear in Totem listening to live music. Always a bit smokey in here so i might relocate to blind dog if breathing gets any harder. Ive never updated temp wasp and mozzie situation while here. To recap the temps have been good at high 20s to low 30s but not oppressive after first 2 days that were v humid. Wasps bearable and only 2 mozz bites so far.
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Post by cariad23 on Aug 16, 2017 6:09:38 GMT
Really enjoying this, love to have contribution from your mum, get her to dictate. It would have been a very difficult time for her back at home this week. Reminds me of taking my elderly parents away for a few days when they were alive,... they exhausted us !
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Post by dennisn on Aug 16, 2017 6:14:13 GMT
Really enjoying this, love to have contribution from your mum, get her to dictate. +1 for this suggestion kev.
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Post by kevb on Aug 16, 2017 11:02:40 GMT
The blind dog turned out to be just a bit more crowded than would have liked so i left without buying a drink. The bar stools had been taken over by the locals so left them to it. Still 2am by the time i got back to Nicholas. Another lazy day called for as we are doing boat trip 2 tomorrow. Back on Meg Ammos beach and indeed back at Swells. They know what they are doing here. Because we ate and drank here 2 days ago and tipped well we have been given prime sun beds and when we were ready for lunch have been shown to best table looking out to our sunbeds. Its got a reserved tag on it though we didnt book it they just seem to ke5ep a few back for better clients π
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Post by katet on Aug 16, 2017 11:19:51 GMT
Kev, I'm really enjoying your reports, too ~ especially with the added bonus of your lovely mum! As we're staying in town this time (two weeks today!!!!) we'll definitely be trying out Meg Ammos beach and Swell. Sounds perfect!
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 16, 2017 13:34:17 GMT
Kev, I'm really enjoying your reports, too ~ especially with the added bonus of your lovely mum! As we're staying in town this time ( two weeks today!!!!) we'll definitely be trying out Meg Ammos beach and Swell. Sounds perfect!
I've passed MA beach on a water taxi many times in the past, and quite a few times by road. I've never really looked too closely, but I seem to remember getting an impression that it was the 'town beach' and very busy.
However, I went past it twice on a water taxi this year, and it seemed to me that it is an exceptionally long beach. Indeed, I think it and Ftelia appear to be the same beach - I can see no discernable break or barrier, but I stand to be corrected.
And from what I could see it appears to be a beach/beaches of several moods, some more crowded and lively, others quieter and more peaceful.
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Post by cariad23 on Aug 16, 2017 15:35:48 GMT
The best bit (i think) is down the far end from the town end outside of angeliki hotel (swell bar ) and aphrodite studios not so busy, plenty of sand if you just want to throw a towel down. Yes swell bar are very good we always eat there alot at lunch time, when we walk in late morning he always says one mythos one milk shake ? do you want to reserve lunch ? somedays they sell out of specials. we like the sunbeds in the garden which they are happy about and never charge we spend quite alot there over 14 days, lunches ice creams, drinks. i love their white wine with frozen grapes in and of course the view is amazing always something to watch. When we stayed at aphrodite (brilliant )what a view from the balcony for breakfast. We used to walk back along the beach at night walking in the sea and often sit on the beach, lovely by moonlight, and often people swimming too. Ahh lovely memories.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 16, 2017 15:47:54 GMT
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Post by kevb on Aug 16, 2017 15:50:16 GMT
Yes there are distinct "sections" to MA beach. Down toward Thessoloniki there are watersports and boat hire then it gets a bit more chilled at Swells as the guys there keep it under their watch and work hard to keep everyone happy. Further down again away from swells it seems a mixed bag of families and fewer sunbeds. Ive visited Julie from tripadvisor at swells 2 yrs ago and as i got chatting to the tall bearded bloke Andreas who does most of the food waiting the penny suddenly dropped and he remembered me and of course knows Jules well as she always stays at Angeliki. I walked mum up through the hotel on way back and i think if she came back on her own she would def consider the Angeliki. She likes the idea of being walking distance to town without being in the thick of it. We have a vague plan of maybe getting the bus to kouk for a meal then tomorrow night (last night of holiday - eek!) finding somewhere nice in town as we will have a busy day touring the island by boat.My phone is almost out of charge so time to give it a zap while i shower. Laptop still not picking up apt wifi but phone will. I will have a thumb like Mark King by time I get back to UK.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 16, 2017 19:24:30 GMT
'Nuff respc' (whatever that means) for the '80s Brit-funk reference.
Have you tried using your phone like a wireless hotspot for the lapdog?
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Post by kevb on Aug 16, 2017 20:29:22 GMT
YM no not tried it and we are nearing the end so think i will just rattle off quick reports by mobile and maybe when i get back revisit some of them and if there is a relevant photo i will paste it in then. Poorest night tonight on reflection. After showing mum Elias, Big Bad Wolf and the newly reinvented Stamelos we opted for Stamelos as the Yorkshire lad has taken it on running it for Michalis's family. Michalis has 3 sons and carves up his empire between them so i guess the barnsley boy is running it for one of them. He needs to improve his patter a bit and the food wasnt that great tbh. On reflection might have been better going to BBW which looked pretty busy. Mum had kleftico which was a bit of a kitchen sink job with any veg that came to hand included with the lamb. I went for stuffed tomato and peppers but the rice was very stodgy. Neither of us finished msins but the grilled feta we shared as starter was OK. Bill only 33 euro odd incl half lt of plonk and bottle of water plus the inevitale basket of bread. Cheap but uninspiring. Had a drink next door in Stamelos bar then over road to bus stop 23 by the gste. Mum missed her footing on the lousy tarmac edge and went sprawling in the dirt. Someone dashed over from stamelos bar to see if she was ok. She has a bump on one elbow but nothing broken. That bus stop has seen some action this week. I forgot to mention at the time but when we were waiting for bus there the other day after lunch at agustera some idiot came down the hill at speed and either saw the right turn into catavos parking area late or had brakes fail as he pretty much hand brake turned into that lane with virtually 2 wheels off the deck and a loud squealing noise that brought out other bar owners to see what was going on. He was lucky not to roll the car as the ground is a bit uneven there. Mum still up for her second boat trip tomorrow so I will have to check her out in the morning and make sure no real damage, gave me a bit of a shock myself. The lighting at that bus stop could do with some improvement. Early night big day tomorrow.
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Post by katet on Aug 16, 2017 22:34:29 GMT
Oh no ~ your poor Mum! Hope she's ok after a night's rest and you make the boat trip. Skiathos (and especially Kouk with its poor street lighting) is a bit of a hazard. The road edges are decidedly dodgy. I've learned my lesson and only take flat shoes/sandals now, after a couple of twisted ankles. (On different occasions ) On the topic of accidents, there was a poor chap at the Myrtia in June who managed to crack his ribs on the first night (falling in the bathroom) and then broke his wrist and elbow falling up some steps a few evenings later. He took it all in his stride and got to know the medical centre staff quite well!!
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 17, 2017 10:51:13 GMT
After showing mum Elias, Big Bad Wolf and the newly reinvented Stamelos we opted for Stamelos as the Yorkshire lad has taken it on running it for Michalis's family. Michalis has 3 sons and carves up his empire between them so i guess the barnsley boy is running it for one of them. He needs to improve his patter a bit and the food wasnt that great tbh. On reflection might have been better going to BBW which looked pretty busy. Mum had kleftico which was a bit of a kitchen sink job with any veg that came to hand included with the lamb. I went for stuffed tomato and peppers but the rice was very stodgy. Neither of us finished msins but the grilled feta we shared as starter was OK. Bill only 33 euro odd incl half lt of plonk and bottle of water plus the inevitale basket of bread. Cheap but uninspiring. Had a drink next door in Stamelos bar then over road to bus stop 23 by the gste. Sorry to hear about your mum, hope she's okay.
My experience of Stamelos taverna was similar to yours. The Yorkshire lad Steve was very pleasant with us, but there was a bit of a flap due to a breakdown with their electronic/iPad ordering system. I do think he was trying his best to be nice, but just hadn't quite got the tone just right. But that comes with time, and can't be learned overnight. But I certainly got the impression he was trying to do the right thing.
The food, I agree. Just very ordinary, and the moussaka tasted like it was perhaps pre-prepared and microwaved, or reheated in the oven or something. Not sure exactly what, but it didn't taste 'fresh'. We went on the first night and didn't return, but I'd give it another go next year. The house wine was drinkable, but not much more. I'd encourage tavernas to source the best house wine possible. We found several places, more expensive places, where the house wine was very good, and not much more than at the cheap tavernas. It really does make all the difference. Faced with 20-25 euros for a bottle of wine which I have to see off myself, I'd rather buy 500ml of 'house'. In that instance, I'd much rather pay 8-10 euros for 500ml of decent house wine, rather than 7 euros of something poor.
The Stamelos bar was different again, though. There was an Athenian chap who ran it, excellent English, very nice chap, good way with the customers. And a Greek lass from Velos who served and was fantastic with the kids.
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Post by dennisn on Aug 17, 2017 14:23:30 GMT
I've learned my lesson and only take flat shoes/sandals now, after a couple of twisted ankles. Β With socks, I hope π
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