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Post by dennisn on Sept 17, 2017 19:55:06 GMT
Sunday 17th. Happy Birthday wishes from Vera when we woke, then dash around going off for our swim to get back early enough to pick up our jeep. The green one wasn't available so we got a red one. We drove into town for the Katsonis submarine memorial service and parade. How annoying to see some tourists goggling and filming and snapping who didn't have the common decency to take off their baseball caps during the ceremonies!
We had a gyros at Nikos place on Papadiamantis Street, then ambled off to the Bourtzi, where I had an alcohol free Amstel Free and a chocolate bun with a tiny candle which went out as soon as I stopped sheltering it.
Back in the car, we went off to find a remote taverna recommended to us in Kalyvia. We didn't find it, but settled for another which was on top of a hill with incredible views across towards Skopelos, after peering down at the Xanemos end of the airport. We decided to have an ice cream "We don't have ice cream". Oh dear, Vera will have a soft drink - the sour cherry "I have only orange". When I explained we had driven oodles of miles to have ice cream and a sour cherry drink, she explained they close in two days time and weren't restocking, naturally. When I asked if the orange is sugar free, she said she had fresh orange so we had those.
Return drive passing the monastery then Olive Thea and down into Aghia Paraskevi. The mountain roads were quite decent as there hasn't been any proper destructive rainfall yet. On the main road again, we continued on to Koukounaries for bread sticks - the supermarket sells suitable ones and the lady remembers Vera for her one visit every holiday.
Ratatouille for our evening meal - Vera had the biggest pork chop either of us have ever seen. She knows me well enough to say that my eating teeth would not have liked it, but she woofed it down, before the monster pig's mum came looking for us in revenge. I had the village sausage - remembered the name for at least an hour, but that's a couple of hours ago, began with k. With a large water and a large beer, bill was €28. Please don't anybody say eating out here is expensive. I guess drinking out could be, from what I've seen as advertised cocktail prices - Happy Hour, all cocktails €6.50. Paying that for something so small you have to sip it is anathema to my Yorkshire heritage!
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Post by Tre on Sept 17, 2017 21:53:44 GMT
Sounds perfect 😊 The only place we know (& love) in the Kalivia area is Taverna Anatoli. Though per recent TA post they are about ready to close. Seriously hope you enjoyed your birthday. As always, eating out is as expensive as you want it to be. Cocktails? Nah! Rather have a carafe of house red! Yiammas ! Enjoy.......
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Post by katet on Sept 18, 2017 13:37:56 GMT
Belated birthday wishes, Dennis! Sounds like it was a perfect day - swim, submarine service, gyros, cake at the Bourtzi, an explore of the hills then a birthday dinner! Phew ..... you packed a lot in. Have a great few days of driving round the island ~ weather looks great!
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Post by dennisn on Sept 18, 2017 17:59:08 GMT
Just out of interest, I had a 4G signal at Kalyvia, so we did FaceTime back home with perfect results - including whilst I was driving and bouncing all around the unsurfaced road.
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Post by dennisn on Sept 18, 2017 18:39:07 GMT
Weather report update. It's still warm. I like warm. There are very conflicting reports. One person said it was 38 today, another said it was 37. You really can't trust anybody!
So with no timetable to meet, we had a lie in this morning and didn't get up until 7am, with the result that we didn't reach the beach until gone 8. But we stayed swimming until gone 9, so nothing lost. Back at the villa we had a leisurely breakfast and set off maybe 10:30.
Down to Koukounaries, then turn right and rumble gently along the north coast, lapping up the views. I usually wax lyrical about the greenery and I've just realised why - it's because there are more shades of green on the island than there are beaches. We like to enjoy the countryside, so we plod along mostly in 2nd gear in the mountains, 1,000 rpm = less than 20km/hr, which is perfectly good enough for these unsurfaced roads, indeed, too fast for some places. We never get stuck behind anyone - instead, I always pull over to let anything pass, and give them enough of a head start to allow their dust to settle.
We called at Asselinos Taverna for a cold drink and found several staff from other establishments moonlighting there. We promised not to mention a thing.
And so forward to Ligharies taverna for their epic Greek salad - they top it with the largest portion of Feta we've ever seen! When we had finished it, I remembered my intention to photo it for you. Please remind me next July! Before ordering we had to move to a different table - the nearest one was occupied by two German couples, all four of whom were taking a mouthful of food followed by a mouthful of ciggy smoke which was drifting our way. They alternated between mouthfuls of food and ciggies for the whole of their time there!
Another cautious, sight-seeing drive, returning past Olive Thea dropping down into Aghia Paraskevi.
Our plan was to eat at Kalivi tonight, but we found that it was closed, as reported by a group we met on the beach this morning. So back up a bit to Ratatouille, where we both had the special Kleftiko. Large (1.5 litre) water and large beer after the tzatziki with pitta bread starter, €31.50.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Sept 18, 2017 19:44:08 GMT
Weather report update. It's still warm. I like warm. There are very conflicting reports. One person said it was 38 today, another said it was 37. You really can't trust anybody!
Close enough for government work.
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Post by kevb on Sept 19, 2017 8:38:14 GMT
Hope you had a good day on your Birthday Dennis and take it easy on the roads this week.
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Post by dennisn on Sept 20, 2017 4:40:41 GMT
Tuesday 19th. Another lazy rising, and we ambled down to the beach for something like 8:15, where we found a choppy sea. It didn’t put us off, but it did give us a proper workout and we got the same muscles from fewer lengths of the beach.
For the drive today, we set off townward and called into the police station to ask what result of my accident and the man who did it.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Sept 20, 2017 6:35:18 GMT
Tuesday 19th. Another lazy rising, and we ambled down to the beach for something like 8:15, where we found a choppy sea. It didn’t put us off, but it did give us a proper workout and we got the same muscles from fewer lengths of the beach. For the drive today, we set off townward and called into the police station to ask what result of my accident and the man who did it. What did the police tell you?
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Post by dennisn on Sept 20, 2017 7:11:38 GMT
Yes, sorry about that, I shouldn’t have started this chapter as we were due to set off for our swim, so I had to break off. I didn’t do the report last night because iOS 11 happened and took time to install.
So to continue for a short time until today’s next move comes up .....
In the the police station I said I had come to find out. They looked and sounded completely mystified. After much turning out of cupboards, questions about what happened, when and where, the desk sergeant realised “it was a car accident?” Different cupboard, more piles of files and eventually after more than half an hour they found it. So they discovered I had been knocked down. They eventually discovered that the bloke was drunk and went to court for drink driving. What happened to him? Shrug. I managed after some effort to get them to tell me the man’s name (which I already knew, together with his circumstances) then that he would get a court date some when - this year, next year, shrug. When I asked for a copy of the report he asked if I had applied for a copy (being traumatised at the time, the thought had never entered my head) so to get a copy I have to phone a number and request one, quoting the case number which he hadn’t given me, so I wrung that out of him. So, I found out the case number and that’s all. Everything else I know I already got from locals. So next July I shall go again!!
More later ...
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Post by dennisn on Sept 20, 2017 12:07:06 GMT
So the guy has been charged with drink driving, nothing to do with dangerous, uninsured, etc, etc, or knocking 7 bells out of an innocent, slim, good looking nice Englishman.
To continue tuesday 19th. Off we went driving to the airport to gawp at planes, but there weren’t any due so we moved towards Xanemos and a Thomas Cook flight came in! Round the end, instead of coming back all the way past the new apron, we turned right up a seriously steep concrete road and eventually reached a Kalyvia. And so forward to Platanos taverna for their Platanos omelette. First time we had them we also ordered a Greek salad, only to discover the omelettes were big enough on their own, so this time we knew to only order those. Very nice indeed. Then back to the Villa for a drop or two of wine (for me) and a refreshing dip in the pool (for Vera).
We ate at Vareli taverna again. All day on some strange whim I had promised myself prawns, so that’s what I ordered. Quite nice, but with all their bits intact, so it was rather messy stripping them off (I’ve never done that before, so I had no idea how). With tzatziki and Vera’s mixed grill for one, large beer and large water, €41.50.
I got iOS 11 for my iPad, keeping me inactive for a while, then I decided to once again tweak the tail of the Skiathos Town councillor in the interests of a replacement webcam. He gave me two names to contact, the internet man and the Mayor’s secretary.
And so to bed.
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Post by kelso on Sept 20, 2017 14:04:15 GMT
So the guy has been charged with drink driving, nothing to do with dangerous, uninsured, etc, etc, or knocking 7 bells out of an innocent, slim, good looking nice Englishman. Well I hope that they throw the book at him. I didn't realise that two of you were hurt. How is the innocent, slim, good looking nice Englishman recovering? 😉 Bob
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Post by cariad23 on Sept 20, 2017 16:09:51 GMT
Ha ha Kelso you beat me to it i was going to ask about !the slim good looking man too !
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Post by dennisn on Sept 20, 2017 18:10:01 GMT
The pair of you could easily be mistaken for SouthernerSoftyPantses.
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Post by dennisn on Sept 20, 2017 18:28:40 GMT
Wednesday 20th September.
Bit of a breeze this morning, so the sea was quite choppy. With reduced lengths, we still swam enough muscles to win the prize. If I’d known it was to be my last of the holiday, I might have dragged it out longer - change of dressing today showed my leg not entirely happy with the Greek one, so back to English one not waterproof enough, and that’s the end of holiday swimming with just one day left.
Once in town, we got some fresh figs - not as good as our own from our tree at home, but very acceptable nevertheless.
I went to the town hall to speak with the mayor’s secretary about getting a replacement webcam, but not much joy. He might have said there’ll be one in a month, so I got his phone number to ring him in a month’s time to see if anything has come to pass. I shall remain optimistic (and slim and good looking).
Somebody told us that there was rain last night, nearly 10pm just a few drops. I don’t think we’ve ever before had such a prolonged spell of hot weather. This week they are saying it’s 38 degrees - all I know is it suits me right down to the ground.
We’ve had more wasps this holiday than we can ever remember before. So, of course, Vera got stung at the beach one morning, the thing got inside her robe as she got ready to leave, stung her under the armpit, then on the finger when she reached to find out what happened.
Jasteri for our meal tonight, tzatziki, Vera had lamb shank and I had just about the best sea bass fillets ever. Large water, large beer, €35.60.
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