|
Post by katet on Sept 12, 2018 16:14:58 GMT
Well, we're here folks! First full day today and I've got a couple of minutes before getting ready to go out, so thought I'd make a start on my report.
We had a four am taxi pick-up yesterday, so it was quite a long day (as we stayed out till midnight in the Agustera last night!!) Fools! Anyway, our 7.30 Tui flight was more or less on time - a short delay due to very busy airspace over Belgium, but we landed at one thirty and the case pick up & transfer were seamless.
We're trying a new accommodation again this time, staying at Magda Studios in Koukounaries. Our first impressions are very favourable - it's a very well-maintained property set in beautifully manicured gardens and a small olive grove. The pool area is lovely - brand new beds and brollies and even deck chairs on the grass! Our studio is an upgraded one and everything works! (No shower suckery thing needed, Dennis!) There's even a proper shower cubicle and the bed is very comfy - very happy! Magda is behind Stamelos bar, up a sandy track, so torches needed for late returns.
Last night we ate at the Myrtia - it was lovely to see V, Dusan and Stefanos again & they made us very welcome. For dinner we had cheese saganaki between us, followed by lamb chops and fries (Paul) and baked salmon with rice for me. Two glasses of red for Paul and two Rose for me - the bill was β¬42.50 - very reasonable and very tasty. We then got our trusty torches out and wandered down to the Agustera. The first person I bumped into was Jill White of Facebook fame, so we had a bit of a chat. Nice to meet people in the flesh.
Dino was as lovely as always - didn't see Efi. Sofia kept Paul well-supplied with Fix Dark ..... mistake! We stayed in the Agustera far too long, as some friends from home turned up about 10pm and we had a lovely catch-up, though walking home is a blur!!!!
Got to get ready now ....... To be continued π
|
|
|
Post by balddave on Sept 12, 2018 16:39:11 GMT
Holidays always better when you have a comparatively smooth journey, we like yourselves always seem to plan an early night on our first day, never seems to happen, think itβs a combination of being relaxed,happy and comfortable with your surroundings. Looking forward to future updates, have a wonderful holiday
|
|
|
Post by bvrc on Sept 12, 2018 16:52:59 GMT
Lovely read, first full day is always special. My very first time in Skiathos was in Koukanaries and we loved it - up the drive past Caravos hotel in Prekas Studios - theyβre now private accommodation and not rented out. We had a ball π. We havenβt stayed in Koukanaries since but visit both days and nights of our holidays. We too always have grand plans for an early first night & never do, which then sets the tone for the rest of the holiday. Hope you continue to enjoy everything Skiathos has to offer.
|
|
|
Post by katet on Sept 13, 2018 7:43:59 GMT
Day Two, Wednesday We had a great sleep (unsurprisingly) & woke up feeling much refreshed. It was a beautiful morning - hot and sunny, but with a cooling breeze - so we set up camp at the pool after breakfast (bacon & cheese toasties cooked by me π). The pool area here is so nice - strategically placed driftwood art, spotless showers and WCs in a little building ..... and just so peaceful. I think it's great that there's no pool bar - if you like a bit a p&q this is a good place to try. Anyway, a day of reading and relaxing with a quick supermarket trip and sandwich for lunch put us in a very lazy frame of mind, so we had a siesta at four and decided to eat in town at night. Just love a nap on holiday ...... never do it at home! We caught the bus into town at eight (quite busy, but no standing) and decided to try Karnagio near the terminus. It changed hands (used to be called Carnayo) and it's the first one you come to if you walk along Club Strip towards the airport. We had wanted to go back to Limanaki, but it was very breezy by the sea & we hadn't brought jumpers out with us. Anyway, I had seen some great reports of Karnagio and we weren't disappointed. It's very modern, the staff are friendly and the food was superb. Someone said it's the guy from Salt n Pepper who has moved here, but I may be wrong. I had a beef tagliatelle dish which they served at the table by stirring the pasta into a huge round of cheese to get the flavour into the pasta and then transferring to a plate. It was so tasty - they used tender chunks of beef rather than mince and the portion size was perfect for me. Paul had an open beef burger with hand cut crisps. It was very well presented and he said the burger was delicious - home made, succulent and not too much bread. The crisps were excellent - he'd asked for chips, but the head waiter recommended the crisps & he was right! We were very moderate (for a change, haha) and just had a glass of wine each - one red, one of Rose and a table water. The bill was a very reasonable β¬31.90 ..... we were pleasantly surprised. After settling up and promising to return, we had a leg stretch into town and browsed the PapaD shops for half an hour (a long time for Paul!), a quick nightcap in Portobello and back to the terminus for the half eleven bus home and to bed. We had, earlier in the day, said we'd go to the Blind Dog but we were just a too darn tired! We were very rudely awakened at three am by the loudest thunder we've ever heard ...... and then on and off for the next couple of hours. It was quite spectacular (and a little bit scary!) At approx four am I heard the rain start .... Wow! We rarely get such storms in the uk. Luckily, our terrace roof doesn't leak - I'd left stuff outside (including towels and Paul's shoes!). We eventually got back to sleep and I'm writing this from bed, waiting for the sun to show it's face and seeing what today brings
|
|
|
Post by bvrc on Sept 13, 2018 16:38:43 GMT
I love storms on Skiathos, I feel cheated if I donβt see at least one whilst there. Reading & relaxing poolside when there is nothing to disturb the peace except the pool lapping over the side is what holidays are all about. We had dinner in Karnagio also this year, their beetroot salad as a starter was the best beetroot I ever had - yummy! The main guy on the floor is indeed one of the brothers from Salt n Pepper. Hope the sun is back out & it didnβt hamper your day too much.
|
|
|
Post by kevb on Sept 14, 2018 12:34:23 GMT
Nice to read the reports, we had our first meal at Carnayo this time as we were all staying in town and my rooms werent far from the terminus as you might have seen from th ephotos I've now included in my reports. There was a blonde girl inviting diners in who was rather easy on the eye iirc ;-) I had the ribs which were delicious. Only got to Kouk for 1 night, ate in BBW then a quick one in each of Stamelos and Agustera.
|
|
|
Post by katet on Sept 15, 2018 14:09:56 GMT
Day Three, Thursday
The sun was a little tardy burning through, as Dennis has said, so once the drizzle stopped we put British-type clothes on and walked down to the Agustera for breakfast. Wow, was it busy! Elsa, the lovely smaller waitress, was having to actually run around the bar taking orders and bringing out breakfasts - everyone had the same idea on a rainy morning. Dino was also having to work & didn't look very happy ..... he doesn't usually do mornings! Despite every table being taken we were served very quickly with our delicious full Englishes - β¬8.50 each.
By the time we had finished breakfast and bought a few supplies from the supermarket the sun was out again and we walked back to Magda studios overdressed and uncomfortably hot, so it was straight to the pool for the rest of the day. I even had a dip - bracing at first, but a good temperature once acclimatised. Paul declined ..... he's the biggest of big girls blouses, Dennis!
We ate at AlaMar that evening .... it's newly opened and used to be called the Village when we first visited Koukounaries. It's part of the same group as the Bourtzi cafe (not the hotel), Marmita and one called Artesenal and is beautifully decorated, including a fountain and the old wood pizza oven from the Village days. We shared a Greek salad and spicy sausage pizza and Paul had a plate of fried squid as well. Two glasses of wine and a bottle of water and the bill was β¬32 in total - not bad, and the food was good. We got chatting to a couple on the next table and they were staying at the Elivi hotel (cheapest room 2,500 a week). They said it was lovely, but the first night they were the only ones eating in the hotel as it's so expensive, so they've been out every evening since. Don't think we'll bother!
After eating, we had a nightcap at the Agustera and met a lovely couple from Nottingham, spending a convivial hour chatting about all sorts. They were staying at the Mandraki and said they were really enjoying it. We meant to have an earlier night, but it was still after midnight when we got in ...... Never mind - we are on holiday after all!
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 16, 2018 13:27:29 GMT
Y'know, I've always admired people who have "trusty torches".Did you get to meet Arte, or was that just a report?
|
|
|
Post by katet on Sept 17, 2018 6:50:16 GMT
Yes, Dennis - Arte was a nice bloke!! And wishing you a very Happy birthday ππππΌπ¬π·
Day four - Friday
Despite hating sand, Paul agreed to go to the beach for a few hours ...... two to be exact. For him an endurance test, but perfect for me - except it wasn't. By the time we had breakfasted, walked along our bit of track, through the nature reserve and onto Koukounaries beach ... the beach was packed to the rafters and so noisy with other holiday makers having fun. I think there were a couple of day trip boatloads as the sand was full of bodies on towels.
Paul went back to the (very quiet) pool at Magda, but I stuck it out another hour - went for a swim and got stuck into my book. I was rescued by a lovely friend who is staying at the Panorama, texting to ask us to join her for lunch (she's there on her own this time). We had a very convivial couple of hours with Greek salad, chips and wine ..... perfect.
Bussed into town at half seven for a cocktail on the steps (welcomed by Young-George-who-used-to-be-on-the-buses) and then dinner at Paraxenos - one of our favourites. The staff there are the best - made us feel like favourite guests. I think that the skill and hospitality of the islanders is what keeps us all boomeranging back so often. We ate mousaka (Paul) and beef stifado (me), plus red and rose wine. No idea how much it was ..... but all meals have ranged from β¬28 (Koziakas) to β¬44 (Cookounarie Plus), so no surprises. We usually skip a starter and try to stick to one (occasionally two!) glasses of vino each.
Back 'home', a cuppa and an earlier night of just before midnight. I lay in bed drifting off to sleep to the sound of the crickets and the Scops owls - perfect!
|
|
|
Post by katet on Sept 17, 2018 6:52:05 GMT
Haha - just re-read the first bit and I sound like a right grump! How dare they enjoy themselves on my beach!!! π
|
|
|
Post by katet on Sept 19, 2018 22:04:35 GMT
Saturday, Day Five
A pool day, so Paul was very happy! The weather has been hot, hot, hot since the rain on Wednesday night/Thurs morning, but there have been some nice breezes around. We haven't needed air con this time at night - here they charge extra for it.
As it was a football match day we headed for the Agustera in time for results, to find Dino in a tizz as his TVs wouldn't get a signal ..... panic! A seemingly knowledgable bloke who was drinking at the bar went and messed with Dino's laptop and - hey presto! normal service was resumed - phew! Paul was happy with Leeds' result too, so that was ok.
After all of the excitement, we headed down the road to Cookounarie Plus for dinner. Last time we went there, three years ago, Paul didn't get his meal and one of our friends sent his meal back as he thought it was too salty. We thought we would give it another go, as it's in such a nice setting and the main lady is lovely. (She did a sort of double take when she saw us and then came over and gave us a big hug ...... probably to make up for Paul's lack of food last time!!) Anyway, leap of faith by us and we ordered the same as last time - lamb chops for Paul and pork tenderloin with a lamb slip covering for me, oh and a cheese saganaki to share first, with water and a glass of rose. We got the food ..... and it was delish! Mine was tender pork, wrapped in crispy lamb fat with a mushroom sauce and creamy mash - not very Greek, but oh so tasty. We also had a complimentary pud - strawberry and lemon sorbet. It was really busy in there, too, so they must be doing well.
We ended up in ....... guess? ........ the Agustera bar so that Paul could have a proper discussion of the football with some other people (ie men). It was nice, though, as our friend Sue was in there and also the lovely couple from the other night, plus Jill & John who we bump into every so often and enjoy chatting to. Everyone introduced themselves to each other and then we met some other Boomerangers (one being George, who was hilarious) and before we knew where we were it was well after midnight again - oops.
We had been very sensible with the drinking, luckily, as my phone flashlight wouldn't work so we had to feel our way along the dark bits of the track home - I'm always scared there will be a dead snake (or even worse, a live one π±) in the way, although we've never seen one on any of our fifteen visits. Back to the studio, safe and sound, serenaded by the Scops owls and the cicadas.
|
|
|
Post by bvrc on Sept 19, 2018 23:33:45 GMT
Really enjoying your reports. First time we went to Skiathos we stayed in Koukanaries & visit it both day & night on all holidays since. We thought it quiet at night this recent holiday but had a few evenings in Agustera, love the music in there, and staff are lovely. Had a few breakfast/brunches in there too before Ag Eleni beach days.
|
|
|
Post by katet on Sept 20, 2018 16:50:46 GMT
Sunday, Day Six
I was up very early, having arranged to meet friends on the beach (Paul declined & had a lazy lie in, instead). I nipped to the supermarket, bought him a cheese and bacon pastry thing for his breakfast and then left the studio at 9.30 and strolled through Strofilia nature reserve to the beach. The temperature was lovely - not scorching yet, but a bit of a breeze. Didn't see the pair of black swans and cygnet, but got a photo of them the other day. The parents are very glossy and beautiful, which makes me think they're younger than the pair we used to see a few years back, who were a bit threadbare- looking. Perhaps it's just the time of year.
I met up with our four friends, who had just got there and reserved front line beds in the middle of Koukounaries, near to the Billabong water sports & Barracuda beach bar. They are staying at the Myrtia (2 couples) and they each have an offspring with them with spouse and two toddlers each - 12 beings in all - which is why we're at Magda!!! π
. There are two one year olds and two three year olds ...... a very different holiday for our friends, though really enjoyable first Skiathos holiday with their grandchildren. (Tre's turn next May π)
Had a splash in the sea and a good old natter with the girls and stayed till about half twelve, then back to see what Paul was up to and for some lunch. Mr T had enjoyed his peaceful morning - though not the pie - and we spent the afternoon by the pool ..... so very chilled π
Ready and on the bus for town at seven. We decided on cocktails on the old port - Sea U ... Mojitos not as good as at Gin Fish, but a nice place to sit. Decided on dinner at Koziakas, as we hadn't eaten there this time. I had chicken off the spit (boneless) and Paul had the lamb - both delicious. They serve it with rice, fries and oven potatoes - carb overkill!! Paul had a beer and I had a small carafe of rose .... It was the cheapest meal yet - can't remember exactly, but low twenties. We also had a lovely welcome from Mr Koziakas and his son (Vasilias, I think). They are all so good at remembering us visitors!
Afterwards, we had promised ourselves an hour in the Blind Dog, which didn't disappoint .... and we had the bonus of Guy the dog being in attendance. He wasn't there on the nights we visited in June - he's getting on a bit πΆ. Then, midnight bus and straight to bed (with phone torch!)
Monday, Day Seven
Boo hoo! last day, but at least we managed to finalise trip #16 in May-June 2019. Had an email from the Atlas & then walked down to the Panorama to pay the deposit for there to Dina. We're doing a two-hotel hol again. I didn't spot Dennis and Vera on their travels through Kouk, but instead saw our friends from home who were also driving a red Jimny. They called round to 'ours' to have a nosey and liked it a lot .... They're booked into Myrtia next year, but may have a look at Magda after that.
Speaking of Magda, the lady who owns the accommodation is quite elderly and doesn't speak any English, but she is very smiley and really seemed to appreciate my attempts at pleasantries with her. I think her son is something to do with Skiathos TUI . All the work is done by a lady called Olga and a gentleman who never speaks. They are all over the place - cleaning, laundering, gardening, painting and doing stuff to the pool ....... exhausting!!
We stayed by the pool for most of the day and then did the packing before our final evening. We decided to try Big Bad Wolf again, as it's always so popular. For us, out of about six visits three have been good and three not good at all. This time it was a very consistent 50% ...... Paul loved his meal, I disliked mine! Paul had his favourites - lamb chops (surprise, surprise) - and they looked lovely, accompanied by fries and coleslaw. I had lamb-chop envy! I chose kleftico and was put off by the look of it as soon as it was unwrapped. The lamb was grey-ish in colour and it tasted just like a tasteless lamb stew without much taste. This was one of Paul's favourite meals this time and my worst. Never mind - the wine & service were good!
You won't be shocked to hear that we ended up in the Agustera afterwards, for a couple of hours and some fond farewells. We didn't stay out too late, as we had to get the luggage ready for pick up at 9am ...... I really can't remember being so sensible ever before! Must be an age thing π
Tuesday - off home
No dramas (thankfully) - luggage away and then we said our goodbyes and walked down to Agustera (again!!!) for a good breakfast to see us through. They really are excellent - if I can get a photo up on here you'll see what I mean. The transfer coach picked us up outside Stamelos bar at eleven for a smooth deposit at the airport. There was the usual long queue for the check-in desks, but the cases were in weight (phew!) and no queue for the case scanning bit. There wasn't quite enough time to go up to Desires taverna, sadly, plus we were so full of our bacon and eggs we didn't really want anything. We waited in the upstairs lounge and did a bit of facebooking etc. Went into the departure lounge an hour before our flight and there were lots of spare seats - amazing! Because of being with TUI there was no refuel stop and the lady pilot did a first class job and got us home 15 mins early. This made no difference - the baggage took at least an extra 15 mins to come through .... Grrrr!
We had no dramas with the taxi and arrived home at 5.30 pm to a drama ...... a totally flat front tyre, and we were desperate to go and get a takeaway! Taximan to the rescue with his speedy air pump device - what a star! (Turns out there was a nail in the tyre, so not really my bad driving!). Went out for a quick pint (Paul) and a Chinese (both) and unpacking next day.
A good end to a great week - bring on next May! ......... and thank you again Skiathos π
|
|
amy115
Full Member
Posts: 340
Visits to Skiathos: 5
Accommodation Stayed At: Thymis House Hotel
Dream House
Elizabeth Studios
|
Post by amy115 on Sept 21, 2018 7:20:34 GMT
Lovely diary Kate, have real!y enjoyed it. Thank you π
|
|
|
Post by bvrc on Sept 21, 2018 16:58:18 GMT
Thank you katet for your reports, a very enjoyable read. So late in the season and still reports coming in, weβve been spoiled π
|
|