|
Post by dennisn on Sept 21, 2021 6:24:10 GMT
Didn’t work, did it? Incompetent use of iPad. Plan B - go try it with MacBook.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 21, 2021 7:09:52 GMT
Here we go again - look closely for the early morning mist on our first day after a cold night.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 22, 2021 6:41:44 GMT
Tuesday 21st September. As I said, we woke to a power failure in which the nice lady cleaner resolved the problem by taking our kettle to boil in another room. This is to be another gentle day, so after a leisured breakfast We drove ever so slowly to Ligaries for our last meal there. Good old faithful Greek salad and bread - always so good that I ask for another portion of bread. Alcohol free beer and tonic with ice and lemon. Seconds beer and a frappé. E24 plus tip. A breezy day, the wind going in our direction brought our VERY small trail of dust along to make sure we were ready for a refreshing dip in the pool.
Before the swim, we did our going home tests from Chronomics. When I opened the packages (it said don’t start until you are going to do it) it had at least three instruction leaflets, each with drawings of nose poking etc. The instructions were so simple yet different in each leaflet, that I struggled with them. Did my own test first so that if I botched it I could hop in the Jimny and get mine done in town. But eventually I managed. When I was towards the end of Vera’s, I switched to the clock to do the timer bit, thereby cleverly dropping the connection to Chronomics. So I spent over half an hour defeating all attempts to get back in! Anyway, the thingy looked just like a pregnancy test and showed us both negative and off went the photos, to give an email response very quickly that we are negative. Just have to do the Passenger Location Form for each of us and we’ll be done.
Evening meal in Vareli, it took us 35 minutes to Zimmer the less than 300 metres to get there and 40 to get back afterwards. After tsatsiki, we both had kalamari and enjoyed it.
On recollection, whilst we had been dining at Ligaries, I got a phone call from a TUI rep on the island. After a week of silence, finally. I was rather gruntled that her questions all indicated that she was brand new to our problem and indeed she said she’d just had an email. But I had to tell her (and Ligaries diners) all about it again. I eventually managed to prise out of her that we’ll be picked up by taxi at 9:35am on Friday, wheelchair and plane loading truck at JSI. She said we have to tell aircrew our needs for Bristol, so I wonder what arrangements the Palma de Mallorca guy had made, maybe just filling in forms. We shall see how a taxi copes with us, two large suitcases, two smaller trolley cases of cabin stuff AND a socking great Zimmer frame! And will they indeed have allocated seats 1A and B?
And I’ve just had my last sugar stick thing, so it’s sour coffee for the next two days!
|
|
|
Post by kevb on Sept 22, 2021 12:04:22 GMT
Just hope they don't stick you in a luggage cage on the back of a van ;-)
|
|
|
Post by cariad23 on Sept 22, 2021 12:13:14 GMT
Two weeks has gone quickly, I bet Vera will be glad to get home. They will have to seat you where you will not impede the exits in case of emergency evacuation. Probably back two seats which are usually left free on most flights. Will a zimmer fit down central aisle might have to go in the hold. Thank heavens you haven’t got long journey home from Birmingham
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 22, 2021 14:15:07 GMT
I’m assuming that “Welfare Seats 1A and 1B” promised by Palma de Mallorca man are in row 1 and also that Zimmer will be taken away like pushchairs are.
|
|
|
Post by *Di* on Sept 22, 2021 15:51:31 GMT
I dont know if it helped at all Dennis but I contacted the lovely Ilias at Boudouriani a few days ago asking if he knew why Helen the TUI rep wasnt around to help as I know she is on the island as she socialises a bit with the Boudouriani family? He said alas no TUI reps working resorts now it all has to be done via the app! I explained our good friends Dennis and Vera needed help (he asked me your name first) and left it with him hoping he might be able to contact Helen? I do hope you get the help you need… I wish we were there to also try help.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 22, 2021 19:56:29 GMT
I don’t know if it helped either Di, but thank you for trying. I think it’s beginning to look more resolved now. Our boarding passes now say seats 1A and B and on one document I saw in passing somewhere it indicated we are booked for assistance.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 22, 2021 21:43:14 GMT
Wednesday 22nd. We woke at 4:30am to heavy rain. Not the usual torrential and no thunder or lightning, but heavy enough to wake us. I gathered in a couple of items from the washing line which were dry and left the others which weren’t. It stopped after a while and when we next woke up, it had almost dried out. So it rained again at 7:30 for another half hour. Then the clouds all disappeared and we had a lovely day. The pre planned events were to be morning swim, then into town for a midday snack, then mooch around town until Vera’s nails appointment at 5pm, then Nikos Taverna for an evening meal. But the rain reduced that to the stuff from midday snack onwards.
Not wanting to make two visits to Nikos, we asked Angela for a good gyros place, and she suggested we try her husband’s favourite and say we’re from Costas and he’d give us extra meat and we’d be able to park to save Vera zimming. So we did, Alexandros at bus stop 4, on the corner opposite the supermarket, opposite direction to Little Balcony. They were certainly the best we’ve ever had, but we won’t be-going again because of the location, on the ring road, the traffic never stops moving and not many vehicles have well-tended exhaust pipes, so I couldn’t hear myself drink my beer!
In town, I dropped Vera and Zimmer at the ferry end and took the Jimny to the car park, then walked back to find her. Wouldn’t be hard, with her painful zimming, she couldn’t have gone far. And she hadn’t, but I forgot about shops and that somebody would be bound to help her inside if she struggled. So I walked all the way to top of Papadiamanti Street without success and was very lucky to find her near the bottom. We eventually found our way to the old harbour and had a drink and I went across to meet Jim Robson, comedian member of Facebook and his wife Ann - if you’re on FB, you’ll have seen my celebration of the event by t-shirt.
Back on Papadiamanti street, we were 40 minutes early for nails, so we sat outside and peered in to watch the people getting their feet and ankles cleaned by the tiny fishes. When Vera eventually was admitted, I wandered off in search of a supply of Fishermen’s Friends. Reminds me that in Koukounaries supermarket I asked the lady if she had Fishermen’s Friends and she said No, of course, I have a husband. After nails we made our way back down Papadiamanti Street to Nikos for a mixed grill. When I said I couldn’t manage mixed grill for two, Mrs Nikos suggested for one and share it, which suited us both perfectly. Then I left Vera on a bench by the ferry and brought the Jimny round for her. Our first nighttime drive and the dark doesn’t disguise the suicidal members of the road burners.
And so to the checkin and Passenger Location Form. Now I’ve read about wimps who claim to have lost the will to live over the PLF and always knew that as a former filler inner I’d have no difficulty with it. Two hours it took, reducing me to desperate moaning. Just about the only information they didn’t want was inside leg, and done on two complete forms separately, absolute nightmare bureaucracy!
And it rained again and is still at it and blowing a bit of a wild night.
|
|
|
Post by katet on Sept 22, 2021 21:53:56 GMT
I've only just managed to catch up with all of this Dennis - what a palaver you and Vera have had since I saw you last week at the Katsonis service. I'm so very sorry. And you missed the boat trip, too, which I know you were both looking forwards to.
However, I am full of admiration for you both in the way that you have carried on still enjoying your holiday, even if it's had to be a little more restricted than usual. Tui have been abysmal - I do hope that all goes smoothly on Friday.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 23, 2021 12:31:16 GMT
Well TUI continue to fall somewhat short of my hopes (not expectations). I had a text this morning saying taxi will pick you up 9:35am tomorrow. I immediately replied, suggesting they might do well to come earlier and we’d be ready anyway for 9am. The text refused to deliver, so it’s a no reply address they text from. Completely TUI - the app is useless and the only message they’ve sent me through that is invitation to review them, which I did days ago, scoring them zero all through the categories and adding comment that the B thing doesn’t work and it would be a good idea if they fixed it. The UK 24/7 phone line is as bad and they persist in using Covid as an excuse for not providing support. Their customer support and help service needs a complete overhaul and I’ll tell them so if I get the chance. Of course, the feedback forms these people use have only questions designed to produce favourable results and never seem to allow room for criticism, whether just bad or constructive. The world is no longer designed to be helpful or caring and I’m a grumpy sod.
|
|
|
Post by cariad23 on Sept 23, 2021 13:02:11 GMT
We got off the bus at bus stop 4 one lunchtime and went into Alexandros and had a gyros I agree best ever had we were the only English people in there lots of obviously working men enjoying food. Keep meaning to return was very cheap too. We often share a mixed grill too as we are not big eaters most places give you too much. My only complaint about Skiathos meals seems they all come with chips and rice which we never eat. In stoupa thassos always offer choice of village potatoes or salad. Well last day Dennis hope all goes well tomorrow and journey isn’t too painful for vera
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 23, 2021 13:27:24 GMT
I’m not well-travelled in the gyros world, Cariad, I had the impression the price was similar all over, and the difference came from content, quality of content and service from staff. If there’s an Elivi-style influence, I have not yet come across it. I like chips, coz I’m a bloke, but confess most of them on Skiathos are not really worthy of the name, but I eat them anyway and Vera likes rice, not chips. It’s a pity Alexandros is on the busiest road on the island, if it wasn’t, I’d be in there every day!
|
|
|
Post by yorkshiremouth on Sept 23, 2021 14:58:33 GMT
You don’t see a lot of orzo.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Sept 23, 2021 17:30:19 GMT
You don’t see a lot of orzo. To be honest, I can’t recall ever seeing even one.
|
|