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Post by kevb on Aug 30, 2022 10:19:36 GMT
Fair comment Dennis but we're Yorkshiremen after all and fuel is expensive here😉 Yesterday was day 2 of car hire. As I thought, this holiday has become very beach centred but I dont mind too much, done lots of walking on previous visits. Having four of us together is always going to involve compromise. The consensus was to go to the other Mandraki beach, Elias. Neither Helen nor Anne had seen it and though I took mum there last year she was happy to return. Drove long way round via Kouk so the girls could get the views out from the headland. They are among the best views on the island in my experience. Got lucky in that as we got as close to Elias as you can by vehical a quad was just leaving so I shoehorned the Jimny in and we trudged down the boards to the beach. It got the thumbs up so we got 4 beds together and settled down for the day. It was after 12 when we got there so we got settled, had a swim then went to the taverna. Long queue but we were in no hurry. Turned into a long and quite large lunch to the point we all agreed we wouldnt do a proper meal in the evening. At one point late in afternoon a pony trekking group came down the beach and the leader led all the horses down the shady end and into the surf for a good down after their afternoons walk. Im no horse expert but they all looked in good shape and none of the riders looked too heavy for their mounts. They seemed mostly healthy young folks doing the riding. Spent a fair amount of the day there, everyone had a good day and we came off the beach just ahead of the major exodus. Back at apts for around 6:30. Mum decided on an early night and Anne ended up having just the one cocktail with us. Rest of evening a little fuzzy. We were intending on fairly early night but combination of window shopping, laughing at some grossly overpriced items (75 euro for a beach changing robe) and having too many ouzo and sprites in Pheds whilst listening to Nasas do one of his sets meant it got to 1am and we still hadnt eaten since lunch! Shared a Giros wrap at Mams (even no name had shut for the night) with a beer then stopped for naughty liqueur coffees on the harbour front. Helen hopelessly drunk by now. Steered us both back to apts at about 2:30am. Proper night out 😅
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Post by kevb on Aug 30, 2022 10:23:35 GMT
Postscript on petrol, theres a report that a quad bike left at big car park next to Alkyon had their petrol tank syphoned last night. Full when they parked up, empty this morning. It could just be a story but its doing the rounds today.
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Post by dennisn on Aug 30, 2022 11:36:44 GMT
Sorry Kev, maybe I should say that on holiday in a hired vehicle, I really don't care about the fuel.
But by contrast, I'm a nutter with my van - done 199,000 miles in it since new March 2018, this last financial year I did just over 47,000 miles, 4,074 litres of diesel, 52.58mpg (11.57 miles/litre), cost £4,810.50 (exc VAT), 10.21 pence per mile. My annual mileages are all down as a result of Covid of course. All of which may be of total inconsequence if my hand doesn't start working and I have to retire!! Heaven forbid, but four weeks now and I still can't work my left hand.
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Post by kevb on Aug 30, 2022 12:16:56 GMT
Sorry to hear about your hand Dennis. The costs of fuel prices for drivers, hauliers etc are getting scary, thousands of pounds to fill some of the big rigs, got a mate who has a hgv licence and does some driving to pad out his music teaching.
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Post by dennisn on Aug 30, 2022 14:23:32 GMT
Some of those with big rigs must be quite fed up with prices. I can imagine them constantly checking prices before re-fuelling, the wat prices have moved from day to day could cost or save them a decent lump of money filling today or holding off until tomorrow (etc, etc).
Just out of interest, over the latest three years (note - all three distorted by covid) my fuel costs have been 9.00 pence a mile, 10.21 and now 13.41. Good thing it's jam, not bread and butter!
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Post by kevb on Aug 31, 2022 10:07:36 GMT
Sorry for this getting a bit repetitive but another beach day yesterday but with a rather novel ending. First off mum decided she would opt out of daytime car and just nip round to Oasis for the day. I think she might seriously consider it as somewhere to stay in future. So that left 3 of us and we elected to go to Aselinos beach. I know theres a bus service to there this year but it still feels out of the way. However on adrival the sea was pretty lively and Anne is waiting for a knee op and it was too rough for her to swim so she left us and bussed it back to Kolios which she likes. So myself and Helen had a lovely afternoon which flew by. We swam and got buffeted by big waves by Skiathos standards. We lunched at the taverna. The really big shed seems eerily quiet these days (we ate outside anyway) as it doesnt seem to be the draw it once was for a lunch stop for round the island tours. Last 2 of those I have done Eleni was the lunch stop. Bit of drama toward end of afternoon. Firstly a dog seemed to be trapped and barking from a ledge way up at the top of the cliffs. Someone tried to get up to investigate but had to give up. Man in charge of sunbeds told a worried tourist he had been in contact with owner and they were not concerned, how true this was is anyones guess. Late in the afternoon as we prepared to gather our stuff there was some crashing around in the undergrowth and a pig appeared. It then proceded to have a snuffle round the tavernas and check out potential leftovers on the beach. Subsequently found out it belongs to one of taverna staff and comes out to play quite often. He had to tempt it away when it took a shine to a tourists shorts and had a nibble of his leg though. Spotted a whip snake crossing the road on way back. Collected Anne at Kolios then back to apts. Got max use from car by taking everyone to Mega Gialos taverna for evening meal. Bit lacking in atmosphere but pretty authentic food. I had goat in a red sauce which was rather nice. Anne had a whole stuffed squid which looked quite spectacular but too much for 1 person really. Cant remember total but less than 100 for 4 including tip though we did skip starters We were all pretty tired, Anne went to meet some facebookers in town and Helen and I managed just 1 drink in Liminaki bar before hitting the sack by midnight, exhausted.
The regular four legged visitor to Asselinos beach and taverna
Choppy sea at big Asselinos
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Post by katet on Aug 31, 2022 16:00:26 GMT
Skiathos never fails to deliver the unexpected! A beach-loving pig is certainly different 😂.
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Post by kevb on Aug 31, 2022 20:37:23 GMT
Very brief summary of today as I probably wont get time in the morning for a proper report. Final day of car hire. Called hire company and told them I would drop it off Thurs morning instead of Weds night. This gave us chance for a more out of town meal. However before that we had a lovely day on Eleni beach with lunch, hazy cloud burned off for a glorious afternoon for swimming. Beware though there are fish that have taken to giving you a bit of a nip on the legs and ankles if you stand around in the shallows. Evening meal was at Panorama. Got there just as it was drawing dusk, what a splendid view. Food excellent and maybe not the cheapest but all well presented. The risottos and pizzas were excellent. All done and back in apt by 11pm,none of us felt like hitting town as I need to be up early tomorrow to drop car back and then 3 of us are straight off to harbour for Sail The Day boating dsy which should be extremely good from reports. Anne did it a few years back and is giving it a miss but Helen, mum and myself are down plus a bunch of facebookers, some who we know already. Night all...
Eleni beach and taverna on last 'car day'
View from Panorama restaurant at dusk
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Post by cariad23 on Sept 1, 2022 7:36:27 GMT
ive done sail the day , fabulous, you have done so much.
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Post by kevb on Sept 2, 2022 8:31:01 GMT
As planned we did Sail The Day with capn Stephanos yesterday. Its a great day out but thought he read to room poorly at the start and end of the day. Think hes seen too many unruly kids this season. Said itcwas first all adult trip he has done all season. However at times I think he did treat us a bit like kids and it got a bit wearing at times. These trips are really made or broken by the other folk present. The bulk of those there were people we already knew from facebook site and the rest were an affable pair of couples staying at Elivi (didnt hold it against them though) and a chap on his own from Australia who is spending 5 weeks travelling through balkans and Greece. Swimming/snorkelling stops (cant see enough without specs to bother snorkelling and the fish in the med arent that spectacular) whiled away the time giving Stephanos time to prepare a long late lunch. Apparently its not the done thing to detail the food so as not to spoil it for others. Stephanos has his patter down so we all had a good over lunch. If you have a shellfish allergy, as the Australian guy did, then Im afraid you wont get value but its a decent mix of places to stop. We did stops at Arkos, Skopelos and Tsougria. The final stop I felt a little unneccessary as it meant a much later return than expected, after 9pm,with a huge scramble in the dark to find your belongings. Stephanos seemed more interested in getting group photos that he could put on faceboom than sorting out some lighting. Hey ho, thats the second all dayer of this type Ive done and there are others to choose from if we have another go. We dashed home and 3 of us (mum straight to bed dont blame her) got changed then a quick bite to eat in Nickos and off to Blind Dog for an hour or so but we were exhausted so didnt stay long. Collapsed into bed another day ticked off in a flash.
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Post by kevb on Sept 2, 2022 9:23:36 GMT
Ive just realised I only have 2 nights left and havent been in Totem once. Even mum's been in the odd time this holiday. There was a time I'd be in 2 or 3 times a week. Different sort of holiday this time round but no complaints at all. Might get a quick visit in tonight but gets very busy at weekends.
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Post by dennisn on Sept 2, 2022 11:03:50 GMT
Thanks Kev, valuable comments about Sail the Day. And I don't have any allergies, but don't do shellfish, so I don't think I shall ever do this trip. Can't understand the reasoning behind not listing food, particularly if you don't do shellfish - could get there and really not get full value enjoyment.
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Post by cariad23 on Sept 2, 2022 13:39:06 GMT
We had great time Kev all adults wouldn’t want a day on boat with kids, there were 8 of us who really all got on well got back at 7pm I saw him getting back this year he has a different boat to the one we went on it looks much smaller. We had a lot of seafood which I love I remember clams prawns sea urchin eggs as well as a pasta dish. We all had a go sailing taking the wheel , a lot of the boats you don’t get food they put you ashore to go to a taverna and pay extra. We finished off with a gin and tonic sailing into the harbour there was beer too during the day not enough for anyone to get legless and fall overboard obviously! You have done an awful lot this holiday you will need a rest to get over it. Lots of memories
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Post by kevb on Sept 3, 2022 5:15:49 GMT
We seem to be in winding down mode now, yesterday was our penultimate full day. We had prearranged to meet 2 couples who both permanently live here. Ive known half of one of the couples, Julie, since her first visit to the island in 2013. By 2015 she had met Graham in UK and they were married on Skiathos and moved permanently here 2 years ago. Now it gets a bit wildly coincidental. Helens sister worked in the prison service in UK and 2 officers she knew also live here in Skiathos and know Julie and Graham. Helen had never met either of the other couple but we all met at Mylos for a long lazy lunch. We didnt get up that early and it was looking overcast so we just had a couple of hours at tennis club then showered and off to Mylos. Not sure Ive ever eaten there though Ive taken mum for a drink to watch planes come in. The other couple have been here 7 years and still love it. Always interesting to get an insight of what its like to be here all year, especially the winters. I had a beef and veg with potatoes dish that may not necessarily be trad greek (lady that runs Mylos is an ex pat herself) but it was delicious. Helen had a slight variation without the veg but couldnt finish it, brought a chunk of beef back for the cats. Alsi shared garlic bread which was stuffed with feta, delicious. It was still very overcast and 4:30 by time we left so no plans to eat in evening, absolutely stuffed. Had a little siesta before we headed out early evening as there was a meeting of facebookers at Goldfish. All 4 of us went. We met some new people plus others from the boat trip. Some then moved on to eat, mum decided to head back to apts. Helen, Anne and myself sauntered through town and I finally got to seevthe inside of Totem. Band was pretty good though not quite the regular trio, enjoyable but after a couple of rounds we were flagging a bit. Peckish so picked up a crepe from the place opposite no name and we nipped in our fave late night coffee house on the harbour (Gerani or something similar, near taxi rank). We had spots of rain, some thunder and lightening over the harbour but nonething too worrying. A laid back day but enjoyable nonetheless and batteries recharged for our final full day. I will be formally handing the baton over to Katet, though she will have a story to tell of her convoluted journey here.
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Post by katet on Sept 3, 2022 12:07:25 GMT
Indeed I do, Kev! 😅🫣⚡️🌩
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