|
Post by balddave on Jun 6, 2024 14:47:42 GMT
Yesterday Sue in a bit of discomfort so had a lazy day around the pool which I have to say is a pleasant environment, the pool bar has today started doing basic bar snacks , toasties sandwiches etc, the staff are super, friendly and helpful. This evening we thought we’d try a new venue so caught bus to stop 4, walked down to cafe del mar for a drink, a stunning location. A short walk next door to Sifiri for the 1st time, we always try at least 1 new restaurant each holiday, shared starters of feta in filo with honey sauce and spring rolls, for mains Sue had a chicken curry and rice , a decent portion and tasty, I opted for a rack of ribs in a Jack Daniels sauce, huge portion and delicious.shared a half carafe of decent house wine, water plus a complimentary dark and white chocolate moose, a very reasonable 52€. I suggested a taxi back but Sue insisted on walking as she’d been resting all day, a couple of stops on the steps back up to the top of town but then downhill all the way. Straight back to the accommodation and a nightcap at the pool bar with a few other guests , including 4 new arrivals who hadn’t even taken their luggage to respective rooms,
|
|
|
Post by balddave on Jun 6, 2024 20:17:18 GMT
Today was our last of this visit but will do final post once back home, I’m in awe of kate who can wax lyrical about her visit in such detail days after being back in Blighty. We did yesterday rebook Aspronissos for next May, reason for early booking being number of guests from oasis,Alkyon, princes house etc that have visited for a nose around and indicated they will book next year. We’re also planning a cheeky few days /week in September, yet to be confirmed
|
|
|
Post by exgreekgod on Jun 6, 2024 20:22:41 GMT
Lovely reading thanks, off to Stansted tomorrow for a 7a.m flight Saturday, it's been a long time counting down the days.
|
|
|
Post by katet on Jun 6, 2024 20:59:50 GMT
It sounds good there Dave - I may just have a look round next week with a view to also booking next year. I like that it already has a nice social vibe going on … there isn’t much of that at the Alkyon and the staff there this year are sadly lacking (apart from Elsa at the bar who is lovely). Have you booked via Jet2 or directly?
A friend has just messaged to say they have eaten at Siferi tonight and had an excellent meal. I do like it there ~ and Cafe del Mar too.
Your holiday has really gone fast! Thank you for taking time out of your holiday to do it regularly ~ something I always mean to and then usually find myself having to catch up much later! (I only manage to remember what I’ve done because I take loads of photos. My memory needs a jog these days 😁)
Safe travels home tomorrow … and also to you on your outward trip EGG on Saturday ✈️
|
|
|
Post by exgreekgod on Jun 7, 2024 5:42:51 GMT
Thanks Kate, same to you for Monday. Looking forward to some proper weather 😎
|
|
|
Post by cariad23 on Jun 7, 2024 10:33:45 GMT
Thanks Dave very enjoyable Baton passed to egg
|
|
|
Post by exgreekgod on Jun 7, 2024 10:43:06 GMT
No pressure then🙄
|
|
|
Post by balddave on Jun 7, 2024 20:53:33 GMT
Back home so final rant ,yesterday being our last day I asked Sue what would be her best day, she said morning at Kanapitsa, back to town to pick up gifts for grandkids and other hangers on, then a couple of pre dinner drinks and a meal in a nice restaurant. Who am I to argue. Morning started bright but breezy, bit of a battle at breakfast on the roof top to keep placemats/ napkins in place. Following breakfast headed for 10 o’clock boat taxi, bit of a choppy journey over but no major issues, after negotiating the yet to be repaired jetty settled into sunbeds on the beach, the wind then increased in strength, I took to wearing sunglasses, the sole purpose being to keep the sand out of my eyes, at this stage although overcast still warm with sun occasionally breaking through. As the morning progressed the wind eased but the sky darkened, late morning we felt a few drops of rain so headed to the taverna, due to wind intensity they’d dropped the large 5metre brollies nearest the beach ,fortunately we found a table under brolly at the rear, a beverage and toastie sufficed for lunch, and the rain was short lived. Early afternoon the sun broke through and the rain became the occasional drop,. As intended we caught 3:30;boat back to town, only to discover it had broken down at Nostos during the morning and an engineer had to be called, however uneventful journey back to the port, retail time, not my favourite pastime, however I was determined in one purchase, our youngest grandson , who is autistic, is 10 later this month and we are buying him an all singing and dancing pirate ship sandpit, Sues father was a squadron leader in the RAF and we still have his cap which Euan puts on and calls himself ‘ captain Euan’, I’d seen captain hats in town and thought he’d love one, problem being all mainly adult sizes, found a child’s version in Russ Abbots shop ( if you know you know) , can’t wait to see his face when we give it to him. Other purchases made but none as important.. After shopping heading back to the apartment when an impromptu thunderstorm interrupted our journey, what else to do but seek shelter in fresh bar. In the evening we headed up to Main Street for pre dinner drinks, we spent our time seeing who could spot what we describe as a ‘ (Word Deleted)e shirt’ several contenders including the banana one, illuminous tie dye, but the winner was the one made out of multi coloured crocheted squares, I kid you not. Mundane activity but we’re on holiday. Basikilos our restaurant of choice , really enjoyed eating here previously, we ordered tsaziki and breads to start but it was strange, raw carrot and sliced pickled gherkin alongside. For mains I ordered lamb of the bone with sautéed potatoes, whilst tasty the lamb to me was over cooked and on the dry side, Sue ordered pork tenderloin with celeriac mash, the pork again a tad over cooked. To drink a decent bottle of wine and water 85€, I have to say a Little disappointing on previous experiences. Back to accommodation for a night cap at pool bar. I will write an epilogue on our airport experience both in Skiathos and Manchester on our return flight, but too much on top of today’s drivel
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Jun 8, 2024 7:55:19 GMT
Yee hah Dave, thanks for a lovely breakfast read.
|
|
|
Post by kevb on Jun 8, 2024 8:56:37 GMT
Cheers Dave, nice to hear people are rebooking despite the impending tennis club development. Aspronissos owners will be encouraged by that. Will have to see if it wins us over enough to take that gamble when we go in August.
|
|
|
Post by balddave on Jun 8, 2024 9:28:06 GMT
Kev, the owners of Aspronissos, assimina, oasis, princes house, Martha’s house and others have all put in objections to the Lidl development. I can see their point as there are many vacant sites on the perimeter of town ripe for development
|
|
|
Post by balddave on Jun 9, 2024 8:20:21 GMT
Our flight home was at 13:35, strangely our pick up time was 10:15 over 3 hours before take off, arrived at the airport and all became apparent, jet2 had arranged both Manchester and stanstead transfers together,I assume to save costs. Disembarked from minibus only to be told by the rep,’ stanstead to go into the terminal but Manchester to wait outside in the shade ‘, 28 degrees so even in shade very hot, Sue still in recovery from illness after a month in hospital, staying outside not an option,especially with no seating, having knowledge of the airport layout so we headed inside to the upstairs cafeteria, good job because others stayed outside for almost an hour, can you picture a plane load of travellers plus luggage trying to cram under small canopy. Kept an eye on check in from the balcony, when it eventually reduced we joined the back end, then the luggage conveyor failed, a further 15 minutes delay. When we arrived at the check in desk , Sod’s law the luggage ticket printer went off line. Security not an issue, but I did get swabbed, then onto a large queue for passport control, took an age to get through. I question as to frapport ability to manage the increasing number of passengers moving through the airport, also the infrastructure of the building itself. Boarded plane 10 minutes late but then sat on the tarmac for half an hour, This we were advised was due to backlog caused by conveyor failing. Arrived in to Manchester 20 minutes late so nearly on time, on stand gate 22 , nearest to passport control so only a short walk, through with no issues, on to luggage collection where we stood for the better part of an hour watching an empty carousel go round, no indication as to the delay, fortunately luggage some of the first on the belt. Despite the dramas of this particular journey it didn’t detract from our enjoyment or holiday experience. We will however avoid Friday flights home from Skiathos.
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Jun 9, 2024 10:01:23 GMT
Dave, I'm sorry, but you have utterly flabbered my ghast with your wonderment over congestion at JSI homebound. Two flights at once? Tell me you've never flown on a Friday before! We've always flown on Friday when they bring several homebound passengers in at the same time - the midday arrivals/departures are bedlam. I'm guessing yours was a quiet time because of the time of year. Somewhere amongst the 5,000-odd photos on this hard disk is a picture of queue-ing outside from the entrance right back to where they used to drop the plebs' suitcases. Our worst year was when the reps for some other company than ours came outside to the queue to call forward their passengers for Manchester or somewhere and a huge number of us howled that our TUI Birmingham flight was scheduled 30 minutes before theirs so we got ushered forwards. In the days when TUI reps kicked us off the coach to head for checkin and disappeared to greet new arrivals. Actual departure lounges have approximately 20% of the seating capacity for Friday 1/2pm-ish departures, it's a sight when four flights are in there! One good year was the time I had the encounter with the drunken motorbike rider, when the hospital doctor told me to ask for assistance at the airport - they popped me into a wheelchair and wheeled me to the front of every queue, bypassed security with a wave and through passport control with a nod, then parked me at the departure lounge exit door, wheeled me out to my own lifty up truck and into the plane before anybody else was loaded. Recent years have qualified Vera for assistance both ends and it works a treat. Think of it yourself if Sue even vaguely qualifies - it's self declared need, so it helps your conscience if you have a stick or a bandaged leg, but not obligatory.
|
|
|
Post by balddave on Jun 9, 2024 10:46:45 GMT
KDennis we have travelled home numerous times on a Friday and are more than used to the congestion, there where actually a further 2 TUi flights and 1 to Linz ,wherever that may be,my concern was being taken to then airport 3 hours prior, then asked to stand in 28 degrees outside the terminal for nearly an hour , many travellers of an age find it hard enough to stand in one place for this length of time, disability or not. I totally agree many cases ‘ Vera included’ qualify for assistance and I have no issues at all with this, in fact to the contrary, everyone is entitled to a holiday. I do however get annoyed when you recognise folk who have been walking unaided around the town all week but suddenly develop a sudden disability at the airport. My observations are based on this years experience against those of the last 30 years of visiting the island
|
|
|
Post by dennisn on Jun 9, 2024 18:47:49 GMT
Dave, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to cause offence. I totally misunderstood your post as indicating it was the first time you've experienced the congestion problem, which we've experienced more often than not, including early pickups - our flight scheduled to depart at 1300 (or later) has always been pickup at Troulos at 09:30 with a note to be there 10-15 mins early, so long over three hours before any problems even start. And it's galling to look at flightradar24 as we board the coach and see our flight hasn't yet departed UK.
Having said all of which, I wish we were fit enough to book another dose!
|
|