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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 5, 2017 10:36:54 GMT
I wonder what it means?
A lamb stifado can't possibly be defrosted and cooked in the short time from order to service.
Presumably frozen when lamb is plentiful, defrosted, made into stifado during the day.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 5, 2017 20:01:30 GMT
Just returned from Captain Michalis.
I'll post more when I've calmed down.
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Post by Tre on Aug 5, 2017 22:39:32 GMT
YM oh!! calm, chill.....
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Post by philipt22 on Aug 6, 2017 7:25:44 GMT
Not good then YM........It always happens. My solution to receiving a bad meal is Metaxa on my return to base; it helps me forget lol
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 6, 2017 10:08:20 GMT
On, I think, my second day I went for a reccy up and down Kouk strip at lunch time. The Captain beckoned me over. You like pizza? My son does, but do you do children's portions? Yes! Any size you like! He likes pepperoni, do you do that? Of course! Best pizza on Skíathos, cooked from fresh in our pizza oven, not from the supermarket like the rest.
So last night we went. Ordered a child's pizza. We only do one size. Ordered a pepperoni we only do two kinds, plain or special, which has everything on. Okay, we'll have two pizzas, one plain, one special. Meatballs. Greek salad. Retsina.
Whilst waiting we wandered over to show my lad the pizza oven. The captain panicked. What are you doing? Just showing him the oven. Too late, captain, the cat is out of the bag. There's the cook trying to prize apart a pile of identical frozen pizza bases.
The special pizza was adequate. The plain, who knows? It never arrived. The Greek salad was great. To be fair you just have to cut things up. The meatballs were sold out so I was offered a pork stew. Bland isn't the word.
Retsina? Passable. Just.
If this was the UK I'd be waiting for a news story of how the place went up in a fire, probable insurance job. Because it's the most irredeemably worthless Taverna I've had the misfortune to frequent.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 6, 2017 10:30:30 GMT
I've just commented at Ian's Skíathos blog (awaiting approval). I have to agree that things appear to have changed this year, from my perspective.
In all humility I must consider the limits of my experience. I've not been to Kouk before. But the couple of visits I've made this year, I'd not return to the beach again. Club 18-30 ? No, that's overstating it. Benidorm? Not really.
But if these are lazy shorthand for the place being a tad more lively/noisy/rowdy/yoof-full, then they're not criticisms entirely without merit.
I've not been to Banana either, but I've seen videos. It seems to me that, with the recent developments, perhaps a little bit of Banana is appearing on Kouk. Or has it always been that way? As I say, I must admit the limits of my knowledge on that one.
One thing that would always put me off Kouk is the fact that the sun loungers are, in some places, 9 (NINE!) deep. Not a 'holiday' in any way I'd use the word, and not concomitant with what I consider to be traditionally Skíathos.
I can only speak for myself, but after a year of bezzing round at 90mph, my idea of a holiday is to relax and take things at a slow pace. This is no criticism of others who'd like something different. But Skíathos has traditionally met my needs, and I fear it may be drifting from being able to do that.
However...there's an upside. More later.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 6, 2017 10:40:19 GMT
Maratha Beach has made our holiday.
We've been to Kouk. We've been back to Achladies. The feeling of both being 'too busy' was palpable.
Maratha? Bliss. And the reason appears to be a purely physical/geographical one, at least in part; it's thin.
For most of the beach it's too narrow for anything other than one row of sun loungers. Not only does it feel less crowded, there's less traffic walking backwards and forwards.
I've never been to the Caribbean, but when you see those tempting pics of quiet beaches, that's what Maratha makes me think of.
What other beaches on the island are like this? The one at the end of Vasillias in front of Golden King looks similar.
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Post by katet on Aug 6, 2017 12:46:26 GMT
Sorry about your Captain Michael experience .... I nearly said 'DON'T GO!' when you wrote you were thinking of it, but as we have only eaten there once, didn't think it was fair. With hindsight, very sorry! (One of our friends sometimes eats there if the Captain spots him walking past ~ he just doesn't know how to say a polite no thanks.) I agree about Koukounaries beach, but it's ok there when we go in June. My favourite is still Ambelakia, though that will undoubtedly be spoilt by the development. Second favourite is Aghia Eleni, going in the afternoon and staying for the sunset - beautiful. The Mandraki beaches are lovely - they don't have row upon row of beds ~ in fact hardly any beds when we were there. Another lovely small one (but you need a car) is Micros Asselinos, on the north side. I'm planning to force Paul into a boat and go over to Tsougria for a day when we are next there.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 6, 2017 14:38:54 GMT
No worries, Katet.
Truth is, it was....'an experience'.
And it appears from Tripadvisor that some people order the right things and get lucky.
Has he got anything to do with the hotel next door with the empty swimming pool and the goats?
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Post by katet on Aug 6, 2017 15:01:51 GMT
Yes - he owns it, and the goats! (Probably serves goat pizza sometimes!!!) I was told that he owns a lot of land at Koukounaries, being one of the first to open a touristic business. Most of the middle section seems to be owned by the family who run the supermarket next to the Agustera. Maria from the supermarket is Dino's landlady, both the bar and the house they rent at the back.
A couple of years ago, I read a really interesting book about Skiathos written by an ex-Hollywood actor who now lives there, Richard Romanus, and Captain Mihalis/Michael crops up in it. The book is 'Act III: A Small Island In The Agean'. Apparently, at one time the Captain had ninety-four rooms and two tavernas in Kouk (am guessing he owned the Caravos/Stamelos also) and he supplied all with his own produce. Richard Romanus & his wife were also responsible for introducing Goldie & Kurt to the island!!
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Post by kevb on Aug 6, 2017 18:50:52 GMT
Someone told me in the Agustera that Michaelis owns the Caravos so may be true. Dont recall ever eating there. Im not expecting it to be as laid back as on previous visits (late Aug early Sep)as all the youngsters who go back end of third wk in Aug will still be there. If you are looking for a quiet island then mid July to mid Aug on Skiathos probably isnt the place to be. Kouk beach is always a big draw, nowhere near as busy come early Sep.
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Post by cariad23 on Aug 6, 2017 18:58:56 GMT
Ive read that book too, really enjoyed it. First went to kouk about about 16-17 years ago when we hired a boat, wasnt full of sunbeds then quite a nice beach for a visit didnt think much of the area behind. Re visited two years ago and hated it row after row regimented sunbeds walked along and left swiftly. Also dissapointed by Achiladies beach when i stayed at the esperides again about 17 years ago the sunbeds were more random without fixed straw umberellas i prefer fabric you can choose to put up or down. Always stay in town and use buses to go to the beaches in the day we like to be able to stroll to the town at night to eat. But last visit found the town very congested at night hardly room to walk and that was end of june beginning of july. i would only visit skiathos now early or late season
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 7, 2017 9:17:42 GMT
Town and Asprolithos last night for my beloved rabbit stifado.
Don't know what it is about this place, but I love it.
Maybe it's the perfect compromise between traditional Taverna and tourist-friendly restaurant, whilst managing to be both good quality and reasonably priced.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 7, 2017 10:41:16 GMT
Interesting comments about the island.
Town, I like. I was born and bred in York, so I know a little about tourism/crowding. I find Skíathos town to be busy, but in a nice hustle bustle way. I never find it to be claustrophobic in any way.
Sat in a Taverna I never really feel hurried to vacate my table or crammed into a space designed for fewer people.
The beaches, as I say I think you need to find the right one. If it's big it has room for a lot of people, and in peak season it will attract enough people to fill it. As far as I can tell the smaller beaches get 'full', then stop.
Just how I feel, we're all different.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on Aug 7, 2017 12:47:02 GMT
Little traditions of the holiday.
Up at 9:00-ish. Breakfast usually 'full english' followed by fresh fruit - the melons are delicious.
Down to the beach around 10:30. Lunch around 2:00. Ice creams and/or Mythos around 4:00.
Back to the hotel around 6:00.
Out for tea 8:00-8:30.
Very similar one holiday to the next. It's nice how a long, potentially boring day laying about doing nothing can be broken into chunks.
Last day tomorrow and we're all perhaps just starting to get a tad restless.
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