Friday, 6 October 2017

Last 3 nights in Greece

1st - 4th October
We left Syvota and our villa at about 10am. Drove to Lekkada town where we had another wander around these pretty alleyway streets and a coffee in the square. Then bade our farewell to Lefkas island and headed back to Parga and the Kanali Village apartments where we started our hols. We had an upgrade room on the first floor this time and could see Valtos beach from our balcony. Very basic accommodation but all we need.

The next morning whilst idly looking at BBC news online, we saw that Monarch airlines had gone bust. Given that we were 3 days away from travelling back to the UK with them, this was slightly alarming. We logged on to the advised website and were informed that we needed to check back about our flight.
This slightly marred our time here as we were considering the options we had and whether to ring our insurers as to what they would cover in respect of further car hire and accommodation. We are very lucky that we do not have jobs to get back to or pressing commitments of course and actually couldn't think of a nicer place to be stranded for a short time.

2 more days of beach, swimming and eating and drinking and we now are reassured that the chartered flight back is on time. Tomorrow we shall see.

Meanwhile goodbye this lovely country of olive and Cyprus trees and dry, dusty countryside, kindly people, hot sunshine and warm glittering seas.

As a postscript, our chartered flight was on time and more comfortable than a Monarch plane, so a pleasant journey home, connecting well with a train from Gatwick to Emsworth with one brief change.

Home again with the fire alight in the evening, but we are glad to have warm English Autumn weather in the day. Now to try and tame the garden again!


view of Valtos beach






Sunday, 1 October 2017

Last day in Syvota

30th September
Since arriving in Greece on 30th August, the temperatures have gradually dropped from the 32/33degrees and necessary air con to 22/24 with cool nights aiding sleep. We have seen fantastic thunderstorms on the horizon and witnessed one over us and had one rainy night when we went out to a roadside taverna, the Plane Tree, under a vine strewn glass roof, raindrops pattering, where I needed a scarf around my shoulders to keep off the damp chill. But still the beautiful weather continues, with gentle winds and hazy or full sun.

We watch the sailing flotillas leaving the harbour and drifting below our villa heading for Meganissy or Kefalonia - their season has clearly not come to an end. We optimistically took our beach things to Ammousa today for one final swim, but the wind was chilly and the umbrellas and loungers largely packed away so we headed back to the shelter of the villa pool. You couldn't ask for a better alternative.

Then after a swim and sunbathe at the villa and finishing up the wine we still had, we headed down to Stavros' taverna for our last supper. Our favourite waiter told us he finishes his season at the end of October and spends his holiday with family South of Parga on the mainland. He works very hard and will deserve his time off. We wonder if you become blasé about these beautiful surroundings when you live and work in them everyday - probably.

A fine dinner of fish, then back to the villa to 'sleep' for our last night. We had been warned that the villa above and to the left of us was hosting a wedding party until late. The music was as if it was in our garden because of the echo from the hills around. To start with there was a lovely live ensemble playing Stefan Grapelli type music, then a female blues singer which was pleasant, but after going to bed we were awoken by louder manic disco beats - the whole mountainside must have been rocking. We think it finally went quiet around 4am and had slept fitfully until then. It doesn't help that you find yourself trying to name that tune! Maddening.

 preparations for the wedding
Seems like they had a great wedding reception though and we met our villa host/owner, Philipe, on the way down the bumpy road as we left the next morning who cheerily asked us what kind of night we had had, with a wry smile. What can you say but a little broken but congratulations to the bride and groom and what a fab setting for their wedding.
we've already eaten the red snapper!





Mr Skinny Legs enjoying the last rays

A day in busy Nidri

29th September
As we woke up to a cloudier day after rain in the night, we decided to revisit Nidri, where we had stayed on our original visit to this island in 1995 (?). Back then we used push bikes to explore as well as a little boat to find secluded bays. The main street running parallel to the busy harbour in Nidri was always manic, full of cafes, restaurants and tourist shops and local drivers who know how to weave in and out of walking tourists - it's hard to navigate by car, but now is easier because a bypass has been built at the back of the town. Twice we stayed in apartments behind the main street; 'George's ' and we have tried to find them again this holiday on other visits to Nidri. This time we succeeded as we recognised the supermarket we used to use, near the chicken run alleyway we took to get back and forth to them. The chicken run and scruffy gardens with vines and patchy veg still line the pathway to start with, but beyond these there are new apartment blocks. George's are now called Sunny Gardens Apartments, still a pretty, quiet location despite much more building having taken place around them. When we stayed here, there was nothing behind the block but olive trees and mountains and sheep grazing next door. Now there is another block but we were glad to see it didn't spoil the view from the swimming pool.

We had lunch at Tom's again at the 'beach' end of the harbour. We think this is where (or near where) we ate all those years ago with our toes in the sand and away from the bright hubbub of the strip of tavernas all along here. It's hard to tell as our memory is of a deeper beach - now there is an Ibiza style bar next to Toms, with loud music and decking covering the sand and posh wooden built upholstered sun loungers right to the sea edge.

At this end you can see Scorpios island which Onassis once owned and the other side of the bay at Nidri. We got talking to the English couple from Reading at the next table and ended up sharing a glass of wine with them, swopping stories about our travels and lives. A very pleasant hour or two was spent chatting and consequently it was nearly 5pm before we set off back to the villa. They told us that Scorpios was now owned by Russians and that some people who had attempted to moor on a beach there were greeted by armed guards who sent them packing. Not the Greek hospitality we are used to.

There is plenty to watch from here: the ferries coming in and out from Kefalonia and Meganissy, trip boats which have toured all the remote local beaches on this island and others, and individual craft of all sizes. Not sure who the enormous Elada belongs to - what a peculiar looking ship!