A Greek Odyssey 6-15 June 2002

Saturday 15 June

Keith and I were up early, packed and showered. I dressed Michael while he was still asleep, and then we went downstairs to meet Mum and Dad. There were a couple of lads in the next bedroom who had just returned from a night out and they had offered us ouzo. We politely declined!

Our taxi arrived on time, and we left first with Mum and Dad following in another. They had a wild ride to the airport as their taxi was late and the driver was determined to make up for it! We checked in easily and then had a quick cup of coffee and a croissant in the café in the departure lounge. We also treated ourselves to whisky in the Duty Free and I bought a present for Tom, whose party Sophie was going to later in the day.

Our flight was great - it was on time and Michael slept most of the way while I enjoyed a peaceful breakfast. We had wonderful views of the Alps, which we pointed out to Sophie who sat with Mum and Dad for the entire journey.

All too soon we were back at Heathrow and after an irritating time spent on the tarmac, we disembarked to collect our luggage and catch a coach to pick up our cars at Gatwick.

Despite the problems on the return journey, we all thoroughly enjoyed the holiday and Paros lived up to my expectations. We all hope to return and once again enjoy the island's hospitality!

A Greek Odyssey 6-15 June 2002

Friday 14 June 

This morning we were all awake early and packed ready to go. However, there was a problem - our ferry had been cancelled. Dad received a phone call at 7.30am to say that "our excursion" was not going, so what to do now?

The situation filled us with blind panic at first, as the Naxos Star was our only way off the island in time for our flight from Mykonos. As it was so early, we were unable to phone anyone, so we met up for a very poor breakfast on the terrace, where the staff had got themselves into a tizzy as well, forgetting the coffee cups and milk. The only options open to us were flying by helicopter to Mykonos or taking a ferry from Parikia to Mykonos. Once we finished breakfast (and our appetites had disappeared anyway) we started to call around for help. The receptionist checked the ferry schedules and discovered that the only one going to Mykonos left at 3pm, two hours after our flight was due to leave!

We then tried to arrange for a helicopter to take us and the receptionist came back with a price of £1400... probably the same as new flights and the ferry but the timings were all wrong. We wouldn't arrive in Mykonos until 12.15pm and our flight left at 12.50pm. We abandoned this idea. There wasn't enough leeway should anything go wrong, and we would have parted with £1400 for nothing and be in exactly the same position.

After a lot of thought we decided to take a larger ferry to Piraeus and then try and get new flights to London from Athens. We took the minibus to Parikia with heavy hearts. The holiday wasn't meant to end like this. I just worried about the children, as we didn't know how long it was going to take us to get home.

Once in the busy town of Parikia we bought tickets for the 12pm ferry to Athens. We had a drink in the bar overlooking the port and stowed our luggage by the entrance to the ferry terminal. It was very noisy and hot, and there were loads of people milling about waiting for ferries to take them to different islands.

At 11.30am we lined up and to our surprise met the American couple who were also going to Athens. It was lovely to see friendly faces and we chatted about what had happened. They were staying overnight in Athens and then flying to Thessaloniki the next day to finish their honeymoon.

We waited for ages to board the ferry with the local Greek women trying to get in front of us the whole time. When they opened the gates to let us on, we all surged forward to embark, pulling our luggage behind us, with me pushing Michael in his pushchair as well. I got the wheels stuck in deep grooves on the portside, and just as we made it to the ferry a gust of wind blew a cloud of dust in our faces. Everyone cried out and Michael screamed as the dust went into his eyes. It was horrible!

We left our luggage in the hold and scrambled up the stairs to the lounge. The ferry was very similar to the cross-Channel ferries, and we found seats quickly in a lounge at the top of the stairs. Later, we found a better place to sit which was very quiet, except for the sound of the World Cup being played in the background! After a quick lunch of baguettes, we settled down for the crossing, which was very boring. We would be on the ferry for five hours, and luckily both children went to sleep. Michel stretched out on the floor while Sophie curled up on a seat with a jacket over her head. By now, the sea had become rough, and I began to feel queasy! I tried to explore with Keith but that made me feel even worse, so I just sat quietly and closed my eyes, managing to nod off at one point.

Fortunately, after about an hour the sea became calmer, and we all woke up feeling refreshed. Mum and I went off in search of cakes and bought some biscuits instead. The children were still sleeping, so we had a drink and something to eat and then the American couple joined us until we reached Athens. They planned to visit the UK next year as they loved all things British, including digestive biscuits! I gave them my email address and our normal address, and then we said goodbye.

Getting off the ferry was a lot easier than getting on, and once we had retrieved our bags, we waited by the taxi terminal while Keith and Dad went off to one of the many ticket offices to see if we could buy tickets to London (or anywhere in the UK). The port was busy with lots of taxis picking up customers from the ferries and a constant stream of traffic flowing past. We could see large buildings and blocks of flats in the distance but none of the sights of Athens. It was hot and Mum and I stood with the children by a wall covered in red ants, which fascinated Sophie.

After a long while Dad came back with the news that they'd bought tickets from Athens to Heathrow the next day leaving at 8am. The cost was just over £1000. We moved the entire luggage to the bus stop from where we could get a shuttle to the airport and a hotel overnight. After another agonising wait in the heat, we boarded the bus and waited for the bus driver to extinguish his cigarette and stop chatting to his mates! We also played musical chairs with Michael who kept changing seats.

The journey to the airport took just over an hour and we saw lots of cars, buses, trucks and some very ugly buildings, but no ruins or famous sights. Parts of the journey passed along the coast and this area was very pretty - we later come to know it was Glyfada where a lot of hotels are situated. Athens is a manic city, and the traffic was appalling. However, it was nice to experience a new city and one that I would have otherwise not visited.

The new airport is situated outside Athens and has been built for the forthcoming Olympics in 2004. It's brand new and very smart and we were glad to see a Sofitel right next to it. We wearily took all our luggage off the bus and hired two trolleys for two euros. We made our way to the hotel reception where soft music played in the background and each table had a beautifully artistic display of flowers. They were just at the right height for little hands to touch!

Keith wandered off to find out the cost of the rooms and we had another shock - a normal double cost around £300 a night! Keith and I would have to have a family room or two doubles, so we estimated it would cost us about £700 just for one night, or ten hours! On top of this would be dinner and drinks and the cost was already approaching £1000! We turned around and Dad went back to the airport to see if they had an information desk. A kind man gave him a list of hotels and we went to queue at the taxi rank. We chose the Hotel Glyfada as it was a C Class and therefore shouldn't be too expensive. We knew that getting to the hotel in two different taxis would be tricky so when we got into our car, I told the driver to take us to The Glyfada. He asked if we had a reservation and we said we hadn't. At this, he immediately began to dial a number on his mobile and obviously booked us into another hotel for the night! While he was doing this, he was veering all over the road and I thought we were going to crash!

Further down the road, Mum and Dad's taxi flashed us to pull over as our door was open (Michael again!) and I hoped that our taxi driver had told Mum and Dad's driver where we were headed. Just after this, we lost them in traffic, and I kept peering over my shoulder to see if they caught us up, but they never did. The journey was interminable, and we passed the same scenery we'd seen earlier. The traffic was terrible as most of Athens seemed to be out and trying to get to where the nightlife was.

After a while I became very worried, especially as it was now past 9pm and the children hadn't been fed or bathed. I was on the point of sending the driver back to the Sofitel when we eventually pulled up at a hotel right on a busy three-lane motorway. There was no sign of my parents, so I did the girly thing and burst into tears, which set Sophie off as well. We took our luggage out of the car and Keith went to check in. It wasn't the best place in the world, but it looked clean, and we were so tired that we couldn't face going anywhere else.

We hauled the cases into the tiny lift and found our room which resembled a cell. There was a louvred door to get in and our room was visible from the corridor. It was also hot, stuffy and noisy with a small balcony overlooking the side of the hotel. We dumped our things on the bed, and I changed Michael's nappy. Just as we were doing this the phone rang and it was my Dad calling from reception. They'd found us!

Apparently, our driver had been going past The Glyfada when he had seen them and had taken them to The Mirada. They weren't very happy as The Glyfada looked beautiful. We asked at reception for the nearest restaurant, which was about half a kilometre away via a narrow path alongside the main road, along which thundered masses of mad Greek traffic. It was a hair-raising experience, and I was convinced a speeding car would kill us all.

We emerged from the wasteland of the main road into a small parade of shops and restaurants. Keith took out some money from a cashpoint and we went off in search of dinner. Everywhere was full and bustling with people and cars out in search of a good time. We eventually found a steak restaurant on a side street that was packed. We drank ice-cold beers and shared a large Greek salad before tucking into steak and chips. The children were tired, and I dreaded the walk back along the crazy road.

The night wasn't a comfortable one, but at least we had a couple of hours' sleep and a shower. Roll on tomorrow!

A Greek Odyssey 6-15 June 2002

 Thursday 13 June

Today it was very windy, and I commented that I was glad we weren't going home this morning. We decided against the beach and Keith, the children and, I went to Parikia to do some shopping. We arranged to meet Mum and Dad at lunchtime to return our hire cars in Naoussa. 

We parked easily on the front and walked a short distance to the shops. I had my eye on some lovely tee shirts for the children and me, and I also wanted to buy a big bag decorated with blue dolphins. Sophie bought Stephanie a little kitten, and I treated her to one as well, while Michael had two new dummies and a crocodile. I also bought a calendar and more film, as there was so much to photograph on the island.

We drove out of Parikia and saw the old Xenia hotel; it looked very sad and shabby stuck behind another hotel that had been built on the headland and that had stolen its view. We decided to make another circuit of the island and visited Alyki again but became lost through the narrow maze of streets. We noticed the small roadside shrines that were set up by the relatives of someone who had died in an accident there, which were beautifully ornate and normally contained a photo of the deceased with some of their personal belongings. It was sad to see them and there were too many for my liking.

We drove all around the island and headed back to Naoussa in time for lunch. I was very tempted to keep the car until tomorrow but in the end, we handed back the keys. It was a very cheap model and speed wasn't its greatest strength, but we would have found it very difficult and expensive to have relied on taxis and buses all the time, and we wouldn't have been able to see so much of the island without it.

Mum and Dad arrived bearing gifts for the children, and we went to Dad's favourite fish restaurant for lunch. Keith and Dad had sun-dried mackerel while I plumped for potato salad followed by calamari. The children had chips while Mum made do with a Greek salad. It was our last lunch on the island, and I wished again that we could stay longer. We were all worried about the strong winds, but Dad had received confirmation that the Naxos Star was sailing tomorrow, so we hoped that the weather would improve, although it was still sunny and hot.

We took a taxi back to the hotel and collapsed around the pool for a last soak in the sun. It was too windy on the beach, but the pool was more sheltered. Michael played with his cars on the edge of the pool while I went for a welcome swim and took more photos. Sophie played in the pool the whole time and was rapidly turning as brown as a berry!

In the evening, after showering and dressing, we took the minibus to Naoussa along with another couple that we had seen eating out in the town. Hardly anyone ate at the hotel restaurant, and we had thought about it tonight as it was our last night, but I wanted to wander the narrow streets of Naoussa for one more time. We had a drink at the bar on the front and Dad spoke to the Port police about the weather tomorrow. They said they would decide in the morning at about 7am, but the wind had died down slightly by now and we were confident we'd be on the Naxos Star the next day.

We didn't know where to eat tonight and decided to visit one of the harbour restaurants. A waiter put two tables together for us and I changed Michael's nappy in the cramped restaurant toilet. When we came out and I looked at the menu it was all fish dishes, no meat or anything for the children at all. We, therefore, made a hasty exit when no one was looking and wandered up to the Italian restaurant that we had looked at a few days previously. The menu looked good, so we went in hoping for fresh pasta and pizzas for the children.

Our last meal was fine - nothing special but the children enjoyed their pizza and Michael had tiramisu once again. We enjoyed our last night of the holiday and vowed to visit again!

A Greek Odyssey 6 -15 June 2002

Wednesday 12 June

After breakfast and a morning on the beach, we decided to have lunch in Lefkes where Dad hoped to meet Diamantis at his village bar. It was a lovely hot day, and we changed after the beach and drove the short distance to the village. Again, the views were wonderful, and after parking the cars we walked up to a beautiful taverna with a spectacular outlook over to Naxos. We had been here before back in 1986 and had fond memories of our visit.

We ordered a local speciality - a sausage with fried potatoes and Sophie ordered just chips. Michael had fallen asleep in the car so we had a blissful, quiet lunch! The drinks arrived and then we waited rather a long time for our food, but we didn't mind, as the views were so wonderful. As soon as lunch arrived, so did the wasps and they hovered around constantly with their eyes on our sausages, which were very pungent but delicious. Dad's wine - from a pot resembling a urinal - was extremely pungent with aromas of sherry on the nose but manure on the palate... It certainly took some getting down and even Sophie refused a second sip.

After this leisurely lunch, we walked down the steep cobbled streets into the village and Mum and Dad went off in search of Diamantis.

We carried on and walked to the huge, beautiful church that we had visited in 1986, where Mum put her little figure of a man on the altar to help keep Grandad healthy. Sadly, this time the church was locked so we explored the gardens and the graveyard at the back where I took lots of photographs.

My favourite photo of all time.

We walked back to the car (or rather chivvied the reluctant children) as by now it was very hot. Getting back into the car and turning on the air-conditioning was heaven! Mum and Dad had stayed behind so we drove off to explore the island and headed for Ambelas, which looked interesting. I love to explore little coastal villages and I had never been there before. It turned out to be lovely, with views over to Naxos and a tiny harbour and beach. There was another perfect taverna where we ordered fizzy water and ice creams for the children. Michael fell off his chair but all he was interested in was getting his hands on his ice cream, which brought forth loud laughs from the group of locals sitting near us! We spent a pleasant hour sitting in the taverna looking at the gorgeous view of the harbour, the fishing boats and Naxos. Keith wanted to return in the evening but we had decided to go to Parikia to eat at Apollon.

After showering and relaxing in our rooms we set out for the main town of the island, Parikia. It was a lovely evening and we managed to park by the seafront. We had a drink at a bar near the main square and I phoned Polly to make sure everything was OK with the business. Michael wandered up and down pushing his pushchair and eating all the crisps that the waiter had brought out to us. I saw lots of shops that I wanted to visit so Keith and I decided to come back in the morning to do some shopping.

The meal we had at Apollon was wonderful and we were warmly greeted by Theo. The restaurant was set in a walled courtyard with lots of plants and flowers everywhere and another gravel floor! The menu was extensive and I chose the chef's salad to start followed by roast beef and potatoes. Delicious! The salad was huge and almost filled me up before the main course! Theo made sure we were very happy and constantly re-filled our glasses. The children were well-behaved and although we ordered them veal fillets in breadcrumbs, they wouldn't eat them. Michael did, however, eat all of his tiramisu whilst Sophie had a huge chocolate ice cream. We were very relaxed and I wished we had another week to go rather than just one day. At the end of the meal, Mum and I enjoyed a delicious peach liqueur while the men sampled a brandy. A great end to a delicious feast!

A Greek Odyssey 6 -15 June 2002

Tuesday 11 June

We spent the morning on the beach again and chatted to the young American couple (I wish I knew their names!). This time, both Sophie and Michael fell asleep so Keith and I had another peaceful lunch at the taverna. This place has become a firm favourite, as Mum and Dad guessed it would, and we also used to visit mid-morning for a well-earned beer and an ice cream for the children.

After lunch, we all (except for Keith) went for a drive along the headland to Kolimbithres. The views across to Nauossa were stunning with the small island clearly visible. We drove as far as we could to Kolimbithres beach; only a small dusty track existed after that. From there we drove to Santa Maria beach where we had happy memories from a holiday in 1986. This part of the island is my favourite as you have wonderful views over to Naxos, and the beaches are lovely. I enjoyed driving the little Hyundai Atos very much, and the air-conditioning certainly helped with the afternoon heat! We drove back to Naoussa and decided to have iced tea and cakes in a little café on the main street. The place was very popular with the Germans and Dutch, who were tucking into the gorgeous choice of cakes and pastries with delight. Both Sophie and Michael wanted huge chocolate cakes so you can imagine the mess they got into!

I called into the supermarket on the back to the car and bought another bottle of wine for tonight. It was an old favourite, Tsantali.

We chose the same bar as last night, and I bought Sophie a little disposable camera as she wanted to take some photographs of her own. She happily clicked away all evening and enjoyed taking snaps of the things that interested her: cats, pretty shops, the car hire business! Dad's ex-waiter turned up again and we chatted to him for a while. He seemed a very happy man, but then, who wouldn't be, living in Naoussa?

As well as Sophie's camera, I also bought Michael a couple of jigsaw puzzles and a Bob the Builder figure. We decided to risk Christos restaurant tonight - a more upmarket taverna where the beautiful people go! The restaurant is set in a walled courtyard along one of the narrow back streets and is very elegant. One thing I didn't realise was that they have a gravelled floor...

Michael was very good at first, but finished his jigsaw puzzles in about ten minutes flat! We were amazed! He then realised he could throw bits of the floor and started hurling gravel everywhere. Keith took him outside for a while and then his dinner arrived so he sat quietly for a bit until he became bored again. On the whole, though, he was very good and the people at the table next to us waved him goodbye when it was time to go. We had a lovely meal and it certainly wasn't typical of normal Greek food. The clientele was elegant and older, and there were no other children dining. We had a delicious dinner with good wines and Sophie behaved impeccably.

After putting the children to bed, Keith and I sat and drank our wine and watched the various cats eyeing each other up for future battles!

A Greek Odyssey 6 - 15 June 2002

Monday 10 June 

After breakfast, we set out to explore the island. We drove into Naoussa first for a cup of coffee, and then our next stop was Parikia where we'd stayed in 1986. The road to the town cut through the middle of the island and was fairly busy. I stayed behind Dad the whole way and we parked near the port. Keith bought himself a hat in one of the shops that lined the port. Dad also checked out some swim shorts that he bought on the way back to the car.

Parikia was busy with lots of ferries arriving and leaving for other islands. There were crowds of people down by the ferry terminal, many with rucksacks on their backs. We bought the Sunday papers and stopped at a bar on the front for a drink. In the distance I could see the hotel we stayed in, the Xenia, which is now the mayor's residence. Michael and Sophie had an ice cream and we set off to explore the maze of narrow back streets. I wanted to find Black Bart's bar where we used to have such a good time, and Mum and Dad tried to find the way to Apollon, the restaurant that Theo owns.

Keith went back to the car so we wandered along stopping to look in the shops and to take photographs. We found the restaurant and went in so Mum and Dad could show me how beautiful it was inside. To our surprise, Theo emerged from a back room and chatted to dad who he remembered from last year. I really don't think he had any memories of us back in 1986 and seemed slightly distracted and worried. He said that business was slow and that the tourists were not coming at the moment. Could this have anything to do with the plane-spotters court case? (A group of twelve British plane-spotters were accused of spying and arrested after photographing military planes).

We returned to the car to find that Keith had been happily watching football at a nearby bar! Setting out from Parikia we drove to Elounda beach which overlooked Anti-Paros, and then on to Alyki which was very pretty. We found another perfect taverna overlooking the beach and spent a pleasant hour eating and drinking in the cool of the shade. The food was delicious.

From Alyki, we drove around the island seeing some fabulous views over to Naxos in the distance. The roads were very quiet and Keith and the children fell asleep. When we got to Lefkes we decided to drive on to Naoussa as I didn't want to wake the children.

They woke up when we arrived back at the hotel so we went onto the beach and played. They had a great time splashing in the water and we met a young couple on their honeymoon who were from the USA. Sophie took an instant liking to the young woman!

In the evening we tried a new bar on the front and Dad's friend, the waiter from the fish restaurant, appeared. Dad was very pleased to see him and the man explained that he'd been working on the ferries so his hours were shorter and he had more time off. I bought the children toys to keep them amused and we decided to return to Le Sud for a second time. We had been told to keep away from the restaurants in the main street and Mum and Dad agreed that they weren't as good as last year.

Le Sud was quiet and as it was windy we decided to sit in the middle of the restaurant again and not right at the back and out of the way. Tonight, it was mostly couples and they were almost all French. The children were very good and well-behaved and Michael enjoyed his potatoes and Tiramisu again. Sophie chose the pork dish and I opted for a vegetarian meal that was delicious.

On the way back to the car I bought a bottle of wine to drink on the terrace as soon as the children were asleep. Mum and Dad came around as well so we had a nice hour of chatting in the peace and quiet!

A Greek Odyssey 6 -15 June 2002

Sunday 9 June 

We spent today on the beach and Michael fell asleep at lunchtime. Mum and Dad took Sophie for lunch at a taverna a short way up the beach and Keith and I had an hour of peaceful bliss. I really relaxed as I knew Michael was safe asleep on the sunbed and covered by one of the hotel towels.

When Mum and Dad returned Keith and I waded down to have lunch on our own as Michael was still asleep. The taverna was perfect with a lovely view out to a little island that sits in the middle of the bay. The cooking was wonderful and there was a welcoming, shaded area to sit.

We saw a yacht moored out at sea and we wondered whether it was one of the boats we saw moored in the harbour last night. The woman who runs the taverna with her son and his family had been cooking all morning, and lunch was spread out inside. We chose roast pork and rabbit with potatoes. The food was delicious and was accompanied by a basket of crusty bread and local wine. Who could want for more?

Michael was awake when we returned and we all went up to the pool for a dip. Sophie loved the pool more than the sea and we celebrated being on holiday by ordering drinks and ice creams. I jokingly said I didn't want to go home and tried to persuade Dad to stay on for another week! Little did I know that my words would almost come true! I tried to teach Sophie to swim but she wouldn't go out of her depth so I gave up. Michael refused to go into the water, which was a shame as the pool was cool and refreshing.

 

The hotel was quiet with only a few guests making use of the pool, which overlooked the beach and a small golf course. Most of the guests were older couples, except for one other family with small children, so it was very peaceful. The only gripe was the price of the drinks at the poolside bar, which was expensive. Three beers and two ice creams came to £18. Still, we enjoyed being able to sit by the pool and have a drink, and as I had a photograph of the bar on my office wall, I felt like I was living the dream for a short while.

By the late afternoon, we'd had enough, and retired to our rooms where the children played on the terrace, occasionally making noisy visits to Mum and Dad's room. The gardens were gorgeous with the most beautiful plants and flowers everywhere. The staff had placed huge Grecian urns all over the terraces and bougainvillaea and hibiscus flowers grew out of them and over the walls. It would have been lovely to recreate this at home, but our climate just isn't suitable.

In the evening, we parked the cars once again on the dusty area near the bus station and enjoyed a drink at a harbour bar. Tonight, we decided to eat around the corner overlooking the old harbour, which was full of brightly coloured fishing boats. A classic Greek scene, if ever there was one!

There were restaurants on both sides of the harbour but we opted to stay well away from the water, as we didn't want to tempt fate with Michael! He devoured an ice cream at the table and the waitress took a shine to him as she mopped his chin and cooed all over him!

We ate well here and Dad had a wonderful main course, a fish pie that looked like a huge spring roll! Sophie and Keith ordered chicken that was far better than the souvlaki Mum and I chose. For once, meatballs weren't on the menu!

The place was very busy and people wandered past in their search for restaurants and shops. The sky was beautiful as it became darker. It reminded me of a length of gorgeous blue velvet sprinkled with stars. It was so pretty and Sophie's dress matched the colour of her chair exactly!