Photo: Skiathos Town from the ferry.
Φωτογραφία: Η θέα της Σκιάθου από το πλοίο.
I didn’t sleep much last night – I went to bed at my normal time (some time after midnight) but my alarm was set for 02:45. A very early start!
This is the one holiday of the year that the 4 of us – Mum, Dad, Corrie and I – are together. Most of my other holidays are just me on my own, sometimes with the car to keep me company. It means I have to slow the pace down a bit.
We were in the car within half an hour and on our way to Bristol Airport. The skies were clear but there was some lightening about. We didn’t go in to the heart of the storm until we were closer to Bristol where it was raining and there was some forked lightening about.
Our flight was at 7 and left on time. Skopelos/Σκόπελος, although bigger than its neighbour, does not have an airport (it has tried several times since the 1980s to get approval for one) so the flight was to its better known neighbour Skiathos/Σκιάθος.
I spent much of the early part of the flight looking out the window spotting places I’d been: Calais could be seen clearly as could Brussels, much of the German Rheinland and Bavaria. I gazed out the window for hours longing to be down on the ground driving the Autobahns and Bundesstraßen, radio playing loud and windows rolled down – much better than being stuck in a tin can, even if like today there were quite a few empty seats.
I know how it sounds: I was flying to a holiday in Greece, looking out the window at Germany wishing I could be on holiday there instead. I like both countries and at the moment I can’t decide which I like best. Germany’s close enough that I can drive. But Greece has beaches, and pretty much wall-to-wall sunshine at this time of year, barring the odd summer storm and torrential downpour.
When we arrived in Skiathos, after collecting our luggage we took a taxi to the main port. It was only a short distance and cost in the region of €8. I found the ticket office, and got 4 tickets for the next boat to Skopelos. Only a 20 minute wait, and then we were at sea aboard the Myrtidiotissa boat, operated by Aqua Ferries.
It was about an hour from the port at Skiathos to the port at Skopelos. We were met at the port and driven to our apartment, just outside the small village of Stafylos/Στάφυλος on the South coast of the island.
We have a nice apartment which is essentially 2 studios with a door between the two – big balcony with plenty of shade and trees on 3 sides. There’s a pool and a bar, and we’re not far from the nearest tavernas, the bakery and the beach.
For lunch we ordered a takeaway pita gyros which we had delivered to us via the pool bar, and in the evening Sun we had our first swim of the holiday.
We went out to dinner at 8, quite early for us, but it had been a long day! The nearest taverna is about a 10-15 minute walk away, along the main road. Being out of town there are no pavements here but it is not a terribly busy road, with only a 50km/h (about 30mph) limit.
Early night tonight, its barely 22.30 here now. Tomorrow we will probably be getting the bus in to town to get some supplies for the next few days.
Καληνύχτα,
Φρεντ / Fred.
