Most mornings I will bump into my host Christos along the main road as he makes his way from home to Eleni Studios. This morning I’m pleased to tell him that I found the olive press. Although it wasn’t open I’d seen the machinery outside and also the beginnings of harvest piled up in sacks….
Today is the 28th October which makes today in Greece, Oxi Day. Oxi Day commemorates a particular moment in history when Greece stood up to the tyranny of the Axis armies. In 1940 in the midst of World War 2, the Italian army were on the borders of Albania hoping to plough there way through…
Not long after leaving Eftalou hot springs, Thanassis the taxi drive appears in the distance. Still the only car on the road which makes it very easy for me to spot him but more importantly for him to spot me. It is only a 10-15 minute ride to Petra and Thanassis drops me along the…
I’ve skipped a day in the diary. The day before I had done practically nothing apart from walk down to the marina and then spend the rest of the day on the beach – again taking the route through the pistachio orchard. These longs walks are definitely off-setting the consumption of bougatsa and can feel…
I am woken this morning with the sun streaming in through the lightweight curtains. The temperature had definitely dropped last night and I had to bring out the extra blanket. Last night wasn’t the best nights sleep due to the sprung mattress. Honestly once you’ve ‘gone memory foam’ nothing else will ever compare! A comfortable…
Today I am leaving Mytiline and heading off to Molyvos for 7 days. This morning I go down to the breakfast room for one last time, appreciating that I probably won’t get a breakfast offer like this again for the rest of my trip. I’m delighted to see Chara back at the hotel today. Her…
So off to Fat Jimmy’s I go. A nice traditional taverna down by the marina just a short walk from Hotel Lesvion. No matter how many years I’ve been travelling to Greece I’ve never got into the swing of eating late. I arrive at Fat Jimmy’s taverna shortly after 7pm. It’s already dark, it’s a…
After another stupendous breakfast at Hotel Lesvion, I turn my attention to more practical things. I’m conscious that I have just 4 nights booked here in Mytiline and have no plans beyond this, not even a flight home. Although I was just getting into the swing of the nomadic life style I appreciate that I…
Despite the exhaustion from the early morning start the previous day, I’m up with the larks. I’m really looking forward to the inclusive breakfast that Hotel Lesvion offers. The first of the trip! Firstly I must say that the mattress at Hotel Lesvion gets a 9 out of 10! It is twin beds pushed together…
The three hour journey to Lesvos was very pleasant – despite being at an ungodly hour. The morning air was quite chilly so I sat in the comfort of the lounge. I tried to get my Seasmiles membership card printed from the onboard terminal but it wasn’t having any of it. Anyway the early morning…
Today I feel a little melancholic. Not just because I’m leaving Limnia, which really has been a little escape, but the realisation that my time on Chios is nearly at an end. After packing and checking that the villa is spic and span, I phone George the taxi driver and ask him to pick me…
Last night the wind was vicious! It whipped down from the mountains to harbour with such a force that I had to get up in the middle of the night to rescue things from the balcony. The drying rack full of my clothes was clattering around on the terrace and I fully expected it to…