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This post goes from 25 August to 31 August due to inability to connect to post each day - I hope you enjoy my blog.
25th - I am travelling from Verona to Naples today via train to stay overnight and travel to Corfu early tomorrow. I did a bit of shopping and arrived at the station to find my train leaving as I had read my ticket info wrong but no problem, there are many trains so I rebooked using the auto machine (very easy) and got better trains going to Milan from Verona then straight through to Naples. I was very lucky to get on the brand new Frecciarossa 1000, it's only been in service since July and is truly a state of the art train. Really beautiful leather recliner seats, charging ports for electronics, good food and great views along the way and it flies along at a conservative 300km per hour! But you wouldn't know as it is a very smooth ride. I watched a couple of movies from the wi fi stash and arrived in Naples feeling refreshed and much better.
26th August - I had a good nights sleep at a really seedy airport hotel (my room had no windows only a skylight) but it was very clean and made my trip to the airport quick and easy for an early start. The Easyjet flight to Corfu left on time and I arrived excited at the day ahead, I am going back to my beloved Paxos finally. Booked a ticket for the boat to Paxos and left my bag at the port office and went for a walk up through old Corfu town. It was very hot so I went for a cool drink and discovered Nescafé Frappe. Beautiful cold whipped coffee drink which was very refreshing. I roamed around and finally wandered back to the port and got a bit lost but ended up there with plenty of time to spare. It was interesting going through little back streets back to the port. I enjoyed a lovely Meze lunch with a beer which cost €9 and was enough for 2 people (way too much for me) and finally set off on the Despina for Paxos. I sat outside and enjoyed the breeze and the view and arrived after 90 minutes trip. Georgiu picked me up from the jetty and took me to the Paxos Club Hotel. Beautiful place, I have a lovely suite and as it was mid afternoon I unpacked then I changed for a swim. There was a very big pool and beautiful gardens. I later headed the 900 metres to the village for dinner. Walked down and passed through olive groves and past houses and shady gardens. It was really beautiful and as I remember. When I reached Gaios there were many noticeable changes including a supermarket, a petrol station and lots of little shops and tavernas in the alley ways. I walked down to the town square by the waterfront and there were lots of million dollar yachts and cruisers tied up. Also, there seemed to be hundreds of people about. It was certainly much busier than I had seen before - there were about 4 tavernas, a bakery and maybe 2 shops selling jewellery etc in 1984. Now there are lots of cars and scooters and bikes also. There were 2 cars on the island back then. That is all. I found a nice taverna back from the docks and had a great meal of tzatziki then a Greek salad and calamari. It was delicious. I caught the 10 pm mini bus back to the hotel and sat outside for a while in the warm night air enjoying being there.
27th August - I caught the bus to Lakka which is the northern most town on the island. I walked to the beach over the headland and swam and floated for a long time in the calm Ionian Sea. It was sandy from the waters edge but there is a rocky beach. I swam a long way out as I have no fear of things in this water, no sharks or bitey things at all. After a couple of hours I walked back to Lakka and had a nice lunch of crispy little fish and a beer which was delicious. I found George Apergis jewellery store, he is a jeweller on the island who designs and makes beautiful jewellery - I bought 3 rings - all lovely and I couldn't decide so I got them all. Just trying to stabilise the Greek economy! Back to Gaios and the bus dropped me at the hotel. I had a siesta as it was quite hot out. Went down to the village for dinner and after a stroll around (as you do here) I went to Vasilis - it was the best chargrilled octopus ever, and the lamb chops were excellent. On the way back I some nice English people and we decided to meet for dinner the next night. John and Debbie and George and Chris. They all seem quite mad but in a nice way!
28th August - I took the boat over to Antipaxos (€10 return) and spent the day at Vrika beach, it is absolutely beautiful and there is pure white sand and loungers and umbrellas on the beach as well as 3 tavernas. I had a beautiful lunch of BBQ octopus (again) and a Greek salad. It was even better octopus than the night before. Relaxed and swam again and after a stroll along to he headland to watch the young boys jump from a very high rock I got the boat back to Gaios. Taxi to the hotel as it was very hot again. I did some washing and had a rest before setting out to meet the others. Things dry very quickly here, one hour and it's all dry.
I met the poms and we went to the waterfront and had a beer and watched the rich people moor their boats for the night. We then went to Vasilis for dinner and the staff were very pleased to see me again. We had a hilarious night, the poms are really quite mad and enjoy life. We headed back and had a couple of drinks before turning in. They invited me to visit next year - I have already decided to come back to Paxos for a month next year and they said if I travel that far I should go on to the UK and see them. Such nice people and I do think we will stay in touch. Debbie is my favourite, a beautiful soul with the kindest heart - and her partner John is a fun guy. They made my last night on Paxos very enjoyable.
29th August - well back to Corfu - I watched Paxos fade into the distance and promised I'd be back next year. Arrived Corfu and went tiny hotel - Siorra Vittoria in the old town. Lovely old hotel, quite grand and they had a room ready for me. I went for a walk and some lunch and had a sandwich and a beer. I found another handbag shop - oh dear, another 3 to take home. Forget the shoes, I'm definitely a handbag lover! Strolled back as it was quite hot and decided to have a siesta, very nice custom and I will miss it when I get home. Out for dinner and had a nice Greek salad and some moussaka, delicious. Early night as I fly back to Italy next morning
30th August - Easyjet flight again, terrific airline and I can't speak highly enough of them. Always on time, great customer service and comfy planes. I shall post this now and continue later
- comments
Judith Wood You took me there Kitto!