The Last Post

We are back home now safe and well and much enriched by our visit to Europe.
We enjoyed ourselves immensely and hope now you have a yen to do some travelling too.
We encourage you to do so because as the prophet said, there are only two moments in time, Now and Too Late.

Thanks for coming with us, technical hitches and all!
We look forward to hearing about and following your travels too.

Regards,
Jaclynn and Tony.

A day of rest

Our final full day on Skopelos was spent doing nothing in particular........a day of rest.
It started for all with a leisurely but ample breakfast and then people either went down to the beach to read and rest or in our case to our balcony to catch up with our blog!
After some time we went down to have a late lunch in Adrina's patio restaurant and found most of the crew down there. It's a hard life flitting from beach to patio and back to beach again.Once our taste buds were satisfied and another Frappe downed the balcony and beach beckoned.
The evening called us together again and since it was Rosie's birthday it was an extra special evening for us all. Added to this most of us are leaving tomorrow so it was our final opportunity to share with our friends.
Good food, good wine, good friends!

Tomorrow it will be goodbye to Skopelos. We will have to give back our borrowed computer so this may be the last post on this blog. If that  is the case we hope you have enjoyed your travels with us and thank you for your comments. They were greatly appreciated.

Agnanti restaurant and new friends

Even from the short time we'd spent there on our first visit to Glossa, we had decided to go back to that amazing restaurant with the view where we had the coffees. We took the bus as usual and in no time we were at our table on a terrace overlooking the harbour and the Agean again. The restaurant is called Agnanti, they are well received on Tripadvisor and the cuisine there they call "Greek with flair". Certainly the grilled chicken breast with flamme peppers in white wine and plum chutney was out of this world. Jackie's slow cooked pork shoulder with plums in a traditional tomato based sauce hit the spot too. All this was complimented by a glass of local white and red wine respectively. Almond cake with homemade cinnamon ice cream, and a delicious sorbet made from the lemons grown just below the balcony rounded off a very memorable meal.

Sitting at the table next to us was a couple speaking English in an unmistakable London accent. We had time to spare before the bus ride back and we were going to make the most of that breath taking view. It wasn't long before we were casually chatting with them and our waitress too. She happened to be Polish, spoke good English, Greek like a native and probably had several other languages in there too. Graham and Yvette (the brits) were also holidaying on the island and renting a villa a bit inland from Panormos. Best of all he had rented a car. When we excused ourselves to catch the bus they suggested why don't we stay longer and they would drive us back to the resort. We didn't need a second invitation , settled down to some serious chatting while drinking in that wonderful scenery. When we all eventually did leave the restaurant and drive back to the resort we had become quite friendly. The least we could do was invite them in for a Gin and Tonic. The rest of our friends were already at the beach side and were somewhat surprised to see us stroll in with a couple of stray brits in tow. We walked them back to their car when they left and they seemed quite taken with the resort gardens and surroundings. They are beautifully landscaped.

Later that afternoon the gang all met up again (G&T's were involved) and settled in to a game of 500s. Dinner was at a restaurant we tried the night before which specialised in traditional Greek home cooking. Because some of the gang had asked prior, they especially had arranged for a traditional rabbit dish to be ready for them. A Skopelos cheese pie, still hot from the cooker was served as an appetizer and a complimentary dessert of yoghurt with quince and honey sauce arrived as if by magic afterwards. All this at an outside table on the verandah while the sun sank slowly into the sea and the cook sang operatic Greek arias while he worked. Quite a memorable night.

Click here for pictures of Agnanti Restaurant

Kastini beach and Skopelos

Today we went to the beach, differently. The hotel has its own beach for guests it's true, but we thought we'd slum it and visit a local beach to see how it was done. The coast line of Skopelos for the most part is pretty rocky and unapproachable, but is some of the more sheltered coves there are pebble and course sand beaches. Kastini beach is one of the more popular ones and this was also used in the scene from "Mama Mia" where she is running bare-footed down a beautiful seashore. Frankly it would take a lot for a beach to impress anyone from Australia, we take sandy white beaches so much for granted. This one was in a lovely setting with course grey sand and well supported with lawns, a kiosk more like a taverna and lots of sun lounges and umbrellas to laze around on. There were also large sun beds with canopies and cushions to laze around in in groups if you preferred. From the kiosk you could buy sandwiches and snacks, soft drinks and beers, borrow games like chess or backgammon and generally kick back and relax.

Here is something we didn't expect to see though. Just near the toilets and sheltered under the eaves was a swallow's nest. Inside was her brood of chicks. There must have been 5 or more of the dearest little things packed in there with all their little heads up all waiting expectantly for her to come back with some food. They must be well used to human contact as the nest was not in any sense remote or protected.

We left the others to slob around at Kastini (after a few hours of slobbing around there ourselves of course) and caught the bus to Skopelos to do some errands and generally have a good look at the town. The souvlakis we had for lunch there measured up to expectations as did the home made ice creams. We did a bit of shopping for gifts and such for the folks back home in the small shops and stalls near the harbour front. There are plenty of them there and they aren't ridiculously priced like some tourist spots are. Best of all they didn't toute but were kind and helpful when we did make a purchase. We spent a bomb there anyway.

We took the bus back to the resort just in time for a freshen up and sunset drinkies while we decided which of the many restaurants we should try out tonight. What a waste of time. They're all terrific, economically priced and with lashings of the yummiest tucker you could eat.

Click here for pictures of Kastini beach and Skopelos.

Glossa and Agios Ionnis Sto Kastri

Glossa is a picturesque Greek village situated at the northern end of the island and is basically the second town on Skopelos. It is also the town where Rosie's mother was born and bred before coming to Australia. (Rosie is our Greek-Australian friend in the group). A quick bus ride to Glossa revealed one of the best kept secrets in the Greek islands. It is absolutely idylic in its rustic charm, colours and it's layed out like an ampitheatre around the small harbour at the foot of the hills on which it is built. It is also the most hospitable town we have ever visited but more of that later.

As we mentioned, Rosie was revisiting her mother's home village with the rest of her friends in tow and naturally got in conversation with the locals. Since most had lived here nearly all their lives there were no shortage of people who remembered her mum, was related to her in one way or another or had a story to tell about her. Rosie was over the moon to hear so much about her mum from her childhood and soon the conversations were lengthening appreciably as was the emotion and the laughter. To make us all feel welcome they asked us right inside their home (all 9 of us) and within minutes out came the Ouzo. Greek hospitality is legendary. Nine total strangers invited in for conversation and Ouzo. With lots of tears and well-wishes we eventually had to leave Glossa but not before a coffee at a local taverna. Being set up on the hillside as it was it had an extraordinary view over the harbour and the Agean sea beyond to compliment a fine coffee and delicious almond cake.

For those of you who have seen the movie "Mama Mia" you will no doubt remember that tiny chapel where the wedding scene took place. The movie was shot here on Skopelos and that chapel is for real. It is called Agios Ionnis and stands high on a rock out in the sea. It is a hell of a climb to reach it and the chapel itself is tiny, holding no more than maybe 10 people at max. I seriously doubt whether any church in the world ever had such 360 degree spectacular views like this one does though.

As usual, at dinner time we all ambled down the road for our ritual pre-dinner drinks and to watch the sunset over the islands. The village is called Panormos and seems to be completely composed of restaurants with tables under umbrellas setup right on the beach. If you ever saw the movie "Shirley Valentine", well it looks just like that. Enjoy the pics.

Click here for pictures of Glossa and Agios Ionnis chapel

Arrival in Skopelos

A very early start today. Checked out of the hotel at 6:00 am to catch a bus at 7:00 am to catch a ferry at 10:00 am from Agios Konstantinos, a fishing port up the Aegean coast. A four hour leisurely cruise on the ferry and we were at our final destination of the Island of Skopelos. The main town is also called Skopelos which can be confusing to anyone but the Greeks. We had a tearful reunion with our friends from Australia who had also been arriving there in dribs and drabs over the last couple of days from all over Europe. After a quick lunch of the best souvlakis we ever had (a Greek souvlaki has three different sauces and french fries in it as well) we all took the bus back to the hotel. The local bus service here runs about on the hour and should really be called coaches rather than buses. They are air conditioned and as well appointed as any interstate tour coach I have ever traveled on.

We checked into our resort hotel on Adrina beach, gin and tonics on the terrace to settle in, a quick swim in water like crystal and started to feel like this is where the holiday is actually starting.

Athens and the Acropolis

We figured an early breakfast and early start would help us beat the heat. Wrong, it was there waiting for us anyway. We revisited Syntamga Square to say hello to the guardsmen again and arrived in time to see the changing of the guard. Their ceremonial drill is high stepping and ornately formal in its slow execution. The symbology of it all eluded me completely but there was no doubting their precision and attention to correct detail. I can only wonder how they can stand at rigid attention for the period of time they spend on duty in that heat. Periodically, their Sergeant will come by and mop their faces and straighten their uniforms if necessary for they seem forbidden to budge a muscle while standing guard.

Just next to Syntagma is the National Gardens and a stroll through the shady lanes seemed a really good idea. The gardens are quite popular as a place for Athenians to seek a bit of respite from the heat. The fountains are all dry unfortunately, probably part of the harsh austerity measures imposed. There is an artificial lake, more like a pond really, and another pond full of darling little turtles all swimming around or sunning themselves on the rocks. There is also a zoo in there but we could really only find an aviary and what resembled a poultry farm of ducks and chickens.

Further south is the Zappion, a large and formal exhibition hall for arts and such. Nothing on show there at the time but the building is created in the classical Greek style and the large fountain (working) in the forecourt were well worth a visit. Also visiting the Zappion was a small runaway turtle who we found at the foot of the steps. To leave him there in that heat was out of the question as it would no doubt have killed him. A quick mercy dash with turtle in hand back to the turtle pond we found earlier and he swam off without so much as a backward glance, bless his little heart. What were the odds we would already know of a handy turtle pond nearby when we found the little guy? Clearly a case of divine intervention.

Our ultimate goal was naturally to reach the Akropolis. On the way is remains of the Temple of Olympian Zeuss with its towering columns. One of them has fallen like a deck of cards and it is clearly visible how they were originally built in sections.

The climb up the Akropolis is quite long but not particularly steep. Take water though. We bought 1.5 litres at the bottom and it was gone by the top. There were numerous water and granita venders just outside the entrance so we survived quite OK.

There is plenty to see at the top. The Odeum of Herodes Atticus is a large ampitheatre and it is still in use today. The backdrop to the stage is the ancient walls and arches, while the seating has been reconstructed in the characteristic curves of the period. Cushions are provided for the audience for performances as the seats are concrete. It has a capacity of around 5000. There is also a second ampitheatre called the Theatre of Dionysos but this has not been reconstructed and exists as it was discovered.

Crowning the plateau is of course the Parthenon. Even today it dominates the skyline of Athens impressively. Back in its hay day it must really have been a sight to behold. There was a great deal of restoration work in progress when we were there, but I suppose there always will be at a place like that. Please excuse the modern day cranes and machinery mixed in with the ancient columns and porticoes in the photos. Just beside the Parthenon is a smaller but no less impressive temple to Dianna with its supporting columns shaped in the likeness of the goddesses.

Coming home by a different route we went through the Plaka, the oldest and still used living suburb in Athens. The streets are the original layout, so it's a maze of tiny narrow lanes. Car are not permitted in there, they wouldn't fit anyway but listen for approaching scooters. We found this amazing little restaurant cascading down the steps of a steep lane. The food as per everywhere we ate was sensational in this case all home cooked and traditional and the waiter could not have been more helpful. He even spent quite a deal of his time taking photos on behalf of the customers, knew the best angles and poses so they left with the best shots. We tried our first frappes there and will definitely be writing them a glowing review on Tripadvisor.

Lunch took longer than we planned (hey, we were having fun with the staff) and set off to see the Ancient Roman Agorra with its Temple of Hephaestus and the Stoa of Attalos. Unbelievably it had closed at 3:00 pm so we needn't have bothered. We photographed what we could from the outside.

Our last night in Athens was finished off with a lovely meal at the rooftop restaurant of our hotel. The lights of Athens were laid out all around with the floodlit Akropolis dominating at its centre.

Click here for pictures of Athens and the Akropolis

Arrival in Athens

The day started with an early morning run with Pepe our manic Italian driver who took us from Sorrento to Naples in just under an hour. Not a bad effort we thought considering the traffic and the road as wide as a large footpath.

The flight from Naples to Athens only took an hour and forty minutes, just a hop really. The train from Athena airport to the city took nearly that long. We were still mighty glad to find our hotel and put our feet up for a while anyway, because the heat was very draining.

As usual, after a shower and a freshen up we took off to explore our local surroundings. As luck would have it we had arrived on a public holiday, so most of the shops were closed and did not present the city in its best light. In fact it looked down right dead and scungy, sorry to say. Everywhere, but everywhere is covered in graffiti and more graffiti. On the monuments, on the churches, on the sides of vending machines, on the trains and buses, everywhere. It must be a manifestation of the youth unemployment here or the general dissatisfaction with the government. Certainly the graffiti is in wide abundance.

A quick stroll down to Syntagma square was in order. This is the location of the Greek parliament and noted for the ceremonial garb and drill of the soldiers who stand guard outside it. While they may look kinda strange in their pleated skirts and with pompoms on their shoes they are nonetheless trained and serving soldiers of an elite Greek unit. Like the Swiss Guard at the Vatican, to dismiss these troops out of hand based on their "poofy" uniforms would be a BIG mistake.

They pop up in the most unexpected places and the McDonalds at Syntagma Square is no exception. Try the Greek Mac or the McShrimp burger. We'll post up a link to some piccies as soon as we can.

Slight Technical Hitch

Due to a slight technical hitch (we left our tablet back in Sorrento) posts to the blog will be slightly delayed while we lay our hands on some other means of accessing the internet.
Right now we're in an internet cafe in Athens having a Corona and orange juice, so as you see we are surviving.
We'll post again as soon as we can so stay with us, and watch this space.

Pictures for Pompeii and Athens will be also be posted when we have re-established our connection properly.

Pompeii

Everybody has heard about the volcanic eruption in 79 AD which destroyed the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Vesuvius has erupted 12 times since then, most recently in 1944. It has in effect sealed in a time capsule the life of ancient Rome in Pompeii. To see the actual site with Vesuvius brooding in the background makes real the things we only read about in books or saw in movies.

The site is much larger than we anticipated with an entire city laid out before us. We saw domestic dwellings, shopping centres, theatres, amphitheatres, barracks for the gladiators, temples and the forerunner of the modern day speed hump. True, the streets were made well below the level of the footpath and were often awash with water and waste. Large stepping stones were installed across the roads at regular intervals so people could cross without getting wet They were always set in groups of three so the chariot wheels could track through the gaps, but only if the driver slowed and went through carefully.

There were casts of Pompeiians who were caught in the last moments of their lives, a chilling thing to see as their postures cry out pain and anguish. After almost two millenia there is still visible colour in the mosaics and frescoes. There are also examples of ancient graffiti left on walls, so that does not appear to be just a modern problem.

We went to Pompeii as early as possible and we're very glad we did. The circumvesuviana was not so crowded we couldn't get a seat, the on-board buskers played a croaky version of When the Saints Come Marching In and best of all we beat the heat and the tour groups. Both are a nightmare and after about 11 am neither can be avoided. Unfortunately the Suburban Baths with their famous erotic mosaics was not open to the public so we could not take any pictures for you. But from the excellent illustrations of them in our guide book ancient Rome certainly was, er, broadminded.

The rest of the day was spent cooling off with gelatis and lounging around in the pool at the hotel. Not a bad day really. We said our farewells to Sorrento with a lovely dinner at Tasso's Ristorante which we can highly recommend should you be lucky enough to visit there.

Click here for pictures of Pompeii.

The Isle of Capri

A 30 minute ferry ride from Sorrento is the Isle of Capri. This is a mecca for the rich and famous and us! On arrival, once again in the heat we had a plan to follow. The island is almost divided geographically into three parts. There is a higher plateau where Anacapri is situated and large rocky steep cliffs that overlook the lower section of the island where the town of Capri is situated. On the other side of Capri  the land rises again. The Marina Grande is where the boats come in. In order to get to Anacapri we took a bus and once again rode the sardine special with death defying Italian drivers! The roads are extremely narrow but the drivers manage to manoeuvre the buses around hairpin bends and between walls and other cars.  If the road trip on the Amalfi coastline was scary, then the bus trip up to Anacapri was terrifying! The road is never wider than a footpath in the botanic gardens but nevertheless is 2 way. At times a sheer drop of 400 meters or more is only the width of a hand railing from the edge of the road. The buses themselves are about a half length shortened version of a standard bus with steering that can turn inside its own length. They seem made for the hairpin bends and steep climbing they need to do.

Anacapri is small and mountainous with magnificent views overlooking the island and the Mediterranean. While we were there we went on the Mount Salaro chairlift which is 429 m but the mount is actually 600 m above sea level. It is the highest point on the island and you can see the entire island from the terrace at the top. Over a granita we looked at probably the loveliest views in Italy.

Capri beckoned so we took another death defying bus trip down that God-awful road to the central hub of the island. Here they have up market shops for the well heeled tourists such as Salvatore Ferrano, Louis Vuitton, Bulgari, Swarovski and others. The fashions, shoes and bags were beautiful but a tad out of our league.

Unfortunately we didn't manage to see Villa Jovis which is the remains of the Emperor Tiberius' villa. This is situated high up at the other end of the island. There is no transport to it and it can only be reached on foot and only after some serious climbing. We were told it would take around 90 minutes to reach it and best tackled in the early morning. We had a ferry to catch so unfortunately it was out of the question. 

Various ways of getting around on the island are by bus (shudder) by open topped taxi, motorbikes and the famous funicular. This is a great way to get from Capri to the Marina Grande. It only takes 3 minutes and travels in a straight line between the two,   so its steep. In fact it's so steep each little compartment in the cable tram are individually tilted just so you can stand up in them. Great fun.

The ferry ride back to Sorrento was smooth with most of the passengers falling asleep. That could well have something to do with the climbing required on any visit to the island though.

Click here for pictures of the Isle of Capri.

The Amalfi Coast

We set off bright and early to get the SITA bus from Circumvesuviana station to take us to Positano and Amalfi  for the day. We made sure we were early to ensure a seat on the bus. Once again it was the sardine special with people standing. We now understand why the Italians are world class motorbike and formula one drivers. The practise and experience they get on Italian roads defies description. The coastal road up the Amalfi coast is narrow and winding with little room for 2 cars or error! Added to that is the sheer drop in many parts into the beautiful blue Mediterranean. It was cosy in the bus as once again it was warm.

After a while the bus pulled into Positano but due to a mix-up we missed the stop and before we knew it we were leaving Positano! Oh well, you need to be flexible and stress less so we carried on regardless, or should I say the bus did. We arrived in Amalfi one and a half hours from the time we left Sorrento. By the time we arrived in Amalfi it was very hot.  The place was abuzz with tourists. We sauntered up the viales looking at shops and yes we even got gelati. After checking out the Cathedral of San Andrew who is buried there, we decided to leave Amalfi and take a bus up to Ravello approximately 9 kilometres further up into the hills.

Ravello is well known for the classical music concerts it holds there each year. The performances are held in Villa Rufolo, a very old villa now owned by the government. Once Richard Wagner stayed there and was inspired and overwhelmed by the beauty of the place. The concerts are held in Wagner's memory. There are performances from May to August and we had hoped to attend one but transportation was a problem so alas we missed out. The orchestra performs on a stage overlooking the Mediterranean.  It would have been magical but perhaps another time.

Ravello is a smaller less touristy place and very pretty. We went into the gardens of Villa Rufolo and enjoyed the refreshing cooler green gardens flowers and old buildings. We saw the stage and seats organised in preparation for the concert that night.  The village has its piazza as does all good villages and we sat and watched the passing parade, saw cats and took a rest. There were viale to investigate so we started to walk. Up and up past small shops, a convent connected to Saint Francis of Assisi, a very friendly  cat that decided to lick my leg, past old high walls hiding lush green gardens and mini vineyards. We finally stopped for a break and panini in a beautifully set terrace with  tall shady trees and more cats!

Reluctantly we left Ravello, a beautiful place and headed back down to Amalfi in an open top bus which was refreshing given the heat. We decided to have one more walk around and a gelati before we caught the ferry back to Sorrento. While we were wandering we came across a wedding party and a bride who looked magnificent as she walked up the many steps of San Andrew's church.
In an attempt to stay cool we sat in the shade under an umbrella and sipped Limoncello. This part of Italy is famous for its lemon based alcohol drink.

Taking the ferry back from Amalfi is an ideal way to get the best view of that magnificent coastline. Many people were shooting photos during the ride and so were we.

Did I mention that Sorrento is on top of a cliff? Well naturally a boat can't drop you off near your hotel, so you have to climb. After walking from the harbour down the man-made gorge there are 126 stone steps to reach the town square at the top. It can be quite a workout on a hot day after a full day's sight seeing.

Click here for pictures of Amalfi coast.

Arrival in Sorrento

We took the train from Rome to Napoli and this was one of highlights of the entire trip for Tony because most of the trip we were travelling at or above 300 kph. The Italian super-fast train is called the Frecciarossa (Red Arrow) and is so smooth and comfortable people can often doze off on the way. It didn't even ripple our complimentary glass of juice it was so smooth. The trip takes 70 minutes and it is on the dot.

After wading through the pickpockets and other "helpful" people at Napoli Centrale, the next train was a little different for the run from Naples to Sorrento. The Circumvesuviana is a diseased old beast that resembles an old suburban train wreck. It is thick with graffiti and rattles and clatters through about 30 stations on the way. Air conditioning is non existent and remarkably the trip takes 70 minutes, the same as from Rome to Naples. It seemed a hell of a lot longer though. Colour is also provided by some sort of on-board buskers who play music or do turns and then hustle the travellers for some money. It was stifling hot, crowded with people all talking different languages and quite an experience.

We poured off the train dripping with perspiration and sought out the nearest Gelati shop and then our hotel. The room wasn't ready yet so we cooled off with a couple of Gin and Tonics while we waited. Actually with the heat and thirst and on an empty stomach G&T's were probably not such a good idea. Jackie and I were actively engaged in  particularly difficult level of Angry Birds when the receptionist came and told us the room was ready.

A quick shower and freshen up and we had a look around Sorrento. It is actually quite a small place with narrow cobbled streets full of small and interesting shops. Being set on a cliff dropping straight into the Mediterranean sea the views are breathtaking. The very imposing presence of Mt Vesuvius can be clearly seen across the bay.

Tomorrow we will be tackling the Amalfi Coast.

Click here for pictures of Sorrento.

The adventure continues

Due to size limitations we have to continue on another blog.
Please click on the link below to return to Part 2.

Click here to return to Part 2.