MORE ADVENTURES WITH DAMIEN AND BARB

                                   THE PLAN
You see, our daughter Fritha, (she's the one who lives in London), Fritha, was about to celebrate her fortieth birthday so we decided to fly over there and celebrate it with her.
That's how it started.
Well you can't fly to the other side of the world just for a birthday, so we'd do something else as well.
What about a cruise? We looked at cruises on the Volga, in the Mediterranean, from Barcelona to Venice and back. We liked the sound of a cruise that included something of the Greek Islands so we Googled cruises and tours and everything we could find about Greek island holidays. Then I happened across an old newspaper story about "island hopping".
What caught our imagination was the advice to avoid the big tourist attractions of Mykanos and Santorini and visit some of the smaller islands in the group known as the Cyclades.
And so we would go island hopping!
So this trip expanded from that point on. We made bookings through an agent to get us to London with Etihad Airways which would mean a stop in Abu Dhabi. We decided we break the flight properly and take a couple of days in the United Arab Emirates before flying the remaining distance to London.
Then Barbara had the idea that it would be really great to surprise Fritha. This meant a lot of secret emails to
her husband Anthony. He was planning to take Fritha to Barcelona for a birthday treat, so he'd arrange to hide the key to their place and book a table for dinner at a posh London restaurant called the Ledbury, all without tipping Fritha off.
August 9th and Barbara and I headed for the airport, checking in our two smallish cases and waiting for the call to board our plane. We took off at around ten past ten that evening and fourteen hours later we were looking down at the dry brown desert of the United Arab Emirates and soon we were taxiing towards the Abu Dhabi international terminal.
                                                        ABU DHABI

Once through the usual customs and visa checks, and having retrieved our baggage, we set off in search of a taxi. An Arab gentleman stepped up and guided us downstairs to the taxi rank. That was our first experience of the Abu Dhabi climate. Walking out from the cool of the air conditioned terminal, my glasses suddenly fogged up as we were hit by a furnace blast of forty-eight degrees. This was hot! Really hot!

We had already agreed a fixed price with our taxi guide and he told the driver we wanted to go to Le Royale Meridien Hotel. We set off towards the city some thirty minutes away, speeding along a wide highway lined with date palms and other trees. It was only a bit after six on the morning but there were workmen toiling away in the sun on various road and building projects We passed lots of very big houses all built in Eastern style with latticed windows, domed roofs and arched windows. This was obviously a wealthy neighbourhood.

When at last we reached the city proper, we began to realise that our driver had no idea where to find our hotel. He stopped at several different ones and we would say, “No – the Royale Meridien” and he’d stop at another and say “This good one?” and we’d say “No “again. Finally we spotted our hotel and managed to point him in the right direction.

Abu Dhabi towers

To step out of the car and into the cool of the hotel foyer was a huge relief. We checked in and the receptionist persuaded us to take an upgrade for only a hundred more Dirham of Emirati dollars. We were persuaded and arrived in our quite luxurious room four floors up. Later we realised the  few hundred extra Dirham was per day and we were booked in for three nights. But it was worth it. The bed was king size, there was a large separate sitting room and a huge bath. This was especially impressive because it featured an enormous shower head. Obviously water supply was not a problem here in the desert. We learned later that they desalinate most of their water and recycle it for the public gardens etc.

Later on, showered and rested, we decided to brave the heat again and wander the streets of this very modern and prosperous city. We needed to find an ATM and tried several banks to no avail. When we did find an ATM it was in an air conditioned booth outside the bank. We figured if we found the heat too much we could always shelter in one of these booths.

At one stage we wandered into a store in a shopping mall and joined local men and women shopping. Of course all the women were in traditional garb, some with full face covering, and others in the basic hijab. But when it came to buying clothes in this Emirates equivalent of Target, their tastes and choices were just the same as ours.

Back at our hotel we booked a couple of tours for the next day and then Barbara treated herself to a manicure and pedicure and had her hair done in the hotel beauty salon. I just rested until dinner time. Our TV had the usual choices of local programmes plus CNN and the BBC World service.

Dinner time and we went in search of a meal. This was Ramadan so people here didn’t eat until after sunset, but we infidels were able to enjoy a meal in a dining room screened off behind a curtain. Most of the hotel staff was from the Philippines so there was plenty of service. We even had pre-dinner drinks in a bar for foreigners. The meal was excellent with lots of Eastern food as well as a variety of western dishes.

We only had one full day in Abu Dhabi so we decided to take this half day tour in the morning, and our guide Abu arrived to take us around the sights. Abu looked like a very western Arab in natty slacks and shirt and a perky snap brimmed hat. Not at all like his traditionally clad countrymen in their immaculate full length linen robes and Arab headdress. His English was very good and he told us a lot about the wealth of Abu Dhabi and the lifestyle of Emiratis.

Our Abu Dhabi Hotel

We drove out again along the broad highway to a venue we’d passed on the way in. This was the Grand Mosque, an absolutely stunning building. From a distance all you could see were gleaming white domes and minarets shining in the sun. Then as we got closer we could appreciate the sheer size of this building surrounded by green and flourishing gardens, with marble steps sweeping up to the entrance to the mosque itself.

Then we all had to remove our shoes before going inside. In addition all the women had to put on dark robes and head scarves. We were told this wasn’t compulsory but you couldn’t go inside without them. Hmm!

This huge mosque accommodates up to forty thousand worshippers at a time.It is built around a marble courtyard the size of several football pitches with long marble walkways like cloisters all the way around.

The Grand Mosque

The man who commissioned it is known as the father of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed . His last resting place is in the grounds of the mosque.

One of several chandeliers

The interior consisted of a single gigantic prayer space with arching marble ceilings and domes high above. At intervals there hung great chandeliers of multi coloured glass stones set in gold brackets. The floor was covered with a vast green and highly patterned carpet, the largest in the world, and this is where worshippers kneel for prayers.

Inside the Mosque

 The walls were mostly of marble and decorated with a tracery of green leaved vines and flowers of blue and red and yellow, and all of this was carved from marble imported from all over the world. The whole vast edifice was air conditioned and we all sat on that glorious carpet enjoying the cool while Abu explained some of the teachings of Islam. For instance, he explained, women were not allowed to pray in the main body of the mosque in case they distract the men and tempt them to sinful thoughts.

We spent about forty minutes in the Grand Mosque before moving on to some of the residential parts of the city with more of those great mansions and past lush public gardens while Abu told us how Emirati citizens receive free houses and subsidised finance and pay no taxes. But you had to be born and bred in the Emirates. We tended to take much of what Abu told us with a grain of salt. For instance he told us that if a man takes more than one wife, the extra one or two have to have their own houses as good as the first one and he can only marry more wives with the approval of the first wife.

Abu at the date market

Our next stop was at a date market. Not much to tell about the date market, save that they sold dates there. We learned that there are many types of dates and we could buy them at the market. We bought a few but we could only eat them on the bus because of Ramadan. They were delicious though, provided you like dates.

Then it was time to move on to a local craft market and cultural display (i.e. tourist trap) where we could look at Bedouin tents and local crafts, weaving and pottery and copper work etc.

Craft market

Barbara bought a shoulder bag decorated with spangles and beads, and I bought an Arab headdress and a white robe to go with it. I think it must have been the heat.

Our last stop was at the Emirates Hotel, a vast and lavish building filled with marble stair cases and very expensive fashion shops and vulgar displays of wealth to attract the rich people who can afford to stay there.

We were only allowed in because our guide told the concierge we needed to use the toilets, and a couple of our fellow trippers were staying there.

After that it was back to our own hotel.

We had lunch and later on Barb and I spent some time in the hotel gym.

A trip on a dhow

That evening we went for a cruise in an Arab Dhow. At least it was supposed to be a dhow, but it lacked the graceful triangular sail, and was powered by diesel engines. The trip was supposed to feature traditional Arabian dishes and culture while cruising the waters adjoining the city.

Abu Dhabi Skyline

Well it was an extremely warm evening, there only a few other passengers and the food was served dish after dish in rapid succession. There was fish and chicken and lamb and God knows what else in huge portions. If it had been served as a buffet we may have enjoyed the experience. But it was piled up and at the end of it we couldn’t eat any more and felt stuffed. 

We got back to our hotel and packed up for our departure in the morning. We had enjoyed most of our stopover and in any case the main purpose of the visit was to break the long flight to London.

In the morning we checked out and were driven in the hotel shuttle car to the airport.

An hour or so later we were on our way to London, a seven and a half hour flight.
                  LONDON -SCOTLAND-LONDON

When we arrived at Heathrow it was after six in the evening and by the time we’d been through the formalities and found the train into town, we were glad we’d decided to stay in London overnight .We had booked into the Hilton which is right on Paddington Station.

We enjoyed a light snack in lieu of dinner before turning in for the night at around 1030.

The next morning after an English breakfast, we checked out and dragging our suitcases behind us, took the tube across to Kings Cross station. After battling the crowds of commuters we boarded the train for Berwick on Tweed.

Three and a half hours later we were being greeted by our friends Ros and John and then whizzed through the Scottish countryside to their farm in Lochton.

Fisherman's Arms Birgham

We’d stayed with Ros and John in the past and it was almost like coming home again to find a bright and familiar bedroom waiting for us at the top of their stairs.

That evening we went to a pub called the Fishermen’s Arms, in Birgham up the road from our hosts  place.

Some time ago this lovely old pub looked like closing until it was rescued by local investors. Ros was one of those who helped save the place so we refer to it as Ros’ pub. 

Me & John, Barb & Ros

The atmosphere was warm and friendly and the food delicious, not to mention a variety of fine ales on tap.

After all our flights and hotel rooms etc, and aided by one of John’s single malt nightcaps, Barbara and I slept very well that night.

John had planned a barbecue for the following day but the weather was threatening and sure enough as soon as he had lit the fire, down came the rain.

But it didn’t dampen our day too much. We were joined by old friends of John and Ros, Robin and Jen.  And we enjoyed barbecued steaks and all the trimmings indoors, with plenty of wine and lively conversation.

We had booked the train back to London early the following afternoon, so in the morning we packed and enjoyed a good country breakfast. Ros has a beautiful garden which we inspected and then drove over to her son Ian’s place, a very modern house with huge glass windows looking out over miles of green fields and low hills.

And then it was back to Berwick station and another three and a half hours London bound.

We always leave Ros and John’s wishing we could spend more time there, but the main reason for this trip was to surprise Fritha for her fortieth birthday, and we had to be settled into her house before she came home on the next day.

So once back in London we struggled over to London Bridge station and found our way by train to Beckenham in Kent, about a half hour away.

We’d arranged with Anthony to collect the key from under a flower pot in the shed at the back of their place. But it was dark when we reached the house and we couldn’t read the combination on the padlock on the gate to their yard.

We managed to open the gate with some help. ( A neighbour with a light) but then spent half an hour groping about in the wrong shed, looking for the right flower pot.

Finally we found the right shed and the key and we were in.

Molly & Milly or Milly & Molly

We were welcomed inside by the guardians of the premises, Milly and Molly (Fritha’s cats).

Finally bed!

In the morning we went into Beckenham for breakfast and to do a bit of shopping. Barbara wanted to buy balloons and things to decorate the stairs at Fritha’s  place as part of her surprise.

She spent much time on this project and then we relaxed and waited for Fritha to come home. She and Anthony had been in Barcelona as part of Anthony’s birthday present to her.

So we waited and waited and waited. We had dinner and watched television and waited and waited.

Finally at something after eleven pm a taxi pulled up and Fritha and Anthony alighted.

Anthony made Fritha close her eyes all the way to the top of the stairs so she didn’t really see the decorations.

But what she did see when she opened her eyes was her mother and me.

Fritha let out a scream that was probably heard all the way to the High Street, and then; “What the - - - - - are you doing here? Then tears and hugs for her Mum.

Surprise!

I was busy photographing all this when she turned towards me and threw her arms around me too.

She just couldn’t believe we were there. So out came the wine and we drank to her birthday and anything else we could think of.

Finally we let Fritha and Anthony get to bed as they were both working in the morning.

Our careful planning and secret calls to Anthony over the preceding weeks had paid off in full.

Surprise!!

Altogether we had sixteen days to spend with our daughter and Anthony, the highlight of which would be a special dinner at a restaurant called the Ledbury in Notting Hill.

The place had two Michelin stars. It had also been the target of rioting youths on the previous week but we hoped that they were still operating. Anthony had booked the table weeks ago.

Surprise!!!

In the meantime Barbara had discovered she had left some medication in Melbourne and would have to get some more. We were advised to try a GP at the local hospital. We did that but the doctor said the only way he’d prescribe this tablet would be if we got our home GP to fax confirmation to him. This was not looking promising. We asked a pharmacy if there was some substitute we could get.

No go.

We found another more helpful pharmacist who gave us the number of a private clinic who might help.

They couldn’t.

So we took a train into London and went to a clinic on Paddington station. That doctor was very helpful and at last we got the prescription and the required tablets.

Problem solved!

Saturday arrived and in the evening we set off for the Ledbury. We took the train into the city and then a taxi through some of the less savoury parts of the city to Notting Hill.

The Ledbury turned out to be everything we had hoped for.

We were ushered to our table and started the evening with a glass of chilled champagne.

Dinner at the Ledbury

 After perusing the menu we chose from a selection of entrees and mains which included dishes such as crab meat with courgettes and frozen parmesan, truffle toast or flame grilled mackerel followed by main courses including pork cheeks, lobster, roast pigeon with foie gras and cherries.

After that we had a dessert choice of brown sugar tart with gooseberries and ginger ice cream, a variety of brulees or whipped ewes milk yoghurt with mixed berries and meringue. I don’t remember everything we chose but the dinner was simply superb as was the wine we drank with it. The chef by the way is an Aussie named Brett Castle and he’s from Sydney.

In Westerham, Kent

The next day being Sunday, we all slept in and then drove out into the countryside in search of lunch. We found it at the George and Dragon in Westerham, Kent, not far from Winston Churchill’s country home of Chartwell.

While we might have been on holiday, of course Fritha and Anthony had to go to work so in the meantime Barbara and I did a few day trips.

We went down to Hever Castle in Kent, once the home of the Boleyn family.

As castles go, this is fairly small but given its history and its connections with Henry VIII, a very interesting place. It was built in the 13^th century as a country house and in the 14^th century became the seat of the Bullen family, later known as the Boleyn family. 

Hever Castle

The place is filled with historical memorabilia, but for us the gardens were its main feature. 

A bed or roses

A bed or rosesThere were manicured lawns running down to a broad lake, magnificent rose gardens and Romanesque groves filled with Italian statuary.

Hever roses

 Much of this was developed in the 20th century by the American millionaire William Waldorf Astor, who lived there and restored the place in the early nineteen hundreds.

We also took the train down to Southampton to catch up with Carol and Roy, our friends from that coach tour we did in 2008. We had last seen them a year earlier, but this time we could only stay for one night. When we last saw them we had given Roy a present of a book of Australian slang, and when we met up this time he kept using these phrases (such as “I cracked a fat”) at the most inappropriate moments. We should never have given him that book.

But it was wonderful to see them again and dinner that night featured a great deal of laughter and wine. Back in London a few days later, Barbara and I spent some time in the Charing Cross Road area browsing in the many book shops along the way. We bought Carol and Roy some Australian literature, but this time nothing vulgar.

Apart from buying those books, Barb and I spent that particular afternoon wandering around Covent Garden Market buying little gifts for the grandchildren and lunched on horrible toasted paninis. 

Lunch at Covent Garden Market

We went to the London Transport Museum and looked at all sorts of old fashioned London buses, taxis, horse drawn trams and early underground carriages. We also visited St Paul’s Cathedral.

On the weekend we went for another day trip with Anthony and Fritha, this time to Colchester in Essex. It’s the oldest Roman town in Britain, and it also has quite a Celtic and Saxon history. We visited Colchester Castle which is built on the foundations of an earlier Roman temple. You can see the uncovered Roman foundations today, What remains today was commissioned by William the Conqueror but there’s a lot of Roman and early Saxon masonry incorporated in its walls.

Colchester Castle

Constable Country

One of the villages near Colchester is Dedham and we stopped there for a drink and to take photos of the beautiful countryside. This is the where the great painter of rural England, John Constable produced much of his work. We could see why.

On the following day Fritha suggested we might go to the Proms at the Albert Hall. Anthony had work to do but he drove us into London to meet a work colleague of Fritha’s, Alister and we queued for tickets. 
Alister had brought wine to brighten up the wait. For five pounds we could get tickets to stand in the body of the Albert Hall and listen to the orchestra.

Fritha, Alister & Barb at the Albert Hall

 Barb and I thought we’d see if we could get seats however and by luck we managed to get a couple of cancellations. Not cheap but worth it if standing was the alternative. We’d leave that to the younger ones.

The concert started at 7pm and we had seats a little behind the orchestra and just above an absolutely enormous choir, six hundred voices in all. They performed Mendelssohn’s oratorio, Elijah which took up the whole concert. What an experience. We came out thinking we’ve got to do that again, and later in the week we did just that. We went into London early and paid a fortune for two tickets to another concert, and we were lucky to get them.

At the Proms

We enjoyed dinner in the Albert Hall’s very pleasant restaurant, and then Barbara spent another fortune on souvenirs and presents for folks back home.

This time our seats were right in front of the orchestra and we enjoyed two performances. One was a work especially composed and performed by the great cellist Yo Yo Ma, and the other Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.  A truly memorable night!

We managed one more day trip, this time to Cambridge where we spent a rather chilly few hours exploring the lanes and streets of this university town. We squeezed into a local café and enjoyed hot soup and bread rolls before crossing the road and into the cloister of Kings College.

Kings College Cambridge

 This college has stood since 1441 and is regarded as a classic example of late Gothic English architecture. 


Stand in the courtyard and look up at the towers and decorations on the gatehouse and you can see why.

Inside the Kings College Chapel are more examples of the Gothic style especially the “fan vaulted” ceilings.

The stained glass windows are simply breathtaking.

Punting

And of course, regardless of the weather, there is always someone punting on the Cam.

The view from Great St Mary's

Before catching the train back to London we went into another church, the Church of Great St Mary’s. It too featured some superb stained glass windows but we wanted to climb up into the bell tower which provides panoramic views of Cambridge. We managed it with difficulty (123 steps) but the view was worth it.

Raising Tower Bridge

And so to our last day with Fritha and Anthony! The day seemed to drag by until it was time to walk up to New Beckenham station for the last time, and take a train into London Bridge. From there we walked to the Thames and along the riverside to find a restaurant called Gaucho. It’s one of a chain specialising in Argentine beef. It was where we were supposed to meet Fritha and Anthony for a last dinner but it took quite a while to spot it. Eventually we saw it and Fritha just down from Tower Bridge.

We had a table by the window and we could watch the twilight fade and Tower Bridge being raised to let a tall masted boat through. 

Last dinner at Gaucho

Our last dinner together was of course, steak. And it certainly was superb meat if meat is your thing. The waitress presented us with a tray of various cuts of beef and we could choose which one and how we wanted it cooked.

And outside as it got darker, all the lights along the river came on and the Tower Bridge was floodlit. It was a very fitting last memory of London.

Next morning we said a sad farewell to Fritha and Anthony, but looked forward to seeing them again at the end of this year when they come to Melbourne for Barbara’s birthday and of course Christmas.
                                                             GREECE

Our flight from London to Athens was uneventful. A hire car took us to the airport afternoon flight which got us into Athens after time zone changes, at ten past ten in the evening. We were met by another hire car at Athens airport and sped along a broad highway into the city in about half an hour. We were booked into a Best Western Hotel called the Embassy. It was in a fairly upmarket part of town, and we were glad to be able to rest again. We’d eaten on the plane so our Greek Odyssey would really begin in the morning.

Hot day - Cold beer

We had one day in Athens before heading for the islands. That one day was a scorcher so we found a cool place under an awning of grapevines and ordered cold beer. (Barb had water). Ahhh!

Then we went to a nearby travel agency and booked our ferry tickets for the following day. That taken care of we got our hotel to book us on a bus trip that afternoon. On a hot day like this, an air conditioned coach looked like the way to go.

So we were picked up by a guide after lunch, and then onto a coach with a lot of other tourists and headed out of the city to a place called Cape Sounion. Our route followed miles and miles of coastline and at every little beach there were families enjoying a dip in the sea. There seemed to be literally hundreds of holiday homes along the way, all overlooking the sea and lots of little sandy beaches. 

On the road to Cape Sounion

After about two hours of winding coastal road we reached a rocky headland and we clambered out of the coach, up a rocky pathway and there it was, the Greek Temple of Poseidon, or rather the remains of it. The stone columns still stand, much like the Parthenon, but surrounded on three sides by the Aegean Sea.

Temple of Poseidon

This temple was built in 440BC and was dedicated to Poseidon, god of the sea and second only to Zeus. At one time it was fortified with walls and towers to defend it against the Spartans. There are all sorts of legends about this place. One involves Theseus, son of the King of Athens, Aegeus.

Theseus is said to have gone to slay the Minotaur who devoured Athenian youths sent to it for sacrifice. Theseus told his father that if he survived he’d hoist a white sail as a signal. He did slay the Minotaur but forgot to hoist the sail. When Aegeus saw a black sail he hurled himself into the sea in his grief. And that’s how the Aegean Sea got its name. So the legend goes!

By the time we headed back to Athens the sun was setting and we were thinking about dinner. We found a nearby restaurant called Ginger and enjoyed a pleasant meal with Greek salad and something served with chips. We shared a bottle of local white wine and then went back our hotel.

Island Ferry

In the morning after breakfast, we left our main luggage in storage at the Embassy and took a cab down to the port of Piraeus. It was a Sunday and there was very little traffic so the trip took about twenty minutes. It would be different on our return.

Our ferry was about the size of a small ocean liner, and we dragged our one case and a small bag up the gangway, dumped them in a rack and proceeded up to the main deck where we had seats booked. The ferry pulled out right on time and gradually built up speed as we headed for our first Greek island, Milos.  We have been lucky enough to have seen many beautiful places on this planet, but the Greek Islands have to be right up at the top of the list. It’s not just the sunshine and the sea, but the beautiful villages, the laid back lifestyle and of course the culture and history of the place.

Milos boats

We had several stops on the way at other islands, so it was nearly four hours before we finally reached Milos and the port of Adamas . Milos lies halfway between Athens and Crete in the Cyclades group of islands. It’s known as the island of colours because of the minerals, iron ore in particular, in its cliffs.

We immediately recognized those gleaming white cube shaped houses with their blue painted doors and window frames. We were here at last and it was just like the post cards. 

Adamas - Milos

Even better!  We had read a bit about the islands we planned to visit so I went into the information office across the road and asked about a hotel called the Lagada Beach. It turned out it was only three minutes away along the beach so off we went, pulling our little case behind us.

The receptionist at the Lagada said she could let us have a double room with bathroom for fifty euros or seventy dollars per night and that included breakfast. We asked if we could see the room. We took one look and said “Yes”.

Lagada Beach Hotel

The room was at the end of an avenue of gum trees and hibiscus. (yes, gum trees)  It was white outside and even whiter inside. The walls were white, the bed was whitewashed stone, the dressing table and the side tables were whitewashed stone. The curtains were blue, and the windows were blue and the door, (a stable door) was blue. This was like a Greek Island dream.

Our Lagada Beach room

And to top it off, you only had to step out the back door and walk fifty metres and you were on the beach. The big blue tiled pool was even closer.

That evening we strolled back along the beach to the waterfront which was lined with tavernas, each touting its menu and seducing you with delicious aromas of cooked fish and olive oil. We chose one eventually and enjoyed another Greek salad and more Greek food and wine. And we watched the passers by and the boats across the road. And there were cats. Everywhere you looked there would be a cat on the scrounge for titbits from the evening diners. After dinner we strolled along the waterfront peering into shops and cafes.

In the morning we enjoyed a late breakfast and then relaxed by the pool for a while. The pace here was truly hectic (Not!)

In the afternoon we took a local taxi up into the hills behind Adamas. 

In Plaka

We got out at a village called Plaka which stood shining in the sun along the spine of the island. For the next few hours we explored the narrow winding streets hardly seeing a soul along the way. Every street was flanked by whitewashed houses, each with the resident cat sleeping in the sun, or in the shade of a pomegranate tree. 

Purple bougainvillea provided a brilliant splash of colour against the white walls. And always as we rounded each corner, the sparkling blue Aegean far below!

As we came upon another spectacular view we met a young couple who were from the island of Sifnos. We’d seen nobody until then so we got them to take our photo and in return we did the same for them.

We found our way to the centre of the town and climbed a steep path to the remains of a castle high above. Or rather Barbara did. I decided to observe from below.

Then we found a bar and ordered wine. We were getting puffed.

The wine came in small drink sized bottle which we poured into glasses, drank and ordered another.

We sat and watched some local children playing in the street and a lady with a paint roller applying white paint to a garden wall. As if the architecture wasn’t white enough already! Every building was blindingly white and almost every door window frame was vivid blue. I say almost because we did actually come across one or two daringly painted green.

Plaka Taverna

By now it was dinnertime and we chose one of the many little tavernas each with tables spilling out into the street. More wine and more delicious local food!

Then we took a taxi back to Adamas and walked it all off along the waterfront. As we strolled along we checked out a number of boats offering day trips around the island. One in particular caught our eye, a beautiful two masted yacht called the Thalassitra and we decided to spend the next day sailing around the coast of Milos.

Our voyage began at 1030am and we sailed out beyond Adamas Harbour and on to a sparkling brilliant blue sea. 

The Thalassitra

The sun was shining and the weather was perfect as we followed the coastline first northwards past rows of little holiday houses right down to the beach, then west and south for the beach at Kleftiko.

The island is noted for its little hidden beaches and sea grottos carved out of the multi colored cliffs. We were entertained along the way by our guide who explained something of the history of Milos. It was once a major mining area especially of iron ore. 

A rock called "The Bear"

Every now and then our yacht would come in close to the shore so that we could see the strange rock formations carved out by wind and tide. We enjoyed cakes and drinks as we sailed along, sprawled under a big awning on the deck or out in the sunshine, but being careful to slip slop slap.

We reached the place called Kleftiko where we would spend several hours. Looking over the side of the yacht we could see clear to the bottom through the crystal clear water. Barbara and I swam the 200 metres or so to the shore of a narrow beach, with tall white cliffs above. 

Some people spent the next hour or so swimming and snorkelling while others explored the sea caves from a small powerboat.

 I wish we had done the latter because sitting on the beach became a little dull after a while, besides which we were hungry and lunch was being served on the yacht. We had to wait to be picked up and then be hauled over the side. After lunch we set sail again (actually under motor power) and slowly headed back towards our home port. 

Goats at Aghios Dimitrios

On the way we stopped again at a place called Agathia where there was an opportunity to swim again in those crystal waters. Our last stop was in a little bay with a blue and white Greek chapel called Aghios Dimitrios. The only signs of life that we could see were one donkey and a few wild goats. As we watched we enjoyed slices of fresh sweet watermelon.

Goodbye to Milos

Next day we left Milos for our next island stop, Sifnos.

Hello Sifnos

This involved a two hour ferry trip before we tied up in the port of Kamares, a bustling town with houses reaching up into sparsely treed hills.In our research about the islands we’d read that Sifnos was a good place to splurge a bit and treat ourselves to a good hotel.

Hotel Alexandros

We’d read about the Hotel Alexandros in a village called Platys Gialos.

As it turned out Platys Gialos was right down at the bottom of the island about forty minutes drive away.

Nevertheless we persevered and caught a local bus. Our journey took us up into the hills again, with roads that wound back and forth as we gained altitude. On either side of us, as we looked down, we could see terraced fields, some untilled and others with rows of olive trees. There were houses too dotted along the way, as well as every ten minutes or so, a village. Each village had its chapel high on a hill, its bright blue dome standing out against the white stone walls.

Then we could see the coast again, with the sea shimmering below. Finally we pulled up right outside the Hotel Alexandros. We checked in and were shown to our room. This beautiful hotel stood in a garden of olive trees, hibiscus, and fruit trees. It was built on a terraced block beside a road which ran down to the sea about five minutes walk away. The rooms were built on many different levels giving the effect of having your own little apartment.

Our room had its own balcony and as we expected, all white décor, with crisp white linen on the bed.

Our balcony looked down on a beautiful swimming pool with deck chairs and awnings to keep the sun off. And there was a bar which supplied cold drinks or coffee and snacks.

Platys Gialos beach

But first we decided to walk down to the beach. While not exactly golden sands, more a sort of light brown really, the beach swept for a kilometre or so around absolutely pristine waters. Trees shaded the beach and a few metres away a variety of tavernas and little bars.

We chose one and enjoyed cold drinks and a light lunch. We would come back that evening for dinner.

Beachfront tavernas

The following day we learned that you can take a bus from Platys Gialos to any number of neighbouring villages. 

Lunchtime - Appolonia

The island capital is the picturesque town of Appolonia which offers hilltop views of the sea and blue domed churches.  Appolonia is the island’s capital and we enjoyed a pleasant lunch there, outdoors under a canopy of vines with a view down the valley. The moussaka was delicious and so was the cold Amstel beer.

Morning found us on the terrace of our hotel enjoying a beautiful breakfast of freshly squeezed orange juice, bacon and eggs, toast, coffee etc. 

That tempting pool

 Below, the pool was beckoning and we decided it was time to relax. So we spent most of the day just sunning ourselves, enjoying the occasional drink, and reading.We did dip a toe into the pool a couple of times, as I recall.

We had bought a bottle of white wine at the local mini market and we drank that on our balcony while the sun went down.

Then we walked down to the beach again and chose another taverna, run as it turned out by a Greek man from Leeds.

A street in Kastro - Sifnos

Another day, another village! Again we braved the local bus which took us up a tortuous road to the ancient village of Kastro (at least 3000 years old) with winding streets and traditional houses\\

Ancient & Modern

 and every now and again we would find a house with a several thousand year old piece of masonry incorporated into its walls or a Doric column propping up the porch. Outside some houses we saw what looked like giant sized stone flower boxes. 

An ancient sarcophagus

They turned out to be ancient sarcophagi; just lying by the side of the footpath. Again there was hardly a soul around as we explored. It was early afternoon, the hot sun was shining, the sky was cloudless and any sensible Greek was probably taking a nap.

Barb and I sat on a rock and ate sweet grapes, just below the ancient ruins of what was a medieval castle. There is also a lot of Venetian influence here too. An old Venetian fortress once stood here and many of the houses bear Venetian coats of arms. 

Fortress remains

We did meet two people, a local guide who was showing around a member of the Greek parliament. We exchanged greetings and the guide told us a bit about the history of the place and how there were tunnels leading into the town which could be sealed off in the event of attack from pirates, or Turks or whoever. Being so high up made this ancient place very defensible. It also afforded fantastic views.

            One in particular will remain in our memories.

The Chapel of the Seven Martyrs

As we looked down towards the sea we saw at the end of a rocky peninsula, the blue domed Chapel of the Seven Martyrs jutting out into the Aegean. If you ever saw the film Mama Mia, you’ll have seen a chapel just like it. We were told that they often have weddings there and the bride approaches it by boat and then climbs the steps to meet the waiting groom.

We stopped for lunch under another canopy of vines at a restaurant looking out across a wide brown valley with olive groves and farmhouses. Then we took the bus back to Platis Gialos.

That evening we walked down to the bay and enjoyed a pleasant meal and a bottle of wine. At one point I felt something tugging at my trouser leg, only to look down at one of the island’s ubiquitous cats.

“Rack off”, I told it and a few moments later I heard a French guy laughingly repeating to his companions at another table “Rack off”.

I guess this was not an expression he’d heard before!

                                         Here are two typical Greek island cats enjoying a siesta..

On the way back to the hotel we passed a big celebration going on at a local venue. There was a lot of music and dancing but not a single Zorba dancer anywhere. Apparently they were celebrating a baptism in the nearby chapel. We’d noticed that there seemed to be a lot of newcomers arriving at our hotel during the day. Many had come over from Athens for the occasion.

Last view of Sifnos

In the morning it was time to take the bus back to Kamares and pick up the ferry to our final Greek island destination, Serifos.

First view of Serifos

The entrance to its harbor is spectacular, with cliffs rising up on either side, waters of the most intense blue, and then you see  the port of Livadi lined with those white white houses almost to the water’s edge. Then your eye is drawn to the mountain towering above the port, to the town of Chora clinging on to the topmost slopes with those familiar houses tumbling down from the heights and you wonder how anybody manages to live up there. We would find out tomorrow, but first we had to find accommodation.

The information office was closed but there was a travel agency open. Inside we found a woman chatting to a bloke. When I asked ,the woman said they didn’t do hotel bookings. However she was prepared to call up the proprietor of a resort nearby and see what they could offer.

She handed me her mobile and the man on the other end said he had rooms for 35 Euros a night, i.e. $48.

He would send a mini bus for us. We accepted and told the woman we were going to be picked up by the mini-bus driver.

Her friend then announced that he was in fact the aforementioned mini bus driver. He would take us to the Corelli Beach hotel. We climbed aboard and fifteen minutes later, after a very circuitous drive, we were checking in at what seemed like a combination motel and camping site, pleasantly set a few metres from the local beach. There was a swimming pool, of which we’ll hear more later, and a bar. Our room was comfortable so we signed in.

The only down side was that the shutters on our door and windows lacked any means of hooking them back, so every time a breeze sprang up they would bang loudly. That meant we would have to close them at night and rely on air conditioning.

We had only booked in for three nights so we would live with this minor inconvenience.

This place was some distance inland from the main township so we set out to find a meal, via some winding roads which we hope would lead us somewhere. After walking about in the gathering gloom for half an hour or so we found a taverna, not in the township, but at least open and serving dinner.  We were two of only half a dozen customers sitting out under a canopy of trees within earshot of the wavelets breaking on the nearby shore.

That was good enough!

Livadi waterfront - Chora above

In the morning we managed to find the town and went in search of breakfast. There were so many attractive little places all along the waterfront but eventually we settled on one and enjoyed a beautiful meal, the highlight of which was a dish of fresh fruit with a large dollop of Greek yoghurt, honey and crushed nuts. It was delicious and we decided this would be our brekkie venue for the rest of our stay.

Then it was time to take on the challenge of Chora, the island capital high above the port. If you’re prepared to climb the steep and narrow pathways, you can reach Chora by the regular bus but it’s not unusual to see locals doing the trip by donkey.

A choice of transport

The journey is tortuous, but your reward is a picture postcard view of a half moon bay sparkling in the sun. 

Livadi looking down from Chora

There is no horizon, just a subtle change of blue where the sky meets the sea and in the distance the mysterious shapes of neighbouring islands inviting you to visit!  Unforgettable!

I was troubled with a sore foot at this time so I didn’t attempt to reach the highest point of the town, but Barbara did, and then we had to find our way down through narrow steep streets. Chora features a number of 18th century windmills, some now converted to houses.

A windmill in Chora

We navigated a pathway with no railing, and a fearsome drop off the cliff on one side. We paused to visit a tiny chapel which an old lady was cleaning. 

A House in Chora

We wondered how she coped  living in this challenging place. Perhaps she never went much beyond her house although there were a few shops up near a town square. There was even an imposing town hall, signifying the status of Chora as the island’s capital.We took the bus back down to the port and went looking for an ATM. We were out of cash.

We found one and bought a couple of fresh baked baguettes with ham and cheese from a local bakery.

Then we wandered back to our hotel where we spent a bit of time sitting in the sun around the pool. That was when the accident happened.

The pool where Barbara slipped

Barbara was standing tentatively on the steps of the pool when her foot slipped and she fell sideways, throwing her right hand out and landing heavily on her wrist.  She seemed ok at first although a bit sore, but it would get a lot worse by the time we got home. 

That evening we went down to the town again in search of dinner. We walked along the jetty looking at a newly arrived fleet of yachts which had arrived during the day. They were flying flags from France and Italy and Spain as well as Greece so it must have been a regatta of some sort.

We could see that the sun was well over the yardarm. In fact it was setting, so we found a nice little waterside bar and enjoyed a glass or two of wine before dinner. It was just as well we did because dinner from one of the waterfront tavernas was pretty ordinary. The main feature seemed to be chips and more chips.

We only had one more day in Serifos before we had to head back to Athens. We spent it doing pretty much nothing. We enjoyed another fruit and yoghurt breakfast and spent some time wandering around the town, before buying baguettes for lunch and heading once again for the pool. 

The day was hot and we felt obliged to get cold drinks from the bar and just sit around and read.

In the evening we returned to the little bar we had visited on the preceding day. This time we selected a seafood restaurant and studied the menu more carefully. We didn’t know what to have until the man from the restaurant took us inside and showed us a fridge full of fresh fish. Barbara chose one and I chose a squid. We returned to our table and watched the lights come on around the harbour while our meal was being cooked. Again we ordered a Greek salad and then our baked fish and calamari arrived, along with hot chips, and more wine.

By the time we had walked up the hill and around to our hotel we were very relaxed and Barb was feeling no pain from that wrist.
                                         ATHENS

In the morning we packed in readiness for our departure for Athens. Our minibus driver reappeared and we were driven down to the ferry terminal. An hour or so later we were stepping off the ferry at Piraeus and hauling our cases to the nearby taxi rank.

The journey into town took much longer than last time. The traffic was heavy but at last we reached our Embassy Hotel again and with some relief checked into our room. We dined that night in a nice little café just up the road. There was moussaka and souvlaki and lots of other Greek dishes to choose from. Then bed once more and the prospect of just one day in Athens before we headed home.

The Parthenon

In the morning we took a taxi to the Acropolis to do the tourist thing. Even though it was quite early, the whole area was alive with tourists like us, and all heading to the ruins of ancient Greece which we could see a few hundred metres up the hill before us. 

We purchased tickets (with a seniors’ discount) and were about to start the trek up the hill when a lady approached us. She was a guide and she offered to take us around, along with an American couple. She wasn’t asking much for the tour so we agreed and it proved very worth while.

Not only was she able to point out the features of the Parthenon and the various ancient buildings around, but she gave us lots of information about the history of the place and the legends that go with it.

Statues of the Erechtheion (not original)

We learned about the early Athenians, and about the leadership of Pericles who directed the rebuilding of the temples. And then there was the Roman period, the Byzantine and the Ottoman. 

All of this we heard about in detail which in some ways brought the place to life. This place it seems was constantly being built and rebuilt over the centuries and it is still going on. Even today there are huge restoration projects under way and much of the Parthenon itself is buttressed by scaffolding.
Some distance away we could see a rock upon which it is said St Paul once preached. According to our guide he only made two converts. Better than none I suppose!

St Paul's Rock

After our guide finished her tour we spent more time exploring and taking photographs.

That was when our second accident happened. I mentioned my sore foot didn’t I? Well as I was picking my way across the rocky surrounds of the Acropolis, I stepped rather awkwardly onto a bit of slippery marble and my foot went over, twisting my angle. It hurt like hell and I limped to the nearest place where I could sit down. Barbara went off in search of bottled water while I rested my foot. Half an hour later I was able to try hobbling down towards the taxi rank at the bottom of the hill. We stopped briefly to buy a souvenir. I wanted to get a Greek plate for our lounge room wall. It would make a pair with a Peruvian plate that Barb had brought back from South America.

Then we got a cab and headed back to our hotel. The plan was to take it easy after lunch and then in the evening visit the highest hill in Athens to watch the sunset. 
The hill is called Lycabettus and there is a church at its summit. 

Lycabettus

 It also has an open air restaurant and as our wedding anniversary was approaching, we thought this would be a nice place to celebrate it.

We almost cancelled the visit but our receptionist said we shouldn’t miss it and even with my sore foot it would be ok. She said there was a funicular railway to the top and only a few steps to the restaurant.  We would go!

So I rested my foot for the rest of the day and as evening approached we set out to find a taxi. That part was easy. But we had difficulty communicating with the driver who spoke very little English. We thought he understood we wanted to reach the church on top of the hill….St George’s.

But he took us to the St George Hotel. I made hand gestures imitating a hill saying “Big hill! Big hill!” but to no avail.

Then a passer by stepped in to help and soon we were on our way to that “big hill.” We alighted at the base of the hill but we couldn’t find the funicular. Then another passer by explained that it was away round on the other side of the hill. Our nearest way up was via a very long set of stone steps.

St George's Church

There was nothing else for it. I would have to limp to the top.

Well it took a while, and a certain amount of swearing under my breath, but we made it, and the view was truly spectacular. The sun was going down and the little chapel of St George was floodlit. And behind it we could see the white table cloths of the restaurant we’d been told about.

We took a table looking down at Athens in the approaching gloom. On the horizon a long red streak stained the sky as the sun slowly disappeared.

Last dinner in Athens

 A waiter approached with the menu and the wine list. Barbara and I said “Happy Anniversary” and toasted each other and the wonderful times we had shared over the past forty days. 








Our Odyssey was complete.