Thinking of Debs and Stuart on the island of Santorini really set me off daydreaming.
Looking at the pictures too made me want to re-visit.
I even got out my trip log....and began reading of our exploits.
I went with my niece, Anne...she had come over from Oz for a visit, and had asked me if I could arrange a trip out to Santorini....her best friend had rented a very swish cliff top apartment there......and she wanted to surprise them by visiting.
I had looked at ways to get there and it looked like it was going to be too expensive........then i was passing the Co-op travel agents in Cleveleys. In the window was a 'late availability' holiday.
One week in Perissa...staying at a pension, on a bed and breakfast arrangement.
I booked it there and then and paid for it in full as it was less than a month to the travel date.
I just hoped that Anne would be Ok with my choice.
In the past my daughter had mentioned going to the Greek Islands and I had always turned my nose up at the thought......I don't quite know why...well other than the fact that I don't like Feta cheese or olives(what a lame excuse is that?).
I e-mailed Anne and told her what I had done and sent her pictures from the brochure......she was delighted...firstly that we were going away on a girly week, and more importantly that she would be able to pop up and surprise her best friend.
Annes friends...Billy and Debbie were of Greek parentage.....they had been over to mainland Greece to settle some family affairs and the trip to Santorini was a relaxing break before the long flight back home to Oz.
The swish apartment was in Fira....14kms from Perissa......an easy bus ride away.
We flew out to Santorini on a Tuesday...it was October and the dog end of the season over on the Greek Island.......we arrived at the airport in Santorini in brilliant sunshine......I don't know if it is still the same, but at the time the airport was a military airport....with military aircraft taking off all the time, and a heavy presence of the military.....all muscular stony faced guys.....the kind that you would want on your side if you were organising a punch up......not that we were!
We went to claim our baggage.....Annes case ahd somehow been damaged in transit.
We had to make a declaration to the airline, so that held us up a bit.......It was another 35 minutes to Perissa and our accommodation.
The Philoxenia Rooms were at the foot of the mountain.....and were pretty basic, but clean, and the beds were comfortable.
We unpacked hurriedly and coouldn't wait to get out and explore.
Our room over looked the pool, it was only a short walk to the main street.....a host of eateries and a couple of supermarkets.
We went to the supermarket and bought some water and some fruit and tomatoes.
We looked at the shops....some of them had already closed up and the proprietors had headed back to mainland Greece where they wintered.
We found an internet cafe......how sad, we couldn't do without our fix....but for Anne it was a realtively cheap way of letting her family know where we were and what we had been doing with our time...cheaper by far than phoning home.
Having got our bearings and a bus timetable we headed back to the room......we had time to relax a bit before we needed to get ready for going out and finding somewhere to eat.
Our shower room was antiquated......no shower curtain at all.......the toilet was a mystery...we both had been and had a wee, but couldn't find how to flush the loo.
I went to reception and tried to explain our predicament...the chap there didn't seem to speak much english at all.....though he understood my hand signals...he came to our room and showed us a little button on top of the cistern...which was well above eye level for both of us....he pressed the button and all was well.
Showering, this was also fun.....the water was heated by solar panels...so if the sun was shining you got hot water, if it wasn't then you didn't.
We, daft pair waited until sundown to have our showers.....most of the hot water was gone.....Anne showered first, she got a tepid shower......me, I got a cold one......even my goose bumps were shivering.
We would not make this mistake again.
During our trip down the main street we had been accosted by the waiters from various restaurants.....asking us to eat at their restaurant.
We were really spoiled for choice.
On that first night we walked down the lane that led to the main street and a lovely aroma tantalized us.....we followed our noses..... and ended up in The Del Mare restaurant.....holding a menu and being treated to a complimentary glass of wine.
more to follow......
Looking at the pictures too made me want to re-visit.
I even got out my trip log....and began reading of our exploits.
I went with my niece, Anne...she had come over from Oz for a visit, and had asked me if I could arrange a trip out to Santorini....her best friend had rented a very swish cliff top apartment there......and she wanted to surprise them by visiting.
I had looked at ways to get there and it looked like it was going to be too expensive........then i was passing the Co-op travel agents in Cleveleys. In the window was a 'late availability' holiday.
One week in Perissa...staying at a pension, on a bed and breakfast arrangement.
I booked it there and then and paid for it in full as it was less than a month to the travel date.
I just hoped that Anne would be Ok with my choice.
In the past my daughter had mentioned going to the Greek Islands and I had always turned my nose up at the thought......I don't quite know why...well other than the fact that I don't like Feta cheese or olives(what a lame excuse is that?).
I e-mailed Anne and told her what I had done and sent her pictures from the brochure......she was delighted...firstly that we were going away on a girly week, and more importantly that she would be able to pop up and surprise her best friend.
Annes friends...Billy and Debbie were of Greek parentage.....they had been over to mainland Greece to settle some family affairs and the trip to Santorini was a relaxing break before the long flight back home to Oz.
The swish apartment was in Fira....14kms from Perissa......an easy bus ride away.
We flew out to Santorini on a Tuesday...it was October and the dog end of the season over on the Greek Island.......we arrived at the airport in Santorini in brilliant sunshine......I don't know if it is still the same, but at the time the airport was a military airport....with military aircraft taking off all the time, and a heavy presence of the military.....all muscular stony faced guys.....the kind that you would want on your side if you were organising a punch up......not that we were!
We went to claim our baggage.....Annes case ahd somehow been damaged in transit.
We had to make a declaration to the airline, so that held us up a bit.......It was another 35 minutes to Perissa and our accommodation.
The Philoxenia Rooms were at the foot of the mountain.....and were pretty basic, but clean, and the beds were comfortable.
We unpacked hurriedly and coouldn't wait to get out and explore.
Our room over looked the pool, it was only a short walk to the main street.....a host of eateries and a couple of supermarkets.
We went to the supermarket and bought some water and some fruit and tomatoes.
We looked at the shops....some of them had already closed up and the proprietors had headed back to mainland Greece where they wintered.
We found an internet cafe......how sad, we couldn't do without our fix....but for Anne it was a realtively cheap way of letting her family know where we were and what we had been doing with our time...cheaper by far than phoning home.
Having got our bearings and a bus timetable we headed back to the room......we had time to relax a bit before we needed to get ready for going out and finding somewhere to eat.
Our shower room was antiquated......no shower curtain at all.......the toilet was a mystery...we both had been and had a wee, but couldn't find how to flush the loo.
I went to reception and tried to explain our predicament...the chap there didn't seem to speak much english at all.....though he understood my hand signals...he came to our room and showed us a little button on top of the cistern...which was well above eye level for both of us....he pressed the button and all was well.
Showering, this was also fun.....the water was heated by solar panels...so if the sun was shining you got hot water, if it wasn't then you didn't.
We, daft pair waited until sundown to have our showers.....most of the hot water was gone.....Anne showered first, she got a tepid shower......me, I got a cold one......even my goose bumps were shivering.
We would not make this mistake again.
During our trip down the main street we had been accosted by the waiters from various restaurants.....asking us to eat at their restaurant.
We were really spoiled for choice.
On that first night we walked down the lane that led to the main street and a lovely aroma tantalized us.....we followed our noses..... and ended up in The Del Mare restaurant.....holding a menu and being treated to a complimentary glass of wine.
more to follow......
