The Skiathos Bulletin Board

orley · Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 199 Location: Hopeman

Although a week late (back to work last Monday so still trying to catch up with the ironing!!

Hotel

The Magic, what can I say, it is the best hotel I’ve stayed in in Greece. From the moment you arrive and meet Monica you feel at home, she is lovely and the receptionist is such a nice girl too. Monica’s husband Nikos is very friendly and they cannot do enough to make your holiday special. We had a mezzanine in our room with our bed so we weren’t cramped, the balcony had the most wonderful view which I will post a photo of when I get round to it. Since we were tired as we had arrived that day we ate at the hotel restaurant, the View, it was very good although the most expensive one we ate in the whole holiday! The food was wonderful. The pool is great with the Jacuzzi attached but we found we only really went there when we came off the beach as it was too hot to sit there all day. The 2 Romanian girls (sisters) who work there alternating with the owner’s restaurant and bar down the road were so friendly too. The breakfasts were great, son no 2 didn’t manage that until the last day, they thought we only had one child! That’s 16 year olds for you! The only time they saw him was when we checked his exam results on the net in the reception (he did very well too!) Anyway overall it was wonderful and we will definitely go back there.

Beaches

Didn’t do too many as we tended to go back to Kouk as there was more for the kids to do there. Like Skidsy said, packed, packed, packed! Never seen anything like it, we won’t go in August again. Late morning was fine and we always managed to get a bed before the boats came in. Anyway, every hour on the hour after 2pm the music went up, by 4pm you couldn’t hear yourself think. It was the most awful music too, I like all sorts of music but my goodness! It was dance which I don’t mind mostly but it was rubbish, I have no idea where they got the CDs but it was ancient stuff set to dance beats. Usually you get a tune on holiday that reminds you of it but there was nothing I listened to there that I would have bought when I got back, even my teens thought it was cack. Anyway, that aside the beach is lovely, well the bits you can see. Banana was the same, again packed. The other thing I observed after feeling brilliant at losing 2 stones before I went away was the bus loads of Italian and Greek models who arrived on the beach at 4pm with beautiful bodies and not a bead of sweat showing anywhere! We won’t go into that though…….. You know the Boots advert when everyone looks at you? That was me in the middle of them!

Restaurants

Like I said before, the View was great. When my son’s results came through we had booked Infinity Blue on the night and were very disappointed, it wasn’t great at all, and the waiters were like Gestapo agents! Enjoy you meal they shouted like it was an order! Then someone blocked our car in the car park and we couldn’t get out! We could have had the same, if not better view at our hotel! Went to Amfiliki, which was recommended on here and that was a find, wow, how lovely that was, unfortunately we didn’t book so weren’t sitting looking at the view (next time!) We had a lunch at Scuna on the dodgy weather day, excellent! Did En Plo on a night, lovely, what a plateful. Went to the Ouzieri on a lunch time, not really that impressed and how grumpy was that waiter, OMG! All the chocolate and banana crepes we ate were a dream! The best of all though was the Green Park in Ag P, WOW! That was the best ever, we ate there twice, so chilled after it too sitting in the big raffia sofas outside with a cocktail and the chilled music, it was lovely, a hidden little place we’d never have found if I hadn’t read it on this forum. Had a meal at Alexandros and met Magda, what a lovely lady. The meal was delicious and we loved the 2 men playing the Greek music, sadly we didn’t get back like we told Magda we would do but defiantly one for next year. The Taverna on the Beach at Kouk was great, I can’t believe that small shack can produce the food it does! Even the cheese toasties were brill! That’s all I can remember at the minute. Oh, we went to Jimmy’s Bar and met who I now know to be Claire’s Uncle Michael, lovely man. Also did the Rock n’ Roll Bar where hubby nearly had a heart attack at the price of 4 drinks!!!

Things we did

I got bitten by sand flies again on the second day and took a reaction again, Monica had never seen anything like it, I had to wear long trousers for a week, I’m sure people thought I only had one set of trousers with me! I also had to keep my legs out the sun for a week with the cortisone and put it on 4 times a day which is not easy when your in and out of the water a lot! The best thing of all was the boat we hired for 2 days, we’d never done it before so it was a real adventure and the kids loved it. We saw the whole island right round and sailed in to a couple of beaches for snorkelling and sunbathing, I can see why they say there’s over 60 now! Some of them are only big enough for 2 people to sit on! The 2 days were brilliant, definitely do that again. We saw the fabulous yachts that were moored round the island and they had bigger launches than our little boat, felt quite inadequate really….. I wonder who was on them? There was one with a helipad!! How the other half live eh? We went to Lalaria, it’s beautiful isn’t it? We didn’t stop though, but it was lovely to look at from the sea. Sailed over to Tsougira but didn’t go into the beach (big bees remember?) Went to the monastery, the kids weren’t so keen on that as they didn’t understand why there were people kissing the pictures, they thought it too spooky, I felt very overcome in there for some reason, I found it so peaceful. Drove round the whole island on the dodgy weather day and took the obligatory pics of the runway! Went to the beach most days, the boys and their Dad did that bumpy couch ride and the jet ski, which hubby decided to go on because it only lasted 10 minutes and was the same price as 4 drinks at the Rock n’ Roll Bar!!. I just laid and chilled and drank in the atmosphere on the beach, and the rose wine!.

Having said all that we wouldn’t go back in August, the town is very busy and the beaches are jam packed, but yes, we will go back, we’ve been bitten (not by sandflies either!)

skiathos lad · Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 295 Location: skiathos

thanks for the read.
i like it lots.
too bad about infinity, y were more than likely served by george, one of the 2 brothers who own it, the centerforward of skiathos team.
hes a very genuine person , but very easily mistaken and or disliked.
but he has a litle childs heart and for this we love him.
its a bit funny as well how he thinks of his restorant ( a very posh like place). but they usualy get very good comments so that was one of.......

patsy · Joined: 07 Feb 2006 Posts: 930 Location: sussex

hi orley, very good and interesting report !! i like the way you describe the feeling inside the monestery,and the kids wondering why the saints were kissed, i am not religeous,but i know what you mean ,a feeling of reverance and very spiritual feeling of goodness. there use to be an old record years ago called "in a monestery garden" and it was played on a saw,and the player whistled the bird songs of different birds,only the old members would remember it !! but i wish i could get it .you know, not 30 years ago you could take your children out of school just like that for a holiday, and the teacher would put it down as educational!! which it was. glad you enjoyed the boat trip too.skiathos lad is right about august, may and june is best Shush !!

jackieboo · Joined: 11 Sep 2006 Posts: 90 Location: Yorkshire

I read your report and it sounds like you had a brilliant time. We loved Skiathos too but it was very very busy (we were there remember approximately at the same time as you) and does put us off going back a little as at the moment we can only take our holiday in those weeks - next year might be worse too cos his holidays will start slightly later and therefore finish around the time of the big Greek/Italian holiday (15th August). Now we have the problem of where to go next year that might be quieter. But anyway I loved your report and so glad you enjoyed it - even though there were some bad weather days whilst we were there.

By the way we went to Tsougoria twice, and love it, and there were no bees and hardly any wasp - or have I got the wrong end of the stick?

jackieboo · Joined: 11 Sep 2006 Posts: 90 Location: Yorkshire

Another thing Orly, you have to get the other half organised, I do all the washing he did all the ironing whilst I went out to do the food shopping with our daughter - took a bit long to do the food shopping just to make sure all the ironing was done by the time you are back!!!!! It was all done and put away by the day after our return!!!! Get a bit crafty then no more ironing after the holidays. Works every time.

I pack to go on holiday - he packs to come home (I hate packing to come home, very depressing).

I put the Christmas trees up - he takes them down and clears all the mess up.

Everything has to be a joint effort, especially when us women work.

orley · Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 199 Location: Hopeman

Gald you liked my report, I have since remembered a couple of other restaurants we went to. We did the one that the people in the Magic owned, Platianias, it was nice but not as nice as the hotel one, The View. Also there was another on just beside the church (can't remeber the name but it was more of an Italian restaurant, it was lovely, we were very lucky with the places we ate mostly because we went to the recomended ones from the forum. Maria's Pizza is always a favourit, the pene pasta with ouzo in it is great, we went there twice as the kids love the pizzas there, couldn't believe how laid back the 2 waiters are, they're almost asleep and so nice, could swear they remembered us from last year! Sounds like a good idea jackieboo, about the ironing must try that next year! You stayed at the Aegean Suites didn't you? What were they like? We did find it busy compared to only July last year, what a difference the month makes. I would like to go earlier, in June maybe but without the kids as I think we'd have a more chilled out time. One of them won't be coming with us next year but my 13 year old just loves the place, he'll have to bring a friend.

jackieboo · Joined: 11 Sep 2006 Posts: 90 Location: Yorkshire

No we didnt stay in the Agean Suites we stayed at the La Piscine Art Hotel just on the edge of town. It was very luxurious but I hated the walk to Papadiamentis Street (down Evagalantis (spelling) Street) and dont know if we would stay there again would maybe try the Bourtzi next time.

We would love to go back to Skiathos but it was very busy when we were there and we have no choice as to when we could go.We are really undecided about next year at the moment plus one of our sons just got back from Vietnam today and he got engaged whilst out there so now need to see when and where the wedding is before we can plan anything concrete - I do quite fancy the Maldives though, think they might be a bit quieter than Skiathos at that time of year.

Maureen · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 5:17 pm Post subject:

Orley, loved your report.

Maureen · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 5:20 pm Post subject: Re: Orley's report

[quote="orley"]
We had a mezzanine in our room with our bed so we weren’t cramped, quote]

what is a mezanine, or am I stupid?

orley · Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 199 Location: Hopeman

Thanks Maureen! A mezanine floor is like a balcony in the room, there were 2 single beds downstairs along with the bathroom and our bed upstairs, almost like a landing if you know what I mean?

suejet · Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 5:42 pm Post subject: Re: NOt for mens' eyes!!!

Everything has to be a joint effort, especially when us women work.[/quote]

Confused

All MrJet has to do is turn up at the airport.
_________________
you heard it here first - BOJAN!

orley · Joined: 20 Jan 2007 Posts: 199 Location: Hopeman

Know the feeling sounds familiar, and then complains about what's in the case? Confused

patsy · Joined: 07 Feb 2006 Posts: 930 Location: sussex

I imagine a mezzanine is like a hay loft without the hay ?