The Skiathos Bulletin Board

Elle · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 1:34 pm Post subject: Elle - was it all just a dream???

Struggling with jet lag and severe Aegean Sea deprivation... this re-entry gets harder and harder for me.
So I cried when we had to leave - saying goodbye to all of our dear ones on the harborfront, sending my kitties off into an uncertain future, leaving behind the life of ease and beauty.

It was an awesome month, filled with new discovery (it still amazes me that after 22 years and 11 or so visits to the island that we still DISCOVER something new! Many new things, actually...) And deeper friendships...

Mostly, time was spent on our secret favorite beach, on our favorite caique with our favorite Capitan Giorgios, in the water somewhere, on Banana (yassoo Ian from Ireland and Brian and Viv), at Lalaria, Kastro, eating wherever our whims and fancy and tastebuds lead us, having coffee and watching the circus -always- at Palio Limani on the harbor, traipsing through the winding alleyways in search of the perfect photo, feeding my Plakes ghatas (one, Ghataki mou, showed up at the sound of my bracelets tinkling for the THIRD year now - thin, but alive. Meow Meow was almost unrecognizable, a shadow of himself and with an injury to a hind leg, but in far better shape when we left)

A Greek friend led us on several moped adventures, through goat herds, to the ossuary where his relatives bones are kept, between raindrops and lightening bolts up to the very TOP of Skiathos where a friend of his lives in a modern kalivi, surrounded by goats and cats and BEAUTIFULLY tended orchards and groves. We were invited in for coffee and sweets as the clouds swirled around the top of the mountain... dramatic, sweet.... To the hard to get to beaches, to Platenos for tsiporou and meze and the view...

Actually - we enjoyed MANY a tsipouro and meze, at various spots all over the island... especially at Vartholomes, when the big boats were still out and the water was almost at our feet.

We sang at Mike's Oasis Bar - a lovely time, a lovely place, a lovely, lovely man and good friend... Also several times at Hellinikon for Theo and Thalia, dear friends... we could not sneak past the place on our way home, without being snatched up and sat down and fed and wined in trade for filling in on a break for Dimitris and his bazouki playing son, Ioannis.

We spent time with Yvonne A. - many an evening in the town, but also were fortunate to see the progress at Villa Nicara - BEAUTIFUL. If any of you fancy an incredible painting holiday, contact her. Her first few customers were there while we were on Skiathos and they were all a'glow, they'd had the time of their lives and went home with paintings they'd only dreamed they could create. Hopefully that incredible swimming pool has been filled by now!

A beautiful day aboard the Kassandra, all the way around Alonissos (I wanted more time on that amazing colored-pebble beach!!)... not enough time for me to shop in the aritsan's shops in Patititiri.... Skopelos, ho hum, the town is so, so beautiful but feels devoid of life to me... AND - I cannot believe that Skopelos still so blatantly disregards the cats and dogs, won't care for them, still poisons them. That, I cannot support in any way.
Of course, we saw DOLPHINS, lots of them, but then we saw them often just outside the Skiathos harbor too!

Paul and I made a trip to Panormos Bay to visit with Michael Carroll - a treat, an honor, a lovely afternoon. We met Mrs Whicker and Suejet, saw Al Okle and Brian and Viv, met Darrell and Claire and Sophia... got even closer to our Greek 'family'... Were invited to a G. Orthodox Baptism, the baby naming, which was quite beautiful. We were honored to attend.

I handed out most of my colorful nylon shopping bags... Greeks happily took them and used them, tourists and ex-pats on the other hand, those who should know better, usually balked. What in the world are they afraid of??? Actually having moments of being a responsible person on holiday, or in their adopted town??? Being seen carrying the wrong colour, maybe one that doesn't go with the footy t-shirt or purple mu-mu??? Smile

I had only 6 left over and gave them to a friend for his sister who has her own laundry.

So - we will be back in December, perhaps for Christmas and New Years. I will return next May with my 30 year old daughter who hasn't been there for 15 years!!! If we have good fortune this coming year, Paul will come along as well...

PLEASE - support the local business the best you can. We will lose OUR Skiathos if we don't... There are so many tavernas there that are not locally owned, so the $$ the island benefits from are taxes that only go to the municipality, not the people... Please, use the lovely smaller excursion boats (especially Thimios, with our dear Capitan who flies the Earth flag - and with the smaller, quite colorful boat owned by brothers Nikos and Giorgios with feather-hat man Ioannis on board... very friendly, very competent)

If you love the animals, please support the dog shelter and walk the dogs...

I feel my heart held more firmly by Skiathos each time we visit... it only makes me long for it more when we are away...
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skiathos lad · Joined: 08 Jan 2006 Posts: 292 Location: skiathos

hi , glad yr good and y miss us,
love yr report
we got a litle woried over some knews over fires in california.
time flies, see you soon

Val & Kev · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 130

Lovely write up. We go on the 25th of July for 4 weeks, the first time we have spent so long in one trip, we hope to really feel more part of the community. We also go just after Christmas for one week so perhaps we'll see you then. We do love the winter trip it's so very different.

Marshall P Knutt · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 62 Location: Hull

Nice write up Elle.

I'm counting down the days till we go,its been 4 years since we was last there
Very Happy

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Elle · Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:49 pm Post subject:

Cherie · Joined: 31 May 2008 Posts: 78 Location: REDDITCH

Loved your write up Elle, almost made me feel as though I was still there.Makes me miss Skiathos even more than I was already.
Counting down till September....... Cool

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Cherie
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a little piece of heaven on earth - Skiathos