Euroholiday

Posted on 06/09/2013 by Vicky

Well, I am having a great time, and have just got free wifi, but tomorrow when I go onto Sorrento, it will be charged for at the hotel.

Good afternoon on London, last Saturday, and enjoyable theatre, a real old fashioned farce.

Eurostar pretty full on a Sunday, it seemed to be full of Yankees doing Paree for the day.

Paris great, as I was staying with friends, so no street plans and Metro map to worry about.

Did you know that the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte in his vanity, started to build a road in Milan that would have gone in a straight line from the Duomo, via a Medieval castle nearby, a new Triumphal arch, ( he didn’t last long enough to see it!!) in a straight line , over the Alps?… to Paris. That gives you an idea of the scale and design of Milan. And smart smart smart.

Naples on the other hand is full of life and litter, the tiny streets in the Historic area, where I am staying are reminiscent of Hanoi, you look straight into people’s front room, may have the family bed in it, or their car. Where but a truly devout Southern Italian city , would the shops that you buy cots, prams nursery furniture be, but in the street with the church of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary is. Via Duomo, what do you buy?…… You buy your wedding dresses there, of course.

Where too, would every other per-pubescent youth look as if he comes straight out of a Carravagio painting.

So off tomorrow to Sorrento, no more culture, just walking, time to rest the brain.

Vicky

The Real Crete

Posted on 31/08/2013 by Paul

To sample a little of Cretan life we decided to sign up for a Land Rover safari and roam a little more of this, the largest of the Greek islands and the 5th largest in Mediterranean.

It is always a risk doing the ‘tourist thing’, sometimes turning into nothing more than booze and poor quality local food, but this trip was fantastic. Brian was our driver, an Englishman who loved the island and Cretan way of life so much he upped sticks and moved here many moons ago. His knowledge of the island was both entertaining and interesting, far more so than his jokes.

The tour headed off towards the hills, quickly moving from Tarmac to off-road revealing some of the most spectacular views this volcanic rock has to offer. Rising up even further, past the 700m limit for olive tree survival, the air cleared and the temperatures lowered a few degrees. We were now in the territory of small towns, shepherds and market gardeners. The first real sign of cultivation was a multitude of brightly coloured boxes housing colonies of bees essential for the massive production of olive oil.

Rising even higher along narrow dusty tracks riddled with hairpin bends we saw many curious and beautiful sights but the one that captivated me the most was the occasional church in the middle of nowhere. The main religion here is Greek Orthodox, a strict and ritualistic form of Christianity. Each church is dedicated to a Saint and on that Saints day each of the locals who, at birth are allocated a Saint, celebrated the day as if it were their birthday.

Again rising further we were now amongst herds of goats, farmed for meat, and incredibly, small market gardens cultivating cabbages, courgettes and a range of other vegetables seemingly incompatible with this inhospitable landscape. Nearby each farm or plot was an artesian well supplying spring water. The spring water is filtered though limestone in the volcanic rock and the quality is such that even Coca Cola has a bottling plant here, laying just outside the tourist enclave of Malia.

Stopping off to take on board fluids at a local taverna, one of the drivers appeared with an aluminium flight case filled with various bones from hippopotamus to deer. These animals had somehow found there way to the island and became stranded. Through a condition know as insular dwarfism they had shrunk mainly due to a lack of food and, in the early seventies became one of the most important archeological finds for the Mediterranean region.

The next stop was lunch at another small taverna in another small town where the traditional Meze starters were served as the BBQ was stoked and the wine flowed freely. Very enjoyable and one of the best plates of tsatziki yet.

Zeus is probably the best known of the Olympic Gods and so on to the 200 rocky step climb to see the cave in which he was born, a must at €4. After all, if Zeus had not been hidden at birth, Kronos would have swallowed him instead of the stone and we would all be living in a world overrun by titans. And some of the rock formations were pretty spectacular too.

For the homeward run we took in some traditional crafts ranging from weaving on hand looms to pottery and took a moment to step inside one the little churches. Here it became apparent there was something wrong about the many depictions of the baby Jesus. As the church here believes Jesus is omniscient, even as a baby he has the face of an adult. Most curious.

Finally we made a pit stop at a little village that featured an ancient oak believed to be thousands of years old as it was blessed by Zeus. Nobody knows the true age as the tree is hollow. Across the road was a little gift shop, without which no tour would be complete. Before entering we were given a complementary glass of the local tipple, Raki, drunk as a shot with lick of honey taken from the back of your hand. Very nice although somewhat sticky in this heat.

On returning to room, a quick look out over the balcony I felt quite sorry for the all inclusive’s still sat on their sun loungers in an attempt to catch the last few rays before the sun disappeared behind the hotel. Still, each to his own.

Under Cretan waters

Posted on 27/08/2013 by Paul

So far the diving has been good. For the first trip I was collected from the hotel and taken to Pelagos dive centre. There I was introduced to Stephanos, the owner, who assembled my new regulators. Apparently I made a good choice for the latest addition to my kit.

As always, the centre was both friendly and professional. Whilst I checked my kit Sarah was supplied with fins, mask and snorkel. After a short wait in the the glorious Cretan sun everyone was good to go. We climbed aboard and set out on the calm blue sea to our site for the day.

Following the spectacular Cretan coastline on clear azure blue waters laying beneath a crystal clear Mediterranean sky, Stephanos at the helm, with his ruggedly tanned face and flowing blonde locks, only served to complement the most serene of settings. By the time the boat was moored to the buoy, a tranquility had raised the perfect mindset for the days dive.

Descending down over a rocky shelf it soon became apparent that this dive would not be illuminated with brightly coloured corals. The topography was however, quite spectacular. Then, 10 minutes into the dive, fish appeared from nowhere and everywhere, from the tiniest damsel to large dusky groupers. It was at first quite curious until I realised our dive master and guide, Manolis, was carrying food. This is not something you would normally do but, giving the almost barren landscape, I guess it is the only way.

On returning to the boat I was greeted by a buoyant Sarah who had seen jellyfish, a star fish and a turtle. We, despite our expensive rigs, had not.

The following days dive, with same dive centre, was equally as good and exhilarating. Additionally I was for the first time properly weighted for the conditions carrying just 4 kilos. On returning to the dive centre I asked why the landscape was so barren and the answer was overfishing. It seems strange that such a tourist destination does not have marine reserves or sunken wrecks to produce artificial reefs.

And so to the next dive centre, Crete Happy Divers, a local Greek concern. I appeared with my kit and Nikos, my guide to be, started to assemble my kit whilst I filled in the obligatory paperwork. On pulling each piece of kit from my dive bag he commented on the brand, Aqualung, Aqualung, Aqualung until he reached my wetsuit. “Mares”, he said, “why?”. When I told him it was a good suit for me he smiled. These are good people and this was going to be a good dive.

We headed out at a fairly fast pace on a reasonably large speed boat following the coastline much further than before. On mooring to the buoy, the overhanging rock, soaked in the afternoon sun looked like a backdrop to a 1970’s Sofia Loren movie.

Once in the water, the landscape revealed even more barren beauty, with rocky shelfs, small walls and huge drop-offs. Then came the tinny clicking of Nikos calling us over. As we gathered to see, he coaxed an octopus out from his rocky hideaway. As the ink cleared Nikos pushed him away only to have him push his tentacles together and dart back into his hand, several times. Returning the octopus to his home we continued with the dive.

40 minutes into the dive, one diver was out of air and using Nikos’ secondary reg. He was returned to the boat along with 2 other divers, also low on air. We continued once they were safely returned and revisited the octopus. This time he was calmed with a constant stroking of his head until he settled, wrapped around Nikos’ wrist, and camouflaged himself to the colours of the wetsuit he clung to.

Returning the octopus once again, we swam through the safety stop, up through an arch and back to the boat. Checking my dive computer I realised I had finally reached my goal, breaking 60 minutes on a single tank.

The following days dive was equally as good although no octopus and I learnt a little more about the Cretan waters. The older man running the dive centre, whose name escapes me, has been diving since 1970. At over 600 dives a year that is some experience. He told me the underwater landscape had been shaped by years of Mediterranean storms and fishing with dynamite, indiscriminate and far worse than overfishing.

Each time I dive it is totally different, so many fantastic people and always new experiences. This time I also met new goals, down to 4 kilos and breaking an hour on a tank of gas. What a way to while away the days.

Sun beds and Snorkels

Posted on 23/08/2013 by Paul

On the coach down we were informed of our reps welcome meeting so we thought we’d attend and pick up some local info and we were not disappointed. A warning was issued regarding the local bus drivers who, if they so desire, finish early and drive past waiting passengers in a bid to get home. It is apparently not unheard of for tourists clutching a bus timetable to be stranded following a day out. We were also informed about the Russian hotel guests who, rather than using a towel to reserve a sun bed, actually carry the beds up to their room following a day lounging by the pool. This is not something that bothers me, in fact you have to merit them for their ingeniousness.

And so to diving. There are 2 local diving centres and a 3rd just a little further up the coast. Heading out for a wander we called into the 2 nearest and I picked one to dive with. They seemed friendly enough but, like all things Cretan, the dive centres are laid back which means only one dive a day. I arranged pickup from the hotel at midday the following day.

Back at the hotel, we chilled on the balcony for a while and were entertained by the other guests around the pool. Our room not only overlooks the vivid blue of the sea but also the rooftop swimming pool. Having been entertained by the all-inclusives we headed for a swim.

At 4 in the afternoon the temperatures are still hot and the hotels shale beach was busy. We set our towels on some rocks by the edge of the water and waded in, me with snorkel and fins, Sarah just geared for a swim.

It has been a long time since I snorkelled and it was fab. It’s amazing how deep you can get wearing fins. However, a snorkel is not an aqualung and at 7 or so metres down and you decide to breathe it makes for an interesting return to the surface. With my lesson learned I headed to the edge of the marker buoys where the depth was about 25 metres and the seabed was clearly visible. Fish were abundant, there was a sunken car and then, slowly gliding below, came a stingray. Well over half a metre with a tail even longer, she was beautifully elegant in the water and put us flailing humans to shame. I waved Sarah over so she could use the mask to watch but when I told her what I’d seen she swan in the other direction. Maybe I should have said look at the ray instead of stingray.

Following dinner we rounded the day off with a few local Mythos beers at another of the many Greek tavernas. Whilst enjoying the tranquil setting a young man with a bag appeared moving from from table to table placing tourist items to sell. We had an illuminated Spongebob Squarepants that changed colour, a flip flop key ring and a small toilet that when flushed revealed itself to be a cigarette lighter. He placed a card on the table and then moved back around the tables to see if he had made a sale. The card stated that he was a licensed street seller who was deaf and this was his way of making a few Euros. We did not buy but through hand signals he thanked us, collected his wares and, with a smile, moved on. What a lovely way to finish off a lovely day.

Hassle Free Travel

Posted on 21/08/2013 by Paul

With this holiday booked at the very last minute I did wonder if we’d got everything sorted and would we actually get here. We did get here and it was very painless. Our flight was with the extremely friendly Cyprus Airlines who even rustled up a veggie breakfast despite the fact our flight did not include food. This more than made up for a slightly older model of airbus which even had an ashtray inside the inboard toilet.

Transfers to the hotel were smooth and, once checked in, our room on the top floor looks out over the clear blue sea flanked by a rocky coastline and tiny islands. The balcony catches the sun in the morning whilst offering cooler temperatures in the evening. To give you an idea the temperature, on the transfer bus the digital display showed 34C at 5 in the afternoon.

As seems to be the case with other Mediterranean neighbours, this island seems incredibly laid back and relaxed. Even the car horns gently alert you to their presence rather than screaming in rage.

Being half board, and having settle in and freshened up from travelling, it was time to eat. The hotel restaurant offered plenty of variety, even for a veggie although the restaurant manager seemed less impressed with my attire. There is a dress code that includes at least a short-sleeved shirt. Apparently my vest tops are not acceptable. I refrained from asking why my shoulders cause offence to other diners, particularly when this dress code applies to men only.

The evening was still a warm 29C at 9.30 so we decided to wander and explore the locale. A five minute walk revealed a vibrant centre to Agios Nikolaos with bars, restaurants and rooftop clubs. First impressions, given the disco music playing in some of the bars, were of a place out of time, stuck In the 80s. Peering in as we passed one such bar playing Gimme, Gimme, Gimme it became apparent the gay community here, both male and female, like 80s music.

Finally we settled on a little Greek taverna by a small harbour and quashed a couple of local beers finishing off a busy day in the most relaxed way possible. All in all a very pleasant start to what looks like being a very good 2 weeks in the sun.

The Azure Window

Posted on 13/04/2013 by Paul

One of the best days out in Malta has to be our trip to Gozo, in particular the stop at the Azure Window. Winding our way down the bumpy, pot-holed road atop the Hop On, Hop Off bus revealed the huge limestone landscape backed by the Mediterranean Sea.

On the left was the large, free standing Fungus Rock, so called as it has an abundance of a fungus much treasured by the defending forces of the knights of St. John during one of Malta’s many sieges. The fungus was believed to have strong medicinal healing properties.

To the right stands the Azure Window itself, a huge archway projecting into the sea and really is something to see. Just in front of the this is Gozo’s very own blue hole created by natural erosion and descending into the waters to a depth of 60m. This was the entry point for one of my best dives in Malta. We descended the Blue Hole, swam through a hole in wall at about 6m and continued through the Azure Window. Looking up you can see the shadow of the rock as you pass underneath as well as feeling the drop in temperature due to the sheltering from the sun. The dive continued along the rock wall with huge drop offs leading to the clear blue, through cracks and up a narrow tunnel, into a small cave with stunning views of the light filtering through the water.

Getting of the bus we just stood and surveyed the landscape for a while attempting to take it all in. Then came the walk up and over the Azure Window itself revealing a very different perspective of the vista. Beautiful.

Musings from the Island

Posted on 12/04/2013 by Paul

Malta is a small island totalling a mere 35 km in length and yet it seems wherever you look there something new to see. Some of the views are stunning and, due to its small size, many are set against a Mediterranean backdrop.

One of the first things I’ve noticed was the small cars. If you drive a Fiat Punto you have a medium sized car with many smaller cars being of the smart car class. I guess there is no need for large vehicles on such a small land mass. This doesn’t deter the youth from pimping their cars however this customisation amounts to no more than furry dice and a popping tail pipe. Many times I have been sat outside a bar or cafe and turned by head to see the big Harley Davidson approaching at speed only to see a Daewoo turning the corner at 15 mph.

As for food there is a large Italian influence with pasta and pizza featuring quite heavily on most menus. We’ve found some real gems here and feel quite sorry for the all inclusive guests who are missing out. Two of the most notable local restaurants are Duos (a beautiful red pesto risotto) and Mother Earth. If we ate fish the list would feature others. The award however has to has to go to Georgio’s cafe in Selima who make hot chocolate like I have never tasted before. It was that thick and creamy the spoon could almost stand up in it. Heavenly.

Buses feature heavily on Malta roads and are a fantastically cheap way to travel. There are 3 main routes and an all day ticket costs just €2.60 allowing you to visit many places on one ticket. This does come with an attached warning as the standing capacity is nearly double the amount of seats. Given the amount of bendy buses in operation and the poor condition of the hilly, windy roads, the ride can be quite interesting should you embark at peak travel times.

Malta is an island steeped in history, something we have only scratched the surface of. They have have been invaded, colonised and suffered near genocide at the hands of many nations including the Arabic nations, the French, British, Romans, the list goes on. One good way to delve into the history is to take a tourist ‘Hop on, hop off bus’. These colourful, open top double decker tourist buses visit all the main sights and come complete with a very good audio guide. When you get to somewhere you want to spend a little time, you just hop off, already armed with a basic knowledge and then hop on the next bus when you are ready to move on.

Religion is fairly strong here, the various icons being noticeable as soon as we set foot on Maltese soil. Malta is 95% catholic and has many churches, often dominating the skyline of towns and villages. On Sundays however, the churches on Malta are rarely full as the Maltese head for Gozo to practice their faith. Gozo is said to have more churches than native Gozitans.

The people here are really friendly and the Island is geared heavily towards tourism. English is the second language, something that helps us Brits. Many of the Maltese are multi-lingual. It has to be said that there is definitely a fiery streak in the Maltese psyche, something I have rarely seen but definitely there, particularly in the eyes of the women.

All in all Malta is a pretty nice place to take whatever you want from your time abroad and all steeped in the Mediterranean sun.

Back in the blue

Posted on 07/04/2013 by Paul

Man flu dissipated and Liam eager to try a dive, we were collected from the hotel after an early breakfast along with fellow guest Kerry we met the night before. The transportation was a truck, not exactly luxury but perfect for carrying the scuba tanks and other dive gear.

At the shop we descended the narrow stairs to a very cool basement to get fitted with our gear. I had brought my wetsuit but 3mm was nowhere near enough, I needed a full 5mm and a 5mm shortie on top. It was snug.

With everyone sorted we piled into the trucks now loaded with tanks, assorted dive gear and even more travellers to brave the Maltese roads leading towards the Gozo ferry terminal. This was to be our dive site.

All kitted out and buddied up I waived to Liam who was going through his basic training with the instructor and walked down to the entry point, fins in hand. Sitting on the edge to put my fins on was ok but the weight of the gear combined with my lack of fitness, standing was impossible without the help of my buddie. Once up I took the giant stride into the water, the cold shock taking my breath away and inflating my BCD was awkward. Still I was here to get used to my new kit. Once I calmed my breathing and found my inflator it was time to descend though the jellyfish and head out along the wall leading to the wreck.

The wreck was only a small tug boat but I didn’t care, I was back in the water. On the way there was one of the biggest groupers I have ever seen, sheltering half way down the wall watching these strange bubble-blowing creatures glide past.

The wreck was ok although my air consumption wasn’t, a combination of the cold and unfamiliar gear meant I was using it fast. We headed back from the wreck and I had to concentrate to my buoyancy at the safety stop. This wasn’t helped by the jellyfish, pretty as they were. Rising to the surface, one stray tentacle brushed my top lip giving me an annoying stinging feeling and slight swelling. This dive was not one of my finest moments.

Liam however seemed to be doing ok. He was still in the water and as I made my way out I saw him deflate his BCD and disappear from sight. Kerry on the other hand struggled with her breathing, feeling too restricted in her gear and had thrown the towel in. Liam appeared from the water moments later rocking his hand from side to side. He had problems clearing his mask, panicked and took in a mouthful of sea water. His diving was done for the day.

I was determined to get a better dive and listened to the next briefing with intent. It was another wreck with a 5 minute swim without reference. This time we walked into the water, put our fins on a swam out into the blue. The cold didn’t affect me as I was expecting it and once surrounded by nothing but clear blue water it was fantastic. No floor, no surface, no rock wall, just blue.

As the back of the wreck came into view, there was a large, square opening soon illuminated by the touches of the divers who were going inside. We swam around the outside finding plenty of fish of all shapes and colours, including two grumpy-looking lion fish. The front of the boat had a mounted gun complete with shells.

Completing the tour of the ship I was again towards the rear of the boat when I experienced what I believe may be called narcosis. A bit of a buzz tinged with very mild claustrophobia. I wasn’t overly deep but both dives were below 30 meters. Rising a little alleviated the effect and my attention now focused on the white anemone waving from the mast. Back through the blue to the safety stop I saw grass on the bottom sparkling with bright light which turned out to be small disc- shaped fish weaving in and out and reflecting the light.

Back on dry land and I was buzzing. Two very different dives had taken me deeper than i had gone before, experienced the blue like never before and been stung by my first jellyfish. I had also got used to my new kit quicker than I expected.

Warning: sun gods at work

Posted on 05/04/2013 by Paul

A night out

Posted on 05/04/2013 by Paul

With high winds lasts night the hotel suffered a temporary blackout except for our bathroom light. A quick look over our balcony revealed other bemused holidaymakers peering over their balconies to see everyone in the same boat. Bathroom lights only. The power cut, although lasting a mere 5 minutes also knocked out the Internet.

When the power was restored and the lights flickered on, all seemed back to normal except the Internet was still out. A trip to reception informed us of the wifi failure for our block but we were welcome to sit in the lobby. So Ieuan settled in the comfy seats in the lobby to use Skype whilst Liam and I opted for a beer in the Ambassador lounge.

Ieuan didn’t last long due to some other guests playing the baby grand piano badly, aggravating his man flu headache. Liam then chanced his luck in the lobby use the wifi on his phone and I met him on the way back. Ieuan was right, the piano playing was awful due mainly to alcohol. So Liam and I did the only decent thing and escorted the three ladies to a local bar. Things went down hill from then on. One of the girls took a shine to Liam and began buying him shots. Three went down in quick succession and I decided it was time to move on as they were becoming far too friendly whilst under my parental gaze.

The next bar saw a couple more drinks at which point Liam’s newly found acquaintance passed out on the bar. I helped her sister carry her back to the hotel at which point Liam began to suffer from the shots. We said good night and retired to our room where Liam could spin in piece in the comfort of his own bed.

Brits abroad. You’ve gotta love ‘um.