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.