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Europe, England & Greece 2023
  • Peter Filshie
  • Sharon Filshie

Europe, England & Greece 2023

Our winter getaway this year will take us to The Netherlands for a cruise around Norway. Next stop will be a few weeks in France before we cross The Channel to visit friends in England. The final stage of our holiday is to explore Greece. Les mer
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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    London to Manchester

    10. juli 2023, England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Really struggled to get an Uber this morning. Taxis and Ubers are in short supply as London has woken up to a new week for the workers.

    Our train to Manchester is at 10:33am from Euston Station. The train services here are fantastic. There is a train every 30 minutes to Manchester. The trip is about 2.5 hours at quick speed.

    My luck with seating selection is poor. We are facing backwards, and I can’t handle that, so I found an unoccupied seat facing forward. Quirky habit.

    At Manchester we will hook up with Gail & Alan who are part of our British family. We know them through my mum who was a pen pal with Gail’s mum Kath since 1944. Kath passed away last year but we keep in touch with Gail & Sarah (and hubbies). It is a special relationship.

    We saw Gail & Alan briefly last year when they came down to London for the day. This will be fun because we have most of the week with them. We did see them at their home about 11 years ago so it will be great to reacquaint ourselves with Manchester.

    We were greeted at the station and told the weather is not that great, but we do not mind. We will have plenty to catch up no matter what we do.

    Our stay is for three nights so we settled in and then headed out to a midafternoon lunch at a lovely old pub followed by a visit to the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Bridgewater.

    Once visited by Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, Worsley New Hall survived a fire and two World Wars before it was demolished in the 1940s. All that remains is the terraces that overlook the lake which is now reclaimed.

    The RHS master plan for RHS Garden Bridgewater is amazing and beautiful. The gardens have all been reestablished and the gardener's cottage refurbished. There is also the apprenticeship cottage where the boiler was housed, it was their job to keep the coal fire alight. The tunnel at the front was the entrance to an underground passageway to the main mansion. They would use this to take flowers and food to the main kitchen without being seen by the aristocracy.

    The flowerbeds and vegetables growing are stunning. So many blossoms and shrubs to check out.

    Back home and chatted until late. Gayle brought out a box of letters that my mum had written to Kath dating back to the mid 1990s. Got a bit nostalgic. There was also one from grandfather announcing himself when he traveled to the UK in 1945.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    Chatsworth day trip

    11. juli 2023, England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    We are heading out to drive to Chatsworth. It will be a fairly long drive, maybe an hour or so. The new Kia EV6 is fully charged and off we go.

    The countryside is lush and green, you can’t help but be impressed by all the stonewall fences.

    From the moment you enter the estate grounds it is jaw dropping how beautiful and grand this piece of history is and we couldn’t wait to look inside.

    Chatsworth House was home to the Dukes & Duchess’s Devonshire family and has been passed down through 16 generations. They are all at rest buried in a nearby village at the St Peter’s church. The property came into the family after being purchased by Sir William Cavendish for £600 in 1549, who then began building on the grounds.

    Kings and Queens visited here, and, in that era, it was all about decadence and wealth that was on display to all that visited. It is just an amazing place to visit.

    For the Pride & Prejudice fans this mansion featured in the movie and tv series.

    There are over 25 rooms in the stately home including the Painted Hall, State Rooms, Sculpture Gallery as you walk through discovering its art, history and all about the family.

    The ceiling art defies belief. In every room there are staff to tell you the story of the family.

    Each Duke wanted to make it bigger and grander than the previous generations, leaving their mark on one of Derbyshire’s finest country houses.

    There were just so many stunning pictures to be taken it will be hard to settle in the top 10.

    We spent several hours walking through and then we covered the grounds too. The weather has been a bit unkind today, but it didn’t dampen our experience.

    The emperor water fountain works on gravity and the fountain steps are amazing.

    Before we headed back to Manchester, we had to stop at the Devonshire Arms for a locally brewed pint.

    Gail cooked up a home cooked feast and we settled in watching episodes of Pride & Prejudice so we could say “we were there today”.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023
    11

    Manchester locally

    12. juli 2023, England ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    No trips today just getting out and about in local Manchester.

    The girls went to Elizabeth Gaskell house which is an old Victorian property where Gail volunteers. Elizabeth was the owner and became a famous English writer. Regarded as ‘one of the greatest female novelists of all time’ Elizabeth Gaskell was born in 1810 and lived at 84 Plymouth Grove in Manchester with her family from 1850 until her death in 1865. Elizabeth welcomed guests such as Charles Dickens and Charlotte Bronte to her House and mixed with a cross section of Victorian society from the poor of the workhouse to the likes of Florence Nightingale and Charles Darwin.

    Alan and I visited the Imperial War Museum which had a focus on how Manchester coped during the war.

    Everything is quite local to their house which is on the river. You can see the Manchester United stadium not far away. If you have a lazy US$6 billion, they are for sale.

    Further down from the museum is the Coronation Street set and filming studio. Yes, it is still in production!

    Alan took me to The Britons Protection pub. It was the scene of a violent local political rally in 1904 where 15 demonstrators died. I was pleased to see my ancestor's whiskey on sale although I had a beer.

    We passed the Midland hotel walking back into town. In the entrance was a 1939 Rolls Royce. This was the hotel where monsieur’s Charles Rolls and Henry Royce met for afternoon tea and decided to try their hand at building cars.

    A quick stop at the state library and we then rendezvoused with the girls at Sam’s Chop House for a late lunch.

     We had to back track to find a misplaced umbrella which became another excuse for another drop.

    Home on a tram and relaxed to plan tomorrow. We will be on the move again.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023
    15

    Manchester to Stratford-Upon-Avon

    13. juli 2023, England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Road trip south today to catch up with Sarah & Paul. They visited us earlier this year in Melbourne.

    The EV tyres needed to be adjusted with the four of us plus luggage. I’ve learnt a great deal from Alan about electric vehicles. This Kia is a great car.

    After a delicious lunch with Gail & Alan we headed off to Reading. We will see them again tomorrow.

    The afternoon activity was to firstly visit a historically important manor and gardens that is owned by the National Trust.

    Records of the Hidcote Manor date back to 1539 but the gardens were more recent when they were established by a Lawrence Johnston who bought the 287 acre Hidcote estate in 1907 for £7,200.

    Lawrence moved into Hidcote and began to build his dream, of a world class garden and it is magnificent. The garden has plants from all around the world and is brim full of colour and bees!

    Hidcote was transferred to the National Trust in 1948. We thoroughly enjoyed wandering around admiring the different sections. A truly classic English garden.

    Next stop was to visit one of the areas oldest pubs. On the way we called in to pick up Emily (Sarah & Paul’s daughter).

    Emily and her partner Toby have just bought a brand new 3 story house in an estate that was an airfield during the war. She was very excited to show us through. Emily is a fabulous artisan baker and Toby is becoming a plumber. Cute couple.

    The Fleece Inn is also owned by the National Trust and was originally built in the early 15th century as a farmhouse. It later became a pub and remained in the Byrd family until 1977 when Lola Taplin bequeathed it to the National Trust. The Inn suffered serious fire damage in the thatch roof in February 2004 but survived. The entrance is barely 6 foot high and the bar seats only 4 patrons who didn’t mind posing for a photo. All the other rooms are set up for meals or a quiet place for a pint. The fireplace even has the original white circle markings to ward off witches.

    Back to Sarah & Paul’s for a delicious home cooked meal. Toby joined us, so we got to meet him for the first time. The workers get up early so they took off after dinner.

    At dusk we all took a walk to check out their allotment which are strips of land you rent on which you grow vegetables and flowers. It is a great concept and we checked out the tomatoes, lettuce, beans, rhubarb, squash, and more.

    Then we wandered down into the village and like all of these estates there is a manor. It is a beautiful place here. No wonder Paul & Sarah love living here so much.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    Stratford-Upon-Avon to Henley on Thames

    14. juli 2023, England ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    Our last day with our friends. Bit sad but we have plans to drive to Reading where Gail & Alan will be ready to welcome us aboard their new boat.

    The weather has turned against us so we will have to abandon the boat visit. Instead, we will meet for lunch at Henley on the Thames.

    Before we get to Reading, we stopped very briefly at an iconic shop. Yes, we are going to visit Diddly Squat Farm. The place is jumping. Car park overflowing and a huge queue. Clarkson’s Farm has done two series and they were shooting series three yesterday, but the rain stopped it today. We didn’t really expect to bump into Jeremy Clarkson, but he is around here somewhere. It is absolutely commercial madness to expect customers to stand in the mud and rain but that’s exactly what everyone was doing. Sharon wrote our message on the barn wall just above David Beckham. We made a few purchases and hit the road. The TV series doesn’t really show you how close the shop is to the village. No wonder it causes grief.

    Gail & Alan met us at the train car park in Henley. We went to the The River & Rowing Museum located by the River Thames. It has three main themes represented by major permanent galleries, the non-tidal River Thames, the international sport of rowing and the local town of Henley-on-Thames.

    The museum also celebrates The ‘Wind in the Willows’ has a really good gallery and is based on the 1908 book by Kenneth Grahame. It draws upon the original illustrations by EH Shepard who is from these parts.

    Our farewell lunch at yet another old pub called The Angel on the Bridge. Dating back to 1728 this pub is one of the most photographed and painted pubs in England, because of its architecture and the amazing riverside location on the River Thames.

    After the traditional farewell group photo, we caught a train with Gail and Alan. They wanted to make sure we connected to the right train to Heathrow, so they stayed with us to Twyford. This is a single line that just goes back and forward to the main line.

    All good and we are heading toward London. We changed at Hayes & Harlington then just a short trip to Heathrow.

    Our hotel is The Renaissance only a few miles from Terminal 2. The hotels around Heathrow are not allowed to operate their own shuttle so there is a service called Hotelhoppa. It’s ok but you are squeezed in. Only one door at the front which is dumb.

    By now we are drenched, tired and travelled out.

    We had a great time in England. Tomorrow on to Athens.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023
    2

    London to Athens

    15. juli 2023, England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    The news is coming through that the heat wave in Greece is so intense that they have closed the outdoor archaeological sites around midday.

    Well, we did want to escape winter in Melbourne.

    Heathrow is chaotic as always but by midday we are our way to Athens.

    Aegean airlines were ordinary. The seating is so tight. This route is considered a short haul even though to us it is international. Strangely there was some applause on landing. Not sure what that is all about?

    Our pickup man was waiting, all has gone smoothly so far.

    The apartment is great and clean. They convinced us to try their authentic Italian restaurant on the rooftop. The pizzas were fresh and delicious.

    It is late and still 35 degrees. Tomorrow, we join a tour.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    Athens

    16. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    The prediction today is in the forties, so we got up and enjoyed the hotel breaky and packed our bags.

    We needed to move to the hotel that is where our tour starts with Insight Tours. It was just a short trip and to our delight our room was ready at midday, so we had time to get some cash and local goodies at a shop.

    This will be a rare day where we can relax until the group dinner tonight at 6:30pm so we decided to spend the afternoon at the rooftop pool. The view from there is unbelievable. You have a 360 degree look at Athens including the Acropolis.

    Our hotel is 5 star, so we are spoilt. We will spend 3 single nights here because we head north and back here Friday before we go to the Greek islands and the last night of the tour here. The clever people on our tour have dropped back to one bag and will leave luggage in storage here. We are not that clever!

    Erin is our tour director. This is our 3rd Insight tour, and she is already outstanding compared to prior directors. We get heaps of updates, and the week has been planned out to avoid the heat stress.

    Our group is unusually small. We are in total 19 guests. This is the peak of summer so maybe the heat was a turn off. With this small number we will have a more personal experience. Our coach is brand new doing only its third trip.

    After the hotel briefing, we walked a few doors down for our first dinner together. Oroscopo Restaurant, which Barack Obama dined in 2 weeks prior. The food was great. Soup, Greek salad, moussaka and 🍦 to finish. The wine flowed nicely, and we met each other properly.

    There are 6 Aussies and the rest are from the USA.

    Early start tomorrow to beat the heat.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    Athens to Kalambaka

    17. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Insight is all over the danger of being out in the heat. As bad as it sounds, we had a 5:45am wake up call to be on the bus by 7:15am. Breaky was awesome, and we are fully recharged and ready to go.

    The Acropolis is closed today from 11am until 5pm so our plan is simply to beat the crowd and get out of town. It works like a charm. We are at the front of the queue so much so that we have to wait for the military to unveil their flag.

    We came here about 10 years ago and it has changed a lot. The steps up are better, but you are no longer allowed to walk amongst the pillars of the Pantheon. As you would expect the visit is a bit of a history lesson.

    The Acropolis of Athens or The Sacred Rock, is thought to be the symbol of the ancient Greek culture.

    It is also considered to be one of the most significant ancient monuments in Europe.

    Both the Acropolis and the Parthenon, the imposing temple that was dedicated to the goddess Athenas, are visible from almost every part of Athens. She was the daughter of Zeus. He had a headache, and she was born from his head. I thought daughters caused headaches after they were born!

    The Acropolis in Athens was a fortress and military base during the Neolithic period, due to its position which offers a great view of the land and the sea.

    The three temples of major importance, the Parthenon, the Erechteion and the Temple of Nike, were erected during the classical period (450-330 B.C.) on the remains of earlier temples.

    All three of them are dedicated to different aspects of the Goddess Athena. One has six female statues that have been replaced with replicas. Five are in the museum here but the sixth one is in the museum in London, and they will not return it.

    The Persians destroyed some parts the Acropolis during the battle of Salamina in 480 B.C. But this did not cause it to be a ruin. It was the Otterman's who thought it was a good spot to store munitions and guess what boom💥

    In fact, there have been many times the Acropolis has been attacked but thankfully today it is being restored. You may not agree with this, but the Pantheon will eventually be fully restored as a replica. The amount of original stonework will be minimal, but it will look amazing.

    We walked out and the queue down the hill was ridiculous. Our plan worked so now we went to the relatively new museum at the foot of the site.

    The Acropolis Museum holds 55,000 ancient pieces and is really where you learn about the gods and the history. As you walk in you are stepping on a glass walkway revealing the ancient city below. Whilst disconcerting it is brilliant. The museum is precisely the same size of the pantheon so walking around you see the artifacts and remaining pieces of the pantheon in the place they would have existed up at the site. It is clever and a great way to understand the history of Greece.

    Before we can leave Athens, we have one more stop at the first stadium of the modern Panathenaic Olympics. The stadium holds 65,000 people and these days is used for music performances, and it is the finishing line of the annual running marathon held each November.

    With the temperature climbing we are at last heading out of Athens. Our journey now is north to explore a part of Greece we have never been to before.

    We enter an area rich in agriculture and stop where a famous battle occurred between Spartacus and the Persians. The Greeks were totally outnumbered and got slaughtered but the battle galvanized the Greeks to form one country and fight the invaders. It worked.

    By 6pm we arrived at Kalambaka. We only had time for a quick dip and then dinner. We enjoyed a walk into town. From what we can see from here we are in for an amazing day tomorrow.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023
    1

    Monasteries of Meteora

    17. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    We have driven right up the middle of Greece about level with the border of Albania to our left. Further north would be North Macedonia.

    The hotel is at the foot of a group of rugged mountains that are the reason we are here today.

    Kalambaka is a small town of only 10,000 people. Their living is agriculture and tourism from the Monasteries of Meteora. To visit, men must wear long pants and the ladies must cover knees and shoulders.

    Perched precariously on the peaks above us are six monasteries. The six (of an original twenty-four) monasteries are built on immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area. We could see one from our hotel pool! They date back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Think about how they could have possibly built them back then.

    We will visit two. All the monasteries are strict and active Greek Orthodox with four being for monks and two for nuns. Their attraction is how the hell they were built. We were told they wanted to be built as high as possible to be closer to God. Another reason was the Greek monks and nuns wanted to be safe from invading Muslims.

    The drive up in our bus was challenging and again we were battling the heat. The first monastery (Trinity) is for 33 nuns. The youngest 25, the oldest 90. They opened the gates, and we walked across a platform into their home. This monastery was bombed in WW2 and was largely renovated since 1960. Inside there are no pics allowed. The places of worship were incredible with paintings and shrines to the Christian history.

    Caves in the vicinity of Meteora were inhabited continuously at least 5,000 years ago. The oldest known example of a built structure, a stone wall that blocked two-thirds of the entrance to the Theopetra cave, was constructed 23,000 years ago, believed to be a barrier against cold winds and many Paleolithic and Neolithic artifacts of human occupation have been found within the caves.

    We were shown the spot where in 1984 James Bond was once filmed with Roger Moore as 007.

    On the second monastery we climbed 167 steps to enter. We came across the monks who were waiting for goods to be winched up from the valley. They were pleased to give pics and chat. They originally used ropes and a pulley but today it is a modern cable system.

    We were also shown the huge barrel almost 500 years old that was used to store wine that was also winched up in buckets and decanted. The wine is from their vineyards beside the town.

    Meteora was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 because of the outstanding architecture and beauty, in addition to its religious and artistic significance.

    This is a must do destination if you travel to northern Greece. What we saw today dates back to as long ago as the 13th century. Too incredible to explain properly.

    Lunch was at a local authentic restaurant with great food and even better views.

    The afternoon will be too hot to do anything so pool time or a siesta might be the best plan.

    Tonight, we have a short sunset drive to see the monasteries at sunset. This has been a memorable visit.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023
    1

    Kalambaka to Delphi to Olympia

    19. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Our tour director Erin is perfect. She is managing the heat wave really well. Her husband is a fire fighter, and he has been recalled from his holiday. The wind is causing wildfires around Athens.

    Today is a big drive day. We literally turn around and drive south most of the day. Instead of heading into Athens we will turn east to the peninsula of Peloponnese.

    Lunch was special. We ate by the sea for the first time. The dining area is on the boardwalk, but the restaurant is across the road. It was funny watching all the waiters running back and forth dodging traffic with our meals. We ordered octopus and bream. Superb with a drop of complimentary ouzo.

    Now we approach Delphi where according to ancient myth, Zeus released two eagles, one from the east, the other from the west, and caused them to fly toward the centre. They met at the future site of Delphi, and the spot was marked by a stone called the omphalos (navel), which was later housed in the Temple of Apollo. We saw it today in the museum. This is why Greeks considered Delphi to be the center of the world. Over many years, several temples were built there to honor Apollo. He was the god of light, poetry and music, and prophecy, or the telling of the future.

    Our local guide explains her grandparents lived here in 1892 in a village called Castro, which the government relocated nearby to allow for the excavation of the site of ancient Delphi. She said the people of Castro knew that below them were ancient relics, but they didn’t realize it was the Temple of Apollo. They didn’t say anything because they were farmers and didn’t want to lose their land.

    The museum gave us some welcome relief from the heat. We particularly enjoyed the 4th and 5th centuries BC statues that even had old photographs of where they were discovered in 1892.

    We went up to the archaeological site but none of us were game to go all the way to the theatre at the top of the hill.

    Some of the artifacts are so old and in such good condition.

    On our drive today there were field after field of olive trees, which many are 2000 years old. Greece really grows a wide variety of crops.

    Tonight, we finish in Archaic Olympic. Erin has told us this is the best hotel of the week.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023
    2

    Olympia

    20. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Only a 10-minute drive to the archeological site of the Ancient Olympics. This is where we have all seen the lighting of the Olympic torch as it begins its journey to the countries holding the games.

    As we enter the grounds you can see archeologists painstakingly revealing what was once the gymnasium. The whole area was destroyed by the invasions, earthquakes and finally floods covered everything in mud. The revealing started in 1875.

    The fascinating story here is that it all started in the 4th century BC when there was a plan devised to stop or reduce all the civil wars within Greece. The idea being that competing for sports was to become the focus, not fighting.

    Athletes were not only required to excel in a sport, but they also had to attend studies in astronomy, writing, numeracy, language and history. They believed knowledge gave freedom. All the athletes performed naked. No women were involved. They tended to stay home and look after the family.

    Over 45,000 people travel from all over the country to gather to watch athletes wanting to become the champion of sports that included running, discus, boxing and javelin. If you won, you were treated like a god and a statue would be built in your honor. We sat on the bases where statues once were on display beside the entrance to the stadium.

    Entering the stadium was a surreal feeling. Just before we did this we stood where the torch is lit. This ceremony will occur early next year for the Paris Olympics. We have seen this ceremony many times but today it made it more meaningful.

    To the left of the stadium entry archway were the statues of shame. These were the cheats or athletes who broke the rules. To the right were of course the champions so the athletes could look and see on approach which would give them greatness.

    I walked the running field while Sharon posed on the original marble starting line. Imagine what it would have been like 2500 years ago.

    There was so much historical significance to absorb today that I can’t fit it into this blog. The museum provided an insight into the actual pieces found in the site. There was once a 30 metre statue of Zeus that had 250kg of gold and many valuable jewels. It was in the centre of the site. Sadly, invaders destroyed it and melted it down, but they found the workshop and moulds where it was constructed in pieces.

    Lunch was at a world class family operated olive grove. They have won many awards for their olive oil, and we were shown their processing plant and of course we tasted their products. The heat has now caught up with us, so we retreated to the hotel for some quiet time.

    Our evening was hilarious. A nearby restaurant is famous for holding major events in Olympia. This includes the dignitaries that come here to light the Olympic torch.

    Our experience is different. We got to volunteer to cook Greek appetizers with the chef. I volunteered and made tzatziki which was delicious and very garlicky.

    After the buffet and with the help of a few wines we were graced with a Greek dancer who coerced us onto the dance floor. The men later did a dance that was to attract women who expressed their interest by smashing plates at our feet. It was just a great night with heaps of laughs.

    The owner has a collection of Olympic flame torches that gave a great photo opportunity.

    Early start tomorrow as we head back to Athens.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023
    1

    Olympia to Athens

    21. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

    Day 37 of our trip and the heat wave continues but we are in good hands.

    We have mentioned Erin, who is the backbone of how the Insight tour operates but she is supported by the driver. Andreas is the best driver we have ever experienced. He is very proud of the coach, but his road skills make our holiday even more enjoyable.

    The history lesson continues today as we turn east toward Athens. There are always so many olives groves, but today we see the Kalamata variety which is the most popular black olive to be eaten. The others are mostly for pressing into olive oil.

    Now we visit the ruined city of Mycenae which is 3,500 years old. This is the oldest archeological site we have been to this trip. Mycenae is celebrated by Homer as the seat of King Agamemnon, who led the Greeks in the Trojan War.

    First, we are taken to the Kings tomb and then to the ruins. Unlike other sites in Greece here they found gold and artifacts from the bronze era which they proudly display in their museum. The Mycenaeans were bold, adventurous traders and fierce warriors. They accomplished great feats of engineering and architecture. They designed and built remarkable fortification walls, bridges, and beehive-shaped tombs. Their cities featured elaborate drainage and irrigation systems. Fantastic visit.

    Next stop the Mycenean Center where two sisters continue the traditional pottery with artworks used back in the day. The jewellery was also of a particularly high standard, so we bought a few pieces.

    Stopped for a quick walk through an elegant town called Nafplio, known for its beautiful architecture, colourful shops and cafes. Their port has a Venetian built fort at the entrance and high above the town is their ancient city.

    The Corinth Canal is an artificial canal in Greece that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. We stopped briefly to admire this man-made achievement. It cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and separates the Peloponnese from the Greek mainland. It took 7 years and 700 workers to carve it through.

    It is 6.4 kilometres in length and only 24.6 metres wide at sea level, making it impassable for many modern ships. It was only recently reopened after a landslide. We watched a yacht and a luxury super yacht pass. They pay maybe 300 euros. It is based on the vessel length. Hard to imagine cruise ships were once allowed to navigate this canal.

    Serious damage was caused to the canal in World War 2 during the Battle of Greece between the defending Allied troops and the Nazis. German parachutists and glider troops attempted to capture the main bridge over the canal. The bridge was eventually defended and protected by British and Anzac forces.

    In the evening we walked deep in a neighborhood full of boardwalk restaurants to enjoy a hearty dinner in true Greek style, complete with wine and good cheer.

    Now we have another night in Athens before a crazy early start tomorrow. Our group now shrinks to 15 people. Our favorite couple are Yannis (John) and Cornelia from New Orleans. They are 90 years old and so switched on. Their trip now takes them to join relatives. Another couple transfer to a cruise.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023
    3
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    Athens to Santorini

    22. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    At last we get to go to the islands for the second week of our Insight Tour.

    We were lucky enough to visit Santorini on a day excursion from our Mediterranean cruise about 6 years ago. We promised to return and here we are.

    The bad news is we are taking the high velocity ferry that only leaves at 6:30am each day so we were up at 4:15am . Yuck.

    Last night was a nice farewell to four in our group and goodbye to our legendary driver Andreus.

    The ferry to Santorini is called World Champion. Built in Tasmania it holds some form of speed record. They even have a Formula 1 race car mid deck.

    The loading process is organized bedlam . We find ourselves on the upper deck but seated apart. The travel time is 5 hours. If we went on the standard ferries it takes twice as long.

    This port services 227 islands making it a very busy harbour. We stop at Syros, Mykonos, Naxos, Ios along our route to Santorini. The ferry service is a really quick turnaround.

    We found some seats together but didn’t realize they were first class. The area attendant was kind and let us stay which we really appreciated.

    The water is blue and the sun is shining bright and hot. The port on Santorini is called Thira. The island is the remains of what was once a volcano so all the townships are built on the brim. The buildings are therefore on steep angles and are crammed in.

    Getting off the ferry is like participating in a stampede. Our bus was close-by and the driver navigated with considerable experience up the very steep and windy road to the top.

    Our hotel is 5 ⭐️ but we were early for our rooms, so we walked to town for some supplies.

    The vegetation here is weird. They rarely get rain, but they do get regular early morning fogs, and this dampens the ground. This creates good conditions for grape vines, so all the spare land is planted with grape vines planted really low to the ground.

    Pool time in the afternoon and everyone seems tired probably due to the early start. Erin is always alert and has told us we must be ready at 8pm to walk to town for the sunset.

    Loaded with cheese, crackers and some wine we file through the crowds to an unknown patio with a most beautiful view of the island. One lovely cruise ship is about to depart.

    The sunset is just what we needed. So pretty here. Impossible to take a bad photo.

    Tonight, we attend a Greek wedding. More about that on tomorrows blog.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023
    The Bride and Groom2

    Santorini

    22. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    No wake up call and no excursion today. This will make a nice change after a few hectic days.

    Last night we attended a traditional Greek wedding show. It starts with you waiting in a staircase in stifling heat but soon you move into a large room full of family photos and a staircase.

    We are told we are cousins and guests of the bride. The wall has a video playing of the bride getting ready and the chaos of the bridesmaids and aunts.

    The mother of the groom comes in an revs the crowd up and this was one of many who sang and made us laugh.

    Once we were seated, the bride and groom went to all the tables introducing their husband to “the cousins”.

    The show included quite a few wedding appropriate songs backed by a Greek band. The dancing started and the plate smashing too. A great night.

    We walked to town after breakfast and again we are battling strong heat. We found the museum for cool place to hide for a while and then a shop to buy some trinkets.

    There were 3 cruise ships in the port so it was packed in town. The best decision we could make was to go back to our hotel and enjoy the afternoon in and beside the pool.

    Tonight we will attend a celebration of Angelina’s 15th birthday. Whilst her family are from the USA their heritage from Puerto Rico . When you are 15 they celebrate quinceanera which is the transition child to womanhood. The parents want us to attend this tradition.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    Oia

    24. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We head out on a tour today by combining with another small group staying next door at the Hotel Greco.

    The trip takes us to the archeological site of Akrotiri discovered in 1967 when archeologists spoke with local farmers and fishermen about man made pieces they had been finding over some time.

    The settlement was destroyed in the Theran eruption sometime in the 16th century BC and was buried in volcanic ash, which preserved the remains of fine frescoes and many objects and artworks that we saw here and the museum in town.

    Only 10% of an ancient civilization has been excavated. The site is covered, and boardwalks built so you can walk around to see what they revealed. Our tour guide Yanni gave us an excellent insight into what happened here. It is older than Pompeii. The indigenous people had three story homes that had sewerage systems flushing with seawater. The ladies were the planners, and the men did the hard labour. The eruptions and tsunamis destroyed everything, but the site shows they knew it was coming as they have not yet discovered human remains.

    Next stop we visited is one of Santorini’s best wineries . Domaine Sigalos presented four wines with a small meze. The dessert wine was popular with the group. The vineyard grapes are ripe and harvesting starts next week.

    Now for the highlight of Santorini.

    Oia is a coastal town on the northwestern tip of Santorini island. The town has whitewashed houses carved into the rugged clifftops, and overlooks a vast caldera which is what Greeks call the water in the middle of the volcano.

    We went to Oia about ten years ago and we promised each other we would return one day and here we are. It is almost impossible to take a poor photo here. Just about every Greek advertisement for holidays use this location because the blue and white is brilliant. The history of the two colors is that they combine the two worlds of the earth and sky. The blue is only allowed on churches. Did not disappoint and was well worth the journey.

    We battled the masses and returned to our hotel. In the evening we caught a local bus to another sunset location and then wandered back to Fira. It was busy but we found a gyros place and ate late.

    Tomorrow is move on day. News is filtering through about the wildfires and evacuation of tourists on Rhodes Island. We will keep an eye on our plans.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    Santorini to Mykonos

    25. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Our ferry today is the reverse of how we got here except we go back to Mykonos not Athens.

    As always Erin has booked a cafe right by the departure area to protect us from the heatwave. We were told today that Greece has experienced its hottest summer heatwave on record, and we are in the midst of it.

    It will be about three hours on the ferry, but it is very comfortable, air conditioning and a good place to read a book.

    Mykonos is another popular island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Known for its summer party atmosphere and beaches such as Paradise and Super Paradise that have bars that blare thumping music.

    At first glance Mykonos looks barren with no vegetation only towns. There are five cruise ships in the port, so we head to our hotel and don’t plan to go near town until all the cruise people go back and leave at dusk.

    Our hotel is on the fringe of the CBD which is completely free of cars. Only scooters and pedestrians are allowed downtown.

    Our boutique hotel was once a bishop's residence and has been in the family for four generations. We loved it. Rooms are small but the environment is so friendly and welcoming. The pool was a welcome relief from the heat for a while.

    At 6pm we all met and walked into the town. What a culture shock. The shopping and restaurants are everywhere but if you look a bit deeper you see Mykonos has a proud history.

    Erin explains the streets are all designed in a paving design that once coped with open sewerage. They also painted them with limestone to disinfect. The corners of the houses and balconies are rounded because it is so windy here, it limits the noise of the wind. The houses have a concrete bench out the front which most think is for cushions and for sitting on, but they were originally for getting on and off your donkey.
    We walked to the Iconic 16th-century windmills, which sit on a hill above Mykonos town. They crushed grain using the high winds. Across from them is Little Venice where the houses are built up to the water. We walked along the front of restaurants where you can get wet at times.

    The port is stunning, we only got a glimpse of the sunset because the cruise ships block the view.

    Our restaurant was expensive, but the food was good and with the best view of the harbour. Walking back was an eye opener. The whole town is buzzing, and it is only 10 pm.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    Mykonos beaches

    26. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    The hotel is lovely. The courtyard view from our room is impressive.

    We are on a combined tour today of Mykonos island and we have been told to pack our bathers. We have also been told the cost of a day bed on their beaches costs 80 euros. Gulp. No wonder the majority of Mykonians are millionaires.

    The population of Mykonos is only 10,000 with 20,000 support workers for the peak of tourism. There are 100,000 rooms available and each day cruise ships drop up to 8,000 guests at the wharf.

    There is no vegetation here, maybe a few grapes. The rocky landscape means locals build rock walls to define their boundaries and to keep a few animals.

    First beach is Super Paradise Beach. This is a very secluded beach for the rich and famous. Day bed at the front is a mere 170 euros for the day.

    Next stop, a brief visit to a local monastery established in 1767. It was built well away from the town but now it is surrounded by the expanding property boom.

    Beach number two is Aphrodite’s Beach named after two hills that is said to once belong to the goddess Aphrodite. We all know what they are supposed to represent but you need an imagination.

    Last beach is Ano Mera beach where we stopped for lunch. Some of the group stayed but we preferred the calm of our hotel pool. Shad went off for a manicure with Erin.

    By evening we were to puffed out to go anywhere. Pool time now.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    Last day in Mykonos

    27. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ 🌬 29 °C

    The wind has picked up from the north which the locals want because that is how Mykonos feels cooler.

    All the buildings and houses are designed to be protected from the northerly winds. Even the beaches facing north don’t have restaurants or sun beds.

    I needed a haircut very badly, so we wandered down into the main shops area and it was packed with cruise ship people even though the shops don’t open until 11am.

    Between 9 and 11am only small delivery vehicles are allowed in the narrow alleyways. It is a recipe for disaster when there are so many day visitors from cruise ships. The businesses only have this limited window of opportunity to get their supplies. The drivers are so patient in these tiny vehicles.

    My haircut went well but was quite expensive compared to when Sharon cuts it!

    We asked Erin to recommend a lunch spot away from the crowds, on the water with seafood.

    We jumped on a local bus went about 20 minutes down the road and she then took us across the front of a very busy beach and then down a street by the water.

    Apagio restaurant is located in an ideal location on Fiscardo's picturesque harbor in Kefalonia. The view is spectacular, we all enjoyed a most delicious meal. There was just the five of us and it is always fun to compare countries in the conversation.

    I ordered grilled octopus and Sharon had fried calamari. It was delicious.

    Back on the bus after a long lunch we had room time to pack up our bags.

    In the evening it was so pleasant we decide to join the group down at the waterfront. The town is so lit up you would think it was daytime. The crowds were building for the nightlife which Mykonos is famous for, but we were just happy to have a light meal and people watch.

    The fire threat has eased in Crete. Erin’s husband is a fire fighter, and he is sending her the ratings for any threat before they even get to the media. There are no fires on Crete so we will proceed with our plans to spend our last week away over there.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    Mykonos to Athens

    27. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    Travels days are always a bit disjointed and today is no different.

    Bags out at 11am bus leaves at 1pm ferry at 2pm etc etc etc. By tonight we will be back in Athens at the same hotel we have already stayed at twice on our itinerary.

    Our ferry will be a better quality today. Our seating is first class. The people movements between the islands is something you have to see to believe.

    There are a heap of Brits here but really the Greek islands are popular for just about anyone except maybe the Greeks.

    The seating was so much better on our ferry and we managed to even nap a bit. Getting off was the usual stampede with the masses but we are veterans at this now.

    The coach to our hotel was in traffic and Erin took the mic and went through everything thing we have done with Insight Vacations over the past two weeks. She gets genuinely attached to her groups especially this one because we were quite small in number. She has one day off only and off she goes again. She and her husband spend most of their time together in winter.

    The Aussies decided to have our last dinner together.

    Josie & Carl are from North Balwyn and we have a lot in common with them. The also have a house at Newhaven. They will stay in Athens for a week then they will visit relatives in Malta.

    Trevor and Beth are from Adelaide. They have broad interests including a jewelry shop, car wash and horse breeding. We had a lot of laughs with them. Who knows we might see them again in Adelaide one day.

    Our meal was really good and Erin dropped in for one last glass of wine with us. She was relaxed and off the clock. Her husband Hercules isn’t due home until late so she wanted to catch up with us one last time. She is the best Tour Director we have ever had the pleasure of being looked after by a travel group.

    Tomorrow on to Crete.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023
    1

    Athens to Crete

    29. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Now we are on our own again. Feels a bit weird having been spoilt by Insight Vacations for the last two weeks.

    They give an airport transfer, so we were picked up at 10am by a nice man in a Mercedes.

    Athens in a Saturday morning is quiet. Greeks tend to be up and about more in the afternoon and evening.

    Air Agean will take us to Crete which is a short 50 minute flight into Heraklion airport. There we will pick up a hire car and drive 1.5 hours right down to the western end of Crete.

    I have been watching how the Greeks drive and I have come to the conclusion you just have to be aggressive but fair! This will be different to driving in France.

    The boarding process on this flight was one of the worst we have ever experienced. The airline staff had guests arguing aggressively with them about what we don’t know. Maybe it is just a Greek thing to be loud but when you add this to a rowdy group of Americans beside us it wasn’t that pleasant.

    The flight was short, and we found the booth to get the car. Turns out it wasn’t his booth at all just a meeting point. He helped with our bags, and we walked into the car pack to his Kombi van office complete with solar panels to power the printer. Very unusual.

    Our car is a Fiat. It is tiny but that is all we need. The drive out from Heraklion was easy and soon we are on a freeway in light traffic.

    The time share was about 90 minutes away and the only challenge on the road was to work out traffic overtaking you. I was only on the speed limit, but I think I was the only one! Even oncoming traffic drift into your lane so you have to move to your kerb. As expected, the Greeks are aggressive drivers in a hurry and always speeding.

    Crete Suites are frankly disappointing. It is an old-time share and a bit pokey. It will have to do. We unpacked and headed into Letapetra where we found a nice beachside cafe for a bite.

    Next a supermarket shop and we are stocked for a week.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    Koutsounari

    30. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    The sea view is good, as we are up on the hillside in Koutsounari. The wind is really blowing this morning, so we just enjoyed a breaky and listened to the footy back home.

    The beaches here are nothing like what we are used to back home. They are fine pebbles and black sand. We tried to take a beach walk on Long Beach, but it was just too windy. The water is so beautiful with shades of blue.

    Took a drive up the coast but even the little Fiat was getting blown around, so we decided to take refuge by our pool.

    We saw a local family taverna called Rodis with great reviews, so we walked about 150 metres from our room and there it was. Not all that flash from the outside.

    Rodos is a traditional Greek, family-owned taverna since 1989. The name "Rodos" comes from Vasilis' (the owner) hometown who was born on the Greek island of Rhodes but relocated to Crete when he fell in love with his wife and restaurant's cook, Aristea.

    He greeted us at the door and gave us the choice of the restaurant for where to sit. We were the first customers, and it was 7pm. He then takes you into his tiny kitchen and shows you what is on offer. Just two mains and some appetizers.

    He is locally known for his home-made Greek cuisine specializing in traditional recipes. We were also given a wee drop of his home brew. He called it something and said, “like schnapps”. It was ok.

    The appetizers were spring rolls filled with feta & vegetables, zucchini fritters and 5 cheese biscuits. For main we tried both which were beef patties in tomato & capsicum mix plus rice. The other was chunky braised pork with wedges of potatoes. To finish off he served us a light creamy strawberry dessert.

    By the time we finished our substantial meal his taverna had plenty of customers. As there was no menu or wine list, we discussed what we thought it would cost and came up with💲 60+. Nope. He only charged $27.50 and that included a wine and a soft drink. Too cheap so I gave him more.

    It was fabulous experiencing traditional food this way.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    Lerapetra

    31. juli 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We drove back to the main town of Lerapetra for brunch on the waterfront. Being Monday, we thought it would be a bit quieter. Not at all.

    It was very hectic with motorbikes everywhere making driving even more precarious. Parking around the waterfront was nearly impossible. We eventually found a spot outside a school.

    The restaurant we chose offered breakies but we got a strange look when we ordered the continental plate. We think they only wanted to do lunches now. Orange juice is almost always freshly squeezed on our entire trip. What we get at home feels ordinary.

    The brekkie arrives and it is too much food so we eat what we can before walking down the shopping precinct.

    We decided to head back to our resort as it was just too difficult to work out where you can swim and get a lounge at a reasonable price.

    The wind is not as bad as yesterday so by the pool is a bit more pleasant. We think the resort has had a power failure because the generator near the pool has kicked in and stinks of diesel fumes.

    Meanwhile we watched some new fridges get delivered and we wondered where they would go. Sure enough when we went back to our room, we were greeted by three staff installing a new fridge!

    We sat on our little balcony while the installers change over our fridge. That’s a first for us.

    We are eating in the room tonight. We bought a lasagna and salad which went down well. At 9pm we FaceTime our buddies in Canada. We need to plan to catch up with them next year.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023

    Day to catch up

    1. august 2023, Hellas ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    We are both feeling a bit ordinary today so we think it best to spend the day in our room and catch up on the little things.

    Our iPhones have so many photos it is time to download them to the laptop.
    This will take hours but it is fun to look at all the places we have been this holiday.

    The wind has subsided so we enjoyed the pool area without feeling like we were going to launch!

    Another local taverna that scored well is called Nikos. We decided we didn’t like always being the first customer of the evening so we drive there at 8pm to a totally empty restaurant- again.

    We shared the fried zucchini which is really popular here and then we both ordered pastitsio which is made fresh each day. The Greek salad was huge for just the two of us. The host served complimentary cut up fruit. All washed down with a Mythos beer and Shad’s b&c.

    Still no other customers and we left at 9:30pm. Cost only 35 euros. So reasonable compared to Athens and the big islands.

    Before we went home we did a beach visit. There was a beautiful moonrise so we mucked around with funny pictures. There were still quite a few people down at the beach sitting in darkness playing in the shallows and picnicking on the sand (pebbles).

    Tomorrow is going to be an even better day.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023
    1

    Long Beach & BBQ Day

    2. august 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    The resort is well known for its weekly BBQ. We have booked in tonight at 6:30pm.

    Stunning day in Koutsounari. The jet skis, boats and yachts are all out on a very calm Mediterranean Sea. This is in stark contrast to the past few days of gale force winds.

    The breakfast at the resort is so much food all brought to the table so all you have to get up for is juice and hot beverages.

    Today the table was stacked with cheese toasties, cheese puffs, laminington style cake, peanuts biscuits, yoghurt, fried egg, omelette, cherry jelly cup, Nutella crepe finished off with watermelon and orange fruit plate. Did I miss anything? What a mountain of food. Too much gets wasted unfortunately.

    Our perfect beach day has arrived and it is only a short drive down the hill. Greeks really do beach time well. There are wooden plank pathways to the water from the road and they lay it between sun lounges with good size umbrellas. We paid the 2 euros each for the sun lounges wondering why Mykonos get away with >80 euros.

    The attendant said he would be at our beck and call if we needed food or refreshments.

    The water is crystal clear and gets deep quick. You have to wear your thongs to the waters edge because the black pebbles are hard on the feet but also it gets scorching hot. Today it mid 30s.

    A quick dip is required when you get hot otherwise just get back to you sun bed and back to your book. Very civilized.

    After a few hours we ordered a pina colada and a 🍺 which arrived in quick time for just 10 euros. We are living the dream right here on Long Beach.

    The bbq was well patronized and at 7pm were the first to participate- again. Unfortunately the cook overdid the meats but otherwise we had a good feed and enjoyed the sunset.    Les mer

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  • Europe, England & Greece 2023
    1

    Analipsis

    3. august 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    We have been on the go seven weeks today and are due to get home late Sunday night.

    The thinking is to still not do much and make the most of this sleepy town on Crete.

    We saw a bakery up the road that looked newish and I am hanging out for a decent coffee. It was a bakery disguised as a meeting place for elderly men. They are so loud as they each try to make their point about whatever it is they are discussing. We sat and had breakie but the smoking was so bad we couldn’t wait to get out.

    We drove up the coast in search of a new beach and last minute shopping. I discovered a new way of supporting my wife when she shopped. I parked kerbside at the top of the hill and just rolled down beside her as she went shop to shop! The more remote you get on Crete the less anyone cares about parking and rules.

    Analipsis is a lovely little cove with actual sand. We found a sun lounge and brolly that was a perfect spot for the afternoon. The taverna behind us informed us the lounges are free as long as you buy a few things from them. I dutifully ordered some water bottles.

    This is a really popular family destination with shallow water, so ideal for kiddies. It was a great afternoon and by 5pm we packed up, paid our bill and had a quick 20 minute drive home.

    At 8pm we went to a pizza restaurant and guess what! We weren’t the first guests. We were greeted by the owners who gave us a piece of paper on a peg. Seems that was the specials but we couldn’t read it. Our table was on the tiled veranda roadside and we managed to order pizza and a schnitzel for Sharon. I felt a bug run across my foot then Sharon yelped. From that point she sat with her feet on the next chair despite the owner begging her to come inside further to higher ground.

    This all added to the character of the evening.

    We retired back to our base and I lost at cards AGAIN……    Les mer

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