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Summer of 23
  • Matt Tabone
  • Katie Ashton
Jul – Oct 2023

Summer of 23

The long awaited honeymoon Read more
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  • Summer of 23

    Day 49 - Bruges, Belgium

    August 27, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    This morning when I woke up I headed out to grab some milk & muesli for breakfast from the supermarket, now a lot of supermarkets are shut on Sunday but a 16minute walk had me at one open. Now I swear I couldn’t find milk that what seemed like actual milk, but I did grab something that resembled milk, translate on my phone wasn’t helping me so back to the AirBnb I went. It wasn’t milk, it was more of a watery yoghurt… now I understood why I found it near the yoghurt!

    After a quick call to Chris & Barbs we decided we had to go and find breakfast. The first place I had in mind had a line and we both were too hangry to wait, next place was shut and third and finally was open and had a spot for us. We got some waffles with fruit from Balthasar Brugge, there’s no such thing as too many waffles.

    After breakfast we went for a walk heading down to the old Pharmacy museum, but along the way we had to see a museum close to my heart - The Bottle Shop, this shop has over 600 beers on it’s shelves with most of them coming from Belgium! If we weren’t travelling for another month and a half there would of been beer coming home! We got to the Pharmacy of Saint John’s Hospital which is now a museum showing where the nuns used to make the medicine and the history. Out in the courtyard is gardens with plants they used to use, these are tiny compared to the size they were back when the hospital were in operation.
    We decided to walk down to Minnewater area which has the Lake of Love, this is where all the Geese and ducks are, we also saw a turtle in the lake! As it kept clouding over with chilling wind and looking like it could rain at any point we went on the hunt for a Hot Chocolate. We found The Old Chocolate House, which bottom floor is a chocolate shop (We brought a box of 6) & upstairs is a tea room. We ordered our variety of hot chocolates, this came out with hot milk in a massive cup, a chocolate dish with the chocolate to make the hot chocolate in the dish. So you pour the contents in and either eat the chocolate dish or put it in the cup and mix it with the stirrer. They also give you a biscuit and white chocolate to taste!

    Lunch was on the cards after this delight, we went for a local Bakery near the chocolate shop that does great sandwiches - I even had the Vegan option! As the weather seemed to be starting to clear and the weather apps suggested it could be somewhat sunny for the afternoon we went to go on a canal boat ride.
    The boat ride took us through all the accessible canals that a size of the average tourist boat can go through, the boat driver gave a running commentary and luckily we had the walking tour as we knew majority of the things he said, we were happy seeing Bruge from a different perspective.

    After the canal cruise it was time for me to hunt down a beer I had been trying to work out where to get from. Down a little narrow alley way which hosts 2 bars and a restaurant we found De Garre, they are famous for their Tripel Van De Garre that is 11%. This is the only bar you can buy this beer from, it is very creamy and goes down a little bit too easy! This is the only establishment that only allows people to have 3 Belgium beers then cut off from their establishment given the alcohol content! Katie opted for a blonde beer. I spotted a horn glass and just wanted to see which beer came with that, I ordered the La Corne, Tripel with a casual 10%… Belgians really know how to brew a strong brew here!

    Afterwards we headed back to the AirBnb to relax. We walked back to town to find dinner which we opted for The Potato Bar, good reviews of their chips and burgers… given how they wrote about how they cooked their chips it sounded as it was going to be Frites, no just chips in Beef Oil, still crunchy and nice.’

    We ended the night by walking through the Markt then heading back to the accomodation to watch In Bruges, a 2008 movie which given the name is set in Bruges.    Read more

  • Summer of 23

    Day 50 - Amsterdam, Netherlands

    August 28, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today we leave Belgium and head for the Netherlands. We catch the train from Bruges to Antwerp Central station then catch a Thalys fast train to Amsterdam, first though I had to tackle bringing the bags down three flights of narrow and steep stairs (not as bad as Cinque Terre but close when rounding the corners)
    Once down we got to the station and off we went, all was going good until Antwerp Central when the train was running late but least we were in the right spot!

    We got into Amsterdam and trained to our accomodation and checked in. Of course tour guide Matt didn’t want to waste a minute so off to central we went to Amsterdam Central to go on a walking tour. We had Sergio taking us around Amsterdam, now lets put him this way, nice guy, A LOT of Jazz hands! Now Katie and I were a little bit tired so this was a bit much for us for nearly 3 hours but we made it through.
    Sergio took us to near central station explaining how Amsterdam came to be, how the canals were dug and windmills set up to move the water so they could take land back to build Amsterdam. Amsterdam buildings are much like Venice, all built on Piles, but the reason the buildings are so narrow are because locals used to get taxed on house frontage not the size of the house, so skinny and long was the best!
    We moved towards the East Canals seeing the outside of the building with a church that can fit 200 people on the top two floors as Amsterdam used to only allow people to preach in their own homes, so this was made so people didn’t get in trouble and didn’t look like a church on the outside. We then went to De Ouse Kerk which is the cities oldest building that used to be like a tafe of sorts and the old city gates. We went through the Jewish Ghetto, his facts about this area was questionable after being to Auschwitz & Poland. We also find that every walking tour we go to, they say they were the richest European city and made trading a thing, very weird but hey *Jazz Hands*.
    We ended the tour at Dam Square which used to be full of water until they built the canals and windmills, this also has Koninklijk Paleis which is a golden age palace and a royal venue. The royals don’t live in Amsterdam though, but the weddings are held in the church next door and they do the balcony waves from the Palace.

    After the tour Katie and I grabbed a bite to eat, as we hadn’t done enough walking we decided seeing we were next to the Red Light District we’d just pop past for a look… As you do. I think Katie was a bit shocked at the site of some of the women in the windows - one comment being ‘Is she actually a woman’ 😂. We decided to find some dinner, seeing we didn’t know what we wanted I thought Foodhallen was a good option, much like Little High in Christchurch but bigger obviously! We trammed out and found that they were shut from 5pm for a staff party… Google maps did say it was shut, but their website said 7 days a week… Go Google.

    So we looked at Sergio’s suggestions, we ended up at Cafe Sonneveld which has some local Netherlands dishes. I got the Ribs (Amazing! Slide right off the bone!) & Katie had the local sausage and veggies (veggies turned out be mash!) I also had to taste a local beer, of course I went a fruity one, Brouwerij ‘T Ij Ljwit was suggested by the host and it was pretty good. After this had to have a local Heineken and Katie had a sip and enjoyed it - it’s always better closer to the factory!

    We had a walk around the area near the cafe, grabbed some supplies from the local Jumbo supermarket (really cheap lollies!) and trammed back to the accomodation and watched some Netflix.    Read more

  • Summer of 23

    Day 51 - Amsterdam, Netherlands

    August 29, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    This morning we are heading off to the Anne Frank museum, Katie had breakfast in the apartment, I lounged in bed too long and had a tram to catch. We got to Westermarkt tram stop which is near Anne Frank museum, we grabbed some coffee from Ted’s cafe & I grabbed a pastry from a supermarket nearby seeing I skipped the muesli.

    We had brought the Programme entry tickets which for half n hour you get taken into a room and a guide takes you through some information about Anne Frank, her family and the people that helped keep the people in the Annex hidden for so long. This was good but moving through the museum a lot of what you learn with the guide is part of the audio guide in the museum.
    The museum was good to see, hard to imagine 8 people living in the Annex and not making much of a sound during the day so people in the warehouse down below could hear them. They recommend that the museum takes 1-1.5hours, we were there for over 2 hours so really made sure we read everything! It was pretty surreal walking through the house they hid in for 25months.

    After the museum we went for a walk along the canals looking for lunch, I had seen a place online that did fat sandwiches, when we got there we found out thanks to TikTok there was an hour wait… Too hungry for that. Walked another block and found a local bakery that did amazing sandwiches, so we grabbed 2, I grabbed some drinks for the supermarket nearby and sat on the edge of the canal eating lunch while watching the line to the first place we were trying to get too.

    Once lunch was done with we walked the local area heading for Bloemenmarkt, which is the local flower market. Many bulbs are sold here, bulbs you couldn’t get in NZ or Aus! Katie was against me smuggling bulbs home, especially the cheap bonsai seeds, so went with here advice!

    Katie wasn’t feeling the best so I had one last stop before we left the centre back to the accomodation. A local delicacy is Stroopwafles, two wafers with caramel in the middle… to say a diet is needed after this is an understatement - there are shops that make them fresh, spread chocolate on the top and a topping, obviously I had to have one! I went for the Oreo one and was not disappointed! You can see my face I was a kid in a candy store!

    We trammed back to the accomodation and Katie had a sleep. I wanted Katie to rest this evening so I went to grab dinner for both of us, Katie wanted a poke bowl so I found a place that wasn’t far by the bus… that’s if your not cocky and don’t get off at the wrong stop like me! I ended up at the restaurant and grabbed our dinners, the place we chose is very much about saving the planet and sustainability… I had to laugh, while I was waiting for our food the rubbish collection was happening outside. Now they leave their rubbish in bags on the streets and the guys come through and collect the bags in the trucks, if a mouse or rat has chewed the bag (yes I saw a mouse and a rat on my walk) the contents go everywhere, the workers pick up somewhat of most of it off the ground, but had to laugh not all of it, especially in front of the restaurant that’s all about saving the planet!

    I made it back to the accomodation and we watched some Netflix.    Read more

  • Summer of 23
    When you get older people to operate technology!

    Day 52 - Amsterdam, Netherlands

    August 30, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Today we were both in need for a sleep in… such a tough life this holiday thing! So we got up late, looked out the window and found it was raining. So our plans switched a bit, we got ourselves ready, had some breakfast and headed to find coffee. We trammed to Ted’s cafe near Anne Frank’s Museum, while we were there I saw Bittenballen on the menu, a Dutch snack filled with veal!
    After coffee I went to the supermarket to try the other Dutch snack I had been told about, a Frinkendal, which is a sausage, the one I had was a sausage in pastry cold… lets say I’ll opt for Bittenballen!

    We went towards town as it was still somewhat raining as we wanted to collect some things from some shops. It started to clear so we thought our original plans could go ahead. We trained out too Zannse Schans, home of the clogg museum and the windmills. This is an free open air village museum, though you have to pay for certain attractions like going into windmills and some museums. We walked around the clogg museum, sitting in the clogs outside & standing in the over size pair, seeing the cheese factory (so touristy) and of course a walk around the windmills. As we were walking the windmills it started to rain… actually coming in sideways is a better term! So we made our way to the station.

    We stopped off at Zaandam, which is a picturesque city in North Holland, Netherlands - other side of the river to Amsterdam! But has had city rights since 1811 as I learnt, so the more you know for that fact! We had been told Zaandam is a must, if you hadn’t seen cbd Amsterdam yes, but the main attraction is Inntel Hotel Amsterdam, an upscale hotel on an eclectic structure.
    We trained back to our hotel for a bit of a rest after this.

    I wanted to venture for one last adventure before leaving Amsterdam, so we caught this bus down to Artis, Amsterdam’s Zoo, but seeing it was closed we didn’t go in, but if you go to the side near a local restaurant, you’ll find a nice sitting area with a view of Flamingoes. While we were there, there was a local couple celebrating a birthday and some tourists that were commenting on how one of them didn’t think they were real… Amsterdam right there!
    After the Flamingoes and seeing their reality we wanted some dinner. Off to Foodhallen we go, and yes I checked google they were open! Katie opted for a healthy Mexican food bowl, I went for a chicken burger from a burger bar. Like Little High, finding a table is hard but Katie managed while I sorted drinks! For dessert I figured I’d have to have a Maltese McFlurry once more!

    We trammed back to the accomodation and packed seeing this is our last night in Amsterdam opting for not a late one.    Read more

  • Summer of 23

    Day 53 - Dubrovnik, Croatia

    August 31, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Today we woke up at 4:50am, this was in our eyes ‘To seize the day” when planning the trip… This is our flight to Dubrovnik, Croatia. We trained to the Airport, EasyJet who we were travelling with advised to arrive at 5.20am, we arrived at 5.40am, little did we know there was 5-6 flights leaving close together so check in was looooonnnnnnnggggggg! In the end when you’ve lined up and check in closing time is getting close, the workers start screaming plane destinations and saying come to the front…. What a system, lets hope the pilot has a better system for actually controlling the aircraft. We got our bags dropped, through security and to our gate thankfully, also thanks to AirTags I knew our bags were coming with us!!

    When we landed in Dubrovnik we brought passes for the airport shuttle, now Croatia is a bit loose we found out, on the bus ride the drive pulled over randomly and picked up extra passengers for 5euro per couple… at a stop we knew he wasn’t meant to be at! Then he had to take a phone call while driving the bus which Katie was thrilled to see in from her front seat view!

    We got to Dubrovnik Old Town and found an amazing focaccia cafe for an early lunch and a coffee with the view of the City Walls. We then walked the bags up to the accomodation and dropped them off while we explored Old Town.

    We walked to Old Town and it was a bit hot, so upon walking through Buza Gate, the North gate of Old Town and down a very step clad road, we searched for the highest rated Gelato in town… also the most expensive Gelato once I worked it out! We had been warned Croatia might be expensive seeing they’ve changed to Euro, what we found in Old Town was insane prices, the walking of city walls is 35Euro & the cable car to the top of the hill 27Euro each. We both didn’t feel that we were dying to do these, so admired from the ground of Old Town.

    We walked around Old Town seeing the Old Port, Polce Gate, Pile Gate and the many churches from the outside. We did find a heap of cats at one f the churches, so we had to stop and say Hi… Be rude not too! There was a cruise ship in and you could tell, wall to wall people and we really didn’t find it comfortable, so we headed to check in to the accomodation & rest, along the we got a beer for myself to write these, but I ended up redoing our Split Accommodation.

    We also did washing at the accomodation for the afternoon, very important admin!

    We didn’t want to be price gauged in Old Town for dinner, so we headed towards Dubrovnik town to a cafe called Kiosk Dubrovnik. A bar/kitchen in a converted Kiosk and outdoor seating. Very nice ambiance with Gruz Port in the background and nice music!

    We went back to the accomodation to finish the washing after dinner!    Read more

  • Summer of 23
    Third Boat in

    Day 54 - Dubrovnik, Croatia

    September 1, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Today I had a sleep in, while, in Katie’s words, ‘waited 2 hours for me to give her attention!’

    We had to finish off the drying of the washing as it had rained in the afternoon previous that really didn’t help the drying process. We then packed and left the bags at the accomodation and had breakfast across the road at an Italian cafe. Eggs, eggs and more eggs were on the menu, they weren’t short of eggs! I had eggs and Katie had some toast with cheese and hams. The bread was baked fresh so was lovely!

    After breakfast we went on a hunt for a barber, apparently I was in need of a haircut as the side of my head was looking long with stuff all on top… getting my Dad vibes right there!
    I found one after a very humid 30minute walk, he was about to close for Siesta but asked what I wanted, I took off my hat and before I said anything he said, ‘ yes, please sit!’ Easiest 15euro he’s gotten!

    We walked back to the accomodation, grabbed the bags then ubered down closer to the port so I didn’t have to loose a couple of kg’s in sweat from the humidity! We had lunch back at Kiosk Dubrovnik seeing it was close to the port and next destination.

    We finished lunch and went to the port looking for the boat were are taking for the next 8days. We found boat Romantica with all the bikes on the back awaiting us in a line of boats.
    We got our cabins, then had a boat briefing at 3pm for what to expect for the next 8 days. Everyone started introducing themselves and getting to know one and other. At 4pm they had organised us to meet out on the dock to catch the bus to Old Town, for a walking tour of the city. We arrived early as Croatia public transport can’t be trusted apparently, so we had some better priced Gelato!
    The walking tour took us to much of what we walked yesterday but now with facts about Dubrovnik. The city is rebuilt to traditional form from all the shelling they received in 1991/92 except for the scarring on some walls, the City Walls survived all of this. The reasons they got bombed was politicians were not happy that Croatia were leaving the Socialist federation of Republic of Yugoslavia, thankfully Croatia come out the other side of this.

    Katie and I decided to walk back to the boat instead of catching the bus back to the port which was a casual 40 minute walk. Dinner was called at 7:30pm which consisted of 3 courses. Starter of a mixed seafood salad, a main of tuna steak, and a berry dessert. If we were worried about quality or quantity of food, we shouldn’t of been!

    After dinner I relaxed on the top deck of the boat catching up on finding penguins and Katie relaxed in the cabin.    Read more

  • Summer of 23
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    Day 55 - Sipan, Croatia

    September 2, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Today we woke up on our boat Romantica, this was just before 7am and before the boat had turned the engine on to get us moving away from Port Gruz in Dubrovnik. Breakfast was for 8:00am but coffee is served from 7:30am, so we went up and grabbed some coffee.

    After breakfast we were told the plan for today, there was meant to be two rides today, but with incoming potential winds, one had to be cut off the itinerary… Happy Katie there! So the boat sailed onto the Island we would be riding our bikes at today, Sipan.

    Once at Sipan the crew off loaded the bikes, we got our bags ready and then the guides gave us a demo of the bikes. We set off along the port and soon climbed a short hill, this is where I first regretted all the gelato I have been consuming!

    We rode to the other side of the island to the other port town called Sudard. We walked around for half n hour and admired the village. Back on the bikes for the same way we travelled (not about of other options) instead of heading to the boat, we stopped at a picturesque spot for a group photo, after this we were told we were riding down to a beach!

    We rode down to Prijezba Beach which has a bar on it! We were soon in the colder water than what we were privy too in Malta & Italy! The guides ended up bringing some Gin & Tonics… now this is how I like my tours! After an hour & a half, we made the short ride back around the port to the boat. The crew loaded the bikes on & we went and showered, soon after lunch was served in the saloon.

    We cruised up to what is to be our docking point for the evening, on the Island of Mlijet in the port town called Pomona. Mlijet is famous for the national park on the island, we are riding through this tomorrow.

    We had free time once docked & Katie and I went for a walk, Katie was keen for a coffee. We found a nice ocean view bar, Katie got her coffee and I got a beer, seeing we had a good view, a couple of glasses of Rose were ordered as well!

    Dinner was on the boat, the captain joined the dinner so we were told dress to impress for the Captains Dinner. Again dinner was 3 course feast and you weren’t left hungry, after dinner they gave us some rum for the captain joining us!

    Katie and I went for a short walk along the pier after all this, seeing & hearing another boat which is more a party boat, living their best lives and some very dodgy singing on the mic.    Read more

  • Summer of 23
    Mali Most Bridge

    Day 56 - Mljet Island, Croatia

    September 3, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Today we had no wake up from the engine, instead it was have majority of your riding pack ready, get a coffee at 7:30 and breakfast bell was rung at 8am.

    8:45am we were ready to head off on bike ride number two! The crew had all the bikes out on the deck before we even had coffee in our hand! We saddled up and started riding towards the famous National Park. First stop was the little town of Polace which we stopped near a Roman Ruin and had a walk around the waterfront. After this was our first uphill, seeing I had so much fun on the downhill, I knew exactly what was coming… Katie on the other hand glided pass with a massive smile…
    We then had a nice down hill towards the start of the national park! (Remember this for later…) which apparently we had to show someone tickets for the park but got waved through. We did a ride 3/4 of the way around Veliko Jezero which is the large lake of the National Park that is a mix of fresh and sea water, there is a canal inlet at the bottom of this lake to the ocean. Not quite half way around we had to push/lift the bikes over a step bridge, they do have a bike runner on the side of the steps that helps the wheels but I was a gentleman and took Katies bike with the two packs while she handled my light bike.

    We came to an area we stopped at and took an electric boat over to Saint Mary’s Island which has the old monastery on it and a cafe/bar on the island. We should of just went for a swim…

    On return to the bike track we had half n hour to have a swim. We swam at Mali Most, a bridge that has the current that switches either way every 6 hours due to the tides. Once we were called back on the bikes we had a ‘short uphill’ 20minute ride back to the boat… This short uphill in full sun wasn’t the funnest thing in life… well for me, Katie was up the front brown nosing the guide!

    Once on the boat a quick freshen up and lunch at 1:30pm, another healthy 3 course meal!

    While we were having lunch the boat was sailing towards Korcula Island, we are making port in Korcula township tonight. Before we made port, we were able to have swim from the back of the boat, even Katie slipped in from the back!

    We made port and had a walking tour with a local guide, it is a small town with old city walls that got halved in size due to cost in the early 1900’s. The town in set up with a Main Street through the middle for wind access, The Eastern side streets on a curve for the very cold winds that come & the Western side streets straight to help cool the town through Summer. We also learnt, that when this vibrant town was at its peak, it could hold 4000 residents inside the walls. The average building would have a shop at the bottom, living quarters on the second floor & Kitchen on the third floor - main reason for this was in case of fire so it would only (hopefully) burn the top of the building.

    After the walking tour we had a quick walk around, as it was very windy we stayed on the Eastern side of the town for dinner. We had dinner and an Aperol Spritz at SILK, an Asian infusion restaurant, I had octopus seeing we were on the Ocean. Katie tried the local wine which is Posip, a very dry White wine that in our opinion was too dry for us.

    After dinner we went for some Gelato and headed back to the boat to rest for our big day tomorrow!    Read more

  • Summer of 23

    Day 57 - Korcula Island, Croatia

    September 4, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    Today we woke up and had breakfast on the boat, we had been told to be ready to start riding for 9am sharp as this is our biggest riding day.

    We rode out of Korcula township and after 3km we were on our first uphill climb… 10km uphill to be exact! Katie was off on her E-bike, I was somewhere in the middle grinding it out!
    Once the uphill was over we were treated to a lovely downhill with coastal views.

    Along the way we made our way inland where grapes and figs were in the fields with rolling hills, we closed in on the seaside again and lunch was fast approaching.

    We stopped at Beach Prispcapac for lunch where there was a cafe with a beach there. We shared some bruschetta and a pizza then had a swim. After lunch we had another 6% uphill to tackle for roughly 4km. Again Katie was off with her e-bike, I was in the middle grinding the uphill with the sun beating down on me, once up the top we had a lovely uphill that the guide let me overtake her and roll down the hill at some speed!

    We had 7km left once at the bottom so we hustled to the boat from there.
    Once at the boat we had a drink with others from the boat - 2euro gin & tonics!

    Tonight dinner was on the boat and after dinner Katie and I went for a walk to help my legs from the ride.    Read more

  • Summer of 23

    Day 58 - Hvar Island, Croatia

    September 5, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Today we woke up to the boat on the move to Hvar, the boat was rocking and rolling and Katie didn’t get her sea sickness pills fast enough so skipped breakfast! I on the other hand had breakfast and wasn’t feeling the greatest after, but onward and upwards!

    We reached Hvar late as docking took a while, we got warned the port can be crazy here.
    Once we were off the boat we had an hour to look around, we went on the hunt for Katie’s breakfast as we knew the ride had an 10km uphill and 10km downhill!

    We met the guides back near where the boat dropped us off, we got on our bikes and started the ride, a short ride through town and we were soon at the 10% roadway sign… yippee! Katie shot off, ‘Passing on your left’ as you say, and I found a rhythm and grind my way up the climb. I was tracking the climb on my watch and worked out where half way was, it was there that I had some water and turned on some tunes to help with the rest of the climb.
    I thought I had conquered the hill and started a descent, this went past a look out people were telling me to stop at, I only wanted to find where the guide was stopping us next. Around a bend and for sure the meeting point for the group was at the top of yet another uphill. We stopped at a bar/cafe with amazing lookout over the North side of the Island.

    On the downhill, myself and an American I had met on the trip, Ken, chased the guide down the hill. We were told the road wasn’t amazing but I’ve seen worst roads. We were soon greeted by the site of the boat in the port of Stari Grad. We cleaned up and had lunch on the boat (most amazing muffin with cream for dessert!)

    After lunch there was another ride planned, Katie wasn’t feeling the greatest so opted to have a nap and I had her e-bike in my sights for the afternoon!

    The ride took us to the small seaside town called Jesla, this is where you had the option for an hour walking in the town, swim at the local beach or whatever you wanted really. I decided seeing I had an e-bike I would ride further along the coast as the sea was rough where they showed us to swim. 3 bays later I found an amazing bay with 13 people, one child and 2 dogs on it! The water was calm and warm! I had a swim for about 20 or so minutes till I had to ride back to where the group was to meet.

    On the ride back the guides took us through a little village called Vrboska, which is known for the little river and bridges that look like the ones in Venice.

    Once back, I got cleaned up and we headed to the other side of the port in Stari Grad for dinner, on the walk back we treated ourselves to some gelato for a change!    Read more

  • Summer of 23
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    Day 59 - Brac Island, Croatia

    September 6, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Today the boat sailed to the port of Milna for our next days adventure of riding, thankfully only one ride lined up.
    We had breakfast on the boat and were in the port of Milna by 9am ready to set off.

    Once the bikes were offloaded the boat left the port and we headed off through the town and for our next hill climb of 3.5km, again Katie was off and I was left grinding with a major head wind. I was thankful and that the small portion of the road turned and we had a tail wind!
    There was a nice down hill then we stopped at the village of Bobovisca which has a grand bell tower that the villagers got a famous sculpture to create, this was destined to be in Venice but the Village paid off the bell tower for the next 30years to have the best bell tower in the area! This area is also famous for it’s limestone, this limestone was actually used for The White House in Washington & the UN building in New York. This Limestone also gets used in multiple other places over the world too.

    After this beautiful view there was a beautiful 10km uphill grind, Katie had her bike in eco mode and the wrong gear so with delight I watched her pedal her heart out while I was yelling to change gear… She shot off eventually!

    With uphill comes an amazing downhill! To say I wasn’t watching my speed was an understatement. 58km per hour was the fastest speed on the downhill straight as I was chasing a Brazilian lady that shot off ahead of the pack!

    We met the boat in Postira and had lunch on the boat. After lunch we walked around to the beach called Zastivonje for a swim and a relax.

    Once we freshened up we went for a drink at a hidden bar in the trees on the rocks near the sea call Incognito, We had an Aperol Spritz and the house wine.

    For dinner we kept it simple and went to a local burger bar that we later found out the whole crew of the boat was at so must be a good place!
    We had ice cream to end the night and a little walk around the port.    Read more

  • Summer of 23

    Day 60 - Brac Island & Split, Croatia

    September 7, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Today the boat had stayed in Postira Port overnight, so no waking up to the boat moving! We had breakfast on the boat & had to meet outside for our final bike ride of the trip at 8:45am. Katie still wasn’t wanting to swap bikes for this last ride unfortunately!

    On the ride our first destination was Lovrecina Bay, there was a few up and down parts to the ride so my legs were feeling it today! Katie looked like she hadn’t even broken a sweat! This bay is a Sandy Bay, seeing it was 9:30am and a bit of wind around we opted not to swim this morning, instead we had a coffee from the cafe there - much needed for me!

    Our next part of our ride took us up and down along the road, I stuck to the speed limit here only going 50km per hour on the down hill! We rode to the little village of Dol that has only 100 people there today. This where the local cake called Hrapocusa is made and was delightful! After the tasting of the cake we walked around the village and of course had to see the local church - this of course was on a hill!
    We rode back to the boat in Postira where we had lunch onboard while the boat started to make its way to Split, our final destination on the boat trip.

    Once the boat docked we had nearly two hours until we needed to be back in front of the boat for a walking tour that was included in the trip. We decided to walk around split, found a Zara for Katie to have a browse in seeing it’s been awhile! We also came across a gelato place so seeing the heat was getting to us opted for some refreshing gelato.

    Once back at the boat we joined the group for the walking tour. The guide took us to the waterfront and explained that the front used to stop at the front of Diocletian’s Palace, and the Venetians took 300 years to build out the waterfront that is there today. We walked through Diocletian’s cellars where there is a line of shops, no one knew these cellars existed until the 1950’s and they still have only uncovered 1/4 of the cellars that know that are there! We saw the Roman Mausoleum, the North gate and the famous statue of Gregory of Nin, it is said touching his big toe will bring you one wish of a none materialistic thing… of course I touched it, while Katie may of rolled her eyes at me!

    We finished the tour through old Venetian town part, there is no Western Wall as the Venetian’s pulled this down to make a newer part of the town and extend Split.

    We had our last dinner with everyone on the boat, toasting a good week riding. Final meal was fish which we were very happy with!

    The boat had a bit of a rock to it seeing all the ferries coming and going in the port, so after dinner we went for a walk again through Old Town to await the ferries to stop making waves for us so we could go to sleep comfortably.    Read more

  • Summer of 23

    Day 61 - Split, Croatia

    September 8, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today we woke up and had breakfast on the boat, we had to be off the boat by 9am so they can clean and turn around the boat for the next charter this afternoon.

    We decided to get off the boat at 8:30am and start walking to the area our airbnb is in as they will let us in at 10am! We grabbed a coffee along the way and met the airbnb host at 10am.

    The rest of the day was very low key, we grabbed some supplies for lunch and dinner from the supermarket, did a lot of washing in the washing machine.

    The afternoon we decided to head to the local beach Kupalište Kaštelet, it was great day just doing hardly anything after having such a hectic week!    Read more

  • Summer of 23

    Day 62 - Split, Croatia

    September 9, 2023 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Today we woke up and to say I felt exhausted was an understatement, we had breakfast in the apartment and went to a local cafe for a coffee.

    Unfortunately I wasn’t feeling the best so the best coffee we’ve had in a while didn’t go far and we had an amazing donut to share that I would usually demolish went unfinished.

    I went back to rest while Katie watched some shows on the iPad, ate a bag of chips and did some washing… all in her words! Also she planned a trip to the beach that apparently I crashed as I asked how are you getting there… her reply was - ‘ I dunno, I’ll figure it out’.

    So we walked down and got Katie some lunch then ubered to Bene Beach which, is on the tip of Marjan park, which the Split is trying to keep as a forest where you can hike around the tracks. 35,00 trees recently had to be cut down due to a disease in the trees was spreading, luckily the trees are naturally growing back as well while being monitored for further diseases.
    I also found out you can’t Uber all the way in seeing its a park they are trying to keep well vegetated, so the Uber dropped us as far as he could and we walked the further 1km in.

    We stayed here for a couple of hours then opted for the bus back which comes right to Bene Beach, typical Croatian bus timetable though, the bus was late but we were still thankful there was a bus.

    Tonight was another low key event where I slept and Katie watched more shows on the iPad.    Read more

  • Summer of 23
    Marjan from the sky
    Split from the skyBeer on the plane!Killing time on the busPretty SunsetA cat joining us at dinner

    Day 63 - Travel Days for Days, Greece

    September 10, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Today we packed up from our Airbnb, had breakfast and caught an Uber to Split Airport.
    After the confronting lines at Amsterdam & no online checkin for the flight today, we opted to make sure we were there nice and early for the flight… Wasn’t necessary though! Split airport is fantastic, all airlines are operated from the airport staffed check in desks, so just choose a desk and check in! There was over 10 desks so check in was so easy!
    We went through security, surprise my backpack got stopped again - but then I got waved through! So we killed the time with coffee and a call to Mum & Paul.

    On the flight as we approached Athens, the turbulence became rough from the wind, landing was a rocky event but was smooth touching down.

    We had just over 3 hours to kill until we meet the tour operator. So we grabbed some food and lounged until we needed to go the meeting place. We did look at catching a train to the mall but with Sunday timetable, opted to play it safe today.

    Upon meeting the tour company we found out due to the heavy winds all ferries were cancelled (didn’t even cross our minds!) So the next option to get us to the start of the tour was a 4 hour bus ride.

    Off we set on the bus ride, we got to stop in a town called Eretria for dinner. Katie had a salad and I had the grilled Octopus - This is somewhat some of the cheapest restaurant food we have had the whole trip and it was great! After dinner it was another 2 hour bus ride to where the tour starts.

    We arrived in Karystos just after midnight, now it wasn’t windy, it was a gale breeze shall we say! So no staying on the boat tonight! Instead they had organised a hotel for us.

    Now I do have to put this (Reader Discretion Here!) I have come to realise, due to the small pipes you can’t flush used toilet paper down the toilet in Greece at a lot of places, in a bin it goes and the hotel/facility cleans it daily… Bit of a culture shock I am still getting my head around, but we have 2 weeks for me to get around that!

    Overall we are happy we made it, Thanos our tour manager seems very nice and will do anything to help out!
    This has been our longest travel day so far (excluding flights to Europe) Hopefully the weather comes good and the wind settles.    Read more

  • Summer of 23
    Church of St. Nicholas
    Pink traditional HouseTraditional HouseSpiral staircase to the roofThe wonderful Cats of the IslandView up to Cassa RossoNunnery that has no Nuns nowView from lunchPsili Ammos beach#1 Spritz of the dayView from the beach barOur boat M/S Isidoros II is a traditional wooden CaiqueThe port with lots of boats due to the weatherDecorative water fountain

    Day 64 - Karystos, Greece

    September 11, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

    Today we woke up to yet the wind howling outside against the hotel… no boating today we figured!

    We went down for breakfast and met the guide at 10:45am ready to go for a walk around the town area of Karystos.

    We started out at the church of St. Nicholas which is a Orthodox Church as Greece is an Orthodox country.
    Thanos our guide explained the difference between Christian and Orthodox churches as one would think this is a Christian Church. Main two differences we took away is the alter is behind the wall with the paintings of the Old Testament, & Orthodox churches do not have statues.
    This Church has paintings all over the wall dating back to the early centuries. This was painted over by the Nazi’s but slowly came back over the years and they ended up bringing them back to life. Parts of the walls are not painted and this is because of the Nazi’s bombing the town during the war. They saw the town as a crucial port to make sure they held held the shipping routes. When bringing the church back to life they opted to not repaint the walls damaged from the bombing, though they did make the Nazi’s before they left to fix the dome and repaint it.

    We moved up the hill to get a view point of the town. Thanos gave us a donut as a snack from a local bakery that was amazing!

    We walked back down into town and along the beach, which Thanos took us to a beach bar, Psili Ammos, for a welcome drink to the trip,as we missed our welcome drinks the night before thanks to the weather.

    2 aperol spritz for me and gin & tonic for Katie! After the drinks we were free to do what we liked. We headed for a walk around the main part of the village and got a coffee at a local coffee bar.

    For dinner, Thanos took the group to a very local eatery, Cavo d' oro Κάβο ντόρο, and explained the menu thoroughly. So much so, everything sounded amazing!
    I had the octopus dish and Katie had the pork tenderloin with pesto and sundries tomatoes. Starters was a sharing dishes that Thanos had picked for us.
    Rose was a house rose, was nice but a bitter dryer for our tastes, think we’ll opt to a white wine while in Greece.    Read more

  • Summer of 23
    Church Εκκλησία
    The view down the fire trackkokkinis beachCastello RossoView from the chapelThe best donut I've had!Fried halloumi with fig jamThe goat wrapped in grape vine, so easy to cut!

    Day 65 - Vrisi Bey & Castello Rosso

    September 12, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    Today was confirmed the weather hadn’t eased up so we would be staying in the hotel in Karystos another night. Thanos had our walked planned still to show us some of local area.

    He got us a mini bus and shuttled us up to the Church Εκκλησία, a little church that is mainly used for the Shepards and to give praise to the stock for the season.
    Across the road was a local slate area of brown and grey slate. The southern part of Evia is made up of either slate or Marble.

    We walked down along a fire track to the beach, kokkinis, which Thanos has planed time for us to have a swim. We also had lunch here that he hit us that was made fresh from the local bakery.

    After a swim and lunch, we walked and met the mini bus along the road. He took us up to Castello Rosso. During the Greek Revolution of 1821 many battles were fought for possession of the castle.
    The first fort on the imposing hill called Montofoli, was built by the Byzantines in 1030. According to one version, medieval Castello Rosso was built on Byzantine foundations by the baron Ravano dalle Carceri, from 1209-1216. It was captured by the Franks and purchased at a later stage by the Venetians who occupied it for 104 years. Later, during the Ottoman period (1470-1830), it was fortified more majestically by the Turks. Under the church in Castello Rosso, they uncovered a well with fresh water (mainly how the people in the castle survived) it is believed to be written in the Odyssey the church on the hill with the well underneath.

    We walked back down the hill towards the town, Thanos picking us grapes and various other fruit from trees hanging into the street! He’s very passionate about his countries food.

    He told us to meet up at 7pm for a special place for dinner… Katie and I tried to go to a couple of jewellery shops that were not open so drowned our sorrows from the bakery that Thanos got us the donuts from with another donut!
    Thanos took us too Geusiplous which Chef Giannis Baxevanis owns multiple restaurants worldwide. The venue looks simple from the front, walk out the back and your in an alfresco dining. This used to be a ice block making warehouse, during WWII was bombed by the Germans and the roof was never fixed due to technology advancing and not needing ice blocks for boats, so the area left to sit until Giannis brought it and made expansion to his resturant.
    Dinner was amazing and would come back just for this venue!    Read more

  • Summer of 23

    Day 66 - Sail to Panagia Stira, Greece

    September 13, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Today is the day Thanos is determined that the weather is ok to let us sail, so we had breakfast in the hotel, Katie and I got a few supplies from the supermarket and brought our bags down to board the boat.

    We set sail and was introduced to M/S Isidoros II, which is a traditional Woden Caique. We had a 4 hour sail if all went well, though they had plans to stop the boat and let us have a swim off the boat!
    We stopped just off Pontikonisi island, all the islands around this part of Evia are privately owned (Bill Gates now owns part of one) but you are allowed to Moore your boat, swim & use the beach. Just have to make sure your boat is out of the view of there batches.

    We sailed onto our first port of call Panagia Stira via the Fjord of Almyropotamos. As we sailed in and docked, we looked over and saw a cat in another fishing boat looking for any left over fish he might get!

    Thanos explained the importance this bay was to the Nazis during WWII, they had a lot of their submarines stationed here thanks to the deep Fjord. A village nearby wanted to revolt against the Nazis and walked a boat down from their village, rowed with their hands to the submarines attaching explosives to them. They blew up 35 submarines, a lot of Nazis and themselves. The explosion could be heard in Athens. The Nazis retaliated and surrounded the village they came from once they worked out who was responsible, and burnt the village down and the people in the village - roughly 1100 people. This was meant to stop revolts against the Nazis but there were 83 more incidents like this throughout WWII against the Nazis.
    This area is also home to 26 discoveries of full dinosaur skeletons and they were all different types of dinosaurs. Which is amazing that the different types were able to live on one island together. These are now housed in Germany mainly from the Nazis stealing the skeletons.

    Thanos let us go for a wander as he had to find the priest so we could see the church later. Katie and I walked along the water, then walked back to a cafe to get a coffee & beer.

    Thanos took us at 7pm to see Holy Church of the Dormition of the Virgin, this has a painting that was out from under the floor by an unknown person when the muslims were taking over Greece, this essentially saved the painting but was weathered from being under the floor for all that time. The painting is of Mary’s death and is insured for quite a large sum of money now! We saw the original and a copy of the painting done of what it originally would have looked like.

    Out side of the church we looked at two olive trees that are 2500 years old.

    After learning about the olive trees and fines relating cutting any olive trees down in Greece, we walked further out the back to see turtles in the local creek. Thanos had some bread and fed the turtles.

    Then he took us to get fed at a local tavern. We tried the local moussaka while a lot of cats walked under our table hoping for any droppings!    Read more

  • Summer of 23

    Day 67 - Panagia Stira, Greece

    September 14, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Today was our first walk of the tour! Thanos had two taxis to ferry us to the village of Argyron, which is settled in the crater of a dormant volcano. Usually Thanos walks through the fields which is the actual crater but seeing the risks of snacks we took the road up.

    Once up the road you had a lovely view of the village and villages further on. We walked away from this view and 2 minutes later we had an amazing view of the Fjord & the Islands in the area. We continued our walk down the hill to the village below, we came across a couple of turtles along the side of the road along with a lot of Marble in the hills. We arrived in Agios Dimitrios, a small village that Thanos took us to get a drink and relax. Of course beer was the logical choice while Katie pied for a lemon Fanta.

    After our break we walked further on to have a swim at Golden Sand beach just south of Agios Dimitrios. We had a half n hour swim & found it was walkable until a 100 metres out where there was a sheer drop of the floor created by the Glacier years ago.

    Once we walked back to the boat, we had lunch served on the boat while we set sail to Nea Styra.

    Once at Nea Styra, Thanos explained about the Swans on the beach further south and at the start of the pier the famous ice cream shop, Dodoni, is there. Dodoni is all over Greece but they are known for using local ingredients and always have 24 flavours each day!
    But before seeing swans or ice cream this is Thanos’s favourite spot to swim from the boat! So we jumped from the top of the boat or climbed down the ladder… Of course I jumped from the boat! After the swim in the crystal clear water we went and got ice cream.

    This village is the place to see the sunset over the mountains of Marathon, Thanos led us to dinner to watch the sunset from the pier. In true Thanos fashion he led us to believe they were smaller portions than what they were… the Courgette fries was a small serve in his eyes! We had the locally caught fish as the Resturant owns their own boat and catches it themselves!

    The sunset was lovely and the sangria & house wine was a perfect pairing to the sunset!    Read more

  • Summer of 23
    1

    Day 68 - Nea Styra, Greece

    September 15, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    This morning we woke up to our neighbours fishing and eating fish for breakfast! This would be a lone fisherman with 2 hungry cats keeping him company!

    Thanos organised a mini bus to take us up to the Acropolis of Styra.
    The castle was built on the wall of the ancient Acropolis of Styra, during the Frankish period, and its megalithic gate survives to this day. Along with the ruins of the castle there is a chapel, the chapel of the virgin, that was built in the 13th century. UNESCO have wanted to pull this down as it doesn’t have the same historic sentiment as the Acropolis, they came to an agreement to let it stay with no renovations or repairs to be made. When they made this decision, locals rushed up here and made concrete beams to support the roof! Thanos says UNESCO wasn’t happy but least now it will stand longer!

    We took the mini bus further down the hill to see the one of the Dragon Houses of Styra, they were built with massive stone blocks without mortar and large stone slabs for the roofs. The reason they are called dragon houses is due to the large stones would of been challenging to move so when found it was thought to be that dragons moved the stones to build the houses. The houses are still in discussion as to how old or who actually built them to this day though.

    We stopped in Styra for a quick drink and the mini bus left so we could walk back to the boat down in Nea Styra.
    Once back on the boat we had time for a quick swim, including jumping off the boat before lunch and us leaving the dock to go to our next village.

    Once at the next port Marmari, we found 5 kittens waiting for us to say hi with their Mum on the dock. I made good friends with them. Thanos even gave them some milk and food, he also told us they belong to one of the fishing boats owners.
    We went for a walk to the north of the port to see the Cycladic built houses of the white wash and blue painted roofs and trimmings. So Katie had a photo shoot here.

    Dinner was at a local tavern along the water with yet again, a lot of cats walking around waiting for some dropping from the table.
    After dinner we went to have a couple of drinks with some people from the boat while watching the All Blacks play on one of their phones.    Read more

  • Summer of 23
    Kittens at the pier
    On our walk down to Great Sand Bar BeachSand bar and barWalking down to Zastani BeachZastani Beach#husbandsofinstagramZastani BeachGreat Sand Bar BeachView on our walk back to the boatTraditinal soup for lunchThe boat in Nea StyraSunset at Nea StyraKatie's dinner

    Day 69 - Marmari, Greece

    September 16, 2023 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    This morning we had to be ready for the taxis at 9:30am, so breakfast on the boat and then a taxi ride up too Analipsis Christ Church to start our walk. Surprisingly Thanos didn’t mention anything about the church.

    We walked down towards the ocean but stayed on the road that was higher up on the hillside. From this road we could see the devastation from the 2012 fires and the Monastery rebuilt from the fires - this Monastery only has two nuns left, Thanos said it’s only a matter of time before it becomes Nun-less Monastery unfortunately.
    It was a perfect day to look our towards Makronisos Island, unfortunately this island has a terrible past from the political prison from the 1920’s to the 1970’s but worst from the time of 1967-73 as this was the time that with help from the Nixon Campaign threw out the voted in party and put 3 military personal from Junta army in control of the country. This was a dictatorship and lots of people lost their lives on this island from being imprisoned.

    We kept walking around the edge of the Island as we came into view the famous Great Sand Bar Beach, ideally there is a bar there with the local kite surfing club! The Sand Bar is naturally made and doesn’t change a lot as the sea here isn’t tidal.

    Thanos left us here to make our way back leisurely walk back to the boat, first we walked down to Zastani Beach to see the volcanic rocks in the sea from the beach. It was very windy so opted for no swimming. We wandered back to the sand bar and grabbed a coffee from the bar.
    We wandered back and had lunch on the boat at 1:30pm.

    The weather was very windy and it had started to pick up and get worse earlier than expected. Thanos soon told us we were not heading back to the port at Karystos as there was no guarantee to get us back off the island by ferry from there. So he had made arrangements to take us back to port of Nea Styra for the night and we catch the ferry to Marathon Port which was guaranteed to run the next day.

    This was fine by us as when docked, Thanos lets you jump from the top of the boat and the water is crystal clear! No diving as I touched the bottom jumping in the previous day we were here! Also at the pier start of the pier across the road is Dodoni, the famous ice cream shop with 24 flavours each day! I had a swim then we went and got ice cream!

    For dinner Thanos organised us a spot at ΓΙΑΝΝΗΣ ΨΗΣΤΑΡΙΑ again! I had the chicken skewer as did Katie with courgette fries for starters. Again Thanos famously got extras from the Resturant for the table and way to much food was consumed.

    After dinner most turned in for the night but we went with a couple of Brits to a bar for drinks. Thanos was to join us once his wife and son had made it from the main land. Thanos finally found us and ushered us out of the bar we were at as he had found a roof top bar! We went to Flamingo Bar where we met his Australian Greek wife and had a couple of Spritz with them! We all called it a night shortly after 1am and Thanos was glad to be in a different port for a Saturday night to experience the night life here.    Read more

  • Summer of 23
    Gonger boy strolling along the beach
    On the ferry about to leave2 ferrys with our boat to the rightChicken GyroOur accomodation doorBeach and pool accessChrusch onsiteNaousa LanewaysNaousa fishing portMethystra BarOnly one Spritz todayLoukomadesInteresting lighting...

    Day 70 - Evia Island to Paros, Greece

    September 17, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    This morning is the last breakfast on our boat the M/S Isidoros II. We got our stuff ready and bid farewell to our boat as Thanos took us to the ferry literally 2 boats over from our own.

    This ferry will take us to the port under Marathon town, where a couple of taxis will take us to the airport of Athens where our tour ends.

    Thankfully Katie and I had decided to change our flight and book the 1pm flight as we got to the airport at 11am. The plane was a small ATR plane which felt all the turbulence!
    We landed in Paros and we collected the hired car I had booked from Sixt, they gave us a Fiat Hybrid Panda which is a brand new one.
    We drove into the Port town of Parikia, where the ferries came to for Paros. We grabbed some lunch at Hellas specifically having the Gyros on the menu - pretty much a souvlaki. We got to our Accomadation which looks out onto its own beach.

    We rested up then headed to the closest village near our hotel & the busiest, Naousa. We walked the laneways and had a wonder into a few shops, when the sun was setting we figured a drink wouldn’t be bad to set our sights on. We ended up at Methystra Bar which over looks the fishing port of Naousa & the Venetian castle ruins of Paros.

    Seeing a lot of tourists flock to this village the places I had searched for dinner either were full or had a line. So we found a nice resturant that offered some Greek dishes along the Main Street. After dinner I had eyed in the laneways a small shop making Loukomades which is donut balls made with honey inside, we got them drizzled with a bit of chocolate!

    We drove back to the Accomadation to have some much needed sleep.    Read more

  • Summer of 23
    Monastiri Beach
    Marmara MillMarmara local catsChurch of Christ, MarpissaFlorals in MarpissaPink house MarpissaPink house MarpissaView from Back to Back at Lunch in Pisa LovadiAliki port for local boatsCuttlefish dishDinner guestsTavern Kallitechniko kafenio

    Day 71 - Paros, Greece

    September 18, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    Today we woke up in what seems to be Paradise after being in a tiny room on a boat!
    We had breakfast at the resort looking out to the pool, today is another very windy day and we had planned a trip on a boat but thankfully we changed this to later in the week.

    We left the resort and headed up the road to see Monastiri Beach, a sheltered bay that is a swimming spot that is good when a Northerly wind hits. Seeing the next two days are forecasted for wind we will be back here.

    We set off for our first village for the day, we started off at Promdromos, on the eastern side of Paros is a small quiet village. Prodromos is built in the traditional Cycladic style. The village boasts beautiful whitewashed houses and tiny chapels through out the village.

    After a few photos and a good walk around we moved literally down the road to Marmara, a smaller village that had 3 cats running around the main park. Marmara is an agriculture village that is built in the traditional Cycladic style. The village also has an old wind mill we went up and had a look at.

    The next village which is right next to Marmara is Marpissa. Marpissa is located on a hill with lots of chapels throughout the village, the town is also built in the traditional Cycladic style with the white washed buildings with the blue. We visited the pink house which is the only different coloured doors and windows compared to the rest.

    We drove down to the seaside village of Pisa Lovadi which is close to the other three villages. We walked along the waterfront, walking into a couple of shops then had lunch at Back to Back, this isn’t anything like a traditional Greek resturant - except the beer - we had tacos & Bao buns. We had a quick chat to Dad and Desma here too

    After a nice lunch and a chat to a waitress that really wants to move to NZ, we made our way to Aliki, the closest seaside village to Paros Airport. We walked along the waterfront, got to the end of where the boats are lined up and found some goats penned with a rather quiet beach. On the drive in I spotted a beach that looked sheltered so we went on the hunt for that, it was only a 7 minute drive and we found Παραλία Φάραγκα beach that has a beach club on 1/3 of the beach. This was sheltered from the wind though very busy considering this.

    We ended back at Parikia where the ferries come into Paros. Katie wanted to have a look around the shops after walking quickly passed them yesterday. We found a lot of the shops, the assistant would follow you around telling you about stuff which really becomes a bit annoying, not all the shops but enough to get on your nerve. The last shop we visited is called Memories Jewellery, Zeta and her husband make all the jewellery that is in the store and all the stones have a meaning. We brought Katie a Rose Quartz bracelet and myself a Chrysocolla stone bracelet - upon reading the card what the Chrysocolla stone meant, Katie and I both laughed it’s me so had to get it - I’m definitely not one that believes in this stuff but funny the one I liked really should be me! Zeta talked to us about the jewellery, NZ and our honeymoon. She even made us a cute piece as a gift for our honeymoon!

    We got some ice cream on the way out of Parikia and headed back to the resort.

    Dinner we drove back to Promodromas to have dinner at a little tavern called Kallitechniko kafenio, Katie had the meatballs and I had the cuttlefish dish washed down with 1/2 litre of white wine and some very affectionate cats wanting pats.

    We covered the outter ring of the island today and find it a very cute little island.    Read more

  • Summer of 23

    Day 72 - Paros, Greece

    September 19, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    Today we had breakfast at the resort before we headed off to see the centre of the island.

    We drove over to Lefkes, a small village near the centre of the island.
    Upon arriving 2 lovely young ladies couldn’t work out the road rules and were to the right of the road trying to turn left with no indication but their hands. I hardly saw their hands so proceeded to turn with another car. When we got down to park they proceeded to flip us off… I saw that! Us laughing about it probably didn’t help but it was funny!
    We walked through the village looking through a couple of local shops making our way through to the Holy Trinity Lefkes Orthodox Church. The church is mainly made out of local marble inside which is a site to behold, unfortunately no photos allowed.

    We walked around the houses in the village, this is like the other villages built to the Cycladic style with the white wash and blue roofs. We do like when we see houses with some render showing the existing brick underneath, gives it some more character.
    We ended up finding a local jewellery shop, Katie had soon found a necklace she liked and brought it.
    On the way out of the village to the parked car, we met a lot of the local cats that seemed to be well looked after and somewhat fixed which was good to see.

    We drove to a village nearby Kostas which we spotted from the main road, not a lot happening in this village. We gathered more locals live here seeing not many tourists around.

    The ancient marble quarries were a couple minute drive away. I don’t know what I was expecting but the cave in the hill was shut due to falling rock & ruins of houses with marble rocks laying around. I was expecting more of an open cut sort of quarry.

    Lunch was on Katie’s next hit list, so we drove to Paralia Krios beach. We treated ourselves to a lunch at Aroda resturant on the water. This was the best octopus I’ve had since being in Greece! (Shows you get what you pay for sometimes!)

    After lunch we got changed and headed for the beach to cool off. This beach is very sheltered from the Northerly winds, though it was more European than we bargained for… there were a couple of sites we saw along the beach for free.

    We went to the resort, I had a swim from our room. The ocean is really shallow here and there’s a sand bar further out, from there it proceeds to get deeper. After laying on the sun beds we freshened up and headed to a local tavern nearby. This food was nothing to write home about but we really stuffed the wine order up here! There’s was 1litre house wine (should of ordered that and left some) or 0.5l bottle that was fairly cheap, we opted for that. Little did we know this wine had a very strong rosemary taste along with other green herbs… well we learnt the hard way!

    We called it a night after this to get some rest for tomorrow.    Read more

  • Summer of 23
    1

    Day 73 - Captain Bens Lazy Day, Greece

    September 20, 2023 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    Today we have a boat tour booked with Captain Ben, we had a quick breakfast at the resort then drove down to the port to meet that boat that comes from Antiparos. Antiparos is the island closest to Paros and you can take a car ferry across and drive around in the island. As there are many cliffs and places that need a boat to access, we decided TikTok hadn’t lead us astray and Captain Ben’s boat tour was needed!

    We got on the boat and shown to the front of the boat where they have assigned spots for you.

    Seeing it’s been windy we were going to follow the windy day charter. First stop was the Blue Lagoon located near an island between Paros & AntiParos. This was our first swim spot and our first chance to jump from the top of the boat. Katie stayed on board while I jumped off from the top.

    Second stop was near the small caves on the Western side of AntiParos. This is where you can do some cliff jumping! Katie came in the water and filmed me jumping, of course I did my normal hesitation jitter before jumping off the cliff. After having a swim we went back on board and this is where they handed out the first glass of wine for the day.

    Third stop was at Livadi Beach, we had the option to either take the small boat to the beach or swim. We both swam to the beach.
    On the beach you could play games or lounge around. They gave us some wine, our first taste of Ouzo, (hell of spirit!) & some snacks like fresh Octopus they had drying out on the back of the boat!
    We swam back to the boat to lunch being ready and Captain Ben handing out beers or wine!

    Our next stop was the Sea Cave, Katie swam through the caves! This is also where Captain Ben started popping champagne from the boat while the crew handed out cups of Champagne to everyone in the water!

    Last and final stop for the day was at Faneromeni Bay, the crew set up the slide in matter of no time and slide down into the water! Even Katie went down the slide… had to get video evidence to prove Katie did it!

    As we sailed back to the port they put some dance music on and served wine & fruit.
    Once we were back on land, we wanted to get a coffee. We found a bakery near our resort. Now I swear I said two flat whites, what I got was an ice coffee made from the most horrendous instant coffee, as I never heard the machine!
    So we went back to where we got a coffee from the day before then back to the resort to relax.

    Tonight’s dinner was to be a Greek delight, a Yiro from a local butcher shop. We took our Yiro’s down to a spot overlooking Paroikia town, after dinner we went for a walk along the waterfront.

    We tried to go to Naousa to get a drink but this is where every man, his dog & the dog’s goat goes at night so parking was non existent unless you want to pay exuberant prices. So we went back to the resort to relax after a big day.    Read more

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