May 23
Today we pick up our rental car in the morning and when we get there we are also shown the apartment that they are offering. It turns out to be two studios side by side with Annie having to sleep on a sofa in the middle of the living room for the next two weeks. Not such a great arrangement, although the price is great. We are very non-committal on the apartment, however, we go ahead and get the car. Easy breezy rental process and within 10 minutes we are down the road in our cute, red Renault. We pull up at the hotel and gather up the kids for our first real adventure day here on Skopelos. We are off to explore the island and to find some of the beaches that were featured in the movie "Mamma Mia". We drive along the coastal road up the western side of the island and discover several other supermarkets that are available to us while we have our car. We also pull up to Kastani Beach from the movie, but it does not have the right vibe for what we are after. They have carved out a grassy area which seems very out of place here and built a fancy restaurant and bar that rents out chairs and umbrellas. We opt to continue on our path. We pass by many other beaches: Milias, Panormas, Stafilos, before arriving at Neo Klima which is pretty deserted and we have the long stretch of pebble beach to ourselves. Extra bonus is there is a picnic table and a shelter for shade. We lay out our blankets and bask in the warm sun. The water is still pretty cold, so any swimming is done in fits and spurts. We have a nice lunch of olives, feta, salami and far too much bread and settle our lazy bones onto the beach for several hours. We are intent on learning the Greek alphabet this week so we can translate the into English the many signs that we currently cannot read. After we feel we have received a sufficient bronzing, we pack it up and head farther afield toward the small western town of Glossa. When we arrive, we very quickly learn that no cars are allowed in town so we park on the outskirts, grab a refreshing drink and hoof it up hill to the center of town. These small towns are rife with very narrow passages that are all intertwined. There is no real privacy here as we hear the conversations of each family that is talking as we pass by. We are learning that most of the families have lived here forever and are most likely related in some way. Not sure if that makes the lack of privacy any more bearable - probably not. We find a lovely bakery and sample their offering of baklava which is, of course, delicious. Farther along we climb toward where the arrows indicate is the center of town, although we give out of steam before finding it. We return to the car and are heading home when we see the sign to Agios Ionnis church (St. John's Church) which was featured in the movie. The kids are claiming fatique and wanting to return another day, but we press on anyway. We wind through the olive groves, passing cherry trees in full bloom, figs, organges, lemons and arichoke plants. We finally reach the bottom of the very tall hill we have to climb to see the tiny church at the top. We make the climb and are rewarded with a magnificent view of the surrounding area. You have the feeling of being on top of the world as you look out at the deep blue ocean and feel as though you can see the ends of the earth as it rounds off in the distance. The church is mostly a tourist attraction now and houses some relics, but little else. We sign the guestbook and sit in the olive grove at the top before attempting the return trip. Annie and Sam are intent on swimming in these amazingly clear waters and there are a number of spots that seem ideal. They decide to climb out to a small out cropping of rocks that they can jump from and are encouraging me to join them when.....SPLIT.....I have ripped a huge hole in my shorts. I return to the land, covering myself as best I can while they swim. On the return trip home, we stop on the side of the road and enjoy some of the juiciest, freshest cherries I have ever had. Back at the hotel, we give showering another try, but no luck so we rest a while before returning to our new favorite restaurant for dinner. We sit inside as the weather gets cold and breezy at night. The Greeks are really feeling the pinch of their current economic crisis and we are seeing the stress the reduction in tourists is causing them. Each night, Ilias stands on the sidewalk greeting passersby and encouraging them into his restaurant for dinner. Most of the time it works as he is a real character with a zest for life. The meal is wonderful as always and afterward the family of Ilias, Ionnis, The mom, and other brother all join us at our table for drinks and stories.....we get an earful and a belly full and this is the first time we have had as much to drink since we left Raleigh. We get home feeling very satisfied and very sleepy. A great day!
Today we pick up our rental car in the morning and when we get there we are also shown the apartment that they are offering. It turns out to be two studios side by side with Annie having to sleep on a sofa in the middle of the living room for the next two weeks. Not such a great arrangement, although the price is great. We are very non-committal on the apartment, however, we go ahead and get the car. Easy breezy rental process and within 10 minutes we are down the road in our cute, red Renault. We pull up at the hotel and gather up the kids for our first real adventure day here on Skopelos. We are off to explore the island and to find some of the beaches that were featured in the movie "Mamma Mia". We drive along the coastal road up the western side of the island and discover several other supermarkets that are available to us while we have our car. We also pull up to Kastani Beach from the movie, but it does not have the right vibe for what we are after. They have carved out a grassy area which seems very out of place here and built a fancy restaurant and bar that rents out chairs and umbrellas. We opt to continue on our path. We pass by many other beaches: Milias, Panormas, Stafilos, before arriving at Neo Klima which is pretty deserted and we have the long stretch of pebble beach to ourselves. Extra bonus is there is a picnic table and a shelter for shade. We lay out our blankets and bask in the warm sun. The water is still pretty cold, so any swimming is done in fits and spurts. We have a nice lunch of olives, feta, salami and far too much bread and settle our lazy bones onto the beach for several hours. We are intent on learning the Greek alphabet this week so we can translate the into English the many signs that we currently cannot read. After we feel we have received a sufficient bronzing, we pack it up and head farther afield toward the small western town of Glossa. When we arrive, we very quickly learn that no cars are allowed in town so we park on the outskirts, grab a refreshing drink and hoof it up hill to the center of town. These small towns are rife with very narrow passages that are all intertwined. There is no real privacy here as we hear the conversations of each family that is talking as we pass by. We are learning that most of the families have lived here forever and are most likely related in some way. Not sure if that makes the lack of privacy any more bearable - probably not. We find a lovely bakery and sample their offering of baklava which is, of course, delicious. Farther along we climb toward where the arrows indicate is the center of town, although we give out of steam before finding it. We return to the car and are heading home when we see the sign to Agios Ionnis church (St. John's Church) which was featured in the movie. The kids are claiming fatique and wanting to return another day, but we press on anyway. We wind through the olive groves, passing cherry trees in full bloom, figs, organges, lemons and arichoke plants. We finally reach the bottom of the very tall hill we have to climb to see the tiny church at the top. We make the climb and are rewarded with a magnificent view of the surrounding area. You have the feeling of being on top of the world as you look out at the deep blue ocean and feel as though you can see the ends of the earth as it rounds off in the distance. The church is mostly a tourist attraction now and houses some relics, but little else. We sign the guestbook and sit in the olive grove at the top before attempting the return trip. Annie and Sam are intent on swimming in these amazingly clear waters and there are a number of spots that seem ideal. They decide to climb out to a small out cropping of rocks that they can jump from and are encouraging me to join them when.....SPLIT.....I have ripped a huge hole in my shorts. I return to the land, covering myself as best I can while they swim. On the return trip home, we stop on the side of the road and enjoy some of the juiciest, freshest cherries I have ever had. Back at the hotel, we give showering another try, but no luck so we rest a while before returning to our new favorite restaurant for dinner. We sit inside as the weather gets cold and breezy at night. The Greeks are really feeling the pinch of their current economic crisis and we are seeing the stress the reduction in tourists is causing them. Each night, Ilias stands on the sidewalk greeting passersby and encouraging them into his restaurant for dinner. Most of the time it works as he is a real character with a zest for life. The meal is wonderful as always and afterward the family of Ilias, Ionnis, The mom, and other brother all join us at our table for drinks and stories.....we get an earful and a belly full and this is the first time we have had as much to drink since we left Raleigh. We get home feeling very satisfied and very sleepy. A great day!
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