Ormos Samos

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Sunday 12th June, 2011

We had a breakfast as part of the room rate and went down at nine fifteen. It was the usual continental style meal.

We wanted a look around Vathi before we moved on so arranged with the lady to look after our bags, which she said we could keep in the room.

We went back up to the room and quickly packed our stuff and left the big bags in the room.

We wandered out into the world and the Nissos Mykonos was still there from last night. We headed towards the bus station to try and find times for buses, which we did but because today was Sunday we weren't able to get a bus in the direction we wanted. We could have got a bus to Kalovasi at 1400 which is closer to Ormos, Marathokampou, but I decided that we would get a taxi.

So we had plenty of time and followed the signs to the Archaeological museum, which was open. Entrance was €3 and for a change it was an excellent museum. Lots of notes and signs explaining the exhibits and background historical information. I saw some things that were new to me and there were some very old preserved wood exhibits which you don't often see.

The main item is the massive Kouros statue at around 5 metres tall and again fascinating.

We took a look at the church next door and then ambled through the shopping centre back towards the hotel.

We decided on a beer and a coke and stopped at a cafe beside the main road near the port and watched the world go by. Vathi is the capital of Samos, but the pace of life is much slower here than Ermoupolis where we have just come from.

Then back to the hotel and collected our bags. The lady in the hotel helped us arrange a taxi, which arrived in no time.

Then a drive to our hotel, the taxi driver speaking broken English and telling us about life on Samos and various other information.

We arrived at the Kerkis Bay hotel at 3 o'clock and were shown to our room. The bedroom has been refurbished with all new furniture. The bathroom was older but OK.

We sorted a few things out, but went out fairly quickly for something to eat. The hotel stretches into a quayside restaurant and we ate there. We had a Greek salad, Kleftiko and pork souvlaki.

All this while sitting in the sunshine watching the boats was delightful.

Then a short stroll to find what was about, and back to the room.

It seems to have been a day for receipts; the lady in the kiosk who sold us a bottle of water made sure to give us a receipt. The hotel lady gave us a receipt, even the taxi driver who had used the meter opened his glove compartment and produced a printed receipt from a little machine, which astonished me.

The rest of our day was spent relaxing and we didn't venture out any more.

Monday 13th June, 2011

We went down to breakfast after nine and had the usual style breakfast, sitting outside by the harbour was very pleasant.

Pat got some directions for the next beach and we planned to take a further explore.

Ormos, where the hotel is situated, is a sleepy little fishing village with a few tavernas and hotels. It is a small place and not a thriving tourist area by any means. That doesn't mean it isn't quaint but it doesn't have a hustle and bustle.

After breakfast we got ready for the day and took a further walk around the village to make sure we hadn't missed anything. After walking for a very short while we came to the eastern end of the village and no, we hadn't missed anything.

Then headed off towards Votsalakia the next village along the coast. After crossing the headland separating the two places we walked along the coastal road.

There are restaurants, tavernas, snack bars, car hire offices and souvenir shops stretching out into the distance. We stopped at a beach bar for a beer and a coke, looking at the beach. There are some people about but not lots and lots.

We walked again until we felt we had gone far enough and the touristy stuff started to thin out then turned back.

A gyros pitta for me and more drinks - he wouldn't take money for the bottle of water we had when I paid - and then ambled back to the room returning at three o'clock.

Samos is a mountainous island and there is what we think is a very ugly mountain down the coast. Another thing we can see is wind turbines on the hillside and we have been seeing these all over the Greek islands. Every time I see a wind farm I think of our friend Pete who has issues about the usefulness of wind turbines.

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