Days 9 -12 11th to 14th June 2013 - Serifos

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WE ARE LOOSING TRACK OF THE DAYS NOW I THINK ITS TUESDAY. TIM IS DISPATCHED TO GO AND FIND BREAKFAST WHILST I SLOWLY WAKE UP. AT HOME IT IS USUALLY THE OTHER WAY ROUND BUT AFTER LAST NIGHTS TREK HE HAS A PENANCE TO PAY. Nothing unusual there then.

I AM BOILING THE SMALLEST SAUCEPAN FULL OF WATER FOR OUR COFFEES IT TAKES 2 SAUCEPANS FULL TO MAKE 2 MUGS.

OUR FIRST TASK TODAY IS TO TRY AND WORK OUT THE GREEK FERRY SYSTEM. WE WANT TO STAY ON SERIFOS UNTIL THURSDAY AND THEN SET SAIL TO SIFNOS. NO SUCH LUCK NO FERRIES ON THURSDAY SO WE SHALL STAY AN EXTRA NIGHT AND GO ON FRIDAY. OUR BOOK GUIDE TO GREEK ISLAND HOPPING SAYS DON'T TRAVEL ON FRIDAYS OR SUNDAYS AS EVERYONE FROM ATHENS WILL BE ON THE FERRY OFF ON THEIR WEEKEND JAUNTS AND IF YOU MUST, BOOK AN EARLY FERRY TO ARRIVE IN YOUR DESTINATION AHEAD OF THE CROWDS SO YOU FIND SOME ACCOMMODATION. THE EARLIEST FERRY FOR US IS THE FAST FERRY AT 7.10PM SO THAT IS WHAT WE ARE BOOKED ON.

WE BOOK CAR HIRE FOR TOMORROW THE ISLAND IS VERY SMALL SO NO MORE THAN A DAY IS NECESSARY. AFTER EXPLORING THE TOWN OF SERIFOS WE HEAD FOR THE BEACH FOR THE AFTERNOON, WITH FACTOR 50 ON MY LEFT LEG WHICH I BURNT AND AN OLD T SHIRT TO COVER IT UP. TIM HIBERNATES UNDER HIS SUN SHADE TO READ. THE BEACH IS NICE AND SANDY BUT FEW FISH SO WE WHILE AWAY THE AFTERNOON WATCHING THE YACHTS SAILING IN AND OUT OF THE BAY.

IN THE EVENING WE HAVE A MEAL IN THE TAVERNA WE WERE JOINED BY NUMEROUS MANKY LOOKING CATS AND DUCKS ALL BEGGING FOR FOOD. I DIDN'T REALIZE DUCKS SWAM IN THE SEA BUT THESE ONES DO. WE IGNORED THE WILDLIFE BUT ONE TABLE DIDN'T AND ENDED UP WITH A CAT POUNCING ON THEIR TABLE. THE FOOD WAS GOOD BUT 41 EUROS LATER...WE WERE ROBBED. WONT GO THERE AGAIN.

TIM IS NOW SEARCHING FOR PROPERTIES TO STAY AT ON SERIFOS I POINT OUT TO HIM WE ARE STAYING AT SERIFOS NOW THE NEXT ISLAND IS SIFNOS. SILLY BILLY. I think it is time Greece renamed it's islands so they don't sound so similar

WEDNESDAY

WE ARE SIGHT SEEING SIFNOS IN A HIRE CAR A LITTLE CHEVY MATIZ, 800CC GUTLESS WONDER TIM DOESN'T REALLY FIT VERY WELL (a design issue) AND AS WE DRIVE ALONG THE ROAD VARIOUS PEOPLE ARE STARING AT THE CAR LAUGHING. MAYBE IT IS BECAUSE HE HAS TAKEN TO WEARING MY HAT. (Got to get our moneys worth.) THERE IS A BUS SERVICE FROM SERIFOS TO CHORA 5K UP A MOUNTAIN BUT IT DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE ELSE SO YOU HAVE TO HIRE A VEHICLE TO GET ABOUT.

UP OUT OF SERIFOS WE GO ACROSS A MOUNTAINOUS HEADLAND THEN DROP DOWN INTO THE BAY OF KOUTALIS FOR A MUCH NEEDED SWIM. AFTERWARDS OFF WE GO AGAIN AT A JUNCTION WE SEE A GREEK MAN LYING AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AS WE APPROACH HE RISES TO HIS FEET EXPECTANTLY I THINK LOOKING FOR A LIFT BUT TIM DRIVES STRAIGHT PAST. I COMMENT THAT I THINK THIS WAS A BIT ROTTEN AND WE SHOULD HAVE OFFERED HIM A LIFT BUT TIM REPLIES 'WE COULD HAVE BEEN LUMBERED WITH HIM ALL DAY.' MEANIE.WE VISIT MEGALO LIVADI BEACH AND THEN LUNCHTIME BRINGS US TO SIKAMIA. I WANTED A SWIM FIRST BUT TIM WANTED FOOD. TIM WON, SO WITH A FULL STOMACH WE SWAM. THE DECENT AND ASCENT TO THIS BEACH IS VERY STEEP AND THE ROAD LOOKS LIKE A SNAKES AND LADDERS BOARD.

AFTER LUNCH WE WENT TO A MONASTERY WHICH WAS CLOSED BUT I DID GET A PHOTO OF A GOAT. LATE AFTERNOON WAS SPENT AT PSILLI AMOS REPORTEDLY THE BEST BEACH ON THE ISLAND.IT OUGHT TO BE WE HAD TO CLIMB DOWN LOADS OF STEPS TO GET THERE WHICH MEANS WE HAVE TO GO UP THEM TOO. IT WAS LOVELY; ABOUT AS LOVELY AS ALL THE OTHER BEACHES. WE ROUNDED OFF OUR AFTERNOON WITH A BIT OF BEACH BASKET BALL TIM AND CAROL STYLE ME TRYING TO THROW TINY PEBBLES INTO TIM'S BELLY BUTTON AND TIM INTO MY CLEAVAGE. SILLY REALLY BUT WE ENJOYED IT. My target was bigger so not fair really.

THE CLOUDS ARE ACCUMULATING AS WE EAT TONIGHT. THERE ARE NEARLY 30 YACHTS MOORED UP IN THE HARBOUR TONIGHT BECAUSE OF THE IMPENDING STORM AND WE WATCH THE INHABITANTS OF THE YACHTS TRAVELLING BACK AND FORTH TO THE SHORE IN THEIR DINGIES. STORMY WEATHER IS FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS SO WE WILL BE SAVING ON SUNTAN LOTION.

THURSDAY ACTUALLY STARTS OFF FINE SO WE TREK ACROSS THE VILLAGE TO CORRELLI BAY. TIM'S TRUSTY SUN SHADE (NOT A SMALL ONE) COMES RELIGIOUSLY WITH US ALTHOUGH AS WITH MOST OF THE BEACHES AROUND HERE THEY ARE LINED WITH TREES GIVING PLENTY OF SHADE.

FIRST WE GO FOR A DIP THE WATER FEELS A BIT COLD TODAY AND AS IS OUR RITUAL WE HAVE TO WADE OUT TIP TOEING AROUND ANY STONES UNTIL THE WATER IS JUST OVER OUR BELLY BUTTONS AND THEN SPLASH OUR ARMS AND BODIES AND THEN ON A COUNT OF THREE TOGETHER WE DIVE UNDER. 30 SECONDS LATER AFTER A BIT OF HUFFING AND PUFFING ABOUT HOW COLD IT IS BUT THE WATER IS FINE. ACROSS THE BAY WE CAN SEE ANOTHER GREEK ISLAND IS THAT SIFNOS WHERE WE ARE OFF TO TOMORROW?

BY MID AFTERNOON THE CLOUDS ARE REALLY MOODY ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE WEARING SUNGLASSES. WE LEAVE THE BEACH EARLY AND I TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME WASHING. WE DRAPSE IT ALL OVER OUR BALCONY AND THEN THE HEAVENS OPEN. HOW AM I GOING TO GET IT DRY? WE ARE OFF TOMORROW AND I DON'T REALLY WANT TO PACK WET WASHING. TIM LOOKS AT THE NEWS ON THE INTERNET APPARENTLY YESTERDAY THE GREEK GOVERNMENT CLOSED DOWN THEIR NATIONAL TV CHANNEL (LIKE OUR BBC) TO SAVE MONEY SO NOW THERE IS A 24 HOUR GREEK NATIONAL STRIKE...NO FERRIES. PERHAPS I WILL GET MY WASHING DRY.

IT IS 7PM AND THE TAVERNA IS CALLING. WE DO A BIT OF CLOUD GAZING TONIGHT ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PASS TIMES. TIM SAW A LADY WITH A BEE HIVE HAIR CUT AND A BACK PACK, I THOUGHT THE CLOUD LOOKED MORE LIKE MRS THATCHER WITH A HUMP. THEN THERE WERE 3 SNAKES PASSING OVER CHORA BUT THE SNAKES SEEMED TO GET CUT UP AS THE CLOUDS VAPORISED. THEN APPEARING OVER THE MOUNTAIN WAS HOMER SIMPSONS WIFE. FINALLY CAME A TORTOISE WITH A VERY SMALL HEAD.

Its Friday morning. There were some fairly spectacular storms during the night but fortunately Carol didn't hear most of them. She did hear the one at 6.30am though so I had to go onto the balcony in a state of undress and rearrange the washing.

We had to check out of our apartment and so decided to get on the bus to visit Chora up on the mountain top. After 20 minutes of edge of the seat bus driving we got there without so much as a whimper from Carol, which was a bit surprising. (THAT'S BECAUSE THE BUS DRIVER TOOK CARE AND DIDN'T SLING US OVER THE EDGES OF PRECIPICES. MIND YOU IT WAS A GOOD JOB THAT WE WERE SITTING IN THE FRONT WHEN HE REVERSED INTO THE BUS STOP AT CHORA. I WAS OBLIVIOUS TO THE FACT THAT THE TAIL END OF THE BUS WAS HANGING OVER THE EDGE OF A PRECIPICE.) Chora was amazing with narrow whitewashed lanes and a row of windmills. It was here that the problems started. Narrow stairs, big drops, it only meant one thing. Like a skittish show jumping horse, we got there eventually but there were a couple of refusals. Funnily enough we did actually see a horse on the narrow steps doing rubbish collection. (HOW DOES A HORSE KNOW WHERE TO PUT HIS BACK FEET WHEN HE IS GOING DOWN STEPS? HE WAS PILED UP WITH SO MUCH RUBBISH HE COULDN'T LOOK BEHIND. YOU MAY BY NOW BE BEGINNING TO THINK THAT I AM A NERVOUS WRECK, WELL I AM NOT NOT ALL OF THE TIME JUST HEIGHTS AND A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS. WE TOOK SOME LOVELY PHOTOS OR AT LEAST TIM DID I WAS HANGING ONTO THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN FOR GRIM DEATH.

It is really windy at the top so I have to put my chin strap down. Carol carefully stows her hat in the backpack.

We decided to walk back to the village. We guessed it would take about 60 to 90 minutes. It took no more than 20. that left even more time to kill. We really don't like these late ferries. Eventually though we got a lift from Haris from our accommodation back to the port. I thinK he realised Carol didn't like the walk with her suitcase.

The Speedrunner3 arrived and disgorged a quite startling number of people and cars. The dockside was packed. They have it down to a fine art though and so we were boarding the packed ferry. Fortunately it is just a 25 minute crossing and we disembarked and made our way to the Meltemi Rooms. (STRAIGHT THERE THIS TIME THANKS TO A SAT NAV.)We were greeted by the most enthusiastic woman (WHO COULDN'T SPEAK A WORD OF ENGLISH). She showed us our room, really nice with a big balcony, it even has a sofa. She then insisted on rolling a blanket into the middle of the twin beds to make double, Carol looks unimpressed.

We have a brilliant view of the village, the mountains and the sea. Struck lucky again.

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Photos

Things you thought you'd never see.
Duck in a restaurant but not on the menu