under another sun

Last morning in the Kamelia Hotel, tucking into a final breakfast of olives, tomatoes, triangles of cheese, and toast and other scraps of Greek nice-ish stuff. Lorraine and I dragged our cases and assembled at the back of the hotel looking up at Mt Ipsarion with our fellow holidaymakers Penny, Dave and Jeanette. To Thassos town, where we caught the ferry, and all sat together at the front. A toothless but tuneful accordion player played as we made the short crossing to Keramoti. Lorraine and I sat in a little Taverna by the harbour for half an hour drinking iced coffee with Dave, Jeanette and Penny before we all got back into the minivan which took us to the airport. We were first to arrive for our flight, two hours early. After surveying the shop and resisting bottles of ouzo and fridge magnets with donkeys on, Lorraine and I ate a final spanakopita from the cafe. The flight home pleasant, but cramped. England grey but I was pleased to be back. Cheery farewells to Dave and Jeanett...

Collected behind the hotel at 9.00am for our jeep safari. When Lorraine and I had blithely decided the week before to do an off-road jeep trip to the top of a mountain, it all seemed fine. But when the day came, we were both a bit wary. We were driven in a jeep for about half an hour around to the other side of the island, collecting two young Austrian couples as we went. On the other side there were two more jeeps and lots more Austrians.  We had an English speaking guide and driver called Dimitri, with whom Lorraine and I had some interesting conversations as we were the only native English speakers. He had been a successful photographer in Athens, but his business had gone down with the recent economic crises, and had returned to Thassos, the island where his father had been born and he had spent lots of time as a child. He also had, rather dramatically, decided not to take any more photos. As we descended the mountain, hurtling down a rock strewn path with a sheer drop on one...

A round the island bus tour today. Incredibly hot all day, so it became something of an endurance test. First up to a local village called Panagia on the side of the mountain, where brisk mountain streams ran through, as well as the main island road which regularly gets bogged down by traffic. A walk up the path and into the local church, was already quite demanding. After we sauntered down by the side of running streams that cut through the village, and did some shopping, buying a tablecloth and some walnuts in honey from a woman the guide called Mrs Suzi. Then all aboard the bus and off down the coast to Aliki. This is pretty much the only spot on Thassos I recalled from visiting many years ago. Baking hot here, and a little strip of land connecting an island to the mainland. A few ruins here of place where salt was prepared and traded.  We also walked about on the little wooded bit, and then managed to find our way back in time to get a cold coke. Back in the magic bus it tran...

Monday morning and Glen off to do some teaching in a nearby costal town. We drove along with him and Eleni, plus Eleni's young nephew and niece. Glen dropped off, we proceeded to a good beach, where we occupied some beach beds and swam. I played with the kids for some time, the boy clambering on me and kicking out loads, which was fun of a slightly exhausting kind. Then back into the car, to collect Glen and head off for a leisurely spot of lunch, and a splash of ouzo. We then went for dessert and coffee with Eleni's sister Anna, and Rita her mother before they drove us back to Kavala, in time to catch the ferry at 4:30. Fond farewells with Glen and Eleni in the harbour. It had been great to hang out with Glen, bouncing a few ideas about music around too, as well as just getting to know him better. Eleni is an impressive person, with a keen intelligence and a heartbreakingly beautiful voice. I jokingly called her The Soul of Greece, but she is extraordinary. Great to see Gl...

Having been working till late the night before, then packing, Lorraine and I sprang up at 4:15. Rather an appalling time. We dragged our cases, thunderously, down the roads to London Road station and got a train to Gatwick. Slightly delayed flight, but all good on the journey, apart from being charged an outrageous 8 euros on the plane for two cups of tea. That familiar wall of heat as we stepped from the plane in Kavala airport. A transfer to a minibus, then to a ferry boat where we sat in the air-conditioned cabin and there I enjoyed a can of cold lager, followed by another can of cold lager. Off in Thassos Town back into the minibus and off to Skala Potamia. It had been many years since I'd been to Thassos, and apart from its greenness, I recognised little. Our hotel, was opposite the sea. Not a particularly warm welcome there, but it was clean and functional. A quick swim too to cool down made us feel much better. The sea feeling bathtub warm almost, and a beer in the bar the...