To Paxos

Our alarm set for 6:30 up and sorting ourselves out. I'd slept like a log so felt a bit better than the previous morning. I looked out of the window and saw the first flush of dawn, with Venus shining brightly. A nice buffet breakfast, then we checked out at 8:00 and were immediately taken in a minibus with the two other couples back to the airport where we hung about. Our fellow travellers, were all living London, Steve and Tony, and Leanne and Rahul. We liked them all immediately. Leanne is a designer, and had recently been doing some life drawing. Then off in the coach to down to Lefkimmi on the south of the island. A gorgeous morning, and lovely to be in Greece again. Lorraine had forgotten her travel pills so was focusing hard on not feeling queasy on the coach, and later the little Kamelia line boat. Sat inside on benches, luckily it was a smooth crossing, and Tony and Steve were talking to us all the way, distracting Lorraine from the general queasy business. Tony revealed he had been in Crossroads for several episodes, and had a short period when he was recognised in the streets.

At Lefkimmi, we said goodbye to Steve and Tony, and climbed into the cab with Leanne and Rahul, and were dropped off at our villa, which is called Harbour View. It is a beautifully situated apartment with two floors, and two bathrooms, and two bedrooms. We did some shopping from the little supermarket we remembered from 11 years ago, then bought some warm spanakopita from the bakery just across the road, on the little pier bit. The major change we noticed from having been there 11 years ago, was that the derelict soap factory in the bay, was now being rebuilt. 

Then to the nearby Paralia Levrecho, beach a couple of minutes walk from where we were staying. We The water was chilly at first, but once your own screaming died down it was lovely and refreshing. I felt a momentary stabby feeling on my ribs at one point, and put it down to hypochondria. A small rash later, and I think I'd been stung by a jellyfish.

We dried off happily in the still warm sun, then made our way back to Harbour View. There was filming going on just across the road at the harbour, a series called Maestro in Blue apparently available on Netflix set in Paxos. 

I mooched out of Logos for a walk, and got slightly lost a couple of times but always knew which general direction to head in. Saw an old church, a ruined tower, cats and large chickens rubbing shoulders and other marvels.

Once back, Lorraine and I sat on the balcony. I pulled out with glee the two small cans of beer that had been left in the fridge for us, a fix and an alpha. However one of them was a zero percent job. We mixed them and drank a small beer with some corfu nuts.

Cool and getting darker, we slipped across the road for a drink in the little overpriced bar but with a low terrace overlooking the sea. A gorgeous sight, steely blue sea streaked with reflected pink from the mountains of the mainland. A largish marine creature was pootling about just below the surface near us. It kept slightly breaking surface with a brownish curve. I think it was a turtle, and there was at least one other too. We were chatting to an English couple sitting next to us about it at some length.

Then to one of the Taverna's were we were slightly rushed through a meal of taramasalata, calamari, moussaka and chicken in mushroomy sauce with chips. Then home. It had been a long and happy day.

Below View from our room at the Corfu holiday palace at 7:15. Venus a speck on the left above the big tree; a view from upstairs at the Harbour View, Lorraine sitting on our terrace. Where we had our little dip in the afternoon. Looking east at sundown from the little bar called Roxi's.