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First week in Arillas

30th April 2016

We arrived safely into the port and had a leisurely drive up to Arillas. Potholes are no better, I recognised some from last year! We called in at the Marvel Hotel to say hello to Kostas and Spiros, also to Ann and John who had just arrived too. Then we had a drive down to Sharons, there were lots of our friends there, sat having a drink in the sunshine. Sharon had even made a Lemon cake as she knows it is my favourite. We went back to the apartment and unpacked the van, stayed in and had an early ish night. We heard the fireworks at midnight but didn’t see them.

 

1st May 2016

Easter Day on Corfu. The day when everyone has Red eggs for breakfast.2016-05-01-06-26-33-192x300-4847901

 

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Phil found a tiny lizard in our hallway, he picked it up to put it on the balcony as we didn’t want to tread on it or for Poppy to play with it.

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We were invited for lunch with the lovely Makris family at the Marvel Hotel. It was a fantastic spread and lots of good company.

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After our meal we played a Pub game called ‘Shut the box’ We had never played it before and thoroughly enjoyed it – we had a good laugh.

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The people in the photo are Sue and Paul (next door neighbours one side), Alison, Phil, me, Ann and John (neighbours the other side). Sat at the bar are Spiros and Sophia. Copious amounts of alcohol was consumed.

 

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As you can see – some was even spilled, poor Ann had to get changed as she had a glass of red accidentally poured over her. I offered to pour my white wine on her, as I have heard this is good for getting the stain out, but she declined my offer.

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We had a great evening, meeting up with lots of friends – our first, of many late nights!

2nd May 2016

Bit of a miserable day today, the heavens opened around lunch time, it was cold and wet all day. We decided to stay in and recover from yesterday. We caught up with emails, I wrote my blog of the journey, then we watched an episode of ‘The Durrells’ on the laptop.

We have discovered what we think is the start of a wasps nest, attached to the underside of the roof on our balcony.Our landlord Yannis came and removed it for us.

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3rd May 2016

Wet start to the day again. It turned out sunny and warm though. We met our friend Neil for a drink in the Marvel and then we walked down to the beach for Poppy to have a good run and her first swim of the year.

 

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We felt lazy when we got back so we stayed in and I cooked a Pizza.

 

 

 

 

 

4th May 2016

Beautiful sunny day today, did some washing and it is all hanging out in the sun and slight breeze.

Paul our next door neighbour brought Poppy a huge lamb bone, he also took her for a walk and run on the beach.

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We had a drive over to Sidari to do a bit of shopping and get some cash out of the ATM. While we were driving over the uneven roads we heard an almighty bang in our bathroom, we pulled over to have a look and it was the mirror which was attached to the bathroom cabinet in hundreds of pieces all over the floor. We think the double sided tape is 17 years old and the bumpy roads have shaken it loose. When we got back to Arillas we went to Armourada for a meal with friends. I had to touch Billy’s hair, love the colour.

 

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5th May 2016

Beautiful start to the day, bright and sunny already 18 deg at 11am. Got up to a very pleasant 22 deg this afternoon. It was such a lovely day we decided to drive over to Sea Monkeys in Sidari with our neighbours Ann and John. We all had Brunch/lunch and Poppy found some new friends to throw a Frisbee for her. She was all played out and kept going under a nearby tree in the shade to rest. It was great to see Andy and Fiona again, with their dog Toffee. We also caught up with Will and Danielle. Will is now working in the bar and will be doing the sunbeds, no more boats for him. Danielle will be working at Sharon’s pool bar, once again when it gets a little busier.

 

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We were still too full from our brunch to go out this evening, we stayed in and had crisp butties, we know how to live it up!

 

6th May 2016

21 deg at 11am. People are talking about a heatwave at home but I just looked and it is only 12 deg in Grimsby, I am glad we are here. We went down to Dave’s Quiz at the Malibu – quite a good turn out. At half time we had one game of Bingo too, Phil won 5 euros for the line. Another couple of glasses of wine for us lol.

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We went to have a last drink with Cliff before he flew home this evening. Then went into the Rainbow for a huge friendly welcome from all the family. We had a meal with Paul, Sue and Ross. Jimmy joined us too, to eat his dinner with us. Phil and I had our favourite Chicken fajitas wraps, they were so good.

 

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End of our first week – just as good as always. Love the start of the season before it gets too busy with tourists.

Journey to Arillas!

We spent the last couple of days before departure loading Huee with all our essentials for a 3 month trip.
We went to the weigh-bridge to make sure we are not overloaded. All OK 60 kg to spare, so room for some wine when we get to Europe lol. We put some gas into our new re-fillable bottle, but found a slight leak, so Phil checked all the connections and he is confident it is all good to fill up when we get to Europe, where it is cheaper than the UK.

20th April 2016

We had a very special birthday party to attend today – our Great Grandson, Archie is one year old today. He is such a stunner and I am sure he will grow into a handsome boy. His cake was beautiful too – chocolate with butter cream inside.1st-birthdaya-300x169-3657371

 

 

 

 

 

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We drove over to Hull to catch the 6.30pm ferry to Zeebrugge. Poppy settled in her kennel, she is used to this now and just settled down. We went up to the bar and had a couple of drinks while sailing down the Humber and watching Grimsby and Cleethorpes fade away.

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22nd April 2016

We woke in Belgium to a bright coolish day and headed off South towards Koblenz – Koblenz is an ancient city in central Germany, and a gateway to the terraced vineyards and ruined castles of the Rhine Gorge. In the center, a monumental statue of William the Great marks the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. A cable car connects to the hilltop Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, which hosts museums and cultural events. South along the river is the neo-Gothic Stolzenfels Castle with its gardens. 

Our first night was spent at a Stellplatz we had our first meal cooked with our new Ridge Monkey cooking pan, I am quite impressed with it.

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It was such a lovely peaceful spot we decided to stay for two nights as Phil wanted to mend/adjust a couple of things that were not quite right.

 

24th April 2016

We carried on Southwards and spent the night in a Rest-stop in Pforzheim near Stuttgart. Passing some beautiful scenery in the Alps.2016-04-25-18-21-39-300x169-26959762016-04-25-15-19-24-300x169-4724894

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

25th April 2016

Today we entered Austria – more beautiful scenery we spent the night at

Camping Via Claudiasee, Pfunds, Austria right next to a fast flowing river.2016-04-25-18-33-15-300x169-7034382

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26th April 2016

These are the last shots of Austria before we drove into Italy.

 

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We spent the night in Bassano del Grappa at a municipal camping stop – but their machine was not working so we did not pay.

 

27th April 2016

Drove through Italy on non toll roads, through some interesting towns but nothing really pretty. We spent the night in Gradara. Gradara is a town and commune in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino, in the region of Marche in central Italy. It is 6 Kmfrom  da Gabicce Mare and Cattolica, 25 Km from Rimini, 15 Km from Pesaro. This area is very special to us as we spent our honeymoon in Cattolica – 35 years ago.

 

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28th April 2016

We drove further south to Fano and found a beautiful spot to spend the night next to the beach, at the side of Restaurant la tratto. It was pouring with rain when we arrived so we did not walk along the beach. This is the view from our window.2016-04-28-14-38-55-300x169-8483223

We did have a nice meal in the restaurant finished off with Vodka lemon sorbet, it was lush.

 

 

 

 

29th April 2016

Today is our son Andy’s birthday. I hope he got the card I posted before we left.

Just a short hop to Ancona today to catch the ferry for Greece. We made a quick stop at Lidl to stock up with a few bottles of Zinfandel, my favourite wine.

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We boarded the ferry and all 3 of us made our way up to our pet friendly cabin. Patras Travel who we always book with give us a free upgrade of a cabin and a 30% discount off food in the self service restaurant. We had a quick stroll around the deck for Poppy to have a walk. Then Phil and I went to eat, we had 1 chicken and chips, 1 Spag Bol,1 Greek salad with the biggest piece of cheese I have ever seen, and a bottle of Greek red wine all for 19 euros. We went to bed early excited to be arriving in Greece when we wake up.

 

30th April 2016

Wow what a beautiful day, wall to wall sunshine and 19 deg. We disembarked in Igoumenitsa and made our way across to the old port to catch the little ferry to Corfu. This was the first time we have been on their new fast ferry, was a perfect sail, the sea was so calm. We arrived at Corfu Port to find lots of traffic, it was so busy as this is the annual ‘red pot throwing day’ On the Greek islands Holy Week ceremonies begin on Palm Sunday. At 11.00 in the morning, the litany of the Holy Shrine of Saint Spyridon takes place in recognition of the miraculous deliverance of the island from the spread of the deadly plague in 1629. This litany is the largest in size and length, and follows the trail of the old Venetian city walls. All the Philharmonics (the local name for brass bands) of this Ionian island participate to honour the Patron Saint of Corfu. On the same night, the “Mántzaros” Philharmonic presents a solemn concert which beautifully evokes the melancholy mood of the Passion, or Holy, Week.

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We have had an incredible journey in our new to us 17 year old, left hand drive Hymer van Huee. He has behaved very well, I was a little nervous at first because he is quite a bit wider than the old van, but I have driven the 1200 miles confidently, well most of the time. One hairy moment was when we had to cross quite a narrow bridge, lots of traffic about and there was a bluming great Artic coming towards me I am sure there was only a couple of inches each side of us. We have loved having all the space, the beds are so comfortable and the bathroom is luxury to us.

What has made this trip extra special for us is, we have been carrying a precious cargo. Our very good friend, whom we met in Arillas, several years ago, Christine died last September. Her husband Bob said that they had always talked of driving to Arillas and asked if we would take Christine’s ashes with us. We feel very proud and privileged to have been entrusted to do this. Bob will be flying out with other members of the family later this month and we will scatter her ashes on what would have been Christine’s birthday.

2016 Nearly ready

Each day we are getting a bit closer to our leaving home date of 21st April.

Storing everything we took out of the old van in the new one, plus some new items we have bought. There is so much more room, we still have empty cupboards but am sure that won’t last long. We are going to buy some new crockery, when we see some we like.

Updated laptop to Windows 10 – hope I don’t regret it!

Good news – we have sold Mercy our Toyota campervan, to a lovely local family who love her as much as we do. If they only have half the fun and adventures we had, they will be very happy.

Solar panel is fitted and working very well. All that free energy from the sun is great.

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My friend Sandra came yesterday to wish us bon voyage and to see Huee. we had our first glass of wine in him – so he is well and truly christened now. It is a very sociable van, five people and two dogs and did not feel at all cramped.

Today is Archie’s first birthday – he is absolutely gorgeous, happy all the time and just so dammed cute. I drove the van for the first time today, the only thing is that it it so much wider than Mercy, I suppose I will get used to it. We also took it to get some gas in the refillable tanks – so we are all good to go now.

Had a meal with the family for Archie’s birthday tonight.

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Arillas or Bust 2016

After a hectic few months of selling our house and moving into a granny flat, we have started preparations for our trip to Greece. Even though we are still unpacking boxes – well it is a big drop from 6 bedrooms to 1 bedroom.

Firstly we have bought a new Motorhome. It is quite a bit bigger than the last one, with a proper bathroom and a bed that drops down from over the cab. This saves having to make the bed up every day. It is only one meter longer, but wider and higher, there is much more room.  Phil is busy fitting a refillable gas system and a solar panel. Also some USB sockets for charging phones, kindles etc.

Our new baby is called Huee the Hymer.               2016-03-06-14-09-28-300x169-8885608

 

 

 

We have booked our ferries – Hull to Zeebrugge on the 21st April and Ancona to Igoumenitsa on 29th April.

We have decided to leave a little later this year so that we can be here for our Great Grandson Archie’s first birthday on 20th April.

 

2015 The Journey Home

30th June 2015

Very hot today 34c – we finished last minute packing and set off about 10.30am. We drove down to say goodbye to Dimitris at Brouklis, and Yiota who had very kindly baked us a Cheese pie for our trip, there were also some gifts for Larissa and Archie. Then back up to the Marvel to say goodbye to the boys and Alison. We drove over to Ipsos to have lunch with Terry and Loretta, also Terry's brother, who had arrived this morning and his Mum Betty. We had lunch at Sally's bar again, the burgers are wonderful, especially mine served with Black pudding. We set off about 6pm and sailed across to Igouminister for the 2am ferry to Ancona. We had a great sail in our pet friendly cabin. 
1st July 2015
We docked at 4pm and drove up to just north of Modena, it was very hot in the van, all we wanted to do was have lots of cold drinks. We settled down for the night looking forward to seeing  Lake Garda tomorrow.
2nd July 2015
We decided to go anti clockwise around the lake, and saw some beautiful villages and views. Having said that I would not want to spend time there as there are no beaches to speak of, especially dog friendly ones. 

We stopped off for lunch and then carried on to stay the night between Turin and Milan. Another hot night! I got bitten, not mossys, they were midges, vicious little blighters, 12 bites on my left arm and several more on the right one, and this was while I was outside walking Poppy.. All I can say is thank goodness we fitted insect screens in the van last winter. I took a double dose of antihistamine tonight. 
3rd July 2015 
We set off and drove up to the top of the alps, fantastic scenery around here, and saw a little bit of snow.
Phil and Poppy
Lago del Moncenisi

Alpine flower
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Snow

So peaceful
 It was a fantastic drive until we came down the alps. When we got to the bottom there was a very pretty ski village, with chalets and log cabins, complete with cable car stations, all deserted it must just be a Winter resort. Well when we got to the bottom the brakes failed, it was a scary moment, but I didn't panic, just pulled the handbrake on and then Phil explained to me about using second gear. I had never driven an automatic before we got Mercy, and he said it is simple just put it in 'D' and go, so I did and never wondered what 'L' and  '2' were for, but I know now. We sat for half an hour for the wheels to cool down and then the brakes were fine all the way home. We spent another very hot night just near Lyon.

 4th July 2015

We decided we had had enough of hot nights, we decided to head straight to my cousins today. It was a beautiful drive through some very pretty French towns, but the nicest one was Tarera, they even put the bunting out for us, we think it must have been due to the fact it was 4th July.

We arrived at St-Sulpice Lauriere to a warm welcome from Maggie, Paul, Sarah, Steve and Maya. 
Poppy was so pleased to be there and went charging around the garden and was covered in little burs, they attached themselves to her fur and it took days for us to remove them all.
They plied us with water first and then wine. After our showers we had a BBQ, Steve is a great cook and had done Chicken breast and figs, they were gorgeous. Also he barbequed a Camembert cheese, we dipped our French bread into it.  We sat talking until the small hours and went to bed full and winefied. I really should not have taken this photo in my inebriated state!

5th July 2015
We had a long lie in today, after breakfast Phil fired up his laptop and he and Paul sat and watched the British Grand Prix – live. They were very happy bunnies. Maggie and I sat and chatted out in the garden. We had another BBQ this evening and lots of excellent wine. Another late night!
They are such good hosts.
6th July 2015
We went to the vets today. all good – so Poppy is clear to travel back to the UK. Maggie and I had to restock the wine rack. then we returned for a welcome dip in the pool. Followed by lots of chat and reminiscing, before we knew it. it was 11pm and we had forgotten to eat, Chip butties all round. more chat and wine. bed at 2am – bet Maggie and Paul will be pleased to see the back of us. so they can get back to their idyllic laid back French life.

7th July 2015

Girly day, we left the fellers at home and went off shopping and for lunch. We were so hot when we got home, we all went straight in the pool with a glass of wine. Paul cooked lunch for him and Phil, so tonight we had baguettes and four different kinds of cheese, with the obligatory wine, We were led astray again.

8th July 2015

Right today was moving on day, we just could not stay in France with our hosts any longer. Paul has changed from his t-total state, Maggie has lost her voice from talking so much. These late nights are killing us all….very slowly. Seriously it has been wonderful, they are such good company. We have had loads of laughs, food and booze and we cant wait to come back (snigger, snigger) – not too soon though, we all have to recover first. Thanks so much for everything all of you – especially Sarah for being our driver yesterday. We drove North and stayed at Aire de Ressons, a lovely picnic ground at Ressons-sur-Matz, it is just near Picardy. We would love to explore this region more. The song Roses of Picardy    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Ex9epoVP4&sns=fb    tells the story of a WW1 British soldier who fell in love with a French girl. 
9th July 2015
Today we drove into Belgium and parked up at the Marina next to Blankenberg beach for lunch. We did some wine shopping before entering the Port at Zeebrugge. We boarded MV Pride of York for our trip back to Hull.
10th July 2015
We docked at 9.30am and drove back to Grimsby just in time for our Tesco delivery. We went to see Larissa and Archie this afternoon. He has grown so much and now weighs 13lb 4oz. We had lots of cuddles
We stayed and had a Chinese meal this evening and then home to our own comfy bed.
What an amazing trip we have had this year, a totally different start and end journey to last year, the middle part in Arillas was wonderful. We will be doing 'Arillas or Bust' again next year all being well and will try to find some new places to visit. Well this is us 3, Anne, Phil and Poppy signing off and thanking you very much for being interested enough to read of our adventures. We covered approx. 2700 miles.

Last few days

Thursday 25th June 2015

Another beautiful day 28 deg. We had a drive over to Peroulades today for lunch, We went to 7th Heaven Panorama Cafe. It was amazing, stood on a glass floor, looking down on the beach. The views were to die for and the food was superb. What a brilliant experience!


After lunch we went to say goodbye to our friends at Sea Monkeys, they have a new view also. They have gone upmarket and installed some very nice new umbrellas on the beach outside their place. I counted about 50. I do hope they are very profitable for them.

This evening we strolled down to Amourada, then we called at the Marvel for a nightcap and to say goodbye to Paul, who flies home tomorrow. He phoned Sue while we were there and I had a quick chat to her, she says she has missed him, but don't tell him lol.

Friday 26th June 2015

I had a really bad night's sleep, kept waking up with cramp in my feet and legs, my circulation is playing up again. We had a lazy day, I even went for a 'Mesimeri' this afternoon. We did manage a bit of packing and to stow some things away in the Campervan, we also cleaned her out ready for our homeward trip. Phil checked all the technical things and told me that the oil level is still showing full, so that is good. This evening we went to Thalassa – another beautiful sunset and meal. Phil had a Sirloin steak and I had Mediterranean Chicken – both equally delicious. Then we called into the Coconut to listen to 'Duffy' he is really very good for easy listening and singing along to. We sat with Joyce and Lorraine for a while but they went off to the Malibu for a drink.. Another wonderful day.


Saturday 27th June 2015

Lazy day again, just chilling out and reading. We are both reading the 'Greek village series' by Sara Alexi, and just can't put them down. Phil has finished 10 books, and I finished No. 10 today. This evening we went to Portofino for our last meal this trip. We really enjoyed being able to discuss book No. 10 'The Reluctant Baker' it is amazing how Sara threads previous characters into later books. They are so well written. It is also great being able to chat to each other about them and we both agree No. 10 is our favourite. We had a delicious meal and then went to chat with June and Malcolm. His mobility scooter has broken down, Phil and Spiros, the waiter, had a good look at it and Phil seems to think it is the re-set switch after getting his meter on it. Who knows how long it will take to get another one in Greece. Hope it's not too long as Malcolm loves his jaunts and June likes her little bit of 'me' time. We sat and had a chat to Spiros, Joyce and Lorraine when June and Malc left. It was a beautiful sunset tonight – again, so another photo.



Sunday 28th June 2015

I cooked the last of our sausages this morning after going up to the Bakery for some fresh rolls. Oh dear! how did those Lemon Croissants and Apple Danish get here. They were delicious. We went down to the beach for Poppy to have a swim, the wind has dropped off now and the sea was much calmer. Then we went across to Sharon's to say goodbye to Sharon, Angie and Leszek. Did some more packing then off for shower and hairwash before going to the Rainbow for our penultimate dinner. That is Dave Smith's favourite word. The meal, as usual was superb. We have loved eating Vicky's Wraps, Phil has a Chicken Salad one and I have a Mediterranean one. Mine is filled with Feta, olives, peppers and tomatoes, served with Coleslaw, chips, a fiery chilli chutney and sour cream. It is my favourite meal of this holiday. Phil's is a toss up between Night Owl's Chicken Souvlaki and Thalassa's Sirloin steak.






Our favourite lunch was at 7th Heaven Panorama Cafe in Peroulades overlooking Logas beach, we will certainly be going back there and for an evening meal too.






Monday 29th June 2015 – our last day in Arillas.

It is a beautiful day again, blue sky, a gentle breeze and a pleasant temperature. We packed the van apart from a few last minute items. Poppy seemed to know what was happening, she put her toys next to the bags, bless her she has had a whale of a time, as we all have – our kefi is fulfilled. Tonight we went to the Marvel, to say goodbye to Joyce and Lorraine. Also to welcome Allison back again, as Spiros was working, we sat and had a meal together. When he had finished work, they went off to the Coconut bar, we waited to welcome Sue and Frank back again. She is the lady who had the quadruple by-pass operation in January, she is still doing amazingly well. As the Marvel is full, Sue and Frank are staying elsewhere for one night.

Tuesday 30th June – leaving day.

All packed and ready to go to Ipsos to have lunch with our friends Loretta and Terry before the evening ferry. We are both looking forward to the return trip, and also to going home.

This is the last post until I get home, but will be sure to write about our journey home. This is the last photo of Archie, hopefully the next photos will be of Phil and I cuddling him.

Archie 10 weeks















Twelfth Week

Thursday 18th June 2015

Hot again today, slightly cooler than the last few days and storms forecast. I had a walk round our garden this morning and took a couple of photos.

Apricot tree

Pomegranate tree

We walked over to the Marvel  to meet Chris Tracey and her daughter Beckie today, we had a coffee and a good chat as we have lots of mutual friends. Then we had lunch and went down to Sharon's for a piece of cake. The sea was very rough so we didn't let Poppy swim.

Friday 19th June 2015

When I got up this morning there was a package of eggs on the patio table – I just love my lovely neighbour Sophia. So we had Scrambled eggs for breakfast. We sat and planned our route home, I would love to drive around Lake Garda before we head off to see Maggie, Paul, Steve and Sarah again in St. Sulpice-Lauriere. Kostas kindly printed it for us.

We took Poppy down to the beach for a swim and then went to the quiz at Malibu. Dave Smith is a good quiz-master and makes it very interesting – we came 4th out of 9 teams. We then had a drive across to Sidari to the Pharmacy as Phil realised one of his prescription meds. will run out before we arrive home. We did a bit of shopping and then got some take-away Gyros from Beachpoint.

Saturday 20th June 2015

Hot again today it was 23 deg at 11am. We went down to Portofino for breakfast and then took Poppy for a swim. There were quite a few waves in the sea today, when we threw the ball, Poppy struggled to see it sometimes – it is so funny watching her swimming around looking for it. I don't think her eye sight is as good as it used to be. Sat at Sharon's for a while, it was very windy.

We came back to have a rest and then went to the Rainbow to listen to 'The worried men of Corfu' it was a good night, lots of friends were there.

Sunday 21st June 2015

Fathers day in the UK today! UK shop sausages for breakfast – still loving these.

Phil went to watch the Grand Prix in the Marvel. I walked down To see Yiota and buy a few bits to take home. This evening I made Stroganoff then we talked about our trip home.

Monday 22nd June 2015

Quite a busy day today,

We drove up to Gravia for lunch, with these amazing views.

Then we called at the Brewery to see Noufris and buy some local beer to take to France with us. We went down to the front in Arillas for Poppy to have her swim, then we called at Sharon's' for a drink and a piece of home-made cake. This evening we walked down to Pizza Lithero and shared a lovely Chicken Pizza. We called into the Marvel for a nightcap and to welcome Joy and her friend Lorraine who are staying in an apartment above ours. 2am bedtime!

Tuesday 23rd June 2015.

The strong winds we have had for the last few days have calmed now and we are back to hot, hot, hot. We went to Dave Smith's last quiz at Malibu before he heads back to UK. Thanks for the quizzes Dave, we have enjoyed them and all the banter. You have helped to raise quite a bit of money for the local animal charity. We teamed up with a lovely couple, Steve and Glynis from Manchester. It was a very difficult quiz, we didn't come bottom so that's a bonus. This evening we went to Gratsela with 6 friends, we had a lovely meal and chat, they headed off to watch the Splinter band at the Coconut. We popped in to see Poppy, Bobby and George at Bardis Sun Studios. We had a great night catching up with their and our family news. Also met some of their guests – all newish Arillas Addicts. When we were walking away, just round the corner opposite Vinceramo, we stopped for a while to look at the crescent moon and its reflection on the still sea, just perfect but my camera could not capture it..

Wednesday 24th June 2015

We went down to the front for Poppy to have a swim, it is a beautiful day 28deg but there was quite a swell in the sea. Poppy enjoyed it.

After the swim we went to Sharon's for lunch and then the quiz. We teamed up with a lovely couple who are getting married on the beach and having reception in Marina next year. We came 5th….yes there were 5 teams.

Campervan looking good

Windy but hot!

Stayed in tonight – used up some items in the freezer.

End of another beautiful week – will be leaving next Tuesday so there will probably not be another blog until we get home.

This weeks baby photo Archie – 9 weeks ?

Eleventh week

Thursday 11th June 2015

It seemed strange waking up to the sound of the waves lapping on the beach this morning. So pleased we stayed over after the BBQ last night. We were able to spend some quality time with Andy, Fiona and John after everyone had left. We put the world to rights. Poppy had a great time playing with Oliver, John's dog We had a very comfortable night. This morning Poppy loved the fact she could run down to the beach, we just had a coffee and then headed back to Arillas as it is Spiro's birthday today.
Chicken Club sandwich,

Birthday boy
We had a delicious lunch and a good chat to Spiro, Dot, June and Malc. Dot left at 5pm. for her flight back to the UK. It was great to spend time with her again. That month has flown by and it has done her good – health-wise, she is able to move her joints better than she could when she arrived. We ate at home tonight, but we popped down to have a piece of birthday cake and a drink with Spiros.

Friday 12th June 2015

It is 31 deg today, it is too hot to do too much, Poppy seemed lethargic too. Well it looks like it is terminal…………..I accidentally spilled a glass of water, yes you heard right – water over my laptop today. We quickly mopped it off and placed it outside for a sunbathe, to no avail. Phil has stripped it down as much as he can but it looks like the hard-drive is poorly. I am now writing this on Phil's laptop – it seems strange as I had mine all set up as I wanted it for blogging. Oh well beggars cant be choosers. This evening we walked down to Pizza Lithero and then onto the Coconut to watch/listen to Duffy – he was very good. 

Saturday 13th June 2015

It is 31 deg again, we decided to have another lazy day mainly laid about reading. Drove to Beretas for some shopping, then took Poppy up the lane when it had cooled down a little. 








We went over to the Marvel and I had a cocktail called 'Bloody tourist' Spiro's favourite word for his guests.












Sunday 14th June 2015

Still hot  in fact it was 32 deg this afternoon, but we decided we couldn't sit around doing nothing again. We drove down to the front, Poppy had a really good, long swim while we stood talking to Will, all his boats were out, so he was listening to the TT races. We decided to go to Effies for lunch, and I had my usual Garlic prawns


We stayed home this evening, just chatting, quaffing wine with cheese and biscuits. Perfect!

Monday 15th June 2015

30 deg again, we have decided we are going down South to Lake Korission tomorrow so we have filled the water tank and packed the van with items so we can stay overnight – hopefully right on the beach.

Tuesday 16th June 2015

Hot again and very humid, 10.30am = 24 deg. 






Had a good drive down South, stopped off at Golden View Cafe in Agii Theodori for lunch – as the name suggests the view from the terrace was amazing. I also saw a bush with seven different kinds of butterfly on it. Couldn't get a decent photo though.







It got up to 32 deg on the journey, it felt a little cooler when we arrived as there was a breeze on Chalikouna beach. 







We parked up in the Dunes just off the road between the Lake and the Ionian sea. 











First thing we did was walk over to have a swim, we had a great time, no one else on the beach for miles. We could see kite surfers way off in the distance. 










We set up our BBQ and had Sausages we had bought from the UK shop. They tasted amazing, even better than cooked in the oven. With a nice bottle of Chilled wine – this is the life – so peaceful and relaxing. 












Was a beautiful sunset tonight.












It was very hot in the campervan even with the windows open, with the mossy screens in place. I laid in bed for ages just looking at the millions of stars, so much clearer when there is no light pollution. Phil actually spotted the Milky Way.









Wednesday 17th June 2015

Very hot again today, we did manage to get off to sleep eventually, but we decided it was just too hot to stay another night. We had our breakfast and set off for a drive up the East coast, I love this drive, so much to see just following the coast. 



We stopped off for a late lunch at Pondikonissi Hotel looking out to sea at….

This is one of our favourite views in the world. The barman is so friendly and thoughtful, as soon as we sat down he brought a bowl of water over for Poppy, before we even ordered our drinks. 





Mouse Island or Pondikonissi – Vlacherna – Pondikonissi or Mouse island is the name of the the most remote island in the bay south of Kanoni, just south of Corfu town. The island is often confused with and mixed with the nearer island of Vlacherna which is connected with the main land by means of a small dam where also some fishing boats are. On Vlacherna there is a white monastery and a very tall tree. This is one of the most photograhped places in the whole of Greece. In the background is Mouse Island. From Vlacherna during the summer months there are boats (in high season every hour) to Corfu town and you can also make a trip to Pondikonissi/Mouse Island. The only building on the island of Pondikonissi is a church that is hidden between the trees. The myth from Homerus says that Odysseus was washed ashore on the island, but other places on Corfu claim the same. The trees on Pondikonissi vaguely resemble mice and thus its name. At a 400 meters distance of Vlacherna is the beginning of the landingstrip of the airport of Corfu, which is placed in a lagune. '

We arrived back in Arillas early evening, and had a much needed shower. When I checked my emails I found one from Eggy (Neil) inviting us to a fun darts night at the Rainbow. So we went over and had a very enjoyable game  bed at 2am.

Time is racing now  less than 2 weeks left. Update on my laptop it is still dead, but have managed to write this on Phil's laptop Here is this weeks baby photo, can't wait to see him.

Archie – 8 weeks old.







Tenth week

Thursday 4th June 2015

What a beautiful day to wake up to, birds tweeting, chickens clucking. sun is shining. The perfume coming in the kitchen window is amazing from these Oleanders.

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View from kitchen.
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I borrowed this photo from a friend

The flowers from the Olive tree are so pretty and
they have a beautiful lemony baby powder smell.

As Dot was going out with her friend, Phil and I decided to go down to the front for a walk and have some lunch.

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The digger was out scooping the pebbles back into the water.

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We have a bit more sand now.

We went to Ammos for lunch, it is such an idyllic setting watching the world go by.

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Waiting for our lunch.

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Wishing we were on that boat.
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I had a lovely baguette filled with Feta cheese, cherry tomatoes and olives.

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Phil had a delicious Chicken burger.

Dot came to join us when her friend went home, so she 'made' us have a cocktail.
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'Pina colada' – 'Andrew' and 'Cubre Libre' – they were all delicious. My Andrew one was made with  Blue Curacao, Cointreau and Strawberry vodka. This evening Dot went out to dine with some more friends, Phil and I went to Brouklis, we had Moussaka and Chicken Souvlaki. Dimitri sat with us and we had a good long chat. We ended up having nightcaps with Dot and her friends. Another perfect day in paradise.
Friday 5th June 2015

Today we went to Ipsos to visit our friends Loretta and Terry. You may remember that we met them at the Bari ferry terminal last year as we were both travelling to Corfu. They were coming out to find a place to live and buy a boat. Well they have now done both, they are so happy living their dream.

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This is the view from their balcony, looking out over the harbour. I can imagine waking up every morning – opening the blinds and seeing this, it must be wonderful.

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This is their boat – between the red one and the dinghy.

They are busy doing up their apartment, it was just a shell when they moved in. Terry has fitted a beautiful bathroom, created two lovely bedrooms, a good size sitting room and his flat pack kitchen was delivered while we were there. Still lots of work to do, but they have all the time in the world.

Saturday 6th June 2015

Today Dot and I went to San Stephanos to collect some items from Hippopots. This evening we went to Thalassa for our meal. It was as delicious as ever. Also another superb sunset.

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Sunday 9th June 2015

Today is my youngest granddaughter Emily's 10th birthday. From what I have seen on Facebook she seems to have had a good time, With 3 birthday cakes.

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We went to Portofino for an English breakfast. Then Poppy had a swim at the beach.

This evening Phil wanted to stay in and watch the Grand Prix. Dot and I went to the Rainbow for our meal so we could have a good chat and give Phil some peace and quiet. We had a good chat to Jimmy, he is such a laugh. Another win for Hamilton! He is doing well this year.

Monday 8th June 2015

We had a brilliant day today, we drove to Paleokastritsa. It is the first time we have been for about 20 years. There are lots more hotels and villas scattered about than there was then. The sea is still a beautiful blue though. We went for lunch to the  Zefiros Hotel overlooking the beach. Dot knows the English lady (from Whitley Bay) who runs it with her Greek husband.

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View from Hotel while having lunch.

Then we walked to Ambelaki beach, as it is a bit quieter, for Poppy to have a swim.


Poppy swimming video.

When we left we must have missed a turning somewhere as we ended up too far south going past Aqualand. It was pouring down with rain for about 10 minutes.  All good fun though and a lovely day out.

Tuesday 9th June 2015

Dot and I went into Sidari to get a card and present for Spiros at Portofino as it is his birthday on Thursday. We had a good old mooch around, I bought a couple of presents for Archie too. Then we had lunch, and called at the English shop for some sausages on the way back. Tonight Dot went out to a quiz in Sidari, so Phil and I walked down to Armourada for our dinner.

Rain

It started to thunder and lighten as soon as we sat down, good timing, then the heavens opened. It poured down for about 10 minutes.

Wednesday 10th June 2015

2015-06-112b00-03-26-7363984Quiz at Sharon's today we teamed up with Dot, Ann and John. We didn't win, but were not last. It was about 30c even in the shade it was hot, no breeze from the sea.  Tonight we were invited to Sea Monkeys for a BBQ and Quiz night. It was a good evening, food was delicious and the quiz was great fun. We arranged to stay over in the Campervan so we could both have a drink.Poppy had a great time, she has a new boyfriend, they just love each other and were chasing all night. It was difficult to photograph them as they were so busy.

Another very busy week – Only 2 and a bit weeks in Arillas left now.

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Larissa and Archie 7 weeks old.

Ninth week

Thursday 28th May 2015

It was very windy and cool today. Dot went on a bus trip to Corfu Town. I walked down to the front with Poppy, it was too rough for her to go in the water, so we had a walk up and down the front and then sat and had a drink with Sharon and Angie. Phil and I went to the Marvel for lunch. We have been talking about our route when we go home – I came across a place called Oradour-sur-Glane, which is not far from Limoges. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oradour-sur-Glane What a sad story that is – I ended up reading the whole article, but the relevant parts are the Background,and the Massacre I was so sad to read it. Consequently we didn't do much route planning – maybe Avrio. Sausages, new potatoes, peas and sweetcorn for dinner tonight. Washed down with some more very nice, less than  €4 for 1.5 litres, wine.
Friday 29th May 2015
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Today we decided to go to Kassiopi. We had lunch at a Taverna overlooking the harbour.
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After lunch we had a walk around the harbour, and on the way back to the campervan we had a sit on this bench. There is a plaque on it which says –
In remembrance of our dear friend – Patricia Ellen Cookson. 13.5.46 – 31.3.13. When I got home I looked her up on Google – what an interesting lady she was. 
This is taken from her obituary – 
Patricia Cookson, who has died aged 66, founded the villa rental company Corfu Villas, transforming a rustic backwater of Greece into a favourite destination for Britain’s well-off – to the extent that it became known as “Kensington-on-Sea”.
The north-east corner of Corfu has, under the aegis of the Cooksons, attracted a host of celebrities and grandees, ranging from the singer Bryan Ferry and the actor Jude Law, to the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and the Duke of Cambridge, who learnt to waterski while staying in a CV villa.
Patricia Ellen Corry Reid was born in Copenhagen in May 13 1946. Her Danish mother and English father, who had met during the Second World War, settled at Beverley in Yorkshire. One consequence of this was that when they were growing up, the three attractive siblings – Patricia, Carole and Jennifer – became known as “the Beverley Sisters”. More to read here –
 – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10018740/Patricia-Cookson.html
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As we were driving away from Kassiopi I stopped to take a photo of the fish farm. I didn't see any dolphins though.

I found this on Google – 
'Our company named “Corfu Sea Farm SA” was founded in 1992 and is mainly engaged in the breeding and sale of sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and sea bream (Sparus aurata).
The breeding time varies from 15 to 36 months, depending on the required species and size of fish.
Our multi-year presence in the fish farming sector and our expert human potential are our best guarantee of high quality product and service.
Our unit welcomes visitors, students and schools on school trips, as well as fish farming undergraduates applying for their internship.
Our floating plants are located in the bay of Vathì, in the municipality of Kassiopi (Northern Ionian Sea), on the island of Corfu, which is an area with optimal conditions for the breeding of sea bass and sea bream, thanks to the presence of quite strong deep water currents and low temperatures.' – Very interesting I thought.
Saturday 30th May 2015
We woke up today to an email telling us we had won the lottery – £6.50 – we will try to not let it change our lives lol. Had a very lazy day today. Dot took Poppy out for a walk and then we sunbathed in the garden, reading and chatting. I love days like this. This evening we went to Pizza Lithero – fabulous as usual.
Sunday 31st May 2015
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Today it started out very cloudy, when the sun eventually appeared it had a 'Halo' around it. I was quite pleased with these photos as I was blinded by the sun, so I just pointed the camera and took a few shots.
You can read all about it here:-
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo_(optical_phenomenon)
We decided to go to 2 Stars in San Stef for lunch today, great food as usual. Then we drove onto the beach – Poppy had a run about, then we had a coffee at Waves.

Monday 1st June 2015

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Drove over to Sidari, to Sea Monkeys – we love it there, Fiona and Andy are so friendly. We had an English Breakfast each, then went and relaxed on the sunbeds. Poppy had a whale of a time – she always finds someone to throw sticks for her.
Called at Diellas for some shopping, then had a relaxing night in.

Tuesday 2nd June 2015

Dot was up early today, so she took Poppy down for a walk and a swim before Phil and I got up. June called in for a coffee at lunchtime, Malcolm had gone off on his mobility scooter to Afionas. I feel a little tender on my right shoulder today, little too much sun yesterday. We all relaxed in the shade, it was 28 deg top temp. Tonight we went to Rainbow for our evening meal, Phil had a fillet steak, far too much for him – the Doggy bag was full tonight. Poppy almost mugs me when we get in and has a sniff around my handbag. She enjoyed her steak treat.
Wednesday 3rd June 2015
Up to this week we have not had much sand in Arillas, this week however there is much more and the digger has been clearing the pebbles. Lots of sunbeds out too.
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30 deg today, we went to Sharons for lunch and the quiz. We came 5th – there were only 5 teams. Tonight we drove over to eat at Bavias with Christine and Bob – was great to have a good catch up. Then back to Portofino for a nightcap and to pick Dot up as she had dined with June and Malc.

Time is flying by – we still have a few things we would like to do this trip, but with not being 100% well, we will take each day as it comes. Love this photo – look at his chubby cheeks.

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Larissa and Archie.

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