Eighth week

Thursday 21st May 2015

It was cloudy with a few spots of rain this morning. We decided to go for a ride up to Afionas. Joan and John were just passing the end of our lane as we were leaving, so they joined us.

Walking up – Poppy pulled Phil.

We had lunch at Anemos.

Looking out over Gravia and the most photographed telegraph pole ever.

Gravia – the island Phil sailed around

Then back to Arillas to watch a wedding on the beach. We took Poppy for a quick swim first, as we didn't think the bridal party would appreciate her dropping her sticks at their feet or shaking her wet fur over the bride's dress.

Here comes the bride

Lovely setting for it.

After the wedding all the party got on a coach and were taken to San Stefanos to go on a boat trip to cut the wedding cake. Then back to Marina Hotel for a reception. I was so pleased the weather cheered up for their very special day.

Dave Smith and Poppy.

We called at Sharon's for a drink and Poppy found a new victim to throw sticks for her.

We decided to go to Thomas Fish Taverna for our evening meal. It was the first time Phil and I have been there as we are not great fish lovers (apart from Haddock, chips and mushy peas). I had Sword fish, which was delicious, Dot had Monk fish and Phil had Chicken. Dot loved seeing Thomas family as her and Bill used to go quite often when they lived in Arillas and have watched the children grow up.

Friday 22nd May 2015

Cheeky

Dot and I had a drive into Acharavi today, as she wanted some things from the Pharmacy. We had a wander around, and stopped off for a light lunch in a Bakery. Called at the UK shop for some sausages and then came back to Arillas for yet another quiz in the Malibu. We did quite well and came 3rd. Stayed in tonight I am feeling much better but Phil still has a cough which is keeping him and me awake at nigh

Saturday 23rd May 2015

We walked down to the beach, Poppy had a good swim. Such a shame there is so much sea weed along the shore. It is really thick on the right side of the jetty, not quite so much on the left.

When we got to Sharon's I really thought Poppy was going to jump into the pool to help the two guys with their ball.

It was Lezec's birthday today, so there was a BBQ and a birthday cake for him. Darren was the chef, he is a great chef. It was a lovely day enjoyed by all.

Sunday 24th May 2015

Lateish breakfast then Phil went to watch the Grand Prix while Dot and I had a wander down the hill, we stopped off to talk to lots of friends. We stopped off and had a drink at Ammos with Janis.

I am still not sure if I like the Mermaid, but it was a lovely gesture from Jean Walsh to donate it to Arillas.

We went to Portofino this evening and met up with June and Malcolm who are here for 5 months. Malcolm has had his leg amputated because of complications with his diabetes. He has done really well mastering his new leg, he was determined to get to Arillas this Year. You can see his mobility scooter outside.

Monday 25th May 2015

Some new lines and posts have appeared down by the beach, opposite Sharon's, It is the new taxi rank,

Phil had a bad night again, so we had a lazy day again. I had a message from Larissa with this beautiful photo – I just want to cuddle him so much.

Tuesday 26th May 2015

Dot went out with her friend Sheila today.

Phil and I cleaned the van, the solar panel and windows were very dirty. When it rains here it leaves dusty brown rings on everything.

We had a video chat with Gary and Anja today, they had more sunshine than we did.

I made a Chicken carbonara for tonight, it was delicious.

Wednesday 27th May 2015

Very dull this morning, looks like it will rain. The garden is looking very pretty and could do with a drop to freshen it up.

Still lots of Lemons

We had a busy day (for us). We went down to Sharons for lunch and then a quiz, we were joined by John and Joan. We came a very respectable 2nd and won some Rose wine. Well done our team the 'Richard Craniums' This evening we went to the Rainbow to hear 'The Worried Men' for the first time this year. It was a brilliant night, and we met up with lots of friends, John, Joan, Brenda, Janis, Rachel and family, Wendy and Stuart. Sandy was there too with her 97 year old father Eric, they were enjoying their last meal before they return to the UK. He is a wonderful old gentleman.

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I couldn't resist adding this one

Sunset tonight taken by Anemos Afionas.

End of our 8th week only another four and a half weeks left here.

Seventh Week

Thursday 14th May 2015

24 deg today. Still not 100% -just had a lazy day, laid in sunshine in the garden, reading and doing my Sudoku, while Phil took Poppy down the front for a swim. We went over to the Marvel for dinner a couple of glasses of wine and back for an early night.

Friday 15th May 2015

Our lovely friend Dot arrived today to stay in her 'Private, exclusive, luxury apartment' – she just loves staying here, and has a better night's sleep than at home.

We are so pleased she has made it here for her holiday, as she has been very poorly for the last few weeks, we are hoping the sunshine and relaxing will make her much better. She has Polymyalgia Rheumatica. (Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) causes pain, stiffness and tenderness in large muscles, typically around the shoulders, upper arms and hips. The cause is not known. Treatment with steroid tablets usually works well to ease symptoms. You need to take a low dose of steroid each day to keep symptoms away.)

We had lunch at Portofino, our friends Sheila and Keith joined us. Then the five of us went across to Sharons for a quiz afternoon. Some really tough questions today!

Dot, Phil and I came back to the apartment and had good old fashioned Scrambled eggs tonight. Dot was really tired so we tucked her up in bed in the Campervan after a medicinal glass of Tia Maria.

Saturday 16th May 2015

35 °Today Dot had a good night's sleep, longest she has slept for weeks, she got up at 9am. but I think she was exhausted from her journey and with not being very well either. Phil has been coughing quite a bit in the night so Dot and I went shopping to Sidari. We even had a Breakfast at 'Talk of the Town' – it was delicious and very friendly owners. We were chatting to Tim and his Greek colleague, (didn't get his name – maybe Spiros or Kostas). Also his father was there too, lovely fit old man and his son said 'He is the 'full hundred', which I took to mean he was 100 years old, but another Greek friend explained that this saying means he has all his marbles still. I didn't think daddy looked 100, especially when he got on his motorbike to ride off round the town. We will certainly go back – maybe for an evening meal. They have some superb write ups on Trip Advisor.

When we got back from Sidari, Phil said the landlady, Eleni, from the apartments upstairs had been with a bottle of wine just to say sorry. I had messaged her to tell her that one of the shutters had been banging all night in the wind. I wasn't complaining, I was just informing her to save it destroying itself. What a lovely lady she is. I bet the wine will be nice too.

We went to Portofino again this evening.

Sunday 17th May 2015

28°Today

Here are a couple of shots taken while walking down the hill.

We decided to go down to the Malibu to join our friend Paul Roberts who is an avid Grimsby town fan. They were playing Bristol Rovers at Wembley, unfortunately Grimsby lost. Neither of us really watch football, but we couldn't resist watching Grimsby's most important match – oh well always next year! The Pina Colada cocktails were very nice.

There is another new shop in Arillas, Tina opened her dress shop this evening. Here she is with George cutting the ribbon, Quite an opening party was going on as we walked by.

This evening we went up to Kaloudis to eat and join in with the Quiz. We joined Paul and Tracey + 2 of their friends, Phyllis and John. Billy Kaloudis is such a laugh as quizmaster but we have difficulty understanding some of his Greek sounding English. We did actually win, but the prize was a Breakfast for 2 people. So Phyllis and John had it.

Monday 18th May 2015

Another beautiful day, another quiz.

This time at Malibu with Dave Smith as quizmaster in aid of the Animal charity Great fun, we didn't win – I think we were 3rd.

After the quiz Dot returned to the apartment as she was feeling a little off colour. Phil and I had a wander down to have a drink in the Coconut and then on to Sharons. We met up with Joyce and Cliff. Then we all went back up to our balcony, via the Pizza place.We sat and chatted, eating and drinking – was a good night.

Tuesday 19th May 2015

It is the 34th anniversary of my fathers death – still no easier, I miss him so much and would have loved to show him his Great, great grandson.

I walked down to the other new shop in Arillas, the Hair and beauty shop and had a lovely pedicure. The only downside was the highly perfumed massage lotion, but the mossys loved it. I now have five bites grrrrrrr.

This evening we went to the Rainbow as Neill had arranged a fun darts night. It was raining when we arrived, then thunder and lightening for about 10 minutes.

When it stopped there was a Rainbow, I took a photo of it and Jimmy and Vicky's daughter Natsika posed for me – she is so pretty and has a lovely smile. We had a good night and finally left at 3am.

Wednesday 20th May 2015

We walked to the beach, and took Poppy for a swim. Then yet another quiz at Sharon's pool bar, our team were 5th out of five, none of us knew the football answers, and some other really obscure ones. Stayed in tonight and had bangers and mash – and an early night.

Time seems to be racing by – it is the end of our 7th week- we don't seem to have done much the last couple of weeks with having this Flu/virus/cold or whatever it is that half the people in Arillas have. We are both feeling much better now though.

Sixth week

Thursday 7th May 2015

28° today – I called at Hippopots http://www.hippopots.com/ for some items we had ordered –

These are for Sandra as she collects items for her kitchen with the Union Jack on. We joked that this is the modern version of Hilda Ogden's flying ducks.

Then I went up to Kaloudis to sit in the sun with Sandra and Carol, we all went for a swim too.

This evening we went to Armourada for a meal in their beautifully refurbished restaurant. I asked Leon if I should wipe my feet before entering – but he said 'Tis OK' Food was superb as usual.

New ramp in the entrance

After the meal Phil and I walked back to the Marvel for a nightcap. Sue and Frank were there and we ended up by having several nightcaps, putting the world to rights and watching the election results being announced. I can't believe it is three weeks since they arrived, Sue always looks stunning but her holiday has really done her good after her Quadruple by-pass operation. It was gone 2am when we left. It was a fantastic evening with great friends.

Friday 8th May 2015

29° Today, Sandra and Carol arrived with a doggy bag of items they have not used, taking pity on us poor pensioners lol. We all went to Sharon's for a quiz this afternoon, we teamed up with Kes and Kath again. There were some good thought provoking questions – Malcolm is a great question master. We didn't come last – but not in the top 3.

Well it was 29°

We had to say goodbye to our four team mates as they were all flying home this evening. I am so pleased Sandra and Carol liked Arillas – I am sure they will be back. They wanted to do a trip to Paxos and Antipaxos, but there were not enough people wanting to do it, so it was cancelled. Maybe next time. Phil and I stayed in and had a relaxing evening. I watched the last episode of Poldark, at long last – it was so sad, was really blubbing at the end. It has left it wide open for the next series though.

My sister in law Helen, sent me this photo of her and a colleague. They work in a Tesco garage, this is how they celebrated VE day.

Apparently Cleethorpes had the honour of lighting one of the beacons, I would have loved to have been there to see that as it was on 'Ross Castle' – a favourite place of ours when we were kids, to play on.

Saturday 9th May 2015

Phil is full of 'Man flu' bless him – he slept 12 hours last night, and then went for another couple of hours this afternoon. I think I will be getting it soon – my throat is sore and glands are swollen.

I walked round the garden and took a few photos – everything is looking lovely.

Bottle brush tree-Persimmon

Loquats

Wisteria peeping out under the arch.

Today I was reading about local wine (well I would, wouldn't I).

The Theotoky Estate

I came across a website for The Theotoky Estate and found that they have a fantastic Library – I would be in my element here –
Wine and books – it is not too far from us so we may visit it.

http://www.theotoky.com/

http://www.theotoky.com/library-theotoky-estate/

I loved reading about the Olive oil and wine
– this extract made me smile:-

Preferred by James Bond.
Theotoky wine received a unique (and unsought!) accolade – specifically named as his preferred tipple by none other than Her Majestys' Secret Agent, James Bond (Roger Moore), in “For Your Eyes Only” (1981), made on location in Corfu asked if he would like to drink some white wine Bond says, “If you'll forgive me, that's a little too scented for my palate. I prefer the Theotaki Aspro (sic)”. He meant, of course, the “Theotoki aspro” i.e. “Theotoky white”.If it's good enough for 007, why not follow suit and select Theotoky fine wine!007 prefers Theotoky white!

Stayed in tonight , Phil didn't want a full blown meal, he had scrambled eggs and I had an omelette and jacket potato with home made coleslaw. Early night for both of us after I had a quick look at this evening's webcam – I think it looks spectacular – there was thunder and lightening over Mathraki Island – it missed us though.

Sunday 10th May 2015

26° sunny, with periods of cloud, almost looked like it was going to rain, but it didn't. I cooked one of Lauras UK Gold sausage rings today, we had sausage butties for lunch and sausage, new potatoes, peas and sweetcorn for our evening meal. Phil went across to the Marvel to watch Hamilton loose the Grand Prix while I stayed in for a bit of a pamper session and to have a read.

A friend of ours daughter, Laurie Belshaw took this beautiful photo of the sunset in arillas tonight – I just had to share it here.

We are still feeling rough so another early night for us.

I did get a couple of photos from Larissa that cheered me up. Archie seems to change with every photo.

Monday 11th May 2015

24° I had a really rough night, hardly slept a wink, got up twice for a drink and paracetamol. Lazy day again.

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I got another photo of Archie he is so gorgeous just look at those kissable chunky cheeks. Laid back, happy baby in his granddads arms.

Here is one of Larissa – his mum – when she was 3 months old – the resemblance is uncanny.

Stayed in tonight and had Pizza and Greek salad. Washed down with a rather nice Greek red wine at 5 euros for 1 1/2 litres – pushing the boat out.

Tuesday 12th May 2015

Put some laundry in the washing machine today, stepped outside on the balcony to read. After about five minutes there was a shout from Phil, the machine was leaking. 5 buckets of water mopped up! We just don't need that, especially as we were not feeling 100%. Our landlady Vasso arrived – she said it was the filter, she took it out put it back and it is working perfectly now. We have a lovely clean floor! We went to Portofino this evening, mainly to get some fresh air and a change of scenery. Joy and Cliff popped in to say hello, Cliff had been in bed all day unwell. Spiros is poorly too, it seems it is not just us – looks like there is a virus going round. We only ate half our meal, Poppy had a nice treat for supper. Home by 10pm for Honey & lemon to wash down some more Paracetamol.

Wednesday 13th May 2015

Still feeling rough, so not much to report today. I had a lie on a sunbed for an hour, Ann and John our neighbours have arrived and John came to say hello.I have been invited to submit my blogs for a competition. It has to be between 500 and a 1000 words, so I have entered our 2014 journey for the May competition and will send my 2015 journey for the June one. Fingers crossed but I am up against some tough competition as there are some published authors submitting entries. My blogs were never really intended for publication, just to keep family and friends up to date with our holiday. I got to look back on some photos so here are a few not posted yet!

This is Tia a pretty little dog, our friends Danielle and Will have adopted. Tia was found abandoned by the side of the road.

Neither Phil or myself drink beer, we know lots of our friends rave about Mythos but we just don't like the taste. We saw this in a local supermarket and thought we would try it – but no – not for us.

A while ago Fox, the Marvel puppy escaped and made for our balcony to play with Poppy.

This is about the halfway point in our Arillas stay, I must say the weather has been glorious almost wall to wall sunshine, with a few little clouds and a smattering of rain. So different from last year it is much warmer and drier.

Fifth Week

Thursday 30th April 2015.

My last day at home before I fly back to Phil and Poppy. I had a lovely long soak in the bath, then packed my hand luggage. Then I went round to see Archie and the rest of the family, including Anja's sister Michaela and her husband Ian who had arrived for cuddles with Archie.

Last cuddles for a while!

We had Grimsby Fish, chips and mushy peas tonight.

I am so sad to be leaving Archie, he will have changed so much by the time I see him again. Larissa has promised to send me lots of photos to keep me up to date.

Friday 1st May 2015

It is a bank holiday in Corfu – some of our friends in Arillas walked the 'Arillas Trail' today – if anyone would like to see a superb video of it go to -https://vimeo.com/126714635 – it is only approx 3 minutes long, but it gives a good overview of Arillas.

Brouklis Taverna May day wreath

I am looking forward to seeing Phil and Poppy tonight. Gary dropped me off at my friend Sandra's. I was quite lucky to get the same flight as her – she, and her daughter Carol were coming to see us anyway, staying at Kaloudis.. We had a good flight from Doncaster to Corfu. I had booked my transfer separately to Sandra and Carol theirs was in their package, so I arrived almost 2 hours before them. Phil and I sat in Kaloudis bar, while we waited for them to arrive. My transfer was booked through holidaytaxis.com and cost 13€ for anyone interested. When Sandra and Carol arrived, we had a snack and more wine. I went to sleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.

Saturday 2nd May 2015

We all had a long lie in after our late night. I woke up to some photos from Larissa.

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Sandra and Carol eventually found us after walking half way round the village – I knew they were not listening when I gave them directions last night lol. It seems that what we call the Hotel Marvel is known as Hotel Marvellous by everyone they asked, so they thought it was a different place. We went for a drive to stock up on shopping and then had a late lunch at Akrotiri. It was glorious up there, no wind and the temperature was very pleasant. Whilst driving round the village we came across these little goats – so cute!

We learned today that the new Royal Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana was born and is 4th in line to the throne.
This evening we went to Portofino and had an excellent meal as usual. It was the second night of being open, but was not very busy. Spiros came and sat with us for quite a while. We had a good laugh getting some of his light hearted abuse.

Sunday 3rd May 2015

Beautiful day today, up to 23°.

We had a drive into San Stefanos, and called at Hippopots for Sandra and Carol to meet Jackie and Pete. Sandra could not resist buying something. I love these flip flops on their wall. The shop is looking lovely. We drove down to the harbour then back to Arillas for Poppy to have a swim.

Then to Sharons for a drink and a sit in the sun passing the time away.

Sandra and Carol

This evening we went up to Kaloudis for Spit roast Lamb and a quiz. We teamed up with Kez and Kath. We actually came joint first with two other teams and we lost on the tie breaker. Never mind it was good fun.

We ended the night with a complimentary cocktail – a Screwdriver with 6 straws, and very nice it was too!

Monday 4th May 2015.

Sunny and warm today. I woke up to find a mossy bite on my posterior – first this year.

My daily baby fix

We walked down to say hello to Yiota – she opened her shop today.

Chocolate and Banana

Poppy had a swim and then we sat at Sharons and tried a slice of her delicious cake. We were looking at the re-installed bench, thinking we will have to toddle down the end of the jetty for our usual photo – maybe Avrio!

Tonight we drove up to Kaloudis and picked up, Sandra, Carol, Kes and Kath. We were going to Bavias but they are not open until Wednesday, so we went to Pizza Romano in Sidari. We had a beautiful meal, enjoyed by all. Good night, good friends and lots of laughs.

Tuesday 5th May 2015

Another glorious day today – up to 26° and flat calm sea.

. We went across to The Marvel for lunch, Carol even had a swim. Phil shared his Bacon butty with a new friend.

This evening we went up to The Night Owl with Sandra, Carol, Kes and Kath.Superb meal as usual, then we went onto the Coconut Bar as the Splinter Band were playing. Great night and Yiota's camera was hot!

Met up with Eileen and Keith

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Sandra and Carol

A brilliant night again.

Wednesday 6th May 2015

Non of us were up very early, so we decided to go to Sea Monkeys for late lunch and a lay in the sun. Just relaxing and soaking up the sunshine. Portofino tonight – excellent as usual. The sea was so calm – I love listening to the waves gently lapping the shore.

The Mermaid is back in place, all the rubbish has been collected – Arillas is awake and wants to welcome all its visitors.

The end of another perfect week for us, we are relaxed and happy. Poppy is enjoying her swims.

Fourth week

Thursday 23rd April 2015 – St. George's Day!

Very cloudy start to the day, but brightened up and the sun appeared.It took me 3 hours to upload last weeks Blog – blumin Internet! We all went to the quiz this afternoon – I thought the questions were hard – we came 4th – not too bad considering there were 4 teams lol. My friend Linda brought me some eggs today, beautiful free range ones with almost orange yolks. As we have had a few hectic days we decided to stay in tonight and I cooked a crustless quiche with chips and Greek salad, followed by fresh fruit salad and ice cream. I went scrumping for oranges again.

Archie has had to go on a Neo mat and be cared for in the Neonatal unit, he has a tube inserted to help him feed. Come on little man get well soon. He will be in hospital for a few more days.

Friday 24th April 2015

We were invited to the Marvel at lunchtime as the Makris family were having a BBQ. The highlight for me apart from the meat was Sophia had made a pie, similar to a Spinach pie but made with Wild greens. It was delicious and very popular, Phil and Barbara went off for a Siesta and I sat in the garden and did some more of Archies shawl. This evening we picked Steve up and drove into Sidari for a pizza at his favourite restaurant Pizza Romano.

Larissa looks so well, and Archie is just so adorable – I cant wait to have a cuddle with him. He is doing fine, Jaundice is fading, but his feeding is not good enough yet.

Saturday 25th April 2015

This afternoon we drove over to San Stefanos as Jackie at Hippopots has made me a personalised teddy bear money box for Archie – it is beautiful! Barbara bought a few bits to take home with her and I ordered another Butterfly for our garden.

We called at the Bakery on the way back to Arillas and had Baklava and coffee. Barbara has never tasted it before – she loved it. We took her to Brouklis tonight for a traditional Greek meal in the best Taverna in Arillas. Of course we had to finish with Roula's orange cake.

Sunday 26th April 2015

I was up early, before the alarm went off as I was so excited to be going home to see my Great grandson. We flew to East Midlands airport, where Barbara had her car, she gave me a lift to Newark, where Gary picked me up from. He said we could not go to the hospital until 6.30. Anja had cooked dinner for us and I booked a flight to go back to Corfu on 1st May from Doncaster – on the same flight as my friend Sandra and her daughter Carol, who were coming out to visit us. We arrived at the hospital to find that Archie was no longer in the Neonatal unit, but was in the family room with Larissa and Joe.

This photo is my first cuddle. It is a magic feeling to have your own children, it is a very special feeling to have grandchildren, but it is out of the world, awesome to have a Great grandchild. I just feel so proud and ecstatic.

Larissa, Anja, Gary, Archie and I

Larissa, Joe, Gary, Archie and I

Four generations!

Archie is still having a slight problem feeding, The situation is a bit more complex than they told me about, His kidneys were not functioning 100% with him being early. They have to give him 60ml. of milk, every 3 hours by bottle, but if he does not take it – they have to suck some of the milk he has drunk out through the tube with a syringe. Then test it on a litmus strip – this tells them if his kidneys are working properly. – if it goes into the purple colour – it is a problem – but if it goes to the yellow end it is OK. Then they feed him the balance of the milk he hasn't drunk through the feeding tube – straight into his stomach. It was fascinating to watch Larissa and Joe, doing this procedure – what a great team they are.

Monday 27th April 2015

I called round to see my brother and sister in law this morning for a coffee and catch up. At lunchtime I met my friend Sandra for lunch.

Later on my friend Helen (Doz) and I went to the hospital to see Archie.

I was just in time to give him his first feed without his feeding tube. The staff had removed it, as they thought it was making him lazy. It encouraged him to keep on sucking and he took almost 70ml. They said if he keeps on like this he may go home tomorrow, Fingers crossed – I must finish his shawl tonight – Phil has a theory – that Archie is waiting for his shawl to go home in!

Tuesday 28th April 2015

Last night I almost finished crocheting, but by 1am my eyes were very strained – so I finished it off this morning.

An hour later Larissa said he was being discharged as he had done very well with his feeds and his kidneys were working fine.

Going home

Nana babysitting

Grandad time

Archies first feed from his Grandad

Great nana cuddles

Even more Great nana cuddles

It was great to have him home at last – Larissa and Joe went off to register the birth and we just enjoyed our Grandson/Great Grandson. It also snowed today, which is ironic because it snowed in 1968 when I took Gary home from the Maternity home.

First night at home.

Wednesday 29th April 2015

It is my youngest son Andy's birthday today. I wish I was back in Arillas, blumin cold, very windy and raining. We had hailstones the size of peas today.

On a lighter note, my friends Alan and Claire came to visit in their Motorhome, it is huge – makes ours look like the poor relation. We had a good catch up – it is 6 years since I have seen Claire but we do keep in touch. We will be going to a Motorhome rally with them in Cheshire when we get back from Corfu.

This afternoon I went for my haircut and then went for a Carvery for my friend Helen's grandson William's 9th birthday tea. I couldn't end the day without seeing Archie, so I called for a cuddle – just in time to feed him. He is doing so well now and gulped it all down quite quickly. He is just so adorable!

I am going to miss you so much my ickle treasure.

I was able to 'talk' to Phil tonight – he has had no Internet for 2 days, but it is sorted now with a whole new system – so fingers crossed we may stay online a bit more.

Well the end of another perfect week – although most of it was spent in the UK. I apologise to anyone who was expecting lots of Greek photos. It is not everyday you get to visit your brand new Great grandson.

Third week

Thursday 16th April 2015

Sunny and up to 22° today was lovely sat in the garden, crocheting. Poppy had her first swim in Arillas today, she loved it.

As you can see there is a lot of seaweed and stones on the beach, we need a North wind to bring the beach back. We went to Sharons for the quiz, and teamed up with a new couple (sorry I forget their names) and Alison. We came 2nd – much better than last week. There was a good turn out again. We also got talking to George who is raising money for an animal charity.

After the quiz we popped along to see Spiros at Portofino, he was busy working, getting ready to open at the beginning of May. He was telling us he has not been too well over the winter, he has stones in his Gall Bladder and is waiting to have an operation to remove it. He has been to hospital twice the first time he went they could not do it because he had not stopped taking his blood thinning tablets and the second time his blood sugar was too high. He is expecting to have to go in during the summer sometime. We had a coffee with him and a lovely piece of home made apple pie, with sultanas and walnuts in it mmmmm.

Friday 17th April 2015

Cloudy today and much cooler than it has been 16° this morning. It warmed up later though so we relaxed in the garden again. Poppy could hardly walk today, she was very stiff, I think she overdid it yesterday. I only walked her up the lane a couple of times. The Marvel pool is looking great, Kostas and Spiros have been working very hard cleaning and painting it, now they are filling it ready for the season.

This evening we went to the Night Owl with Christine, Steve, Spiros and Alison. The food as usual was excellent, we had our usual Souvlaki, Spiros had a pork chop which almost filled his plate. As we were leaving, Jimmy from the Rainbow was there I confessed to stealing some of his oranges, he was happy I had taken them (phew) and offered me some more, I just love the Greeks. We all went back to the Marvel for a nightcap. Kostas (Coconut) was there, it was lovely to see him again. Steve is the life and soul of the party, he tells some great jokes, all of which I have forgotten. We got round to talking about the quiz some of the questions were thought provoking. As is this one of Steve's – What is it that the maker doesn't want, the buyer doesn't need and the user doesn't see? Answer at the end of this blog. We welcomed some more friends, Frank and Sue, they flew in this evening. Sue is 12 weeks post Quadruple heart bypass, and she looks as amazing, as always. Then we had to say goodbye to Alison as she is flying back to the UK on a morning flight, it has been great to spend some quality time with her. The end of another memorable night, with good friends, good food and a drink or two.

Saturday 18th April 2015

Cloudy start, but up to 20° later. The internet is really playing up today, we think it is to do with the phone lines. I did some washing and ironing, also moved the furniture around in the bedroom. Sat out in the sun for an hour before showers and hair wash ready to go and meet Steve and Christine. We went to Litharo – for Pizzas – they were as good as ever. Back to the Marvel for a nightcap – another great evening.

Sunday 19th April 2015

Quite cloudy this morning, the sun did shine later but there was a biting cold wind. I went to the airport with Kostas to meet our friend Barbara, it is her first time to Greece. I can't believe she has been all over the world but never Greece. She is staying next door to us at the Marvel. When we arrived we had drinks and a snack then I took her for a ride down to the beach, for her to see what we are always raving about. Called in and introduced her to Spiros at Portofino, Steve and Christine were helping him put new fans up. Then we drove around the village for her to get a quick glimpse of Arillas. She went to have a lie down for an hour before watching the Grand Prix with Phil and Spiro. We had Sophia's Sofrito tonight, was lovely as always. Earlyish night for Barbara as she didn't have much sleep last night. Phil and I watched Poldark.

Monday 20th April 2015

Very windy today, but it is a North wind, so hopefully the beach will come back. I had a message from Larissa this morning saying she was in hospital and in Labour. What good timing is that, she finished her last shift at McDonalds yesterday. I am very excited and booked a flight for Sunday to return home for a few days to meet my Great Grandson. We drove up to Akrotiri for lunch, Barbara loved it and was bowled over by the views.

I love this aerial photo showing both beaches on my photos.

San Stefanos

Arillas

We all went up to Mon Amour this evening and had a great meal.

As soon as we sat down I got a message from Gary that baby was born, followed by a photo of him. Meet Archie – my beautiful Great grandson, born today at 18.03 (UK time) weighing 6lb 10oz. Mother and baby are fine. I am feeling ecstatic and emotional.

Archie 5 minutes old

We sure did wet his head this evening!

Tuesday 21st April 2015

One of the first posts I read on Facebook this morning is from Joe, Larissa's partner –
'Just want you to know how proud I am of you, not once have you moaned or kicked up a fuss just got on with it all, you are a lot stronger than you realise and just from seeing you with him I know your going to be a great mum.. it's been a lot for me to take in so I know you must be exhausted by the whole experience but you still manage a smile.. I still can't believe how we've made something so perfect and no doubt there's going to be ups and downs and times were we are tested but I have no doubt in my mind that we will pull together and do the very best we can to bring our baby boy up right… So let's enjoy this journey and cherish every second… Welcome to parent hood “mummy” ' – how lovely is that!
Larissa's reply to Joe – 'Big softy joe so proud of you too I managed because I had you by my side every minute of the way and you was so brave and even though you felt like you didn't do a lot believe me you did you have no idea how happy you and our little boy have made me xxxxxx'

I am just so happy for them, a lovely little family.

Archie has his Greek hat on!

We went for a drive up to Afionas today, to show Barbara the beautiful village, we had cakes and coffee too. In the evening we drove up to Steve and Christine's house, they invited us for a meal. We all had a wonderful memorable night with them and some Greek friends too. I am amazed how there are no language barriers when you have some vino to share. Steve is so funny Barbara and I had aching jaws from laughing so much. They are wonderful hosts, the food and drinks were excellent and they insisted we stayed the night. It was a privilege to be invited, and an honour to be asked to share their home.

Wednesday 22nd April 2015

Christine cooked breakfast next morning too. We just can't thank them enough, it is a good feeling to have such lovely friends. Here are a few photos of their beautiful house and views.

This afternoon we drove over to Sidari to Sea Monkeys.

It is Andy's 50th birthday and we were invited to a BBQ to celebrate it. It was a lovely atmosphere and the BBQ was delicious. Poppy enjoyed herself too, playing with Toffee, their dog. There were lots of people willing to throw toys for them. She was shattered when she got back to Arillas. This evening we went to Armourada to watch a Winter league darts presentation. I heard this evening that Archie has had to go in an incubator as he is not feeding too well and is jaundiced. The Doctors said it may be that he has an infection and they want to keep a closer eye on him. Apparently it is common in early babies, but very worrying especially for Larissa and Joe. We hope it is better news tomorrow.

End of another eventful and unforgettable week from a very happy Great Nana.

Answer to the conundrum – Coffin.

Second week

Thursday 9th April 2015

Bright and sunny this morning only 9° though. It did get up to 17° but never felt that warm because of the cold wind.

Phil and Fox – the Marvel puppy

We went over to the Marvel to meet Alison, who arrived today, she is the lady who gave me the photo of Spiros when he was 18 years old. I had some T-shirts printed for the May, Marvel regulars a few years ago – commonly known as the Mayhems.

We went down to Sharons for a quiz. This time to raise money for Roz and Nick. Roz was diagnosed with Breast cancer a few years ago. After being given the all clear over a year ago, she is now poorly again. We are raising funds for some things she desperately needs. There were about 20 people attending, but we raised €170.

I didn't take a photo because we were all huddled round the side out of the wind. So here is one of the van.

Poppy had the time of her life with some new victims to throw her stick for her. Sharon and Danielle made a gorgeous Lemon and Orange cake. We drove to Sidari after the quiz to get some shopping as the supermarkets will be closed for four days for Greek easter.

Friday 10th April 2015

Our cleaner came this morning, so we sat outside in the beautiful hot sunshine. When she had gone Phil and I made some Marmalade from our 'free' Oranges and Lemons.

This evening we decided to go to Lithero for a Pizza as we had seen that they are opening on Friday and Saturday at the moment. I messaged our friends Christine and Steve to see if they fancied joining us. They said they would drive down and meet us there. When Phil and I got there they were closed………I was gutted and our friends were on their way. When they arrived Steve said jump in we will go somewhere else.

He took us to Bavias Taverna, just outside Sidari.

We have never been there so I was looking forward to trying somewhere new. The place was almost full, our friends Andy and Fiona from Sea Monkeys were there too. The food was superb, I had a Stuffed Bifteki, it is the best one I have ever had, and I have had a few! We had 4 starters to share, 4 Main courses, 2 litres of wine, and the bill came to €60 – about £10 a head in UK.

Cozy fire!

When we left Steve drove us back to their house for a nightcap sitting in front of their wonderful fire.

Steve dropped us back home. We had a great evening, with good friends, food, wine and conversation.

Saturday 11th April 2015

What a glorious day we woke up to, no wind and sunny all day long. We had toast and our home made Marmalade for breakfast, and I must say it is delicious. We made our way down to Sharons for a Charity BBQ this afternoon in aid of Roz again. It was a great turn out, there must have been about 40 or 50 people there. We had a very pleasant afternoon, meeting up with old friends, eating and drinking in the sunshine. Bob White kindly entertained us with his great singing and guitar playing.

Poppy had a great time, 2 little girls took her under their wing and loved throwing sticks for her. They even came over when they were leaving and said what a clever dog she is and great fun to play with. Will and Danielle have just given a home to an abandoned puppy. It is the cutest little thing.

We sat and watched the sun go down, not the most spectacular sunset, but lovely just the same.

Sunday 12th April 2015

Another beautiful day today, up to 22° this afternoon. We had a lovely afternoon with Spiros and Alison, they brought us some Greek Lamb (Kokoretsi) and 'Red dyed eggs' We sat on our balcony drinking and chatting, it is really good to spend quality time with special friends. Phil watched the Grand Prix and he was very happy when Hamilton won.

Monday 13th April 2015

Granddaughter Larissa's 26th birthday today, I hope she has a lovely day.

It is another beautiful day here 20° we had a lazy day sitting out in our garden, sunbathing and I was crocheting a shawl for my soon to be born great grandson.

I love days like this it was so peaceful.

We have a beautiful Judas tree in the garden just coming into flower. Cercis siliquastrum from which Judas Iscariot is reputed to have hanged himself.

Tuesday 14th April 2015

20° again today – sunshine all day. We decided to drive to Acharavi for some shopping, lunch and to buy a Wi fi booster to see if we can get a better internet connection. Phil is a bit upset that he could have got one for £10 off ebay because we paid €30 – lets hope it works!

Lunch Greek Salad, chips and nice coffee

This evening we went along to the opening evening at Brouklis Taverna. Quite a few people were there locals and tourists too. Not sure which category we are!

Brouklis Taverna

Pumpkin pie

Spiros and Alison joined us and we had a lovely evening finding out more about what they got up to when they were 18. It is a privilege for us, for them to share their memories with us. We had Pumpkin pie, Stuffed Bifteki and Roula's famous Orange cake. Roula joined us after work, she is so happy to see Alison again after 30 years. Apparently she was like a mother to her. The Boss looked happy at the end of the evening so I guess all went well. I hope they have a good season.

Wednesday 15th April 2015

We woke up to sunshine again. I could get used to this. Phil decided to stay home and connect up the Wi Fi booster. I went out for lunch with Alison we went to a lovely little taverna between Stylo and Roda. There was a beautiful view over the countryside to the sea.

The food was delicious Alison had Calamari and I had spit roast Chicken breast with Greek salad. When I got back Phil had set the booster up but it was only working on my laptop and not his.

I called in at the UK shop as Laura had saved me 2 copies of the new Corfu Gazette. If anyone is interested in having an email copy every month- send your request to corfugazette@gmail.com – you can also find them on facebook.com/corfugazette.

We stayed in tonight and I made a casserole.

This is Poppy chilling after her dinner

Well the end of our second week, time is flying by, I am looking forward to next week as my friend Barbara is arriving on Sunday for a week. We have a birthday party next week too.I would imagine quite a few more places will be opening when they see the planes overhead and the coaches coming into the village.

First week in Arillas

Thursday 2nd April 2015

We docked at 7am and made our way across the port to catch the little ferry to Corfu.

Only in Greece would this white van be allowed to board

Beautiful sunny day, very calm sea and the cheapest Nescafe and Cheese and ham toasty in Greece.

Easter bunny for Sophia

When we docked we made our way North to Arillas and arrived about mid-day to a warm welcome from t'other Phil and Jen, our dear friends from Glastonbury, Kostas, Spiro and Sophia. We had a quick glass of wine and then went over to our apartment, we unpacked the van, Phil had a much needed siesta while I took Poppy for a run and also to buy some water. I drove down to the front, and had a quick welcome kiss from Dimitris at Brouklis. He is busy having a new extraction system fitted in the kitchen, also decorating ready for the opening after Easter. I saw Leon and Billy in Amourada they were laying a new floor, the whole place looked like a building site. I passed the new Beauty shop next to Theos car hire. The Malibu have also created a new cosy area, they look just about ready to open. Then on to Sharon’s, there was lots of activity going on, painting, cleaning and tidying. I saw Sharon, Gary and Poppy, Will and Danielle, Angie, Lezek and Bobby. I had a quick chat to Sharon while Poppy had a run around, it was too rough to take her on the almost non existent beach. Sharon leant me a 6 pack of water to save me going up to Berettas. We had a nice meal at the Marvel this evening with t'other Phil and Jen.

Friday 3rd April 2015

Good Friday in the UK. We have to wait for Easter until next weekend in Greece.

We had a lazy morning and then made our way down to Sharon's pool bar for a quiz..

Joined up with t'other Phil and Jen – our team name was 'The 4 Village Idiots' – we won!

I went in the pool lol.

This evening we drove up to the Night Owl and had the best Chicken Souvlaki in the world. I have never seen t'other Phil finish 2 skewers before lol. Neil joined us for a meal and we delivered his items we had brought over from England with us. When the other diners left, Linda and Nikos came and sat with us for a chat. Quality time with our Greek friends when they are not too busy – wonderful.

Saturday 4th April 2015

Another lazy morning for us then we picked t'other Phil and Jen up and drove over to Sidari. First stop was Sea Monkeys to say hello to Fiona and Toffee, she was very busy painting and cleaning, so we just showed t'other Phil and Jen the beautiful spot we love to chill out in. Then we had lunch on the strip, dropped t'other Phil and Jen off at Matts bar to meet up with Neil again. While we went to deliver some things we brought over from the UK for Laura, our friend at the UK shop. We did our weekly shop at Diellas, picked our friends up and drove back to Arillas. Ate at the Marvel again and said goodbye to t'other Phil and Jen, as they fly back tomorrow.

Sunday 5th April 2015

Easter Sunday in the UK. It was very cloudy in Arillas first thing this morning, the forecast is rain for the next two days. It was dull and rained on and off all day. As a thank you for delivering Laura's treasures, she gave us a pack of fresh English sausages. This is a new item in the shop this year, she has taught her Greek butcher how to make English sausages and I must say they are very good. There are several flavours and the one we had is called UK Gold which is a thick, in a round (similar to Cumberland) one. It was absolutely delicious, we do not eat much English food while we are here as we prefer Greek but as this was a gift we had to try it. I cooked it slowly for 45 mins in the oven, we had sausage butties for lunch and then finished it off for our evening meal with vegetables. I wish I had taken a photo of it, but I forgot! You can tell we loved it as we will be buying it again when we next go to Sidari. We still have no Wi-Fi in the apartment so we sat and watched an episode of Poldark our son Andy had downloaded and sent to my laptop before we left UK. He has sent some more as well but they are up there in space waiting for our Wi-Fi connection. We passed the evening away looking at all the old photos on the laptop, we have some wonderful memories of family events, and holidays. It was quite moving, chatting to each other and remembering people who are no longer with us.

Monday 6th April 2015

We had a really big thunderstorm in the night, it even woke me up. Poor Poppy was shaking and jumped up on the bed with Phil when the loud thunderclaps occurred. It lasted for quite a while and must have been right overhead as it lightened, then within a few seconds it thundered. It also lashed it down with rain. The car park was covered in puddles when we got up but it was bright and sunny. We popped over to the Marvel to have a drink this afternoon and took the opportunity to download some episodes of Poldark on the laptop, which we had missed. While we were there Bob and Nicola arrived, we had a good catch up with them. They invited us to a BBQ at their house tomorrow – looking forward to that. We stayed in tonight and watched Poldark. . I needed my Aiden Turner fix. We also watched the last episode of Mr Selfridge – what a strange ending!

Tuesday 7th April 2015

Bright, windy and sunny today but very cold, I hung some washing out and it dried quite quickly. We picked up our new German friends, Steffi and Nils and drove to Bob and Nics house for the BBQ. We had a great time, plenty of food, drinks, laughter and good music. Poppy had a whale of a time as she is allowed to roam around and there were plenty of people to throw her sticks. Sharon and Gary turned up with their Poppy so the two dogs were very happy playing together. It was very pleasant sat on the verandah out of the wind but as soon as the sun went in it turned cold. The chef de jour was Paul, and he did a fantastic job – shame about your burnt arms Paul lol. Will and Danielle were also there, such a lovely friendly couple. I originally thought she was French but it turns out she is a Lancashire lass.

Bob was going to a gig in Sidari so we made our way back to the Marvel for a drink with Steffi and Nils. They are a lovely couple who have been to Arillas three times now. Unfortunately as Steffi is a teacher she is not allowed to be on Facebook, it is such a shame as she is so friendly, I am sure they both would love Arillas Addicts. I have her email and promised to send her a link to my Blog. They are going to try and get to Arillas in August to see Roy Bumblefoot Thal, as they are Guns n Roses fans. We had a lovely evening, they enjoyed practising their English on us. We ended the evening with B52's and Baileys.

Wednesday 8th April 2015

Bright and sunny morning, still chilly though and the wind seems to have dropped. Two years ago today since Phil had his heart attacks, we are so thankful that his by-pass worked so well and that we are able to enjoy this lifestyle we have.

Our lovely friend Bob brought us a fresh loaf from his local bakery today,

We had it for lunch, I made some egg mayonnaise, why do eggs and bread taste better in Arillas? I had a quick chat to my grand daughter Larissa on Whatsapp today as we still have no Internet. She is having a baby boy – due on May 19th – I am missing out on seeing her bump grow. They are both fine and she will be giving up work for her Maternity leave in a couple of weeks. I will fly home for a week when he is born, to meet my new Great grandson, Leaving Phil and Poppy in Arillas. We went for a walk this afternoon the temperature got up to 15° but it was cool out of the sun. We had a chat to Dimitris at Brouklis, who is busy cleaning up after all the work he has had done in his kitchen. He also told us Noufris will not be the waiter this year, he will be working at the Brewery.

Testing the new bench

We had a quick chat to Billy, Amourada still looks like a builders site, they have installed a new ramp for prams, wheelchairs etc. We asked when they will be open and he more or less said when they see the first coachload of visitors they will rush around and open. The ATM is still covered and the notice says ' Open from April to October' hello…it is April lol. We went to the Marvel to say goodbye to Steffi and Nils who were flying back to Germany tonight.

On our way back to the apartment we picked some oranges and lemons.

Tonight we stayed in and finished off the fresh bread with good old fashioned egg and chips. For desert we had beautiful fresh picked, sweet and juicy orange. Then we watched 2 episodes of Poldark, I am sure Aiden Turner gets more good looking each episode.

The end of our first week – so busy and enjoyable. Lots more to come hopefully.

The Journey

24th March 2015
.
Setting off from Hull to Zeebrugge on North Sea Ferries, we had a nice surprise when we boarded, as we could leave Poppy in the van and not have to put her in a kennel like we did last year. This is something they are going to introduce soon, there will also be a dog walking area. We went down to see her a few times, but she was perfectly settled in familiar surroundings.

Jean and I on the ferry – starting as we mean to go on!

This year we had an extra passenger, my cousin Jean joined us to be dropped off at her sister Maggie's place in France. Maggie and Paul, her husband, live in Saint Sulpice Lauriere, which is not far from Limoges. They live there with their son Steve and daughter in law Sarah.

25th March 2015

We had a great journey opting to take the Toll (Peage) roads as we wanted to get to Maggie's as quickly as possible. Tolls were about €45. The traffic was very heavy on the Boulevard Peripherique around Paris. We completed the 420 miles at about 6pm. We had a wonderful, very late evening – drinking, eating and more drinking, putting the world to rights, catching up on childhood memories and lots of laughs.

26th March 2015

Breakfast today included some local honey,
3 different kinds, all different but equally delicious.

We had a lazy, relaxing day. More eating, drinking, talking and laughing. It was great to have a look round their place and meet their pets. They have a dog called Maya, a miniature goat called Fleur, some chickens, 2 geese, one called George who is quite grumpy and one called Gertie. and a hedgehog called Mille.

Millie

George

Fleur the miniature goat

Maggie and Paul live in the main house, Sarah and Steve live in a one bed 'gite' next door. Steve has his business, a brewery, in the barn. There are some beautiful views over the countryside.

Another evening of eating and drinking until very late. Maggie is a fantastic cook, she seems to whiz up food, including homemade breads, soup and meals at the drop of a hat.

27th March 2015

Maggie, Paul, Sarah, Jean, me and Poppy

Time for us to say goodbye to our great hosts and continue our journey to Greece. It was so good to spend time with our family, they made us feel very welcome, so much so, they have invited us back on our return journey in 3 months time.

Phil and Poppy snuggling down for the night.

We set off around lunchtime and had a pleasant drive. No toll roads for now as we want to see as much of the countryside as possible. We passed through some quaint little villages on our way to a Camperstop for the night. We even saw a deer at the side of the road. We arrived at Villefranche-de-Rouergue but unfortunately the place we wanted was closed until 1st April despite the Camperstops book saying it was open all year. We spent the night in a McDonalds car park.

28th March 2015

Again we drove along off toll roads and saw some beautiful countryside. Something we were looking forward to was driving over the Viaduct de Millau

Millau viaduct is an impressive 336 meters, making this the highest bridge in the world.

Poppy had a good run here

Stayed the night at Aire d'Ambrussum. It was a beautiful sunset

29th March 2015

While we drove along today we fathomed out how to put co-ordinates into our Sat-nav and spent the night in a Camperstop at Avenue Francis Teisseire, Port de St Laurent du var – between Cannes and Nice. For anyone interested the co-ordinates for here are – n43.66628 e7.19595

30th March 2015

Today we saw some spectacular scenery keeping close to the coast road, along the Mediterranean sea. One place we stopped off for a break was Eze. Apparently U2 hang out in a hotel here in the summer.

We decided to get onto the Autostrada A12. Genoa to Livorno and spent the night at a services. Our diesel prices have varied we found it as low as €1.15 per litre in France and €1.39 in Italy.

31st March 2015

We drove on to Ancona to the ferry port ready for our ferry tomorrow. Our check in was not open but we asked if it was OK to stay in their huge car park overnight, we were told it was allowed but the gates would be locked at 10pm – this was fine by us as we wanted to have an early night after driving 1300 miles altogether. We settled down in bed – at midnight – when we were fast asleep a security guard knocked on the door and told us it was not allowed to stay there for the night – so we had to get up and move to a car park about 100 meters away. Jobsworth!!

1st April 2015

First thing I did was send a text to my son Gary for his 47th birthday today. We got up and went back to the car park to check in for the ferry. We sailed at 2pm and had a 19 hour crossing to Igoumenitsa.

We were given a 'free' dog friendly cabin as part of our early bird booking deal.

The first thing we did was take the lift up to the dog walking area on the top deck. Poppy was a bit apprehensive of the engine noises but she was as good as gold walking with us and did a mahoosive poo on deck, first time ever on the lead. We told her she was a good girl and she seemed more relaxed about it. The cabin was very comfortable, with an excellent shower in the bathroom. Unfortunately there were hundreds of giggling, laughing, singing, Italian teenagers on the same deck as us and they kept Phil awake most of the night. Being deaf has its good points as I only woke a couple of times.

The Journey back to Grimsby.

Day 93 – Tuesday 01.7.14 Leaving day continued !

We drove to Corfu Port and checked in for our ferry across to Igoumenitsa, We sat in the shade and had a cold drink watching the world go by. Our friends Loretta and Terry turned up to wish us bon voyage, that was so kind of them. They are leaving Corfu on Thursday to go back to Kent. We met them in Bari, Italy on the way down and they are going back home for 2 months because Terry has some work planned and they are due to have a new granddaughter. (Dolly was actually born, about 4 hours after they arrived – she must have been waiting for Nana and Grandad before she put in an appearance). We are getting the ferry to Bari as we had booked a return ticket. Terry was telling us that they will be going to Ancona this time as it saves a drive of 288 miles = a days driving. We will certainly be looking at this next time as he said for them it was only 40 euros difference in price.

Our ferry, Eleni.

Sailing away from Corfu!

When we arrived in Igoumenitsa we crossed to the other side of the port and checked in for our ferry to Bari, due to leave at half past midnight.

We had plenty of time to kill, so we decided to drive along the coast and find somewhere to have a meal. We found Plataria – a sleepy little harbour town.

We had a walk round and then had a Meze in a taverna overlooking the Marina

We drove back to catch our ferry to Bari, it was late arriving and was almost 2am by the time we got on board. This 'camping on board' is excellent. We got a mains hook up as soon as we were in position. Poppy jumped up on our bed and settled down. We nipped up to the bar for a quick cold drink and then to bed. It was very hot in the van as there was not much air about, We decided that we need to invest in a 12v Fan for future trips.

Day 94 – Wednesday 02.7.14

We arrived in Bari at 11.30am – it took ages to unload the vehicles. We finally disembarked at 1.30pm. We stopped off for lunch just 22 miles away from Bari. We are amazed how many campervans were on the road, there were hardly any in April. We stopped for the night just north of Rimini at Autogrill Rubicone Ouest. I have never enjoyed a shower so much as I did tonight, it was very hot and sticky in the van with no AC. We had a light meal and settled down for the night, there was a breeze so we kept the side windows open and had a good nights sleep.

Day 95 – Thursday 03.7.14

We drove north and stopped off for lunch not far from Lake Garda

We sat at a picnic table and spoke to a German couple who were on their way home in their campervan after spending two weeks at Lake Garda.

We drove on a bit further towards the Brenner Pass and saw some spectacular scenery on the way, with a little snow on top of the mountains.

We stopped off at the Brenner Museum for a cold drink and to buy the Vignette which we need for passing through Austria.

'At the Brenner Pass, where once stood customs between Italy and Austria – a place of exchanges and encounters, but also of divisions – rises Plessi Museum, that hosts inside it a permanent exposition space dedicated to Fabrizio Plessi (born in 1940), an artist from Emilia but raised in Venice who is famous for his video-installations.

The building, designed by engineer Carlo Costa (director of the Brenner motorway), is the first museum space on a highway in Italy and wants to be a symbol (in its architecture and the works on display), connecting the Latin world with the Germanic one.

Inside it, what immediately stands out is a sculpture made by Plessi in 2000 for the Expo in Hannover, joining 3 compositions representing the provinces of Trento, Bolzano and Innsbruck, the historic heart of Tirol. Other than the installations, the paintings and the sculptures of the artist, there are also other exposition spaces and a conference room conceived to host events. And for all those car travelers who need more than a cultural stop, the museum also contains an eating and service area.

Without wanting to reduce the concept, Plessi Museum is a kind of rest stop that becomes an occasion for cultural discovery, in which travelers can explore its over 15,500 square yards in the form of a crystal shrine, with looming above it an impressive covering able to communicate with the main architecture and the alpine landscape, and to reflect its historically charged location'

We spent the night just south of Ulm in Germany at Rasthof Illertal.

Day 96 – Friday 04.7.14

We slept very well last night as the further north we go the cooler it gets. We stopped for lunch at Rasthof Bruchsal, not far from Hockenheim.

Parked up for the last night!

Tonight we stayed at Raststatte Aachener Land Nord, Germany. Another nice, peaceful spot, we slept well in the cooler air.

We are really pleased with how 'Mercy' the motorhome has performed. She has behaved well, coping with all the steep hills and mountains and only using just under 1 litre of oil for the whole 2.892 mile round trip. We have estimated that we have got approximately 29 miles per gallon on the trip.

Day 97 – Saturday 05.7.14

We packed the beds away and had a general tidy up this morning. We stopped for lunch near Antwerp. It rained most of the day, as we arrived at the ferry port in Zeebrugge it was cloudy but not raining. We took Poppy to have her microchip scanned and get her DEFRA notification which we will need in Hull. Then we checked in and drove onto the 'Pride of Brugge' Poppy was put into her kennel – she seems happy to do this, she just settled down on her bed. We are so proud of her she has been such a good girl – she takes everything in her stride, calmly and without a fuss. We went to our cabin and had showers, then went to visit Poppy in the kennel to take her a drink and feed her. We went for a meal – Cornish Pasty washed down with Zinfandel, before retiring to our cabin.

Day 98 – Sunday 06.7.14 Back in England!

We docked at 9am, collected Poppy from her kennel. She was so pleased to see us and disembarked by 9.30am. We went straight through customs – they didn't even look at Poppy – just her documents. Drove back to Grimsby in the rain – welcome home! Our son Gary was at our house with the gates open and kettle on.

We have had an amazing 3 months and look forward to doing it all again in 2015, with a different route next time. Thank you all for reading our blog and for all the positive comments and good wishes. Now back to reality – clean Mercy, put some laundry in the machine, sell our house and plan our next outing.

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