My nose wouldn’t stop running and I couldn’t stop sneezing when we woke this morning at 7am. Admittedly, increasing the air-con temperature hadn’t made the room like a fridge like it had the previous night but we were still cold, the floor was cold to walk on and the cold water in our thermos flasks had gotten colder. Maice’s face was still a bit puffy and red but σιγά-σιγα, slowly-slowly it’s starting to reduce and before we know it she’ll be back to normal!
So, due to getting up later than usual we went late to breakfast but we were still the only one’s there. Eventually the two German women Eva and Renata joined us and we asked about the island tour they’d been on the day before. It was nice, they said, but it was very hot and they stopped 10 times, which meant on the coach they were up and down out of their seats like a yo-yo. Sounds like it was a real whistle-stop tour of the island.
The plan for today was to go to the beach but as we know, the plan can change so we changed it and now today is going to be ‘activity day no.2’. We’re even going to forgo our usual trip to the bakery for our frappes and we’re going to walk to the next resort of Messonghi and drink our morning frappe over there. So, instead of turning left at the bottom of the lane today we turned right and headed off into our next adventure.
Ten minutes later we’d crossed the road bridge over the river that separates the two resorts and then took a left turn down a lane to the beach. We had to squeeze in tight when a huge lorry containing rubble rumbled on past us then took the right lane so we took the left lane which unbeknownst to us was a private road leading into a private complex. We were soon told by two English women standing on their balcony that we were in fact on a private track, that the track was only meant for people that lived there so we backtracked and followed the lorry, however we only got so far down only to find the road along the river was closed due to works to the river bank. We cut through the grounds of a hotel, came to Messonghi beach and went in search of a cafe/bar for our daily frappe and how lucky where we to find a lovely bar right on the beach front where we enjoyed two lovely frappes. The vista was picturesque, the sea was flat as a pancake and the colours were those grey-blue hues that made the whole outlook very tranquil and calming. We had a minute of rain (yes it does rain here sometimes) and then the sun was out again. We wondered if this was a sign of things to come but we checked the weather app and no rain was forecast. But hey, the fact could well indeed be different.
We wandered along the beach front where there were some delightful bijou cafes, tavernas and restaurants which all looked slightly upmarket and then came across these very posh sun-beds with bells attached to them. These belonged to the 5* beach front hotel so should one need anything, you know, a drink, a snack or a spritz on the face you rang the bell and hey-presto as if by magic your butler would appear beside you ready to take your order. A tad different from our little 2* hotel in Moriatika!
Messonghi village is a lovely little resort, very small but it has a picturesque little inlet with a number of fishing boats tethered to the sides and there’s a little rowing boat run by two sisters who ferry you across to Moriatika. It’s only €1 per person which saves you walking all the way up to the main road. After we’d exhausted the lanes and alleyways we took the ferry ride across the river and within a minute we were back in Moriatika. It was quite a muggy day and we were flagging a bit and were in need of sustenance but soon came across this lovely little taverna, Salt and Pepper which was set in a lane behind the beach. We perused the menu and decided on a Greek salad, bread and a bottle of water until Maice commented on the Aperol Spritz she’d spotted on the menu. She then proceeded to say that we were supposed to only be having water to which I responded that it was she in fact who had mentioned the Aperol Spritz not me. Honestly, I do wonder what goes on in that Canadian brain of hers!
It was such a lovely little taverna, very fresh and bright and the one toilet was probably the best we have had the pleasure to reside in! Next door was a tour/trip agency where in the eaves there was a birds nest with four well fed chicks inside. The parents were constantly flying in and out of the nest feeding them. Ah, it was so lovely to watch.
On the way back to the hotel we stopped off at the olive oil shop where we had an olive oil tasting session, which was delicious and of course we purchased a few items, not just for our salads but for our beauty regime!
The first thing we did when we got back to the room at 2.30pm was put on the air-con and have a well earned siesta. It was so well earned we didn’t wake till about 7pm when we had to shower and get ourselves ready then walk up to the old village for our dinner reservation at Tassos Grill Taverna at 8pm! We made it with seven minutes to spare, had a stroll around the village and then went for supper. It’s a real family run taverna founded by Tassos the grandfather, who has now unfortunately passed. His son Kostas who is married to a lass from Newcastle now does all the cooking and one of Kostas’ sons, George manages the taverna and is Front of House. George is very proud of his roots and the family business which is a joy to see in someone so young (probably in his twenties). What a lovely family they were, and it was a lovely dining experience too.
After supper, we made our way down to the Coop where we purchased cheese for tomorrow’s lunch and some aluminium wine jugs as souvenirs for ourselves and were presented with a free bottle of water. Honestly, the things they give away free, we’re very surprised if they make a profit.
Back at the hotel we thought we’d have ‘one-for-the-road’ and got hooked on the final of the basketball match that was going on. Cristos was beside himself and getting in a right tizzy as his team Panathinaikos were playing Olympiacos. One minute they were ahead, then they were behind, then they were ahead, then they were behind…..it was a real cat-and-mouse game, a real nail biter and in his own words Cristos said ‘I cannot watch it, I’m too stressed!’. Fortunately they won and will now be going into the Greek basketball league finals.
We all went to bed happy and content and look forward a nail-biting final tonight!
Καληνιχτα χχ
M&A xx
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