Wednesday 13th September 2017

Today we move onto our final destination, Skiathos. We have loved being here at the Pelagos Apartments directly on the beach.  We haven’t seen the interior of this island as we decided that we were in need of some R& R.

As we have only seen Skopelos Town and Panormos we have decided to take the mid afternoon ferry from Glossa (instead of from Skopelos Town). This will give us the opportunity of taking a different route and the chance to explore Glossa which is in the north west of the island.

Perhaps we will return one day and explore the island’s interior. We could also visit the church where the wedding in the film ‘Mama Mia’ was filmed. This tiny church stands high on a rock with many steps leading to it. Unfortunately Dave’s knee isn’t quite up to the climb at the moment!

At the bus stop we chatted to two German ladies. The mum and daughter were staying in the same beachside apartments as we had. We swapped our plans for the day with each other and they informed us that the ferry boat actually operates to and from Loutraki and not Glossa. Dave commented a day or so ago that Glossa appeared to be inland on our map. But our tickets clearly state Glossa to Skiathos not Loutraki. How strange! We boarded the bus and asked the bus conductor (a rare breed in many parts of the world, with his book of perforated tickets and change holder dangling from his neck), he confirmed that Loutraki was indeed the port. He added that Glossa was a village twenty minutes walk or so inland.

The conductor shouted the names of the stops as the driver had done on our previous journeys.  Suddenly, a man stood up and shouted ‘have we passed …’ and named a particular place where he obviously wanted to be.  Apparently we had and a heated row broke out between the conductor and a couple. The shouting got louder and louder, the couple accusing the conductor of not announcing their destination, the conductor denying the accusation.  The bus braked quite sharply and the driver headed to the rear of the bus.  At first he tried to calm the situation but within a couple of minutes he too was raising his voice. There was a bit of pushing and shoving going on too.

Then, like a switch of a button, the driver calmed down and declared ‘it’s finished’. The shouting ceased and the complaining passengers alighted from the bus.

At first, we decided to stick to our original plan and go to Glossa. We would have a wander around and then make our way down to the small port.  However, when we saw Loutraki from above and spotted quite a few buildings, we knew there would be a taverna for lunch so we quickly changed our mind and stayed on the bus when it stopped at Glossa.

As the bus drove steeply down to Loutraki, we saw the ‘Express Skiathos’ ferry docking. We went immediately into the small Hellenic Seaways office and enquired where the ferry’s next destination was. If it was going directly to Skiathos now, we would go with it.  However, it was going nowhere until 3pm which was the time on our tickets.  So, we had almost three hours for lunch and a wander.  The lady in the office kindly agreed to let us leave our small suitcases there, so we only had to carry our rucksacks.

 

There was a blue and white church with a colourfully decorated cross. The interior boasted modern frescoes and a stone iconostasis.

 

 

We don’t think that we have seen a stone iconostasis before in any of the many Greek churches that we have visited.  Usually they are carved from wood; more recently we have seen one or two that have been manufactured from MDF, fibreglass and polyurethane.

 

 

We had lunch at a small taverna.  Unfortunately, while we were there, a wasp got into my t-shirt sleeve and stung me. The proprietor of the taverna offered me a sting repellent pen and said that I was the seventh person to be stung in an hour!  Clearly there was a wasp’s nest nearby.

The ferry crossing to Skiathos was very enjoyable as most journeys in the Aegean Sea on a bright summer’s day are. We passed a small islet with a stone lighthouse.  The islet was green and rocky; we commented that the scene was reminiscent of somewhere off the coast of Great Britain.

 

 

 

As we headed into Skiathos, a hydrofoil sped past us.

 

 

 

Dubbed the ‘Flying Dolphins’, the vessels raise their hulls out of the water allowing for greater speeds.

 

 

 

A few minutes later, we spotted the small island’s runway.  Let’s hope the pilot on our flight on Saturday manages to take off before he reaches the end of it!

This island’s name, Skiathos/Σκιάθος apparently means ‘in the shadow of Mount Athos’. The Greek word Σκιά translates to ‘shade’ and Άθος, of course relates to Mount Athos.  Mount Athos is home to twenty monasteries and is the heart of Eastern Orthodox Monasticism.

We took a taxi to Megali Ammos, the beach situated close to Skiathos Town. We stood and looked at the beach which was very narrow, about 800 metres long and where we stood, jam packed with people.  We decided to walk further along the road to where the beach looked quieter.  We hoped to find a room on or very close to the beach again.

We tried six different places, hotels and pensions. All were full!  The seventh place had a small room available but the view wasn’t good. The sea appeared quite some distance away as we were at a bend on the road.  There were many more B & B’s and small hotels on the opposite side of the main road but we decided to persevere and attempt to find what we really wanted. So, we headed back in the direction that we had already walked.

Eventually, we found a room above a modern taverna overlooking the sea. Patra who showed us the room was an elderly lady. After quickly agreeing a price, I helped her to take the outside furniture and cushions onto the large spacious balcony.

 

The view is really stunning. In front of us, there are a dozen small boats moored bobbing in the beckoning blue sea. Just twenty ones steps lead down to the beach.

 

 

To the right, we could see the long, still busy, narrow beach.

 

 

 

 

And to the left, a small cove is hidden behind a rocky outcrop.

We are lucky!

 

 

We were rather thirsty, so Dave went to find a supermarket for some essentials. Before I started to unpack, I went down to the taverna below in search of Patra.  The taverna looked lovely, very modern and of course had an amazing view. A waiter informed me that I would find Patra, in her private accommodation which was located on one of the upper floors of the building.  Apparently, Patra lives here all year round.  I soon found her and I asked her if I could possibly borrow a kettle so that we could make a hot drink early in the morning.  She disappeared into her quarters and I heard her juggling about.  A few minutes later she returned, smiling, with her hands full of cups, saucers, teaspoons, the requested kettle and a small metal tray. Now we could have an early morning cuppa on our balcony.  Dave just smiled when he saw them.  I smiled too at his carrier bag full of provisions, which included cold beer, wine and a bottle of water.

While Dave sat on the balcony with a cold beer, I succumbed to the beckoning sea and went down the twenty ones steps and stepped straight into the sea. After a refreshing swim I joined Dave on the balcony for an equally refreshing cold beer.

When Patra first showed us the room, I wasn’t at all sure about the bathroom.  It was a wet room, so not only was there no shower screen or curtain (as is quite usual in the more basic rooms in Greece), there was no shower base either.  The shower hose was just attached to the wall and everything would just get wet.  But the view more than compensates and we would not swap it for a shower base or cubicle.  (Not even one with a wall bracket!).

As it happens, it’s the best wet room we’ve ever used, the water drained away rapidly and the room dried out quickly.

After our hot showers we set off into Skiathos Town, we had an island to explore!

We booked an ATV for tomorrow. Well actually, we signed the contract this evening and the vehicle is parked opposite the hire place so we can set off when we are ready. The guy that worked in the hire place said they would be open around 9am maybe…  What we don’t understand is why we could not leave the quad on their forecourt overnight…

In comparison to the other islands that we have visited in the Sporades, Skiathos is both busy and very touristy. There are many people walking around. It seems strange that when we were in Skopelos where the film ‘Mama Mia’ was produced, we noticed just a couple of posters advertising a ‘Mama Mia Tour’. Here, it seems to be everywhere, Mama Mia Tour/Boat Trip/Bus Trip. The film is also screened three evenings a week at the open air cinema.

There are many shops and hundreds of eateries all competing for business. The majority of the tavernas have at least one person stood outside offering to show you a menu and generally attempting to cajole you into the establishment.

We sat and had a drink and saw a tiny propeller aircraft take off over the town, rapidly gathering altitude above the yachts and boats that were moored in the New Harbour. Later, we chose a restaurant aptly named ‘El Greco’ and ordered lamb souvlaki and chicken a la crème.  Afterwards, we sauntered around the Old Harbour reading some of the boats’ blurb about even more ‘Mama Mia’ sights and outings.  There was also a poster offering information about a taxi boat to the popular Koukounaries Beach.

We returned to our room and sat on the balcony.  The roof of the taverna, that mainly serves as a sunshade, had been rolled back and we could see into the restaurant.  Due to their lights we could also see the crystal clear sea.

We closed the curtains, leaving the double doors leading to the balcony open when we went to bed.

 

Previous                   Next