Breakfast A La Hotel Paradiso? Breakfast Of Champions?

Now more or less "invested" in chez Hotel Paradiso, Darrell and I decided that their breakfast would be the deciding factor as to our defining opinion of said establishment after our distinctly lack lustre welcome.

So, we went down early and found a handful of other guests, a little older than ourselves, moving, it seemed, in that holiday slow motion type way that people sort of adopt as they select their first vittles of the day!

Let's just say, it all lacked a certain exotic vibrancy and atmosphere, no stops whatsoever had been pulled out to make this break (as in our case) one of the highlights of the year, instead everything seemed very whispered and tippy toed!  

Darrell said just a hint  of  a bazooka bouzouki, a touch of Nana Mouskateer or even a delicate warble from Dennis Rousos and the whole breakfast experience would have been immediately elevated to a more joyous holiday vibe, instead of, as he put it, (a Greek) God's waiting room!

As for the breakfast itself? Well, it was basic but adequate, served in such a way that perhaps you didn't eat with your eyes first.  Not knowing how long the cooked items had been left standing in what looked like a very type antiquated warmer, we decided it best to stay clear of all such comestibles ....... 

...... opting instead for the baked items, accompanied by a little butter and cheese.

As for our most beloved Greek yoghurt, so thick your spoon simply stands proud, unaided in it?  Erm, no, this much anticipated delight offered our spoon no resistance whatsoever, so we refrained forthwith after our first bowlful. The glorious Kefalonian honey with which we drizzled it? Well, that had lumps in, so again, another no after that.

Not a resounding culinary experience then, not the breakfast of champions we'd hoped for and certainly not worth of sneaking a few choice bits and pieces into our Tupperware box to eat on the beach later, as we have been known to do in the past.  It's what it is ....... and we'll embrace it as best we can!  However, questions for the Greek Parliament are beginning to mount up!  

And Soooooooo To The Beach .......

After such an inauspicious start to our latest Greek Oddity, once Darrell and I had unpacked our bags, we headed straight to the beach, about a three/four minutes walk away ......

....... where, to be honest, we would be spending the majority of our time away, and where we really didn't give a monkeys chuff whether there was anyone at reception at Hotel Paradiso or not!

Let's just say, it did not disappoint ....... 

..... with two, well padded sunbeds, a table and a parasol for the princely sum of 12 euros per day .......

...... an absolute bargain, as we know we'd be availing ourselves of them from at the latest nine thirty in the morning to, at the very least, seven o'clock in the evening!

It was perfect.  A two minute walk to the Paspalis bar and restaurant (where we stayed about ten years ago) for a cold drink, small beach snackette and an occasional cheeky wee.

The sea, if a little bracing on first, thigh high dip was the most unbelievable turquoise blue we'd ever seen and sooooooo clear, it afforded no hiding place for any sort of marine life, with fish who always seem, bizarrely, to make a beeline for our feet, a free foot-spa if you will.

The beach is pebbly, but as we'd researched it beforehand we'd come armed with with an assortment of sliders and aqua pumps. Darrell also anticipated that there'd be more than ample opportunity for finding plenty of his beloved holey stones.

We were well pleased ..........

It seemed a little odd, at first, to be without Eric and the ever fragrant one ...... but it was also very ..... erm, peaceful, shall I say, with no pester power!  Happy, happy sun filled days ahead, we felt truly, truly blessed in a special summer edition, Hello Magazine type way!

An Inauspicious Welcome!

Well, what can I say? We've arrived on the beautiful and romantic isle of Kefalonia to a story that we'll be able to dine out on for many years to come, a memory certainly made forever!

After being dropped off at our hotel, we walked into our hotel reception area with an undisguisable and unfettered excitement ....... only to be greeted by an eerie silence and an empty desk, no one, nobody, nada!  It was not unlike the Marie Celeste.

Undeterred we gave it five minutes, we saw a few people outside by the pool, so decided to have a mooch around, we found a bell, on what we thought might be the breakfast and so gave it a hearty and robust ding and then walked, with hope, back to the reception, again nada!

So, then we ventured a little further afield, where we saw a handful of souls lazing in the sun (after that, we never saw people outside again for our entire holiday), perhaps our host was serving in the bar?  Nah!

When we went inside again a fellow guest asked if we were waiting with a resigned sigh, saying she would look for someone.  After five minutes she returned, dolefully shaking her head.  I have to admit, at that, Darrell's and my heart started to sink,  "Welcome to The Hotel Paradiso" we said, almost in unison.

She then told us there was usually a piece of paper left with a number on for people to ring if there was no one there, which she found behind the desk and promptly rang it for us, telling the lady at the other end she had people waiting!  We thanked her profusely (and never saw her again, during our stay)

Five minutes later a woman turned up, no pleasantries, just asking for our passports and then immediately withdrew into the back office to have a very loud and animated phone conversation for at least twenty minutes, while we decided to take a seat, laughing and pinching ourselves, wondering what the Greek for Fawlty Towers was!  We've never ever received such a "bounteous" greeting such as this on any of our oddities! 

Finally, "the manager" we believe, returned, again with no pleasantries, this time asking for our five euros a day Greek Tax, telling us our room was A11, just up the stairs .......

 ......... and that we'd find the key in the door!

Needless to say, it wasn't!  

Darrell returned to find the desk once again deserted, but fortunately after a general mooch, found said key behind the counter and just took it and ran.

It was all very bizarre, however not ones to overly dwell on things, after two years we were finally back in our beloved Greece .......

......... and no one..... but no one was going to rain on our Greek parade!!!

  

Will questions be asked in the Greek Parliament, we have yet to decide! 

Kefalonia Bound - Yet Another Greek Oddity

Passports check, euros check, sea sick tablets check, air sickness tablets check, mosquito bands, check, snuggly fitting budgie smuggles check, barley sugar check, teabags and marmite check .........

 ........

When you see Darrell and I next we'll be on the romantic and beautiful Greek island of Kefalonia, without a care in the world, except for whose turn is it to walk up the the local bakery to get a tiropita, paroramatos or spanokopita (or all three) for a small beach side snack!

We're leaving the ever fragrant Alice and Eric up to their own devices to look after The Towers and school run, with a full and varied selection of ready meals in the freezer as prepared by Darrell and enough money to cover emergencies.  If they're not sure of anything, they're to knock on our beloved neighbour Kata's door, although I think they'll be perfectly fine!

This has been a long time in the making, last year we veered off to Spain when the prices in Greece seemed a little high, but this year, we've adjusted our budget, given up the Maltesers and chocolate digestives as our hearts, as always and ever, truly belong to the many, many islands of Greece ....... see you on the other side!!!

And don't worry about Alice and Eric, they won't be left wanting, as, trust us, they are off on a wonderful adventure of their own, later on in the year!!!

Further Developments Up The Track

Not that we are in any way susceptible to the listening of idle gossip ........

.... but we've tried to do a bit of delving, and although it's very much hearsay at the moment, it could also very well be true  ......

..... as there's been mench on a local Facebook page, that the tenants of the allotments at the top of our short cut up to the train station and the 24 hour Tesco, have been told that they may have forgo their horticultural pursuits and pleasures, as plans are under discussion for said allotments to become, of all things, a cemetery?

At the moment the ground is very much alive with growth and the anticipation of great things to come of a comestible and flowery type nature but, playing devils advocaat  advocate,  we will be the first to admit that we very much like visiting the odd old graveyard or two, with fond memories of doing the same with our beloved No. 1 Fan Jan the Fan in Oxford, when we had our glorious meet up.  However, to be honest, a new cemetery, might not have quite the same allure as old faded inscriptions, moss covered headstones, statues of mournful beckoning angels and other such glorious memorial monuments of yore.   

There is a meeting at the Town Hall in a couple of days time, where there will be an update on "new cemetery land", we are tempted to go along to have a listen and also to see what biscuits are proffered!!

Naturally, as and when we know more .........

........ you will, of course, be the very first to know.

Yet More Questions To Be Asked In Parliament?

Our estate's Facebook page is abuzz with the news that planning permission is being sought for the erection of between five and nine houses, to be built at the top of "our" road.

Let's just say "strong" objections are being submitted left, right and centre by a number of residents and after Darrell and Eric went up to inspect the area themselves, in order to make sense of things, we too have had our say.  

Not that we are against the thought of new neighbours ........

........ in fact where the proposed houses are designated to be, is Eric's least favourite part of the school run, especially in the dark, where he always says he feels a just a little vulnerable, as it's just "empty" just hedge, allotments to the other side, lighting that leaves a lot to be desired and where the space in front of the bridge gives him the ebbie jeebies!

But, with all the huge lorries that go in and out of the scrapyard all day, especially when they have to queue to get in, then often have difficulty negotiating their way out, often nudging their way into the shrubbery, it's not the most glorious or peaceful of vistas to live.

The land is has a deep dip, with what was once known as the cress beds below, possibly fed by a natural spring, now just filled with water and a natural habitat for all manner of nature, including, to some in the know, great crested newts? 

And don't get Darrell started on where well pick our blackberries if it all goes through!

Anyway, we've done our bit and had our say ........

 ........ but there's more ..........  and of that, tomorrow! 

Charity Shop Inflation .......

Oh my goodness, yesterday, the ever fragrant Alice did an abrupt turn and double take, outside one of the local charity shops we have been known to peruse and donate to. Something, stood standing on the pavement looked very familiar, very familiar indeed .....

.... to wit, a small drawered side table that Darrell had originally bought for just £4 from the Salvation Army shop as a project, a project that in the end he knew he'd never actually get round to, so we dropped it off at Relate, quite a while ago now.

But it was the price that made poor Alice's eyes water! The origin price they were asking for it was £42, but with no takers it's now been reduced to £25. 

From £4 to £42 and then £25, flipping heck .......

..... it comes to something when inflation is so sky high that we couldn't afford (if we actually wanted to) to buy back our own donation!  Questions, perhaps need, on a quiet day, to be asked in Parliament!!