No Double-Decker Necessary

About three zillion years ago, well, in 1963 to be precise, there was this movie that I, as an impressionable ten-year-old, went to see in the cinema. I had to, because the British Elvis, none other than Riff Pilchard himself, was in it. I'd never even been abroad (been a man all my life - the old ones are the best, eh?) so when they drove carefree and singing catchy pop songs on a bright red double-decker bus into Athens, I was transported. Not London transport-ed, just transported. The movie? Summer Holiday, as if you hadn't guessed.

I never got to go on a summer holiday to Greece until 1977, when my mother-in-law wanted me to meet my Greek relatives, as I'd by then been married to her daughter for three years and hadn't until then had the privilege. After that, as all "RFR" addicts will know, I came here very, very (and a few more veries) often until moving out here in 2005. Since then we haven't had a Greek holiday. 

I know what you're thinking. "His whole life's a holiday, what's he going on about?" Well, it isn't really. I mean yes, the climate out here's fab and the scenery, food, sea and culture all fascinating but, well, daily life is still daily life isn't it. OK, so I'll throw my hands up here. My daily life is daily life with a nice view.

But there are all these folk out there in cyberland who read these posts (heaven knows why, but I'm grateful nonetheless) and I've begun thinking that I owe it to them to do something a little different. Plus this April is a biggie in wedding anniversary terms for me and the better half. Thus we've fixed to go on holiday! Where are we going? Well, we're going in the first instance to spend ten days or so on Naxos, a Cycladian island on which we've never set foot before. after that, who knows? A bit of unplanned island hopping never went amiss.

Yup, for most (if not all) of April, before we return to start work for the summer, we're off to do some research just so I can have something different to describe on these virtual pages. OK, yes, I'm being a bit dishonest, I do actually want to do it for the experience too. We're going to stay in a studio somewhere and go out for evening meals, do a bit of sightseeing on neighbouring islands and it'll all get reported on right here folks. You never know, it may even turn into volume five of the Ramblings From Rhodes books, but no promises (or maybe I ought to say "threats"?).

We're off on the evening sailing from Rhodes Town at the beginning of April and we'll jump off eleven hours later at Syros, where we'll spend a night before hopping the ferry over to Paros and Naxos. I'm sure that some of my readers have already been there, so you'll be the ones who can compare notes. Those who haven't; well, I'll give you the most honest impression I can of the whole thing, rest assured.

Meanwhile, here are just a few recent snaps...

Always in on the action. Just tidying up after painting a wall (me, not the cat. He's clever, but not that clever) and when I go to pick up the dust sheet to give it a shake, blowed if Simba's not claimed it as another place to crash out.

The Paraktio apartments just down from our place. I seem to be always taking pics of them lately (subconsciousness working there eh Di?), but they're sooo photogenic. That's my excuse.

Old abandoned taverna with breathtaking view. Not three minutes on foot from the Paraktio. Late afternoon March 20th.

This is a real gecko folks. Don't make the mistake of thinking that all lizards are geckos. It's only the ones that look like they're made of Play-Doh that are Geckos. I love 'em. They eat creepy crawlies.