Well we have been on the Greek island of Milos, 50 miles n/w of Santorini, for two weeks. Milos is a favourite holiday destination for the Greek community and so many ferries arrive day and night. However when Kathryn flew into Athens the ferries were so heavily booked she couldn't get to Milos until the following day. After this experience we decided to organise her return to Athens in plenty of time. Before booking the ferry Kathryn considered flying back to Athens but discovered the flights were booked out until September. Quite unbelievable really, as Milos is only one little Greek island.
This is the longest we have ever stayed on a Greek island and we have had a great time. We have enjoyed traditional Greek food and local wine, walked and bussed around the island, visited the Plaka up on the hilltop, the catacombs and ancient city, strolled around the tourist shops and watched the passing parade over ice coffee. At night the town is alive with families enjoying meals or drinks in outdoor restaurants while the children play in the central playground. The promenade is packed with families out for a stroll in the warm night air eating ice cream and fairy floss. Each morning many old folk come down to the beach for a swim. Young children attend learn to swim or sailing classes and wind surfing is a popular pastime when the meltemi is blowing. It really is a great atmosphere, no pounding discos on this island!
We invited our American neighbours over to meet Kathryn and had a great night over a few too many drinks! We also circumnavigated the island again with Kathryn. It's an impressive sight with the colorful volcanic coastline, sparkling blue Aegean sea and not a cloud in the sky. We stopped off for many swims and Kathryn was first in the water nearly every time. She quickly got the hang of boat life, enjoying the peace and relaxation. However, all too soon her week came to an end, but there is always a next time.
Earlier in the season I was crowing about the terrific quality and low price fruit and vegetables in Turkey. So to be fair I should tell you some of the astronomical prices here.
I paid $5.00 for 2 peaches, grapes are $7.20 a kilo, poor quality apples and oranges are $5.00 a kilo. Most vegetables are frozen and the fresh vegetables are very poor quality and wilted before purchase. I guess most fresh produce would be flown in, as the island is volcanic, rich in minerals and mining is it's main activity. Oh, how I long for the fresh fruit markets of Turkey, but I can't have everything!
So now we are back to normal routine. Yesterday we restocked the boat with food and fuel. We had drinks with our American neighbours again last night. Today I have done the washing and Andrew is on deck servicing the winches. We will probably leave tomorrow and head west to the Peloponnisos, our American friends are leaving tomorrow and heading north. So goodbye to Milos and good friendship and on to the next adventure.
love CANDY
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