Here goes. Objective mode on:
It's easy to see why people go back to SS year after year. It's a very relaxing place. It's not beautiful - it's not your dream perfect old place like Lindos or Parga. It's a modern beach resort, although they've done everything they can with flowering shrubs to make it as attractive as possible. There are no Hellenic ruins, no crumbling palaces. There are Venetian castle walls within range.
What it does have is great scenery - the view out over the Ionian Sea to Mathraki and Othoni is lovely, especially from the ridge top. It also has a very good beach, and that's in a sense the focal point.
We had a good, early flight out from Doncaster, which has all the benefits of a small airport - no queues, no air traffic congestion, and a very long runway!
Then three weeks staying at Little Prince. We can't praise Dimitri, Pippina and Mixalis too much. The rooms are huge. Quite accidentally we were allocated a two-bedroom apartment, and it was great to have separate vast kitchen, let alone the fact that I could sleep in the second room and leave Gillie to wriggle around and snore on her own. Not that I snore, of course. We had clean sheets and towels almost every day.
The food at Little Prince was consistently excellent. The best Moussaka in SS.
Other places were good. Mythica was very good, Zorba's fine, Beachcomber superb. Thought Ozzie Oils not so good. Wonderful lamb chops in the last taverna before the supermarket near the beach (can't remember the name!).
Met lots of forum people at various times. Great to meet shellbell and Cockney in Hull on the boat to Mathraki and Othoni.
Prices were remarkably reasonable. Portions too large generally for a slim Adonis like me (comments will be ignored), which may explain why a surprisingly large percentage of people on the beach and in the village seemed to be bordering on obese.
The great thing about SS, apart from the weather, is the friendliness and the way it's so easy to slip into relaxation mode. Seriously recommend three weeks if you can do it.
Nice walk to Arrilas, although I thought it was a nothing place, with a miserable beach.
No problems returning. The bus picked up at Sidari before us. The Thomson's reps at the airport were very well organised: two minute queue, then we were all the first to check in.
Back to a raining Doncaster, and grey skies over Hull. But then, that's why we go to SS. Sun, sea, friendship, good food, good cheer. It didn't let us down.