Winding down

[Jimbo]

maureen - Hope I'm not droning on and boring people. I know that many are interested in what it's like at the very end of the season. I spent a lot of my young life living on the Kent and Sussex coast and remember the way, as autumn approached, the deck-chairs were stacked and carted away and only a few arcades remained open on the pier. It's a bit like that here now.

Mixalis told me just now that out of the thirty or so rooms at Little Prince, this week precisely four will be occupied, including ours. For those who know LP, the entire new block is empty.

I think the eyes of the locals are now turning away from the sweat of summer towards family time and the great name day of Saint Spyridon on 12th December when every Spiros on the island gets a present and a party.

The curtain is slowly coming down on the end of the pier show. They're not talking about it much, but the next six months may well redefine Greece, the Euro, much else. Let's hope it works out well.

[stressed0506]

I notice that Thomson has got holidays at Tsaros or Terezas from 24th October !

[don]

4:30 Friday 7th October.

More to Andy and Gill later...

Clouds are moving in from the south on a gentle breeze. Couple of rain showers late morning, with more forecast over the weekend. Good excuse for people to sit around and natter. No pressure to hit the beach or climb the hills. It was very quiet everywhere last night. At 8:30 we had a wander before supper and there were zero people eating at Sunset, four at Thomas Bay, five at Barras, two at Tasty Corner, and eighty-three at Little Prince! I think as the number of people shrinks, more and more don't want to sit in lonely splendour in an empty restaurant, so they gather where the action is most obvious.

Little Alex's family had come to watch his last dance of the season last night, and the Finnish group at Little Prince were enjoying their last Sizzling Steak before going back to dig up reindeer or whatever it is they dig up to eat in the encroaching darkness of winter. Much cheerful crocodile dancing through the restaurant, but everybody tucked up before midnight.

The sunbeds are steadily leaving the beach to go off and hibernate. Just one long thin Maginot Line of brollies bravely flying a flag of hope for just one more memory of summer - one more chance to catch a bit of sun. The straw-topped brollies we like outside Mango were dug up days ago.

Zorbas will close as soon as the rain goes away in a couple of days. They can't clean with rain coming, and better weather is probably coming. No dancing.

The buses have been going rather than coming so far today. Half the population of Helsinki departed Little Prince at three o'clock. Seconds later the Pool Bar closed. Chances are 99% that Little Prince will close on the 14th, leaving only Andy and Gill in occupation, like the Tsar and Tsarina of Russia in lonely exile in an abandoned château. We expect a final report before the door finally shuts on summer 2011.

Lightning is searing the sky over the hill past Romanza and thunder is booming across the bay. Tables have been moved from exposed positions. Sheets of plastic are being reeled down. The sea has gone from blue to steel-grey, although a shaft of sunlight is glowing over Othoni.

So - tonight - a pie at Tasty Corner before going to the Athens Bar to watch England play their approximation to football. Let's hope heavy rain and power cuts don't kill the satellite feed, although, come to think of it, that might be a mercy!

There's a kind of sweet sadness to it. Yammas!   

Is that a reference to England? Please note the correct spelling is Ingurland. I know I've heard her natives pronounce it.
 

[Jimbo]

I notice that Thomson has got holidays at Tsaros or Terezas from 24th October !

Hilarious! Try to book one!

[tenbeech]

Hi everyone  This is my first post on this site,
 
 Just got back from San Stefanos yesterday ( Fri )  Been visiting for many years but always during July & August.
 What a different place it was last week, beautiful warm days and cool evenings . Not a lot of people on the beach ,and all of a certain age The water was so warm & clear.
I didn't realise how busy and noisy it was in Summer with all the children playing there. The dreaded doughnut seller was still there   Our favourite restaurants were all open but very quiet ,Mythica Beachcomber and our very favourite The Olympia.( Must apologise if there is a swordfish shortage this week   my wife may be the reason ! ) . As we were staying  at Tsaros  it was only a short stroll up Cardiac Hill to  Akrotiri ,Surely the best view in San Stefanos. The place was full inside and  only a couple of empty seats outside .
 All in all a lovely week and it started to rain as we taxied down the runway , 20 minutes early !

[Jules]

Hi Tenbeech and welcome to the forums. Thanks for sharing your recent holiday experience with us.

[Lesley]

Hi Jimbo - wev'e been down to Kamini a few times in past 12 days as family have been here, not spotted you even though there does seem to be a few people around due to end of season blues.  Looking forward to catching up with you both before you return back to UK.....await your pm or telephone call........

[Gillywoo]

Thomson are still selling a lot of holidays in San Stef for half term week W/C 24.10 and the last flight back isnt until 31.10, the Teresa's only has two rooms left according to Thomson!

I suspect San Stef might light up for a final few days at the end of October before the final embers are extinguished on November 1st.

Gill and I visited San Stef on Easter Sunday and without visitors it was a strange place, however, winter or summer when the sun shines there is no better place to be.

Andy

[Jimbo]

Sun ain't shining today! 90% cloud and a very chill wind!

[Lesley]

Duvet on last night...forecast though says good from Monday onwards......

[Gillywoo]

Sun ain't shining today! 90% cloud and a very chill wind!

Jimbo,

The sun is waiting till Gill and I come back out!

As Lesley said the forecast is good from Tuesday onwards with a temperature of 26c on Wednesday, not bad for October.

Still a breezy 31c here in Lanzarote the land of never ending sun.

Andy

[benson]

Good post Jimbo, very informative.

We pop out there on Thursday for a long weekend, not so much for the weather just the place and of course Theodora's cooking in the Nafsika.

Do you know if Costas is open (Gravia).

Thanks

[Jimbo]

Gravia and Akrotiri are still open, also Ozzie Oil, Mythica, Jannis, Condor, Waves, Manthos, Mistral, Town Pizza, 3W, Little Prince, Nafsica, Beachcombers, Summer Dreams, the snack bars, Glen's, 2Star.

This list may well reduce next week. Little Prince will have about two room bookings, and will almost certainly close the restaurant at the weekend.

VERY quiet last night (Sunday) - it was really very chilly indeed. Town Pizza very delivering all over the village as people decided to huddle in their rooms. Hardly anybody to be seen in Thomas Bay or Barras, and Little Prince closed at about ten pm. Bad farewell to the genial Dr Mitropoulos, who drove back to Athens this morning.

Most clouds blown away today by a stiff NW breeze, and a lot of the beach inundated with waves. Walked over the top to Arillas, which was sheltered and nice for an excellent lunch. It's quite warm out of the wind. Some (wet) beach beds past Havana and by Waves. Maybe five people in the sea when we walked down the hill from the headland.

A perfect day for walking. The cliff path to Arillas has eroded further, and some sections are only about a foot wide. But there is newish track across the field which leads by a slightly circuitous route to Arillas.

That's all for now, folks!

[H A S]

Hi have you seen many people using summer dreams.
Harry

[Lesley]

Jimbo - sent u a pm re this evening wil you be around?