Whats happenin'

[Chrissyann]

Thanks for the info Jimbo ! We shall certainly do our best to help ( eating , drinking & spending ) when we come in June. Why do Germany get a special rate ?

[Jimbo]

Germany is not asking for loads of bailout money! In the UK we do not have special rates. It's zero or 20%.

It's all very complicated. As far as I know the EU regulations state that the basic VAT rate may not be less then 15%. But individual members may apply "special conditions." To me - naively - this is nonsense.

Every year that I go to Agios Stefanos I am amazed that the prices have not increased significantly. Down the road from me in the UK the price of meals and a glass of wine has risen significantly every year. Go to Paleokastritsa and a bottle of beer will cost almost twice as much, in my experience. This cannot carry on forever.

[Dupnica]

 I hope Athens has kept enough in reserve to pay their public service workers at the end of this month or we could be in for a Summer of strikes with rubbish piling up in the streets,power cuts etc.

[Jimbo]

They don't have much or any reserves! They used money in their IMF emergency account to pay the IMF... Crazy world.

[Kernowfox]

If Greece were a trading business ( be it PLC, limited company, LLP, partnership or individual, it would, by now, be in a legal state of insolvency.
What is being asked of Greece is unattainable. Punishment is being dolled out and it is not the wealthy Greek minority that are suffering.
I believe it is in Greece's long term benefit to give up the fight to cover interest ( barely). I think though they are waiting for its partners to put the knife to them, leave the euro, write of its debts.
Once over the proceeding mess ( 2 years ish) it can rebuild an economy based on positive cash flow from tourism.

[rilo57]

 WE WILL DO OUR UPMOST..

[Jimbo]

I agree with a lot of what Kernowfox says. But I believe that if Greece was going to leave the Euro, 2010 would have been the time. Two years of hell seems a little optimistic!

Austerity doesn't work. The Greek economy has shrunk enormously, when it's blindingly obvious that to repay debts economies have to expand.

But I think we are hijacking Jackie's blog. (Should that be hijackieing?)

I'll start a new topic tomorrow!

[carl nottingham]

So on a better note ill try and spend some money while im there as we arrive on friday cant wait and thanks for the information on the fireflys 

[Kernock]

Just having a few days at AS to get in the groove for 17 of us invading the serenity we have at the moment.  Up the ‘Old’ part of the village the opening is slow and not too many eating in the evening.  Fantasea and Fedra not yet open but will be in action this weekend. Waves is only open for lunch and, again, that will change soon.

The startling difference is how the winter vagaries have affected the beach near Mango and Havana.  There is now a 2m ‘cliff’ below the shower and old play area at Mango and along by the old football area outside Havana.  The beach encroachment goes along to Kostas sunbed area so there will be many regulars having to find a different spot to stake out.  The area from Waves to Athena is pretty much the same (although a whole load of seaweed has been dumped on the beach by Waves after the Mistral last weekend).  The transformation of the beach reminds me of how the gales of 2014 in the UK affected some of the beaches on the SW coast – never underestimate the power of the wind!  I would hope Mango/Dolphn Blu make use of the unused concrete area and lay some Astro turf plus a bit of tidying, for their clientele.  The permanent umbrellas are all uprooted and in a heap on the edge of the beach.  Still, the sun shines and I am sure it will all be fine in the summer even if there is a massive loss of sand.  Apart from Athena, who have extended their boundary to include some sunbeds for hire, there are no beds out at the moment.  Angelos tells me the Council meeting is soon to carve up the allocation and set the price.

[Gavlah1973]

Always baffles me as to why they don't get all this sorted a couple of weeks earlier!

[hippopots]

Lovely and sunny, and great temperatures again today 

Ref, the sunbeds......yes it baffles us to Gavlah! There is all Winter to get this sort of thing sorted, it must be so incredibly frustrating for the people who earn their living hiring the sunbeds.

Well, the village is pretty much all up and running now......Manthos is open, so is Kamini Bar and Fantasea, in the older part of the village, and all open in our end too, apart from the ice cream place next to us. All been cleaned and painted, so should open soon, probably waiting on paperwork too!

Silver Star is 'officially' opening on Saturday, but may be open tomorrow.
Beer O Clock had some diners in tonight......heard good reports about the food so far.

The Northern Soul fans are having a great time at Silver Moon, looks like its packed every night!   

[Jimbo]

I don't think bidding for sunbeds starts until June.

[Silverstar]

Do we know what the ice cream parlour is going to be this year?

I was so sorry that Yiannis and Maria didn't open last year as we loved going there in the evening after our meal.   Still can't believe that Quattro isn't opening this year - bad times

Still really looking forward to coming out on 10th August though with the family

[carl nottingham]

Right all packed and ready to go tomorrow morning nice and early flight 6 o'clock tastey corner for a quick snack

[hippopots]

Silverstar, the shop next to us is going to be ice creams again, along with desserts, coffees etc. It's not Yiannis and Maria back, it's someone else opening.

And talking of Silver Star, they opened tonight too, and its all looking very nice, with plenty of seating for that perfect people watching location on the corner!

Acabar now also open, and next door to them, what was Quattro has opened as a new restaurant. We had a quick glance at their menu, and its quite extensive, with plenty of Greek dishes. They said they will be open from 10am through to late.
2 Stars was very busy earlier, but when we went for a walk around 11pm, most places were quiet, apart from the Northern Soul party at Silver Moon, and some people enjoying a drink in Condor, and Athens Bar.

Carl nottingham, have a good flight, along with any others travelling tomorrow.