Skiathos - Greece from a picture book

Dear diary.

Greece is really beautiful.
The weather is warm.
The sun shines every day.
I really enjoy the food.
My favorite meal is something with meat and fries.
I have developed a preference for rosé wine and feel really grown up when I order a glass.

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Oh well... How wonderful it is.. I'm finally back here!!
Here in the country where my little crippled heart beats a bit faster and higher.
Where everything is so relaxed and nice.
Where it smells so damn good and you never want to leave.

For me, it was clear that we would travel somewhere this year.
However, there was a long period of uncertainty.
But no risk, no fun, right!?

It was quickly clear where I/we were drawn to.
First the flights... Aiaiai... The prices for them were steep this year.
Normally I never pay more than 50-100 euros for flights to Greece.
But when the total price was displayed this time, I frantically scrolled through the different payment methods and looked for a small kidney next to the Paypal or Mastercard symbol.
Couldn't find one. Damn.
So I chose bank transfer.
But.... I mean,... July still has both kidneys.
Do you think she has done enough for the vacation??...............

We started on Friday. 

9/11

Every seat occupied.
In every single row.
As it should be in times of corona.
But wearing masks that cover the entire length of the flight.
Except of course during meals.
And people usually eat a lot... A lot... And for a long time....
And we all know:
When people are busy eating, the dear virus takes a break.

At Ryanair, the cola usually costs more than the flight, you know that... At Aegian Airlines, which we booked with, you get 4 (!!) slices of cheese and sausage on your FREE roll for the 400 euros (well, technically 480 - *cough)... And a free water and a snack like the one budgerigars have in their cages.
All in all, the flight was covered with the lunch package. I was relieved.
The crew was nice, the windows were far away. *sob
Nevertheless, it was a relatively short 2.5 hours, even without looking out the window, and we arrived in the Greek capital quickly.

By the way, the QR code that had to be applied for in advance and that was required for 'entry' to Greece was already demanded in Berlin.

But until the end, we didn't know if the Greeks would make it as easy for us.
Unfortunately, I sometimes have the stupid 'habit' of getting really involved in stuff like that.
A horror story here, a report of an experience there, a worst-case scenario here and so on.... Plus the thought that it could happen to us and we would have to end our vacation before it even started.
Before, I read so much about people who were not allowed into the country,... man oh man. It was all very exciting and cast a mini shadow over my anticipation.
A good friend recently told me, when I told her about my concerns, that I had to go through this now if I wanted to travel during these times.... Did I hear a tiny bit of Schadenfreude in her voice!? 😌
(Greetings from here to there, Mrs. H.)

In the end, we got through passport control faster than we could say COVID.
They didn't even scan the code there, they just muttered 'okay' and let us through.
On the side, a few makeshift white tents were set up, where people in hazmat suits randomly tested some of the passengers for a killer virus that you have a 95% chance of not even having symptoms of.
Oh, and you can continue traveling anyway.
The result (if there even is one) would only come after a few days. By then, as a so-called superspreader, you would have infected half of Greece.
It's all so absurd.
Well, okay - different topic. Most of you know my opinion on that.
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I (like most people, I suppose) don't like being hit in the face... EXCEPT with hot, and I mean- very hot air... That's exactly what hit us when we were out of the airport in Athens.. Phew... We had almost 4 hours layover before our next flight.
We were really hungry. Well, at least I was.
Even a roll with 4 slices of sausage and cheese doesn't keep you full for long.
And as is customary in Greece, we immediately indulged in culinary delights.
What could be better than.....yes.. You guessed it... BURGERKING.
Couldn't go wrong with that. (but we did...)
And 11 euros for a meal can only mean one thing. (well, maybe not)
Oh yeah.. And just like everywhere else:
Mandatory masks in the entire restaurant.
But of course, you can take off the mask while sitting at the table.
Personally, I really think it's like peeing in the swimming pool... But no one ever asks me....

At some point, the waiting was over and we could get on the next plane.
But wait.
Can you even call it a plane?
I had only seen a small propeller plane in movies.
Room for only 40 people, divided into 20 rows of 2 seats each. 

And it wasn't even fully occupied. 
Really cute.
And something I hadn't seen before.
This flight went by in a flash.
Within 20 minutes, we were already on the island.
SKIATHOS.
The big sister of Skopelos, my second home.
I've been there countless times.
Last year, even twice...
But... why should I go searching for paradise again when I've already found it. 

This year, however, there is one thing that's different.
We decided to treat ourselves here for the first 3 days before going to the other island.
So we booked a relatively expensive accommodation with a sea view and a pool in advance and well,.. What can I say.... I'll let the pictures speak....

We had already booked a boat trip for Sunday.
Just a short one.
4-5 hours.
We wanted to get to know a bit of Skiathos with a little cutter.
Including the most beautiful beach in the area.
LALARIA.
A beautiful beach.
One of the most beautiful ones ever.
Completely secluded.
And only accessible by water.
When we arrived there after what felt like an eternity, we were so relieved.
The little nutshell called boat... very very rough sea... and us... 
Oh my -
I am definitely not cutout for the sea!
I have unfortunately proven this to myself several times.
BUT the sight of these wonderful and crazy rock formations more than made up for it.
Hey, we have never seen such intensely turquoise water... But see for yourself:

These were the best hours we've had so far.
The tour guide occasionally came by and handed out drinks and fresh fruit.
The sweet watermelon cut into bite-sized pieces was so juicy and just right on this hot day.
Occasionally an ouzo and a little wine with my darling.... Oh... What more could you want....
There was (especially compared to the journey here) only a slight swell in the protected bay. Just enough to swirl around on the inflatable mattress and still be able to see enough of the colorful underwater world while snorkeling.
Sea urchins.
Shells in all colors and shapes.
Many fish (even though Thailand has really spoiled us in that regard, we were able to enjoy the Greek 'diversity' of species) 

You don't always have to eat filet mignon.
Meatballs are also okay. ;)

Afterwards, we went to another beach.
Very rugged and rugged huge rocks protruding into the water.
There wasn't much to see there overall.
Completely natural and fortunately not in any guidebook.
Also no management, so no trash. 

If you had sturdy shoes, you could climb quite far up the cliffs and have a truly phenomenal view of the bay.
You can see nothing but crystal clear azure blue water and limestone white rocks as far as the eye can see.
This contrast always leaves me speechless.

+++ YOU THINK THIS STORY IS TRUE?!
WELL, IT'S COMPLETELY MADE UP. +++

But hey. Our trip would have been similar for sure. Definitely.

Unfortunately, it fell victim to the strong north wind.
Colon open bracket

Oh man, it could have been so nice.

Already on Saturday, no ship or boat departed.
But they hoped the weather would improve.
So we paid half to a pretty nice ticket seller and wanted to pay the rest the next day when we were supposed to start.
So we got up early, in a good mood and full of anticipation, and were quite down when we heard:
'too windy - no Lalaria today!'
They offered us an alternative route, but we weren't interested.
Hello? We're real Almans.
It's just not the same as Lalaria.
So we wanted the cash back.
They actually offered it to us before as well.
But apparently they didn't really expect us to actually want our money back.
Because the cool nice guide, who had just convinced people of his tour with enthusiasm and surprisingly good German, suddenly grumbled only in Greek while giving us our deposit back.

Well...
So the whole Sunday was still ahead of us.
We had the best (although stormy) weather, no appointments, and we were slightly tipsy an hour later.
We just went to our accommodation and chilled by the pool for the rest of the day.
Oh wait... That's not true.
Before that, we checked out a nearby beach that was within walking distance. 
Hmm. What can I say.
Even though for convenience's sake it's better, I'm not such a big fan of Greek sandy beaches.
But this one was. It always makes it unclear in the water.
You know what I mean?
I'm sure you do!
Well, anyway. We looked for a spot with few tourists.
Wasn't difficult. The whole island, which usually has a bit of a Ballermann feeling in some areas, is currently really damn quiet.
This is partly because it's mid-September, but also because of Corona.
Some shops and restaurants didn't even open at all this season.
Many places were deserted.
Kind of strange. But unfortunately not surprising...
Even our hotel is usually fully booked.
But we were even accommodated in a building where there was no one else but us.
Good for us. Bad for the owners.

Well.. Let's continue...
...so we were sitting on this beach.
Staring at the Aegean Sea, enjoying the waves.
We greedily breathed in the sea air,... Occasionally it crawled on the skin, mostly near the feet.
Absent-mindedly, I brushed them away.
Tiny dark flies.
... um... Wait a minute... These flies... What did they remind me of!?
A loud FUCK in my head.
This couldn't be happening... Or could it!?
I had to consult Google.
Oh shit.
Confirmation.
They were SAND FLIES.
Nooo!! 😶
Some of you cunning readers will surely still remember my experience in Thailand, which definitely ruined the entire visit to Koh Mak for me.
So you can imagine how long we lasted on the beach after that.
Off to our pool with a roar...
Maybe without roaring, but with anticipation for the wine there.
And yes,... What can I say.
We didn't do anything else for the rest of the day except drink and let the sun shine on our bellies.
Plus, we had the pool all to ourselves.
Oh well - That's how life should be and damn it, it feels really good!!

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Yesterday, on Monday, our ferry to Skopelos finally departed.
Finally 'home'.
Finally finally finally.
Even though Skiathos is probably a great little island.
It doesn't evoke in me what Skopelos does.
Aaaaand we were a bit scared of the journey... because it also reminds me of the strong north winds mentioned earlier.
They are here...And they're here to stay for now.
'Fortunately, only an hour,' we told ourselves.
'It'll be over quickly', we tried to calm ourselves.
But with a view of the waves in the harbor basin and the email from Manos, my regular host on Skopelos, who said that the weather was very windy and we probably wouldn't be able to dock at the main harbor because the ferry wouldn't have a place to dock, we got a bit 'scared'.
Well, what choice did we have!?
Right - none!
So we got on the wild water boat and off we went!
It was really fast, I have to admit.
But for 1 hour, I focused my gaze straight ahead at some cloud on the horizon, just so I wouldn't get seasick. Well... There are definitely nicer things to do.
And Manos turned out to be right.
We stopped about 20 minutes by car from Skopelos town at a protected bay.
And if he hadn't warned us, we would have been very confused.
Because the ferry company didn't make any announcement or comment about it.
Actually, he didn't want to pick us up..., strict corona regulations actually prohibit him from transferring tourists this year.
But he still came.
Although it was important to him to wear a stupid face mask in the car, he picked us up, took us to our vacation rental, and even put moussaka, Greek salad, tzatziki, and 2 beers in our room... What more could you wish for....

So, we're here, friends.
Today is Tuesday and until Saturday we have plenty of time to eat, have fun, swim, and soak up the smell of pine trees.

By the way.
Earlier, while cooling off, I felt a tugging on my foot.
Short moment of panic - Looked closely - Spotted fish - AHA moment.

There are certain types that like to eat dead skin.
Well, I really have very little of it - I'm certainly not giving these mysterious sea creatures a feast, but I found the feeling on my feet really funny.
So I said to the fish:
Go ahead! Eat my feet!
July said to me:
You are sometimes really strange.

But let me ask you, what's actually stranger...
Me?
Or creatures that nibble on dead skin from human feet??

Over & out.