Paris - July 2009 & February 2010

In the past year I have been to Paris on two occasions.  I am not a big fan of city life, more inclined towards wide open spaces and tranquility.  However, I have to say that I love this city.  It has an eclectic mix of people and has awe inspiring beauty and character.

From the sparkly lights that adorn the Eiffel Tower on the hour after dark, to romantic walks along the Seine, the art nouveau design features of the Metro stations that are individually themed, the gothic splendour of Notre Dame and the absolutely beautiful architecture and epitaphs in both Montparnasse and Pere La Chaise cemetaries, both a little haven of peace away from the hustle and bustle.  The artisan cafe's and bars are delightful away from the tourist areas, and cheaper too.  The tourist areas that centre around the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower are very expensive and sometimes the attractions away from this are better value for money.  One example of this is the Montparnasse Tower.

Overshadowing the Montparnasse cemetary, the view from the 56th floor observation deck and rooftop is incredible and you get to see the Eiffel Tower from there too.  The lift to the top feels almost motionless and takes seconds to get to the very top.

Notre Dame is well worth visiting and the tour inside is free to all visitors.  However, the Louvre was very busy and we seemed to be constantly queueing for one reason or another.  As I peered through the crowd at the Mona Lisa, I  was left with a slight feeling of disappointment at it's miniscule proportions!!

On our first visit we stayed at a very modern hotel within 10 minutes walk of the Eiffel Tower and very close to the river Seine and Champs Elysses, it was not cheap but the rooms are lovely and the staff are very friendly.  If it is a central location you are looking for this hotel is perfect ... http://www.residence-du-roy.com/

When we returned  in the Spring of 2010, we stayed in a lovely apartment in the Montparnasse district, it was quiet, absolutely superbly furnished and had everything you could wish for in a home-from-home stay.  If you are happy to stay a short metro journey away from the centre then this place is perfect ... http://www.my-paris-apartment.com/

We found two great pubs/bars that catered for those of us who love rock music.  The Black Dog who do a fantastic steak meal http://www.blackdog-bar.com/, however, the choice is limited for vegetarians.

Also Cantada II,  who have an amazing range of absinthe and whose clientelle are a very artisan crowd http://www.cantada.net/.

If you get chance to go to Paris do the touristy stuff, to say you have done it but definitely get away from the centre and explore the districts there are some lovely places to eat and drink and there is so much more to see.

Time flies when you are having fun .....

I have not posted any new blog entries for such a long time, my life has changed in so many ways since my last posting.  It has been a roller coaster of emotions and events.    I have remarried and there have been many new adventures with my lovely husband .... amongst the most memorable were visiting Paris (twice), Whitby (several times), Iceland and Prestatyn!  I will endeavour to find time to post more about these adventures soon and of course there are more adventures in the pipeline ...

Praia da luz, Algarve - June 2008

It has taken me a while to get round to this review for a myriad of reasons.

We stayed in Praia da Luz in the Western Algarve in June 2008.  The weather was fantastic, and the accommodation was absolutely lovely.

Staying at the Beach Park Apartments in the quiet area of the Park da Praia.  They were reasonably priced, modern, clean and nicely furnished (straight out of Ikea).  The design of the complex of around 8 apartments was stylish and reminiscent of art deco in design.  Each apartment had it's own outdoor seating area, which was well equipped.   The pool area had an abundance of loungers, lovely potted plants and was very private and secure.

Very early each morning, I took a long walk on Luz beach collecting seashells, and one particular morning there was a guy playing the haunting traditional Fado songs on a classical guitar, it was very moving.  I sat for some while, a short distance away, listening to the sound of the crashing waves mingled with the ebb and flow of the beautiful mournful melody and was completely lost in peaceful contemplation.  Sometimes the simple pleasures in life have the most impact, I will remember that moment forever.

Very noticable on this holiday was the terrible exchange rate of GBP vs Euro, it seemed like the hard earned spending money was stretched very thinly.  For that reason we did not eat out so often and made good use of the self-catering facilities.

One highlight was a visit to Zoo de Lagos near Bensafrim.  This is a well laid out zoo and all the animals seem to be well cared for.  

Another brilliant find was the beach at Martinhal, an absolutely stunning long stretch of soft pale sand and with a lovely restaurant/bar on the beach.

At this stage I don't think I will go back to the Algarve again in a hurry, feel like I have done it to death!  Next year I will probably go back to Greece.  I have really missed not going there this year, for the first time in many years, and there are so many islands and parts of the mainland that I still want to explore ... only next time I will be doing a Shirley Valentine!  Now where are those 2009 holiday brochures???

Zante Airport Departures - Virtual Tour

The departure lounge is the last place you usually want to think about as this signifies the end of your holiday, and for those of us who have experienced the old departures at Zante airport will know what a dismal experience this has been in the past. There are some people whose experience of the airport deterred them from returning to this beautiful island, which is a shame as this is only a miniscule part of the experience and should have been treated as a brief uncomfortable few hours compared to the wonderful time you have had in such a mesmeric place. I have to admit that my final experience of the departure lounge last September did leave me feeling a little deflated and ever so slightly grubby!!

However, as I have previously blogged, the new departures is open, and by all reports is a thousand times better. For those of you who are eager to see this, there is a virtual tour on http://www.justzante.co.uk/. I just want to say that this is a long awaited necessity for continued tourism in Zante, and along with the new bus terminal, should make travel on this island a far more pleasant experience.

Aegean Airlines

The good news is that Aegean Airlines have introduced a new route from London - Stansted, with 2 daily flights, to Athens and the flight prices are very cheap indeed (comparable with Easyjet methinks). Here is the press release http://www.aegeanair.com/aegeanen/news/. I emailed the airline and asked if they intended to introduce any routes to Greece from any other airports in the UK and received this reply ...

"Regarding your inquiry, please note that no new destinations in the UK have been announced. However as Aegean Airlines is a growing company, most probably in the future more destinations will be added."

This is a move in the right direction and I will be keeping my eyes peeled for more info on other routes with this company. Here is their website http://www.aegeanair.com/aegeanen/home/

For prices and route information from Stansted to Athens go here:- https://eticket.aegeanair.com/itd/itd?_channelLocale=en

Euro Vs Sterling

Is it really May already?! The tourist season has kicked off and I am relieved to see the Euro is back up a little on the £ sterling. Last week when it was Euro 1.21 to the pound and predicted to drop lower still I was beginning to think that the spending money was not going to stretch very far at all! Nice to see today it is up to Euro 1.28 and hopefully with the start of the tourist season as from 1 May, this will continue to rise. You can check the latest exchange rate here http://www.xe.com/ucc/.

Holiday Booked

Next holiday is booked ... we are going back to Praia da Luz in the Algarve in June. While we have stayed in the Algarve every Christmas for many years, it has been 7 years since we stayed there in the summer, so I am sort of looking forward to it!

Usually we like to go to Greece in June, it is a great time to go, the weather is lovely and the sea is beautifully warm. In my heart I would dearly have loved to have booked a break in Greece. However, it seems this year that flight prices to Greece are more expensive than ever. I booked with Easyjet to Faro and it cost both of us around a third of the price of any flight to Greece I could find.

Easyjet have recently put some new routes to Corfu, Crete, Mykonos, Rhodes and Thessaloniki onto their schedule from London Gatwick Airport, great for everyone in the south of the country. When will one of the budget airlines to put some routes to Greece from the Midlands? (preferably East Midlands airport!)

Additionally, XL Airways have taken the route to Kalamata off the East Midlands and Manchester airport schedule, which is an absolute crime for those of us who love the mainland Pelopponese and live in the middle of the country.

It seems to me more and more that Greece and the Greek islands needs tourism to enable businesses to stay open year after year and survive through the winter. Every year, when we go to Greece, we hear tales of shorter holiday seasons on the cards, slower business and lower visiter numbers and it is terrible to return to a place and see lovely tavernas and bars going out of business or changing hands.

The new departure lounge in Zakynthos has been finally handed over and should be open for the new season this year, so come on budget airlines let's have more flights into Zante. I have sent a couple of emails to Easyjet, Ryanair and BMI Baby but have had no reply.

When the day comes that we can go to Zante for a long weekend, as often as we wish in the summer, for less than it would cost us to go to Skeggy for the weekend, then my life will be complete!!!

Things to do in the Mainland Peloponnese

Here are some recommendations, for things we enjoyed and learned in the mainland Peloponnese ...

These are just our recommendations, from personal experience, and I am sure there are some we have missed. Please feel free to let us know your top choices.

Oh and take a copy of 'The Rough Guide To Greece' with you, if you need further suggestions of places to visit, it is such a helpful piece of reading matter and is right on the mark!

• Drive the 60 km route from Sparta to Kalamata over Mount Taygetus - it is breathtaking.
  Visit the tower houses at Vathia they are beautiful, stunning and at the same time quite moving when you know the history behind them.


• Read as much of Patrick Leigh-Fermor's book 'Mani - Travels In The Southern Peloponnese' as you can muster over a glass of ouzo, it is very wordy but some of the historical stuff, folklore and traditions detailed will make you see the Peloponnese and Greece in a different light.


• Go to Mystras, 5 km north west of Sparta - it is a spectacular sight.


• Have lunch in Gerolimenas and watch the rat race of tankers pass by the most southerly point in europe.


• Visit Koroni, it is a lovely little town with wonderful tavernas in the harbour and great little shops in the centre.


• Take a ferry to one of the islands, it is the Greek way to travel.


• Visit Agios Nikolaos, it has a charm of it's own and the tavernas on the harbour provide appetising but inexpensive food and drnk. The chill out cafes are really great places to take stock and get into greek mode further!


• Visit Gythio - it is a charming little harbour town, a place to stop and watch the world go by, and reminiscent of a Cornish fishing village! (This is a good place to stop on your way to Monemvasia).


• Spend the day at Voidokilia, arguably one of the most spectacular and beautiful beaches in Greece (although for me Koukounaries in Skiathos is up there at the top also!!).


• Watch the amazing red sunset from the Mani over Mount Taygetus.

View from Stani Taverna, Kalamaki

Over the time we have been visiting Kalamaki we have always enjoyed stopping at Stani Taverna for a brekkie or coffee after an early morning dip in the lovely sea off Kalamaki beach.

On one occasion, we took out a pedalo and saw Terry the Turtle going about his business blowing bubbles and generally showing off for us, on another occasion we stopped in at Stani Taverna, early and exactly where we had been snorkelling 5 minutes before, there was a dolphin jumping high out of the water. We rushed down to the shore, abandoning coffee and towels but as quickly as the dolphin appeared it was gone.


We have spent some happy hours sitting in this taverna admiring the view and some relaxing times on Kalamaki beach.

As I was sorting through some pictures, I found these three taken from almost the same place in the taverna - the first one is from 1995, the second from 2000 and the final one from 2007.

It is really interesting to see over 12 years how much the view has changed.


In 1995 there were virtually no umbrellas on the incline down to the beach, the middle picture shows the start of the unbrella invasion and now they are almost all the way back to the road.

I personally like the first picture, it reminds me of a time when Kalamaki was not so touristy and the view is very unspoilt.

It's Kalamaki Jim, but not as we know it!

Believe it or not this is Kalamaki main strip!!

For those of you who think that Kalamaki as it stands today has been like that for some time, then here is the proof that not so long ago the main strip was made up of a few bars and tavernas, fields and goats!

These photos were taken in 1995 on our first visit to Zante, in fact our first time in Greece.

We stayed at Dennis Studios, behind the Dennis supermarket near the crossroads, and spent most days louding around Sofia's pool. We fell in love with the island over that week and have been returning ever since.
In the first few years we returned at two yearly intervals and by the time we returned to Kalamaki, staying at Sofia's in 1999, it had started to change beyond all recognition.

In the lower picture you can see Sofia's (Sports Bar) on the left hand side in the distance. The road was a lot narrower in those days too.

It is a matter of opinion whether the changes are for the better. Please let me know if you have any thoughts on this. Jools x