Messages

46

Where to eat...or not! / Re: Any recommendations

« on: February 22, 2020, 08:11:23 PM »

Siroco (sure it used to be spelt with one 'r') back to its 'happy days'! Staff have a sense of humour too. Really like it. Lovely seafood

Most of the old favourites are still old favourites that haven't changed that much at all - suits me, that's why they're my old favourites!

My shopping list generally includes:

Gio Ma (favourite, just though, lots of competition!)

Manousos - now seems to have 'professional' staff serving, but I preferred unprofessional! Gave character.

Gorgona is the only one of the 'greenhouses' on the front I like, but I do like it a lot.

Aponema is great if you have a huge appetite, cooks with wood stacked at the side of the taverna.

Harakas now gone, shame, though it seemed to be a bit like Marmite in the feelings it evoked. I loved it, some certainly didn't though!

Cheers, Richard



8 weeks, 6 days to go, not counting, honest!

47

Plakias / Re: Crete and light-pollution

« on: February 18, 2020, 12:07:38 AM »

Certainly am! I'll take you up if I can.

There in late Apr to look at an apartment, and take telescope etc before nights are too light in the summer months.

There are new binoculars that would be ideal, I think, sort of super opera glasses, very small and light-weight, about 2x magnification but gather lots of light too. Sitting on a boat with these sounds lovely...

48

Plakias / Crete and light-pollution

« on: January 28, 2020, 10:47:59 AM »

One of the reasons I love the S coast of Crete is the lovely dark skies. My geeky hobby is astronomy!

I've attached a light-pollution map of Crete, and a scale-bar. The higher the magnitude the darker the sky. As you can hopefully see, the N coast is awful but the S coast much better.

Although Plakias/Souda are just starting to register the sky is 'almost' pristine a couple of miles outside the area. I was a bit upset to be able to see Plakias at all, until I compared it to Weybridge, which is flood-lit by comparison!

49

Plakias / Re: Winter is here

« on: January 19, 2020, 05:16:43 AM »

Haven't missed this fact at all. Owners of the apartment we stay in have become friends over the years, happy to see them, always a warm and genuine welcome in my favourite tavernas/Joe's bar, and from the waitress that thinks that I look like Donald Trump....

Plenty of inner city locations in sunny places with a fantastic community spirit. Won't be taking holidays there any time soon because of it, though. Each to their own.

50

Plakias / Re: Kali Chronia everyone!

« on: January 02, 2020, 01:00:03 AM »

Well, I've had to make do on 2 weeks a year for ages, my turn now!!

Seriously, with recent developments I'm partly thinking 'remember it how it was' and partly 'enjoy it before it is too late' (and before my knees or something pack in!).

Progress may be inevitable, don't have to like it though. I suppose visitors from the early days were having just the same thoughts back in 1990!

51

Plakias / Re: Winter is here

« on: January 01, 2020, 01:26:06 AM »

I've posted elsewhere, but I've gone from being pretty sure about semi-retirement in Plakias to having real doubts.

I know that things change, but it's the current pace that worries me. These schemes perpetuate themselves, if successful, whilst chipping away at the reason for any initial success i.e. changing (for me, spoiling) the character of the place.

Once Souda has even a small supermarket I can see the space between Souda-Plakias slowly (or not so slowly...) being developed much further, despite the cliff running much of the way.

I used to think that the small dwelling just above the harbour had the most fantastic location, lovely views south and across the bay, between the headlands, with no space on the cliff below for anyone to build an apartment or a road.

Hadn't considered a harbour though....

I really hope I'm wrong!!

52

Plakias / Kali Chronia everyone!

« on: December 31, 2019, 02:26:36 PM »

Or anyone? Awfully quiet these days, more than ever.

Thinking of semi-retiring to Plakias this year, has something gone awfully wrong (other than the new hotel )?

All the best for 2020!

Richard

53

Plakias / Re: Embrace Plakias while you can

« on: September 30, 2019, 08:03:58 PM »

The building by Paligremnos beach isn't to my liking, but at least they are low-level. I stayed near a small village on the Algarve coast in 2001, just as the first multi-storey blocks were going up en masse. It could be a lot worse, and Plakias is still essentially the same in many ways.

Quite by chance we booked our flights for next May with BA a few weeks ago. I'm not usually anything like that well-organised. Lucky I guess....

54

Plakias / Re: Souda beach no longer naturist

« on: September 30, 2019, 07:58:11 PM »

I'm not really a nudist, clothes-off type or whatever name it goes by, but keep thinking that I must try one year. The 'kit optional' beaches haven't ever offended/bothered me, can't see what the fuss is about really. Everyone turned a blind eye for years and all was well. Still, good to hear that it's official now.

55

Plakias / Re: Not dead, just sleeping

« on: September 29, 2019, 01:08:31 AM »

The 'old' town is indeed as nice as ever, but the pace of change by Paligremnos beach at the far end is astonishing this year. Felt a little sorry for some of those whose sea view to the SW will disappear.

56

Plakias / Re: September holiday report

« on: September 29, 2019, 01:04:29 AM »

Agree re Sirocco, first went there in the 90s but stopped for many years, about mid-late 2000s I suppose, when it changed hands. Now back to one of our favourites.

57

Where to eat...or not! / Re: Fresh Kalamari

« on: June 09, 2019, 05:01:44 AM »

I thought that this was possibly over-rating things a bit but I was wrong. My wife had it at Siroco and it was beautiful, the whole squid, as described above, and no greasy batter so you could actually taste the squid! I know what I'm having next time ...

58

Plakias / Re: Slow painful death

« on: June 09, 2019, 04:57:46 AM »

I had noticed this also - perhaps due in part at least to the predominantly German visitor since the decline of reasonable choice and (any) service from tour ?

59

Plakias / Re: Observered imbalance

« on: June 09, 2019, 04:46:02 AM »

My wife this year that nearly all the books in our accommodation's small 'Library' were in German

60

PlakChat / Re: Kourtaliotiko Gorge road

« on: April 22, 2019, 12:52:39 PM »

Thank you, tarmac we can do without, as long as it is passable, although it would be better! We spent many hours exploring the island on what were marked as roads on maps, but were in fact stone tracks, in a little Suzuki 'cube' (not sure what they're called) some years ago, so should be fine.
Richard