Messages

1

Holiday Companies / Kosmar

« on: November 25, 2007, 10:54:33 AM »

Ali - Great news!  Well done.  All the best for that.

My previous comments came directly from a property owner whose 'office' was the bar LOL and one afternoon he had what was obviously a 'business' meeting with a chap wearing a tie, with a briefcase.  We stayed at a respectful distance on the other side of the pool (although it was all Greek to us anyway LOL)  Afterwards we said to him 'That looked very serious' - he was obviously quite rattled and as there was no-one else there he told us the other chap was his solicitor and what the holiday company had done to him and others in the village.  He hadn't signed over the whole of his property - but with the lack of revenue over the previous couple of years, there was by now no spare cash to pay for advertising elsewhere.

I really hope he managed to pull it round, cos it was superb accommodation, absolutely pristine and well-cared for - cleaning and clean towels every day, bedlinen every 2nd day, huge rooms, balconies all about half as big as the shared one on the front at Zorbas, quite a large pool, terrace, beautiful gardens, if you ordered anything with salad he went and picked it - etc etc

It was the World Cup semi and final whilst we were there - and that was completely manic - to say the least!  (I have to say, manic locals, not yer archetypal lager louts - but it would just have been rude not to join in, wouldn't it?)

2

Holiday Companies / Kosmar

« on: November 20, 2007, 12:59:17 AM »

No more atrocious than utilising the rooms and then not paying for them at all - which happened with (I think it was) Libra in Lesvos the two years leading up to when we went.  And they only got about a third of the room price on the door which at the time worked out at c £16 a night - and only when they were occupied - no 'retainer' ....

Unlike Thomson, who had always paid their way, regularly, but insisted their chosen hotels upgraded and also made themselves exclusively Thomson - then just decided not to bother going to that particular resort any more.  I should think Doug Ellis's mother must have been spinning in her grave ......

3

Gossip / Some silly pictures

« on: November 17, 2007, 12:14:32 PM »

Err I don't know the nationality of the alleged felons on the Huddersfield canal.  

However it is a fact that there are a couple of northern European countries where carp is traditionally eaten at Xmas and Easter (therefore 'a treat', like chicken used to be in the 50's!) and during and 'after the war' it is said that the lake at Coombe Abbey certainly suffered more than somewhat (well - it did start off as a 'stew pond' for carp to provide the medaeival (sp?) monks suppers, after all!) (I believe there was a POW camp nearby ....)  and 'more recently' I do know for a fact (it was in the papers and people were indeed prosecuted, 'ignorance of the law' being no defence!) that an ornamental lake just off the ring road in Coventry just by the Cov and Warwick Hospital, stocked with some very large carp, took a bashing too!

Pete is an avid carpist and follows all the forums, commercial lakes everywhere all follow the 'no kill' policy and A LOT of European lakes (in France especially) took a severe bashing with persons allegedly from these other N European countries visiting and having a good feed!  Some of these huge carp can cost around £1,000 each to buy for your lake, the anglers are willing to pay for the sport (shades of E Hemingway LOL)  It appears that the 'actual anglers' have caught on by now -  however, this intelligence has not always filtered down to the 'common man'.

4

Holiday Companies / BA - here we go again ?????

« on: October 28, 2007, 12:03:13 AM »

Humph!!!

My old boss predicted this last century, when Richard Branson first started Virgin Airlines - said fine, Branson was only flying the oversubscribed destinations, thus forcing BA to reduce their prices, which would mean loss making routes would have to be cut due to lack of subsidy except BA wouldn't be able to cut them to begin with due to their charter to provide a service (you know like the Beeb, GPO and corporation buses) - whilst Branson was not encumbered by this restriction.

Good ol' free enterprise.

It's our own fault for being so totally unrealistic about the real price of things.  In 1969 we paid 49gns to Doug Ellis for a MATO budget self-catering holiday in Majorca.  I was earning £8.15s 0d a week.  So what would a 17 yr old earn for a 35hr week as a clerk in an insurance office now?  At even £5 an hour that would be £175 a week - so by the same token that holiday should cost £1,029 !!!  It's exactly the same with the price of milk, etc etc etc

Perhaps it really is time to get real? LOL

5

Where to stay / Kostas-Chrysoulla Studios

« on: October 27, 2007, 11:44:56 PM »

Well we had room 3 on the ground floor next to the walkway into the pool etc and had a jolly sociable time chatting to everyone who went past when we were on the terrace.  Had one three quarter bed (mine!) and a single (Pete's LOL)

There were only 2 minor niggles - a socket or switch next to the french doors was hanging off, so we just avoided it.  And yes, although I'm sure it didn't at the beginning of the week, the toilet seat gradually started to slip it's moorings and always managed to catch me unawares every time it did it! - but it was only a bit loose, no worse than one might reasonably expect after a whole summer of bums on it, we thought.  It didn't cause us any grief at all.

However I am aware the two ladies who were directly above us had a cracked window, and lack of drawer space - lack of furniture generally from the remark that was made - and also that our room was larger than theirs.

Bearing in mind the night-flights we thought the keep the room charges were unacceptable so didn't although I would have put my foot down (or packed the bathroom towels in the case - I'd have given them back LOL) had I realised the sheer inconvenience of their shower room and that they provide no towels!

6

Plakias / Worrying Development

« on: October 21, 2007, 10:22:44 PM »

I think they are going to upgrade Sitia into an international airport. I am back in Plakias on Tuesday....will see what is happening next to Paligremnos!

I read that too - about Herak and Sitia - at some time early in the year before we went off to Makrigialos (think I spelt that wrong) in May

7

Forum and Website discussion / Plakias Map v2

« on: October 19, 2007, 11:29:16 PM »

We have no probs - so there goes the conspiracy/sponsorship theory LOL

8

Plakias / A not so worrying development

« on: October 15, 2007, 01:05:15 AM »

Well according to a man eating breakfast at Kostas last week (who told my informant he had been going to Plakias for over 20 years) Plakias is 'owned and run' by three wealthy Cretan businessman, who don't like outsiders making money from Plakias.

?

9

Plakias / Worrying Development

« on: October 05, 2007, 06:08:59 PM »

Going to Plakias tonight with a few mixed feelings.

We will walk past the building site twice a day for the next 7 days and will bring back whatever info we can find out.

Deep sigh.

10

Where to stay / Ouranos Apartments

« on: September 30, 2007, 11:40:40 PM »

Well it appears Kostas Chrysoulos use Ouranos as an overflow now that Zorbas is no more - so whether they are all in the family I don't know.  However on the KC thread someone else has just commented that KC didn't ask for a deposit either and neither did Stella's!

How nice - there is still somewhere that people trust one another.  Very refreshing - just hope no-one starts mis-treating it - I hasten to add, I don't mean anyone on here - I mean literally, anyone.

Believe Ouranos is very close to KC - can't remember now if someone said they are on the right of the narrow street you go up to KC (which you would turn left into) or whether they are on the right, up the top of Ali & Dave Street.

11

Plakias / Weather in Plakias

« on: September 28, 2007, 10:41:48 PM »

Ah well we're naturists not exhibitionists and neither are we nutters; so we only take our clothes orf if the ambient temperature is suitable - not as a 'matter of principle' as some individuals who the media seem to prefer to follow - so we generally as you say turn the heating up, wear thicker clothing and eat more 'comfort' food.  We attend the occasional indoor naturist event - eg a particular naturist club take over Waterworld at Stoke-on-Trent for a night every 3 months or so, that's a good wholesome fun night out for naturist "children" of all ages.

One of the things they have is a huge outdoor jacuzzi (must seat about 30 or more), you swim through from the indoor wavepool, I have sat in that as warm as toast in January when it was snowing (it's fine as long as you keep your shoulders under!) laughing at the poor lifeguard sat on her seat atop her ladder, wrapped up like an Inuit, wet and absolutely frozen.  'Come in here with us, it's lovely!' we shouted.  She replied for two pins she'd be undressed and in like a shot - except she'd get the sack!

Other than that sort of an evening, we also use our own hot-tub quite a lot!

And of course - still continue to do all the other totally normal things that all the other totally normal, well adjusted people with jobs, friends and families, do!

12

Plakias / Weather in Plakias

« on: September 27, 2007, 10:13:46 PM »

John

Due to be the same temp tomorrow Fri and bit hotter Sat, then will gradually drop to low 20's until Thurs/Fri, then it starts to pick up again.  According to Accuweather that is! - it was 26 today, 'Real Feel' 27 so your body clock or their thermometer is 3 degrees adrift.  I don't care at all what the thermometer says, if it feels like 30 that's well hot enough for me!

13

Plakias / Weather in Plakias

« on: September 22, 2007, 09:54:59 PM »

So, I can see what you are saying - but I still don't really understand the intricacies of this at all, I'm afraid!

In both cased I merely pasted in what I had copied in my browser bar - in the first case I right clicked in the first box in that there "Insert Link" window, and then added the legend Weather in Plakias in the second box.  Cause I thought that was what it was asking me to do?

In the second case I right clicked in the post itself and pasted, and that one works.  Although as I said I'd tried that before and it didn't.  

I wouldn't bother trying to persevere with explaining to me actually - I am not going to lose any sleep, but it is just useful, sometimes LOL

PS was that bit in blue supposed to be clickable?

14

Plakias / Weather in Plakias

« on: September 22, 2007, 12:14:12 PM »

Not too bad, getting a bit warmer next week, due to plummet again by 05 October, better pack sweaters and more socks after all???

[a href=\'index.php?act=findpost&pid=0\']Weather in Plakias[/a]

Errr, that didn't work then!  Anyone help me out?

http://www.accuweather.com/world-forecast-...AS&metric=1

Well how weird, the last time I typed in a full address for a link, it didn't work as a link, although similar had done previously on other forums.  Someone on here kindly told me to use the 'Insert: Post Link' facility, so this time I did, but it didn't work (top one).  So then I edited and pasted the full adress - and it automatically turned into the clickable link above???

15

Announcements / Voluntary Subscription Available

« on: September 14, 2007, 10:26:18 PM »

I would just like to add my thanks to our 15 'sponsors', much appreciated.

To be honest I thought 15 was a disappointing response from a forum of this size. Those who use the forum a lot and, like me, get much enjoyment from it shouldn't expect Ostraco and Ploppy to subsidise it. It is only £5 pa.

Mike

Well I don't know why but I have only just noticed this thread, although I had noticed the Leg End "Sponsor" appearing here and there and had casually wondered why, LOL

There could well be others whom it has completely passed by - perhaps it would be worth someone (eg Carruthers LOL) - BOING-ing it on a fairly regular basis?