Saga Singles Santorini.

I don't know what I expected of this Saga singles holiday but it has been a lovely experience sharing adventures with 36 like minded people. Santorini was at the top of Jan's bucket list and I had always wanted to visit the site of the massive eruption that could have been the basis of the story of the Flood. Jan would have been disappointed with the reality of the island especially Oia which I visited this morning. Oia is a beautiful extended village on the northern headland of Santorini (the iconic photo of Santorini is taken here) but it has been spoiled by being turned into a Mecca of shops selling overpriced tourist tat and is a must see site for all the visiting cruise ships, I had a walk around and left on the next available bus.
Getting away from the tourist traps there is plenty to see and do, I can recommend visits to Akrotiri - a partially excavated 4000 year old town that was buried in volcanic ash just like Pompeii and the Museum of Prehistoric Thera has wall paintings rescued from the excavations as well as other finds. The island also has walking trails which are well worth seeking out, I managed a 10 mile walk yesterday with another intrepid Saga lout, the walk took in the highest point on the island which was quite interesting when we lost the marked trail on a very steep mountainside but we survived and celebrated with a pint of Alpha.
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Today is the last day, we fly home tomorrow so just tonight's farewell party to look forward to.

Paros v Naxos

After two days of driving around Naxos I have come to the conclusion that Paros is a nicer destination but that doesn't take anything away from the people of Naxos who away from the tourist centres are friendly, funny and very forgiving of my poor language skills. Naxos is mountainous and the views from some of the headlands are spectacular, the north west coast was my favourite and I shared beaches with herons and a mega-friendly cat who watched me as I combed the beach.

These islands would be ideal to cruise around, they are close together and have hundreds of little coves and small harbours which are the highlight to any visit.
Tomorrow we head back to Santorini with the risk of thunder storms en-route.

Paros to Naxos

I rode a scooter for the first time in my life on Sunday - never again, it was the most unstable thing I have ever been on and combine that with a single gear automatic gearbox it was an accident waiting to happen. Fortunately I survived and the little buzzy thing took me to the beautiful village of Lefkes where I wandered the streets and had my first ever visit to a kafeneon where I enjoyed watching the world go by with the locals. 

I went back again yesterday and walked the Byzantine Road from Lefkes to the port of Piso Livadi where I had lunch overlooking the harbour. Paros is a lovely island but the airstrip is being extended to take larger aircraft so the peace here will be a thing of the past.
The next adventure starts today, we catch the ferry to Naxos at midday.

We stayed in Alyki on Paros and the resort in the close season was pleasantly quite but the restaurants were still open and we were treated to wonderful sunsets every night.

Saga and Santorini

With a late arrival and various tours and reccies the time is flying, we are now on our second night in Paros after arriving last night and immediately going out for dinner at a local taverna.
The white wine here is very good, I haven't had a bad carafe yet in fact I consumed a little too much on Wednesday so I made up for it by going up to Ancient Thera on Friday morning - how is that for a view of the Aegean?

The people I am travelling with are great company, already I have spoken to all but two of the 37 on the trip. It has been an amazing experience hearing everyone's very individual story - not just a bunch of Saga old foggies but a cross-section of Britain over the last 70ish years.
I fell on my feet at this current hotel, huge room and a modern four-poster bed.

Aegean her we come.

It feels like months since we last had a holiday, it is, it is. No wonder Harry and Marmalade have been so grouchy lately. Well the adventure has started on a high note, I discovered that you can avoid expensive taxis and the Hotel Hopper bus at £5 per trip and catch the free bus from the hotel to the Heathrow Central Bus Station, so that makes this gin and tonic free. Checking in at Terminal 2 was hassle free, it felt like I had travelled back in time to the era before airport security - well done BAA.
This trip is a three island, two week singles trip with Saga but I am wearing my wedding ring so that should keep the predators at bay. The itinerary seems to provide a blend of culture and local experiences, we shall see.