Zakynthos

So I have just returned from a beautiful holiday to the island of Zakynthos in Greece. It was perfect.

As I lay here typing it seems impossible that just this morning I was waking to the sound of roosters and the sun beaming brightly through the window. Floors too hot to stand on barefooted and seas which were gleaming blue. Now, back in England, I dare not stand on the floor barefooted for fear of glass and although the sun may occasionally pop out, it seems the skies are more filled with clouds and rain. Typical English weather. 

WEEK ONE- THE NORTH

Mikro Nisi was the first stop, near the scenic St Nicholas Port. We stayed in Climati Studios, owned by John and his wife. http://www.zanteweb.gr/zakynthos.zante/en/climati (100 Euros for the week).

It was a tidy room, nicely kept with a beautiful view. John himself was very helpful and managed to get us a hire car for 25euros a day: surprisingly cheap. He also drove us to the second destination for 20euros. A taxi was double the price! The home made wine, olive oil and complementary fruit and water was a perfect start. A short fifteen minute walk led to a supermarket and various restaurants. I would recommend Niko's. 

There were two beaches. Both stoney. But both wonderful all the same. Just outside of Climati and left was a small path which lead down to a small beach. It was almost private, par for the few Greeks who came for their daily swim! It was like something out of a movie.

Our 'private' beach

Without a doubt it is essential you get a car, unless planning to spend the entire holiday on one beach. With 30 euros of petrol we managed to see the whole West coast and North of the Island. There are places you stumble across which just take your breath away.

St Nicholas Port was the ideal spot to get a boat to shipwreck and the blue caves: a must for any sight-seer. We paid 15 euros each and fully enjoyed ourselves.

WEEK TWO: THE SOUTH.

This week we stayed in Sofia Hotel in Kalamaki. http://www.sofias.gr/

Unlike Climati it didn't come with any free gifts yet the room was cleaned regularly and was slightly cheaper. There was a pool and sunloungers and even a slow moving dog (Lola). The whole place was clean and the company was nice. However, it was very different to Climati. It had many rooms, rather than a limited eight and near the end of the week we were joined by 'youths' clearly on an end of exam holiday. Rather unpleasantly we were woken in the middle of the night by one singing out loud. Nevertheless, this is not the fault of the hotel. Although we did not eat in the bar we did purchase our food in Sofia's market, just next to the hotel. The prices were reasonable and the shop assistants were friendly. The only downside about the hotel was the extra charges for air conditioning and a safe, both of which, we chose to live without.. it is without saying that the nights would have been a bit more comfortable with the help of air conditioning.

Nearby was Kalamaki beach. A sandy haven where turtles lay their eggs. The beach was nice. Again, I would recommend hiring a car. We got one from rent a cars on the street which the hotel sits on. For three days we paid 68 euros. I would then recommend driving to Keri for the views and the peninsula, especially Gerakes beach. The endangered turtles means the beaches in the South are protected and therefore, very little spoils them.

The main street on which Sofia's is situated contains numerous tourist shops and restaurants. In the evening's each restaurant entices those walking down the street with offers. One night we got free cheesy garlic bread starters and two large cocktails free. Meal prices are all roughly the same. You are looking at 6-9 euros a meal unless delving for the more lavish of ingredients. The restaurant which we rate highest was Heaven's kitchen. It does not draw you in with freebies, but does not need to. With large portions and reasonable prices, I place it as a winner on the restaurant front. Although Poseidon, just left of Sofia, was closely following behind.

Heaven's Kitchen

Obviously different holidays suit different people. We find that travelling around the island and seeing the sites  was the best use of time. However, I would recommend the North for peace and quiet. Little beaches and scenes of a fairytale. Kalamaki for shops and restaurants but not the rush of a tourist filled area. And without a doubt, Laganas is the place for clubbing (including a KFC, McDonalds and Pizza Hut). We drove through Laganas, although, the hustle and bustle was not for us.

MY TOP ATTRACTIONS

Water village: http://www.zantewatervillage.gr/
If attending after 2pm the price of entry is reduced to 14euros and it is well worth it if you enjoy water slides. The boomer and bowl are good for thrill seekers and the free fall is not for the faint hearted. But there really is something for everyone. Fast high slides. Slow low slides. A lazy river. Children's play area and a water jungle. It was a last minute decision for us to go here, but I wouldn't look back on the afternoon filled with adventure.

Askos Stone Park: http://www.askos.gr/
I was unsure what to expect from attending a stone park which contained only little animals. As a city girl I have come to think of zoos containing elephants and lions, not deer and peacocks. But once again, it was well worth the visit. We often got to fed the animals, including deer, horses and raccoon, as well as hold a tortoise. It was a friendly zoo with many animals to look at.

Turtle spotting
In the South there are numerous boat trips offering turtle spotting to see the Caretta Caretta. These turtles make their way from Africa each year to lay their eggs on the beaches of Zante before returning to Africa in September.
A coach picks you up from a nearby location and take you to the boats departure port. We paid 15 euros each for a four hour excursion. This included swimming on the turtle island and Keri caves, as well as sighting the giant turtles! This is not one to be missed.

Shipwreck Beach and Blue Caves
Very similar to the above except the excursions run to the beach where you can view the famous shipwreck, and to the blue caves in which you may swim.

Without a doubt I would return to the island and bathe back in the warm heat of the sun. But suppose that must now wait for another year!!

Pre-holiday prep.

So tomorrow it's time for me to leave the UK and delve into Greek culture!

The island of Zakynthos; better known at Zante is my destination. Typically, the island is known for its night life which attracts various teenagers from around the globe. And has become a regular sight on Sun Sex and Suspicious parents. But a clubbing holiday is not for me. Instead, myself and my fellow companion will be travelling to the North of the island, heading to a remote apartments with two local small beaches --> http://www.zanteweb.gr/zakynthos.zante/en/climati. So the web makes it look like paradise, with nearby attractions such as the shipwreck beach (above) and the blue caves (below), what more can one want?

 Then in the second week, we will be heading down South to stay at the Sofia Hotel. http://www.sofias.gr/en/index.php

This second week will be more tourist filled, i imagine, being closer to the airport but nevertheless, it appears we will be getting the best of two worlds. The tranquillity of the North and the hustle of the South, (plus shops!)

So, this evening it is last minute packing. The stress of getting your luggage under the weight limit is looming heavily on my shoulders! Checking we have everything up together, including: passport, money and health cards! What a disaster that would be if one was left behind. Before an early morning (3:30am!) and a short flight to Greece.

In two weeks time i'll return and fill you in, will Zante be paradise?

The Queens Jubilee celebrations

So the past few days have been exciting! The Queen has celebrated her jubilee with grand events and public outings.

Sunday 3rd saw the floatila down the Thames. Hundreds of boats from rowers to Dunkirk ships drifted down the historic waters as the Queen stood on the Royal barge. Alot of emphasis was put on the fact that she did not once sit on the comfy looking seats, produced for herself and her huband. It just shows that she puts the people at the forefront of her mind; personally, I would have been very tempted to parch myself on the seats.  The British weather was unfortunetly unpredictable and caused the fly-past to be cancelled. Nevertheless, the day was not ruined. The Queen dressed for the weather in a beautiful white outfit, standing out from the golds and reds.

Monday 4th the Queen watched a concert held in her own lawn at Buckingham palace. Stars such as Elton John, Robbie Williams and Paul McCartney played for the Queen. It has been dubbed the best and biggest concert of all time. I'd recommend watching it on BBCiplayer, if you have not done already. Though the picture wasn't complete without the Duke of Edinbourgh. He wasn't present due to being in hospital with a bladder infection. Im sure he would have been watching on tv.

Tuesday 5th the Queen has continued without her 'rock' through the service at St Pauls, lunch and the Royal Procession. Her carriage gold and red in splendor. Hundreds of people flocked down the streets and crowded the front of Buckingham Palace. The Queen standing on the balcony you can see the love which she has for the people of her country and those others who are combined in the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth which she takes pride in.

The Red Arrows were as amazing as ever!!! Leaving behind their trail of red white and blue. The Queen happily pointing at the sky as they did so. It really was a beautiful moment

Now we just wait for the Queen's recorded message at 18:00.


British traddition has been upheld with clothing of fine reds and golds, horses brushed to perfection and honour gleaming through all those involved. Long live the Queen.

Proud to be British.

(Ps: we all wish Prince Phillip the best, get well soon)

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So i've begun a twitter using this name :)

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Prometheus Questions

So, I've written this in a seperate blog since I didn't wish to reveal anything which happened to those who have not seen it. So stop reading! Should you not have seen the movie yet. :)  But if you have, please shed some light on what you think in answer to these questions, really are puzzling. As well as Scott did there was not alot revealed... a good basis for a follow up movie perhaps?


1. So the alien at the beginning: he drinks the 'poison' and breaks apart and dies in the waterfall. But where is he? To me it looks like earth. Grass, trees etc. Not the planet which they later visit. So, does this mean that the aliens have been to earth before? It is also not revealed why the alien kills himself and is dressed in a 'human' cloak. Perhaps the humans did something to anger him?

2. It is never explained why the same painting is tracked throughout history. Could this link back to the fact that the alien (above) was on Earth?

3. When the 'oh so familiar alien' bursts from the stomach of the human alien at the end we are reminded of Ridley's other movies and how this aimed to be a pre-sequal. However, surely the octopus alien did not impregnant the other upon attack, and within seconds an alien was born? No. So does this mean that inside all the white men are those aliens?

4. DNA which turns Holloway and Fifield into weird beings that want to attack Humans and reproduce facehuggers not humans. Why?

5. What were the 'engineers' running away from in the dome?

Im pretty sure I thought of other stuff to, but for now I will leave it like that. Answers anyone? And anything which puzzled you?

Prometheus - my opinion

Ridley Scott has done it again. He has produced a sci-fi action packed film filled with all your favourite 'Alien' suspense.

So my boyfriend took me to see this movie, mainly because he has been counting down the days till it came out. I wasn't to sure what to expect. I'd seen the alien movies on tv before and found them entertaining. There isn't really a bad word you could say about them. They keep you hooked throughout.

The same could be said for Prometheus. I didn't find myself thinking about how long the movie was, or looking around at the packed seats and people munching on popcorn throughout the film. Instead I watched, wide eyed behind my 3D glasses.

A couple of times I found myself tightening my grip on my boyfriends hand as we awaited to see what was going to happen next. Unfortunately, the aliens lacked any scary element. Infact, there was a large likeness to the Kracken from Pirates of Caribbean at one point. There also didn't seem to be one form of alien as 3 different types appeared on the screen before us!

Ridley Scott really did pull out all the stunts with a high tech future spaceship and witty dialogue. Nevertheless, there are many unanswered questions which I will put in a seperate blog for fear of spoiling the movie.

Go see it! Let me know what you think.