Once again I was invited to spend two weeks staying at Villa LouLa in Elounda with my friends. I was delighted and looking forward to good company, good food and sunshine.
I was certainly not disappointed by the good company or the good food – but the weather was not good. We arrived late in the evening and I was given my usual room with my sumptuous private bathroom that makes me feel like a film star. When we woke the next morning it was raining. That did not last long and did not stop us from driving up to Plaka to visit Monika in her gift shop and having a lovely meze lunch at ‘The Carob Tree’. It was just about warm enough to sit outside.
Sadly the weather did not improve. It was dull and cloudy most of the time with a bitterly cold wind. I had taken my bathing costume, not expecting it to be warm enough for a swim, but I did hope to sun bathe. Instead I continued to wear a thermal, two, sometimes three, jumpers and my big coat and scarf when we went out and could still not claim to be warm. The local people were also still wearing their winter clothes.
It was nearly the start of their summer season and everywhere was beginning to put the finishes touches to their shops and tavernas ready to open up. Some off them planned to wait until after their Easter which was a week later than ours and they wanted to be able to enjoy the celebrations without having to think about work.Although the weather was not as good as we had hoped we still went out every day for lunch at various tavernas and in each one we had an excellent meal. In the evening Vakis or Tiffany would cook a meal and we would sit and chat over suitable refreshment. Vakis’s friends, Poppi and Manolis, visited one evening and Vakis cooked a superb chicken curry. It was so good that we all chose to eat it again the following evening.
Vakis was working hard whilst we were there to have the Villa LouLa ready for their first guests. He cleaned the swimming pool and filled it with water. It looked very inviting, but I was not tempted to test the temperature. He also supervised the workmen who were building some dividing walls down in the garage area to make a gym. They made good progress. There is now a shower and toilet, one large room for exercise equipment and another that can accommodate a billiard or table tennis table.
I did manage to visit friends whilst I was there, going to Agios Nikolaos for a meal with Lin, Paul, Yvonne and Alan. I was interested to know that Yvonne’s guide book should be on sale by the end of this month. Julie joined us for a meal in Fourni, where she lives permanently and Anna met me at Dimitris’s Steak House.
I also did some useful research in the area and this allowed me to make corrections and alterations to the book I am currently writing. I am now having to work hard having to complete it by the end of this month – a hundred pages still need to be written.
Two days before we had to return home the weather finally improved. Having gone out, wearing my usual layers, I was roasted by the time I had walked up to visit Lynne at Eklektos Book Shop. I even had to buy a bottle of water as I had not thought to carry any with me. I really should know better by now. Then the Saharan sand arrived just after Lynne had had her shop windows cleaned.
Apart from the weather I had a very enjoyable time; not allowed to lift a finger. I should have returned feeling relaxed and ready to get on with writing. Unfortunately I picked up a nasty cold that I can only blame on the air con on the plane and I still have the sniffles.
I am now looking forward to my next visit in September when I will be staying at the hotel next door to the Villa LouLa. Always seems strange not to be able to walk in and out of the Villa as I please when there are strangers staying there. I just have to consider myself so privileged that I am able to stay at the Villa out of season and my grateful thanks go to Vakis, Tiffany, Vaneeta and Mike for putting up with me.
I was certainly not disappointed by the good company or the good food – but the weather was not good. We arrived late in the evening and I was given my usual room with my sumptuous private bathroom that makes me feel like a film star. When we woke the next morning it was raining. That did not last long and did not stop us from driving up to Plaka to visit Monika in her gift shop and having a lovely meze lunch at ‘The Carob Tree’. It was just about warm enough to sit outside.
Sadly the weather did not improve. It was dull and cloudy most of the time with a bitterly cold wind. I had taken my bathing costume, not expecting it to be warm enough for a swim, but I did hope to sun bathe. Instead I continued to wear a thermal, two, sometimes three, jumpers and my big coat and scarf when we went out and could still not claim to be warm. The local people were also still wearing their winter clothes.
It was nearly the start of their summer season and everywhere was beginning to put the finishes touches to their shops and tavernas ready to open up. Some off them planned to wait until after their Easter which was a week later than ours and they wanted to be able to enjoy the celebrations without having to think about work.Although the weather was not as good as we had hoped we still went out every day for lunch at various tavernas and in each one we had an excellent meal. In the evening Vakis or Tiffany would cook a meal and we would sit and chat over suitable refreshment. Vakis’s friends, Poppi and Manolis, visited one evening and Vakis cooked a superb chicken curry. It was so good that we all chose to eat it again the following evening.
Vakis was working hard whilst we were there to have the Villa LouLa ready for their first guests. He cleaned the swimming pool and filled it with water. It looked very inviting, but I was not tempted to test the temperature. He also supervised the workmen who were building some dividing walls down in the garage area to make a gym. They made good progress. There is now a shower and toilet, one large room for exercise equipment and another that can accommodate a billiard or table tennis table.
I did manage to visit friends whilst I was there, going to Agios Nikolaos for a meal with Lin, Paul, Yvonne and Alan. I was interested to know that Yvonne’s guide book should be on sale by the end of this month. Julie joined us for a meal in Fourni, where she lives permanently and Anna met me at Dimitris’s Steak House.
I also did some useful research in the area and this allowed me to make corrections and alterations to the book I am currently writing. I am now having to work hard having to complete it by the end of this month – a hundred pages still need to be written.
Two days before we had to return home the weather finally improved. Having gone out, wearing my usual layers, I was roasted by the time I had walked up to visit Lynne at Eklektos Book Shop. I even had to buy a bottle of water as I had not thought to carry any with me. I really should know better by now. Then the Saharan sand arrived just after Lynne had had her shop windows cleaned.
Apart from the weather I had a very enjoyable time; not allowed to lift a finger. I should have returned feeling relaxed and ready to get on with writing. Unfortunately I picked up a nasty cold that I can only blame on the air con on the plane and I still have the sniffles.
I am now looking forward to my next visit in September when I will be staying at the hotel next door to the Villa LouLa. Always seems strange not to be able to walk in and out of the Villa as I please when there are strangers staying there. I just have to consider myself so privileged that I am able to stay at the Villa out of season and my grateful thanks go to Vakis, Tiffany, Vaneeta and Mike for putting up with me.
