Saturday 2nd April 2022

I will write these posts quite short for now, and update when home. Just to get the bare bibes down.

The alarm went off at four.

Too early by some margin.

We got up, got dressed and packed, and ready to leave at quarter past. We dropped the swipe key off and walked out to the car, and once we had cleared the frost fromthe screen, I drove to the aiport, stopping, then getting me, my bag, cameras and case out of the car. I gave Jools a kiss and went into the terminal.

How crowded could an airport be at half four?

Very.

I joined the end of the queue, and it moved quick enough. People around me were bleary eyed too, just wanting to drop our cases off and get through. I was beside a young mother with her child and toddler, heading to Estonia, under the circumstances, she was doing an amazing job.

I reached the gate, then after five minutes showed my ticket and passport and was done.

Just like that.

Next it was a dash to security, and being an international playboy, I knew how to pack and dump all my carry on stuff into two trays, be scanned and recover them all the other side of the scanner in 5 minutes. Others had to wait to collect their suspect bags, but I was done.

I biught a bottle of water, and found somwhere to sit and relax, I had half an hour before the gate was called. I people watched.

Gate was called, so I strolled down, and joined the prioroty line, so after ten minutes through to the airbridge, where we waited ten more minutes before being allowed onboard.

The plan was little over half full, though crew refused to let people move seats, citing balancing issues for the pilot, which I call bullshit.

But we left the gate on time, twenty to seven, taxied to the piano keys and roared off, ice falling from the wings and windows. I got a view of the rising sun as we crossed the Essex coast before the plane climed and the ground was covered by clouds for two hours.

When the clouds parted, I had no idea where we were, a city with a stadium beside a river, then over the sea, with specks of lands and larger islands and ancinent volaco could be seen.

There was no food for the three and a half hour flight, a strike apparently, and I refused to pay their prices for drinks. So was parched.

We landed, and once those who realy wanted to get off left, we got up row by row, walked to the door and down the steps. It was 15 degrees and glorious. I wouldn't need my coat.

We wait in line as no EU citizens for our passports to be stamped, I collect my case and go through where the others were waiting for me. I was last in the group.

The adventure starts here

We loaded our stuff into two minibuses, and drove 45 minutes west across the islands and into the foothills of the mountains to the hotel, perched on the edge of a valley overlooking ancinet terraced hillsides.

We were served lunch, salad followed by spag bol, then in five minutes meet outside for a walk.

We walked down the steep track beside the hotel, and found two species of orchid within 200 yards, and firther along, a stony mound revealled another lus a green form of a Giant Orchid.

Our guide asked if we would like to go for an ice cream, so we did, back past the hotel, up through the village where I had a waffle cone and a Greek Coffee, which hit the spot, and may explain why sleep wouldn't come that evening.

At seven, we met up for dinner, bbqed pork and chicken, salad and fresh bread. And lashings of cold light beer.

Quite a firsrt day. Outside it was already dark, and orion climed high into the sky.