Skiathos

Oh Skiathos………………….you were just perfect!

There is not a thing about this holiday that I did not absolutely love, and I do hope I can come back soon!

So first things first……………………where is Skiathos and what is it like?

Skiathos is a tiny little Greek island. It is part of a small group of islands called the Sporades islands. It sits just 76km to the east of Volos on the Greek mainland. It is the greenest island in the Sporades with dense pine forests, mainly of the Aleppo pine variety, covering 80% of the island. It is quite a mountainous island and is hilly.

If you like history, there is lots to see. There are ancient monasteries, old forts and the ruins of the former capital Kastro.

If you like literature, it was the home of celebrated Greek author Alexandros Papadiamantis, so famous here that they named the airport after him!

If you like films, and a bit of Abba, then you will probably be aware that Skiathos and the neighbouring island Skopelos were where Mamma Mia the movie was filmed.

If you like clear azure waters and golden sand beaches then you will be spoilt for choice. The beaches here are simply stunning. Gently shelving, crystal clear waters, lapping on fine sand with a golden pink hue, all backed by fragrant pine trees…………………..and there are over 60 to choose from. The beaches are very clean, and environmental sustainability here has a big focus.

If you like walking there are so many paths through the shady pine forests, along the beaches, around the dramatic coastline and in the mountainous interior.

If you like bird watching, flora and fauna then May is the perfect time to come. There are swathes of pretty flowers and multitudes of birds to spot. There are marsh harriers, buzzards, Egyptian vultures and so many more. You might spot a tortoise or a pine marten in the forest, and you’ll almost certainly see lots of lizards. On the ground you’ll see wild cyclamen, orchids, crocuses, rambling roses and anemones. Wherever you walk it just smells beautiful at this time of year – a mix of pine, honeysuckle, jasmine, oregano, sage and thyme.

If you like a little bit of traditional culture then you’ll find it on Skiathos……….with less that 7,000 permanent residents, most of them local…………it is very ‘Greek’. The local ‘kafeneia’ (traditional Greek café) will be full of little old men first thing in a morning, usually all lined up on a bench outside, having their morning shot of Greek coffee, so thick you can stand a spoon up in it. The main religion here is Greek Orthodox and church attendance is high. Tourism accounts for 70% of the island’s income , the remainder from agriculture………………. namely fishing, pine honey and olive oil.

If you like food then you will be in heaven. I love Greek food and here they eat a lot of red meat. You get all the wonderful traditional dishes like Stifado (a tomato based beef stew with shallots), Souvlaki (grilled, skewered meat, normally pork or chicken) and Kleftiko (lamb oven baked in parchment paper). If you are vegetarian worry not……………..there are so many fresh vegetables and local cheeses you won’t go hungry. Fish and seafood eaters will also love it here……….straight from the morning boat, onto your plate.

Just imagine all of the above on a tiny island only 12km long by 6km wide. It is a perfect little pocket of paradise where ancient meets contemporary, and traditional practices and culture blend seamlessly with sustainability and modern innovation.

I’ve been to quite a few Greek islands…………………Kos, Kefalonia, Crete, Parga on the mainland………………I’ve liked them all but this is hands down my favourite Greek island so far, the one which I felt most relaxed in, and would love to come back to.

I’ll share as much as I can about the holiday, but like I said…………………this was a very rare package holiday for me. The intention was to rest, stay on the beach and read. And guess what……………………………I managed to do that, and it was bliss! I left the village we were staying in only three times for a little adventure. After my running exertion in Snowdonia the week before, I so needed this rest.

Skiathos is easy to get to on a package holiday from the UK as both Jet2 and Tui fly direct to the island. If you want to go your own way, and are budget travelling or island hopping, you will find it a lot cheaper to fly to Athens and make your way to one of the 3 mainland ports that provide ferries to Skiathos (sailing time around 2 hours). If you are island hopping it is also well connected to the islands of Skopelos and Alonissos. I took a Jet2 direct flight from Newcastle Airport in the UK, which was part of my holiday package.

With regards to accommodation there are so many options. There are villas, apartments, bed and breakfasts, rooms, hotels, resorts …………….. ranging from basic to luxurious. If you are a party animal you’ll want to be as near to Skiathos Town as possible, or the nearby beach resort of Megali Ammos. All the beach resorts then run along the South coast of the island, and all offer something slightly different. Troulos and the area around the middle of the island is probably the area which is best for families. They have strict building regulations on the island too, so you’ll not see any high rise sprawling hotel complexes. They will either blend in with the landscape or be white, and most certainly limited in height to just a couple of floors.

Right at the far end of the island is the village of Koukounaries. However, it’s still only 20 minutes on the bus from Skiathos town. And that’s another nice thing about the island. You don’t need a car. There is one main road along the south of the island with bus stops 1 to 26. It’s 3 Euros to go right from one end to the other in 20 minutes, and the buses are every 15 minutes. The island is only 6km wide, so if you fancy a little wander to the North, just get off at whichever bus stop number you fancy and walk no more than 5km North on a well signed forest track and you’ll probably end up on a beautiful secluded beach with only you on it (more on that in a minute).

I’d chosen to stay in Koukounaries, right on the far end of the island, at the 5 star Elivi Resort as this is my once a year ‘treat’ holiday and part of my work hard, play hard mantra…………………….I work my butt off all year giving 110% so I can do this. The remainder of the year, I love to explore and see the world but on a more budget basis: cheap flight, B&B or apartment, living like a local, shopping at the markets, cooking, exploring, adventuring. That’s probably the way I prefer to travel, but every once in a while it’s lovely to have a rest and be looked after with a little bit of luxury thrown in.

R.Spivey’s ‘Skiathos Travel Guide 2025’, which incidentally is a fantastic little book, describes Elivi resort, Koukounaries as representing the “pinnacle of island luxury – expensive but the experience proves transformative. The resort seamlessly integrates with its protected natural surroundings. Their private beach sections, infinity pools, and sophisticated dining options attract discerning travellers seeking seclusion”. I’d say he’s got the summary spot on there and I could not describe it any better. I wanted seclusion, and beautiful beaches in natural surroundings, and I got it by the bucket load! And it must have been transformative. On my return I went straight to see my mother who declared, “Goodness, I haven’t seen you look this good for a long time!” 🤣 She makes be laugh so much………….she has no filter………….I did not know whether to be pleased because I looked good or mortified because apparently I looked terrible before. 🤣

The attentive service and luxurious rooms were an added bonus. But it is luxury and attentiveness in a discreet relaxed way, rather than a pretentious way. But that being said, Greece tends to attract a more unpretentious and relaxed European clientele anyway. My mother for instance would never go to Greece………………it’s just not posh enough for her! 😂 She can’t understand why anyone would go somewhere where you can’t put your toilet paper in the toilet and there are stray cats!🤣🤣However, I can confirm that that is rather a dated misconception. Yes, there may still be some places where you have to place your used paper in a bin due to dated sewerage systems but in all newer resorts, and certainly at Elivi, I can confirm that the toilets worked just fine if that would be an issue for you.

It’s quite a short flight of just under 4 hours from the UK. It’s quite an interesting landing! It is well known amongst pilots for it’s unique and challenging approach. It requires special qualification and certification to land a plane here. Apparently pilots use reverse thrust and ‘automatic braking’ to slow down because the runway is so very short with deep blue sea at each end. The approach has to be extremely low and has to miss a holiday complex, a beach (you look like you are going to land on a someone’s towel), and all the plane spotters……………………….. who apparently like to stand behind the fence at the start of the runway to be knocked backwards by the reverse thrust (You Tube search ‘Skiathos Airport Jet Blast’ – why would you do that ? 🤣😂). The wheels have to hit the tarmac immediately, with a firm bang and no floating or cruising in, otherwise there’s not enough runway left to stop. I’m not great at flying……………it’s not my favourite pass time……… and I am very observant on take-off and landing, so I did appreciate the pilot, 10 minutes before landing explaining what would happen and what it would feel and look like, otherwise I think I might have been saying a prayer and trying to make one final call home. However, I did appreciate him holding back the information that he’d “cocked it up completely” on a previous flight until after we’d landed!😆

A little bit about the Elivi Resort then. It’s beautiful. It’s split into three areas and you choose the area which best suits you. There is ‘Xenia’. This is where the main hotel is situated and where the breakfast and Greek and Italian restaurants are based. It has direct access onto Koukounaries beach, a 1km stretch of golden sand with a bit of an upbeat vibe. The young clientele, and those with young children, seem to like this area better. There are bars on this beach, water sports, music, and ferries to other parts of the island.

Then there is the ‘Grace’ area. This area has spacious, elegant, individual suites with access to an infinity pool and the private Ambelakia Beach. All the suites have south facing sea view floor to ceiling windows, large patios or balconies and some have their own small pools. The suites are surrounded by nature, and gorgeous planting schemes. The emphasis in this area is tranquillity and relaxation in nature. There is a beach bar but there is no loud music, or water sports, just peace, quiet and the sound of the sea gently lapping on the shore. I stayed in this area in a Deluxe Sea View Suite without a pool, which I sacrificed for a large balcony (I’m more of a beach girl as I like to hear the sea). I had access to the gorgeous Grace infinity pool but I did not actually go in it, the beach was perfect.

Then there is the ‘Nest’ area. This area is west facing and the accommodation has direct access to Big Banana and Little Banana Beaches. These are beautiful beaches but with a bit more of a family vibe on Big Banana. There is a bar and music on this one and there are a few too many beds and not as much space for my liking. Some of the Nest suites have two bedrooms, so are more suited to families. This is also the perfect place to come to watch the sunset with it facing West.

Little Banana beach is for the ‘naturists’, but you don’t have to be naked to go on it. See, I told you everyone was catered for.😆 I went for a look (at the beach😂) and this too is lovely. I didn’t hang around long……………..it brought back memories of the last time I was on a nudist beach…………a story for another time which involved the break down of my day hire boat off a small island in Croatia! I jumped ship, literally, with my two small children, and paddled to the beach while we could still get there, leaving Mr F. in charge of said boat to call the mainland for rescue. Concentrating entirely on getting my two children to safety it was only when the eldest (about 8 years old at the time) said, “Mummy……………….why hasn’t anyone got any clothes on?” did I realise we’d swum onto a nudist beach! It was the longest half hour of my life………….sat on a rock fully clothed with two young children who were gawping at everything in sight and asking far too many inappropriate questions.😆

We arrived at Elivi at night time, so it was very dark and I could not really see much. The resort is spread out on a hillside and peninsula and covers a large area. If you don’t like walking worry not………………..you just dial reception and a golf cart will come and collect you and take you to wherever you want to go: breakfast, beach, spa, pool, another part of the resort. There’s also a lift from the beach to either the restaurant and spa area, or reception. I like to walk so I only used the golf cart on arrival and departure with my luggage, but if mobility is an issue, or you are just feeling lazy, dial a cart.

The room got 10 out of 10. It was fully serviced daily. There was a coffee pod machine (filled daily), king size bed facing the floor to ceiling windows and one of those fantastic showers with so many jets coming from all directions. Then there was a panel at the side of the bed where you could control everything from the bed…………..curtains, main lights, air-con, reading lights, mood lights, room service……………………..even the door…………you could open the door without getting out of bed! In fact, you could have spent the whole holiday in bed! 😂But best of all………………….my favourite…………………….robe, slippers and luxury toiletries. We all know how I like a robe and slippers in my room. So I did my unpacking quickly, and excitedly got my PJ’s on and my robe and slippers to send a photo home. This is how you can tell I don’t do luxury often…………….I still get excited by the robe and slippers!🤣It’s the small things!

I slept like a baby, but when I awoke I just could not believe what was before my eyes. It was dark when I got there remember, so I had no idea what anything looked like. I drew back the curtains and this was my balcony and my view!❤️I was so giddy, jumping around so much that I woke Mr F. up too! Yes, I forgot……………….Mr F. ……………………..he came too. And he’d advised me that he was having a full week off running and having a relax too! Now that can be a bad thing…………………he get’s bored………………..and when he get’s bored he pesters as he can’t entertain himself. Sometimes I prefer him to run, as when I’m relaxing and reading my book I don’t like being ‘pestered’! He’d already advised me he’d brought his cycling Top Trump Cards, a murder mystery game, and Uno………………………..and they all needed two people so he needed someone to play with! 😂”Oh Joy!” I thought!………….. I suggested there might be someone else that might play with him as playing Cycling Top Trumps with me might not prove to be much of a challenge!🤣

First stop on the first day was breakfast, as we were on a bed and breakfast basis. It was fabulous. There were hot and cold options, savoury and sweet, Greek, Continental and British options. It is served on a lovely terrace, under the pine trees, overlooking Ambelakia beach and the bright blue sea.

There were so many cakes to choose from!

Another amazing discovery is that they eat savoury pies in Greece for breakfast and I love a pie! The main fillings are a traditional Greek cheese or a mixture of spinach and feta.

My breakfast was usually started with some fruit, Greek yoghurt and some nutty granola.

This almost bordered on being too healthy.😆 So I jazzed it up with a drizzle of Greek pine honey. This honey was on another level! They had a whole honeycomb in this sort of dispenser every morning. You just cut a piece of honeycomb off and drizzled the honey on your breakfast. It was the nicest honey I have had anywhere……………….you could taste and smell the pine.

This was followed by the main course which was a little assortment of Greek pies, piece of tortilla or omelette, a little bit of bacon and a slice of tomato (just to make it look slightly more healthy).

Then if I hadn’t made myself feel too sick by this point, I’d squeeze a piece of cake in with my cup of coffee. Usually one that was the cake version of a peanut and chocolate Snickers bar! 😍 Except on the morning when they had milk and white chocolate dipped strawberries when I had those instead!!!!!❤️

Then it was off to the beach to lay on a sun lounger all day and read my book. I didn’t need lunch as I normally did not start to feel hungry again until around 7pm for some reason. 🤭

This was my book of the holiday…..’Small Island’ ……….it’s on the BBC’s list of the ‘100 books which shaped our world’………….which I’m working my way through.

So day 1,2,4 and 6 I don’t have much to report. I did indeed lie on the beautiful Ambelakia beach all day on sunbed number 67 and read my book, sipped the odd cocktail and iced latte and just chilled. It is the most beautiful beach.

The nice thing was there were so many sunbeds there was none of that scrum for a sun lounger which I absolutely hate and refuse to take part in. The British are terrible for it, and the Germans are even worse. It’s like ‘Pistols at Dawn’ except it’s ‘Beach Towels at Dawn’ …………….. you can see them all creeping around at dawn laying towels on sunbeds to reserve them, even though there’s a sign forbidding it. I don’t particularly like confrontation so I will just find somewhere else, whereas Mr F. just scopes the spot for 10 minutes to check no-one is on the sunbeds, moves the towels, puts his own down and then has the confrontation.😂

Mr F. had taken his proper triathlon goggles, so when he got bored he went off for a swim………………….he gets bored quite often as he has to be ‘on the go’ so I think he clocked up two miles each day. Sometimes he’d be gone for that long I either thought he’d swum to mainland Greece or drowned. 😆 Oh gosh I did have to laugh though, and I am allowed to share this picture as he knows I’ve taken it in the name of research and actually finds it quite amusing himself. I’m a big fan of Daniel Craig, also known as James Bond……………………..particularly the scene where he trots out of the sea in his little, tight, sky blue trunks, and I make no secret of this! Now Mr F. likes to continually remind me that two separate ladies at his place of work, on two different occasions have told him he is the spitting image of Daniel Craig. 🤣🤣 Now, he’s a fit and handsome chap but he is no match for my Daniel in the ‘exiting from the sea in trunks’ department! He gets quite cross when I point this out and won’t stop going on about it until I agree there is a slight resemblance. I promise you that the only resemblance is that they both wear a watch in the sea!🤣 So I thought I’d do a spot of undercover research to prove my point to him!!

Now, perhaps if I’d have had a few more Mojitos and squinted a bit I’d have seen it, but the man on the left is the one and only Daniel Craig / James Bond and the one on the right is my long standing, ultra running other half Mr F. who , whilst very fit, looks absolutely nothing like Daniel Craig!!😂 I’ve told him not to worry though……………………I’m sure there are lots of things that Daniel is not good at that he is. Daniel would probably not be able to mend my garden gate, teach me to map read, decorate, do DIY, coach me etc. etc. And who wants a fit man in tight little blue trunks and millions in the bank anyway!?!😂

I’m not going to disappoint you though with my adventures. I did manage to get into trouble with a map before day 1 had ended!🤣 But I swear the issue was the map and not me! Mr F. did look slightly worried when I put my makeup on and nice dress to go out to dinner. Then I grabbed my little leopard skin clutch bag, but paired it with my trekking sandals, a map of Skiathos and a cheeky grin. Sometimes I get stuck in the middle of the transition between Dora the Explorer and Disney Princess………….I can’t decide…………so I try to do both simultaneously which makes for an adventurous night out! 🤣 “Where are we going?” he asked.

We were on the ‘Grace’ side of the resort peninsula, but the sun sets on the ‘Nest’ side of the peninsula on Big Banana Beach and Agia Eleni beach. They eat quite late in Greece, like in a lot of Europe, so I suggested a little ‘stroll’ for a pre-dinner cocktail on the beach to watch the sun set. “Why do you need a map though?” was his question.

I’d spotted a little path on the map that ran around the headland, so I thought why go the boring road way when there’s a coastal path which will be so much prettier. It was all going well and we made it to Big Banana Beach where I had a ‘Paloma’ …………… one of my favourites as I love a bit of Tequila!

We wandered along the beach and it was very nice and I felt all warm, fuzzy and a little bit wobbly after my very large cocktail.

I then proceeded to find the path from Big Banana to Agia Eleni beach. I found it no problem, but half way along it sort of disappeared, the path that remained was very steep, rocky, and overhung with spikey bushes. Mr F. went on up front, but my progress came to a quick halt when I got my dress stuck on a thorny bush on a steep path down to the beach. I could not untangle myself. The more I wriggled to try and work myself free, the more the thorns got caught in my dress. I shouted loudly and Mr F. came running back to the rescue, where he carefully unfastened me thorn by thorn whist muttering something about me and maps!😆 But the trouble was that the map was a very basic map. It had no contour lines on it and no vegetation marked, so how was I to know!! It was purely a mapping error and not a navigational error!🤭

Anyway, we got to the beach, Mr F. kept his cool with me, and we proceeded to walk to a lovely taverna for dinner. I’d booked Elivi on a bed and breakfast basis and I tend to do this for a reason. Greek islands have such amazing food and local tavernas. Whilst Elivi has some wonderful restaurants the offering is not that traditionally Greek, it’s on the expensive side and the menus are not that diverse. The typical ‘resort’ offering. The main consideration for me though, is that large resorts like this can take an awful lot of business from the local tavernas and have caused many to close over the years. You will get a much better value, nicer, more traditional, Greek meal if you can just be bothered to walk into the village of Koukounaries where there are a multitude of excellent options. We ate at three restaurants in the village over the course of the week but my absolute favourite and the one I would recommend is Strophilia. Excellent service, beautiful Greek food and such a lovely atmosphere. And if you like a glass of wine with your meal the Greek wine is really good……….and at 4 euros for 250ml it’s cheap too!

Their Stifado was one of the best I have tasted anywhere!

And the peach, pineapple and mango Yoghurt cheesecake topped with blueberries in syrup was to die for!

That was pretty much the routine on most days…………breakfast, beach, read, shower, out for stroll with pre-dinner drinks, dinner and a relax on the balcony.

However there were two days of exploration where I can show you a little more of the island. Day 3 was a cloudy and windy day and was not really beach weather. So we decided to walk from Ambelakia beach in Koukounaries, northwards through the pine forest, and then along the north coast and back around in a circle, a total of 7 miles.

By doing this we were able to marvel at the beautiful pine forests and their flowers, birds and insects, and see the secluded and isolated beaches on the north coast. It really is a feast for all the senses. The floor is thick with pine needles and it is just like walking on a carpet. You can hear the crash of waves and so many different birds chirping, smell the sea and pine trees, see the beautiful flowers and azure waters, touch the warm soft golden sand and taste the salt on your lips.

The paths are really well marked and take you to some fantastic beaches. Mandraki Beach was spectacular. It feels so secluded and isolated with no-one on it, but yet it’s only 3km through the forest from Koukounaries. On the way back we passed herds of goats with their new kids and it was just a lovely day out.

I’d deserved another lovely cocktail after exerting myself so that evening’s cocktail was a Caipirinha………………because I love a bit of Cachaça too! I tend to err towards the sour citrus flavour cocktails rather than sweet and sickly. I like that sharp taste of the citrus and also that little lick of salt you get around the edge of some of them. Yummy! I’m not a huge drinker and don’t really drink at home but I do like a holiday tipple or two! 😆

The next day was another beach day but I decided to play a bit of ‘bus stop bingo’ in the evening to liven things up a bit, have a change of scenery, and try somewhere different for dinner. Mr F. (after rolling eyes at my idea) had to pick a bus stop number between 1 and 26. In the end he just went with the flow believing it to be another of my silly instantaneous ideas which would not end well. The number 15 was selected and we went on a little 10 minute bus stop adventure to Bus Stop 15.

He was wrong! We were rewarded by a lovely little beach, had a drink, and went for a stroll to find somewhere to eat. Infinity Mare restaurant was discovered, and the very flamboyant and welcoming Konstantinos! He gave us a lovely table overlooking the blue sea, perfect for watching the sunset. Infinity Mare’s speciality is seafood and I had the most delicious seafood linguine and a nice glass of wine. We started with grilled aubergine stuffed with garden vegetables, mint and feta…………….equally delicious. It was gorgeous. So if you are in Skiathos and fancy a change hop on the bus to Bus Stop 15 and find Infinity Mare taverna.

Day 5 was another day of discovery. The plan was to take the bus all the way to the other end of the island, to Bus Stop 1, and discover Skiathos town. From there we were going to take the bus to Evangelistria Monastery, look around there, and then walk back to Skiathos Town for dinner.

Plans quickly changed when I discovered we did not need to take a bus there at all! ‘Capetan Nikolos’ runs a high speed water bus from the resort to Skiathos town in a total of 20 minutes for the grand sum of 7 euros…………bargain! The boat leaves roughly hourly from 10:00 to 17:35, apart from the very long three hour lunch he has at 12:00.😆

Let just say it was an experience! If you get slightly sea sick or don’t like water or rollercoasters then stick to the bus! I loved it!!!! It was like being on a big dipper for 20 minutes all the way to Skiathos Town. Capetan Nikolos turned up with his ghetto blaster blasting out dance tunes. He looked a bit like Robinson Crusoe would after 1 litre of Ouzo for breakfast!🤣He’s not really bothered how rough the sea is, it’s foot to the metal the whole way while you literally bounce all the way to town. He’ll cram on as many as he can as his objective is to do as many trips with as many people as possible at 7 Euros a go. A waterproof jacket might be an idea, as you arrive in Skiathos looking like you’ve just been in the eye of a storm! If you like an adrenaline rush it will be your best 7 euros ever spent, far better than anything at Disneyland Paris!😆

We caught the bus straight up to the monastery and decided to look around the town later in the afternoon. Evangelistria monastery is beautiful. It’s set on what is almost the highest point of the island, so you get some lovely views from the bus on the way up. Its proper name is ‘Monastery of the Annunciation’. It was founded in 1794 and it was where a group of Greek Freedom Fighters hid out in 1807, and where they designed and wove the first blue and white Greek Flag as we know it today, on an ancient loom. The loom and lots of other artefacts relating to the Greek War of Independence are on display in the museum, which is a really interesting little place.

There are only seven monks associated with the monastery today, four live there and the other three live outside the monastery. In addition to their worship they spend the rest of their time being as self sufficient as possible. They have their own vineyard where the make a Red Muscat wine, produce liqueurs, honey and grow their own produce.

The grounds of the monastery are beautiful, particularly on a sunny blue sky day like this was. There are such gorgeous plants all around the monastery, amongst which sleep the monastery cats which keep control of the mouse population.

The honey coloured stone reflects golden in the sunshine, set against the sky and ocean which glistens blue in the distance. Silence is observed in the grounds so it is a really peaceful place.

It’s also worth having a look in the monastery chapel. It’s really tiny but very pretty with some lovely detailed cut out metalwork and a unique conical roof that looks like the bee hive on ‘Winnie the Pooh’.

The walk back down to town from the monastery is equally lovely. Far reaching views across olive groves, right down to the blue sea.

There are lots of lovely roadside wild flowers at this time of year too.

Eventually you are deposited in the bustling port of Skiathos town.

It’s a port of two halves and two personalities, well three really. At the far side of town is the commercial port where the inter island ferries and car ferries dock, and that’s all there is there really.

If you walk around to the west then you come into the modern harbour where there is some serious bling! Think superyachts!!!! But ‘super-duper’ yachts. This is the place where you come with your own very expensive boat, or boat charter if you’ve hired one and are Greek island hopping. It’s nice to walk along the promenade and have a look at some of them as there are some beautiful boats, and some serious partying and champagne drinking going on here. It’s not as glamourous as it sounds though. My godfather and Uncle, and then my cousin, owned such a yacht until around 10 years ago when it physically got too much to manage. I was very lucky enough to spend time with them when I was younger sailing around the channel islands in my school summer holidays. It’s glamourous when the sea is calm but when it’s not it is anything but!

Keep walking and the next part of the port is my favourite. It’s the traditional fishing harbour. No sleek white yachts here. Blue, red, yellow and white fishing boats. Some small ones, some larger trawlers, all bobbing around on the water as their day of work is done. The fishing takes place during the night and early hours of morning and the boats dock and sell their catch in the fish market at 6am to the hotels and restaurateurs. It’s all over quite quickly apparently, and all that’s left to be seen in the afternoon are nets drying, nets being mended and a large number of drunk and animated fishermen discussing the day’s work! I like this authentic side of town better as it shows life as it is in Skiathos when the tourists have gone home.

The ‘old town’ of Skiathos is beautiful too. Pretty white buildings and winding streets that you can get lost in. Little squares full of artisan craft shops and bright bougainvillea on every corner.

Tavernas bustle for space and it’s easy to find a lovely little corner for a coffee.

Wander up to the hill top church and clock tower of Agios Nicolaos and you get a wonderful view over the rooftops and down to the port, and you will also be on the film set of Mamma Mia, the church making an appearance in the movie.

I did a little shopping, some Greek pine honey for Dad and olive oil soap for Mum, and after all my wandering I was ready for a sit down and a glass of wine.

For this I recommend ‘Bourtzi’ also known as ‘BU Bar’, situated on the Bourtzi peninsula. Here you can get coffee, cake, food, drinks or cocktails all day, under the shade of the pine trees, whilst gazing out at the blue Aegean sea. We had a lovely Greek salad and a vegetable and houmous wrap. I washed mine down with a lovely dry white wine, local to Skiathos, whilst Mr F. of course had a much healthier alternative!😆

All too soon our trip had come to an end, just one more evening of watching the sunset from the balcony.

So would I recommend Skiathos and Elivi Resort…………………………yes to both!!! I like to go to different places and explore but this is one of the places I would definitely return to again.

Back to the real world with a bump now though. Work is hectic beyond belief as the last half term always is. It’s important to see the bright side of life though and there’s lots of good.

The new perennial border is bursting into full bloom and there are bees and butterflies everywhere.

Stars of this week are my clematis and my Astrantia!

Steve’s bees (Steve has the allotment garden next to mine) have been very busy on the allotment and have once again produced some amazingly scrumptious village honey! Not quite as nice as Greek pine honey but so much better than the supermarket stuff!

However, it’s been a challenging few weeks on the technical front for me!🤣I love technology when it works but I absolutely dread getting a new phone. Firstly, my very old Samsung finally gave up the ghost so I’ve had to invest in a new one. OMG!!! It’s driven me crazy……….first of all I lost all my contacts. Then I got them back but now none of the apps work. I’m having to painstakingly go into every app and prove it’s me my jumping through a multitude of hoops and sending verification codes everywhere, changing passwords and I’m almost at that stage where I could throw it out of the nearest window. I’ve decided I’m just going to sort one app a day and by mid 2026 I may have it functioning correctly.😆 I’m also in trouble with the offspring because I should have bought an iPhone apparently…………….but I can’t be bothered to learn how to use a new interface, so it’s another Samsung…………………and to make matters worse I’ve got a crocheted case on the way for it!!🤣🤣 Apparently according to them no-one in 2025 who has anything about them has an Android phone in a crocheted case! Except me!!! There’s nothing wrong in doing your thing and being a bit of a rebel!🤭

Technological nightmare number 2 comes in the form of a new Coros Apex 2 sports watch. The GPS, altimeter and everything on my Garmin had also ceased to work. But it had served me well, measuring thousands of miles and many, many meters up and down. There’s nothing wrong with the new watch itself………………..I’m loving it and would recommend it to anyone who’s a bit fed up with their Garmin and the odd little quirks they have. The problem with this is that it almost gives me too much data. I only really need to know how far I’ve gone, how fast, how much up and down and a couple of other things…………………..which it does perfectly. And I guess the problem is not with the watch but with Mr F. He loves a bit of data……………….especially mine……………….and he’s driving me absolutely crazy with it! If he mentions ‘Zones’, ‘anaerobic thresholds’ and ‘training loads’ to me one more time I’m going to password protect the data! 🤣 I do not give two hoots what Zone I am in! I am simply putting one foot in front of the other, the entire objective, being to keep fit and to arrive at the coffee shop with an appetite for cake at the end of the run ……………….. and I told him so!

That’s all for now! Very busy 4 week run up to summer ahead as I rush around trying to get school wrapped up for the end of year closure and myself and home ready for my usual 6 week long summer absence in Spain. There might be the odd mountainous adventure beforehand, we’ll see, and a few little adventures with my youngest. But this weekend has been a nice relaxing one culminating in a little dash down to London to see my big boy and take him out for lunch! A bit of a long round trip in a day just to see him and feed him, but a Mum will travel hundreds of miles for a hug and a squeeze in person. I’m back at home now, tired, happy but bankrupt………………..how is it when you are paying they manage all three courses and a load of drinks!🤣But as my Dad would say………………”work for it and spend it, you can’t take it with you!” So that would be my bit of advice for this week!

Until next time………………