Paleokastritsa Monastery

We thought we’d book a sunset boat tour, but the weather was against us. So we walked to Paleokastritsa beach and sat with a coffee in a bar almost on the beach. It was the kind of place that has sun loungers to rent, and these were impressive. But we just sat watching the world until we went back for lunch. The hotel is winding down, as there are clearly fewer guests around today. But the salads were delicious and set us up for the afternoon.

We spent some of the time on the hotel’s terrace and then on the balcony reading. I am getting through this latest Bryant and May story quite well.

Around 4 p.m., we set off back to the beach area and then for the climb to Paleokastritsa Monastery. It’s on a cliff at the end of the bay with some impressive views. Originally a Byzantine monastery, but what you see is the 18th-century church and complex. The small church was nice, but I didn’t feel the peace of a larger building. As we departed, we saw a cross in the distance on the very edge of the cliff with plenty of people around. We decided to take a look and made our way along the path.

It’s a perfectly safe path but has steep drops on either side and some very uneven steps. I feel more modern health and safety rules would have the path improved and railings. The view was lovely, but it was debatable if it was worth the effort.

Groups of people were making their way up the hill as we returned. I guessed they were coming for the sunset, as the monastery would be a perfect vantage point. The few clouds in the sky worked against this being the best night to see a glorious sunset. I was glad we were back on the hotel terrace when it was sunset time.

It was Greek night for dinner, which meant moussaka and filled pitas were on the menu. The ouzo bottle at dinner prompted me to get an ouzo from the bar as we settled at a table to play cards after dinner.

Last night’s bingo was the last show of the season by the in-house entertainment team, so we were not expecting the Greek dancing that started around 9:30 p.m. At one point, the floor was set alight as part of the dance routine. It was great to see the variations in the dances from the four dancers. The last section of the show required audience participation, which both PY and I opted out of. We were content with our coffee and brandy as we watched the show. But it entertained us until the end of the all-inclusive bar service at 11 p.m.