Bays and beaches

I can’t tell how I slept, but I didn’t get reflux from the brandy, and the air conditioning didn’t keep me awake. I did have several nighttime toilet breaks! We didn’t get down for breakfast until 9:30 a.m., but it was busy, and a great selection remained. There’s so much choice.

I went for something recognisable this morning: fried egg, bacon, and mushrooms. I also had a slice of the delicious croque monsieur, which was stacked and served in small squares. I think this might be the meal with the least variation day to day, but we shall see. We sat in the window with views of the mountain and the sun. It was hot, so we returned to the room and spent some time in the relative shade of the balcony before trying the bar-side terrace as a reading spot.

After about half an hour, we walked back down the road we’d travelled last night. In the daylight, there were a few more apartments and a hotel I’d not seen in the dark. They’ll provide trade for the tavernas. The views of the different bays are impressive. There were a lot to see.

The first stop was Alipa Beach and the harbour. It’s the location for a whole range of boat rentals and tours. We stopped for a Fanta Limon (me) and Iced Coffee (PY) and watched the boats for a while. Later, we walked to the next bay to look at the beaches before returning to the hotel. It was getting pretty warm, and I was glad to be back. We sat in the bar, near a window with a nice breeze, and read.

I had more salad for lunch, and my indulgence was concluding it with a small piece of baklava and a scoop of ice cream. Afterwards, we read for a while before heading out to book our trip for Thursday. We also stopped off at a store to pick up beach towels, as we wanted to go to the pool, and buying a towel was about the same as renting one every day we needed one.

We chose the rooftop pool. It was much quieter today as the bar was closed for the season. Getting into the pool was a bit of a shock as the water was cold. I managed a few lengths before I concluded my shoulder wasn’t enjoying it.

We dried off and headed for beers at the main pool bar. It was lovely, but last night’s loud crowd appeared to have been drinking for some time and was starting to get loud. We headed to the room, where I finished my first book and started the new Richard Osman crime novel before we went for dinner.

Tonight, I had pork, aubergine, and a pasta dish (like macaroni and cheese) as my main. There was a very strange tomato-topped cheesecake, which I tried for my dessert before I picked a chocolate biscuit cake. The cheesecake was garlic-flavoured and wasn’t very dessert-like. We haven’t been able to find out what it is.

We settled in the bar, where the coffee and brandy weren’t as good as last night. There was bingo, but we retired while they were mid-session. In the room, from the balcony, we heard traditional Greek music from a nearby bar. It made a lovely end to the day.