Friday June 10
I’m writing this in my hotel room, travel guitar strewn across the bed beside me (have been working on a new song) and an open can of coke in my hand. Am highly irritated as I have just painted my nails in the sun (how ‘holiday’ am I?) and then promptly messed them up trying to open said can. My fab travel friend (fab not only because she somehow managed to turn bronze within an hour of landing but because she also brought my favourite eyeliner with her) is up on the roof terrace tanning.
Funny thing is, I don’t usually drink coke – like, fat coke. ‘Diet’ yes, ‘fat’ no. Can only put my new habit down to the fact that it would probably be cheaper to have a heroine addiction in Thira than an espresso addiction. No idea why it’s so expensive but it is, and I’ve already had three this morning with breakfast. Hence the coke.
We’ve found some fantastic little bars here, right on the cliff face – one of which is called Tropical bar and is the least pretentious of the lot with the best/most reasonably priced white wine and a very vocal/amusing American woman behind the bar. Ironically, despite their lack of pretence, I seriously think they have the best view.
We ventured out of Thira yesterday for the first time to Kamari and the other beach (always forget it’s name but it starts with a P and sounds a bit like the infamous Piraeus in Athens…). That was fab – seriously felt like a holiday destination with deck chairs, tourists and grass umbrellas everywhere. We caught a boat (so much more fun that I’d expect – kind of prefer small boats to ferries) and lay in the early evening sun drinking alcoholic milkshakes we’d created on a bespoke basis. Pistachio with white rum was brill, as was vanilla with Malibu.
Otherwise, having been here for a bit over a week I think I might be classed as a ‘local’ now. Doesn’t seem to matter where we go there’s someone waving or yelling ‘hello Pepa’ or ‘Aussie!’. It’s sweet really. Even had arguments with a few people now. Like when I arrived the beds in my hotel room where beyond bad – we’re talking springs poking out everywhere to the point where it was unfathomable that the thing still managed to look like a bed and not like a big spring ball. Anyway, one hissy fit and a few frustrated tears later a couple of new mattresses arrived. They are new and fantastic and I haven’t had a hissy fit since.
Hmmm, what else…went to a pilates class yesterday. In Greek. Which is fair enough really, since I’m in Greece. Anyway, was interesting but NOT FUN!
We’re heading out a little later and I have no idea what to wear – not because I’m a woman, but because I seriously have so little left in one piece.
I got my washing back from the laundry on the corner yesterday and they’d shrunk a couple more of my tops to the point of un-wear-ability. Seriously, I arrived here with a suitcase I couldn’t get up the stairs, a suitcase that illicited amused looks and comments about my gender from all who saw it as it was so overstuffed. And I am currently destined to leave ‘that hobo girl who wanders around in a towel and a hat’. Fab.
But it’s not all bad mattresses, deteriorating wardrobes and overpriced espresso. In fact, I suppose if I had to summarise Greece in three ways, so far it’d be: free cake, cocktails and random meaningless marriage proposals. So fun really.
Ciao xx
