The Greek island Lesvos September 2011

FP and I got a late deal to Lesvos which we loved – under-developed, millions of olive trees, balmy sea, blue skies, crappy beaches if you think of Cornwall. Based on what we paid I was expecting basic, but we did go with Thomas Cook and I forget how much people complain. The accommodation was pristine. Room service every day and a beautiful pool that I regularly swam in alone. The apartments were virtually full, but many places were almost empty and restaurants frequently had 30-50 tables with 3 full. Lovely for us – perks were everywhere – free sunbeds, free wi-fi, free starters, free deserts to encourage business, but difficult for local people. Next year, instead of 4 planes from the UK a week there will only be 2, because one of the big tour operators is pulling out – they don’t make enough money. People who come to the Greek islands tend not to go on organised trips. One positive note is that the Greeks are noticing a big increase in visitors from Eastern Europe.
Even though it was school holiday time, we saw a tiny minority of young couples/families on the island. Most were our age and beyond. It is funny, but also endearing to see very old, no longer very attractive people on motor bikes with crash helmets, ‘hanging out’. There were stick thin ‘rucksack to go’ types alongside incredible cellulite. Why do women suffer so much more from cellulite than men?

We did go on one organised trip across a part of the island where there was no bus service to see monasteries (1 monk left/ 4 monks left), a petrified forest (no money to continue excavating beyond about 25 trees) and a beautiful, isolated, used to be mainly gay, but seemed to me was now mostly Greek families resort, but the trip was expensive.

Lesvos is the third largest Greek island. Based on my experience here the islands could become like dormitory villages open only in the summer season while mainland towns implode.

Anyway, after our bus trip meanderings, soaking up the rays and lots of reading – A* bought me ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’ by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows which was my favourite read of the hols – and yummy Greek food including squid that came on the plate looking like squid rather than fried onion rings it’s back to work.

I am well stuck in with my Pilates and writers group, but still waiting to start bridge. This may be a bridge too far as FP was trying to explain the basics to me on hols.

I aim to continue to work slowly on the house though I achieved loads of the unskilled slog jobs this spring/ summer. We are now prepping for the final big things like boilers/ bathrooms and kitchen refit.

The children are all fine. A* is visiting next week-end. J1 will be back from Afghanistan in the next week and J2 is on placement in a primary school.