After breakfast we checked to see if the Hales' luggage arrived. Nope. We learned it WAS in Athens at the airport, but wouldn't arrive before we left for Skopelos. Rather than trust the so-far-incompetent US Air employees to get the luggage to the correct island port, Mr. Hale and I decided to Metro out to the terminal and back to get the luggage ourselves; it was roughly 1.5 hours round trip.
We rewarded ourselves with beer.
Meanwhile, Annie and Carolyn went to Plaka to an old jewelry store they once frequented, and chatted up the owner who vaguely remembered them from 2005. He gave Annie some recommendations for our remaining sojourns into Italy and France; namely, don't go to Marseilles because they'll particularly harass blonde women.
We all reunited a couple hours later in the Divani lobby, just in time to complete our own version of Planes, Trains, & Automobiles. For us, it went: taxi to travel agency near Omonia Square, 3-hour bus ride to port (Agios Konstantinos...beautiful, by the way), then 2.25-hour "Flying Cat" catamaran ride to our stop on Skopelos.
Above: The Griswalds go to Greece!
The ferries from Agios Konstantinos hit all the Sporadic islands, but the general path always stops first at Skiathos(considered more touristy), then Glossa(our port on Skopelos), then Skopelos Town, and on to either Alonnisos or Skaros.
Above: Three distinctly weird and hilarious expressions. Having a beverage at Agios Konstantinos before boat arrived.
We arrived at Glossa's port of Loutraki just after sunset, with no fanfare; the ferry was happy to see us off, and barely tied up before shoving off again.
Without a hotel representative there to meet us, we had to walk with our luggage to the nearest plaza, look like lost tourists, and beg for directions to our hotel. A local did us one better; he called our hotel owner(small village), who shortly arrived to transport us up by car.
Our digs were at the Hotel Selenunda, owned by our man Spiros and his brother. He showed us our rooms and how to work the AC(all doors & windows had to be shut, then a key card placed in the wall slot), then pointed out the pedestrian route back to the harbor and cafés.
Above: Improper use of AC.
This particular descent shortly appeared very sketchy to us. In fact, we turned around at one point, thinking we were on the wrong path because we appeared to be walking through a kitchen and the skeleton of a former hotel. We were right, but it also WAS the correct path to the harbor. Strange.
Above: Courtyard descent to dirt trail, roof of building, steps into kitchen, hallway through abandoned hotel, and more stairs to waterside...with minimal lighting the entire way.
Finding our way back to Loutraki proper, we ate a late dinner at Café Aramis, where we met a gracious and genial waitress named Ismene. She offered us an island map, and even circled all the best beaches for us to visit--while pointing out the nude ones for caution!
Thanking Ismene for dinner and tourist assistance, we returned to our rooms in the Selenunda, both equipped with pairs of single beds pushed together.
Above: Bed positions too scandalous for 50s sitcoms. Ozzie & Harriet are rolling in their graves.
The entire hotel, we learned, was outfitted with single beds, despite us having read that Pierce Brosnan stayed there during filming of "Mama Mia!" I had a sneaking suspicion that ol' Pierce may have upgraded his accommodations somewhat...
Skopelos June 19 Album:
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| Athens to Skopelos: June 19, 2011 |
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Location:Athens to Skopelos
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