Just returned

[j90]

There have been enough recent visits to Halki to have provided good solid info. However, having just returned via Gatwick 26th Aug and used Ftenagia instead of Pondamos I thought that I should offer some comments for those who still have their holidays to come.

We went with Olympic to Kaliopi, lower left apartment. The flight with Monarch was timely, slightly small on leg room, meal satisfactory. Transfer from Diagoras was slick via minibus with no wait at Diagoras. We didn't wait for last ferry and paid our own way on the first out of KS. Our choice but not a pedantic one.

Kaliopi is probably the most basic accom' that we have stayed in on Halki but it still satisfied our basic needs. I rang ahead and asked Jane to keep me a fan which she duly did. 1 euro per day. You can always trust Jane.

Because of last years trauma with daytrippers at Pondamos, for the first time in 13 years, we moved to Ftenagia. Nikos, Angelo and Leli are old friends because they have been looking after my son for a similar time. We didn't use Ftenagia because my wife, being a not very good swimmer, felt safer in the shallows at Pondamos. Suffice it to say that she splashed away quite happily at Ftenagia once I had shown her the limits of the sharp sea floor shelf.

Lunches were faultless and Angelo's and Leli's attention to detail is already legion.

Harbourside the renovations are seamless. We tried all of the restaurants and found little to divide them. The Gyros Grill was indeed very good and we enjoyed a super meal served by Maria and Eleni. Not many tables and it is busy. Be warned. Black Sea appears to have regained some of its lost status and we also enjoyed a very good meal at Kiki's mums. Can't think of the name of it for a minute!

Costas still our favourite watering hole because Yanni and I are brothers and he understands my love of Greek medrio and copious Metaxa.

Weather was hot but not eccessively. The Dafnia did make a double visit to the island to replen' water !!

We espied daytripper ferries coming in daily but, as I suspected from monitoring this sight, people who go to Ftenagia are largely unaffected!

We met old acquaintances and some new. The new were absolutely delighted at what they had discovered and we spoke at length to a family that were returning for the first time for 16 years. That was really interesting. Do hope that they post something on this site.

On reflection we calculated that we were spending circa 20 euros a day more than last year on basically the same things but the exchange rate this year was appalling compared.

The return journey was sedate, ferry at 0930 and minivan pickup to the Kassandra Hotel in Ixia. We walked out and found a very accommodating taverna for brunch and returned just in time for the transfer to the airport. It has to be said that the hotel was nothing more than a convenient place to leave ones luggage. It was demonstrably the reason why we went to Halki, so many years ago. Nuff said!

On our wanderings we thought we saw Kaity for sale, Villa Fiona unoccupied and was it Villa Olga unoccupied. Perhaps someone will confirm.

Perhaps Manos being Greek specialists will manage thing better next year. TC appear to be inept and clearly not the answer for Halki.

Many yachts and one enormous Gin Palace. If I win the lottery!!

The big ferry coming in is still the thrill of the day, long may it continue.

Kalo taxides to all who have their hols still ahead of them and I hope there is some info here that might be useful.

[daisy]

Thanks for all the positive info J90 off in a few hours can't wait now.

Pleased to hear Ftegnia is still pretty much unaffected by day trippers and that Angelo is back in situ missed him and his music last year.

I take it you will be returning next year then?? ;D ;D

[kathy]

Hi j90,
I don't know if Villa Fiona was unoccupied, we were there the week of 12th August, but because of a problem with our flight, we were a full 24 hours late getting there, so you may have seen it looking empty before we finally arrived! As far as I know, it was let for the week after too.
I'm glad you had a great time! ;D ;D ;D