abc Wednesday
Z is for Zakynthos (Zante)
in the late 1980's whilst Larry & I were still in the Dinky phase (double income no kids yet)
we would have several holdiays a year. I would visit my girlfriend in the States in late January
and we would take a weekend city break at Easter to Paris or Edinburgh
We started visiting Zaknythos in Greece in June 1986, an Ionian Island.
Before the high summer period when it was the time that mainland Greeks families took their holidays on the less commercialised islands. We would go for two weeks in June and another two weeks in late September just before the end of season when the wind the rains came suddenly.
We became very friendly with a group of people who ran establishments in Kalamaki
Then a hamlet with only 4 groups of rooms and one Hotel the Crystal. One disco on the hilltop, Its heart beating all night long above the crickets. One restaurant owned by Dionis and his lizardlike father. The gentle one eyed giant owned the one cafe and market with his brothers.There was also The Cave bar, owned by Nico, Petros and John 'yannis' a brit and an old friend of ours from England. It was to see him we first went there. John would spend the winter months in UK with us and Nico even visited once, he didn't stay long. We would return for several years, introducing friends to the area. Our last year there was September 1990 when we went with two friends.
a break from the long climb up, two on a moped,
the view with Laganas bay in the distance, Kalamaki to the left under the hills
The place back then was unspoilt. We were spoiled there. The sunsets, The beaches. The secret beaches around island where we spent time, swimming, eating over beach fires. Watching the turtles. The people were full of humour and generosity.
on the way to Agios Nicolais
see the sign/graffiti on the brickworkHeady days and nights.
We hear now that the 3 mile road connecting Kalamaki and Laganas is now edged with apartments, pools and hotels. Laganas was always the lively fun spot, which we only dipped into for a pizza or to pass through on our way to Keri.
-Keri cliffs before sunset-
To watch the sunsets, which are now famously captured.
worth the wait
apologies for image quality these are scanned from holiday snaps
I can't say with hand on heart whether Larry or I took the images
1986
For the home of ABC Wednesday, go to Mrs Nesbitt's Place.
Love the Acronym DINKY. Great story and pictures, and lovely memories Sazzie. Ten years as a dinky couple, and you had the best of times there before it all changed. XX
ReplyDeleteSaz, how did I miss your Monday?! We were just reminiscing today, when a colleague was telling me about her fab week last week on the island where they filmed Captain Corelli's Mandolin (what a book, but I've never seen the movie!), and we spent a late honeymoon in 1991 with my parents on Corfu (I was then pregnant, but unawares, with Grizz!) - We biked about the island for days and nights on end, and enjoyed the sun, sea and tzatziki, if not the retsina!
ReplyDeleteSuch memories, Sara! I loved your pictures - Evocative, beautiful! xox
Must have been fun vacationing in Greece. The photos are beautiful, and I love the beat of the music video. DINKY is a funny acronym. Never heard it before.
ReplyDeleteHi Saz ~ Have never been to Greece so I loved traveling through your pictures. Those were the days...glad that you have such wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete1986 - We had been married a year then... I think we just bought a car as we'd been without for a year or two before then.
ReplyDeleteI think we went to Swanage on holiday - hardly as glamorous.
Chris Rea - boy that brought back memories - I had that album on cassette I think.
I think I sent my comment into Cyberspace! ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I enjoyed the read, thank you! :-)
Fascinating. My friend and co-worker, Hutch, is originally from The Midlands (Birmingham, really) and he just turned me on to Chris Rea the other day. He's not well-known here, really, and I was quite impressed by his guitar work. Small world.
ReplyDeletewhat a wonderful lot of memories you've got saved up and pix to boot ...
ReplyDeleteOMG I lurve that song. This post has put me in such a good mood having just had to referee a quasi-fight between two 6 year old boys. I went to Greece nearly every year in the early 80's. Slept on the beach on Kos when it didn't even have an airport! Am going to (a quiet part of) Ibiza in August and now can't wait.
ReplyDeleteYour French connection definitely showing in the first picture! Sounds like wonderful memories and no need to apologise for the quality of the pictures - they seem pretty good to me and it's what a picture conjoiurs up that counts.
ReplyDeleteX SS X
OMG, we must have been there at the same time. We stayed in Zakinthos Town though and used daily to ride a motor bike (yes, a motor bike not a scooter) and ride down to Porta Roma and watch the turtles too. That brings back memories. But you are right Laganas is one of those heaving disco/teenager drunk places now. The Greeks must hate us for it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing those lovely photos, well done on scanning them all in, it must have taken a while, but yes, definitely worth the wait.
ReplyDeleteCJ xx
Thanks for the memories!
ReplyDeleteI spent about 3 summers 'island hopping' to tiny Greek islands in the late 80's. They were unspoilt and beautiful. I vowed never to return, I would hate to see my memories shattered by apartments and night clubs.
(wasn't the food fantastic?!)
Sx
PS. strangely the word verification is 'happi'.......we were then weren't we?
Well, thanks for the "trip". That will be my only vacation this year!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for visiting me and mentioning where you found me from...I had NO IDEA, so it was a nice surprise!
Sadly our memories of Zakynthos are not so good. Poor weather, awful hotel and food poisoning but then we did not go until 1996. Perhaps by then it was spoilt but it has not destroyed my fondness of the Greek islands.
ReplyDeleteI love the acronym too. And the idea of four months holiday a year! sigh...
ReplyDeleteDo you think you'll ever return there?
That looked such a lovely place to go. Great pictures and memories.
ReplyDeleteNever been to Greece but went to Cyprus once.