Thassos 2004

back to Thassos menu
forward to next day

Day 14 - Tuesday 22nd June 2004

The weather started off well today, but by late morning the clouds had appeared once more. "The quarry's busy today" I said to Debs as the familiar sound of a controlled explosion filled the air, followed by the rumble of rolling rock as the marble fell away from the quarry's edge.

The sun was completely hidden by the cloud cover now and rarely did it break through, so we trundled off to the beach bar for a hot dog, just as another blast from the quarry rumbled the darkening sky. As we munched on lunch, spots of rain began pattering on the tarpaulin roof, followed by an incredibly loud and extended rumble which clearly wasn't from the quarry and it became clear that the noises we'd heard throughout the morning were the beginnings of an enormous thunderstorm.

We rapidly gobbled down what remained of lunch, packed up our beach kit and hurried up to the bungalow, just as the rain began to fall. Over the next four hours or so, we could do nothing but lie down and watch an immense thunderstorm build, develop and climax. Thunder was constant, it seemed, such was the length of each rumble. Lightning was not as defined, as most of it was high altitude and therefore barely visible but the visual display down by the harbour in Thassos town was apparently the most amazing thing the witnesses had ever seen. The lights flickered a few times before eventually succumbing to a power cut and as the rain crashed down, Debs and I got the cards out once more.

Eventually the rain stopped and we risked the still growling evening and headed off for dinner where it was again difficult to find a seat since all the tables and chairs outside were soaked. Deciding that an evening visit to Thassos town was probably not a good idea for fear of getting caught in another thunderstorm, we took half a bottle of rosé back with us for a nice evening drink before bed.