Thassos 2004

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Day 2 - Thursday 10th June 2004

We had to be at the welcome meeting for 9:30am so after getting up early (instigated, to my surprise, by an excited Debbie) and having our buffet breakfast, we sat down for our chat with the rep. We strongly considered hiring a car for a few days so that we could explore the island; we wanted to hire mountain bikes as well so that we could venture off the beaten track and perhaps reach the summit of the large hill overlooking our complex and the rest of the Aegean Sea; and we also considered the variety of organised trips offered by Thomas Cook.

In the end, we decided to delay the hire of a car for a while, in favour of perhaps hiring mountain bikes, but we did both opt for the Island Cruise where the temptation to fish over the side of the boat and then have the catch barbecued by the crew was too much for us.

So we dashed off to the bungalow to pack our beach bags before heading down to the swimming pool which, coincidentally, overlooks the beach, where we nabbed a couple of free loungers ahead of the stinking Germans that seem to have invaded the place (must be something in their genes...)

Whatever sun there had been that morning disappeared not long after we had settled, leaving instead a cloudy, dark sky that blocked out the heat. This was a good opportunity for us to nab a spot of lunch and as soon as it was evident the sun was not going to make another appearance, we wandered off into Thassos Town for a touch of tat-shopping and sight-seeing.

The boats in the fishing harbour were a picturesque sight and we walked along the edge as far as the ferry port that had brought us in the previous night. The shops were hardly inspiring, although if you wanted some cheap looking pottery, a beach towel or a cigarette lighter then there was plenty of choice. We also checked out the local bars and restaurants with a view to visiting them if we ever grew tired of the self-service buffet on offer at Makryammos.

We weren't lost, we just couldn't be bothered to retrace our steps and meander through the shops of worthless tack, avoiding the rabid stray dogs on the way. We decided instead to carry on walking and attempt to recognise the route to Makryammos that our coach driver had used hours earlier, only it was dark then and the only memory of the journey was seeing two policemen booking a moped rider at a crossroads which put a large smirk on my face.

Three miles, a beach towel and a decapitated snake later, we arrived back at Makryammos in time for a shower and a beer before heading down the steep stone steps for dinner. Pleasantly surprised at the quality of food on offer in the restaurant, we both indulged accompanied by a small bottle of rosé. So much so, in fact, that my ensuing belly-ache was put down by Debs to "those four puddings you ate".