"Won't Back Down" and "Reelin in the Years"- 2017 - our way!

As 2017 comes to an end here is Greyrocks' esoteric take on it:

• The Personal

A year with neither operations nor parental decline and death made a change! We have been pleased to help Chloë and Jack with improvements to the little house and its garden, and with arrangements for the wedding. Our times in Fuerteventura have seen a less active social life:- owing as much to our "remoaner" status being at variance with the prevailing culture as to health/mobility issues and colder evenings! On the other hand our love of Montpellier has deepened and Paleo was also a largely very happy time - even if the weather pattern seems to have taken a downturn! We have even -surprisingly - enjoyed the UK, with a well-judged tour round friends and family and the two quick dashes: the wonderful - but deeply uncomfortable - Cropredy festival, and the Shrewsbury wedding. Other trips - such as Cabo Verde and Gran Canaria - have also kept us busy - as much in the planning as in the implementation!

• The Political

It has been another "head in hands" year for liberals, internationalists and socialists. The themes bemoaned in last years's Greyrocks review have trundled on - and in several cases got worse! In the UK one of very few cheering events was the near-humiliation of the Tories in June. Reading John Crace and seeing the cartoons of Steve Bell etc in The Guardian have given us something to laugh about as the nation plummets. We mark also the Grenfell Fire and the disgraceful responses thereto!

Internationally we were deeply moved by Banksy's Alternativity in Bethlehem, as Palestine continues to cause much angst in the Greyrocks household, and the fate of the Rohingya people is added to the list, whilst the demise of ISIS/Daesh - on the military front at least - is some comfort!

(Our gifts from Chloë and Jack were the "tea-towel" displayed above and two passport covers declaring that we are Forever European - Greyrocks is an open book to them!)

• Losses in Rock

It wasn't as "bad" a year as 2016; but Greyrocks was touched by the following deaths:

Tom Petty, Gregg Allman and Chuck Berry, along with J Geils -( one hit wonder "Centerfold"), Malcolm Young of AC-DC, Glenn Campbell and  Walter Becker of Steely Dan

• Losses in Stage and Screen

And a swarm of white men on the UK thespian front has left the stage to our sadness:

Roger Moore, Keith Barron, Tim Pigott-Smith, Robert Hardy, Rodney Bewes, Gordon Kaye and Tony Booth

Dear old Barry Norman, whose film crits were a mainstay of our active years, and Colin Dexter, whose Morse books and derivatives continue to delight us on ITV3 also will be missed!

Let us all hope it turns out better than it threatens! "Salud!"

Rejoice, rejoice - for she is riding!

No sooner was the last post published  - with its bemoaning of continuing problems on the knee front -  than Greyrocks can say:

"Hallelujah - she has made it!"

There is no clear reason why - today - after 13.5 months  -the left foot could catch the pedal and Ruth could sit on the saddle and get going! Was it the surgeon's suggestion of repeated regular sessions on the gym's static bike? Was it strengthening the thigh muscles with the two machines at the gym? Was it the balancing exercises with Anna and Tania? Was it just all ever in the head? 

It no longer matters:- off she went down the promenade, as if there had never been an issue!

The irony is that Bob has had to follow on foot, as his bike suddenly seized up earlier this week and he needs a new wheel which is on its way from Tenerife! 

Never mind! Celebrations started early in our household!

Recycling, but not cycling, pushing the boat out and a whale of a time

As octopuses watched their squids by night!

Returning to the island at the beginning of December we were greeted by the towns offering for the festive season - which begins with the "bridge" of 6th-8th. It is certainly "different" - consisting as it does of allegedly recycled beach debris. A designer was paid a goodly sum for this concept! There was speculation about the potential to survive our famous wind, but so far Greyrocks has seen no casualties. "More the pity" some might say!

The campaign to get Ruth back on the bike has dragged on through the month Her Slovenian physio became convinced that it is a balance issue and so there were new exercises for that and then one day Ruth was taken through to the proper gym and put on a spinning bike, which she managed well. The day came for the visit to the surgeon - now so popular that appointments are made months in advance. He was delighted with the X-rays, fairly happy with the flexing, and bemused by the cycling problem, He diagnosed very frequent exercise on the static bike, so that has been the regime with a month's subscription to the gym.

After the appointment in the capital we had lunch at El Bounty and then took a cab to Lidl on our annual tame goose chase. This time round the freezer had been raided before our visit (Germans like goose apparently!) so we came away with just a pair of goose breasts, which would be fine for the feast itself, but nothing beyond. Then we saw whole Canadian lobsters and couldn't resist so they went into the insulated bag with a cheap real French champagne and the goose, and we began the tedious homeward bus journey. Fortunately it was not too sunny and the bounty remained frozen!

A Cuvier's beaked whale in El Cotillo

Ruth spent three weeks without any booze and on a diet (5 kg lost!) with the prospect of nice things from Christmas Eve onward. Much temptation had to be endured, not least when we went on a bus trip to El Cotillo. This was a delightful day with a lot of sunshine and it was a very welcome pleasure for Ruth to be able to walk without pain, which had not been the case on numerous previous trips! We therefore got to see this fairly recent addition:- a real whale skeleton that is on the "Whale Trail" round the island.

The 24th December target was not quite achieved. The wagon was abandoned on 23rd when we went to Galera beach and excellent rock was being played in the afternoon sunshine, but a noble effort and then the goose was cooked for the Christmas Eve dinner for two! It has been slightly odd not hosting Chloë for either Xmas or New Year for the first time ever, but we have made the best of it, and there is more to come!

Surprise, surprise!

"Seen it all before!"

There followed three calmer weeks, during which not much happened, other than Ruth trying to recover from the plane-inflicted cold and get somewhere with the bike!  There was not much progress with either:- bronchitis eventually set in and despite three sessions a week at the Sports Clinic and growing knee flexibility the mounting into the saddle just wouldn't happen! In contrast the weather was wonderful and we did a lot of walking, and we did a lot of travel planning, including setting up the Goa trip for Jan/Feb. This is to be via London and Mumbai:- two places we would rather avoid, but the Qatar option seems dodgy at present and Greyrocks has accumulated a large number of Avios:- one of the most useless loyalty schemes around - and they can be used (expensively) on BA flights, so they have been! This led to the saga of Indian visas! The good news is that these are now available on-line for 60 days and are very, very much cheaper than before with Madrid involved. It is not, however, an easy process with photos and scans to be uploaded to strict guidelines, peculiar questions and complicated payment. By the time you have struggled with this you need a holiday!

But we succeeded and had the acceptance back sooner than suggested, so we could get on with preparation for the rather simpler trip:- Bob's birthday in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.  The hotel we wanted was full for some related dates, so we tinkered and got three acceptable nights, then went to the new Inter-Island airline - Canaryfly - and got return flights at an absurdly low residents' price You couldn't say no!

That can't be right! Well, maybe!

And we had a great time with several surprises!
First was the weather! It had been pretty nice in Fuerte - except for chilly evenings and nights - but Gran Can prospects were looking a bit dodgy! In fact the forecast was revised several times, and we had three days that were amongst the best Greyrocks recalls on the island. There were a dozen spots of rain but otherwise the beach (Las Canteras) was well-populated and there were plenty in the sea:- including many surfers without wet-suits! But we weren't there for that sort of thing!!

We wanted a bit of culture, so took the bus down to San Telmo (the older part of this city of two parts) and went to CAAM, not knowing quite what to expect. The Centro Atlantico de Arte Moderno is in a historic building near the cathedral, but inside is a large light-drenched space, and it is free to enter! Greyrocks concentrated on the seasonal exhibition "Interference" by Canarias-born Concha Jerez. (If you Google translate beware - it assumes she is male!) We spent an age going round the installations - many of which were accessible in spite of language and hit many Greyrocks spots: dealing with human rights, women's history, and the media.

 This was- despite the depressing world events portrayed -  an uplifting experience for Greyrocks as we have been feeling a lack of soulmates in Fuerteventura! In addition to much-exhibited works Concha has some Canaries-related installations, the most intense of which tells the story of La Sima de Jinámar, (page 12) where Franco-supporters threw leftists dead or alive - over many years! Victims included some of her family. As in the rest of Spain the Canaries is still coming to terms with events of the Civil War.

We walked a great deal around the city, and also made good use of the new style  "bono"  card for urban buses, which takes the prie down to 80 cents per ride! We visited the Vegueta market, Triana shopping street, El Corte Ingles department store on Black Thursday, La Isleta area near the port, and located for future use the cinema where films are shown in V.O. The full (long) extent of the promenade of Las Canteras beach was walked many times, and amongst the stops was a branch of 100 Montaditas on a Wednesday when each little filled roll is just 1 euro! Several nice surprises there!

We also had good dinners as planned, but had trouble finding any lobster for Bob's birthday, and needed to do some learning about lobsters. The obvious translation into Spanish is langosta but that refers to the spiny sort. The one found locally is a bogavante, which is what we eventually sourced - thanks to Trip Advisor - in a very popular but small and simple restaurant close to the beach, We shared one and the claws were indeed, particularly lovely!

With time to kill on the last day we found it had rained overnight and it was dull! Never mind we walked around the ferry and cruise port and came across two Belens. As most visits to GC have been near Christmas we are used to seeing these public nativity scenes, but this year we were impressed. On the beach construction of vast pyramids was under way, and in the shopping centre was  a very traditional one with lovingly produced (and historically bizarre) figues some of which are mechanised!

We flew back that afternoon taking with us a re-emergence of Ruth's bronchitis. A nasty surprise!

The Other Wedding

When Greyrocks told folk we were off for a wedding some suggested it was that of Chloë and Jack. No such simplicity chez nous - theirs has developed to have four events at least and straddle six months!!

No- this was the long-awaited splicing of Sam and Catherine! We were honoured to be invited - along with Gaby, Charlie and Eva - to join them and Eoin (best man) and Julia for their celebration in Shrewsbury. We would form the YiaYiaGaGa team representing Paleochora, where the couple have spent many, many holidays! Out of mothballs came Bob's only (never-worn) summer suit plus accoutrements and Ruth's "funeral dress" to which a new lace jacket would be added if it arrived chez Chloë. Greyrocks is known in all its domains for its lack of interest in sartorial elegance, ("Dress like camel herders!") To this add Ruth's difficult feet and you have a shoe crisis. She threw in a pair of black mules that had been in a basket for more than a decade and off we went on a another tightly-planned trip. We started with a remarkably pleasant Easyjet flight to Bristol. It was the first time we had landed there and we were charmed by the approach on this clear day! We saw as far as the South Wales coast and well down into Devon, then the various bridges and rivers, Fascinating!

Excuse for a pizza party!

However, it's not the easiest airport to traverse and leave! When we eventually got out we walked straight onto a bus that took us to Temple Meads Station and the hotel was across the road! Dead easy! The plan was to use this evening for the Grand Opening of the re-modelled backyard at Chloë and Jack's house. It still needed planting, upholstery and an anticipated mural, but the outcome of some brilliant design - taking account of strange levels after part-demolition of the garage - and meticulous work by Mark and Matt - was very impressive. Family members Clare, Nigel  (electrician to the project) and children came along for the evening, but only Janet from the in-law side, In view of the mid-week and numbers we had suggested some delivery pizzas and Prosecco, We took the train for a couple of stops and were confused by the station exits.  As we dithered at a road junction there was furious ringing and we saw a cyclist zooming down the road on an impressive bike - with helmet and serious warm gilet! It was Greyrock's offspring! So we went to the pub to catch up, and Jack joined us, then went to get the pizzas from a local outlet. We had a jolly - but chilly - evening, collected various delivered items, chewed the fat over wedding arrangements with Janet, had various other interchanges and got an Uber cab back to the hotel! Short but sweet, and the backyard is wonderful!

"About time, too!"

Next morning it was raining as we took breakfast! We had ahead a few hours of cheap rail travel, First it was a slow and tatty GWR train as far as Newport (South Wales) passing through the Severn Tunnel. The trip was blighted by a woman insisting on sharing with the entire carriage the details of her prison visit! As the next train approached at Newport we realised there was a problem:- short train, too many passengers! Thanks to an earlier cancellation this was a fairly unpleasant run in terms of comfort, but stunning for scenery, and once descended the sins of the operator were forgotten!  We went for a recuperative pint in the pub nearest to the station, walked through the drizzle to the hotel, and found a welcoming committee! Most of the gang was already there in the lounge with real ale (and Eva turned up soon after!) At some point we handed over the mastica from Chios, which we had ordered for delivery to Bristol, and has a history with Catherine - in particular -

A weekend of jollity ensued!  A large party went for dinner that night; and we were all on parade next day for the Main Event. This was all centred on The Lion Hotel.  The bride entered accompanied by her lovely Mum, and looking beautiful in the bargain gown and with local English garden flowers, There are good pictures around and a link might be made in time, but this is your lot for now. On the way into the formal part Ruth's shoe collapsed - (victim of neglect and too much hot sun!) Later in the day Bob went on a rescue mission and the cobbler did his (no charge) best, but the only destination was the bin, and a new pair was bought next day! After the ceremony there was a very nice and slow lunch culminating in baklavas for the Greek theme, speeches and then a break and the evening with added guests, a good disco and a late night! Bob's change of gear during the recess caused a lot of amusement. He dumped the suit and tie in favour of shorts, sandals, Hawaiian shirt and sun-hat!! At some point the DJ announced there was a request for the Paleochora contingent and we made a reasonable attempt at Zorba's sirtaki!

The deed was now done but we were all in Shrewsbury for another day or so. Bob had an optician's appointment and Ruth needed shoes (!) so we strolled around the town and met up with the rest (including S African chapter) for dinner, Afterwards there was a farce getting beck into the hotel and securing a nightcap! On Sunday Greyrocks said farewell to Gaby and Charlie, checked out and walked around a bit of the river bank to say hello to Eoin and Julia in their little cottage , This turned into a champagne-fuelled long stay alternating with brother John next door, until Eoin drove the three of us to Birmingham airport. Poor Eva had a terrible journey back to Bremen because of freak flooding in Germany, but we had a quiet night in the highly convenient Ibis Budget at the airport and a flight back on Monday, which could have been better with some ritalin for the lad in the row behind, but Dave picked us up smoothly and normality resumed!

An event well worth the effort! A long and happy marriage to Sam and Catherine!!

"We're not stopping!" - a sedate dash: FR-CAT-IC-UK in ten days

The sun was shining as we left Lattes on this whistle-stop tour, necessitated by a wedding in UK and Greyrocks' need to get to the Fuerteventura home - if only to pick up a suit etc! There was some trepidation about accessing the dear A9 - after the debacle some days before; but all was well going south:- with only heavy warnings on radio and signage about a terrible crash near Narbonne and suggestions of autoroute closure. It turned out this was on the Toulouse branch, so we made good time, wrestled in the service station toilets with a French coach party of pensioners and reached Roses in Catalonia with the afternoon ahead of us.

This represented a bit of a diversion from the direct E15 route but the town is so nice and our hotel so convenient and welcoming that we felt it was worth it for a restful overnight! We checked in and went over to the prom for a beer and to find a spot for eating up leftovers as a picnic. The sun shone brightly but there was a shocking wind. This didn't deter us from a long bike ride (Bob) and walk (Ruth )in both directions along that superb seafront (which has since last year been marked out to separate the pedestrians from cyclists). Then we performed the annual ritual of stowing the bikes inside Yvette and ensuring the travelling bags are ready for the flight. As the sun set the chill and force of the wind were pretty fierce so dinner was inside at Las Palmeras and up to the usual high standard. In the morning we left far too early and found ourselves at Girona airport with ages to kill before the bus. It is a strange place these days with so few flights, but had an interesting exhibition celebrating 50 years of its history.
Eventually we  boarded the coach for the two-hour run to Barcelona airport. It's not the quickest or prettiest way to do this journey, but if the timings work it's worth it for convenience with heavy luggage, and freedom from thieves! As we passed through the suburbs of the city the evidence of the independence crisis  was all around with (both) flags on the buildings and much graffiti. This was in the spell between the referendum with Rajoy's brutality and the arrests made more recently. A few interchanges with residents had confirmed for Greyrocks that this is not a simple issue! (Our riposte of the moment to those who say stupid things (e.g. Brexiteers) is "I think you will find it is more complicated than that!") At the airport we grabbed lunch and got a very timely shuttle to the hotel, where we basked in the afternoon sun on the terrace, and enjoyed for the nth time the buffet supper surrounded by some fans of Olympiakos, who would play Barca next day in the Champions League. (Result  3-1). Back at the airport next morning we were struck by how much more evident and heavy security there was! Since Greyrocks was last there we have seen both the animosity over Catalunya and the attacks in the city centre and Cambrils.

Chaos in the main street! Nice when it's finished!

The flight was - as usual - simple and civilised, although the significance of the face mask on the Asian woman sitting next to Ruth was not clear at the time! Dave picked us up and we were swiftly back home after almost exactly six months. All was well and we settled down ready to explore the changes in our not-so-little-these-days pueblo.  Most striking immediately, however, was the weather:- very hot, not much wind and a heavy calima! Since then - and with the changing of the clocks - we have seen more wind and fairly chilly evenings, but it is till very warm for the time of year and we haven't needed a duvet (normally donned in mid October!)

Old friend Alviro in the centre of things at Fado Rock!

There was a straight week for Greyrocks to turn round and be ready for the UK trip, get a grip on admin. issues and find out what has changed. Dave had warned us about the main street, and it is indeed striking! We have been arguing for pedestrianisation for years and now it is upon us in a big way! From the BBVA bank at the bottom to the street with Rock Island and Dra, Kristen the road and some of the pavement are fenced off whilst flash new paving is laid and trees are re-seated. It is chaotic with the taxi rank relocated and access to the Shell garage - one of only two in town - being by a most bizarre route. We are delighted with the project, but many locals bemoan it and the loading and parking implications. In general the resort is busy as would be expected as we move into Winter Sun season with few current alternatives, and the Italians are multiplying! They are responsible for some of the new retail outlets including - probably - the head shops! There are a new bank branch and several new surf schools, and near us some residential buildings that have been under construction for many years have moved on to near completion. All quite positive! Our locality has also been enhanced by a change in our closest restaurant. Last October it had opened for the first time with lavish decoration and fittings, but the business itself - La Puntilla - was nothing to write home about and was close to closure when we left, but now it is Fado Rock - an offshoot of one with the same name which dominates Caleta de Fuste. We know various members of the team and have recently tried the new place and found it pretty good:- mostly grills and Portuguese dishes!


Other activities in the week were getting a civil servant to confirm that Bob is still alive, dropping in on the Health Centre, Ruth failing on the bike again and finding old favourites in the band at Rock Cafe. The Blues Festival happened and we saw some good acts on the Friday night using the miserable German's place as a base, but by Saturday Ruth was hors de combat, and Bob had to go alone. Whether the culprit was the woman on the Barca flight, or the man coughing and spluttering for two hours on the bus we will never know, but Ruth succumbed to a filthy head cold that was still there as we flew again, and in fact vestiges remain. This cramped style somewhat, but hey!!

And - of course - we had to ferret out Bob's suit. This was purchase in 2007 and had never been worn; but it did just fit. The tale of Ruth's "wedding" shoes follows in the next post!

"Mmmagg"ic!

The "agglomeration" includes the city and out towards the seaside resorts. A nine-day stay in beautiful weather cemented Greyrocks' affection for the place, and even sent us on some property-related research! Ruth made some more attempts with the bicycle but made little progress, so Bob did the daily ride to city or sea alone. At the campsite the outdoor unheated pool remained filled and in use for several days. and we were told we were lucky to have the luxury mobile home as the accommodation was full. Ruth did some long walks, and - of course - we used the trams! Early on we took the local line to its terminus in Perols and walked into Carnon on the coast, where we had a light lunch by the marina, and then found a bus back to the tram-stop, and we went twice to our favourite - Palavas. 

Hanging around in Palavas!

Once was on a glorious Sunday afternoon, when it was heaving, and once later in the week when we managed to catch the tail-end of lunch at the fish-stall and enjoy a small selection of seafood with Picpoul. The beach in town has been "tarted up" somewhat and is in superb condition. There have been changes in the shops and eateries on the two river banks and some of the sillier water activities have arrived, but essentially this is a modest resort. However, last year on French TV we saw a "reality" programme about policing it in high summer, and know well that for us it is an off-peak treat!

Bob almost walks on water

We went several times into Montpellier itself, of course! Once for an evening music gig, once for the cinema, and once just to wander around! There are so many parks, historic features and new striking buildings and installations that we never tire of this. We came upon a plaza with twenty or so busts on plinths representing victims and heroes of the Revolution; we walked round the Jardin des Plantes; and we viewed the developments at Port Marianne. We had hoped to repeat an evening last year when we visited Pleine Lune to see a great band, and preceded this with a Moroccan meal nearby. The same 10-piece band played and was great fun, but the restaurant we had liked so much was inexplicably closed, so we ended up in a brasserie so full of atmosphere we didn't mind too much!

By the second weekend the weather was turning a little so it was time for M's other great attraction:- films in VO (in our case English!) This year the most attractive proposition was "Victoria and Abdul" - given an odd title in French of  Confident Royal. We went to an afternoon showing and noticed that the restaurant opposite where we have often had the "menu with cinema discount" deal has closed and is now railway-themed and the discount virtually phased out, so another "end of an era" for Greyrocks! 

A nice surprise 

But never mind - after the film we went up "Charles de Gaulle" and discovered it was en fete! There were numerous stalls selling and celebrating local (largely "eco") food and drink. Soon we were sitting in a marquee with a plate of beautiful oysters from Bouzigues, black bread and some Picpoul! Further on we found a series of display pens with goats, chickens and pigs. Next day was our last and we marked it with a very meaty meal at La Boucherie! 

Foodie heaven must be something like the South of France!

Exodus

.. same old basic route home: - a new set of glitches!

Ancona to Lattes again!

We have recently left Lattes Camping Le Parc, enjoying ten days of most unseasonable weather and treatment as valued clients!
The journey there took us five days:- going at our Greyrocks slow pace.

We left Paleo on a dull but dry day but as we came "over the top" on our northerly drive the rain started and we spent the afternoon on the Nea Hora in Chania not sunbathing and swimming but looking out from the window of Akrogiali over a seafood salad and wine. (So 28th September was the last sea-swim of the season for us!). Bored, and worried about the security of fully laden Yvette we moved on to Souda Bay and sat in a bar until allowed to board. We were given a good cabin and largely lurked there as it was chilly outside with little to see in the dark. It felt like it was time to head for sunnier climes. But we did do the "gyros and beer" thing on the pool deck, and in the morning we were off in an efficient manner and facing the long day till the next voyage.

Not for the faint-hearted at 7am!

We've cracked it! At last we have managed to get out of Piraeus and onto the Corinth road without mishap! In fact we were on said road and metaphorically patting ourselves on the back by sunrise. Phew! With a break at a service station, the wonderful new toll road, a further break by the sea and a small section of roadworks at the entrance to Patras it was going well. We just had to kill the day! So we went to see if the delightful (and generous) Yacht Club Bar might have re-opened. It hadn't!  So we spent a while in one of the trendy places nearby and then decided it was worth going to the new ferry port where we knew a mellow bad within the fortified precinct. Unfortunately that has now turned into a dull branch of Everest, and looked most uninviting! So the time was killed and lunch consumed in the terminal building, which was OK! We also went in search of products containing mastic from the island of Chios. The reason will be revealed later  - and anyway we failed!

Our vessel for the voyage back to Ancona was the same as going over, so we knew its strengths and weaknesses! We somehow managed to jump the boarding queue when they saw the bikes and we were required - as before - to remove them and go down two decks to the bowels (and indeed the stern-most position with its implications for next day)l but with a ridiculously small number of car travellers we got a free upgrade in cabin to consolidate us, and the evening sailing was like being on the Marie Celeste! We ate in the a la carte and chose the wrong dish, slept through the embarkation of many more cars and passengers in Igoumenitsia and treated ourselves next day to some internet time to get some jobs done! The weather was a bit grim! We were only a little late docking and on the way downstairs we crossed paths with two young stowaways of Asian heritage racing up from the vehicle decks. They may well have been the ones we had seen in Patras frantically trying to find an accessible truck - such desperation, and such grim prospects!

In contrast we had two nights ahead in rather nice Italian hotels doing remarkable deals for Autumn midweek stays. But first we had to get going! As anticipated it was a very long wait until our turn to drive up the ramps, re-load the bikes and leave the ship, but was still light, but by the time we had crawled to the autostrada it wasn't! And then it started to rain so it was as well that our target in Imola was easy to find.It was a comfortable stay and an interesting meal that merited a Booking.com entry! (we are Robert from Spain!)

Then it was back onto the autostrada and round Bologna, one of those ghastly Italian service stations with good panine, improving weather, a few roadworks causing confusion near Piacenza and gliding into the Grand Hotel Arenzano in its prime seaside location and with its grand history. We had stayed in a motel a few years ago and so know this is a charming resort with good eating. We gained early entry to a sea-view room, but saw the 1-Michelin-star restaurant and also knew we wouldn't be eating there! We did a serious promenade walk in the sun and by the time we had been given generous titbits in two different bars, we decided to people-watch instead and took back a bottle to the room. Next day we had an experience that also led to a Booking.com review, but hey!

The next stage started with poor visibility, but when we emerged from the last Italian tunnel near Ventimiglia the bright sun shone and so it did for almost the rest of our time in France. We made an overnight stop in Aix-en-Provence at the largest Campanile we have seen. It was surrounded by large schools and colleges and was heavily fortified so we decided not to attempt exploration of the area and instead rested in the bar with a half of Prosecco! This - as our first day back in France  - mirrored our first on entry back in June when we celebrated the near-defeat of the Tories in UK! This time we were marking - perhaps - their continued chaos and humiliation. We had a decent Campanile meal finishing with the leftover patisserie we had been given with the fizz.

The final stage of the exodus should have been easy. We trundled on down the autoroute expecting to get to the campsite before the staff lunch break and with a chance to buy cheap supermarket diesel. We know exactly which exit is best for Lattes, but we had forgotten about the diversion of the A9 around Montpellier that has been in construction for many years. Way before any familiar junctions the yellow signs started to tell us us about the A709. With hindsight it is perfectly clear that we needed it, but we ignored it and stayed on the A9. We also now know that would mean a length of 23km on the new bit and no chance to change your mind! Ideas of early arrival were replaced by anxiety about fuel and annoyance with ViaMichelin which did not seem  (unlike Google Map) to have updated. The new section had opened on May 30/31st - not long after our last stay, and we had not been near on the UK-Crete run as we went East for Switzerland! There are some great pictures  here of the grand projet.
Greyrocks just had to carry on almost to Sete and then return on the N road via a petrol station. Back in Montpellier we got swift puncture repair to Bob's bike at Decathlon, had a nice lunch, did the shopping and went to the campsite when they re-opened. Karma returned eventually!

"You win some...."

Late September is a lottery! Here are some ways in which Greyrocks has been lucky or otherwise this time:
1. Weather
Of late there have been incidents of heavy rain around the middle of the month. This year there was none - even when threatened in the meteo - and there were heavy black clouds over the mountains. In fact until this week the main climatic features have been three day long heatwaves and then very strong winds and rough sea. There were many days that were a delight on the beach, even if it got chilly late in the afternoon. But we have learnt over the years that in late September:

You never know when you are having your last swim of the season in the sea!"

It looks as if it will turn out to have been on Thursday 28th! Ruth only enjoyed the latter half of the afternoon, but it was bliss :- with a "millpond" sea. Bob had been there all day and had several swimming interludes. Then - as well-presaged - came Friday and Saturday, which saw winds up to Force 6 Beaufort  and very cloudy skies, The beaches remained deserted. (Greyrocks collected and deposited for storage their sunbeds yesterday from a deserted beach!) As it happened we had enough end-of-season tasks to take our minds off it!

The plan had been to have a sunset leaving supper for ten at the cantina on the Friday, but it slowly became clear that this wasn't going to be a good idea! (Cold, damp, a rocky beach to be negotiated in the dark and the sea lashing well past the normal extent!) So we changed venue and booked a table at the Porto Fino, cautiously requesting to be inside. That was lucky:- the evening was foul and half the village was after an inside place to eat!

Today we start the exodus and  may - just - get some beach time in Chania before the evening ferry, Watch this space!

2. Last Suppers and so on
We leave on a high in terms of food! After the final teetotal dinner at home we worked our way through favourites: like succulent steaks at the Crocodile or soup and pork at Tassos, and then abandoned the normal Thursday abstemiousness 
 in favour of lamb on the spit at "The Brothers". We were there early and on arrival Adonis told us we were lucky as every portion had been pre-booked by the previous evening! It was perfect  and we were pleased we had taken our own Tesco Mint Jelly as an accompaniment. We do this discreetly as this is frowned upon by the family ("Why are you putting jam on our beautiful meat?") We had just finished when Nick and Claire approached with friends ready for their lamb, so we offered them the jar rather than binning it. This caused peals of laughter; but we think they felt lucky too!

Wednesday was our last chance for music at Monica's, and as it will be closed from next month it was important to us, but it with inclement weather, smoking and noisy Austrians we weren't sure it would be a good experience. It was World Tourism Day and there was video of Cretan dancing outside the Town Hall along with folk queuing for the free food, so when we got to Monica's we found that Mats ans Yianni were playing inside, where it was warm, devoid of gabblers and (in theory) smoke-free. We had a great time and amongst the numbers were two from Loudon Wainwright III!

Yes-  they are all in our dictionary!

3. A winning streak

Ruth ha been playing Scrabble and cards every week trough the season, and until late September had never won a game! Olga is Scrabble genius and usually wipes the floor with the rest of us, but somehow Ruth won one of the two games in two consecutive weeks. In part this was owing to Olga's "Irritable Vowel Syndrome" bad luck, but hey!
This Thursday in the final game of the season Ruth had the lousy luck, trying to make the first play with: AAAUJZV, and it went down hill from there!
In the penultimate game of predictive whist she also had her only victory and has the score sheet to prove it!

Well, that's Summer 2017 gone! Enjoy the song!

September: Singalongs, So-Longs and Sunbed Rage!

Greyrocks returned from Chania to find that the influx of "usual suspects" had begun, and within a couple of days there was a full complement of "Saga-louts!" always ready to spend an early September evening (and early morning) doing what it does so well:- laughing and drinking at Cosmogonia or marking a birthday, anniversary or last night with an event elsewhere!

Hazy recall of the evening!

One such YiaYiaGaGa Club special event was organised by our French friends - Les Kandonites -  in celebration of their ruby wedding anniversary. An over-full minibus transported us to their favourite beach-side taverna in Gramenon, where a feast based on pilafi (goat and chicken) had been prepared.  Alain had set up his keyboard, and after his songs there were numbers by Chris and Jann, who specialise in reconstructed popular numbers. These included this time the round "Frère Jacques" with new words appropriate to the party! Charlie and Rainer also played guitar and sang. All good fun, and much enhanced by the generous supply  of real French claret! We drank that dry with many of the party instead on boxed Cretan white, the quantity of which amazed!

Just a couple of nights later we celebrated Ju's birthday at Cosmo with Catherine on the laptop supplying music requested for dancing. Towards the end Ruth performed her infamous "Clean Up Woman" and "Respect" acts. More amazement, and a headache!

A further "jolly" took many of us up the mountain to Azogires for their first Village Fair. Greyrocks has previously described this tiny,  remote, historic and "alternative"  hamlet 13 km from Paleo. (Try a search within the blog). We had not been there last season and in this period there had been household changes for Lucky, the placing of several commemorative plaques throughout and Gail Wareham has moved her art studio to opposite the Alpha.

Greyrocks took up a taxi ahead of the opening and the slamming of the door knocked over the whole stack of carefully-stacked cans. But no prize! We went for a walk hoping to find the waterfall and Andy Millar's grave. In the latter we failed! Azogires claims to be a very devout place:- 99 priests for example! It has a lot of chapels and we climbed to the wrong one - and needed a visit to the Alpha kafenion!

We had hoped for a real donkey!

There was a very good turnout. Ruth thought she had a winning strategy for the Donkey competition. but made a fool of herself, as indeed she did in the interminable darts tournament:- a hilarious event as the board and oche were on opposite sides of the road and there was some through traffic! Bob participated in the egg-and-spoon race, and alleged the wins had stuck his egg to the spoon!

Friends John and Janine turned up and he (an artist) painted a portrait of Mick Jagger on his stone, but didn't win! Later Chris and Jann played, getting a great reception, but we were anxious to descend so gratefully took up the offer of a lift with J and J :- she having reluctantly drunk rather less than the rest of us and knowing what the road is like!

Britain, Germany and France in harmony!

 Meanwhile the live music scene - already humming with the August arrival of Avid and Paul - was enhanced when Rainer and his sons Felix and Lucas had a short stay. Late afternoon jam sessions happened frequently at the cantina, with one remarkable session when the regulars were joined by Professor John (Cambridge), Austrian Franz and Moz from Oxford (who usually plays classical guitar).

Jann and Jane jammin' at Christos

Greyrocks also had several other brushes with Chris and Jann in performing mode. These were a couple of sessions at the cantina, at Monica's kafenion and at Christos' restaurant.  For their final two evenings they were joined by two friends from Norwich - Lenny and Jane - who were visiting  for a couple of days from their home in Vamos. When the four played at Monica's they attracted the largest audience of the season, and Greyrocks went to their "last supper" at Christos. Rainer played a few numbers too, and we were pretty impressed, too, by the food!

But for many it is beach life that matters most, and September has a distinct flavour! Greyrocks has previously described the change of typical tourist when the month starts, and that combined with a new attention to legality amongst locals has led to some "interesting" incidents down on the beach! The tax inspectors have made a few visits to check that receipts are issued. This had resulted in one block of sunbeds on the main beach being hors de combat  for some days, and - although this may be a modern myth - two such inspectors apparently went undercover (!) on the naturist beach with similar intent.
The overall effect, then, has been weeks when the supply of sunbeds and parasols in this area has been completely inadequate, and no more can be placed for fear of a huge fine. Numerous complaints have been made in many languages about alleged unfair reservations. Greyrocks had a bizarre silent "stand-off"  with four Brits who had-  before our arrival - put beds round the tree we use, and our Austrian friend reports the quote of the season: The Norwegians had - as usual - nabbed most of the front row of beds, and he settled on his towel between them and the sea, He was told to move because, the speaker said

"I've paid for this view!"

Four go mad in Kissamos!

Gramenon

Two days to warm up, wash and stow the barely-adequate-for-UK-August clothes, re-acquaint ourselves with beach and sea, and hose down the camping kit; and then it was time to  meet Chloë and Jack from the bus. They had arrived with ease from Bristol and taken lunch in Chania on the Nea Hora, They would stay eight nights in Paleo and had several plans for walks and trips, but in reality did little but chill-out with a new Lilo and do a few wedding-related visits. We ate together on the majority of evenings:- covering some old favourites ( Maria, Tassos, Crocodile, Small Garden). The only deviation from the usual was on their last day in Paleo when - in the face of some wind and having uncovered Yvette and taken her for a wash - we took Chloë to Ammos beach at Gramenon (6 km away) and had a very pleasant afternoon at the beach bar, on sunbeds and in the wonderful sea of the bay there, with its perfect access!

Crete: the top left corner!

Next day we all set off for NW Crete and the town of Kissamos - also known as Kastelli! We had two studios booked for a stay of three nights in a spot near the pedestrian section of  the beach-side.

En route we made a diversion to Kandanos in order to show Jack the site and memorials of the 1941 atrocity.  Then we journeyed on through the loaded chestnut trees and "the tunnel".near Topolia, which is fascinating and slightly daunting on first encounter!

It became clear quickly that we had not escaped the wind, and this means Greyrocks can say nothing useful about newly-found beaches! Instead on two days we repeated what we had done on previous visits when we had camped. In fact it transpired that this was what Chloë had in mind in suggesting we stay in the area!

Norpigia

One of the two campsites has a large swimming pool, so we spent time there until the late afternoon behaviour of others got too much, and we then went to the other which has a taverna fondly remembered  - particularly by Chloë! The beach there is not very special, but is quiet and has free sunbeds. The sea was rough but we had a bit of a frolic and then ate early and very well in the taverna and drove back to base. It made a change!

Mithimna

Another day was spent in Chania. The kids took a bus an hour earlier than us and did a lot of shopping. We also had a serious walk from bus station to the Nea Hora, where all met up. The wind was less here and the sea calmer so we had a pleasant beach afternoon and then ate nearby at a new and well-reviewed restaurant: "Portes". It is quaint with three eating areas decorated with old doors, and the dishes we chose were all excellent! We took the bus back and in walking through Kissamos were hailed. Giorgos and Mima were sitting with a friend in an office.They ran the (our) cantina in Paleochora for several years from about fifteen years ago! What a coincidence! On Sunday morning we drove to the airport to drop off the kids. As we killed time in the old taverna the weather was glorious. Ah well!

"A Holiday. a holiday...!"

.... the opening lyrics of the magnificent and legendary "Matty Groves" by Fairport Convention!
Greyrocks took an eight-day holiday from their not-really-a-holiday in order to join the sell-out crowd of 25,000 at the 50th anniversary celebration festival in Cropredy - North Oxfordshire.
Just before leaving Paleo we celebrated our wedding anniversary and spent time locating, checking and packing kit for the trip.

We had a late night flight to Gatwick on a beautifully sunny Sunday. We took the noon bus bearing a wheelie bag just under the hold limit with tent, airbed, pump, sleeping bag, waterproofs and two flags, whilst we had our own things in cabin bags. We were ripped off taking a taxi from Chania bus station to the Nea Hora beach, but otherwise had a jolly time with a beach afternoon, pleasant light meals and a bargain run to the airport. There we found no sign of the reported passport chaos, managed to secure a screw-top bottle of wine and lurked in a Finnish gate area for some peace and space. The flight was full but made up time and we were in the North Terminal Premier Inn by 2 am(local). It was not even too cold! Next day we took a long and slow train journey through countryside to Reading, changed platforms at the well-designed station, and then took a fast and flash train to Oxford, Things were looking promising! Oxford station has changed in thirty years, but we got out eventually and walked to a cheapish nearby hotel for our three night stay.


Within an hour we were out again for a stroll and it became clear this was going to be a wet stay! To be fair if we were to have three wet days during the week better in Oxford with a hotel than what was in prospect! It stayed dry whilst we enjoyed the first feature:- a photographic exhibition near the station celebrating Oxford's incomers from abroad. Then we went shopping, which we thought we understood, but we weren't taking account of the major upheaval to Queen Street and Westgate! Buses diverted and shops closed or moved! Primark, for example,  used to be huge, but is a shadow of its former self, Millets which we needed for camping things gone, and so on! Then the rain began and barely stopped for the three days! So we enjoyed a couple of pubs, the covered market and then made it to Café Rouge for dinner. Next day we bought day tickets for the buses, sheltered from the downpour by going to see Dunkirk, at the cinema with six other punters  then walked extensively wearing our waterproofs  and ended up chez Wanda and Moz for a jolly supper with them and Mary. The forecast for the Wednesday was dire so we decided we needed wellington boots, nor had we yet bought the essential folding festival chairs, so we finally gave up on finding these in the city centre and took a bus to a shopping centre in Cowley. Soulless and depressing but it delivered all we wanted including a special offer on the chairs! It is said that a month's rain fell on that day in Oxford. We were drenched and so it was pub-hopping again before visiting Ruth's "cousin" Mary - about to turn 80 - and an expert on the city, then eating at a good Italian on George Street! Next morning at breakfast there was a group from Barcelona who were on their way to Cropredy!

The Backpackers' Field

And so were we! Heavily laden with now all the stuff brought over plus two folding chairs and two large pairs of wellies we walked to the station and took the train, followed by one of the special buses laid on from the station to the site. This was not much used being early in the day - but said it all about the festival with old folkies and fogeys in their cherished Cropredy T-shirts from years past! Arriving thus we were entitled to camp in the backpackers' field - nice and close to the arena!
With a sell-out  and those not attending the festival proper, but out in the village enjoying the "fringe" - particularly the free bands at the two pubs - it was not a village for the socialphobic! And so many dogs - probably the least pleasing aspect of the organisation!

This clip from ITV News is a overview.

The boat presence is a feature much loved by Ruth particularly and our Corralejo friends Pete and Val had told us they would be there from well ahead to secure mooring for Tadpole, so on Thursday afternoon we took ourselves to The Red Lion and they met us there, had a pint or two and then took us for a viewing of their beautiful summer home in its key spot! There is a photo lurking in the Facebook world and plenty of Fuerte friends have seen it! They also brought us up to speed with the programme at the two pubs and meant we could meet them again and enjoy two excellent bands:

Dylan Rhythm Band

Spank the Monkey

Meanwhile - on the main stage this is what was on offer:

We watched - to some extent all of the bands on Thursday and the highlights were:

Trevor Horn Band, with big sounds and many numbers (such as both Frankie Goes to Hollywood hits) in which he had played a part!

and  The Divine Comedy with a theatrical act that started with Napoleonic uniforms. We had seen them on Jools and are fond of some singles, but this was strong and pleasingly political! Bob heard a middle class voice say "Well it's too intellectual for me!"

On Friday we were mostly in the pubs with some good sunshine at times. At The Brasenose we found ourselves on the Dave Swarbrick memorial bench. We returned to the arena for the evening to see Richard Thompson. He gave his all with not only this magnificent set but supporting others across the festival. An under-rated genius of song-writing and guitar, and the programme related that B.B. King had once asked for his autograph!

 And -demoted from headlining when it came to the night - Petula Clark:- there to commemorate 1967! Opinions differ about her current voice quality, but we enjoyed her set more than we had expected, she had a great band, a real presence and she is 84! Unfortunately she was not given the respect she deserves by the "youngsters" (under 50!) near us!

By Saturday the weather was looking a bit threatening, but we were in the arena for the start of the music and heard "Whispering" Bob Harris perform the opening and give anecdotes about the early days of Fairport! There then followed the very folkie bit - which Ruth had insisted upon seeing as it involved Morris dancers! (We had a brief encounter earlier on the village green with the famous Adderbury side - followed by her circa 1976!) At 1250 there was what apparently happens every year when there was mass white kerchief waving!

Then it was down to both pubs where there were huge numbers, but with our own chairs we were comfortable enough and the music was glorious! As the drizzle started we took a late lunch/early supper in the Red Lion restaurant, re-met the Barcelona group, said "Farewell - see you in the Blue Rock in the autumn!" to Pete and Val, and Ruth left her purse behind! Her rushed return from the tent to retrieve it (intact) accounted in part for us not seeing Marillion and only the end of Dougie MacLean, who did seem good!

The high spot of the whole festival has to be the three-hour set covering all 50 years of Fairport! Folk joined and left the stage and there were new faces and voices, such as Chris While, doing a lovely Sandy Denny stand-in.  Watch this here!

It all ended - of course - with "Meet on the Ledge" at midnight, lots of singing and hand-holding, and Greyrocks donating the chairs to some boat-people!

This could be the Last Time!

And now to the "domestics". We had to camp as all accommodation in the village is booked years in advance, and we had no car with which to access any in Banbury or similar. With two prosthetic knees, an elderly lady's bladder, low headroom and an internal margin of some 10 cm around the (comfortable) airbed it was never going to be easy. but add in sodden ground after the three days of rain, bitterly cold nights and Greyrocks' loss of experience of it all and you have a "Never Again" scenario!  But the catering worked well with bacon roll breakfasts, two nice very British main meals at the Red Lion, and a Welsh oggie and two wok dishes from stalls on site. There was ample Wadworths ale sold in large containers and no restriction on taking in your own wine. These latter two helped survival during the icy evenings when we sat with a shared sleeping bag over our knees! This was August for goodness sake!

On Sunday morning we packed away the damp and mud-caked tent, left the unused wellies for the Scouts who clear the site and set off for the bus stop from which there would only be two buses, We were hailed by a taxi driver and therefore did a deal involving also a single stranger and thus were at the railway station three hours before our designated train. We went through a farce to buy an Observer and walked to the centre of Banbury, asked some bikers about pubs and had a very pleasant morning in The Cherwell with English breakfast and later our last real ale. A warm hotel room with a duvet and a toilet has never been so welcome as the one we entered later that day on the top floor of the Premier Inn at Gatwick! In anticipation Bob had sneakily been to the airport M&S and bought a bottle of prosecco. Later we dropped off the bag and went for a meal at the hotel, An easy early morning flight took us back to Chania, where it was hot, dry and cheap!

A wonderful little break for a very special occasion but UK in August? No, Ta!