Four Go To Samos

Four Go To Samos

Early morning on 13^th September 2012 saw myself, Baz, Steph, Hugo and Frank motoring down the M6 to Manchester Airport to catch the 0810 flight to the Island of Samos in Greece for a week’s holiday. After a 3½ hour flight and a serious 90 degree right hand turn to avoid hitting one of the many Mountains of Samos our pilot dropped rapidly and before you could say “HOLY SHIT!!” we were firmly placed on the runway and reverse thrust and brakes applied to stop us carrying on into the Aegean.

Samos City Island

Kokarri Samos

Frank, Kristina, Hugo, Stephany

After 30 minutes we had picked up our Hire Car and were heading on the wrong side of the road to our home for the week, “The Cohyli Hotel” in the Fishing Village of Ireon where we were greeted like old friends by the owner Kristina and showed to our Rooms, only Hugo complained so we swapped.

Yannis our friend from the Plori Bar 

By the time we had sorted ourselves out which was late afternoon we ambled down to the main Village Square to have a drink and meet our friend Yannis who runs “The Plori Café and Bar” and have a well-deserved Beer before finding a Taverna/Restaurant.

Pythagorian

Coffee in the Valley Of Nightingales

Next day at my suggestion we drove to the North of the Island and parked our Car almost at sea level near the Village of Ag. Konstantinos and after having a drink we set off up a very steep old Donkey path in “The Valley of The Nightingales” towards our destination for the day, the beautiful Hill Top Village of “Manolates” it was very hot and on our walk we passed many Vineyards carved out of the steep Mountainside and fantastic views of the Coast. It took us about 90 minutes to reach the Village where Hugo thought that was it and promptly parked his Arse at the first Taverna we came to. 

Hugo G4UME

Stephany G1LAT

Frank G8BME

Unfortunately for him we still had probably the hardest part of the walk still to do to the highest Taverna in Manolates where Lunch and some cool Beers are awaiting us. 

Eventually we arrived, hot and sweaty and sat down on a table on the Terrace overlooking the whole of the Valley of the Nightingales and the coast of Samos and of Turkey, absolutely wonderful, and then I discovered that I had left my Camera hanging on a seat at the very bottom of the Village. PANIC PANIC!!!!! Off I went at a run down to the bottom, no one else would come with me and I found it still there and next to it, an English couple who were just about to hand it in to the Taverna.  I set off back up the very steep streets and arrived a TOTAL WRECK and devoured very quickly a couple of Beers and a plate full of Omelettes and then we all just sat and contemplated the views for another hour before plunging back down the Valley to the Car and then back to Ireon which is on the SW of Samos. 

Pygothorion in the background

On the way back, we called in at the local Supermarket and bought Litre bottles of Red Wine for 2 Euros each and also Ouzo and Brandy at similar low prices and then proceeded to sit on our adjoining Balconies and have a few glasses of each before off again into the Village for Dinner. WORRA a fabulous day.

Next day we all hired Bicycles and had many laughs getting them sorted out before “le Grande Depart” to “Pythagorion” possibly my most favourite place on Samos, as it is lively, has lots of Restaurants serving wonderful food and best of all is the Harbour where all the Yachts come and go and in the Evening it is a MAGIC place to visit.

Frank taking his bike for a walk

We cycled first on the Road and then turned off on to a special Cycleway that passes the ruins of the “Temple of Hera” and then runs for a few miles right on the edge of the Coast, finally emerging very close to Pythagorion where we picked up some Sandwiches and Fresh squeezed Orange juice and then the “Sting in the Tail” the cycle up to “Moni Spillianos” and by up, I mean up and it wasn’t long before the whole team was taking their Bikes for a walk and getting hotter all the time, Eventually we arrived and it was a real Oasis, we could sit in the shade and eat our sandwiches and drink our Orange Juice and just look out to the views of Pythagorion, we could even see Ireon where we had started the ride from. Cycling back downhill all the way to Pythagorion was a real pleasure and we stopped at a Café and had a couple of Beers before pedalling back home to Ireon. 

Hugo at Monastery Spilliani

Stephany

Dinner at Pythagorion

A great day out and in the evening we again went in to Ireon and sampled yet another Taverna and finished up having a coffee with Yannis at the Plori Bar.

Some chilling out time:

Boy they look good!

Soul Mates

Theres something Wrong Here

I think I've got a tiddler!

That was too much information for Frank who swims away

Traditional Boat Builder high in the mountains

I won’t bore you with a description of every day, just to say that we visited all parts of the Island and enjoyed it very much indeed, especially the day we went to see the Boat builder high in the Mountains and also our visit to the Radio Shack of “The Aegean Radio Association” which is located high on a Hill called Zervou, although Steph and myself had been before, it took us some time to locate it, but when we eventually did, it was definitely worth the effort as we had a couple of hours working Radio Stations from UK to Japan, see the You Tube Video link below for an idea of what conditions were like.

The problem is that we were only on Samos for a week and the time just flew and before we knew it we were up in the air again and heading back home to a very dismal Manchester and the reality of things like the M6. The good thing is that we are off again in May of this year for two weeks on a Mini Dxpedition and it can’t come soon enough for me anyway.

Enjoy the Videos.

Baz G1JYB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjoiW_2rEAc G1LAT Working a Japanese Station

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLteZMMAtXI Landing at Samos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYxoLB0yltc With the Local Radio Hams