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In these unsettling times, Greece feels currently safer than England. We left a very quiet Gatwick North terminal by EasyJet for our flight to Kalamata in the southern Peloponnese. We departedl on time - 5,40am! Our flight took just 2hrs 45 minutes and once onboard everyone one was told to wear masks which everyone complied with except when eating and drinking. There quite a few empty seats so John took the opportunity to move to give us both some extra space. Once we had landed some passengers were optionally tested for Covid-19 by a medical nurse.
We were met by Pauline our Sunvil representative and were transferred by taxi (wearing our masks) on to Finikounda . Our self catering apartment at the Estia Hotel, overlooks another complex and it is all very quiet. The pretty town and beach area are quite busy, but there is plenty of space and will be more tomorrow when the Greek children go back to school.
All the tavernas are open with tables placed within a safe distance of each other and there are bottles of hand sanitiser available. The friendly waiters are wearing masks but fortunately we don’t need to, only in the shops. The food was good as you would expect in Greece and we had the option to pay either by cash or card.
It was great to have a catch up with Pauline who had plenty of advice of where to go and what to do, unfortunately there are no tours on offer but we did take a boat trip round the islands with another couple on a local fishing boat to enjoy the wonderful scenery up towards Methoni, all very safe. We enjoyed Finikounda very much, being a local fishing village with good tavernas and shops, lovely food and a grateful welcome from the locals.
We transferred by taxi for our second week in the Peloponnese to Gialova and staying at the Zoe Hotel. At the hotel our temperatures were checked and told we must wear masks inside the hotel. We noticed that the hotel had been modernised and it felt very much like a boutique hotel and our apartment balcony overlooked the trees and beach. One difference at breakfast due to the pandemic safety measures was that we were served our buffet breakfast one at a time, which was no problem as the staff got to know what we liked.
Went into the town of Pylos by bus, noticing some of the building taking place - another golf complex is being built. I’ll say no more! In Pylos we had our customary frappe then wandered up to the fortress of New Navarino. One of the best preserved ones in Greece, built by the Ottomans. Just south of Navarino Bay, it commands stunning views over the area where the Great Forces’ fleet of England, France and Russia defeated the Turkish navy in 1827. The new city of Pylos was built outside the walls. We found all the exhibitions interesting, including the new archeological museum of Pylos, and 2 underwater exhibits. In the centre of the citadel is the newly restored church of the Transfiguration of Christ the Saviour. All this for 3 euros!
After all our exploring it was time for lunch and to quench our thirst with a cool beer. We had the delicous stuffed courgettes which was very tasty as have been all our meals here - excellent and not costly.
After a couple of days we felt restless so returned to Pylos to take a boat trip round the bay. Alas that wasn't to be because they feared a cyclone! Really? We were confused as we gazed out to a lovely blue sky. However back at the hotel we were warned that a bad storm was due to hit the resort tomorrow. They were right! Very strong winds meant the staff spent all day putting all the beach furniture away, and securing the pots of olive trees. It might not have been a cyclone but during the day, the blue skies gave way to violent rain and heavy winds!
Despite the weather we decided to take a walk to grab something to eat and found a wonderful family-run taverna called Notre Maison with good home cooking. The menu changes each day dependent on the produce available with excellent wines to match.
Today we leave the wonderful Peloponnese and head to a very quiet Kalamata airport which had only two planes scheduled for departure. Our flight wasn't full and once again all the passengers were wearing their masks during boarding and during the flight home.
So pleased we took the 'gamble' to travel to Greece again and any fears we had were unfounded. Thanks Sunvil again for looking after us so well!
John and Celia Grew
25th September 2020
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