Greetings from the village of Aliki, on the Cycladic island
Paros, in Greece.
When I wrote the last "missal" it was in August, 2003 from
the Hotel Marinio. Now I write from the Hotel Agrikia and it is May,
2004! So much has happened.....
If you remember, we were closing down the Marinio a bit
earlier than usual because of our son's wedding in Mexico. Our airfare
purchased early in order to get the best price, the plan was to attend the
wedding in Mexico first, and then because we were Stateside, spend the
winter in our hometown of Portland, Oregon visiting family and friends.
Well, nothing goes according to plan, and the unfortunate
incident of the bride's mother passing away a few weeks before the
wedding, changed everyone's plans. The wedding was postponed till the
following March. We could not change our tickets, so off we went.......to
Oregon. Once there, we managed to settle in and Michael took a winter job
with Norm Thompson, a highly favoured catalog store that is headquartered
in Portland. I, enjoyed myself for six months, catching up in all the
latest shopping, cinemas, TV shows, visiting, and eating!!
We did quite a bit of traveling including the second trip
to El Paso then crossing the border into Cuidad Juarez (Ana's
hometown) for our son's wedding. The Mexicans know how to have a good
time; we spent a delightful week culminating in the traditional
ceremony. Two days later we were airborne once again for Paros.
The only difference was that we were not able to get the
Marinio again as it was slated to be turned into apartments/business
property. So, we found another lovely hotel called the Agrikia in the
village of Aliki. You might remember, when we first came to Paros to do
a Guest House/Hotel, it was to this village. So it was a joyful reunion
for us to return.
Aliki is truly a wonderful place to not only be a tourist
in, but also to live in. It has a sense of community when you live here
long enough, and it has all a tourist could want (providing they do not
want the fast-paced high-life nightclub noise in Parikia!). If you want
that, you can go to Parikia but still stay in Aliki, with the added
benefit of enjoying the quiet mornings to sleep in because Aliki is
a "sleepy" and low key village.....big enough to have a new pharmacy,
however!!!! Run by the sweetest, most likeable young woman imaginable!
To put in a "plug" for her: it is stocked with anything you might
want......medicines, toiletries, Dr. Scholl shoes (pretty ones!), baby
products, old people products (canes!) and her hours are very
reasonable--her cell phone number is available so that you can call her
down to the shop in case of an emergency.
The hotel Agrikia is a beautiful hotel, with a lovely
garden full of Greek urns and geraniums, olive trees and almond
trees....and other flowering shrubs. It has been recently purchased and
lovingly remodeled with high quality furnishings. It is only a 5 minute
walk to the beach(es) (Aliki has 3 beaches), a selection of tavernas, and
2 mini - markets. A bus line to Parikia is only 3 minutes away! We are
the last hotel on the road, and that means quiet......with views on the
North to the mountains, and in the South to the sea.
We have ten rooms, two are with kitchenettes and sleep
three people. This time, we actually have two rooms with proper double
beds, a rarity in Greece! The rest are the typical twins. We also have
air conditioning in all the rooms. If I had any complaint at all, it
would be that the showers are small, but those of you who have travelled
in Greece, know that is the case everywhere.
There also is a huge patio with comfortable and fashionable
seating arrangements for sitting in the sun, or just sitting with a drink
and chatting. We live in a separate building, which originally was an old
farmhouse....but updated, of course, like the rest of the hotel. The
owner has a dog which still lives here. Donna is no problem as she has
her own house and is on a leash when not out travelling! She is an Irish
bird dog, so I often see her straining on her leash, nose up in the air,
and desperately wanting to climb a tree to get to whatever bird has flown
there! She is also an excellent bone hunter, which is a no-no. So far
she has proven to be no trouble...as the owner comes over and feeds her
and we talk to her and take her out once in awhile when she seems anxious
to be free.
Partial view of farmhouse, patio & courtyard
We arrived end of March, helped the owner get ready for his
Greek Easter clientel. Then we slowed WAY down, which allows us to take
stock, and get the hotel up and running for our new guests--all the way
from America! They will be the beginning of OUR season, so that makes
them special!!
As you can imagine, we are still getting acquainted with
the Hotel Agrikia, but we feel the relationship will be wonderful....and
we are eager for summer to begin! Hopefully the Olympics will bring
Greece lots of tourists, and after the hectic city of Athens, people will
come to the islands to unwind and recuperate!!
More next month....I'm cooking up some new recipes!
till then
Andio (goodbye)
Karin
A Message from Michael:
With the new building I am redoing all my marketing.
While we are listed in several hotel directories and do come up in the
search engines, nothing is better than word-of-mouth and personal
referrals.
So we are again asking our friends to help spread the
word by posting notices on any bulletin boards at work or the shopping
center, or the internet, where ever. Here is a guideline example-- if you
post somewhere private, it is even better to put your own contact
information and relay the enquiry to us. Thanks for your support!
Low Cost Greek Island Travel
Michael & Karin Shepherd offer personalized
hospitality on the island of Paros.
Surprisingly affordable! (+30)
2284-028267
P.S. Interested in Ireland? see our new
web site for there:
Please subscribe by sending an email
with Subscribe as the subject to
Michael & Karin
