Another Bird Blog: Night Heron

Saturday, July 11, 2026

Καλές μέρες. Part Four

I found more Good Days pictures for another blogging visit to Skiathos 2026, I even included a few from previous visits that until now lay unpublished, undisturbed in a forgotten folder. Stay with it. This might be a long one but don’t forget to click the pics.

Skiathos is mostly unchanging, the people, the views, the special places we visit, the mostly cloudless blue skies that stretch to the horizon whereby a photo from years ago can fill the space needed to make a relevant point.

Skiathos has more than 60 beautiful beaches. It is said that many tourists aim to visit every single Skiathos beach during their stay, a holiday that can be as short as a weekend or as long as you like; beach twitchers, ticking off a new beach or two every day before heading home non the wiser about Skiathos or Greece except for an encyclopedic knowledge of the price of sunbed hire. It’s a way of life that sounds familiar to an old-school British birdwatcher.

Sue and I are not beach bums, we can take or leave them in favour of integrating into the daily life of Skiathos, enjoying real Greece, a someplace found if only people search and investigate rather than indulge in instant Internet fixes.

Early morning May can be quiet along Papa Street in Uptown Skiathos as we head to Foodie Cafe to see Christos and Mirella, the loveliest, most genuine and friendly people you could ever wish to meet. Their double cappuccino and breakfast pastries are well known throughout Skiathos and probably the whole of Greece.

Papadiamantis Street

Christos and Mirella

As we head off to explore the north of the island one of our first stops is Troulos Bakery and supermart situate at the T Junction of the coastal road where staff include two gorgeous hard working girls who greet us with their cheery smiles. Trying not to look at the incredible display of muffins, donuts, cheesecakes and sundry bakes, we order another two coffees, sit outside in the shade and watch the comings and goings of a Troulos morning.

Troulos bakery

Troulos Bakery Girls

Troulos bakery

Continuing north and just beyond Troulos from the open car window we hear Golden Orioles, Nightingales, Cetti’s Warbler and a Turtle Dove but choose not to stop. All three are incredibly difficult to see in any part of the world, not least in the lush growth of a Skiathos forest.

In Skiathos

Very soon we passed by land set aside for Skiathos donkeys by Donkey Club Skiathos, a non-profit sanctuary near the beautiful beach of Aselinos. A Donkey Club run by Panagiotis Kalogiannis (Peter), and his community of volunteers. Here, these beautiful animals are not used, exploited, or displayed, they are given the time, space, and care they need to live peacefully and with dignity.

Good thing we remembered to buy a few remaining carrots and green apples not yet plundered from Troulos supermart by other donkey enthusiasts who had learnt of the location.

A carrot please

More carrots please

Very soon we approached the northern beach of Big Aselinos, our favourite piece of heaven sometimes wild and prevailingly windy but almost always sunny with the odd surprise.

Cattle Egret

Yellow-legged Gulls

Jimny - Aselinos beach

The spring flowers here are quite a sight, millions of tiny flowers a botanist’s delight that carpet the landscape.

Amaranth – known since antiquity as “the flower that never fades” and symbolises immortality , timeless beauty and the strength of the souls. Combined with Helichrysum Mediterranean amaranth and Stoechas - butterfly lavender it creates a bouquet rich in symbolism and aesthetic intensity. Thank you Safari George for your expert advice

May at Aselinos

Amongst numerous red poppies and black-eyed daisies I found two yellow poppies, Glaucium flavum, bright, golden petals and distinctive, long, horn-shaped seed pods. Google told me it is a Mediterranean species commonly found only on shingle beaches, sand dunes, and coastal cliffs and does not grow inland or far from a coastal landscape.

Yellow Poppies

Goats

Goats and goatherd

Yellow Poppy

Red Poppies and Daisies

Amongst the many hundreds of common small butterflies we found a few very flighty Scarce Swallowtail Iphiclides podalirius which proved hard to photograph.

Scarce Swallowtaill

We stopped to chat with Panos (Panagiotis), a well known guy of these parts who we christened years ago as "Mister Jasteri" from his non-stop but humorous championing of Jasteri Restaurant in Troulos that just happens to be owned by his nephew.

Panos

Using local bamboo that grows in profusion Panos and helpers set about repairing and/or making from scratch sunshades that shield both tourists’ and their sun loungers from the sun! Using reeds which grow here is a very resourceful and eco-friendly way of avoiding the use of plastics and fabrics.

Reeds for sunbed umbrellas

Sunbed poles

It's hot work -Panos and team

Recycling

Nearby a couple of donkeys seemed curious as to someone with a carrier bag reaching into the bulging contents. “Carrots” they thought; donkeys learn quickly.

Not so fast my four-legged pals. Stefanos had carefully chosen his posies of Amaranth then tied each one with a piece of ready cut string and saved them in his carrier bag that would ride on the handlebars of his moped.

Stefanos

Any carrots mate?

Posies

I assumed the posies were for Stefano’s family. Maybe so, but I managed to ascertain that most were destined for a restaurant like Bakaliko or Akrogiali in Skiathos Town where flowers that never die would decorate diner’s tables for weeks and months to come.

Akrogiali

We waved Stefanos off along the track that leads back to the metalled road, Troulos and then Town some ten miles away

Aselinos

If there’s been rain or wind blown tides there is a natural water channel with vegetation where birds can be found. On this day the usual non shows of vocal Marsh Warblers but a couple of spectacular birds including a Common Sandpiper a new one for the Skiathos list in my head.

Whinchat

Squacco Heron

Yellow-legged Gull

Black-headed Bunting

Spotted Flycatcher

Night Heron

Sardinian Warbler

Our 19 days had flown by until we do it all over again in September. With that in mind we called into Hotel Ostria, Agia Parskevi to see our long-time friends Litsa, Makis and daughter Sophia.

The Ostria's grounds and gardens looked fabulous, neatly manicured and ready to go any day as the hotel opens mid-May, a little later than we like to visit Greece, It's a win-win in getting to stay with best friends in both May and September. Sophia's sister i.e. Makis' and Litsa's other daughter is Anna Mathinou of Hotel Almira, Troulos featured in Part One https://anotherbirdblog.blogspot.com/2026/06/part-one.html.

One of these days I hope to get a photo of all four together, Mom, Dad, Sophia and Anna.

Sophia showed us a huge olive jar she recently acquired from the basement of an old Skiathos property. The jar was obviously very ancient but a quick sniff at the top confirmed the contents of old. Oil jars also known as amphorae have a long and fascinating history dating back to ancient times. The earliest of amphorae dates back to around 3500BC in the ancient Near East. They were originally used to store and transport various goods including olive oil, wine, olives and grain. They would have had wooden tops to help with the preservation of the contents, however none have survived.

Amphora - Olive Jar

Jimny at Hotel Ostria

Fredi

Hotel Ostria

We shared a coffee while Sue and Litsa compared notes as best they could - one with zero Greek, the other with one out of ten English.

Sue and Litsa, Great Ladies

When later I sent a photograph to Anna she replied "Great Ladies". I had to agree.

Skiathos Old Harbour

See you soon everyone. Kalinichta.

Photography.

Canon EOS 90D

Sigma 150-600mm f5.6

Sony A6000
Sony 18-135mm f3.5-f5.6

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Καλές μέρες. Part One.

Yes. It has been a while.

May 4th 2026 at 0200 hours. Tiny taxi skidded across the IPhone screen, over the bridge, through the village, heading our way. Five minutes later headlight beams turned the corner to illuminate our luggage waiting patiently on the darkened driveway. Howard loaded our gear, spun the car around and headed off the way he came and then towards the M55. Destination Manchester Airport and flight Jet2 LS1729 to Greece.

Taxi drivers meet many varied people and it's no secret that they like to chat, sharing news and views on life. Most have a good handle on the pulse of Joe Public and are not shy to share their own opinions. When I mentioned my dislike of football, my fear of the coming World Cup but my love of cricket Howard changed tack and moved to the state of Britain, a subject close to the heart of 99% of his passengers of recent months all of whom have apparently suffered from symptoms of cold rage. By Terminal 2 Howard and I had solved all the world's problems and agreed the right way forward would be to not pay a TV licence and to never, ever buy a newspaper. The lively discussion allowed Sue to grab a a little snooze.

Howard disembarked us at the Jet2 end of Terminal 2 where a phalanx of friendly red-tailored youngsters greeted and sorted us in double quick time. It’s no wonder we dumped TUI years ago to now find that Jet2 overall service is superior in most respects; Germanic efficiency is not as it was whereby whole Facebook Groups are devoted to the subject of customer complaints and TUI’s misfortunes.

Jet2

Reading flight boards is an exercise and education in the geography of deciphering letter codes of sometimes distant, often nearby destinations. We noted that EGPD is not an airport in Egypt but Aberdeen Airport Scotland and that KACT, Waco in Texas USA was not for us. Lower down the unending display we found it – the mystery that JSI = Skiathos with the message “Wait in Lounge”. So we did just that while taking our respective morning pills with a cup of very expensive lukewarm coffee.

Manchester Airport May 2026

As we flew east to the warmth and sun of Greece The Alps below were blanketed in snow, a seemingly icy wilderness where people spend holidays falling over and breaking limbs. It’s all good harmless fun but not for us.

The plane manoeuvred lower as it passed over Northern Thessaloniki towards the tiny island of Skiathos marooned in the Aegean Sea some 250 miles north of Athens. Arriving from an easterly direction with the sound of landing gear slowly unwinding we passed close to the island of Skopelos on our right and Skiathos Town almost directly below. Plane spotters would be waiting for us. The hobby is very similar to Birding 2026 but a little more dangerous when stood behind an Airbus about to take off.

Plane Spotters Skiathos

Skiathos, Greece

Lumps in the throat formed as we thumped onto unyielding tarmac and the air brakes kicked in with a vengeance. We were back to beloved Skiathos for 19 days and 19 nights.

Without the nonsense of EES we passed quickly through airport necessities. A smile, a “kalispera”,a stamp in a passport, grab the waiting cases and off we trotted into the waiting sunshine. In their infinite wisdom Skiathos had weeks ago decided that during busy arrivals and departure times they would dispense with rules from the Brussels commissariat and instead use a common sense approach in allowing innocent travellers and waiting businesses to enjoy their times and Euros together.

Maria was waiting with the Jimny, a newish vehicle in a khaki colour that Magda had earmarked for us when she discovered my own purchase of a JB74 in late 2025. While no colour match for my metallic blue Jimny, the khaki shade fitted the bill to blend into the rugged Skiathos landscape. During our stay we would meet more JB74s, a cool car, blue or khaki.

Jimny x 2

Jimny UK

Jimny loaded up we hit the road with a dash and then a splash of water, orange juice, fresh strawberries, butter, Greek yoghurt, a bottle of ouzo and other essentials from Slaventis supermarket along the Ring Road. Slaventis has real live people serving at real food counters. Fish, cheeses, fresh meat, fruit & veg that can be picked and chosen from display by a customer to their own requirements Hand it to a staff member to weigh and ticket followed by a cheery “efcharistó” from both is a civilised way of shopping. Not your average Tesco experience.

Slaventis Skiathos

Just twenty minutes later and after negotiating Skiathos’ single roundabout we took in coast road views to eventually drive into The Almira car park where Anna waited for us at the hotel entrance with hugs and kisses while asking why we were late.

Aghia Paraskevi. Next stop Troulos

When Anna clocked the bulging supermarket bags she knew the score. Within minutes we had the best room ever in the hotel. A private bungalow room aptly numbered 101 with grassy space for two sunbeds, table and chairs and probably anything we asked for. There was a view of the hotel grounds, bar and swimming pools, and over the back an unkempt field with Barn Swallows, Red-rumped Swallows, Swifts, a resident Little Egret, Night Heron, Grey Heron. One morning came a couple of late migratory Bee Eaters plus a gang of rather lazy sheep that lived on site. For now!

Night Heron

Red-rumped Swallow

Little Egret

Almira Hotel

Bee Eaters

Our long-standing friends Anna Mathinou and husband George (Giorgios) Diolettas run the most amazing hotel and attached Restaurant Oregano. The grounds and rooms are immaculately maintained by a superb team of friendly people who appear to love Anna and George as much as we do.

We remembered when George and Anna adopted the Almira in 2017. The old place, then known as The Beltsios was run-down, neglected, the subject of serious family squabbles and not in demand by discerning tourists. It became something of a dump, in danger of falling apart at the seams. At the time Anna worked at Skiathos Town Hall, George was Bank Manager of the Alpha Bank in Skiathos Town when they quit their jobs at similar times to adopt what they saw as a business opportunity and chance to achieve something extraordinary.

Anna Mathinou

George Diolettas

Entrepreneurship. It’s a word and a characteristic no longer admired or encouraged in Britain, now ignored in favour of punishing those who look to better their own and the lives of their family, to provide work, employ others and to make a creative, happy society for the good of all.

No, our useless UK government and politicians can only investigate and introduce ways for us to pay yet more taxes, destroy initiative, success and enterprise and to then waste the money on ill thought schemes that no one wants or ever voted for.

George showed me his PC record, photos of the work that he, his brother and Anna did to bring the hotel back to life. They became painters, plumbers, joiners, builders, electricians and anything they could turn a hand to learn. As the pages of the screen turned, so the transformation followed, proof on record for all to see. The Hotel Almira with The Oregano is now a leading light of the Skiathos holiday and Tourist Trail, admired by locals and holiday makers alike as Anna and George go from strength to strength.

Here’s a few pictures of the brilliant team at Hotel Almira and the lovely, welcoming hotel created by George and Anna.