Καλές μέρες. Part Three

By popular demand, all four of them. Thanks to Wally & long-suffering Gini, Jan and Diane for remembering me and reading again my rambling thoughts. 

Here is the latest message from Skiathos May 2026. This is mainly (many) photographs, pictures that speak for themselves of people, places, colours, landscapes, everyday items even; perhaps from a Skiathos postcard and minimal words to describe the occasion but which says “wish you were here”. 

Let’s continue with the walk that left off at the New Harbour of Skiathos Town. And don’t forget to “clicky the piccy” for a moment or two in Skiathos. 

Catamaran

 

SkiathosTown

Taxi?

 

Bourtzi, Skiathos

Fun at The Bourtzi
 

Papadiamantis Street

Hats, Papadiamantis Street

Papadiamantis Street

 

"Kalypso"

The Old Port, Skiathos

The Old Port, Skiathos

The Old Port, Skiathos

 Our good friend Angelina (Angela) who'd seen us near the park and popped over the road, coffee to hand

Those flags again Skiathos. The secret is to catch them fluttering in the warm breezes.

 

The Old Port, Skiathos. Flags Again

Pyrofani Taverna

 

How Much to Skopelos?

45 Euros a Day

It's impossible to visit Skiathos and not make new friends. Xenia strikes again. Google the word.

Adonis in his little authentic cafe makes the biggest and best Apple Pies and Bougatsa (custard pie) in Skiathos. His cappuccino  is the best because unlike many cafes along Papa St, he uses hot milk. A traditional baker, Adonis started his working life as a merchant seaman aged 15 and travelled the world for 15 more years before taking up the bakery trade. The cafe is adorned with b&w photos of old Skiathos that he shares and shows with pride. 

Adonis

Adonis

The Way to Go

Chinese Restaurant.

When tourists complain about a Chinese Restaurant in Skiathos the locals remind them that they too like to sometimes eat other than Greek food.

Eating out Skiathos Style

The fresh fish shop Skiathos

Dimitris, who owns a local taverna is also an entrepreneur and business man who lives a few doors away from Adonis the aforementioned cafe proprietor. Pictured below is Dimitris with his neatly manicured beard and tache together with mate George (Giorgos), the  head waiter of Platanias Bar & Restaurant. 

Dimitris and George

Dimitris and George with a VIP Guest

George's claim to fame is starring in the Channel 4 TV Series Home Greek Home. He worked with his dad Panagiotis in renovating Sarah Moore's house just along the road at Plakes. Dad, now semi retired is pictured below, centre-right in the blue shirt. Meanwhile Sarah's  hard-to-find but now beautifully renovated house in the winding streets of Plakes has become a tourist attraction. 

Home Greek Home

We have it on good authority that Sarah Moore is now making a second series, this time with a tumbledown place up in the  hills of Skiathos. Watch this space.

The Skiathos tourist season runs from May 1 to September 30, maybe a day or two more at the start and at the end. The people of Skiathos and their seasonal staff graft non-stop, from early morning until late at night 24/7. The pace is demanding, intense and we feel it too for the people who look after us; make our beds, clean our spaces, bring us food & coffee, answer our questions, solve our daily worries while helping us to learn about Greece and its culture while their smiles and happy faces never falter. Xenia – Google it. 

And then for many, October brings a short rest before Winter maintenance, upgrading and renovation that we tourists expect; until the cycle begins again. 

Skiathos is a place that for us is now not just a summer destination. It is now our second home, a place we yearn to be with friends and like-minded people. We are back there in September 2026 and God willing in May 2027 if savings and finances stay safe from government thieves whose mission in life is to bankrupt us all and to waste the cash on mad-brained schemes.

Skiathos is the place that reminds us what beauty, simplicity and quality of life mean. And perhaps the greatest gift we can give ourselves is to remember, every day, how blessed we are to be there if only for a few weeks each year.

Stay tuned. I can see a Part Four on the blue horizon. Maybe even a few birds,.

 

Greek Delight

Back home now from our favourite Greek island. Here’s a picture or two of birds and Skiathos the place. Click the pics for close-ups. 

The locals told us that this May had been the coldest Skiathos for forty years. For us the northerly breezes meant cool mornings and chilly evenings but the days stayed dry. A number of cloudy days meant that photography was often in poor light but on sunny days Skiathos was as captivating as ever. We took full advantage of every single day with some on the beach, wandering around Skiathos Town or simply enjoying the landscape. 

The Bee Eater fest of Week One continued into the second week. Every single day we would either see or hear gangs of European Bee Eaters overhead, sometimes so high that they were barely visible, other times in view at moderate height but still too high for photos. Just one day I got lucky when a gang of 80 or more spent time around the area of Aselinos beach and when I grabbed a couple of shots into poor light. 

Bee Eaters

Bee Eaters

I am not sure if Bee Eaters breed on Skiathos. It seems more likely that many thousands pass through this part of Greece in the spring and autumn as part of the estimated European population size of 78-90 million individuals and a distribution area extending  over 55.7 million km². While a single Bee Eater can eat as many as 250 bees a day, 80% of their overall diet, it is thought this mainly bee diet has little or no impact upon the bee populations. With the species so numerous and widely distributed is is surprising that they don't occur in the UK more than they do currently. Perhaps that final flight across the English Channel is too much after travelling from deepest Africa?

 

Distribution of European Bee Eaters

Shrikes continued to be a feature of the scrubby fields, scattered trees and even roadsides where there is roadkill or insect activity. We had one or two sightings of Woodchat Shrike but multiples of Red-backed Shrike. The female shrikes seemed much more likely to hang around for a photo while the males proved very unwilling to be pictured.

Red-backed Shrike

Woodchat Shrike

Red-backed Shrike

Mid week brought a bird I’d not seen in many a year, a Lesser Grey Shrike. It’s a species rarely seen in the UK but one that is widespread in Central and Eastern Europe. 

I spotted a grey shrike on a post some 200 yards ahead while driving to Aselinos beach and thought it could be either Great Grey Shrike or Lesser Grey Shrike. On closer approach and because the bird was fairly obliging, I could name it as the Lesser Grey Shrike after its deep chunky bill, white feather patch in the tail, pinkish breast and long primary feathers.  Black eye in a black mask = always a difficult one!

Lesser Grey Shrike

Lesser Grey Shrike

Closer to our base of Spiti Oneiro/Dream House we found a Little Owl, a common enough bird of the island but infinitely shyer than the UK equivalent. The Scops Owl is the most common of the Skiathos owls, one heard and seen at dawn and dusk, the Little Owl less vocal and very difficult to see. 

After a few clicks of the camera our Little Owl would sometimes disappear into the confines of the dilapidated shed upon which it sat. And when a noisy dog protested at our parking close to his property is it my imagination that the owl was not pleased to be disturbed from its afternoon nap?

Little Owl

Little Owl

More pictures below of the island landscape, views around town together with time spent at the boatyard. You see, Skiathos the island and Skiathos Town are places of work and normal life that the islanders are happy to share with tourists from far and wide who are eager to experience this unique and beautiful island.

Skiathos Town, Papadiamontis Street

View from Plakes

View from the hills above Skiathos Town

View from the boatyard

Mending Nets

More Tourists

A dead Leatherback

Don't attempt this at home!

Boatyard scrapyard

Making a new mast

Likewise

Dino's Skiathos Town

Goat Dog

Meating point café

Bourtzi, Skiathos Town

Aselinos

At the airport

Hull

30 Euros a day

Aselinos

Supply Ship

"A knapsack on my back"

Shoring Up

View from Plakes

Skiathos Trails

Greek Delight

Other birds seen - Nightingale, Turtle Dove, Sardinian Warbler, Little Bittern, Little Egret, Roller, Whichat Black-headed Bunting, Hobby Collared Dove, Yellow-legged Gull, Barn Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Marsh Warbler, Reed Warbler, Scops Owl, Buzzard.

Back soon. Don't go away

Linking this weekend to Eileen's Saturday Blog and Anni in Texas.