27 Days to Go and Counting!

[Brisola Budd]

OMG, still my beating heart. I am even dreaming about the place and will be a complete basket case by the time 01Jul comes round. At least it is infectious and my husband is now getting stoked up as well, can't wait to show him around and meet up with old friends. Thanks to everyone for photos and also Wolfgang, a brilliant website.

[Cashey]

Brisola Budd

Presume it is a bit of a special place then?
I am off this Sunday (100612) for my 1st visit to the island, have done most of Greece and loved every bit of it, so am looking forward to the new adventure.

Have yourself a great holiday.

[Brisola Budd]

Hi Cashey

Oh boy are you in for a treat, Thassos is incredibly beautiful, one of the greenest islands in Greece with Caribbean style beaches. I am sure you have read my thread and it is 25 years since I lived there. Looking at all websites and forums it doesn't appear to have changed too drastically, new road and buildings as is to be expected and the dreaded sun beds and umbrellas crowding every beach, but what makes Thassos so very special is the people. They are warm and welcoming and once you are known, they don't forget you and make you feel like you are coming home.

Have a lovely time, where are you staying?

[Cashey]

Brisola Budd

Thanks for your reply, I DO have a feeling that this island is going to be a bit special, we are staying at the Socrates in Skala Prinou, right away from everything!
My wife has had a bit of a year so we just want peace and quiet, having said that I have planned this break around the footie, looking forward to popping into a couple of bars and cheering the Greek boys on, I am VERY Greek minded!
I know what you mean about the tourism side of things, when I 1st went to Rhodes in the 80s is was lovely, have been back since and it has been spoiled.
And as regards of welcoming back, we went to Crete last September (4th year on the trot) and found paradise, we look forward to being welcomed back there again this September by the owners, the goats, the chickens and the geese!

[Brisola Budd]

Skala Prinos is the main port for the ferry boats coming from Kavala so there should be plenty of bars for you to watch the footie. My husband is half Greek and raised in Athens/Andros and a Panathinaikos supporter, but he will have to be satisfied watching it back in Blightly.

Cashey

The best beaches aren't really around Prinos and unless things are totally changed then the nearest is Skala Rachoni and Papalimani, both small but good. I would recommend that you hire a car for a day or two so you can see the best beaches, my favourites used to be Trypiti, Psilli Ammos, Chrisi Ammoudia, Paradise, Aliki and Skala Marion which is small but perfectly formed.

Really close to you is Megala Prinos which is the very old mountain village of Skala Prinos which has beautifully restored old houses and there used to be a small taverna in the square and it was lovely to go in the evening to have a drink and watch the sunset.

Anyway, my views are old views of the 80's so I expect to be corrected!
Have a really lovely holiday and I am sure you will fall for Thassos big time.

[Cashey]

BB

Thanks very much for all your info, really, really useful, after initially chilling out for a few days (boy do we need it) we intend to do a bit of looking around.
Will keep you updated to how your 80s Thassos is doing!

[Kenny98]

Hi Val
So how did it go???? Not seen a report or did you just simply not go home ?
Planning your next trip already? Xxx Tina

[Cashey]

Had a brilliant time!
Real chill out!
Having said that I did a fair amount of running, walking and swimming! But I did spend a lot of the day around the pool bar, Socrates Hotel was superb, owner could not do enough for us, especially with my wife having walking problems.
Skala Prinos was just perfect for me, bars, eats and Greek hospitality, that is all I need.

On the football front, the night Greece beat Russia will stick in my mind forever, the bar we were in went crazy (as did most of the resort).

I will be going back to the same place next year, I do intend to travel around the island next time to see what else this jewel has to offer.

As for being stuck in the 80s, well, a little bit, but that added to the charm, I loved the ferry docking and the bustle that brought with it, I loved the shipyard that seems to be stuck in time and I loved the smell of the place, the pines were lush!

If there was one thing I would say was bad about it all, then it would have to be the beaches that I ran along, a lot of them had so much rubbish on, however the one outside the hotel that I mostly used was spotless.

[Brisola Budd]

Heh Tina

I was sorely tempted to stay, but had two lovely girls waiting for me at home. No I didn't leave the children behind, before someone reports me, these are my lovely 4 legged girls who were being spoilt rotten by wonderful Bro.

We had a fantastic time, and I met up with all the expected friends plus ones I wasn't expecting to see. I have posted a few! photos which I think sum up my experience and shows what Thassos means to me. Mainly the people of course, who although 25 years older are still the same wonderful humans inside.

I did nearly cry when I got to Paradise Beach, parked car at top and walked down. OMG, one big umbrella and sun bed fest for the whole length of the beach. Took one look and walked back up to the car and drove on round to Tripiti, I was holding my breathe as I drove down the track, but thank God it hasn't been too over run. New hotel there and a few sun beds but it still has the essential chilling out feeling to it.

10 days came and went too quickly of course, it was rather too hot for us though, it reached 39 degrees for the last part of our stay. I haven't the faintest idea how I used to manage to work through similar temperatures in the 80's. I must be getting old, not a chance to do any mountain biking as hoped, so will have to go out much earlier or later next year when weather is cooler.

Val XX

[Brisola Budd]

Can't you go any faster Yannis!

[Brisola Budd]

Not Tour De France, that is for sure

[Brisola Budd]

Val and Val

[Brisola Budd]

Posing outside my old workplace, what used to be Thassos Tourist Services and next to it, the old entrance to Just in Time Pub and Disco, now Internet Cafe.

[Brisola Budd]

After a hard days work, time for something to eat at The Big Tree as it was known and then over to the Kendri for a hard nights socializing. Happy days, happy days.

[Brisola Budd]

An essential part of the rounds for the evening at The Full Moon. Where are you Mark and Nina.