My routine was much the same day after day. I’d wake up, check how many shades darker I was in the mirror, then have breakfast on the balcony with my friends Craig and Stefan. Every morning I couldn’t wait to draw back the curtains, open the shutters and discover how many new cruise ships had arrived just moments earlier. “You’re obsessed with those bloody ships” Craig would say, as I commented yet again, on how incredible they were. Like mini floating cities, they anchored themselves in the sparkling Mediterranean sea.
A 30 minute ride in our Jeep took us to Ellia Beach. It was always a mission to get there before 1pm because of the laborious task of applying sun screen and getting out of bed early enough. Traffic was a bit of an issue. I suppose you could say the etiquette was difficult to figure out. Basically, there wasn’t one! We soon learnt that the only way to get anywhere was simply to not give way and accelerate through the danger.
The beach was stunning. Crystal clear water with fish that would swim up to you and nibble at your body when motionless. The uninterrupted views of islands in the distance were beautiful, as were the clusters of white buildings strewn across the island all around us. The sun was relentless. Even traversing the sand was made almost impossible due to it’s scorching temperature. Typically I would hop from one umbrella shade to the next until I got where I wanted to be.
Our evening schedule was no exception to the repetitive rule. Dinner and drinking until early hours of the morning proved to be the most satisfying itinerary. Lamb Souvlaki was the general meal of choice and the amount of bread dipped in olive oil consumed throughout the two weeks was quite frankly, ridiculous and excessive. But god it was good. And the olives… Mmmmm!
The town’s complex maze-like layout provided many hours of entertainment when trying to navigate our way back home. The narrow paved streets all looked the same and we’d usually find ourselves arriving back at the same place over and over again. When we did finally return to our apartment, our pool was always way too tempting. Jumping in was inevitable. There’s something so incredibly euphoric about swimming under the stars. In fact, if I had to pick a moment, it would be that one night when I was slightly tipsy, floating in the pool (wearing my birthday suit) staring at the stars above me. The smile across my face said it all.
Typically, we’d climb in bed just before sunrise. Then wake up and do it all again!