A Walkout, Popeye, and a new start
Although the party finished at 2.30am, I still couldn’t sleep. Crinkly sweaty plastic sheet combined with the cold night air, made an unpleasant experience. Also, the room started leaking. Drip drip drip. Chinese water torture sprung to mind.
To add insult to injury….workmen 8.30am. Bang bang, drill drill.
I get up to have a shower. No shower gel or shampoo. Arghhhhh! We go downstairs and I explain to our lovely host Maria, that this has been the worst night in paid accommodation I have ever experienced, and fill her in. She apologised and suggested we have breakfast. We do, and it is underwhelming average. Maria tells us this is a one off and the rain was particularly heavy, and just a leaving party, and workmen are allowed to start after 8.30am by law etc. I couldn’t care less. I need sleep. I tell her, we are the guests, and you are not listening. I do not want to stay here another night, so yes, it will definitely be a one off! We have stayed in hostels and air BNBs on our world tour cheaper and way better than this, in comfort and amenities.
So off we drive to explore, luggage in the boot & no idea where to go. I see a sign for Popeye village and I am so excited (far more than I should have been, but maybe the lack of sleep!). We stop part way there to admire the view, and I get that sinking feeling. My first experience of quick sand. Hahaha! My feet are caked in bricks of clay like goop and I luckily find it amusing. I already look a wreck as had no shower. Why not add to it!
After up and down long and steep hills we behold the magnificent Popeye village, multicoloured wooden dishevelled huts, propped up on the coastline, as the sun pops out and ignites the turquoise in the see and the sandy geological format of the hills. Really stunning.
It is €11 each to go in, which includes professional photos of you, postcards, and a shot of punch! Plus a plethora of shows all day. Wonderful! We have a mooch about, and it’s quite odd to think Robin Williams was here. It’s really sad he is gone now and that hits me a bit. I guess that’s life. Or death even.
So! On a happier note. We get ushered into one of the shows, surrounded on some tiered benches by 30 or so school aged kids and some families from various parts of the world but mainly Italy. The host ‘Popeye’ greets each family in their native tongue. Impressive! Then explains we are all going to be part of a film. Girls to be goodies and boys to be baddies. Then, to Leon’s horror, he gets chosen to be the star of the show ie. Popeye! I see the colour drain from his face. As our host ushers everyone towards the film set, Leon & I leg it back to the Car, up hill and quite some way, I might add. It’s a good job I’m a nice wife. It would have been very amusing to see Leon awkwardly play Popeye. Egg egg egg egg!!
We drive onwards to Melihia heights and find a nice cafe overlooking the ocean to have a look for our next 3 nights stay. I find one called Maritim just up the road, £150 all in with breakfast, a bath, hairdryer, shower gel, comfy beds… ahhh bliss!!
24-03-2018