Christmas holiday

For Christmas this year we decided to splash out and have a nice break somewhere in a hotel. Further south along the coast are a couple of small villages that have some very nice hotels, so we drove down to have a look a month or so back. One hotel looked very good, right on the coast with beautifully decorated rooms, although quite small but the prices were quite high and the staff not over friendly. We gave it some thought and decided that if the weather turned out to be bad we would have very little choice in how to spend our time in that area. We then looked closer to home, at the hotels in Kalamata, and found that they offered a very reasonable deals, compared to the UK and one hotel had two packages on offer for the Christmas period, one of 3days/2 nights and another of 4days/3nights. The rooms where of a high modern standard, it had an excellent restaurant, a bar and a nice reception/lounge area, so that was that. Some friends who are staying in a nearby village also booked to stay there with us.

We arrived at the hotel just before lunchtime on Christmas Eve, dropped our cases in our room and strolled along the seafront towards Kalamata centre. The weather was wonderful, strong, warm sunshine. We stopped for lunch at one of the tavernas along the seafront, sitting at one of the tables that line the beach with a wonderful view of the sea and the mountains. The food and wine was very good and again proved that eating in Kalamata costs about 2/3 of the price of similar meals in the Stoupa area.

After a long leisurely lunch, we strolled further along the seafront before turning back towards the hotel. Another stop for coffee at a bar allowed us to watch the mountains surrounding Kalamata turn the most wonderful shades of pink and red as the sun sank low in the sky.

We had been told about a house in Kalamata that is decorated with lights at Christmas and has been featured on Greek television in previous years. We asked the hotel receptionist and she explained how to find the house and as dinner was not until 10pm we decided to go and take a peek. Once we were close there was no chance of missing it! It was a mass of light and colour. We stopped the car and got out to take some pictures when the owner saw us and invited us into the garden for a better look. Only then did we realise that it was also a wonderful cactus garden as well. Finally, back at the hotel we washed, dressed and had a drink before dinner.

Christmas Eve is celebrated more than Christmas Day in Greece, so along with the evening meal there was live music in the restaurant. It turned out that as far as we could tell we were the only foreigners in the restaurant. The meal was excellent, although at one point when plate of turkey, stuffing, one small roast potato, a small piece of carrot and a single brussel sprout was served, we worried that our appetites would not be satisfied. No problem, the courses just kept coming and by the time we were finished we were all totally stuffed!

Christmas Day turned out to be another wonderful day for weather. Not a cloud in the sky and no wind, so we decided to have a sightseeing tour of the peninsula that we look at every day from home. Although we had been round this area three years ago, our friends had never been there before.

After a large breakfast we first drove across to Pylos on the west coast. As you approach Pylos the road gives you a wonderful view of Navarino Bay, a wonderful natural harbour that is enclosed by the island of Sfaktiria.

Down the coast we stopped again at Methoni and strolled along the beach by the walls of a castle, the main parts of which date from the 13th century. A Greek fisherman was sitting on the rocks near a small anchorage and as we passed, he wished us “Kronia Polla”. We stopped and chatted for a few minutes, although it was quite limited as he spoke no English. After a few more exchanges of “Kronia Polla” we moved on again as it was now past lunch time and believe it or not we were getting quite hungry!

Not seeing many places to eat in Methoni we carried on to Finikunda, a small village that has developed as a tourist resort in recent years. Seeing a small taverna with a few people in we asked if they were open. Yes, “no problem”, please come in the said, so we sat down to eat. Turkey or pork were cooked and ready so we made our choice and enjoyed another excellent meal. Although we ordered a half-kilo of wine with the meal, a second quickly arrived compliments of the owners – “Happy Christmas”.

Further round the coast we again stopped in Koroni, a small port that we see every day as we look out from our verandas. By now it late in the afternoon and the sun was getting low behind the mountains putting Koroni in deep shade, but changing the view across to the Mani. Our coastline was now turning changing colour to the pinks and reds with the setting sun with a backdrop of the Taygetos Mountains showing their snowy peaks.

Finally we made our way back to Kalamata as it got dark to get ready for yet another meal. More food, but somehow we managed to eat it! Again, we had live music in the restaurant while we ate.

Next morning, another leisurely breakfast and then we packed and left for home. The ‘holiday’ was over and so was the good weather. The rain started as we left the hotel, and has continued for several days with more thunderstorms.