Greek Island Hopping - Part I: Kardamena, Kos

 Kalispera...I'm back! Hope all's good in your world, here's what we've been up to since I last posted!

We bought cheap return flights to Kos way back in June, booking our accomodation (and transport connections) a few days before we left the UK. As usual we travelled with carry-on bags only, catching the direct train to Birmingham airport where, on arrival, we quickly passed through security and headed to Spoons for a pre-flight beer. Our flight had been delayed by a couple of hours so I messaged the place we were staying in Kos to let them know. When we were finally called to the gate the member of staff who scanned our barcodes sent us to the main desk where we were told that we'd been put on standby as there wasn't enough room on the plane and asked us to join a group of people in the same situation as us. You're saying that we're not flying today? We asked the team member in disbelief. We explained that we weren't on a TUI package holiday and that if we couldn't travel we'd lose both our accomodation and our ferry bookings, pointing out that we had no luggage and there was no problem with us sitting on opposite sides of the plane. Understandably the other members of the group were very angry and being quite aggressive towards the TUI staff but, despite feeling anything but, we remained calm and polite and the man in charge finally relented, whispering that he could squeeze us on...we felt bad leaving the rest of the group behind and refrained from punching the air and embracing the crew, scurrying down the tunnel to the plane and being given a rapturous round of applause by the other passengers who'd witnessed our plight. 

On disembarking at Kos Airport in the early hours of Monday morning, we caught the last remaining taxi to our destination, waking up the owner, Mr Nikos, who was asleep in reception and must have been in his 90s and he took us up to our room in his pyjamas. Just like every budget room I've stayed in since I first visited Greece in the 1980s, it was basic but immaculately clean, the bed was comfortable, the shower powerful and there was a sweet little balcony for us to sit and watch the world go by. As it wasn't a studio apartment the room didn't have a kitchenette, just a fridge, but I'd emailed the property asking if it was possible to provide us with a kettle and a couple of mugs and they were more than happy to oblige. There was air condtioning (which was free) but both of us loathe it so didn't bother turning it on, leaving the window open instead.

If you want to travel on a budget you need to be prepared to compromise. Having booked our accomodation so late there was nothing left within budget in our prefered village of Mastichari or Kos Town so we ended up staying in Kardamina, known as the island's party capital. From the photos & videos I'd found online it looked really pretty and we only needed a bed for three nights so, even if we hated it, it wouldn't be the end of the world but I packed earplugs just in case it really was Armageddon.

All the reviews I read had said that Kardamina very Brit-orientated, with Full English Breakfasts, big screen football, bingo and roast dinners widely available but although this side of the village did exist it wasn't in your face it still retained an authentic Greek atmosphere.

We were happy to discover a traditional kafenio at the harbour with an almost exclusively Greek clientele, serving authetic coffee and locally-made delicacies like this delicious Koan (from Kos) cheese pie.

The reviews weren't wrong about Kardamina's sandy beaches either, they were stunning. The swimming was pretty amazing, too - with stategically arranged steps into the Aegean all along the harbour.

Although there are sunbeds (free if you eat in the adjacent tavernas), there's plenty of space to lie on a towel on the sand and, at the other end of the village, there's Banana Beach which is what the Greeks call an "unorganised" beach ie., there's no sunbeds or showers. 

There's some gorgeous cats in the village and plenty of animal rescue collection points for tourists and local alike to donate food and cash.

Despie Kardamina's reputation as a party place it didn't seem particularly loud or lairy although it might be a different story in the height of the summer. Established in 1995 and famed throughout the island for its superb Indie soundtack, The Stone Roses Bar, housed in a beautiful old stone house in the village square, was our favourite place to spend the evenings. The young Greek staff were so welcoming and lovely and the square in which it stood was bustling and vibrant with locals and tourists of all nationalities, reminding us of our nights in Chania.

Fellow Roses fans will recognise the menu cover, it's John Squire's artwork from the band's 1989 debut album.

Although there were bars offering the usual "Brits Abroad" fare, most were typically Greek with traditional food and local wines and beers.

With no facilities in our room, we ate breakfast in the village. Skala's menu was fantastic, beautifully presented with lots of options for vegetarians.

Delicious veggie dishes included chickpea fritters, fava, dolmades, grilled mushrooms and vegetable souvlaki. Jon enjoyed his grilled lamb chops and a traditional Greek pork stew.

Antimachia Castle, which was built between 1322 and 1346 by the Knights of Saint John, was visible from our balcony. It would have taken around an hour to walk there - well within our usual daily wanderings, but with only three days we decided to leave it for another trip. 

Alasarna Archaelogical Site is still a work in progress and currently closed to the public. It is linked with the cult of Apollo, who according to legend was born on Kos and worshipped until Christianity arrived.

Kardamina exceeded all expectations. Gorgeous beaches, cats galore, amazing tavernas, crystal clear waters and hanging out at The Stone Roses Bar....if we didn't have a ferry to catch we'd have been tempted to stay longer.

Early the following morning we packed our bags and caught the bus to Mastichari but, on arrival at the harbour, discovered that all the ferries had been cancelled due to dangerously high winds. The lady on the info desk told us that there was a chance we could catch a catamaran from the other side of the island but it was leaving in less than an hour. Sharing a taxi with a couple of friendly Bavarian sailors we raced across the island to Kos Town, screeching into the port with seconds to spare...only to discover that the catarmaran was going the wrong way! With the right catarmaran leaving in two hours we headed into town for a well-earnt beer and to pay our respects to Kos's most famous son & the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates.

Walking is man's best medicine and Precvention is better than cure. I find it incredible that we're still quoting Hippocrates' words of wisdom 2,400 years after his death! 

Thw wind was crazy - as you can see from my hair!

Two hours later the right catamaran turned up...... but what a journey that turned out to be.

If you think turbulence on a plane is bad, travelling across the Aegean in a catamaran in a Force 8 gale is on another level. We knew we were in trouble when the Orthodox priest on board sank to his knees and started to pray whilst the stewards handed out sick bags to passengers vomiting, sobbing and calling for God. People were lying in the aisles comatose whilst the crew sporadically poked them to check they were still alive - Jon and I weren't affected, I think our swimming has made us part fish! Two hours later we docked at Leros harbour, leaving the crew to carry the stricken passengers to the shore.

I'll be back to tell you all about Leros very soon!