Merry Xmas from Calypso

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Winter is here

So, here we still are. Calypso is open in winter mode: Daytimes only, 10 - 6 lunches, snacks, coffees, drinks...oh and Monday night is 'games night' with a 6 euro buffet.

We are off to England in a weeks time for Christmas visit. Last year we were shocked not only by the drop in temperature but also by the way England seems to be a nation unable to remove it's collective eyes away from a TV screen for any meaningful length of time. We were extremely fortunate to escape the UK (where we didn't have a TV anyway) before the onset of mainstream cheap reality TV. We missed out on 'BB', 'BB2', 'Son of pro-celebrity BB', 'I'm a pop idol get me out of BB6' and all of the other thinly disguised rehashed garbage. So it's not like there is anything good to watch.

All of this would almost be forgivable but the biggest shock was that we were trying to tear peoples attention away from....Celebrity Come Dancing. Now, bear with me here. In the last millennium (oh, don't ya just miss it!) Come Dancing was tucked discreetly away in the schedules and watched only by friends & relations of the contestants, OAPs, sequin fetishists and as BBC marketing executives call OAFS (an 'almost acronym' of 'Other Assorted Sad F******') Last year the show was taking up an awful lot of prime time slots and hairy-arsed truck drivers from Rochdale were discussing it in the pub. We felt like taking the UK by its collective elbows and giving it a good shake and slapping round the face shouting 'It's Come Dancing you're watching for christsakes!'

I can only conclude that the French have put something in the water.

I do hope it will be different this year. Please God it can't get worse....can it?

French kiss

The lovely people at Petit Fute, one of the leading French travel guidebooks, gave us a sticker for our window the other day. We have been mentioned in this guide for some years but now it's nice to know that passing Frenchies who haven't bought the book will still be able to spot us!

Missed Holidays

With the shock news about XL, the owning company of Kosmar Holidays, going into administration, many regular Paleochoa visitors will have had their holidays cancelled & be refunded their money.

If you still want to come out here, there are some alternatives;

Sunvil Holidays may have package holiday availability. www.sunvil.co.uk

Otherwise, get flights with Monarch Airline ('Google' Monarch) to Hania or get scheduled flights with Olympic from London or Manchester (bags straight through, change planes in Athens) or, from Stanstead Aegean airlines (ww.aegeanair.com) a very good airline again change in Athens.

Another alternative is to get a flight to Heraklion & we will advise on getting here from there. Try Monarch, First Choice, Thomas Cook & Easyjet.

There are some convenient links to these websites in the right hand margin of the blog if you scroll down a bit

We will help you find accommodation here if you wish.

The finger to anonymous

For the benefit of the brave soul who calls him/herself 'Anonymous', the comments on this blog are moderated so therefore our regular readers will be spared your pathetic half attempts at humour. May I respectfully suggest you get a life.

In Out, In Out, Shake 'em All About - Tables That is!

Well it's been a busy week for the hapless Port Police in Paleochora. Normally resigned to drinking coffee and haranguing the occasional fisherman, they have been putting in overtime sheets for dealing with the extremely serious and grave offence of restaurants putting their tables out onto the road.

Traditionally, restaurants along the seafront have been putting tables out onto the road after 7pm when the road is closed to traffic. The Port Police in times past have allowed tables past the 'yellow line' (see photo). One fish restaurant of ill repute started putting more & more tables out and even getting a bulldozer to level areas across the road for more tables. This stirred the gallant officers into action and they descended on said restaurant in full swat gear. When they were politely told to 'Fuck Off' the decided in true kindergarten fashion, which is still the preferred way of dealing with things here, to do the SAS macho swat thing to every restaurant along the front.

The air was filled with protestations and delegations were sent to Hania. The Occifers relented briefly and promised not to fine restaurants over the busy weekend period but today said that the yellow line rule stood again. Then, direct from Port Police God who resides on a cloud in Hania came the decree that we could go 2 metres beyond the line! Only to be rescinded at the 11th. hour (1 minute to 7) and it was back behind the yellow line again. Pity the workers at restaurants who had jumped the gun and had to get all the tables in again! The drama continues....

Note: Serious bodily injury has never been reported due to tables being on the road.

Cheers me dears

Up for Grabs? Calypso?

Just want to use this space to clear up something which came as a surprise to some regular customers recently, which, in turn, surprised us!

We happened to mention that, if someone wanted to buy the Calypso business we would be more than willing to sell it. The people in question were quite taken aback. The fact is that any business we have owned has always been 'for sale'. Calypso is no different. We would always listen to offers, right from day 1.

For a couple (without kids) who are prepared to work the business together, there is a respectable income stream to be made.

Talk to us if you are interested.

The Case Of The Missing Tuna

Henry & Touril, from Norway were regular lunchtime visitors to Calypso. Touril especially liked her 'Tuna-salad-without-the-tuna-but-with-chicken-instead' Salad.

Sad Farewells

A cheerio for this year to new customers Phil & Finola (top - think of me when you get the very next trout taking your fly, Phil!) and our lovely regulars - but a little early this year - Dave & Gina.