Arrival and the holiday
Glossa is a beautiful and very traditional village, perfect
if you want a real taste of Greek island life and are happy to relax.
There are a handful of tavernas, all with stunning views; plenty of
small supermarkets that sell everything from nuts and bolts to children's
toys and from the village you are a 30-minute picturesque downhill walk
or ten-minute bus ride to the beach of Loutraki. If you fancy a day
out you can always jump on the bus for one hour to the main town of
Skopelos, take a boat across to the livelier island of Skiathos or to
Alonissos, where unbelievably the pace of life is even slower. We spent
our days chilling out and watching Isabella entertain herself for hours
on the beach, of which there are plenty of lovely ones, so lovely in
fact that last year Mama Mia was filmed here and the island became home
to stars such as Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan and Colin Firth!
On our return journey we stayed in central Athens for
two days enjoying the sites; The Acropolis, Agora, Evzone 'pom-pom'
guards at Syntagma Square, then to lively Plaka for a beer where Isabella
had great fun watching some street buskers. She is more than happy to
be pushed around in the buggy but we found The National Gardens with
its many secret paths, mini zoo and a park, provided a great opportunity
for a stretch of her legs.
Food,
yummy food!
We headed to the bakery each morning to buy Loukaniko,
(sausage in pastry), cheese pies and bread. Isabella enjoyed these with
fresh tomatoes and plenty of fruit with greek yoghurt.
In
the evenings we cooked simple dishes ourselves or went to the local
tavernas where Isabella was more than welcome. The best meals we found
for her were: befteki (beefburger often stuffed with cheese), souvlaki
(skewered meats), pizza, pita bread, stuffed vine leaves and of course,
chips! However, she counteracted these by eating traditional 'greens',
which you will often see locals picking wild.
Accommodation
We have stayed at the self-catering Platana rooms Tel:
+30 24240 23338. Simple but clean with wonderful balcony views, they
are run by the lovely Eleni and are a ten-minute walk from Glossa.
A selection of self-catering accommodation is available
through Glossa Houses (www.glossa-houses.com)
In Athens we stayed at the centrally located Museum hotel,
which was very reasonably priced and booked through Madro Travel (http://www.madrotravel.com)
who also booked our bus and boat tickets.
Tips
- Always find out how child-friendly any self-catering accommodation
is.
- We often travel with a baby carrier but when you're planning lots
of late nights in tavernas, a buggy doubles up as a great bed!
- If you stay in Athens, choose a central hotel so you can get to
all the site easily with your baby.
- Book your flights early to get really cheap deals. We travelled
with Easyjet.
- Be aware that in Glossa not many people speak English. My dad
always says to me: "as long as you know how to say please and thank
you in a language, you'll be ok." I stick to this rule and although
I know enough Greek to 'get by' learning please (parakalo) thank
you (efharisto) and hello (yasas) will always raise a smile. A good
pocket phrase book and not being afraid to use it will go a long
way.
by Alice Griffin
About Alice Alice Griffin is a freelance writer whose passion
for travel has seen her budget backpacking across Europe, living in
Japan and travelling the world solo writing for a tourist guide. Currently
on a year-long road trip around Europe with her husband, one-year-old
daughter and family dog, she believes that just because you have a baby
on board doesn't mean your spirit of adventure must wane.
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