Emma, Ralph and Neve returned to the UK almost 2 weeks ago and I have been so busy with my art business that this is the first opportunity I have had to write a post about their stay with me. We had a rather worrying start to the holiday with Neve being poorly and Emma unsure whether she was well enough to travel. But both Ralph and Neve came running from the arrivals/baggage hall, under the barrier and into my welcoming arms, as soon as they saw me! And I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Neve has child asthma and there was every chance that they may not have been able to come to Crete at all. So Emma and I felt extremely fortunate and I knew that Crete’s wonderful fresh air would be really good for Neve.. and it certainly was!
Ralph & Neve on my balcony before we head off to the beach in Almyrida
Needless to say it was a full week as we alternated between pool and beach days. The pool days were largely spent at the Almyrida Beach Hotel where we always had a nice lunch and we did spend one day at the Almyrida Bay Hotel because it has such a huge pool with good facilities for children. But it was like last year, in need of a little attention and not very well staffed. Although the lack of people staying meant it was very quiet and this was actually quite nice.
On the beach early eveing after a pizza tea in Almyrida
We enjoyed days on both beach ends of Almyrida, especially loving the Tsunami beach where there are shallow rock pools which Ralph and Neve loved exploring and swimming in. I turned myself into a big kid again and Ralph and I especially enjoyed jumping over all the large waves coming in, getting drenched, losing our footing countless times and laughing our socks off as larger waves loomed towards us! It was perfectly safe too because the sea is so shallow in that area.
Swimming in the shallow rock pools at the Tsunami beach end of Almyrida
On our last evening we ate out instead of at home and dined at Elia & Thyme restaurant in Almyrida. It was a lovely meal which we followed with drinks for Emma and me, and ice creams for the kids on the beautiful roof terrace of the Almyrida Residence Hotel. Here Emma revisited some wonderful memories of her wedding reception which was held there in June 2016. Emma and I just relaxed back on the plush sunbeds on the raised decking by the infinity pool, while Ralph and Neve ran around like kids do.
Ralph & Neve have fun with the dinghy and all those penguins someone was selling!
I had a really wonderful time playing and swimming with Ralph and Neve and I know I am really going to miss them when they are gone… The week just passed too quickly and then suddenly I was driving them back to Chania airport for their late flight home. Their flight was delayed almost 3 hours and didn’t take off until 2am! The problems ongoing in the travel industry and at the airports this summer are dreadful and especially stressful for families with small children.
Outside my home before we go out to eat in Almyrida
So with family back in the UK, I got down to creating more designs that I have sold out of. July turned out to be a bumper month and I sold 40 seashell mosaics, including a couple of sales at the Gavalochori gift shop, which is now stocking around 20 of my Seashell Mosaic Paintings.
August is also proving to be a busy month for sales and once again I find that there are not enough hours to enable me to keep up with demand. But I am sticking to setting up my stall on only Mondays and Thursdays so that it is not quite as hectic as the years before Covid, when I was by Almyrida beach 3 days a week.
At Elia & Thyme in Almyrida
At the beginning of September my lovely and dear friends, Gill and Rick are returning to Crete with Rick’s brother and his wife, after the absence of a few years (Covid didn’t help!) They are all staying at the Emerald and I am so looking forward to seeing them here again. On the 8th September Zoe, Rich and little Arthur are coming to stay with me and I am super excited about their visit too, especially as they didn’t make it to Crete last year. Happily there is still so much to look forward to this summer….