Zakynthos, or Zante as the visitor more commonly knows it, is also referred to as the “Flower of the Orient” for it truly is an island of exceptional beauty.  The locals are renowned for their true Greek hospitality, which probably accounts for why so many holidaymakers return to the island time and time again.

Geographically the island is the most southern of the six Ionian Islands located off western mainland Greece.  It is approximately 40km long and 17km wide giving an area of over 400 sq. km and hosts a population of approximately 45,000 with an extra 300,000 holidaymakers during the summer months.

The island has a Mediterranean climate providing long hot summers and warm wet winters.  Zakynthos gets a lot of rainfall during the winter months and this is the reason it is very green and fertile.  The countryside is covered in wildflowers, especially in the spring, and the island has rich vegetation including raisins, olives, vines and citrus fruits.

Zakynthos is well known as one of the favourite nesting sites during the summer months of the Loggerhead turtle Caretta Caretta.  Turtles can easily be spotted if you visit the beaches where they lay their eggs during nesting time.

The main town Zakynthos was destroyed in the earthquake of 1953 and since then the town has been rebuilt in a similar style of its former architecture.  Today design and construction of buildings in the whole of Greece have to comply with European standards and there are stringent regulations regarding earthquake protection.

There is definitely something special about this idyllic island.  Whether you come just to visit or to stay for good, the magic of Zakynthos will remain in your memory forever.

Went to Winchester for the weekend and had a lovely time.  The centre is small enough to get around easily but there’s still plenty to see and do. Read the rest of this entry »

…. says The Guardian, as holiday makers are tightening their belts and looking for new ways to cut the cost of summer holidays.  The report says that, in previous years, cost saving wasn’t a big motivation for home swapping but, with accommodation costs representing a large chunk of holiday spend, it’s beginning to make a real difference. Read the rest of this entry »

Since we have already been abroad this year and paid the price in more ways than one, we thought we would try a holiday a little closer to home. Dalby Forest I heard, is a great place to bring the family if you enjoy the outdoors and especially cycling. As we have a dog we liked the idea of staying on a site where we could bring Minna along. Read the rest of this entry »

Had some family around at the weekend and, because it wasn’t the barbecue weather we’ve been promised, we took them to the free museum at Portland Basin in Ashton-under-Lyne.  We’ve been before but knew they’d enjoy it.  But there were suprises in store for us too….. Read the rest of this entry »

Just returned from a fab break in Cornwall.  Fortunately, the weather was pretty kind to us and we found some great places to visit - and great places to eat! Read the rest of this entry »

We’re off to Cornwall next week (keeping fingers and everything else tightly crossed that it stays fine!)  One place we definitely want to go to is the Minack Theatre near Penzance - it’s a fantastic open air theatre on the cliffs with crashing seas below as a backdrop to the stage. Read the rest of this entry »

Took my gran to Tatton Flower Show on Friday (a belated birthday present) and a lovely time was had by all.  There’s lots to see and it doesn’t half help to be organised …..

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On a recent trip to Wiltshire, we decided to visit Longleat Safari Park and it was the first time I’d been so incredibly close to some of the world’s most amazing animals.

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It truly is.  The people, the food, the distance from one thing to the next - everywhere you go, people are working out by running, riding their bike or walking.  But if you want to see everything then you definitely need a car to get around.

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