Baggy178

The idea of fast eating is anathema to many Greeks. From nibbles with their pre-dinner ouzo to sweet sticky cake with their post-dinner expressos and tsipouro they don't like to be rushed. My wife and I enjoyed a five hour lunch on the island of Syros recently and then went out for a late supper at about 10pm when entire Greek families were still arriving for dinner. The taverna owners didn't hassle us - just said give us a wave if you want some more food and drink so we lingered and tarried with the best of them. Outside and often illegally inside the Greeks also smoke like chimneys between courses. The interesting thing to note is that Greeks of all ages meet over food - even young adults get together with friends over a meal rather than chugging down a load of suds. It's a very civilized society. Lamb chops and kalamares formed a couple of courses.

We had a superb day by the pool and a very good meal in the restaurant at night before being dropped off at the airport. First week in September I would imagine there was plenty of availability for us - at busier times not so sure but worth asking. A very good family-run resort. https://aeolosresort.com/en/

Stay positive. Like me. 11 whole days without my wife's cooking. That's a yippee, yeehaa and yesssss high five from me. I'll suffer the sliced tomatoes in silence as a small price to pay for my giddy euphoria...

Here's my post for visiting Siem Reap which may be useful. Generally if you're looking for beach time there's nothing around Siem Reap.

Contact info of Bunthin emailed.

Choeng Mon Beach is a wonderful beach which is great if you don't like Chaweng Beach which is aimed at the mass tourism, loud bar music, ladyboy show crowd. The beach is open to all and while you can get day passes to the resorts ( of which there are few ) there are lots of places on the beach where you can either find natural shade or hire a sunbed and umbrella. Great cheap restaurants as well.

The Scotland v England game was on terrestrial TV - Ch 4 - so it wouldn't have been on any satellite feed.

There are no divisions based on status here in Riff-Raff Class™ . All are welcome. Dress-code is expandable waistband and possibly a clean Hawaiian shirt for chic nights in the buffet. Weapon of choice is the large catering spoon or ladle. There are no supercilious waiters looking down their nose as you belly-up to the carvery section for your third visit. After a few days you recognise the regulars - we all begin to gravitate to our favourite tables. There's always the poor feller being given a right old rinsing by his Karen wife. The rheumy-eyed old soaks who rock up as late as possible for a bit of soakage before heading off for a nightcap ( yes, that's us ). And the funny thing is you never hear a complaint about the grub as it's generally good and filling. Sometimes when we're in Mr Creosote mode after dinner we pass the paid-for restaurants and spy the couple dressed up for The Titanic still waiting for their Entrees - if we catch their eye we do that " phew I'm stuffed couldn't eat another thing " routine and give the expandable waistband a good old twang. I tell you, it's much more fun down in steerage.

The book ' Anxious People ' - is that about pre-cruisers worried about the availablity of whole tomatoes and cookies ? Bet it's a page-turner ...😉

We're on the Oct 22nd TA with Silhouette. Two quick questions - is Craft Social open to all and is there any British ale on draught on the ship and the price of a pint. Thanks.

The Old Town of Nafplio is delightful and a firm favourite of weekending Athenians. A true destination in its own right as well as being a cruise stop. Great to visit our of season as well. https://www.greecetravel.com/nafplio/

Unfortunately as a connoisseur of the Great British banger those sausages look the cheap catering variety filled with indeterminate meat that often get served up at a greasy spoon ( cheap and cheerful diner ). I'm not surprised you didn't like them. If Mrs Baggy served them up there would be words spoken ...

+ 1 Remember, it's an adventure. Ignore the negativity.

The Cork-Swansea ferry. If you know, you know. 🤮

You ' only ' book a balcony ? That's sheer luxury to those of us down here in Riff-Raff Class™ ! 😅

An expensive and overrated 'paradise' in our view. There are far better Greek islands where cruise ships never visit and English and American accents are rarely heard. Modern, sophisticated tourist destinations without the crowds and hefty price tags. Just back from lunch on a virtually deserted beach with fresh fish and seafood, great wine and honey-drenched desserts for €20 a head. Last night we drank world-class cocktails by talented mixologists in a converted Italian-style mansion for €12 a shot. The only things missing here are the Santorini views, the hefty prices to match and the heaving crowds. Tastes differ, of course, but this is our idea of paradise.

Here in Riff-Raff Class we genuinely don't care which cruise line we travel with. If the price is right we'll go with anyone. Buffets are good, we avoid the MDR completely, don't do drinks or WiFi packages, excursions, speciality restaurant upgrades, spa or onboard shopping. All of the above seem to be a constant source of worry or disquiet on here for so many people with upcoming cruises. Not for us. The entertainment is free, drink prices about the same as back home, we go ashore to the same places as everyone else and generally arrive totally refreshed and relaxed. Our 11 night TA cruise from Southampton in August is costing us less than £1500 for two people in a balcony cabin. Is it a good one ? Who cares.We only ever sleep in it. As our kids used to say take a chill pill, go with the flow, enjoy the trip and BRING YOUR OWN COOKIES 🤣

We're on Syros right now which was on the edge of the storm system - luckily just a couple of overcast light rain days. Dinner last night on the hoof was a gyros ( Thick round pitta bread, pork/chicken, a few fries, tomatoes and a sauce in a wrap ) and a bottle of local beer = €7. I say on the hoof but that was after an evening of tremendous cocktails dreamed up by some talented mixologists in a superb old building converted to high end cocktail bar. I think there might have been a few Bulleit Ryes as well 🍸🤦‍♂️ Reading your blog so far convinces us yet again of the merits of Ninja Cruising™ - we eat every meal in the buffet and are never disappointed. I mean NEVER. However my wife and I are considerably longer in the tooth that you glamorous two so getting comfortable rather than getting dressed up suits us. Plus we prefer to spend the extra time drinking. Enjoy the rest of your cruise - sadly our last day in the North Cyclades and we have a long lunch at the beach planned and Greece are playing the Netherlands at soccer tonight so lots of late night remonstrating by the locals.

Hi - thanks for making me aware that the Private Message facility doesn't work on here - what a strange concept to have this on the site but then to have it permanently disabled. I don't post Bunthin's details for the same reason you have spelled out your email address - to circumvent the spamware that trawls the internet looking for them. Should anyone require his information please don't hesitate to contact me the same way or to use one of the free temporary email facilities. I'll try to answer that day. You may wish to check your spam folder to see if my email has been directed there. It's all a bit complicated I know but it is what it is. Bunthin also offers tours of any length anywhere in the country provided he has availability. He knows some great restaurants off the beaten track too !

We're returning to Mykonos on Friday. Our ferry gets in at 11.45am and our flight departs at 22.45pm. How to fill the time. One email to a small family resort we found on Booking.com with a great pool has got us being picked up from the port, all day at the resort with a room to change in, we'll buy lunch and drinks at the resort then be dropped off at the airport around 9pm. The cost ? €40. It pays to think out of the box to avoid the crowds.

We used a fantastic guide for our tour this year recommended to us by a friend. Bunthin is a 24-year veteran guide with a fascinating backstory - his parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge, he hid with his siblings in a banyan tree for two months to evade capture, a child soldier at 12 and later a UN interpreter. He still suffers from tinnitus from firing hand-held rocket launchers as a kid. He works with a driver and A/C SUV on tours of any length of the temples, the surrounding area and indeed all over the country including journeying from Phnom Penh - a fisherman's village built entirely on stilts over the river was particularly fascinating. These can be demanding especially in hot weather but he knows how to make them as comfortable as possible. He's intelligent, knowledgeable about world politics and events and 100% trustworthy. He's an impressive individual considering his extraordinary life and great company. We were so impressed with how he brought the temples alive with his stories that we took him and his wife out for dinner that evening. He spends his spare time raising funds for impoverished rural schools to provide them with basic essentials such as paper and pens. Most importantly his rates are very good. Feel free to contact me privately for more details and contacts etc.

So as I read it you forgo your ' free ' onboard breakfast to have breakfast and lunch at a hotel on the island and paying €110 per adult and €80 for kids. That is one expensive way to see a hotel in Greece but not see any of Mykonos. Hank and I disagree on the merits of modern Mykonos as a whole but are both surprised at the unwillingness or lack of ingenuity in cruisers to explore destinations independently. A bus journey costing a couple of euros can get you to a public beach with plenty of tree shade to negate having to share cheek by jowel expensive sunbeds. Even a taxi journey isn't that expensive compared to those prices. There are bakeries providing cheap and tasty snacks and any number of food concessions and drink for a picnic. You could have a marvellous and fun family day out for far less than the cost of one of those adult day passes. Remember - Mykonos is small. No more than 30 square miles with good beaches less than a couple of miles from the port. You're not going to miss the boat.

Scoring a discounted cruise negates the included gratuities as does converting OBC to gratuities and tipping for exceptional service which is what we do. A quick visit to Guest Services sorts everything.

Please report on the availability of free cookies and whole tomatoes with a side order of mashed potatoes.😅

Or avoid the Greek Disneylands altogether. We've just returned from a five-hour lunch in a taverna on a quiet beach on Syros involving a couple of beers, 1.5 litres of good wine, crab salad, fresh calamari, lamb chops with roast potatoes, complimentary desserts and coffee that cost us €52 for two people followed by a dip in the sea with about 2O other souls in total. That would probably rent you a couple of sunbeds for the afternoon on Mykonos. The reality is any small destination where your cruise ship is not the only one in port is going to be challenging given the few hours you have ashore. Syros could welcome cruise ships tomorrow.It prefers not to because it would destroy their way of life and the already very lucrative tourist industry they have for mainly Athenians and Italians.