Amsterdam Russ

Phew, scorchio! How’s the weather where you are?

You forgot to mention that the person Tony is referring to is Bill 'Bunky' Sheppard...

Black storks - Kalloni salt pans, Lesvos.

Great tune and harder to find as a promo copy. I picked this one up in Amsterdam for the price of a beer a couple of years back.

Flamingos on the salt pans of Kalloni (Greek island of Lesvos).

A legend! There’s a worthy obituary here... https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/23/obituaries/dave-bartholomew-dies-at-100.html

Very Escher-esque!

Superb sardines in Sigri...

Classic Greece...

Have to disagree about that - it’s the nectar of the gods! 😎😉

These Greek island steps are much, much steeper than they look, and a real bugger when heading back up the hill from the sea in 32 degree heat with a backpack laden with wet swimming gear, snorkel, mask, flippers and a cheeky bottle of Ouzo!

Searling has been acknowledged and honoured for, and I quote... Source: https://www.wigantoday.net/news/people/honour-from-queen-for-wigan-casino-soul-dj-1-9809989 That’s more than about just being DJ! Congratulations to him.

Our local Greek train - have to say we were chuffed to bits!

You can’t beat a good Greek breakfast...

We spent a few hours relaxing at a taverna next to Molyvos castle yesterday. Really enjoyed the music being played by whatever Greek radio station they’d tuned into. It was a great mix of jazz, soul and Latin grooves and very surprised to hear, among others, Barbara Lynn “I’m a good woman”, Joe Bataan “Ordinary guy (Afro-Filipino), and Carlton Jumel Smith’s new release “That’s what love looks like”! With a few glasses of Ouzo and some good food, it was an absolute treat!

More snorkelling - this time from a small Greek fishing boat. Got to say the waters are wonderfully clear.

Many times with our friend Stratis, but not so far this holiday. Next week, I reckon. 👍

Slightly at a tangent, but it’s worth having a read about the founder of MB Records, Miriam Bienstock. She was married to Herb Abramson who set up Atlantic Records with Ahmet Ertegun. Although the Wikipedia article describes her being “influential” in the early development and growth of Atlantic, other sources describe her as being a co-founder of the label. https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Bienstock

Just another day in Molyvos...

Efcharisto. We had aubergine purée followed by a dish of small fried fish (red bream) for me and a grilled red snapper for my other half, washed down with a very nice bottle of dry white made in Limnos. 👍

Greetings from Molyvos...

Thankfully the situation changed somewhere in that time. It’s all very open and honest here with restaurants being obliged to advise in their menus that if you don’t get a proper bill, you’re not obliged to pay. They’re also obliged by law to tell you if anything on the menu is being cooked from frozen rather than fresh. Hardly anything is frozen, but it’s always good to know so you can make an informed decision. 👍

Molyvos, on the Greek island of Lesvos, and lunch...was...great!

Never experienced or seen that at all. Never heard of any tourist have that happen to them here - and I belong to a sizeable Molyvos Facebook group. 👍

It’s 10 years since our first visit and in that time it’s hardly changed at all. The biggest change has been the dramatic decline in tourist numbers since the refugee crisis. And even a few years on, people we know here are saying this is the worst start to a season they’ve ever known. Given that tourism in Molyvos was down by 80% about three years ago, that’s something to be feared at the local level. Still, as always, folks here remain ever optimistic and take a long-term view. Here’s hoping that optimism is justified.