It was the hilariously funny expressions of sheer exhilaration on Byron and Shannon's faces as the plane revved up and took off that will stay in my mind - they've not flown for four years so it was like a brand new experience for them - bless. A good start then and how good it felt to be back "home" in Greece - that gorgeous and fragrant warm air that greets you when you step off the plane. My first time to Kos - apart from a view of the port once when travelling back to Symi from Athens some years ago. This was to be a budget-package affair - the main purpose being for Lisa to enhance her all important tan and for the kids to play safely and for me to be "on duty" AHEM. Thus we enjoyed the local beach at Tigaki with splendid views across to Turkey. Shannon built a beautiful sculpture - very Derek Jarman it was! We spent lots of time at the resort - lovely pool and excellent authentic taverna, gentle walks - so hot for our lovely Byron! We saw some staggeringly gorgeous sunsets - I think over Kalymnos and had tremendous fun in the very bounce wavy sea. I was envious of our next door neighbours as they were going island hopping and all that jazz. When I got talking to people I always talked of Symi and directed them to this site and of course met a lovely couple Jan and Colin who live in Wales and also know Symi well. It is fair to say then, that I don't know Kos - but would love to discover it one day.

I was given a book the night we arrived by a woman from Glasgow who with her husband was leaving the next day. I'd been wanting this book for some time - "The Island" by Victoria Hislop - and now it was to be my bed-time reading for the hols. Anyone who loves Greece will love this book - and if you haven't read it yet then do - it's set On Crete over several decades during which time a tiny island off northern Crete - Spinalonga was used as a leper colony. It is so well-written and you feel the characters so intimately, it's so good you can smell Greece from its pages! Then yesterday one of my oldest and bestest friends was round at mine for a haircut and I began talking about the book and of course she'd read it some months ago and had passed it to another friend who loved it so much she then went to Crete and took the little trip over to Spinalonga too! THEN that same night I watched the lovely Francesco dude from Venice doing the ancient Venetian trading route from Venice to Istanbul - I absolutely love him and his documentaries anyway - and on this programme he only bloody well goes to Crete and talks of Spinalonga, goes there, talks lovingly of the Cretan people, visits Rhodes, talks of Symi, visits Leros too before his final destination in Istanbul. Don't you just love it when something like that happens?! Just so life affirming. I desperately want to go to Crete too! One day I'm going to start from Athens and do ALL of the Greek islands. I'll begin the journey in April and will finish in late September by staying a while on Crete having spent a big chunk on Symi of course.

I secretly hoped that Lucy would surprise us from Thessaloniki during our stay on Kos, but she couldn't get away. It was a lovely day-dream though that she would suddenly appear. Lisa and I enjoyed speaking Greek again - hers far more advanced than mine but as I love the Greek language so much it felt good that the local Greek people that we met said that we spoke it very well!

We are home in Leeds and brown-skinned.

Ciao xx