It’s strange how quickly time comes around. Before we knew it we were back on a plane again heading home to the UK to catch-up with friends and family and of course heading over to the Island of Skiathos in Greece for Simon and Lucie’s big fat Greek wedding!
The flight home was a comfortable one, and we were greeted at the airport by mum and dad and close to 30 degree heat. Finally some warmth after experiencing our first few weeks of an Australian winter! It felt weird leaving Australia in the cold and heading home to sunny England, but we can’t really complain having experiencing two summers in one year! Our first stop was a Barry lunch at the Tudor Rose in Sittingbourne, despite battling through some jet-lag (waking up at 4am in the morning for the first few days) we both managed to spend some quality time catching up with uncles, aunts and cousins.
After being back in Kent for a few days or so we headed north to Cambridge to catch up with The Murray’s. We headed out for a few meals and spent some time in the city whilst still coming to terms with the change in time zone. By the end of the week I think we had finally shook any signs of jet-lag off and I headed back to Kent to take part in the Charing 10km with Matt (which I found a huge struggle) but before we knew it the second Sunday had come around and it was time to head for the Airport to catch our flight over to the Island of Skiathos.
Sophie was kind enough to drop me, Gemma and Matt off at the airport and as we said our goodbyes it was time to say some more hello’s as we started bumping into friends and family of Simon and Lucie’s in the airport, the wedding party were on there way! Arriving on Europe’s shortest runway – we were greeted by a Greek downpour but knew the weather wasn’t going to stay like this for long. Upon getting to the car hire pickup point, the lady behind the counter asked me where we staying, I said ‘Entechnos Living’ and she kind of laughed and asked if I wanted an upgrade. Having preemptively booked the cheapest car option, I duly obliged and paid the extra €35 to the next model – a Toyota Aureis – still not a powerful car but a huge improvement on the Seat Mii we had initially decided on.
Driving up to our apartment in the pouring rain was certainly an experience! The steep single roads with tight turns in the rain were a challenge and by the time we got up to our apartment “Entechnos Living” it felt like it was half way up mount doom. I’m surprised we didn’t arrive to see Gollum and Sam fighting outside as Frodo was checking in. Needless to say the views over the island were spectacular and we realised we had bagged an absolute bargain. That evening the three of us headed down to the main town and managed to get some bearings and a €3.50 kebab and beer!
In the lead-up to the wedding, we spent the first full day exploring some of the surrounding islands on a days boat trip which enabled us to spend some quality time with the wedding party. Snorkelling, seeing the sights, dolphins and trying some greek food. We had fully settled in within the first 24 hours, that evening we headed out to a restaurant and me and Matt were tucking into some lamb chops – although when I say lamb chops it was more chopped up lamb – picking through my lamb I paused and thought I had an eyeball on my plate, on a closer inspection it actually turned out to be a knee-cap! Safe to say it has put me off meat for a little while – but I’m slowly reducing the level of red meat and poultry I am eating – but that’s another story!
Day 2 and we were on to the day before the wedding, we headed down to the islands most popular beach to hang out with some more of the wedding party. Before doing so, Matt and Firas (best man) hired some quad bikes for the day… we drove down to the beach with the two boys leading the way with me and Gemma in the car behind. Making it to the beach safe and sound, me and Gem got a chance to take the quads round the dirt car park for a spin. Having quad biked in the welsh mountains previously I had already seeked my thrill on a previous adventure – but for Matt and Firas it was the first time and me and Gem could tell how excited they were!
Simon (Groom) shortly joined us after spending the morning with Lucie sorting out some final wedding plans. After a couple of hours on the beach playing some frisbee and ball games we headed out for some lunch to a local restaurant. Again, me and Gem in the Toyota and Matt on one Quad and Firas and Simon on the other. Lunch was done and we decided to head back to the beach – although Simon had to be returned back to the hotel for some more final wedding prep. Instead of course us dropping him back, the boys decided to venture off on the quads to get their money’s worth and they headed back to the hotel to drop Simon off, while me and Gem head back to the beach.
We got back to the beach and a couple of hours passed and still no sign of a return from Matt and Firas. Ben (Simon’s friend) then received a call from Simon which he then relayed to us “Simon told me not to tell anyone, but he needs me to go and find them as they’ve had a bit of an accident and need the use of the 4×4 (that Ben had hired for the week) and some rope”. The vagueness didn’t help us, but what had transpired was that they had taken a longer route back to the hotel, up into the mountains and Simon feeling uneasy on the back of Firas’s quad had switched to Matt’s.
30 seconds after doing so they had both ended up down a slope lodged in a bush with a quad bike on top of Matt.
Luckily enough no bones were broken, Simon came away with a scratch on his arm but Matt took a beating with scrapes, cuts and bruises all over his body.
Note to self (and anyone else) – leave quad-biking to after any major life event, not the day before.
The quadbike was eventually pulled out after many attempts from the boys, family members and eventually the owner of the quad bike rental shop. That night me and Gem headed down to the town for some dinner where we finally met up with Firas and Matt after they had finished dealing with the quad bike rental place.
Day 3 – the big day was here, the wedding day! That morning we hung around the pool, the weather was the hottest it had been all week and before we knew it, me, Matt and Gemma headed down to the hotel to meet with Simon and Firas to get suited and booted rags . It was the first time I had been actually involved to some extent in a wedding and I was honoured that Simon had asked me to be a groomsman for him. As we got suited up the photographer was taking photo’s and suddenly it was all becoming more and more real, I can’t imagine what was going through Simon’s head but when he spotted Lucie walking towards him you could tell how much they are both made for one another.
Simon and Lucie chose the best day weather wise as the sun shone down on us in the courtyard and the ceremony was perfect. The whole venue was so special looking out to the sea as we listened to the risqué speeches from the father of the bride, the groom and the best man. The food was delicious, tasting some of Skiathos finest cuisine and the drinks and dancing flowed right through to the early hours of the following day. Only interrupted by a minor downpour that forced all the guests into the hotel. But wow what a day! One I will certainly remember for a long time.
Our remaining time in Skiathos was flying by, we found some time to explore Kastro, one of the first settlements on the island and still quite a few remnants of an old fortification. We also managed to get another boat tour in and another few days on the beach chilling out and catching some rays.
We flew home that Sunday afternoon, knowing that we only had two weeks left in the England before we headed back to Australia, as we knew we’d see this time fly by we made the most of it by spending time with families and friends. I got some good old Kent sunshine in and a few trips to the seaside with Mum and Dad for some fish and chips, I also spent some time with Matt and Sophie trekking some of the north downs way from Ashford to Canterbury. Me and Gemma caught up with Simon and Lucie back in Bedford to spend some time with them post wedding I managed to make it to the Maccabees farewell tour in Alexandra palace with some uni friends and me and Gemma managed to see Future Islands in Cambridge – both were awesome gigs!
To all our friends and family, the time we spent with you so was special and we love you very much. As sad as it was to say our goodbyes again, it’s time to continue our adventure, because in no time at all, we will be back again…
Tom