17th October, 2007

Lights out at about 9.30. Woke at 8.00. Is that enough sleep? I think so. Struggled not to get water all over the bathroom floor, but the shower isn't designed that way. Now at breakfast deciding between chocolate pudding and chocolate cake. M opted for cake. I am about to eat a crispy creamy turnover and a cinnamon scroll. I have a boiled egg for later on. Had some plain yoghurt and honey with kiwifruit and plum. Orange juice, self-squeezed. We are on the hunt for hot springs atain today, aiming at Paleohori. If we don't find them, well, I'll go home and have a hot bath! Will have seen a lot of Milos - all that can be seen by car, that is. The world looks very different by water, I think.

About 3 pm now. A very satisfactory trip to Paleohori Beach. It was pretty much deserted apart from a couple of blokes sitting at the cafe - Volcanic Foods. Michael and I walked up the length of the beach and I decided it was definitely the place for a swim. I got into my togs in a sheltered cover, and swam. The water is lovely - clear and blue. Had my goggles so saw a few little fish. I swam to some rocks, around some buoys, then came out again. Asked a local (at the cafe) where the hot sprints might be found. "Out there" he gestured, from right to left. "How far out?" "About ten metres" he said. I'd been out a good fifty metres, and no sign of any heat. I am good at finding heat, usually! There was a strong smell of sulphur, though, and areas where if I imagined hard enough it might have been a tad warmer. I went back in and swam some more, and some more. The step count will be low, but the stroke count will be high! The rock cliffs were multicoloured with volcanic activity, the sea and the sky a deep deep blue, the water perfect. Michael had a bench to sit on - blue, with the name SIROCCO in white. He was happy. I was in heaven. I lay on the warm dark sand in the sun. A few others came down but I largely had the ocean to myself - they just dipped briefly.

We returned to the hotel. M went hunting and returned with smoked beef and prosciutto, bread, tomato, baba ganoush, coca cola, plums and chocolate for lunch. We are now on our balcony. He has the IHT, shoes off. The water is sparkling. Life is awfully good.

She natated forth and back, while I kept watch, mostly on a book. We left about 1.30 pm and by then maybe a dozen swimmers, subathers had assembled, including some Greeks, one who brought two dogs who yapped at the water. Katester seemed to have a good time. It is 4.30 and I have retreated indoors from the balcony - too hot.

But he didn't retreat for long because he's still out there and it is 5.45. A light breeze keeps it from being too hot. I have finished my book (A Long Way Home, but Mary K. Pershall) and done the word jumble. Soon I am to be despatched to one of the three or four bakeries for spinach pie or cheese pie or whatever for dinner. The step count is barely over three thousand (3488) so the expedition will give me a few extras. It is very peaceful. What a relaxing day.

I drew the view from our balcony, making it a little more abstract than usual. Experimenting.





This is a photo of same view:



And this is a little drawing of the corner of our hotel room. It was a charming room in a lovely hotel.