Well just got home last night with mam who is 83yrs and has never been on a plane for 40yrs. She is now another Arillas Addict and would like to thank everyone who made her holiday so memorable.
Mick pushed her every where in her wheelchair and on Wednesday we decided to take mam and our daughter her partner and the 2 little ones up to Afionas so they could see the stunning views. I went to knock on our Daughter as they were staying at the Makris to see if they wanted to come. I stood for about 10 mins banging on the door to get them up with no answer. Just as I was going to leave I heard a little voice shout mam is that you, YES I had been knocking on the wrong apartment door. So if that was any members room I must apologise now, I quickly made an exit while everyone esle thought it was hilarious. I should have known from then it was going to be one of those days after that.
On the way up we went by road, didn't realise how steep it was but we made it, at some points 2 of us pushed, got lots of strange looks, mad English people pushing an old woman in her chair. Well got as far as Panorama and stopped for a nice cold drink, decided at this point we wouldn't go the last bit as it was very hot for mam and our Grandson who is only 4 had had enough. On way back also stopped at Night Owl as Neill was there and had another drink and stroke of Makis the donkey. On the way back we decided to come down the track over looking the sea as it was shaded by the olive trees. It was very steep in places but again we managed until we went around a bend just before you reach the 3 white houses. Our daughter looked in horror as the road had gone and there was an 8ft hole right across the road, there were 2 greek guys laying pipes a huge lorry and an excavator. We looked behind us and realised how steep the road was so couldn't push the wheelchair back up. The 2 workman seen Mick and the children and waved them forward they would help get them over this hole. THEN the look of horror as they saw we had Mam plus chair. They reversed the truck and excavator and got a plank of wood about 8 inches wide which they placed over the hole. The children were helped across then Mick had to get mam out of chair and carry her over the plank he's still got the bruises where she clung on, my job was to get the wheelchair over. The Greek guys were great and we all had a good laugh before we proceeded down the track. By the time we got back to the village we had mam in her chair, our Grandaughter sat on her knee and Grandson stood on the back ha ha. It's a memory that will live with me for ever and one Mam can't wait to tell her friends.
Then to finish the day off we ordered our night time meal, we were all starving after the walk and guess what they forgot my meal. The owner only realised after everyone had almost finished so I declined the offer to make my meal then as I would have been the only 1 eating. Ended up in Coconut where Perry kindly ordered me a pizza take away from San Staphanos. I sat by the dart board with a box as big as the table and it was the best pizza I have ever tasted
Jill
Ah Jill luvver. Thought it could only happen to me! A lovely story. Thanks for taking the trouble to share it. Arillas always has a surprise waiting for you, doesn't it??
Phil
Phil just couldn't believe it. Wish I had taken my video camera could have made a fortune on you've ben framed
Great story Jill, you guys must've been exhausted after that adventure!
Eileenxxx
That must go down as one of the best Arillas adventures! And I have to say guys.....100 out of 10 for effort!
Kostas from Coconut said we are now officially his craziest customers ha ha.
Sandy just seeing her face when everyone came out to say hello to her and when she saw the amazing views will stay with me for ever. She woke up this morning and asked when we are going back, her included. So many people stopped us to congratulate us on taking her, what can I say she's my mam and although it was hard it was wll worth it.
Another memory that will stay with me is we took her for a meal at Captains and she had the roast lamb. I advised her to cut the meat into small pieces so she could enjoy it properly. Next minute she is choking, out flew the false teeth followed by a chunk of lamb, being the caring daughter and son in law we both sat laughing. Once sdhe had stopped coughing she did see the funny sde of it while she recovered her teeth.
She sounds a real character.....bring her next May and we can introduce her to my dad....though don't think he'd be up for pushing her up the hill to Afionas!
Jill
What an adventure you had and your Mam sounds lovely and how caring of those workmen to make sure you could all get accross that hole and what a lovely memorable holiday your mam has had bet she can't wait to go back again
Take Care
Mary X
O what a lovely funny post, I fair enjoyed reading it and could almost see it, you discribed it that well. I not surprised mam can't wait to tell her friends, I can hear the laughter now. A real family story to go down the generations. Love Viv
Have to agree Jill. Kostas used to think PhilandJen were his craziest customers, but he didn't reckon on you lot!!
Someone posted recently that having met us all online, to be an Arilliac you have to be a nudist obsessed with donut man and food. Now we know - you have to be crazy too.
Give mam PhilandJen's best wishes. She sounds justlike our kinda mam.
Phil
Phil would you and Jen like to take her next year???????????????
Would be a reminder of all the times we cared for our ageing mums and dads, and we did a lot of that. We'd be more than happy to sit in the Nut entertaining her! We don't have the legs between us to take her to Afionas though. We can't do that ourselves without a taxi or a lift!
But goodonyer (to quote our mutual friend) for giving her the chance to sample our place. No wonder she wants to go back. Immediately....
love
Phil
Which room were they in at the Makris.We did leave some eggs and tea bags.
Excellent adventure! Surely it could only happen in Corfu!
Terrific stories, Jill, thanks for a good laugh. :D
lynn xx
Loved your memory Jill. It's things like this that make a holiday and you will never forget what happened.
We walked to Afionas up the Heritage Trail starting at helens Taverna. The road was closed to vehicles but walkers could just get through. So far up the hill was a digger and most of the road dug up to a huge depth. Must admit we called this heart attack hill. we stopped on coronary corner to take some video and piccies of Arillas Bay.
Just adored that post, bet that Mam will tell all her friends that one!! x
:D Thank you for sharing Jill :D! I was just reading the post and laughing out loud and my flat mate woke up. Exellent!!
I was so stressed about taking her especially as she had been in hospital the week before but now I am so glad we did it. Took lots of photos and will make her an album to show her friends, but because of her stroke which affected her speach she won't be able to tell her friends exactly what happened so will write it down for her.
Mick is now on protein drinks building himself up for next year, ha ha it might be a walk into Sidari next time.
Our daughter was in room 1 at Makris, fantastic big apartment and with a BATH. Apologies to whoever was in room 3 ha ha ha it was just me not the bailiffs ha ha.
Hello all, we are back as well. Wonderful as always. We spent a week with mick, jill and family and boy did we have some laughs. We all sat at 'geordie corner' in the nut and i think everyone thought we were all mad.(they could be right). Turns out they live not far from us so we will definately be friends for life. They left a week before us and geordie corner was a bit quieter, not much but a little bit. On our last night hannah gave us a shot and said it was from jill. She'd sent a message to her and said pay in may next year! Yammas jill.i'll Only in arillas could you do that!
A funny momemt of our own: we walked down to the pier the other afternoon. Tony decided to sit down for five minutes so i went to join him. I miss judged the height of the step and fell over, i did a few steps backwards and side ways and landed on my back on that little red boat that sits on the left of the pier you can see in dimitris latest beach picture. The boat tipped over and i was covered in dirty sea water and sand. The people lying beside just looked up and gave me a funny. Honest i'd only had a bottle of water. When i see that boat now it'll always be 'my boat'.
Met a few other arilliacs this time, neil, riggers, john and dot, colin w, lisa and lisa and of course dimitri. Roll on next year when we'll go and do it all again. Good times had once again x
Glad you had a good time - but how could you not? I had my first meal at Brouklis as always in August this year.....and imagine my surprise when Dimitris gave me my first retsina and said "That's from Phil", who had paid for it bless him. As you say, only in Arillas.
Glenda wish I had been there with my camera, that would have been 1 for the album. I wouldn't have laughed honest ha ha.
What you forgot to tell everyone is that you have booked up for Albania next year to avoid us.
Jill X
TonynGlenda you sum it all up. Wish we had been in Geordie Corner with yous and Mick and Jill. Many more sides would have split! They are such honest to goodness lovely people, and son Calum thrashes our Eggy at darts - that has to be a bonus!
Ha ha Jill. I thought it was me they all rushed off to Albania to avoid!!
And Sandy dearest, I had planned for it to be a big bottle - you know - a whole litre. It wasn't until I saw your picture of the day with Michelle that I realised Dimitris sells little ones. Oh well, I'll top it up next time
Phil
Phil ove you more and more ha ha Calum is our Grandson but I don't mind you making that mistake.
Jill XXXXXXXXXX
Tonynglenda,
we were among the onlookers and it seemed to happen in slowmotion!! pleased you didn't hurt yourself - could have been nasty. we were sat on beach near horizon, but no camera to hand.
Paul and Nise dears, only 3 posts so far. Just join us and say your thing.
We have never met Tony or Glenda in the flesh, but the same applies to viv and Pete, Lynn and Colin and many, many others. But we all know each other better than "real" friends do.
That is the point of our forum. Yes, windbag Phil has posted over 2000 times, but it is my love of Arillas and ALL of its people (including us tourists) that motivates me.
JustJoinIn!!!
Phil
Hi Paul & Nise I would have paid for a photo of that, thats what happens when you spend most the night in the Nut.
As you know Jill dearest, Jen and me can confirm that. It's when they bring you breakfast you know you have overdone it. We have left the Nut many times when the rest of Arillas is just waking up. Our erja can tesitfy on our behalf, and MaryH and...
Oh well, I'll just go and have a swim in the gorgeous warm sea, and sit and dry off on my bench outside Thalassa watching yet another sunset, then eat Roula's sofrito in Brouklis....
I can dream, can't I?
Phil
Paul and nise i'm pleased you didn't have a camera, i couldn't stop laughing though and didn't think i'd hurt myself but i now have a bruise on my bum. No quips please jill!!
Steve and lisa i apologise. in my post i put lisa and lisa. Sorry steve you are a bit of a big guy to be called lisa.
Ah yes Phil that 1st night we got there and first met you and Jenny face to face and we stayed in the Nut till the sun was about to rise
What a special memory
Love
Mary :)
The best bit Glenda is that now Dimitris has put your profile picture on the forum more people will be saying hey thats the drunk woman that fell off the jetty ha ha. Fancy embarassing Tony like that ha ha do you think if we rerun the webcam we would get to see it.
Love you really ha ha xxxxx
Hi jill, i was hoping no one had noticed but i guess i was wrong. Tony is used to me after all these years. The sad thing was i hadn't had a drink, honest. I think i need to borrow his stick, i seem to have the balance problem.
jill, notice your photo and ours we are leaning into the middle. We must all have a balance problem.
ould well be Glenda, was going to change my photo but when i look at the ones I took they are horrendous ha ha
Well Terry is trying to help me put photos on so this is my tester, if it works you will see Mam and Mick jsut before he had to carry her over the hole, if not you will see nothing ha ha
<a href="http://s414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/sharcandy/?action=view¤t=P1020207.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/sharcandy/P1020207.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
Well that just says it all I'm still useless at putting photos on here ha ha
If you click on it the picture comes up... :)
riggers...
Here is Mick and Jill's Photo. It wouldn't upload properly because it was over 3.4Mb.
I will PM you Jill
(http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n179/terrylwarner/P1020211768x576.jpg)
You're still doing better than me Jill....
Jill That's a lovely photo of your Mam and Mick - she looks like she is thoroughly enjoying herself
Take Care
Mary :)
ha ha Mick was having to lean back to stop the wheelchair running away.
I will get there and then pity help you all I have 10 years worth of photos to share ha ha
Jill
<a href="http://s414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/sharcandy/?action=view¤t=P1020168768x576.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/sharcandy/P1020168768x576.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
I'm still trying lets see if this works ha ha. If it doesn't think I have made a fool of my self that many times might give up
Jill
Jill, you will be posting photos by the weekend. Its a mission now, because 10 years of photos will be worth the wait, and we need to see them
(http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp222/sharcandy/P1020168768x576.jpg)
You are nearly there Jill and what a lovely photo of Mick and mum