Jon's Hols

So, back to reality..groan..Oh well, time at least for me to record and reminisce about events over the last 8 days.

Arrived in Gouves fairy late Tuesday evening. Had a comfortable stay at the Gatwick Belmont Hotel on the Monday and a reasonably pleasant flight to Heraklion. It was quite late by the time I arrived at the Klio apartments, and I was hungry and in need of beer, so I literally dropped my bags in my room and headed on out. It was my third time in the resort and my second time at this hotel, so I knew my way around.

I had timed my holiday to provide a week of rest and relaxation after the Swindon half marathon (which proved quite prescient of me - more on that later). At the same time however, I was aware there would always be disadvantages to going away so late in the season.

This became manifest on the first evening - the place appeared to be a ghost town. Most of the bars were dead. The bar where I had previously spent so many happy evenings, run by a friend of mine, Stavros, was closed down. As was the Blue Sky restaurant, on the main strip, where I had enjoyed so many excellent meals. I found somewhere else to eat (also very good) and headed back to the bar at my hotel. Experience has taught me that a big night out on the first night is rarely a success, as the alcohol hits you so much harder after the travelling.

An Englishman, Peter, now ran the bar at the Klio. It transpired there were more brits living in Gouves now, something that doesn't surprise me one iota. Peter told me of his reasons for leaving the UK (I'm sure you can all guess correctly) and his plans for the future. I had kept Stavros' number in case I ever decided to jack it all in here (or if I got made redundant and had nothing to lose) and sell up and move out there.

Whilst I have put such ideas on hold while I attempt to train for a marathon and give my writing a go, I haven't given them up entirely.

The next day I set out to explore a bit more. There was a new bar on the seafront but apart from that the place was much the same. I headed to the Porto restaurant, which was still being run by a German lady, Renate, who remembered me from my last two visits. Sadly I didn't see much more of her as she closed for the winter a couple of days later.

Later on I asked Peter where was good to eat. He suggested, among other places, the Pella restaurant on the seafront. I went in there on the third day, found a table outside and when my waiter arrived, I looked up to see none other than Stavros, who I had mentioned earlier! He had given up the bar and was now on his own, having separated from his wife, and was working quite contentedly at the restaurant.

This made a big difference to the holiday. I ate at the Pella every evening for the rest of the week (as well as at 5pm on the last day before my pick-up). Whilst I actually quite enjoy holidaying alone (ok, I'd prefer it if Scarlett Johansson came with me, but that's just not the hand that life has dealt me, is it??) I really hate eating alone in a busy restaurant. So the fact that Stavros could sit with me, have a chat and share a raki made all the difference.

Another of my old haunts was still open and had some of the old staff: the Blue Sky cafe bar on the beach. As before, I ate breakfast there (usually at about noon) as you can sit at one of the tables on the beach. I also started having a late lunch and early afternoon beers there, as the view was so nice. Oh, and you could look out to sea which was also quite pleasant..

And so after I had settled in the days just kind of melted into one another and followed a similar pattern. I went for a lot of walks - one thing I love about Gouves is the coastline - a mixture of sandy beaches, rocky coves and craggy edges. I always enjoy walking along the rocks and looking into the little pools for little fishes and crabs - I guess it just reminds me of seaside holidays as a little boy, a time when life was so less complicated and stressful.

I tried running a couple of times but it never really came off. I didn't really feel normal until about a week after the race, which shows how hard I pushed myself. I think I can be very proud of my efforts in the Swindon Half Marathon.

As always, a lot of my time was devoted to reading. As Stephen King says, the only way to become a good writer is to "read a lot, write a lot". It's especially important to steep yourself in the genre to which you aspire. My week was lit up especially by reading Lisa Jewell's "Vince & Joy" and Mike Gayle's "Brand New Friend". (I bet I'm one of the few people who can remember the hit song by Lloyd Cole of the same name!).

I'll write more about these two books and their authors later, but suffice it to say I'd recommend them to anyone who is an old romantic at heart. For my money, Mike Gayle is unparalleled in his insight into human emotions and Lisa Jewell's latest offering, like many of her previous ones, is just a masterpiece in story telling. Whilst I fully believe I can write a novel worth publishing, I know I have a lot to do if I ever want to be in the same pantheon as these two fine, fine authors.

Before I knew it, the week was over and the last day was upon me. I told myself not to get upset and try to enjoy it as if it were the first – which I did. I never seem to learn – one week is just too short. A lot of people return to Gouves regularly, for reasons, which should by now be obvious. Stavros told me that one of the people I met on my first visit, Cameron, had been to Gouves no less than three times this season, each time for two weeks!

Maybe I’ll return to Gouves for two weeks next year. Right now I can’t think of a single reason why I shouldn’t.