Xrysos Asteria

Andreas has made still more improvements to his expanded beach empire this spring and now more than ever it feels just like a rather select private country club with its own beach. In May it is wonderfully almost empty but fully staffed.

May 17th is early in the year for Greeks to visit the beach and none would think of going into the sea just yet - August is early enough for most. It's early for us too but since the brother and the borther's family left we have had unseasonably warm and dry weather - and it's been sunny too so we drifted down there this afternoon ostensibly for a mid-session frappe. Mind you we popped the beach bag into the boot - just in case.

Andreas and Mrs Andreas were their usual charming and welcoming selves - as were the rest of the charming and friendly staff - most back for a third or fourth season. We worked it out while lounging and supping a frappe - it is our tenth year using XA as our preferred beach venue and in those years we have seen the daughters - theirs and ours - grow from sweet if spunky girl children into young ladies.

The combination of sunshine, solitude, cerulean sea, and clean sand drew us down to the sun beds where we consumed a pair of dodgy sixties British pulp novels sourced from the CIC secondhand shop in Xania for 40 lepta a piece.

This, my friends and readers, is bliss.

There is a description of how Asteria used to be here: http://classic.spymac.com/blogs/blog_show_entry.php?entry=117294