When you've been working hard all year and the old body is starting to show signs of protest, you are best advised to find a quiet warm place to wind down and recharge your batteries. So when my Sister in Law Barbara rang with a great deal on Zakynthos it didn't take long to dust off the passports and book with First Choice. Two weeks at the Zante Maris Hotel in Tsilivi on a half board basis in the last week of October and the first week in November.
The check in and flight from Manchester went smoothly and for the third time we've visited this Island we stepped off the plane at Zante Airport that lovely Mediterranean sun greeted us with the warm welcome atmosphere that always lingers over the island. The Hotel was no more than a thirty minute coach journey and after travelling since the early hours of the morning it was a pleasure to check in at mid day in a matter of minutes, a pleasant change and a taste of things to come from this hotel.
Our room was lovely with a nice balcony and sea view so we were all set for a first week of chill, chill and more chill. The Hotel was on the renowned Tsilivi Beach with plenty of sun beds but our first experience of the Euro exchange rate hit us when we flopped our tired bodies on them. Four Euro's each was a pretty steep charge as a Euro was now worth one Pound Stirling. So that was sixteen pounds for four of us adding up to one hundred and twelve pounds for the week. The Hotel beds around the pool were free but there's no substitute for having the sea lapping round your toes so it was a matter of "ah well, we're on our holibobs, so what!"
I think this is the time to unload all my frustrations over the credit crunch at this point and then we can move on to better things. Food, drink and all the other stuff that goes into making your holiday tick over is bloody expensive now. If you are anywhere in Europe where the currency is the Euro you will need very, very deep pockets. .Our worst spend came in the "Best View on the Island" restaurant which overlooks Zante Town - two beers and two freshly squeezed Orange  drinks for a princely twenty four Euro's!!! 
Right rant over so what can the Zante Maris Hotel offer. Good food, fantastic staff, comfortable surroundings, decent entertainment (most of the time), nice pools and broadband in your room if you want it. (pretty slow but so is everything else in Greece)
During the second week as we always do we hired a car, from Bluebird Care Hire on the main street of Tsilivi, a very pleasant guy was most helpful and the car was excellent. This enabled us to visit the Lofos Restaurant which I wrote about in my earlier blog about Zante. We still have to catch our breath when we sit down on the terrace to enjoy a little genuine Greek fare and a glass of local wine, the view and the tranquillity is mesmerising.
It came as a huge and pleasant surprise when we ventured over to the next village, Fioro where the ΨHƩTAPIA Restaurant it to be found below the Church. Not easy to find but if you cast your eyes to the top of the hills overlooking Alikes you can see the Church at the top. These are without doubt the most spectacular views on the Island (unless you know different - 360 degree uninterrupted view from the church tower or just walk round the church yard and enjoy.
We moved on over the mountains on narrow roads to the village of Volimes where there are a number of  local lace and gift shops and a couple of nice taverna's and then on to the smugglers wreck. Now there are many stories about the rusting old wreck on the fabulous beach of Navagio but the truth is, 20 odd years ago a coaster carrying contraband (cigarettes), was wrecked and washed up on the beach which has gradually grown up around it. This beach itself is only accessible by boat but if you follow the crowds and road signs you can get great photographs from the viewing platform high above it.
We decided the next day to visit Laganas and take a boat trip to see the famous Loggerhead Turtles (latin Caretta Caretta). For a fiver each we had a great trip and were lucky to see the turtles swimming in the clear blue sea. It's a great time to visit Laganas when all the Neanderthals have have left the Island. So back to Zante Town and a trip to the other Lofos Restaurant advertised on tatty boards all round the town as The Best View on the Island. We found it easily enough and the view over Zante town is pretty impressive but way down the pecking order for best views. What was impressive was being charged  24 pounds for a beer, a coffee and two fresh orange drinks... Beware!!   Back at the hotel we were looking forward to Hayley Belle's entertainment in the evening. Having seen her the previous week we all agreed she was the pick of all the artists we had seen. A superb vocalist and a very entertaining young lady to boot, getting her audience involved and generally lighting the place up. (see my MUSIC page to download a track off her Album - permission was agreed with Hayley). The Greek dancers were also excellent and with the help of Hotel manager Dritan who was an absolute star, they put on a superb show.
The Hotel staff are unbelievably helpful, just chech out the reviews in Holiday Truths or Trip Advisor - all good. On the Greek night as if to prove just how friendly this place is, Mr Christos Xenos the Hotel owner (he owns six more on Zante) got up and danced a Greek Classic with his daughter. He was such a nice guy and would often join the guests at the bar or in the restaurant.
In Tsilivi we had a night out at the Paradise Bar on the Main Street because we heard Elvis Presley was performing live. Oh what a night!! Elvis was brilliant, everyone was kettled, the drinks flowed, sparklers and fireworks were going off everywhere and one girl had he Playboy "rabbits ears" set on fire - utter madness but quite memorable and a must visit place - the waiters are quite mental....
During the first week I met a fellow Man City fan, Dave Monaghan, in a bar when we were both out watching City play Villa. Dave was on his umpteenth visit to the Zante Maris and on this one was to marry his fiancé Debby. It doesn't matter where I visit I always meet nice people somewhere on the way and a nicer couple you couldn't wish to meet. I saw the wedding on the beach and they were surrounded by family and friends, many who they had met here over the years. You see the top and bottom of our visit here is summed up by the number of people who come here year after year and why not. You discouver new things each time you come and having met these people it may just encourage us to return next year, that sounds good to me....
As usual the airport was the only downer, emptying my wallet in the restaurant didn't come as a shock, no different to anywhere else but, why do we keep falling for it? 

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      Posted on 22/11/2009     More Pictures to come during the next week