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Gerald Osborne |
| Gender: | Female | | Age: | 42 | | Lives in: | Gosfield United Kingdom | | Registered: | 14 June 2004 | | Last visit: | 24 March 2006 |
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| Polychrono Review: Pleased with resort :-) | | Written by Gerald Osborne on 01 Apr 2005 about a trip in Aug 2003.
| Polychrono
HALKIDIKI
14 nights (17 September – 1 October 2003) – Thompson Holidays
THESSALONIKI AIRPORT – as regular travellers to the Greek Islands, we found Thessaloniki airport to be quite organised and easy to negotiate. The coach ride to Polychrono on the Kassandra Peninsular of Halkidiki took about 1½ hours, and was dual carriageway and main roads most of the way.
Polychrono is WASP CITY! There was a huge abundance of wasps everywhere! They were very annoying at first , especially for me with a wasp phobia! The first day I ran off the beach screaming and waving my arms like someone demented! But I got used to them as they weren’t aggressive at all, more inquisitive! They liked to crawl between your toes on the beach which was very annoying. I didn’t get stung at all but my boyfriend got stung when he twitched his toes not realising there was a wasp between them. He said it was not painful though, not as bad as the wasps at home. They are just very annoying if you take any food to the beach. They also buzz round you on the balcony but did not tend to come indoors.
The resort of Polychrono is nice. There are lots of restaurants. By far the best was The Cypriot Restaurant, in a little square opposite a church. The lamb kleftico is not to be missed! My favourite starter was the grilled aubergine with feta & garlic! The owner was lovely, showed me how they seal the lamb kleftico pot with clay and put it in a sealed wood oven (a bit like a traditional pizza oven) for several hours. They always gave you a free dessert or liqueur after dinner. Another good restaurant was EN ENNAS which was on the seafront at the far left of the resort as you face the sea. Another really good restaurant on the seafront (centre of resort) was next to Neferti Garden, but I can’t remember the name. Another nice meal we had was a Greek platter for 2 for 16 euros which was on the seafront a bit further along, can’t remember the name either though!
The only slightly disappointing one was TULIP. The food was OK but a bit “processed”. My partner & I both chose a different chicken dish, when they came they were both deep fried breaded chicken gougons with tinned veg & chips, the only difference between the 2 meals was one had a sauce on which was a bit like condensed mushroom soup. But there are enough restaurants to eat somewhere different every night of your fortnights holiday.
The beach was nice, narrow but long. The centre section was all sunbeds & parasols but each end was clear for people to use their own mats/towels etc. As you face the sea, the right hand end was stonier and dirtier, quite a lot of litter. But the left hand end was nice. Sandy with a few areas of stones, and little fishing boats on the sand. A nice fisherman let up put our lilo’s under his boat for safe keeping every night! We had a chat with him most afternoons, even though neither of us spoke Greek and he didn’t speak English! There are some beautiful stones to collect along the waters edge. The sea turned a beautiful opaque pearlised lilac colour at sunset. Almost like a petrol sheen on a puddle!
car hire – shop around – Limonia in the top street wanted 120 euros for 3 days, yet the place right near to it down the side street next to it was 90 euros for air conditioned Hyundai Atos for 3 days.
SHOPPING – there are a few supermarkets in the resort but we hired a car and took a trip to LIDL’s to do most of our fortnights shopping in one go. Everything is about one third or half the price of resort shops. You can stock up on all foodstuffs, fruit juices, milk, suncreams (we paid 49 cents for some Factor 12! BARGAIN!). LIDL’s is located on the main road back towards the airport, approx 20km from Polychrono, the next exit past the Moudania. Coming from Polychrono you can’t see LIDL’s as its on the left and hidden. Come off on the right hand exit and turn left to cross the bridge over the main road. LIDL’s is right there on the left. You probably saw it when coming from the airport to the resort. There is also another LIDL’s just inside the ring road in Thessaloniki.
Very near here are the caves of Petralona, very worth a visit. Only about 3.5 euros entry. They are apparently 3 million years old!? Remains of early man have been found here, and there are some models of what life would have been like then. The traces of fire from about 1 million years ago are the oldest found on earth! The stalactites and stalagmites are breathtaking! In fact you do get a bit breathless as the oxygen is a bit thin! They tell you not to take photos in the caves, but the guide does not follow you round so there are opportunities to take a quick snap, as the postcards were expensive and dreadful pictures! I really regretted not sneaking a photo or two, as the postcards just don’t do it justice. The temperature in the caves is approx 16 degrees C, so are not chilly. With your ticket you also get free entry into the museum nearby, which exhibits finds from the cave.
Also quite near is ancient Olynthos, and ancient city from 3000 BC. About 3 or 3.5 euros entry. It was really interesting. Situated on a small hill, it is a town of square dwellings all in rows of specific width and blocks of 10 houses, with drainage pipes and water pipes which brought water from a source some km’s away. You can see the ancient baths and the mosaics are amazing, all designed from tiny pebbles. Do not miss out on visiting Olynthos!
We also drove round the next peninsular of Sithonia. We found a deserted beach called Spathies which we then went back to again for a day. We were the only one’s in that cove all day, apart from a few people walking along the shore. It was beautiful, clear calm sea, golden sands, and surrounded by trees. Spathies can be found at the top of Sithonia peninsular, on the west coast, just south of Nikiti. From the main beach walk west (to the right as you face the sea) and you will find a little deserted cove! Skinny dipping catered for!
I would have liked to go on the boat trip round Mount Athos but my partner didn’t want to, but I would definitely do this if we ever go back to Halkidiki, as the pictures of the monasteries look lovely.
All in all we really liked Halkidiki and I wouldn’t dismiss coming here again. The resort of Polychrono is most suitable for couples, families and older people, although the Villa Panorama would not be suitable for those with mobility problems. I would not recommend the resort for the “young & lively!” |
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