This is the third of their properties we have stayed in, and each one is different and as wonderful as the other. Thalia has the same traditional Pelion design basis, with solid construction, lovely stone tile floors downstairs, wooden ceilings, high quality fittings, well appointed and stocked kitchen, etc. as the other houses, but Stathis has brought a slightly more modern feeling to Thalia by using pale wood where possible – floors, cabinets, and so on – which means the house has a brighter sensation, particularly noticeable early in the season (we were there for two weeks over the Greek Easter period). This modernity is complimented by the locally handmade bedroom furniture and fittings, and also downstairs including the ‘office’, and the kitchen cabinets. Stathis has obviously inherited much of his mother’s interior design flair to accompany his architectural skills achieved by following his father!
A benefit of visiting Pelion at Easter was the emergence of stunning carpets of wild flowers, along with the trees bursting into leaf, and – a real bonus – the sight and sound of the birds; we saw a golden eagle hovering over the hillside, heard a cuckoo (which we have not heard at home for several years) and (to Norma’s delight) a nightingale began his rehearsals for the mating season in the ravine close by the house.
The weather was cool at night, but there was plenty of wood which soon warmed us up, and most of the days were bright and sunny if not always warm due to a cool breeze at times; however, we did see a temperature of 27C recorded at nearby Volos! All the beaches were deserted but we did not venture this time to test the sea temperature. Travelling over to the eastern side via the ski centre at Chania we encountered deep drifts of snow at the roadsides, left by the significant falls that had occurred a few days before we arrived.
The view from Thalia is one of its most compelling features. We sat and soaked it up for hours. Even at night the clarity of the sky when the few clouds dispersed was stunning; the moon and Venus, together with lots of other stars were clear and sharp and undimmed by light pollution.
Having spent the previous September in the house just below Thalia, and planted a few vegetables in the patch between the two houses, we were honoured to be able to pick and use the last of the crops! To give Stathis a good start for the current year’s production, we cleared the ground and prepared it for the crops soon to be planted.