Page 8 - NOVEMBER 3 , 2016 - martensville messenger
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Shoulder Season in the Greek Islands
Submitted by Dean Johnston
In Saskatchewan we tend to look at vacations in one of two ways : 1 ) As a winter getaway to escape from the snow and cold and dangerously low Vitamin D levels . 2 ) Time for summer fun at the lake - golfing , boating , barbequing and happily allowing good weather to justify our day drinking .
However , not every destination worth visiting is either a northern lake full of anglers and kids on tubes or a smoking hot beach at its best between December and March . In fact , there are certain places that not only can be visited in the shoulder seasons of spring and fall , but may even be better for being slightly out of season . The Greek islands are definitely one of those places . And , sure , October occasionally offers up some surprisingly great fall weather back in Canada . But , as you may or may not be aware , it can also occasionally offer up a freezing , blizzardy version of hell . Saskatchewan weather doesn ’ t like to be pigeon-holed .
The 200 or so inhabited Greek islands form a tremendous array of rocky bubbles on the endless blue of the Mediterranean Sea . Easily accessible from anywhere in Europe and boasting a mild climate , beautiful beaches , extraordinary scenery and a bevy of whitewashed architecture , they have been tourist hotspots for thousands of years , going all the way back to the times when tourists still wore togas and beheaded Phoenicians on a whim . Or you can go even further back into Greek mythology to learn that illustrious - although still imaginary - characters such as Zeus , Poseidon and
Aphrodite also frequented the islands for leisure , love and the occasional quest to save the world . And now , just like then , there is so much variety that it ’ s easy to find the perfect match for any interest . All the original highlights – beautiful beaches , clear blue water and scenic trails – have more recently been joined by scuba diving , international cuisine and , of course , a few islands where you can indulge your long-running passion for foam parties .
The vast majority of visitors arrive in July and August when , rumour has it , some of the hiking trails can resemble mall escalators , the popular sunset spots intriguing crime scenes , and the best of the beaches smoky , crowded bingo halls . Late September and early October , on the other hand , allow you to miss the worst of the crowds while still enjoying good weather , warm water and practically unlimited opportunities to get sunburnt . So if you ’ re like me and prefer your weather warm but not hot , like freshly-baked bread , or the rivets on the jeans you just took out of the dryer , then autumn is the perfect time for you . The rain doesn ’ t start in earnest until November , so you can savor moderate temperatures with almost unlimited sun , and there is no need to worry about hotels filling up or jockeying for a seat on the bus . Hotel prices drop by 50 % or more , many day tours will be discounted and outside the easiest and most accessible trails it isn ’ t surprising to walk all day without crossing paths with another hiker .
Of course , there are a few minor downsides – some restaurants and hotels will be shutting down for the season , menus are occasionally limited and ferry services are reduced – but , on the other hand , you never have to wait for a table and should have your pick of the beach loungers . In the end , there are pros and cons to travelling to any tourist destination out of season and it really depends on your priorities as to whether the good ( fewer people , sales on ice cream ) outweigh the bad (“ no ferry until next Thursday ”, “ sorry , we ’ re out of meat ”). One thing you can count on , though , is that off-season travel will always be a unique and memorable experience .
Five Things 1 . In Greece , Greek salads are actually known as , well , Greek salads . Which sort of feels like something they do for our benefit . 2 . When pronounced poorly , the Greek word for “ thank you ” can sound alarmingly profane , especially to café baristas . 3 . Not everyone in Greece smokes , but the ones who do will definitely all be sharing the table next to you . 4 . In early October the average high is around 23 , the average low is around 19 and the average weight of a human head is 11 pounds , just like it is in July . 5 . If someone giving you directions tells you to turn at the white church / house / shop / wall , they are probably screwing with you .
Dean Johnston is the author of Random Acts of Travel : Featuring Trepidation , Hammocks and Spitting and Behind the Albergue Door : Inspiration Agony Adventure on the Camino de Santiago . He was recently in the Greek islands right now , and wrote about specific islands in more detail at routinelynomadic . com . Pretty handy coincidence , wouldn ’ t you say ?
ABOVE : Nazos BELOW : Folegandros
Affinity Credit Union Awards Winners
Shanine Sealey , Martensville Messenger The Martensville , Warman and Dalmeny Affinity Credit Union branches celebrated Credit Union Days October 20th . Through this , they collected donations from a wide variety of local businesses and made a basket for each branch to use as a prize . The winner of the Martensville basket was Kristen Almen , Warman branch was Ray Kneeland and the Dalmeny winner was Melissa Brown . Affinity Credit Union would like to thank the following businesses for their generous donations : In Martensville - Your Dollar Store with More , A & W , Boston Pizza , SAS Flowers , Pharmasave , Headstart Hair Design , Martensville Building & Home Supply , Thrift Store , Subway , Crystal Car Wash , Soul Power Fitness . In Warman - AG Autobody , Warman Truck and Trailer , Kessler Agencies , Family Pizza , Crystal Springs Convenience Store , Wagon Wheel , Pro Sport , Prairie Chicks , Prairie Spirit School Division , Legends Golf Course , Freaky Clean , Valley Parts and Service . In Dalmeny - Dalmeny Agencies , Indoc Industries , Dalmeny AG Foods , Dalmeny Pharmacy .
ABOVE : The Martensville Affinity Credit Union prize winner Kristen Almen .