Skyros Blog
24.2 miles covered on foot along the cobbled streets and stone bridges.
2052 calories burnt from all the walking.
345, 809 calories eaten in pizza, pasta and gelato (approximately).
9 very happy people enjoying another Skyros Holiday.
Have you ever sat on the edge of the Lido looking at the sunrise over Venice while a stranger sings and holds chakra-balancing tuning forks beside your ears? No? Well you are missing out! For something that, admittedly, sounds bonkers it’s a refreshing and relaxing way to wake up in the morning. Susie Self is an opera singer, composer, my roommate, and creator of Subtle Sound Immersion – the morning course on our Skyros in Venice holiday. The process is meditative and holds the possibility of finding your answers – I found it a delightful way to start the day.
The holiday was lead by the jovial Michael, his walking tours took us off the beaten track – we saw the quiet, empty streets of Venice that were often more beautiful than the tourist traps. He is a walking guidebook, giving us only the very best bits of colourful Venetian history; drawing attention to key architecture and painting a picture of both grandeur and hard-nosed business. It’s easy to take beauty for granted when surrounded by it at every turn - but each slab of marble, huge fresco, and every stone sculpture had to be shipped in through the narrow canals, Michael helped us realise how remarkable it is that Venice even exists.
Our afternoons were free to explore the sights, sounds and foodie delights of the city. And eat I did, I have always loved Italian food and my colleagues could tell from my delighted countdown (“only a week to go, I’m so excited about all the food!”) that food was a priority. The seafood in Venice was top notch, there were few meals that did not involve some frutti di mare , the highlight a lobster tagliatelle that I would happily swim back to Venice for. Others went for a less carb-heavy approach: huge seabass on a bed of roasted vegetables, steak cooked to perfection and tuna steaks an inch thick – Venice is certainly a gastronomic delight. I have never been anywhere quite like Venice, it feels safe and clean – the shadowed, narrow alleys do not feel threatening but enticing as you get happily lost, knowing that the friendly Italians will point you in the right direction when a puzzled tourist asks “vaporetto?” It’s a stunning city and a feat of engineering, “Her palaces are crumbling to the shore” expressed Lord Byron in the early 1800’s (one of Michael’s thoughts for the day), it feels that way now, the Palazzo listing to the right and slightly swaying but continuing to outlive us all. Venice is a powerhouse of art, culture, history and food and I cannot wait to visit again. Thank you to Skyros Holidays for another wonderful experience.
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