It's been a while but here it is folks, update time!

Well its been over 2 weeks since my last update but that can't be helped, the lovely Helen was here so it was HOLIDAY TIME!

Was so good to have Helen back here. Its a very tough time at the moment for us what with me being out here and Helen being in the UK and thats just the least of the worries, our house is ready to move in to and Helen has to do it all alone which is bad on my part as i should be there to help her but the bar has been going so good if i had closed it to go home for a few days it could ruin the good start i've had but i know in my mind i really should be in the UK but i worry for my business also as the seasons are getting harder as the bad economy continues so to be having a great season in bad times its difficult to close, my heart is caring but my head is to business minded. But the most importnat thing is Helen has to deal with her mother being ill in hospital and i feel so helpless here when she needs my support in this very difficult time for her mum and her family, i can only imagine the distress and pain they are all going through.

So on to our holiday, well where didnt we go, here, there and everywhere. In fact we did so much i've forgotten half of it but i will give you the highlights. We have been to the little villages of Loucha and Yiri(Giri) quite a few times on my own so decided to show Helen these beautiful places. Now when i first went there it was like "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" as i drove through this tiny village of cobbled streets doors would open then quickly shut again like when Clint Eastwood rode through that town in Mexico on his mule, i checked my phone, no signal, AAAGGGH! I'm going to be killed and no one will know where i am as i haven't told anyone. I had a vision of me being shot by a moustached guy and left for dead on the streets.

But in fact after taking Helen there its a really friendly place, well it looks it now and only saw one person who was the taverna owner and he looked like the sales assistant out of Mr. Ben but without the Feze hat, why was that sales assistant wearing a feze? So we decided to order some lunch, i had the roast chicken as they didnt have the roast lamb and Helen had Beef in a tomatoe sauce and to go along with my main meal i ordered some Saganaki (fried cheese) plus 2 soft drinks, don't drink and drive kids its not big and its not clever. Out comes the mains, portions very small but no sign of my starter, never mind i'm sure it will arrive soon, Helens meal was so good and mine started off well, nice hot chicken, oh now its cold, ah now its frozen, only the top layer of meat was cooked, GREAT! Saganaki come after my main but at least that tasted good, time for the bill as no prices on blackboard menu, 26€. At that time when i read the bill he may as well shot me and left me for dead as it felt like i'd been robbed LOL.

The taverna where Mr. Bens sales assitant works in Yiri during the summer.

On another one of our tours we went to Exa Hora where the oldest olive tree is and then ate at the Grill Taverna at St. Nicholas Port where this time i had Octopuss on the grill and boy did i get large tentacles, i said TENTACLES, its the mind it goes in to LOL. They were so good, really soft and not chewy and the grill smoked flavour just made them heaven.

I had already eaten some by the time i took the pic.

Now where else, wish Helen was here to remind me, minds going you see, old age. Oh yes went to Paradosiako Taverna in Alykes and that was beautiful food with a nice location and good prices better than the robbing git in Yiri but we did order Courgette Balls starter and out come village sausage and i'm glad it did as never had them cooked the way they did in a lemon oil sauce mmmmmm. Drove on through to Alykanas where we stopped off at our good Friends Redskins (John & Sue) and once again busy in there and still the best ice cream i've ever tasted and i've tasted it in Italy home of ice cream, and even if i do say so myself Malibu and Toffee ice cream really do compliment each other the best out of all combinations i've tried. In fact i'm inspired so much by Redskins i'm now making ice cream, well, sort of, well not really, its just i put a milky cocktail in the freezer to chill and it set solid so quick and its still there 3 weeks on, so for one lucky person you could be the proud owner of Oceanics one and only ice cream. After this i decided to go to a pool that every year i drive past it no one is using it, the pool empty, the bar empty, the sunbeds empty but the pool looks so good so stopped there, this is called "Tonia" pool on the road from Tsilivi to Alykanas along the coast and i mean its right on the main road, any closer and you'd be aquaplaining over it.

Thats just a few of the things we did but the other things we do every time Helens here so they were the new places i took Helen.

The season went a bit strange from Tuesday last week all of a sudden the bar and the main road just went very quiet, quietest my bars been at that time of season, bar was still hitting well past target but nothing like i had been, it was all or nothing, one minute packed, next minute empty where as usually its a constant flow of customers. Now in saying that 30 over my customers went home within 2 change over days (thur/fri) thats 3/4 of my bar but back on track last night. As in past blog posts over the years July and August are my quietest months, strange with it being high season but always has been that way, some nights i can be sat alone with my book till 10.30pm and not had one customer in but at least im prepared for this as its been the same for the past 4 years now.

Well another week and another black pudding delivery this time from Lee and Emma. Now i love black or white pudding but when i saw the size of these slices i thought i'd gone to black pudding heaven. I mean huge. I couldn't explain it so i had to show it in perspective. So below is a picture using fruit to show giganticness (not sure thats a real word) of the black pudding i've been eating. First we have an Apricot leading to a peach going on to an Apple finishing with a "Cor' Blimey Gouvner" slice of pudding.

How am i meant to fit that in a muffin or on a crumpet LOL

Well the day has come, i have been Voted No.1 business on Tripadvisor for the island of Zakynthos. I haven't just written it on a blackboard or had it put on a sign, its there in Green & White for everyone to see LOL. Ok time to get real, yes i'm very honoured by it and flattered but i can be honest enough to say that i know my business isn't the best on the island its just the luck of the reviews and votes. I just do what i do and if the people like it thats great, if they don't there are plenty of other places for them. I'll name a few bars much more superior and better than mine, Porta Cali in Argassi, Island Club at Vassilikos, Ammos Beach Bar at St. Nicholas beach, Cave Bar in Kalamaki for its location and surroundings and Rock Cafe in Keri to name but a few. I don't think you'll find any other business owner saying they aren't the best or naming another business in the same resort as them, some even say they have been voted "No.1" but don't say where, i've never seen a vote anywhere. Also i know my bar is nothing special but what you do get is the real deal spirits in every drink and cocktail, at great prices on all drinks and cocktails no other bar has got with relaxed surroundings and chilled out music so you don't have to shout or have any distractions from TV's or entertainment. I'm sure i won't be No.1 for long anyway, i can see a wave of reviews coming LOL.

The proof is in the picture LOL

So update done and now time to add pics to my website, sorry for the delay in picture updates on website but time with Helen while she was here had to come first but take a look and see if your on there.

Tatty bye everybody, tatty bye.