Elenitsa Studios

My Boyfriend and I stayed at the Elenitsa Studios in room 4B (ground floor) from 26th Sept - 3rd Oct 2005. We were dropped off on one of the main roads in Roda, and had to drag our cases a good few hundred metres to the apartment. We’d been in there about a minute before the maid was knocking on the door and getting food out of the fridge, what we presume was everyone’s leftovers she’d collected up to take home.

The bathroom was ok, a bit dark and the shower curtain covered the toilet which was next to the shower, rather than separating the two. So the toilet and half the bathroom got soaked when we had a shower. The toilet seat was broken but not unbearable. Also the water was hardly ever above a lukewarm temperature. We found out on the day before we went home that the owners had turned the thermostat down.

The kitchen was basic and dark, 4 ring electric cooker, we only used it once to make toast as we were out every day sampling the local cuisine.

The bedroom was clean, 2 single beds which we pushed together, but as they were pine beds there was a half a foot gap between them. Other than that they were fine. We had a balcony which was in the shade all the time but nice all the same. Be warned, the studio next to ours didn’t have a balcony, they had their table and chairs outside which half the building used as a thoroughfare.

The Maid came in twice when we were out, we made sure she couldn’t just walk in when we were there by leaving the key in the locked door. She made the beds, emptied the bins and cleaned the bathroom but the sheets or towels weren’t changed all week.

There is a shop almost right next to the apartment block which has all your basic needs catered for. I recommend the bakery too which has lovely bread, pasties, pies, cakes and traditional Greek sweets like Baklava.

We used a safe deposit box for free at H & N Travel, you just choose a box and keep the key. H & N Travel do some good excursions and at this time of year the prices had come down considerably, some of them half the price compared to the official Olympic excursions. We went on the West Coast BBQ cruise which was in a nice place called Paleokastritsa. It was about 2 hours on the coach and then an hour or so on the glass bottomed boat to a deserted shingle beach where a delicious chicken barbeque lunch awaited us. There was enough time to have a swim in the sea and dry off before the boat picked us up again and took us back. This cost us 18 euros each and included the food and unlimited Greek wine and Ouzo.

We also went to Corfu town by boat (14 euros each)which would have been nice but it poured with torrential rain the whole time we were there so things were a bit bleak by the time we got back on the boat. I'm sure it's very nice in the sunshine!

Roda itself is a very friendly place, all the locals in the tavernas are lovely. We tried out most of the Greek places, Roda Park, Nikos, Oddyseus, the one with the picture of the goat drinking ouzo also was good and we ate there twice.

We were told not to under any circumstances hire out Mopeds or Quad bikes as they were dangerous and unbalanced.

The main beach in Roda was a bit scrubby but if you walk down to it and go left until you are over a bridge and next to a pony trekking field, walk straight through the field bear left and follow the path you come to a nicer beach with a taverna that hires out 2 sunbeds and umbrella for 5 euros, or 3 Euros for one bed and umbrella. I was glad of the umbrella as it got quite hot. The sea is also very shallow and you can go out a long way before getting up to your neck in water!

On our departure date we had to vacate the room by 12 midday. Not so bad seeing as we had a 5.30pm flight. The coach picked us up from Fiona Theodora’s apartments which is a long walk when you are dragging your heavy suitcase. I'd be tempted to get a taxi, if you aren't feeling strong.

All in all a nice relaxing holiday but I don't recommend these particular apartments.