January 2008

A very Happy New Year from the Agni team, where here in Greece we have enjoyed an exceptionally mild Christmas - our pre-Christmas office party was held outside, around Villa Persephone's pool!

The last crumbs have been hoovered up by the local strays who thought that all their Christmases had come at once!

The Agni team members are all now back in the office - some had 'defected' to the UK for Christmas pud and New Year sales - and are preparing for the fast-approaching Summer.

Just before Christmas, Sofri and I visited Santorini. (Agni Travel is researching new destinations, testing them for you!)

I had no idea what to expect as we waited for the Catamaran to speed its way from Crete to Santorini. Each of the 6 islands that we had visited so far had been very different - from rocky lunar type landscapes to lush oases! The Aegean certainly offers some diverse islands and Santorini was a highlight.

The Port of Santorini is unlike most island ports. It is a smart and well-maintained welcome to the Island, although dominated by the cruise ships that disgorge their passengers for a short stopover - which is insufficient time to view the delights of the island. This makes Santorini busier in the day and very quiet at night!

Many use the local donkeys to carry them up the 300 meters to Fira town.

At the top of Fira town, the view is breathtaking.

Modern-day Santorini is actually just a small part of the original island - which blew up in a massive eruption around 1600 BCE leaving only the outer crater that we see today. (The resulting tsunami devastated the North coast of Crete, contributing to the collapse of the Minoan culture.) You will be pleased to know that since then, the volcano has remained dormant!

Like most visitors to the island, we were not going to let a little checkered history like that ruin our holiday and we soon slipped into the relaxed atmosphere that Santorini offers!

The day's highlight is watching the sunset. The best vantage point is from the magical village of Oia, which clings to the volcanic hillside. Hundreds of people congregate - jostling for the best place to watch the sun setting. It is difficult to describe the atmosphere, watching the Santorini sunset, along with so many strangers - who spontaneously erupt into cheers and clapping once the sun finally sets!

Sofri and I stayed in a Santorini Cave which had been carved out of the hillside.

Santorini was everything I imagined and more - for a more romantic experience though, next time I will be taking my wife!!

Spotted this scene during a recent trip to Crete: Caption Required - Jan 2008

Just across the Adriatic Sea from Corfu lies the boot of Italy and the lure of more Mediterranean marvels. No wonder then that we started exploring further afield, found our way into Tuscany and were captivated by the wonderful scenery there - soft rolling hills, tall cypress trees and vast vineyards interspersed with outstanding yet complementary style properties full of character.

We decided to bring them to you and the result is our new Tuscany programme - a combination of fabulous private villas with and without pools, beautifully restored manoirs and more modern apartments. To begin with we have focused on that very special Tuscan area which lies between the art centre of Florence and picturesque Siena known as Chianti. Famed for its excellent wine, the same superlatives can be transferred to the region's mouthwatering cuisine and picture book landscape.

Why not delve into our Tuscany pages to have a look for yourself?

Agni Travel: Italy

2008 is a new year and we will have a new office!

Perched on the hillside, spread over two much-needed floors with a fabulous view of Nissaki Bay, stands the framework of the new Agni Travel office. Construction has been taking quite some time - work was halted between May and October to avoid noise disturbance to surrounding holidaymakers - but there is now light at the end of the tunnel! You will find the office on the right as you come up the north east coast immediately before the road sign for 'Banaratika' at Nissaki, about 100 metres before the Kaminaki petrol station.

As business has grown over the years, thanks to you - our valued customers, so has the need for more room to house the growing departments. With the additional space we will now all be able to swing a Greek cat round (fear not, it's just a figure of speech!) and hear ourselves think and speak - those of you who visited our smaller office nearby last summer will have appreciated the problem!

Stella will now have her own dedicated Sales office with her assistant Fotini (they're already debating which pin-ups will go on the walls...Stella favours Corfiot singer Sakis Rouvas, try googling him for a goggle), Ron will have lots more storage room for villa supplies and there will be plenty of extra space for Mary's Accounts, Rachel's R & D, Sofri's IT equipment and of course a plush pad for the boss Nathan who oversees everything.

(Stella is keen to get into her new office - before the builders have finished!)

The new office will have an attractive roadside entrance with Agni Travel signage you can't miss and parking space for visitors. For you, the client, there will also be a nice 'room with a view' where you will be able to sit in comfort at your customer computer and view our property suggestions at your leisure. (You may even find a pot of coffee at your disposal whilst you browse...)

Like the Olympics, we are confident that the new office will be ready for the summer! In the meantime, why not browse our 'virtual' office and allow us to tempt you with a summer holiday? Agni Travel

View from the new office - and no, the office is not available to rent!