“Spiti Charlie” is a grand house built at the turn of the 20th century in the old-style right on the sea on the Greek Island of Spetses.
To go to sleep with the sound of the waves beneath my window and to wake to a blue sky and green sea through the white shutters at the end of my bed is a little bit of heaven. Add some breezes and the scent of heavily laden pink oleander and it gets even better.
Entering the front gate from the shady lane, a bell disturbs the feeling of sleepy decadence as you walk up the path to the vine-covered front door. The somewhat formal garden of magnolia and pomegranate trees with striking flashes of red in the prolific overhanging hibiscus adding an energy, and pots of canna and geranium. One side fence is a wall of blue plumbago and the other has a vine covered-terrace with a marble table that is wonderful for breakfast. At the end of a hot day, the scent of stephanotis and gardenia knocks you out.
The house is painted throughout with traditional Venetian stencilling, incorporating unusual art deco details on the ceilings and walls. The wooden floors are beautifully finished in a high gloss which is characteristic of Greek island homes.