Parga taxi boat driver.

[JanZ]

I’m in Parga at the moment. Tucked into a corner of the harbour at the end of Valtos beach. Noted that the taxi boat which for the last forty odd years has been driven by the marvellously dour moustachioed and chain smoking Yannis was being driven by a different crew. Asked but was told he was on holiday. However when walking in to town later I met him walking along the beach. His trademark cigarettes have caught up with him and he told me has got lung cancer and not long to live.
A real character and a feature of Parga for so long.

 

[Bradders]

Such a shame, Yannis picked us up from our boat for many years - how he knew where our boat was in the dark coming back from the town I’ll never know, as you say an unforgettable character for all the right reasons

 

[BobnLesley]

Fond memory of Yannis (actually not very well remembered) collecting me from a catamaran that'd been run up on the beach - the fastest way to dock it - and whisking me down to an ambulance that was waiting on the town quay, after I'd been knocked-out in two rocks bay.

 

[SaltySeaPig]

Having not seen Yannis for several years we found this post and feared the worst. We were in Parga a few days ago and talked to the new taxi boat crew about him. Good news! He is alive and living in Germany having had an operation to remove some of his lung. He's now over the cancer and has to "be careful" according to the new crew. Presumably that means he has had to pack in the cigs.

 

[Bradders]

Thanks for sharing this superb news !!

 

[Mr Cassandra]

I seem to remember some stories about this man