It’s raining here in Athens as we board the enormous “slow” ferry to the islands. This ship feels more like a cruise ship than a ferry. It is a container ship with cars parked on the bottom floor, and the upper cabin has a lounge feel. I don't think ill get sea sick on this.... Unless this rain also means rough seas... Then, we'll have to see...___
Ferry ride went great. No seasickness.
We just ate lunch at a tasty local spot. I had shrimps with ouzo sauce and stuffed mushroom with feta cheese... Yummmmm. A meal with a view to remember. We haven't had a bad glass of wine here yet either.
In Athens we had purchased our ferry tickets and a hotel stay in Mýkonos as well as our last night in Athens. The travel agency charged us almost a 30% markup on these things, which we figured out when we got to Mýkonos. But, also, there was a mix up with our hotel in Mýkonos, so we ended up at an amazing "A class" hotel there that we would never have found on our own. It was located just above the main section on the hillside, looking over everything. It had the most magical views. Our room opened onto a large patio area that was not private, but we never saw a soul out there. Just down a few flights of stairs was the perfect sized deep blue swimming pool, lined with comfy lounge chairs. http://www.alkyonmýkonos.gr
One of the best parts about this little piece of heaven-on-earth was the stray cat that hung around our room. We called her Rosie because she looked like my childhood cat by the same name. Tara fed her leftovers from her take-away box.... And over the course of our two days there, she became our pet, even sharing our room with us. Each morning Tara brought her cream. Tara is currently planning to adopt her and bring her back to the US.It rained our first full-day on this island. Tara went for a run in the drizzle and I explored the island on foot. The weather here changes quickly, so it's never a worry if it's not ideal. It's a beautiful island! This is where many of the photos you see of Greece appear to be taken. It's easy to chill-out here -- it's a very peaceful place.
After a few days in Mýkonos, we bought tickets for our next destination, Santoríni. Before we visited Mýkonos, I was told by many people that it was "the gay island" - and, while maybe its the "gayest" of the islands, it’s still not something we found to be the most distinguishable of the islands characteristics (although there were more male couples here than any other place I visited). Before we visited Santoríni, I heard many times over from many greeks, "Why are you going there? That's the couples island!". Well, I've been here two nights now, and I can tell you there are couples everywhere, which frankly, I expected to see all along, but there are also many touring groups, families with munchkins, and single travelers. I am starting to think when you are in one place, the Greeks just kinda want you to stay there and remain their-tourist.
Pics from Mýkonos:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=omz9rml.4sz0wfsd&x=0&y=-y7ou4s
