Hi all -
Hope you're all doing well - just wanted to send out a brief travelog from a trip that my friend Emily and I took in April. I'd write more but a killer combination of a lack of caffeine plus watching Italy beat up on France in soccer has left me a little lethargic :)
Anyways, for only a week away, we had a superb time with beautiful weather over 9 days. We started in Athens, which is great to experience the legendary ancient history. To be fair though - after a day or two, I was more than ready to head out... Athens doesn't have the same magical feel as a Paris or Rome.
But the islands... the islands were a different story. We first headed to Mykonos. Generally a party island - which wasn't really our scene - we lucked out in arriving before the start of the season, so we got an amazing room for a song, plus we were able to wander and just absorb the scenery. From wandering the cobblestoned pathways of Little Venice to laughing at the antics of very tame massive pink pelicans wandering around the tables in our restaurant, Mykonos was a nice intro to Greek island life.
Santorini was next and was our favorite by far - centered around a sea-filled volcanic caldera. Villages were perched on the very edge of sheer cliffs, and we got to wake up with a seaside view every day. Unbelievable. Not a tremendous amount to DO on the island, but for 2-3 days, it's a perfect place to chill out and relax. We took a day out of a 4x4 quad scooter, and checked out some beaches and the local wineries - however, it was always to Oia that we returned to watch the sunset. It's one of those magical times where the chatter of the town dies out, and everyone just sits, watches, and experiences. One night or three - it never grew old to us.
Our last stop was
Naxos - a more traditional island on the way back to Athens. We found another amazing hotel - with quite possibly the most hospitable family ever running things. they were unreal - always smiling, from picking us up, to giving us all sorts of advice - they epitomized Greek hospitality. 2 days of wandering around, playing Scrabble when the weather finally turned against us - it was a great way to wind up the trip...
Then it was back to rainy London :)
And here be the photos...
