09: Mykonos to Santorini (Thira)

Had problems sleeping last night, not feeling well, had the chills, ate almost nothing for dinner, and again this morning for breakfast.  Got 11 hours of sleep, still a bit light-headed, but hoping the sleep will take care of it.

We check out at noon, get our bus at 2pm, get on the high speed ferry at 2:45, and are in Santorini at 5:30 or so.  The forecast calls for 25C daytime and 21C nighttime for the next 4 or so days in Santorini.  However, except for Thursday at 8kph, the winds are forecast at 20-30kph.

High speed ferry, upgraded to 1st class.  Arrived at the new port and got on the waiting bus. Got to the hotel around 6:30 (30 minutes or so later), checked in, had a complimentary cocktail at the pool (otherwise they are more than 11E each), got a lovely room,cave-like overlooking hanging off the cliff.  Our picture window is just that.  A drop straight down the cliff to the ocean.

Had dinner nearby in this village Imerovigli, where our hotel is located.  It is called Honeymoon Petra Villas.  Sounds tacky, but isn't.  The owner used to sail the ocean years ago, in the shipping business, to the Great Lakes and back.  An earthquake almost leveled this village in 1956.  The owner helped rebuild it.  He now owns the hotel, and a sailing business.  A catamaran, at least 2 sailboats (40 and 50 footers) and a speedboat.  Since we are staying over 4 days, we qualify for a sail day - whoo hoo!

Here are some images of the resort, and the views from various positions including our patio/room immediately above and below.

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View from small pool
View from room patio
Tour of room
Geno and Lisa

08: Last day in Mykonos

view from our patio

Tomorrow just after noon, we high speed ferry to Santorini.  But hey, we still have over a day here, and this is really nice.  The upgraded room Lisa sprung for paid off.  Large patio, great view, steam room in the shower, etc etc.  She knows how to pick them.  Here is a link to our resort.  Petasos Beach Resort an Spa.  Where they do everything right, except they don't know how to sell.  Cut the drinks price in half, and I think they'd sell 10 times what they sell.  The poor girl at the small pool bar doesn't make more than 3 or 4 drinks per day.  Dumb dumb dumb - oops, I think I've already said that.  Also, the drinking water here is very safe, but the ph is higher than we are used to so they tell us not to drink it.  Brush your teeth, gargle, rinse, take your meds with the water is fine.  But quantities of it, we are not used to.  So, the hotel should provide no charge drinking water - a necessity of life.  Even in the poor countries of Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Mexico, they provide free unlimited bottled water.  I see sparkling and mineral water on the mini bar price list, but not regular drinking water.  Maybe I'm missing something here, maybe I should call room service and ask for drinking water.

Anyway, slept in today, then did a short stint at the small pool.  I then took a long walk up to the other beaches on the coast.  Paraga, Paradise and and Super Paradise.  A beach is a beach is a beach to me.  It is a place of sand and water to lie and swim in.  Nice beaches, not crowded this time of year.  Not the sandy, long endless beaches of the Caribbean, but nice in their own different way.  The land, coastline here reminds me of the French Riviera - cote d'or.  Dry, burnt, not much green, rocks, rocky shores.  Actually, the French coast did have much greenery, but here, nope.

After the walk up thru the hills, took me nearly 2 hours, great exercise, needed it to battle the 5 pounds I think I gained since I arrived.  Took a quick swim the the ocean, got a Greek salad at Nikos' to go, and headed back to our warm sunny deck to dry, eat and relax.

Tonight the others want to eat down from Nikos' at a place that has lamb giros, so, I will go with the flow.  Tomorrow night I will (try) to update from Santorini, let's hope for a reasonably priced Wi-fi connection.

07: Pool and Mykonos

Today we slept in (again) and then headed for the quiet smaller pool.  Pretty windy today.  We (Lisa, Linda, her husband and I) went downstairs (near the pool) to the SPA for a complimentary soak in a large pool with various jets to squirt into all and various parts of your body.  We had the place to ourselves.  I'm still stuffed up from the experience.  Who knows what aromas (chemical and natural) were in the pool and water.

After some more time at the pool, Lisa and I had a salad and headed for the room.  We were to meet Linda and her husband in Mykonos town tonight.  They were leaving earlier than us, Linda wants jewelry.

Time for an opinion, I know, I don't have many.  Seems in Canada, USA, England, France, Croatia and I'm sure elsewhere, there is no smoking in a restaurant.  Here not so.  People light up and smoke their stupid brains out during the whole meal.  Disgusting.  Had a few meals where I had to smell other peoples habit while trying ot enjoy my meal.  OK, enough said on that subject.

In town, I got some great images, the wind was working up a surf, the lens got wet several times, and they will need some photoshop to do them justice.  Hopefully they won't be too blurry, it was hard to even stand there and try to take an image.

Dinner was nice, Greek lamb kebab platter, Greek salad of course, and two half litres of wine.  After which we were back in our rooms just after ten for a shower and steam.  Ya sas.

06: Lazy day at the hotel

Today was a R&R day.  Late breakfast, then to the quiet pool overlooking the bay.  Got showered on for 15 or so minutes, very light and very warm.  Then for a salad at Nikos' where I found out the nice man that greets us is named Sakis.  Then for a nice swim in the ocean where it was much warmer today.  The fish were swimming in amongst us, very cool, I never get tired of that.  Then back to the pool, to relax, and swim.  The pool as well was more than acceptable in temperature.

view of beach from small pool

This place is great.  The hotel I high recommend.  Hotel Petasos.  Very high end.  Drink prices are ridiculous, stupid  sales technique on their part.  I think the bar tender at the pool may have made 4 drinks today, two of them ours.  Stupid stupid stupid.  It drives us to drink at the beach a mere minute away, no more than 300 yards from the pool.

Back at the room by 6pm for another great steam.  I must install one o these sat home, sounds like bathroom reno  may be next, ahead of kitchen.  :)

Tonight, Linda and hubby will come over for drinks on the patio.  They bought a bag full of booze at the market (again a mere few minutes from our room).  Stupid stupid stupid hotel.

04: Mykonos - Trip to town

After breakfast, we hopped a bus to Mykonos town.  A town on the shore on a hill, typical Mediterranean.  Beautiful, quaint, narrow pedestrian paths, all buildings in historic times fairly new, and painted white.  Is it Korcula?  Or Hvar?  Nope.  But different, and nice, and what's not to like.  We meandered up and down, east and west, in shops, past shops, taking pictures left and right.  And all was good.  Had calamari for lunch, as I did yesterday, and plan to get as much of it as possible.  After all, this is not duck country.

Upon our return, we headed for the beach for a swim.  Because my buddy owns Nikos Taverna (great place to eat) (Lisa and I had lunch there the other day).  So free beach chairs for us.  Wayne always asks me if I mentioned him in the blog.  All last year through Croatia, everyday, did you mention me.  So here goes.  Wayne.

So we ordered a beer, "Mythos", Linda will eventually learn the name, because we are all drinking a lot of it.  And then into the - COLD - water.  Wayne dipped his toes, the rest of us swam.

For dinner Nikos' again.  I had grilled calamari this time, yummy.  And in bed by 11:00.

There are thousands of unowned dogs and cats roaming the streets of many Greek cities (Athens) and towns...