13: Pool Day

Today we decided to make it a pool day.  I started with a 1.5 hour breakfast where I ate slowly (and a lot less) while I blogged the past 2 days.  Besides hanging out at the pool, we spent some time on our patio, the view there amazing.

View from slouched position on patio chairs

 

View looking up from patio

 

View looking down to patio

Wayne and I (he is getting too much airtime here), went north from our hotel (first time we ever did) and found many things.  The Blue Note restaurant, recommended by a couple of couples at Mykonos town.  So this place was earmarked for dinner tonight.  The most extensive menu we found to date.  We could have eaten here everyday and I would still have no problems selecting from the menu. Nope, no duck Dave, but most everything else.

As we walked to the top, there is always a top, we searched for the way across to that adjoining cliff you will see in some of the images.  The extra and a bit lower separate hill/cliff to the left of the resort/main cliff.  We could see the path across, way down there, but not the way to get to it  Then, alas, aha, yep, I thought I found it, and off I went, little knowing Wayne decided not to follow.  I meandered my way down 8 or more flights of steep steps only to hit - a dead end.  An entrance to the lowest most hotel or - at this point - who cares.  I should have ducked, had a seat and waited for Wayne, so that he could experience the walk.  But by now Wayne had found the path.  So he (Wayne) says.  Anyway, I walked back up the 8 or so stories.  I counted the steps, well over 160.  Met up with Wayne, and Wayne and I started the now 10 or so stories of stairs downward to the path across to the cliff.  Where yes of course, we climbed up and up, Wayne and I, me and Wayne.

Took many pictures along the way.  We did not climb to the top, a bit treacherous, and with really no easy visible clue as to how to get there.  And I had a nightmare last night where I almost fell off a building roof along a cliff-side something into a gorge with a waterfall or something. 

On the climb back, Wayne suggested we walk up the left side of the concrete stairs as they were cracked and split down the center.  We wouldn't want to have it crack and fall over.  It wasn't that bad, Wayne is a bit of a worry wort.

Once we got back up top,  it wasn't that tough.  Coming down is more effort, requires more balance, more stability, more planning, watching each step because as I said thee are no standards or building codes for stairs - it seems.  Wayne agrees.  Anyway, the trip down, across, and back up, with stops for pictures, at our fast pace was still just over 40 minutes.

Back at the ranch, Wayne and I went for another swim.  Wow that felt good.  We were hot (as our wives pointed out) and so we thought we'd cool off.  And we did.  And when we got out, they still said we were hot.  So we got back in.  After several more attempts, seems the water did not make us "not" hot.

Dinner at the Blue Note, back to our patio for some reminiscing, drinks, cheers - the girls like to do the cheers thing with every drink.  Wayne and I limit it to the first and last drink of the trip.  The last will happen in Athens tomorrow night.

A couple of cats came around, including our cat, for some snacks.  Hm, reminds me as I eat breakfast to bring some cocktail wienies down for our cat.  She will be there when I get there.  Oops, I'm talking about now and not yesterday.

As I look through my images to select for post, I realize  how magical a place this is, the history, the beauty, the scenery, the people.  Amazing...

12: Kamari, Oia, etc.

Today we decided to go to a black beach (Kamari) on the opposite side of the island.  Imagine a crescent moon, and that we are on the inside edge just above center.  The beach is on the outside, just below center.  So a quick walk to the bus stop in Fira, a 25 minute bus ride, and we are there.

The black beach (for me) was a disappointment.  It was a black stone beach with rocks larger (but smoother) than your typical gravel driveway back home.  Here are some highlights.  Lisa found a patch of black sand, about 4 or 5 shovels full.  Linda got a couple of beach chairs for 6E.  The rest of us, yes Wayne included, since he is standing over me now asking if he is in the blog, walked the street of the small village, we had real pita (chicken) gyros (pronounced "heros").

All but me got in for a swim.  It was as much painful to watch as it was painful to get in.  Stepping bare feet on stones, and losing one's balance as you fall quickly into the water.  I have and will post video of the torture.  Lisa and I forgot our pool shoes at the hotel.

After the bus ride and walk from Fira home, we hung out at the pool.  Nice, refreshing water, great vista, what's not to like about that?

Later in the afternoon (4pm or so) we headed for Oia, the town at the top of the island.  A one street town, yet so beautiful, so white, so peaceful.  The shopping here was more to my taste, less tourist crap and more real art.  We visited several artist's shops and nearly bought (to have shipped home) some original art.  We have their website URLs and so who knows...

While taking pictures, Wayne and I, and yes even Lisa, (Lisa has become more than just a self portrait specialist) we noticed people lining the walls, every crack you could find, for the event - the Santorini sunset.  We hunkered down in a spot, and waited.  There was at least an hour or more to wait.  Unfortunately, the sky had some clouds down low, and the event, while an experience, turned out to be not quite the event.  But I can see the attraction.  Watching the sun drop into the ocean atop a cliff-side.  Again, what's not to like.

11: Sail Day

View above out through our window at sunrise or thereafter.

bird that joined us for breakfast

Early breakfast, then off to the bus stop rendezvous.

While waiting, someone commented on my Tommy H. tee shirt ($30US Florida about 10 years ago).  Then Lisa mentioned he is also wearing a Tommy swimsuit ($50CDN Halifax just recently).  Then I noticed I was wearing my white Tommy sneakers ($70US Florida 5 years ago).  Outfit (priceless), unplanned, but funny.  Never wore the shirt much until this year.  Bought it because I liked it, was always a bit tight until this year.  As for the sneakers, never wore them until this year because they were white - I didn't want to get them dirty.  Anyway.  Ball cap, Columbia.  Oh well.

On the bus for a ride to the south end of the island, and on the sailboat "Angelica" (42' Jeanneau), ten of us and a crew of two, the captain one of the 3 sons of the owner.  Very nice young man.  We sailed around the tip of the island viewing the red and white beach on the way. 

We also sailed past the Akrotiri excavation site, which has been closed for nearly 4 years with at least 1 more year before it reopens because the glass floor that allowed viewing the archeological dig collapsed killing a tourist and injuring others.  Around the horn of the island, we stopped at the hot springs which is located on one of the small center islands where the active volcano still exists.  To get to it was a 40 meter or so swim from the back of the boat.  Wayne and Lisa dove and swam like fish.  I climbed into the water and swam like a - well, I got there minutes later. 

The water got warmer as we got to the spring.  And you could smell the sulfur, and the water color got more and more "orange" in color.  The hot spring was not that impressive.  In several places you could see a few tiny bubbles coming up from under the water.  I've produced more bubbles than that in my bath tub or even the hotel pool.  Anyway, one had to experience it.  The swim back was another 20 meters longer than the swim in, I made it.  Climbed aboard and off we went to a small cove on the other island where they active volcano is for another swim and to view a small shipwreck.  Again we got in and again Lisa was impressive with her swimming.  Wayne aka Man from Atlantis needs no mention.

From here we sailed to the old port in amongst the large cruise ships.  We could see our tiny hotel room up the cliff in the distance.  Cool.  And from here we sailed heading home, and stopped at the red beach, but far from shore.  For a few minutes.  Lisa again dove in, Wayne didn't want to get wet.  He was in drying mode.  I skipped it as well.  Lisa even got out, back up onto the boat, and dove in again.  I wasn't ready with the camera the first time.

Back aboard, back to the marina, on the bus and home.  Back at the hotel we stopped for beers at Wayne and Linda's, then did a cool swim in the pool, then down to our cliff-side for more drinks.  And planned our return to Fira for the evening for dinner and more walking around.  Found a store carrying Tommy - no ball caps!

I love the walks down and back.  It is the only exercise I am getting.  And the walk back does produce a bit of sweat.  Back at the room, I am now blogging the past 3 days since we left Mykonos, and tomorrow at breakfast, hopeful I will get this uploaded.  The wi-fi seems to be at poolside only.  Ya sas.

PS.   The weather here is warmer than Mykonos in that there really is no wind, even atop these cliffs, not much wind.