I didn’t really have any expectations for the place. It was Chris who added it to our itinerary, and apart from knowing it’s one of the most visited islands in Greece, I know nothing about Mykonos.
After nearly three hours at sea, we clambered down the gangplank and unto the old port of Hora. We were met by Paul, from Eleanna’s where we’re staying. He took us for a long walk through the town, giving us a great overview of Mykonos, and it was love at first sight.
Maybe not having expectations (or expecting to not like it) made Mykonos so much better in our eyes. There were no touts badgering us, the small streets were not brimming with people, and best of all, it’s not on top of a mountain, so walking isn’t as big of a struggle as in Santorini.
There are a lot of shops around, and we live within walking distance to Chanel and Louis Vuitton, and Ben & Jerry is just around the corner. Yet, it didn’t feel as commercial as Fira. There’s a greengrocer nearby where we can buy fresh produce, and a bakery where the locals stock up on bread.
One thing that keeps running through my mind as we walk around the old town is that I can stay here for a couple of days more.
]]>Santorini, for us, did not give a good first impression. The white buildings and blue domed churches are few and far between, specially if you arrive by regular ferries, like we did. The landscape is dry and barren, and with the midday sun beating down on us, it seemed inhospitable.
Fira, where we’re staying, is the commercial center. It was packed with people, mostly tourists from cruise ships that docked for the day. Oia, where the scenes from Santorini postcards were all taken, is a lot more charming, with equally as many people, specially when the sun was starting to set.
I liked Santorini, not for The white and blue buildings, but for the gems we found around the island. Perissa beach, with its black volcanic sands and very deep waters, was very quiet, since summer was over. Imerovigli, a town near Fira, has the same views of the sunset, but with hardly any people around. Beautiful as Oia is, the place that most endeared us was Atlantis Books, a quaint book store that has tons of character and a couple of cats.
To each his own, as they say.
]]>I don’t know where they stayed or what happened to them in Athens, but our experience so far has been nothing short of amazing. We’re staying at Plaka, under the shadow of the towering walls of the Acropolis, an area where the streets are small and lined with beautiful houses and quaint cafés. It’s very touristy, but you can turn a corner and discover a hidden gem.
We haven’t ventured far from our neighborhood, except this afternoon when we walked all the way to the funicular station in Kolonaki to head up to Lykovittos hill for a 360 degrees view of Athens. It was far, the climb up hundreds of steps zapped our energy, but we were rewarded with a gorgeous sight, and pride for surviving the hike.
]]>