Weather Change

Our weather from the start was perfect every day, sunny and clear with warm to hot temperatures.  We had prepared for hot weather and that turned out to be exactly correct.  But out last hot day was, fortunately, our day at the beach in Mykonos.  Overnight that night a front moved through with cooler temps and stronger winds.  Where the sea had been flat, smooth and beautiful on our beach day, the next morning there was a strong wind and swells with whitecaps rolling onto the beach.  It was a remarkable change overnight.  It reminded us of the many times during out years in Virginia that we had gone to the Jersey Shore with our friends Tom and Debbie for Labor Day and seen the weather change from summer to autumn over that weekend.

Since we were near the end of our trip, the cooler shift was fine.  Out last day in Mykonos was our walking tour of Mykonos Town and it was nice to have cooler weather.  It also worked well for our final two days in Athens.

Leaving Mykonos, the Ferry

We traveled by ferry between the islands, starting when we left Crete for Santorini.  Some of the ferries were large and some were small.  The travel times were generally 2-3 hours, but with time for transport to the port, I am not sure it was better than flying, just less security hassle.  The day we left Mykonos the ferry was late arriving and delayed a bit enroute arriving in port at Athens.  We all we'd a little frustrate that it seemed we spent an entire traveling. For our part we had used the morning for our Mykonos Town walking tour (see previous post), so we didn't feel quite so bad.  But some in th group complained we had wasted a day.  We arrived in Athens about 6pm and it was after 6:30 when we checked in at the hotel.

I didn't take a good photo of the last ferry, but did snap one from inside the compartment where we sat.  It was quit large and by comfortable with a cafe where you could buy food or drink.  You can see below where some guy photo-bombed my shot.

Walking Tour of Hora, Mykonos Town

The day after out full day at the beach was also our last day on Mykonos, as we were to leave in the afternoon.  So we had an early breakfast, finished packing our bags, then rode the local bus to Mykonos Town to shop and look around in the daylight.  There is a nice harbor in town and many shops and cafés around the harbor's edge.  Mykonos also retains some of its old wind mills that were used at one time to grind grain into flour.  The windmills are no longer used, but remain as preserved architecture of a former period.  Following are a few favorite photos from our walk around town that day.

Mykonos: Super Paradise Beach

We wanted to explore one or more of the other beaches on the island but didn't have a good way to get around to them.  We could rent a car, or a scooter, but neither appealed to us.  Then, the desk clerk at the hotel recommended the "fishing boats" that left from the local beach and transported you to any of the other beaches around the island.  We found them easily and for 6 Euros each we could ride to one of the other beaches for the day.  The boats pulled into each beach along the way, so we picked one of the major beaches farther down the line so that we could see several before we got off.

Paradise and Super Paradise are two of the more famous Mykonos beaches, and during the summer high season are packed with the college and 20-something party crowd.  Since we were past that time, we hoped to miss that and find one a bit more laid back than the busy beach next to the hotel.  It was random choice that we picked Super Paradise, but it worked out well.  It had umbrellas and chairs to rent (12 Euros for the day), a couple of restaurants with facilities, food, and drink, but a light crowd.  The beach and harbor were beautiful, the water clear and beautiful, and the atmosphere very laid back.

On the boat ride we met three single girls in their 20's from London.  One was actually English and the other two were Americans working in London.  It was fun talking with them, especially the American girls, and learning about their experiences working in London.  They were on a long weekend from London to Mykonos for one of the girl's birthdays.  They had flown the cheap airline for about 250 Euros round trip.  Nice option for someone working in London!

Linda on the boat to Super Paradis beach.  English girl on the right.

Typical scene along the way.  Notice the sparkling clear water.

View of the beach and the harbor.  We sat on the far end from this vantage point.

Notice the clarity of the water in this photo.  The water here and on all of Mykonos is the clearest we have seen anywhere other than Lake Tahoe.

The beach was actually comprised of very small, very smooth pebbles mixed with course sand.  It felt like you were getting a foot exfoliation as you walked along the beach.  It was actually OK and not uncomfortable, and the sand did not stick to your feet like the fine sand of the US beaches.

Jackie O must have liked this beach, as the resort there is named after her.

Boats to transport people anchored and waiting to depart.

Sunset on the return back to our hotel.

This is a really nice set of photos, so watch for the full set to be uploaded later into the photo library.

We really enjoyed our day at Super Paradise beach.  It was relaxing, the water was beautiful, and the scenery was great.

Arriving Mykonos

After a fairly hectic schedule on Santorini with only one short two hour break around the pool to relax, we were really looking forward to relaxing on Mykonos.  Although there was a trip to a nearby island of ruins offered, we passed on that excursion and decided to explore the famous beaches of Mykonos during our time there.

Arriving by ferry from Santorini, the port was very hectic and jammed.  Our guide had warned us about that and he was right.  I was also immediately struck by the difference in appearance, as Santorini is an island creatd by volcanic deposits over centuries, while Mykonos was clearly just a pile of rocks! That was evident immediately as our transport van drove us from the port to the hotel.  The terrain itself was not attractive at all and was literally piles of rocks!  On top of the rocks, however, there are houses, hotels, resorts, and most importantly, lots of beautiful beaches!

Our hotel was away from Mykonos Town, called Hora by the locals, but next to the Platys Yialos beach, which was only a few minutes walk.  This hotel had no pool, but a nice flower garden with some fountains.  We also had a very nice private patio facing the street side of the hotel, but with a tall privacy wall.

Scene at the port.

Our patio.

View out our front door.

As was the case at every new location, dinner the first evening was with the tour group in the restaurant next to the hotel.  After dinner we decided to take the local bus, which stopped in front of our hotel, to the main town on Mykonos and explore.  The temperature had cooled down by then and the crowds left, so that we were able to explore the streets and harbor easily. The architecture is different on Mykonos, but strongly influenced by the Venitians who had occupied the island in the 13th century AD.

The next day was our free day to relax and do whatever we chose.  We slept in a bit but got out early enough to snag a great table for breakfast.  After breakfast we set out to explore the local area and found a beautiful beach and unbelievably clear water!

 

Santorini: Architecture, Earthquakes, Water, and Final Thoughts

The whitewashed, arched, domed, rounded edge structures common on Santorini are both aesthetic and practical.  This style is Cycladic and is common in the Cyclades of Greece.  From a practical standpoint the smooth edges and rounded designs reduce wind noise from the persistent sea breezes that blow across the Cyclades.  While we were in Santorini, we enjoyed wonderful breezes each day that both cooled the hot sun and provided natural air conditioning.  The  white wash is actually made of a natural lime material found on the island that provides a safe finish so that the limited rain water that falls on the island can be collected and used.  No lead or other dangerous chemicals to worry about.  White also provides a cool surface in the intense summer Mediterranean sun.  Windows are small and limited in the designs to provide needed light, but restrict airflow from those persistent breezes, and all windows have wooden shutters that can close and seal off the windows effectively.  Finally, the arches and domes provide strength for an island that has been rocked by frequent earthquakes over the years, the last big one in 1956.  Prior to 1956 many island structures were built from the volcanic material abundantly available on the island, and where there were caves the structures were built to extend the caves toward the sea.  Many of these older designs were destroyed in the 1956 earthquake, causing rebuilding to be done with rebar-enforced concrete walls that are finished with plaster.

Aesthetically this Santorini style is as beautiful to look at as it is practical.  The white and blue color scheme are the colors of the Greek flag, which the Greeks fly proudly.  The. Lue represents the sea and th white the foam created by the waves.  We were told at one point that during one of the occupations of Greece by another country, they were not allowed to fly the flag, so selecting the blue and white color scheme was the next best choice to proclaim their allegiance.  The white color on most all buildings and walls provides a cool surface even in the midday sun.  The narrow walkways with multi-story buildings bordering each side provide needed shade from the hot sun and give the persistent sea breeze a nice path to flow with cooling air.  At the same time the walkways are filled with shops and cafés, many with a spectacular view.  Overall the aesthetic is fantastic while being practical as well.

Water is a precious and expensive commodity on Santorini as it rains little throughout the year.  So, they must desalinate water from the sea and truck it to each home and building where it is delivered into a cistern built for each one.  Consequently, we never once saw anyone using a hose to wash down a car or building or sidewalk during our stay.  Instead, they used brooms or mops or dusters to clean the various public surfaces.  Everything seemed very clean, so not using water as we are accustomed did not result in a dirty environment.  Only at our hotel was there some limited use of water to clean around the pool, which they did each night.

Our time on Santorini was fantastic and went by much too fast.  We loved the hotel, the style of our room and the open-air feel of it.  The views of the caldera and the sea from Fira and Oia were better than anything we expected and were worth the entire trip.  Santorini is a unique place and one we want to visit again.  Perhaps next time we can rent a villa in the cliffs in Oia, with a private terrace facing the caldera, and spend a week just relaxing and enjoying the lifestyle Santorini offers.  Something to put on our list.

Santorini Sunset Cruise

On the advice of our tour director we signed up for the sunset cruise even thought we had seen a beautiful sunset in Oia.  This was different because we cruised around the caldera and could see Fira and Oia from the water, and we also cruised close by the volcano crater.  We also had a great view of the sediment layers in the cliffs facing the caldera and we could easily see how the island was formed from many deposites over the centuries.  Below are a few photos of the cliffs from the water before sunset.  The first is a small collection of buildings, the second is Fira on the rim.

We also had a great view of the cable car running from the water to the rim, shown below on the far left, and the walking/donkey trail zig zaggin down the side of the cliffs, on the right.  We never made it down to the bottom there and did not get to ride the cable car or the donkeys as we had intended as we just ran out of time.

They served a nice dinner on the cruise as we made our way across the caldera.  Below is a shot of our boat the dinner setup.  We had to eat with our plates in our lap, but that was no problem.

 We eventually cruised into the harbor of the island that borders the far west side of the caldera where no card or vehicles are allowed and there is only a small village of inhabitants.  Some tourists may visit here if they want a more quiet, laid back experience.  Below is one photo if that area.

The sunset was very nice from this perspective and we enjoyed the cruise.  We also we close to some other boats, which provided a nice opportunity for some more interesting photos.  Following are a few of my favorites.  All will be posted later to the photo library here.

Finally, I have to include one sunset photo from this cruise and a nice shot of Fira from the caldera after dark.