Mykonos, Greece

Along the Mykonos waterfront

Mykonos is slightly larger in size and a little smaller in population when compared to Santorini.  There are similarities and there are differences.  Mykonos has multiple large, white sand beaches while the beaches of Santorini are smaller and rocky.  The Mykonos beaches are lined with bars and restaurants that are lively during the day. While we've never been there to confirm it, they have a reputation of being even more lively after the sun goes down.  This has helped Mykonos earn the reputation of "the party island".  

Mykonos Town on Mykonos Island

We arrived at Mykonos around 7:00 AM.  Like Santorini, Mykonos is a tender port.  Also similar to our previous day in Santorini, there were several other ships with us.  Mykonos is able to handle the large number of "day trippers" better than Santorini for a couple of reasons.  First, they have a larger docking area for the ship tenders.  The town (Mykonos Town) is just a short, flat walk from the dock, instead of up a steep hill.  Additionally, with the option of nice beaches around the island, the crowds disperse out  more so than on Santorini.

We could have probably swam from ship to shore, but that would be showing off!

While we didn't rush off the ship immediately, we were in town as many of the shops and restaurants were starting to open.  We had been out to one of the Mykonos beaches (Paradise Beach) on a previous visit.  It was "off season" and there weren't too many people there that day, which was perfect for us.  We chose not to make the trek to one of the beaches on this visit and simply enjoyed walking around the town for a while before returning to the ship for a relaxing final day.

There is a small, sandy beach in town.  The larger, more popular beaches are a few miles out of town.  The link below is to a TripAdvisor list of the islands 10 best beaches.

10 Best Beaches on Mykonos

Typical narrow passage in the town

There are still sixteen windmills scattered around the island.  They were built by the Venetians in the 16th century for grinding agricultural products that were then transported off the island.

Even with four ships docked offshore the crowds were more dispersed with many people heading for the beaches. 

The captain pulled up the anchor a little after 5:00 PM and we started making our way towards Athens, where this adventure would end, and we'd start the journey back to Florida.  I'm pleased to report that we made it!  I'm writing this final blog from Florida.  It was a long travel day that included an hour and a half ride to the Athens Airport, a ten-hour flight from Athens to JFK, followed by a three hour flight to Miami and an hour flight to Tampa.  We arrived back on Anna Maria Island about 26 hours after disembarking the ship.    

We've already had two nice visits with Beth's mom (NaNa), who is recovering from a recent fall that could have been worse.  We're also looking forward to the upcoming annual Beach House gathering that will commence here on the island in a couple of weeks.  There will be upwards of 100 of Beth's extended family here on the island, an amazing tradition that is over 100 years old!

Beth and I are looking forward to having Sarah, James, Emma and Ben with us for a few days. It will also be extra special for our niece Kimberly to come for several of the same days which will make Beach House 2024 even more special (Joey, we'll miss you)!

Santorini, Greece….

 

Small church in Oia

Santorini is known for its white homes, businesses and churches, many with blue roofs.  Several of the iconic pictures of Greece are taken on the island of Santorini.  It’s a favorite destination for travelers from around the globe.   Many arrive by plane or ferries and enjoy time at the numerous boutique hotels around the 29 square mile island (by comparison, Manhattan in New York City is 22 square miles in size).  Many day trippers arrive by cruise ship.

The island came into existence in the mid-1600’s BC as a result of a massive volcanic eruption.   The island has around 18,000 residents, and often plays host to that many visitors on a daily basis.

We had been to Santorini a couple of times in the past and enjoyed our visits. It had been a number of years since our last visit, and quite honestly we saw that Santorini is facing some challenges.  The biggest challenge is its beauty has made it popular to the point that the rocky islands infrastructure can’t keep up with the demand.  It’s really putting strain on the island’s resources.  

There are two main towns, Fira and Oia that are about 6 miles apart.  There is one connecting road between the two towns.  Public transportation is available, but limited.  Parking is also limited.   

There are no docking facilities for cruise ships and only one small docking space for tender boats to bring passengers ashore.  Once passengers arrive at the dock, they face another challenge.  The city of Fira is on a hillside 588 slippery, steep steps up!  Oh by the way, if you choose to walk up the steps, you’ll be sharing the path with a number of donkeys that for a fee will transport you up and/or down.  The donkeys have been around for a long time, but their use has been questioned in recent years.  Another way to get to the top is by cable car, but this is a very slow process that moves less than forty people each way every four to five minutes.  The line for the cable car reminded us of the lines at some of the most popular Disney attractions (over two hours).

Approaching Fira on the ship tender.  The zig zag path is the path to the city.  588 slippery steps and dodging donkeys!

If you don’t want to go to Fira, there are options to take a ferry to the town of Oia, but that’s not an easy process either.  The fee is around $30 per person for a one way ferry ride with bus transportation back to Fira every hour.  For some reason, it didn’t seem like return options by ferry were offered.   

On the ferry to Oia

Approaching Oia, which also sets high above the water.  There is a walk up required from this dock as well.  It’s steep but not as steep….. and no donkeys to deal with!

Docking in Oia.  The water around Santorini is amazing!

Not wanting to stand in line for hours, climb 588 steps or ride a donkey, we took the ferry to Oia.   We enjoyed looking around a bit although it was hot and crowded.  The “below normal” temperatures we enjoyed for much of the past two months had given way to “above average” temperatures.  The day was starting to pass by quickly so we caught the bus back after a couple of hours of strolling around and stopping for a cool drink in the shade.  We headed for the cable car with hopes that the lines going down would now be shorter……they weren’t!   After standing in the slow moving line for a bit we accessed our options.  588 steps down wasn’t a great option, but it was the best option we and many others had available.  

We made it down with just an occasional slip (but never falling) and without stepping in donkey poop!  Gravity was our friend but it was still a challenge.  

I hope that no one misunderstands this blog.  It’s not meant to be negative.  Santorini is a magical place that was thousands of years in the making.  Hopefully it’s around for future generations to enjoy.  The natural resources and infrastructure are being pushed to the limit and beyond.   It’s going to probably involve some tough choices.  Venice, Italy has made them and it appears to be working!

Corfu, Greece

We’re early risers!    The sunrise sail in’s never get old!

 We really enjoyed our first visit to Corfu on the previous cruise and were excited to have the opportunity to see a bit more.  The island and the largest city are both known as Corfu.  Our first visit was limited to “Corfu Town”.   For this visit we used some of our on board credit and purchased a tour that would give us the opportunity to see more of this lush, green, Greek island.  

After a brief tour around the town, we made our way out of the city following a route that took us across the island. Our first stop was both beautiful and a bit of a challenge to pronounce, Paleokastitsa.  We saw it first from sea level, and then again from a lookout high above the clear, blue water.   Getting up to the overlook was an adventure in and of itself.  The roads were so narrow that at times it seemed like we needed grease on the sides of the bus to continue.  There were times when our driver would have to inch forward, slowly back up a few feet, turn the wheel slightly and inch forward again. He would repeat this several times until we made it through without a scratch on the bus or knocking down a wall.  It was quite entertaining.  

Corfu, Paleokastitsa, Sidari, Kassiopi and back to Corfu City…..we covered a lot of the island!

Paleokastitsa cove is popular for all types of water sports.

 

The view from above was also great…..

….and getting there was very entertaining!

 There were several stops along the way as we followed the coastline past several beaches and small towns.  Our tour guide was outstanding, sharing in our opinion, just the right amount of information on the history, geography, culture and demographics of the island.   He was really proud of the green forests on the island and joked that the tallest vegetation on the popular islands of Santorini and Mykonos were parsley stalks.  

We had spent several hours touring and it was now time for lunch (which was included).   The restaurant was an outdoor, waterfront restaurant named “The Old School” in the the town of Kassiopi. The menu was a combination of Greek and Italian and was outstanding!

One of several stops along the way!

Lunch was amazing!  The Greek salad was just the beginning.  Our guide told us that in Corfu it’s referred to as a village salad.  

Roaming around Kassiopi 

After lunch and a bit of free time in Kassiopi was boarded the bus for the drive back to “Corfu Town”.   Once we were back on board, we looked at a map of the island and realized that we had seen a significant amount of Corfu.  It’s an amazing and beautiful island and definitely one that we would enjoy seeing more of somewhere down the line if possible. 

Dubrovnik. Croatia….

Dubrovnik…..between the port and “old town”

The official first day of summer is still a few weeks away.    However, the temperature and the crowds are rising steadily as we start to wind down this adventure, and what an adventure it’s been!

We had an early start and a full day to explore Dubrovnik.  By 9:00 AM we were out wandering around, and for a few minutes we were truly wandering around.   We had been here a couple of times before and were confident in our ability to navigate to the historic old town without the use of google maps.  While we would have certainly found our way there eventually, it became apparent that we weren’t taking the shortest, most direct route.  It didn’t take long before we were back on track and arrived at the massive walls of the old town with a few “bonus steps”already under our belt. 

The settlement of Dubrovnik dates back to the seventh century.  The walls surrounding what is now referred to as the “old city” were built in the 1600’s.  They’re an impressive site to see from outside the walls, as well as from the maze full of shops, restaurants and even small accommodations on the inside.  The old city and much of Dubrovnik was heavily bombed in 1991 by Yugoslavian forces during an intense battle over independence.   Croatia has rebuilt and is now a stable democracy.  The country is a member of NATO and the European Union.

Outside the walls of the old town….it’s quite a fortress!

Size wise Dubrovnik is a relatively small city with a population of around 50,000.  Its economy is driven by tourism.  However, I would imagine that most local residents choose to avoid the crowded old city, especially at this time of year when the number of tourists increases dramatically.  I even read somewhere that Dubrovnik currently has the highest ratio of tourists to residents of any European city.  

On a Saturday morning, that ratio seemed to be playing out…..it was crowded.  To complicate matters a little more, there was a parade being held on the narrow main passageway of the old city.  The parade consisted of a small marching band and about 200 majorettes ranging in age from elementary school to college age.  The parade could have moved swiftly, but it didn’t.  About every ten steps the band would strike up a tune and the majorettes would twirl away their full routine.  This created a gridlock of tourists, marching band members and twirling girls that they’re probably still trying to sort out.  

A few of the twirling majorettes at the start of the parade.

Once the parade and crowd mixed, we had a little gridlock!

We did manage to make our way through eventually and used a smaller side passageway to return to the gate that we had entered.  On our way back to the ship we were able to take our time and enjoy the rocky coastline and marina, far from the crowds and flying batons!

We enjoyed the “old town” a bit, but this scene is more to our liking!