Sep 7, 2012 - Santorini by boat

So, Gemma, my Bunkmate, was going to Santorini as well. Earlier that day, I told her to wake up when she does. We'll roll to the train station together. And it's 5am and I hear. Marc, Marc in a soft tone. Im like, it's 5am already. Guh! Scramble to pack my bag in the dark. The night before I THOUGHT I was going to pack and be already. Uh, that didn't happen. Oh well, 5mins later I'm dragging my butt with one eye open out the door. So tired, but I can sleep on the boat. It's almost 8 hours long. We jump the train which we will be on for...

Aug 5, 2012 - Santorini

OPA! You cannot imagine how beautiful it is here. white buildings and houses with blue trim and roof tops sitting high atop mountains overlooking the aegean sea. so hot ..very hot..35c. tiny winding roads that tourists manage to view the merchandise in the tiny shops..bought a few things here. the people are very friendly too. arrive on the island, went on a scenic island tour from OIA (pronounced eeeya) by bus, pictures did not stop here...lots of climbing the tiny winding paths to see all of the views. rick off to the bar again..left me...

Aug 3, 2012 - Mykonos

Boarded the cruise ship Louis Olympia today and set sail for Mykonos, one of the Greek islands. It was really hot..visited the windmills on the island and did a walking tour of the town. window shopped and then headed off to a tiny bar in what they call Little Venice. It had a balcony for 4 people and we were 2 of the 4! we sipped beer and Mojitos and watched the sun set. It is a truly beautiful island and well worth seeing. the ocean is so blue if you can stand the heat. we have run into lots of strange people though. the ship is large and...

Jul 12, 2012 - A Day at the Beach

After a full and crowded day in Istanbul, we sailed off to the Island of Mykonos to enjoy a day a the beach! Believe it or not, Paula even found a Starbucks cafe on this small island. Not much to comment about Mykonos. It is a very beautiful island, although a little more rocky than I expected. The beaches were beautiful and the salt water a great respite from the smog of Istanbul. We had a great lunch of grilled sardines, greek salad and grilled feta in a little restaurant on the beach. Everyone enjoyed a few beers in the sun, and...

Jun 29, 2012 - Mykonos

MYKONOS: Another ferry ride then settled into the small old town of Mykonos. It’s very pretty with narrow winding streets and lots of white & blue buildings. It is easy to get lost as you try to make your way through the narrow streets. It is quite expensive here. Thought we would stop into a waterfront café for a beer & tzatziki and just about fell off our chairs when we received the bill of 31Euro = $40cdn. After that we went into austerity mode!! Our room had a small fridge & stove top although no pots, but did have a small cappuccino...

Jun 22, 2012 - Santorini

SANTORINI: 2 ½ hr Ferry from Crete to Santorini. It was a roller coaster ride on the FastCat!! People were being sick all over the place. One poor fellow took the men’s bathroom hostage for most of the ride. Just hearing people being sick almost made you want to throw up too….join the crowd! However, we all held it together!!! Santorina, known for its white & blue, has changed in population and décor since Sharen was here in 1996. Pastel colours have been introduced. It is still pretty but in a very different way. We rented a car and had a...

May 16, 2012 - Mykonos

Today we didn’t have a tour booked. We figured that we would just do Mykonos on our own (we read that it was easy enough to do). Dad stayed back on the boat and we went out. We actually got to dock and so we didn’t have to take tenders. The Port offers a free bus transfer to Mykonos town which was very helpful. We got into Mykonos, how beautiful. The streets are all rock with white around them. The buildings are all white with either a blue, red or green trim. We walked the narrow little streets and did a lot of shopping! It was funny to...

May 15, 2012 - Santorini

The seas were very rough last night and so when we arrived at Santorini, we were informed that the winds were very strong and that they had stopped running the lifts up to the top of the Island and that the waves were rough so they did not want to send any tenders to the Island. The captain explained that other boats had sent tenders and that they now had people stuck on the Island (not so bad if you ask me!). So after staying anchored for over an hour the captain made the decision to pull anchor and continue. So many sad faces. I was...

Apr 8, 2012 - Santorini, Greece

Today’s port of call is the island of Santorini. The island and its surrounding islets were formed from a colossal volcanic eruption in 1650 BC that echoed across the ancient world and created a huge, deep-blue caldera (submerged crater). As we sail in, we realize that we are sailing into the caldera. Vertical cliffs rise sharply from the water’s edge and they appear to be snowcapped. Sailing closer, the mystery of “snow” is revealed as dazzling white houses. The ship anchors inside the caldera. We tender over to the island’s new port,...

Apr 6, 2012 - Mykonos, Greece

We leave the hotel around 8:45 am in route to board our Louis Crystal cruise ship for our trip around the Greek Islands. We set sail around 11:00 am. We want to see many Greek islands as we sail by but our view is obstructed by a haze caused by sand being carried from Africa by the prevailing winds. We make it to Mykonos by 5:30 pm. Mykonos is a dry and rugged island. An ancient myth tells that the rocks strewn across its barren landscape are the solidified remains of the giants slain by Hercules. Its waterfront is lined with elegant...

Mar 23, 2012 - Day trip to Delos - aborted - Instead Walked Around Mykonos

3-23 Wiki Info Delos Well, once again we are reminded that all planning must be temporary. We asked everywhere yesterday about boats to Delos and most said yes, they go every day. Then at the Star Ferry office the gal said the daily boats don't begin til April but we could inquire at the dock which we did. A fellow working there said very clearly, 'Yes, tomorrow at 8am, the Magdelina' and pointed to the boat. YES! We made our plans accordingly, stocking up on food, etc (no facilities on Delos...food VERY pricey). Got up at 7:30, and by...

Mar 22, 2012 - Mykonos

Wiki Info Mykonosl Ferry to here today...12:15pm 3-22 Bon & I went on a hike in Syros before the ferry...see photos. Ferry to Mykonos, short trip only one stop - Thios. Off the boat and immediately accosted by at least 5 women trying to convince us their accommodation was right for us. When it became clear we were most concerned about price and 3 beds/same room the field dropped to 2! One gal, Maria, persisted and made it clear we would not find ANYTHING at $10 euros/person especially looking for something with 3 beds in one room. As it...