In past blog postings after big trips, we tend to do a day-by-day rundown of the sights and events of the trip. We have decided to do things a little differently this time. Due to Greece being much more relaxed and laid back than other trips, we are just going to do a general summary and then let the pictures do the talking.
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| View from our Santorini balcony |
We made our way to the island of Mykonos and had safe and easy travels there. We even stayed in a hotel at Gatwick Airport called the Yotel, which reminded both of us of sleeping in a spaceship. Our first hotel was right by Mykonos Town where we had a fantastic room with a balcony overlooking the evening sunset.
In Mykonos, our daily routine consisted of the following:
- Wake up at 10am just in time for a very Greek continental breakfast
- Make the hard decision of whether we should spend the day at a beach on the island or at our hotel’s beautiful pool
- Rotate in and out of the sun, sip tropical drinks, read, take a nap
- Head back to the hotel to relax, get ready for the night
- Sit on the balcony, watch the sunset
- Stroll around town, eat delicious Greek food, visit cute shops
- Head to bed at a very late hour
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| Paradise Beach |
Mykonos town was bustling with people at night and we found ourselves just aimlessly wandering the many narrow streets, stopping only for the occasional ice cream, crepe or cappuccino…not a bad way to spend the evenings. 
After spending five nights in Mykonos, we hopped onto the ferry boat called the “Flying Cat” and made our way to the island of Santorini. What makes this island so interesting is that it was actually formed from a large volcanic eruption and the west side of the island overlooks what is still an active volcano. Our hotel was on the northern part of the island in a small town called Oia. It was built into the side of a cliff and each of the rooms used to be used for making wine by the ancestors of the same family that has now turned it into a hotel. The views from our balcony were the most beautiful I have ever seen in my life.
We spent our time in Santorini the same way as listed above. It was definitely hotter here and therefore time at the pool and beach was even more appreciated. Santorini was a much quieter island than Mykonos and we were both surprised that one Greek island could feel so different than another.
In Santorini we rented a car and John enjoyed both driving a stick shift and driving on the right hand side of the road—two things that hadn’t happened for a while. We spent the rest of our time there eating lots of fruit, drinking iced tea and John was brave enough to try a lot of different traditional Greek foods. Let’s just say that John is a big fan of all the amazing Greek food!
For both of us, Santorini was definitely the highlight of the trip. Everywhere you looked could be a post card, it was exactly what we pictured Greece to be with the white houses built on steep cliffs, blue church domes and night after night of perfect sunsets. It was the perfect place for a vacation where the intention was to slow down, relax and enjoy a welcoming culture comprised of people who appreciate the beauty that surrounds them as much as you do. We would go back in a heartbeat.
