Day 35, 28th May – Athens On Foot
No need to hurry this morning as our first job is to purchase ferry tickets for our upcoming adventures of island hopping. A couple of legs are at night so we decided to get a couple of bunks which obviously increases the cost. All up the six legs have cost 488 euro per couple. The exercise took up a little time but we eventually caught the Athens Open Tour (yellow bus). The cost of 15euro for both the Athens and Piraeus tour for 48 hours was excellent value. We did the complete circuit and exited the tour at the Thession stop. This was a good opportunity to have lunch in the touristy area of Mitropoleos Street. We all tried something different but I can highly recommend the stuffed tomatoes with a huge Greek salad as a side.
With lunch over we all split up to give the girls the opportunity to troll the flea market. The queen of shopping, Julie to our surprise came back empty handed. It was time to jump back on the bus for a short trip to the Acropolis. Julie and Tony left the tour while we changed to the Piraeus tour. It was a hot day so it was good to be sitting in the open air on the top deck of the bus. One landmark that we were surprised to keep on seeing was the strip clubs. We stayed on the bus and had great views of the water. An hour later we were back at the Acropolis where we changed on to another bus. Doreen and Allan stayed on the bus while Alice and I went shopping for a Greece towel. We finished the day off with an excellent and reasonably priced meal at a restaurant recommended by our hotel. I can’t remember the name but it was located just off Omonia Square in Themistokleous Street.
Day 36, 29th May – A Day At The Museum
Julie and Tony are having a day off touring and have decided to have a browse around the local shops that surround Omonia Square. The hop on hop off bus has two stops within close proximity of our hotel. As a result we are avoiding having to pay ancillary travel costs on the metro. First stop today for Allan and Doreen was the Acropolis Museum where they had a good look at artifacts from the Parthenon. Alice went off to a Jewelry Museum and fortunately did not come back with any items.
After lunch we took a stroll through the Plaka district, Hadrians Gate and the Temple of Zeus. The highlight was watching the changing of the guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier next to Parliament House. Alice left us at this point and we continued onto the Acropolis. This is one historical site that you should not miss when visiting Athens. Our route to the Parthenon which is situated on top of the Acropolis took us past Dionysus Theatre, and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Apart from the magnificent temples there is a great view of Athens and Filopappou Hill. Our route down took us through the Ancient Agora where I managed to have a relief stop behind an old pine tree. We had used up a fair bit of shoe leather but still had some energy to visit Hadrians Library. It was a little before 5:00pm so Doreen and Allan headed back to the hotel while I braved the subway. I was on a reconnaissance mission to figure out how we would use the public transport system to get to the port at Piraeus. For 1.4euro I was able to travel down to the port and then back to Omonia Square.
Back at the hotel Alice indulged me by taking me down to the local hairdresser. Alice gave her some instructions and within a few minutes I was looking handsome again. It was reasonably good value for 5euros. We had dinner at a little café behind our hotel which was selling gyros and other delicacies at local prices. After a good meal and quite a few drinks it was time to settle our account. Thirty Euros for four people was excellent value.
Day 37, 30th May – Ferry to Mykonos
We were up at 5:30am this morning as our ferry departs at 7:30am. I would highly recommend the Vienna Hotel as a great budget stay in Athens. The staff was excellent with advice on the area and even gave the girls a red rose each when we departed. Our public transport option worked a treat as the terminus is right at the port. At 6:30am there was plenty of room for our luggage and the journey time was 18 minutes. A short walk and we were soon on board Blue Star Ferries, travelling economy class (18euro) to Mykonos. The only mistake we made was not booking business class for this leg. There were hardly any seats available when we boarded as other passengers had already staked their claim. Thanks to Allan we ended up with a table which we spread our chairs around.
Our journey time was just under six hours and it was a relief to know that a van for our hotel, The Paradise View was there to meet us. This is the second time Alice and I have stayed at this hotel. Our room is probably the worst in the whole complex as it has no view or balcony. In saying this, our room is still comfortable and well appointed. I guess we were spoiled on our previous visit. The hotel is about 300m from Paradise Beach and situated on a hill which looks down a valley to the beach. It is a glorious outlook from the pool and breakfast area which makes up for the initial disappointment.
After settling in it was off to the beach to look at the young and beautiful cavorting to the incessant music beat. Doreen and Julie were amazed at one couple who obviously did not have any money. We deduced this as they could not afford the cost of any swimwear. There were not many in the water and after plunging in we knew why. Despite the hot weather the temperature was quite bracing. A couple of drinks on Tony and Julie’s expansive balcony, yes they have one finished of the afternoon. For our evening entertainment we jumped on the local bus and for 1.6euro we were deposited in Hora, Mykonos. We had a just reasonable meal that sated our hunger for 20euro a couple at a hole in the wall establishment.
The last bus back to our hotel departed at 9:15 so we took a stroll through the Mykonos maze. The streets or should I say laneways are paved with stone with the joints painted in white. They can afford to keep it maintained as there is a never ending stream of tourists tramping through them. The waterfront was packed and the water was luminous from the millions of lights that were ablaze. We stopped for a drink each at a bar in Little Venice, so called as the building footings are in the water. The ambience was great but the prohibitive cost of the drinks does make it a oncer. A ten euro cab ride and lots of thrills from our formula one driver finished off our evening.
Day 38, 31st May – Paradise Point Dive
It is a beautiful sunny day which should make for excellent diving and beach conditions. Allan and Doreen are sorting out high finances in downtown. The rest of us however have ambled down the hill to take advantage of the day. I have booked a dive with Mykonos Diving and at 60euro for a short boat dive it is comparable to Australian costs. After gearing up and looking like a navy seal we headed out to Paradise Point for my first dive in about two years. I was a little apprehensive as my ears have been playing up which may make it difficult to equalize. A nice backward roll off the side of the inflatable into the frigid water soon had my senses working. I knew I was alive when the water started to seep inside my wetsuit. I just managed to pop my ears as I dropped slowly to the ocean floor. The visibility was at least 25 metres and there was only a slight current. My dive buddy was making heavy weather of his descent and I could see him eating air as he bobbed up and down like a yoyo. The marine life was scarce but we did see a couple of small grouper. Our dive to a depth of 18 metres lasted about 45 minutes. Towards the end the cold started to seep into my bones so I was happy when it finished. The dive company was excellent and it was good to get wet again despite the lack of marine life.
By the time my dive had finished Tony and Julie had departed for the warmer clime of the shops in Hora. Alice and I trudged up the hill to relax by the pool however that was short lived as George the manager has found us a room with a balcony. Without hesitation our bags were quickly packed and with a short walk up the steps we were ensconced in a more salubrious room. The afternoon was drifting away so it was onto the bus for some sightseeing around town. As we alighted there were Tony and Julie waiting to take the bus back to the hotel for a late afternoon nap. Hastily we made arrangements to meet for dinner at 7:00pm at Kounelas Traditional Fish Tavern.
Alice and I spent the afternoon taking photographs of cats, windmills and churches. Judging by the number of cats that we have seen there appears to be a need for a spading program to reduce the numbers. Dinner in the garden setting was a culinary standout and the girls gave the grilled swordfish a ten out of ten. The complimentary wine that was served from a penis shaped bottle was a fine conclusion to the evening. Earlier in the afternoon I had hired a quad bike for exploring the island. It was with some trepidation that I mounted my trusty machine for the journey back to the hotel. Travelling at night on narrow roads in unfamiliar territory can be daunting but I needed to get the quad back to the hotel. I would like to say it was a breeze but I got hopelessly lost. In the end I pulled into a service station and they put me back on track. Even with my hopeless sense of direction I managed to get back to the hotel before the local bus.
Day 39, 1st June – In Search of Shirley Valentine
After breakfast Alice and I fired up our trusty quad bike and headed off to the City bus terminal where we had planned to meet the others. Our well laid plans came to a standstill when after climbing a rather steep hill our quad came to a standstill. I could not believe it, to my chagrin and in the middle of nowhere the blasted machine was out of petrol. My frustration was further compounded by the fact that I could have filled up the previous night when asking for directions. While considering our options the local bus trundled into view so I grabbed the opportunity and headed into town where the hire place was located. He looked at me with disdain but gave me a litre of fuel to get us going again. I had just enough time to jump back on the bus heading out of town. Alice had guarded our machine with her life and after replenishing it’s fuel supply we were finally ready to start the day. The others should have been in town waiting for us but they had fared no better than us. Their pickup failed to arrive until 11:30am so they were delayed even longer than us. In the end we gave up waiting and headed off to Ag. Sostis and Panormos beaches on the northern side of Mykonos. The water was so clear and inviting that we had no hesitation in diving in for a refreshing swim. Sostis was the sort of beach where you could easily spend the day just lazing about. It was time to move on and Alice the navigator soon had us on the right track to Agrari Beach. After descending a very steep hill the welcoming wide stretch of golden sand was before us. It was well past lunch so the local restaurant offered us some respite to our hunger. To our surprise sitting at a large table was Julie, Doreen and the boys. They had only arrived some fifteen minutes before us.
Our waiter did not think our quads would be powerful enough to get our pillion passengers to the top of the hill so he offered to drive them up. Now that is exceptional customer service. The girls were happy with the offer and even more so after being chatted up by some randy Frenchmen. Back on the quads again and we traversed the hilly terrain in search of Elia Beach. We eventually found it and were pleasantly surprised by the beauty of it. Tony, Julie, Alice and I braved the icy the icy water and had a very refreshing swim. Allan meanwhile took his machine for a run up the steepest hill he could find. At this juncture we all separated and headed off to explore other areas.
Alice and I had to return the quad by 6:00pm so we went off to Ag. Ioannis where the movie Shirley Valentine was set. You could see it was the same beach but it was no longer in an isolated position. Somehow Allan and Doreen ended up at the same spot so we enjoyed the view and reminisced about the movie together. Our day ended with a light snack at Hora before jumping back on the bus to the hotel.
Day 40, 2nd June – Naxos
Our ferry today is departing at 10:15am so we had a leisurely breakfast before heading off. Tony and Allan followed the van in their quad bikes as they had to be returned to the dealer. At the ferry terminal Tony had another blonde moment when he noticed a wet patch on his tightly packed backpack. After removing several items we discovered that a full bottle of red wine had broken in his bag. We could not believe what he had managed to get in there. His cream colored jeans were now a bright pink and his favourite pork-pie hat and one lone sock had to be consigned to the rubbish bin. Amongst all this were other clothes, tea bags plus an assortment of disposable shavers. OMG!
On arrival at Naxos we were met by the manager of the Ilion Hotel who transported all of our luggage in her Mercedes. Our rooms were not ready so we took a relaxing lunch at one of the many restaurants that line the waterfront beneath the Kastro (castle). Eventually we made our way to the hotel where our 40.5euro rooms awaited us. The rooms were great and our small balconies all have a view of nearby Ag. Georgios beach. The weather was great so Tony and I took a swim while Allan had a long beach walk. The girls who do not need any beauty sleep managed to make time for a nanna nap. After our big lunch we only required a light meal so we settled on pizza for dinner.
Day 41, 3rd June – Bad Weather
Overnight the weather had deteriorated to an extent where a day at the beach was out of the question. Tony and Julie are spending time with her son James who has flown in from Munich to stay the next few days with us. After a sensational breakfast I hired a little Fiat Panda for 25euro. Allan and Doreen have joined us and after a couple of wrong turns we were off into the heartland of Naxos. After a short drive to Ag. Prokopis beach we made our way to the historical site of Dementer’s Sanctuary. The ruins here date back to the 6th century BC. Our next stop was at the mountain village of Chalki where they have a small Kitron distillery and crafts scene. Parking is difficult but thanks to the small size of the Panda we were able to find a space. The village is definitely worth a look around and a good place to have a coffee and a piece of custard tart.
The little Panda is a great car for navigating your way through the narrow confines of the village roads. We were mostly in second gear but occasionally I would let myself go by selecting the third gear. Talk about living on the edge. After travelling through Filoti we stopped at the quaint mountain village of Apeiranthos. There were a number of excellent tavernas all offering cheap food with excellent views from their mountain perches. I would definitely recommend spending a little more time here exploring the church and village. Our route took us past a few more villages before we saw the ocean and the small port of Apollonas. Doreen was a little car sick from all the winding roads and needed a good rest before continuing. This gave us a good opportunity to walk around and admire the view whilst nibbling on a few grilled prawns. It would have been more enjoyable if the wind and rain had kept away. The day was drawing to an end but we still had another 54km to travel before we could call it a day. This section was like being on The Great Ocean Road as we had great panoramic views of the ocean and small inlets.
It was a little after 6:00pm when we returned to the hotel for a well deserved cold beer and a hot shower. Tony was the star of the show this evening as he put on a small concert for us. His voice has a good timbre and he is able to inject feeling into his music. After receiving rapturous applause from his audience of six we headed off for dinner. His act wasn’t completely over as he pulled a shattered boiled egg from his man bag. He had squirreled it away when we were on Mykonos with the intention of devouring it for morning tea. The look on his face as he searched for a rubbish bin was priceless. As a side note the meal at Meltemi’s was great and reasonably priced (34euro per couple).
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