Hello to you! From the truly picturesque Greek islands. After finally checking one of the top 3 destinations off my bucket list, I can say I understand why Greece is such a "must do." It's beautiful! The sunsets of Oia were just breathtaking... I may or may not have cried little happy tears that I was witnessing something that I have only before dreamed about.
Let's just say, it was definitely worth it. Thank you hubs and my BFF for traveling with me to ring in a new decade of my life. It was just lovely getting lost in the streets of Santorini, four wheeling along the entire coast of Mykonos, and staying up all night watching the sun rise.
We started our week with only one night in Athens. We walked for a few hours touring the ancient sites and came upon many city kitties. Guarding stores, relaxing in shaded parks, or walking across the roman pillars, these cats were definitely loving life. We arrived a bit too late in the afternoon to go to the top of the Acropolis but we toured the Museum and got some pretty good views of it from rooftop bars.
We got our first glimpse at the famed Grecian sunsets while walking through the streets in search of a rooftop to grab some bubbles. I actually gasped! It seemed like the sun was so close! I had never seen a sunset with such vivid color- it seemed to be pouring into the sky.
We found a rooftop with an amazing view to enjoy the rest of the warm evening. It was fun to find as the bar was on top of a hotel with an entrance off a main street. It almost looked like a back alley! Upon arrival, we were surprised with a beautiful restaurant and modern bar waiting to serve us lovely Greek wine.
The next morning, Chris and I caught a ferry to our next destination. Just a tip if you plan on a similar itinerary, keep in mind traffic is unpredictable. It was a 40 minute taxi to port, we planned for taking just over 1 hour, and we still barely made it on! Once aboard the ship and settled, it was an enjoyable ride with the sea breeze through our hair and sun illuminating the pages of my book.
Welcome to Mykonos! Check out the beautiful views from our hotel! We had our own private beach to walk out on to. The pool deck was open to a simply chic boutique that flowed into the hotel's bar and adjoining restaurant. The whole atmosphere was so relaxing and lovely. We were happy to be living in luxury here for a few days! Chris and I enjoyed a few hours of poolside time before Brittany joined us.
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| Hippie Chic Hotel Mykonos |
Once Brittany arrived, we were off to pick up our fashionable rides for a few days, ATVs! At first we were a little hesitant about driving them but it wound up being one of the most memorable parts of the trip!
We took our sweet new rides and explored a little around the island, taking the salesman's advice and just went down whichever roads we felt like! We got "wonderfully lost" until about dinnertime when we returned to the hotel and watched the sunset view from our hotel.
After dinner, we decided to hit the town, Mykonos Town! We had quite the adventure to get there, as we were originally planning on going to Jackie O's or Super Paradise Beach Club. Whether the taxi drivers took us knowing they would be closed and they'd have to drive us elsewhere thus getting more money, or it was a random off Saturday, we'll never know. Anyway, we wound up downtown and it was definitely the place to be! We hopped around a bit and steered clear of major clubs, and since it was my 30th birthday celebration we were just too old to pay cover!
We ended the night (and simultaneously began the next morning) in an almost empty bar next to a club. We got seats and music, but didn't have to be squeezed into a compact area with a bunch of other sweaty humans. Plus, it sat right along the water of "Little Venice" and the waves could come up to the the edge. ALSO the waiter told me he just sold the last watermelon drink to someone else, so I did a happy dance when he somehow brought them a cantaloupe and me the watermelon! I had been on a watermelon kick this trip and it was all I wanted! I mean, an adult beverage served in your favorite fruit WITH a sparkler? Happy birthday to me!
When I looked at my watch as the sun was rising I couldn't believe my eyes! I had to have coffee every other night of my life to stay up past 10pm, and it was almost 6am! Needless to say, we had a great night with watermelon, bubbles, and lots of good conversation with my two favorite people.
The next day we explored Mykonos town in daylight. We began with brunch because, brunch (needs no explanation.) Then walked and toured the famous windmills and shopped in the local artisan shops.
We found a stand with these alcoholic ice pops and just had to have them! Mmm delicious way to cool down! The town during the day was completely different than with the sun down. It was lovely to stroll and play tourist.
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| Pretty Little Thing Kimono | similar |
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| Diff Eyewear Sunnies | similar |
Side note: I'm pretty sure we didn't even go to the beach this day. I was wearing my suit and coverup because it was so. freaking. hot. and that was the only semi-appropriate outfit where I could wear as least as possible, ha! Thanks to my BFF for making me look like I'm posing for a magazine when really I was trying to stand in a shady corner!
On to the next part of our day, the 4 wheelers! We spent most of the day driving around the whole island. Literally. We had our Google Maps up of the island and took whatever roads were closest to the coast. It was quite the adventure! We may or may not have gotten passed by a bicyclist, driven through a trash dump, or found a stray dog haven where I seriously considered bringing home a new pup... but I'll let you imagine what we actually did.
So, you may know that I love abandoned places. It's definitely a unique part of a travel diary! We found this gem of an abandoned compound along one of those random roads. Before we knew it, we all parked our vehicles and were climbing through the crumbling wall to explore the inside.
Do you see the word "aura" beautifully handwritten on the side of the building? Our first thoughts were that it must have been the name of the building, or what once was. However, upon a little Googling I found some interesting information. This is a mural by Simon Silaidis in his unique urban calligraphy style. I love his goal, using his love of letters to "expose the atmosphere of the location." It is just so lovely to me that someone can see the beauty in an otherwise labeled eyesore. Read more about his murals and see more photos of this piece here.
We kept our helmets on for safety, duh! But look at this view! I can just imagine what was here before. A resort? A jail? Not really sure but it definitely was secluded and had spectacular views to enjoy.
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| Dragonisi Island |
What's the point of a vacation if you get the same story that everyone else has? Riding ATVs through minimally charted territory on a secluded side of an otherwise prominent tourist Greek island and happening upon an abandoned building with a secret message is my story, and it was beautiful. Phew! That was a long sentence.
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| earrings | also in Shop post |
After our unique day of sightseeing, we enjoyed a wonderful meal of fresh seafood for our last evening in Mykonos. We again enjoyed the sunset from the private beach of our hotel and watched as a bonfire was set aflame. We had many glasses of Greek wine and discussed our upcoming destinations on our travel wishlist.
Kalinikta, for now, friends. We had a new adventure awaiting us tomorrow!
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