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Published: August 5th 2006
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The town of Mykonos
Narrow streets, whitewashed in white with blue details and lots of high end retail for the rich European.. Rome/ Athens/ Mykonos/ Lausanne (July 11-Aug 2)
Europe in the summer.. there isn’t anything quite like it, especially as you head to the south. With the thermometer increasing steadily, forcing me into the shade during the day, I spent a few days in Rome before moving on to the hype of Greece.
In my third trip to Rome, I was determined to see the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums as my previous visits had been brief. I started this trip with a comfortable overnight trip from Vienna to Rome and stayed near the old city, walking distance to most places (thank god because the taxi drivers went on strike while I was there). I found Rome generally attractive but a bit too overrun by tourists and touristy attractions. It didn’t seem to have the authentic stylish appeal that other major European cities have; but it is still Rome so there is too much history to recount and Italian restaurants surround you. It’s easy to lose days in Italy watching life go by, strolling with both tourists and locals, sipping coffee or wine and relaxing in the shade during the day and dining on pasta in outdoor cafes late into
Mykonos town from the heights
My hotel was up here- with a great view of the town. the evening. While crowded, the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps and many piazzas are still entertaining and interesting places to take in the history and architecture of Rome and generally congregate because of all the cafes and restaurants around.
I got to see the impressive Borghese Museum, located in the Borghese villa, a huge park in which I also jogged at night and former grounds of a rich Italian merchant. I went in to the Vatican Museums to walk through several rooms of impressive sculptures and historic artwork before arriving to the key frescoes by Raphael and the Sistine Chapel itself. It is impossible to put in to words the feeling of art moving you but this was probably the most impressive piece of art I have ever seen, detailing scenes from the bible, centered around the creation of man. Even with the flock of other tourists and long wait in the heat, it was well worth it; I even got an ‘illegal’ picture of it.
The trip from Rome to Mykonos took time but was a great way to travel: Rome to Bari by train, Bari to Patras by overnight boat (complete with pool, restaurants, hotel rooms and
Trevi fountain
Touristy but a must see in Rome. more), bus from Patras to Athens, overnight in Athens (jog by the first Olympic stadium), slow boat from Athens to Mykonos for arrival.. about 50 hours in total but crossing the last part of crystal water into the enchanting port of Mykonos made it all worth while.
Mykonos, along with the Greek islands, is a small paradise. The town is washed in white with blue details- the buildings and sidewalks in white with blue doors and shutters to complete the appeal of Greece. This, along with the tight corridors of the town and the crystal blue water swimming up to the beaches, create a mystical feeling that you have found paradise. I had thought about going on to other islands, but I found a fantastic place with a great view, unpacked (a nice feeling when you’ve been on the go forever) and enjoyed 7 days in the sun of Mykonos.
Life in Mykonos is hard to beat; it certainly doesn’t start early and rarely ends at any reasonable hour (I found myself dining sometimes at 23:00 at night, a typical hour for dinner there). Strolling along the ‘streets’ (the maze of corridors that swells with people) will lose
Champion of the Colosseum
I wonder how I would have done vs. a lion. any tourist; but it’s sanguine enough because of all the shops (selling overpriced, high-end designer art and clothing), trendy people-watching cafes and neat little boutiques. There are beaches all over the island, which I would approximate, is about the size of Martha’s Vineyard. I enjoyed feeling like a part of the Italian clan, renting a scooter and driving around the island like mad to get to the beaches (as opposed to the bus). The best beaches, Paradise and Paranga, were on the southern end of the island and a fantastic place to check out the scene, have a beach cocktail and wait for ‘happy hour’ to start at 5 when the DJ came on and people flocked from beach chair to bar to jam with the sexy paid dancers.. fun, crazy… hard on the liver.
A stroll through Mykonos at night finds Europe’s most attractive people of all ages, from kids dressed in designer shirts to retirees dressed to the nine’s for an evening out in Mykonos town. And, as part of the Mediterranean lifestyle, life starts and goes late; dinner is around 10 or 11 and the night never seems to end. The people, both locals and tourists,
Sunset on the boat
Taking the ferry from Italy to Greece was a serene way to travel. are friendly and happy to be in paradise (even if it’s a bit expensive- it’s the height of the Greek islands); I met people from around the world and back home. With its natural beauty, colorful Greek houses and pulsating night life, I truly loved Mykonos and plan to come back to see the other islands.
I might have stayed in Mykonos for much longer if I was made of money but had to push on so took the high-speed boat back to Athens. I stayed in Plaka again, located in the heart of the city and in close proximity to major historical highlights and filled with shops and restaurants. I took the afternoon to make sure I could check off the ‘I have seen the Acropolis’ box and make sure that my time in Greece wasn’t entirely found on the beach. And after 1 night in Athens, I flew to Switzerland to depart the beach for the natural beauty of the mountains
Lausanne, Switzerland, headquarters for the International Olympic Committee and has the Olympic Museum, is a very neat, medium-sized city tucked in the southwest part of Switzerland on the largest lake in the country. I was
struck at how clean things were throughout their country- and at the price of things there (spent $3us for a Diet Coke and $4 for Starbucks). But the tranquility and order of Switzerland is hard to beat. I got to hike around some of the small villages around Lausanne, where they make some of the finest Swiss wines and was forced to climb through the mountains by my Swiss tour guide. I have to say, it was a great way to see the countryside and mountains, but, in the heat, it was a heck of a workout!
One of the treats I had there was a thermal bath and a day at the natural springs. It is one of those places where you go in the first pool, which is cooler, then on to the second (warmer), etc and even had Turkish baths. But this also had a complete program in which you went in to a room with snow (obviously kept very cold) and then in to one sauna, then in to freezing water, then to another sauna. It sounds odd, but was extremely refreshing (at the end of it) and is supposed to be really good for
Happy hour, Paradise Beach bar
The place to be, complete with DJs and dancers... your skin. On my final night, August 1st, there was a huge fireworks show at night to celebrate ‘National Day’, their version of Independence Day. I really enjoyed relaxing here and feeling a bit more at home, even if I had to push on again to see more of Italy and Croatia.
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amy
non-member comment
fun in the sun!
you are covering a ton of ground....great updates! keep 'em coming and safe travels ;)