Blogs from South Aegean, Greece, Europe - page 68

The challenge was to find a Greek island that would be authentic, relaxed and not heaving with tourists in the middle of July. The assumption was that if you could not fly directly there it would be cutting out swathes of tourists already. So in the end we settle on Batsi, Andros in the Cyclades islands about 2 hours east of Athens by fast ferry. Really it was a perfect compromise. A spirinkling of bars and restaurants, an archaeological musem, some beautiful beaches but very, very few Brits. We stayed in Sunset studios in Stivari just on the outskirts of Batsi town. The best bits Beach before Agia Marina Hiring a buggy Lobster at Batsi's oldest restaurant The not so good bits The WIND. From July to beginning of Sept the wind blows through getting worse ... read more

Well, Oia was spectacular. It was definitely the most picturesque part of the island that I have seen so far (I think on Friday I am going to get that rental car to explore the southern part of the island). Unfortunately, because of the clouds, the sunset was a little disappointing. However, the views were great. It is kind of nice since there are so few tourists here, its like we all have this common bond. We all rode the crazy bus together. (To get to Oia you have to take this jarring cliff-side road. I cannot imagine driving a car, much less a bus, along that road!) We all were trying to find the best place to watch the sun set. I loved how there is a sign painted on the side of one of ... read more

Rhodesh Chodesh Kalimera (Good Morning) from RHODES, Greecre Such a charming Greek Island with Roman, Greek and Crusader History. Rhodes is the largest of the Dodecanese Island and fourth largest of all Greek Islands. It lies only seven miles from the Turkish coast. the island is known for its natural beauty as well as its historical and archeological treasures. In Ancient times, the entrance to tts harbour featured a celebrated landmark, the 105 foot statue, known as the Colossus of Rhodes, which was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Rhodes was an important centre in the 3rd to the 5th centuries as part of both the Roman and Byzantine empires. A five minute walk from the Port took us through the main city gate of the 600 year old Crusader ... read more

Last night I got some much needed sleep. Well rested, I went for a run to familiarize myself with part of the island. I set out towards the beach where I’d likely spend most of my day. Getting there was easy. There is one road that leads down to the beach and it is entirely downhill. Along the way I stopped a few times to take pictures of the gorgeous views of the surrounding sea. About 3km in, I had passed the long, deserted beach and hit a dead end. It was time to head back up the steep hill. I made it back about 20 minutes later after laboring up the hill and having to walk a couple times to catch my breath. After cleaning up and grabbing a sandwich from the nearby market I ... read more

We set sail from Piraeus with light rain and gentle breezes. As is customary on this Line, the sails are raised to the sounds of Vangelis: its not as cheesy as it sounds particularly with this much sail! The cruise has continued with winds below 25kts and just one night anyone would regard as rough. There are currently about 120 passengers aboard and this will reduce to about 50 for the crossing. The crew and passengers come from 35 countries though passengers are primarily. Europeans, Yanks and Australians. Greg has had his hands on the wheel just once so far but more to come. The ship is reaching under 75% of its sails and about 9kts: no greyhound. Mykonos was lovely with the picturesque harbour and whitewashed houses and narrow lane ways. Particularly good because the ... read more