Wales needs

Wales was alway going to be a bit of a push; so little time and such grand plans to squeeze in as much as possible. The lack of time, distance on slow roads and a rapidly approaching deadline to be in Ireland to meet up with my parents were what got us in the end. The outcome of this was that we had to recklessly chop the Gower Peninsula from the itinerary. A little sad as it is widely regarded as one of Wales' real treasures in terms of its natural costal beauty. Maybe another time I guess!

As always there was a sliver lining! Cutting the Gower off meant an extra day in Snowdonia National Park and a more relaxed journey. Thankfully Mt Snowdon didn't fail to impress! The 8 mile hike/scramble up to it's summit was breathtaking - large glacial lakes with bright blue water, soft spongy alpine grasses and wild flowers, abrupt treacherous cliff faces (yes, people are lost here every year) and the ever present clouds billowing over the top intermittently with bouts of blue sky and warm sunlight topped it off (the day about as good as you could hope for)!

View from Mt Snowden top

For some reason there were dozens of people climbing up (of all shapes, sizes and ages) raising money for charity which made it busier than normal i'm sure. Just as unexpectedly were the people running up and down?!? Later we found out there was some sort of marathon on!!! Crazy people! Manda chugged along in good time and proved herself by completing the walk in faster time than suggested! The train that somehow made it to the summit whilst appealing cost £18 which was a bit of a disincentive (well to us anyway... There were however loads of people taking it lazy cootes!).

The other walk was a long walk to Swallow Falls (2-3 uneven, wet and rough miles along the river) from the local information centre a bit of a bum steer for an afternoon activity but was pleasant enough once we got there and paid our £1 admission at the unpoliced turnstile. Honest Brad at his best!

Sparrow Falls

Have been staying in a little alpine like village with a difficult to pronounce name (Betws-y-coed)

which has been perfect, despite the fact our lodgings at the bunk shack contained a large spider in Manda's bed and resembled, in terms of size, construction and smell, a lavatory cubicle; the temporary hollow plastic walls held together with metal 'L' brackets the real clincher!

Thankfully the sun has put in a strong showing this past 2 days  (with some cloudy periods, unavoidable I'm sure) which have brightened and dried our slightly dampened spirits! We've even managed a few picnics at the local oval which has been perfect!

Off to Ireland now for a dram or 2 and a pint or 2 to wash the haggis down! Can't wait!

In other news, Manda has finally succumbed to the travel bug that's been following me around constantly since we left home! Hopefully she'll flick it soon enough!!!

Cotswold Gardens and Stratford-upon-Avon

Shakesphere in this part of the world is a branch of religion. Pubs, clubs, inns, restaurants, malls and even the local plumber and electrician proudly bear his name! And why wouldn't you?! Heaven knows they owe it to him!!
A tour of Stratford with the ever so British and ever so delightful Barbara was just what we needed to get us enthused and orientated to the main sights of town as the rain fell down. A favourite of ours (be it a little morbid) was William Shakespeare and his extended families 'grave' in the church; being too worried about having his bones dug up and burnt (a bone fire ----> bonfire) which was common in his time, he purchased a spot within the church to assure security at quite a cost. Did the trick as his still there, untouched! The plaque he wrote, more of a curse than poetic verse, warning against opening was quite funny!

Birthplace of Shakespear

Cheap under 25 tickets (£5 - ie a donation more than anything) to The Merchant of Venice at the Royal Shakesphere Company's (RSC) Swan theatre (reopened in 2010) was another real highlight of the trip and certainly something many people hope to do but simply can't - only 10 under 25s tickets available each day on the day (must prebook months in advance otherwise) and we got tickets 9 and 10! Lucky indeed! Normal price £50 and up; the theatre holds 1000+. The show was a sellout, as they are every night, and the quality of the performance absolutely second to none! Sir Patrick Stewart from Star Trek (this came as news to me?!?) and most recently X-Men as Professor Charles Xavier played a lead role; we felt honored to see someone as highly renowned and decorated perform for us. Brilliant! Am I converted to a Shakespeare lover? Quite possibly!

Royal Shakespear Company

The Black Swan or Dirty Duck as the locals affectionately call it, was a terrific place for a meal. Within stone throw of the RSC Swan Theatre and offering 2 tasty British main meals with mushy peas for £10 it was always going to be hard to pass up! Sadly however they didn't pour Flowers Beers which we were keen to try; Mr Flower, a very successful brewer many years ago gave a substantial grant and large allotment of land along the Avon River in Stratford to the RSC which is still owned in it's entirety by them today...

Other than develop an appreciation for Shakespeare and people who can perform it I also learnt some other interesting things here in Stratford. The Tudor style homes, of which there are many here, were originally built mainly of straw, cows blood and runny cow manure all mixed together and poured over sticks to create a hard concrete like product which was put between the black wooden frame. They certainly were thrifty back in the old days!

Also, the closer the frame together, ie the more vertical wooden beams a wall was composed of the wealthier the inhabitant!
Cotswolds were quiet, quaint and beautiful. Tall pitched thatched roofs, neat stone walls, small pained windows with chaotic yet seemingly ordered flowering gardens completed the Cotswolds unique look.

Anne Hathawaits House

Shakespears birthplace again

Cool window

Manda and I tried a sleep in the car one afternoon as we were both totally pooped out so we stopped on the roadside just outside one of the villages, lay the seats back and shut the eyes. About half an hour later we were awoken with a startling banging on the roof! A very gruff English looking chap dressed in his best pheasant or quail hunting attire (little green woolen cap on) had woken us to move us on. Clearly they don't have the rest, revive, survive campaigns here!?!


We stayed in Upper Quinton, at a little B&B named Winton House; a Georgian period home which was more than sufficient. School holidays meant the owners children were home which was fine as it also meant there was a new rabbit and 13 new hens for Manda to ogle! Given it was only 10 miles to Stratford we ended up there a time or two for meals etc. We did do a bit of a day trip through some of the other little Cotswold villages which were close by like Chipping Camdon, each cuter than the previous. The lack of Maccas and other chain shops/hotels/restaurants really contributed to the olden day feel of these brilliant little villages.

Certainly a place to come back to for more of a look in the future!

Southern England

After leaving the 'essential' Brighton off our list of places to see  sighting the fact its just another crummy European beach we couldn't be happier! At their expense we've managed to see plenty of amazing places in southern England so far!

When collecting car from Heathrow Europecar there were no diesel ones which we desperately wanted (so much more fuel efficient) so Manda being Manda buttered up the man in charge of cars coming in and out and he told us to wait 5 minutes as there was a diesel VW Golf coming from the wash room we could take. Perfect! Amazing where a few kind words can get you!

Sailsbury, probably better known to most as the gateway to Stone Henge, was a sight to see in itself! Everything we imagined a small English town to be! Tudor style homes, cottage gardens, boutique stores, elaborate, warm and welcoming pubs/inns, bakeries selling pies, sausage rolls and pastys, amazing churches... It had it all.

After arriving on market day (people and cars everywhere!) while it was raining and without accommodation booked we felt a little overwhelmed but were soon content enough. Info centre booked us into a new B&B which was perfect (more expensive than France but ok at £60/night), had the most tasty sausage roll and cornish pastry from the bakery while the rain eased and then perused the markets. Market weren't to disappoint; Manda found her illusive makeup at a fraction of the Boots cost, we found 'faggots' (3 for £5; they look like offal and fat rissoles - yum!), 'postmans legs' dog bones (mookie would love these - looked like cattle leg bones), cheap boxes of cards for all occasions, and British fudge and lollies... Overall a huge success!
Ventured out in the afternoon when rain stopped to discover clear blue skies (for the first and possibly last time) and managed to see cathedral in all it's glory bathed in sunlight! One of those special moments!

Stone Henge was terrific! Raining not surprisingly but as they say when one door is closed another is opened and this was the case here! As it was raining the office wouldn't give audio guides out, essential really to understanding the site, however serendipitously we bumped into 'Simon with a pony tail' - Stone Henge extraordinaire, astronomer since age 4 and life time enthusiast! This guy may well have been involved in it's construction and reincarnated as a staff member here! Everything from its origins and time line of inhabitants to present day activities here (solstice parties being one funny one) along with information on carbon dating and laser mapping of the site (lay of the land and rock faces measured 2 dots per mm) I couldn't help but to fall under his and it's spell!!! We felt so compelled by his ramblings we wrote him a card from the box we bought at the Sailsbury markets! The rain poured down initially so the Gallipoli poncho finally started earning it's keep (having been carried in the small back pack for the last 4 months). The umbrella, hardly dry from the day previous, again proving it's worth! People looked at me like i was crazy in a poncho however I got the last laugh as it was perfect against the rain driven horizontally by the relentless wind and perfect for photo bombing (I looked like an alien!). Perfect start to the day!

After traveling many miles from Stone Henge to St. Austell (near lands end) while Manda caught up on her journal (oops! I mean caught up on sleep!) the VW and I had become well acquainted. Cromwell region, despite it being 'a little out of our way', was so pretty; undulating luscious green pastures testament to the rainfall pattern I guess?!

The Eden Project was the main reason for the trip here however there appears to be much more than this to do here. Alas, we didn't have time to do much more. Stayed in a freaky eccentric dudes B&B named Sedgemore Heights in St. He turned out ok giving us a 2 for one coupon for the Eden Project so couldn't complain too loudly!

Saw Harry Potter here at their White Swan Cinema (like Armidale Cinema), got one of the last 10 tickets which were being held for last minute people after talking with the manager and explaining Manda couldn't do 3D hence we needed/wished to see the 2D version. At £7 each it was a good cheap night out! Ray at the B&B didn't appreciate us driving the 2 minute walk... Not sure what he'd been smoking from his garden but whatever it was must have impaired his eyesight; it was teeming rain and blowing a gale!

Was Ray the B and B host on this?!

Eden Project was simply amazing. 2 giant climate controlled biomes constructed in 2000 in an old china clay pit which had reached the end of it's productive life.

Eden Project before as a clay mine

The area before rehabilitation was an environmental wreck; like an open cut mine at home. Today it's been completely rehabilitated into a "park" for want of a better description with the biomes being the jewel of the crown.

Eden Project now - what a transformnation!

The biomes each house a different climate controlled garden/parkland; those being meditaranean and rainforrest (largest indoor rainforrest in the world!). Each obviously containing specimens specific to that habitat; some rare, some endangered or on the verge of, but generally all plants we use/rely on day to day. In the rainforrest particularly there were plants I'd never seen, and never associated with day to day use; cocoa, cashew, arabica coffee, tea, vanilla, peanuts, mangos, pawpaw to name a few; all growing incredibly well!

Med biome inside...

The biomes were connected centrally with by a dining hall like room with shops and an eatery all selling fair trade and organic produce. The food looked delicious; much of it produced from their gardens (no hash cookies on the menu despite there being a huge garden of it on public display for education on hemps properties in the textile and rope industries!!! Completely unprotected from visitors!). As mentioned above, they were big on fair trade. They were also big and extremely proactive with the use of renewable resources and green technology which despite my initial hesitation/skepticism towards I found amazing, practical and extremely accessible. The way they presented the facts, figures and technologies made it clear to even the lowest common denominator! I will certainly attempt to live 'smarter', 'greener' and 'fairer' since coming here! Their outside gardens were also terrific and again hard to believe in 10 years the transformation. More great information here, including my favourite, a garden of many commonly used medicinal plants (too many to list) but it did include precursors to morphine and digoxin, arnica and ecinatia and as mentioned before good old hemp! Ray at the B&B had given us a 2 for 1 entry coupon from the local paper so even more impressively it was cheaper to get in! Project Eden was certainly one of my more impressive educational experiences whilst away!

Gardens outside just as amazing!

Headed north from St Austell to Bath for the compulsory stop at the old roman baths (very expensive but beautiful nonetheless; complimentary glass of warm spring water at the conclusion of the tour horrid but isn't all medicine?!).

Regal Homes Bath

Bath Cathedral

Roman Baths, Bath

Damned audioguides Bath Baths

50p Gardens and River - very pretty

Sally Lun's world famous buns (buns are bread rolls... nothing else!) served from the oldest house/shop in Bath were also expensive but rather nice with enough clotted cream to clog even the cleanest arteries! And whist the Mayor's walking tour was informative and free, entry to the nicely manicured riverside garden was not (50p for a student)! Pleasant enough place; very grand and well manicured and rich in history so couldn't ask for much more.

London: God save the Queen! (thanks Chris!)

Leaving Santorini was so sad! It was as though the trip was over. Putting the bags on the conveyer belt and through the scanner at Santorini airport after being dropped off by the crazy and reckless hire car lady we felt a little deflated and certainly reminiscent. Manda, occasionally of the "glass half empty" thought, was surprisingly spot on though; we're off to London and another 5 weeks of travel! Hooray for that! Hooray also for American stupidity! A "lovely" American lass left her passport (yes, her passport!!!) at her Santorini hotel and the lady from the hotel picked us as upstanding Aussies at the airport and asked us if we'd meet her in Athens and return it?! I couldn't see any reason not to but for good measure and to get money conscious Mandas on side she gave us 20€ for our trouble!? Score! "Thank y'all so much" to quote the American lass in Athens who looked petrified her passport would never be seen again!

London was perfect; big red double decker busses, red post boxes, and eye catching red telephone boxes (complete with equally eye catching adverts inside!), black taxis, bobbies in tall helmet hats, slow and crowded underground trains and the Oyster Card, Boots the chemist and warm pints with a hearty counter meal (chips here hot as opposed to Turkey where they're served cold 99% of the time)! All experienced within hours of arriving! Rain and gloomy dark cloud, not wanting to be forgotten, also came to the party and has done so each and every day! No wonder they all carry umbrellas and own Wellington boots!

Spent 4 nights (3 days) at the 5 star and centrally located Hotel Jo Woods, which was terrific! It was lovely to see Jo who we haven't  really seen since the wedding last year (with the exception of a few days in Paris all those months ago). Despite Jo's busy schedule we managed to squeeze in a West End show; Priscilla Queen of the Desert - jazzed up with sequins, coloured lights, pink feather boas, a ridiculously large silver bus and equally large glittering silver stiletto heel (not sure what it is about large things and this genre of show? Do you know Chris??? Thinking of Rocky Horror Show in particular!). Whilst it was very comical it was also a little touching, not bad for a show about a trio of overtly gay fellas traveling across Aus! Many Aussie jokes missed by British crowd but well appreciated by the 3 of us! Amazing costumes including cockatoos, koalas, bottle brushes, emus and waratahs. Also did an underwhelming and overly expensive meal at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen with Michael and Mel and Jo (Manda and I were at least 30 min late as the train was so slow and then we walked the wrong direction from the station... Talk about embarrassing...).  Great to see you Jo!

We also saw Mel and Michael and spent most of our overlapping days with them seeing such sights as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, parliament, London eye and 4D experience, Westminster Abbey, British museum, topped off with the essential round of warm pints/house wine at the pub! Being people who didn't learn from past embarrassing experiences on the metro system we often ran late for meetings with Mel and Michael leaving us sweaty and red faced!

British museum was my pick of the bunch; not only was it a magnificent building it had a marvelous collection of bits and pieces from all corners of the globe. Not surprisingly we didn't manage to see much of it, however we did see of note the rosetta stone (invaluable key to deciphering hieroglyphics: a decree written in hieroglyphics, demotic and greek), the well preserved carvings from the Parthenon (which are extremely contentious as the Greeks want them back and the Brits are refusing on reasonable(?) grounds) and some amazing egyptian relics, including my personal favourite, a body from 3000 years ago preserved in the desert sand complete with hair and skin! All this and SO much more for FREE! We will return.

West End shows another highlight. As mentioned before we were lucky enough to see Priscilla with Jo and also saw, on our own as Jo was out on a bender (go Jo!!), Jersey Boys (tickets bought in Picadilly Square on the day of the show gets a good discount). Jersey Boys whilst not bad only got a 4 out of 7 Brandy Stars. Good musical score (plenty of toe tapping and thigh slapping) but just lacked a little overall for us. No 'big' things rolled out was perhaps the missing piece?!

London tower and Beef Eater tour was exceptional (beef eaters are the guards who dress most elaborately and live on site - possibly the worlds best job?!); also saw the crown jewels here. Having arrived early (poor navigation on my behalf on the damned tube system saw us arrive later than planned however and didn't I know it!) we had loads of time to have a proper sticky which would be impossible later as it's FULL of people. Ravens (all 8) appeared in good health (and why wouldn't they be given they're the royalty who reside there now!!!) so there doesn't appear to be any concern for the monarchy at present (if they all die, ie none live here, it is rumored the monarchy will fall?!). Phew for that!

Struggling with the pound... Whilst Aussie dollar is strong prices still seem high?! None the less can't complain! It's been terrific to see familiar food on the plate including a favourite of mine the Weetabix and fresh milk! They're 'bix' whilst tasting the same have rounded corners so you can slam 'em down faster and strangely come individually wrapped in plastic?!?! The Brits seem to love over packaging everything! Marmite a reasonable enough experience especially on toast with loads of butter!

Now off to learn about conservation in Eden and see sone of southern England!

Honeymoon special: Santorini

Died and gone to heaven? Quite possibly... Without doubt the absolute highlight of the trip which I suspect will remain unsurpassed. It may come as a surprise to some as normally i find it hard to sit still but here has just been too amazing to do anything but sit still... With a view like this from your front row private caldera balcony complete with private jacuzzi, cliff falling steeply and unforgivingly away into the aegean blue abyss, where better a place to kick back and lazily flop back into a big soft deck chair and enjoy life?!

Pearl Suite view

Moonlit Suite view

Manda often remarks "Brad, are we having a dream? I feel like I need to pinch myself!" and "is this really happening to us, normal run of the mill people?". I can't help but to wonder too... From the moment we walked through the cute discrete little white gate and passed the pretty little rooftop cactus and rock garden (where we were relieved of our bags by a white dressed man washing the hip height fence to a brilliant white)

Entrance

to the moment we left it was laid on; attention to detail paramount. Welcome cocktails upon arrival, candles in the room with champagne to settle us in, twice daily room service, everything immaculately clean, glistening cool blue pool, cocktails and beers at sunset (my beer kept filling itself up from my personal stash I'd purchased in town at a 5th of the cost),

Sunset drinks

a lovely room upgrade on our last night and a breakfast menu that would put many restaurants dinner menus to shame... Just tick the boxes of what you would like, pick the time slot convenient and hey presto it'd be delivered to your marble topped balcony table piping hot! I had to laugh, I wasn't sure if I could have just one or two things but Manda confirmed I could have as much or little as I liked; evidently I took advantage! Can't elaborate on what was on the menu but will try and put a photo in! When we had our room upgrade we also got an improved breaky menu; noticeable additions included smoked salmon, local blue cheese and some funky pies.

Oops! wrong way round - breakfast menu Moonlit suite

Did manage to drag ourselves away from the suite on a few occasions; red, white and black beaches all great and certainly unique.

Manda at Red Beach

Red Beach

Day and night trips to Oia, Fira and a road trip south through a number of smaller villages also memorable. It would be safe to say where we are in Imerovigli is the pick of the views and locations. Little villages cute and had a nice greek feel to them.

Oia - postcard view

Oia extremely busy as it's generally regarded as the best place to farewell the day and take in the worlds most celebrated sunset every afternoon (it's never cloudy or a flop so we've been told).

Brandy at Oia for sunset

Funnily most people visiting Santorini don't understand sunset and the concept of dusk following the sunset; as soon as the sun drops below the horizon the 1000's of people lined up watching it disperse; little did they realise that the best was yet to come. The period of about an hour here after suns red glow disappears is when you really get the sunset views... The pinks, oranges and red giving way to purple and every shade of blue imaginable before it turns to blackness.

Oia - crowds at sunset

It also has the best eateries we felt and ended up eating there a few times. The Red Bicycle was one such restaurant - Manda bravely settled with risotto of crab, wild asparagus and saffron and I had slow cooked octopus tentacle on a bed of potato with crab meat, dill and truffle foam! Yum! Then for desert we shared a passionfruit crème brûlée with coconut icecream and a mango foam... Small but delicious! To top the night off, just before finishing our crème brûlée, the power went off at Oia, in typical Greek fashion, leaving us romantically stranded in the candle light; the perfect way we felt to finish our evening out. It took about 20 minutes to come back on perfect timing (now midnight). Apparently this happens 5 or so times a year the waitress told us! Again lucky! More luck only realised after leaving saw us receive free wine! Nice touch! Can only assume they knew we were honeymooners!?!

Oia at dusk

Evidently we only spent one sunset in Oia with the hoards and in future spent it peacefully and unhindered on our balcony, cocktail/beer in hand with little bowl of complimentary nuts (some really interesting looking stuff!) Much better!

Mandy dancing at sunset

Fira, main village in Santorini, had some lovely little shops and we managed to find some nice little souvenirs and Manda found herself a pretty little pair of silver swirl earrings; the swirls represents life in Greek mythology so it was quite fitting. We initially spent a night here which while nice lacked the view and luxurious feel.

Wine (whites we've had quite nice), aubergines, watermelon, capers and tomatoes are all popular Santorini produce. My favourite would be the tomatoes; they turn them into chutney, patê, salads obviously and most impressively sundried tomatoes and tomato balls (a delicious deep fried appetiser). Yum!

Sun drying tom tomatoes

Can't forget the humble gyros/souvalaki that have sustained us so cheaply over the last 2 weeks! Santorinis not the best in Greece but not too bad!

Staple of the Greek diet?!

Donkeys. Didn't ride them on the basis that we didn't feel they were treated terribly well but did have a laugh watching them and avoiding their excrement as we used our own legs!

Now, leaving Santorini, we have really seen just how fortunate we are to be taking this trip and doing what we have. Santorini was our little treat and we've relished each and every precious moment accordingly. It's certainly been one of the most amazing experiences we've had and is highly recommended! It's also been a nice change to camping and hostel accommodation!

Back to the real world now! Heading to the UK for our last 5 weeks and a well overdue catchup with Jo in London!

View into volcanic part of Santorini from caldera

View from Above Blue towards Oia in the distance - some say it looks like a sprinkle of icing sugar, could also be, less romantically, compared to swallow poo on its mud nest in the hay shed!

Santorini tease - trailer! 9/7/11

Trailer for your amusement!

The Great Greek islands. Part 1

When we left Piraeus for the islands it was to be a time of rest relaxation. Well you'd never believe me I know, but it truly has been! We boarded the sleek, racing red, Helenic Seaway Highspeed 6 catamaran (after a last minute call from random port travel agent to confirm our imminent collection) along with cars, bikes, light trucks, some BIG heavy trucks and tons of people. A few well behaved dogs even made the 4 hour journey! 

Our little red boat to Mykonos!

Manda at port looking toward town

Before we knew it as we docked at Mykonos, we'd inadvertently, yet gleefully, witnessed our 1st Greek island sunset! And it was a cracker; oranges, pinks, reds and maroons lavishly painted the horizon and stretching well up into the sky left and right before slowly giving way to blue and eventually black. A real artists palate of warm rich colours!

Sunset at Mykonos

Hotel in Mykonos as good as we've had, in recent memory! Thanos (Thomas in English) was there to collect us in his BMW fourwheel drive and proved to be a great host over our time here; highly recommend!

Resident cats - love a scratch and appreciate any left over scraps from breaky!

The only blemish on his record was a recommendation to Nikos seafood Restaurant by the old port. Not impressed. Expensive, poorly cooked, crook service, need I go on? 2 resident pelicans bolstered the mood providing a terrific spectacle and much entertainment, more good luck on Nikos behalf than good management as it diverted attention from the meal! More on them later!

Resident pelican scratching itself

Despite Mandas hopes of there being little to do I was pleasantly surprised! Walking, shopping, eating, swimming, exploring, picturesque windmills, and white painted buildings/alleyways,

Mykonos's 5 well photographed windmills - very iconic!

Everything painted white! So Greek island!

nursing scooter injuries... little red 50cc scooter slid out from beneath us as we negotiated a tight turn coming up the hill from town; had only had it for an hour! No serious injuries; I just lost skin from a knee, elbow and hip, a good chunk of skin from my big toe and a well bruised ego, Manda nothing (correction, a tiny graze to hand and toe; 1/2cm2 at max). Stayed low for the arvo after I fainted (oops!) 2 minutes after we got home which we thought unusual (heat, shock and maybe low bp contributors?). I think me fainting gave poor Manda more of a fright than the bike crash! You'll be glad to know that the little red scooter was uninjured with the exception of her mirror which hung loosely like the chunk of skin from my toe (less the river of blood!).

Our little 50cc red scooter at a nice quite sandy beach!

When I coaxed Manda back on the bike we then explored the little island a bit more! Many private beaches with the sun umbrellas, chairs, restaurants and bars completing the typical European beach picture. Small allotments of sand or concrete in one instance, were left intermittently for people like us who don't believe in paying for a swim/baking spot. Concrete worked well as it allowed me to get out of the water without being coated in sticky salty sand! Win!

Private beach - notice Australian flag on hut!

Quiet sandy beach! Free!

The other iconic Mykonos haunt for the younger tourists (gay and straight alike) were plentiful too; the beach party bars/nightclubs! Many had fairly promising names like "Super Beach club" or a personal favourite "The RamRod" (I do not joke...). They must be cranking joints as even in the mid arvo there were still revelers heading home or curing hangovers with a good old sunbake, or more accurately sunburn, and cocktail (burn ----> dehydration ----> worse hangover... Not so smart!). Didn't find time to squeeze one in despite my every intention! Promise Mad!

The resident pelicans were a real hoot! They had the tourists all in raptures as they took fish from anyone game enough to hold one out (massive beak has a very large hook on it which I'm sure would do some serious damage if it caught you!). Funnily enough, sometimes they didn't appear remotely interested in the free fresh fish offerings... (despite the fact on the Nikos menu they sold for 19€!). I guess it's from all the scraps they score in the restaurant kitchens they frequent! Yes, they freely and sensibly avoid not only the pesky camera mad tourists but also the hot sun by simply walking into the restaurant and straight through to the kitchen. Cheeky beggars!

Pelican entering kitchen! Tut tut!

In case you're wondering how the promised 'honeymoon' part of the trip (Greek islands are the honeymoon Manda always wanted, cumulating in her ideal travel destination Santorini) was panning out Mykonos was terrific. Last evening spent on St. George beach watching another perfect sunset over the med with a few quite peaceful drinks! What could possibly be better!? Oh how I do love my wonderful wife! Xx

Naxos was equally beautiful but much larger (like 50km wide as opposed to Mykonos's 12km) and mountainous. Here is where Greek god Zeus has his cave and mountain named in his honor; rough, rocky, prickly, hot, dusty, unforgiving walk it was! Interesting all the same.

Mt Zeus

Today goats take refuge there and the place smells like a shearing shed... These hills are the ones that much of the marble was and still is harvested from. Massive lumps of the stuff are pulled out of here! Evidently, much of Naxos is finished in gleaming white marble, nice touch really, but amazingly slippery in thongs!

Their other interest, other than the massive tourism cash cow, is farming. Mainly subsistence farming but a little extra in the form of olives and their oil; very prevalent and strong growing here. They additionally have a distillery where they make some nasty type of citrus leaf spirit in a clandestine distillery. Nothing like the grandeur of the schnapps factory in Vienna we visited on the Topdeck tour; very backyard! Still, it'd get you loose fairly well I'd think from the burn it gave my throat after a free tasting!

Spirit burnt so much Manda needed 2 icecreams! Mango and coconut and choc orange... Very good!

Oh yes, almost forgot my dishonorable mention to Mike's Bike and Car Hire Naxos. They will be getting a Trip Adviser review from me voicing my displeasure after their efforts of providing us with a quad bike. The first quad lasted 6km before breaking down (after we'd tipped 20€ fuel into it), we eventually found a phone and called them 3 times before they came 1.5 hours later with another quad. Not the contracted 300cc but a 200cc, I wasn't thrilled but satisfied to try it in preference to waiting any longer. We took the 200cc quad no more than 500m uphill and it too broke down. After Manda pushing the bike while i steered we were back to where bike 1 broke down. Another call (now 4 calls) and a further 30 min and they were back to our aid. Needless to say we opted to go back to town and take a car. Car was ok and we got it for the price of the bike (17€ for the record Chris) but not without an argument. Oh well, it's not like we're going to see him again! Wretch! No compensation for the fuel we'd put in the first quad but what can one do!?

Fancy 300cc blue quad, the first, broken down... Smile for the camera!

 More from Santorini in due course! Can't wait!

Sand art!