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!