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Just Travelous

September - October 2017
A 25-day adventure by Lys Read more
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  • TravelerJust Travelous
    Day 6

    Atlantis Books

    September 27, 2017 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Legend has it the formation of the Caldera and the island of Santorini was the inspiration for Plato's Atlantis.

    Also an amazing book store founded by some philosophy students from Brown, Cambridge and alike in 2004. It is a underground cave completely covered with shelves of books in English, Greek, French, Italian, German, Spanish, and Chinese. Most books appeared to be paperbacks but I did spy some first edition hard copies, for the true connoisseur.

    Rumour also has it there are sleeping nooks hidden amongst the books for staff. Who are all amazingly well versed in literature and their recommendations are recorded on notes throughout the shop. There is also a fantastic you diverse range of books available. An amazing bookshop, best I have ever seen.    Read more

  • TravelerJust Travelous
    Day 7

    Mera Beach and the last of Santorini

    September 28, 2017 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    On return to our wonderful hotel, The Majestic Hotel after the afternoon in Oia, we found the staff had left us a surprise. On arrival we had told staff our holiday was a birthday gift. They left us an amazing golden gaytime sponge. It was so delicious.

    Some early morning yoga by the pool with a sunrise in the background was the perfect start to our next day.

    After yoga we headed to the beach. Mera Beach is very different from Australian beaches with its black volcanic rocks/sand, sun beds and quaint straw umbrellas. The lack of waves made it feel like in some respects we were lying on the shores of a lake, but regardless it was stunning.    Read more

  • TravelerJust Travelous
    Day 7

    Mykonos

    September 28, 2017 in Greece ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    After the bus took 20 minutes to get Mera Beach we assumed it would take 20 minutes to return to Fira. Not so... It decided to loop around Perissa first. 40 minutes later, a very hurried walk/run to our hotel and we were on the shuttle on the way to the port, abet a little later than planned. All to soon we were on the ferry and heading to Mykonos. The wind picked up today and it was noticeably choppier on the boat ride.

    We are starting to get the hang of public transport and we're able to negotiate the local bus from the port to town and then walked to our hotel. Our sore legs quaked in fear when we saw the Grand Beach Hotel's driveway. Quite possibly the steepest I have ever seen. But we made it and that burn is doing wonderful things for our arses and calves (I hope). But it was worth it for the view.    Read more

  • TravelerJust Travelous
    Day 8

    Windmills

    September 29, 2017 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    First stop today was the Windmills of Kato Myloi. A feature of the island since the 16th century and remnant of time when the island prospered from being a port along the Europe/Asia shipping line. Now only a few remain and are scenery. I'm not sure if any of them are in working order as they are now tied down. It's a pity... We had a steady wind blowing of 25-30km/h and gusts up to 42km/h. Probably would of been enough to get these bad boys turning.

    One of the windmills was open and we able to look inside, it was pretty basic. On the lower level you have what I'm assuming was a storage area. On the upper level you have a wooden floor and the inner mechanisms of the windmill which I'm again I am guessing was once used for the production of grain.

    A little kitsch for my taste, but given it was free and easy to get to worth a look.    Read more

  • TravelerJust Travelous
    Day 8

    Hidden Gems of Little Venice

    September 29, 2017 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Next stop was exploring the streets of Little Venice. You could spend days in here. The streets are filled with clothing shops, hidden cafes, restaurants, bars, houses and Greek churches. It has an electric atmosphere, filled with hustle and bustle. The streets themselves are narrow cobblestone pathways running between whitewashed buildings, with colourful trims to break up the stark white. It's beautiful.

    Some of our favourites were Mathoura, a speciality store that sold its own roasted nuts, an amazing collection of dried fruit, baklava, and home-made chocolate delights. We tried and loved the pistachio baklava, the candied orange in dark chocolate and sesame roasted almonds.
    Ntoukas Kitchen Lab, a cafe that made the best spanakopita I have ever tasted. It's coffee was delicious and all its pies and tarts were home-made and looked divine.    Read more

  • TravelerJust Travelous
    Day 8

    Late nights

    September 29, 2017 in Greece ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    What can I say... Cocktails and gyros. Yum!

    Being conditioned to years of early starts... Our night started at about 7pm, turns out the night life here doesn't kick off until after 11pm. Regardless we found some bars that made for a great night regardless of the time.

    Our first stop was Cosi. A cute little bar with good easy listening music and a wide range of cocktails. The bar had outdoor seating and it was lovely to watch the people flock though the streets of Little Venice.

    Stop number two was Caprice down by the water front. The blue decor was a little lairy for me but the service was great. The bar staff were friendly and helpful. I particularly enjoyed there spicy cocktail which I can no longer remember the name of. We left just before 11 and already it was starting to get busy.

    Feeling a little famished, we sought some good old fashioned Greek sustenance, Gyros. We found a place called Sakis and ordered. I went chicken and Nic chose pork. The were delicious and provide us with some extra fuel.

    Next we hit the Scandinavian bar and disco (although we never found the disco part). Probably my least favourite bar of the night but it was one of the few places I have seen that served cider.

    It was now after midnight and the moody of the town had changed. There was a smokey haze and sexual tension hanging in the air. We hit Argo. It was a tiny nook filled with people. The music was 90s RnB and the staff helpful. The vibe was electric, with the staff occasionally ringing the bell and the overhead lights flashing. Everyone somehow managed to find room to dance.

    Now hopefully we don't have too much of a handover tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerJust Travelous
    Day 9

    Ornos

    September 30, 2017 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    We walked to nearby Ornos for a late breakfast (well really it was lunch) and found Bowl. Everything about it screamed Australian cafe, and turns out it basically is. It is run by two expats with a focus on organic all day breakfast. It was lovely food and I especially liked that they used glass bottles for water which they reused instead of the usual plastic bottles I have become accustomed to. It melted my greenie heart.Read more

  • TravelerJust Travelous
    Day 9

    Party Hard

    September 30, 2017 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    After lazy day trying to escape 45km/h winds. We headed to Joanna's Taverna. Set on the beach, we were hoping for great seafood but all we got was mediocre stuffed calamari.

    We headed back into town and found Montparnasse, a piano bar. It has a speak easy feel and is located on the waterfront. They have a large cocktail menu, I can highly recommend the Rhubarb Gimlet. Just before 10pm people appeared everywhere, it went from empty to packed in minutes. A pianist with a deep American drawl and a happy smile appeared. A silence fell. His fingers caressed the keys and music filled the bar. Requests came from the crowd, the first? Unsurprisingly Piano Man by Billy Joel.

    Phyllis, a Mediterranean lady in her sixties casually dressed in sneakers, black slacks, a shirt and a pink cardi. Her style clashed with the decor, but she took her place by the piano and serenaded us with her gravely voice. The night continued to improve when we discovered Phyllis had pizzazz, she had a dirty sense of humour and gave zero fucks. The set was fun, light and included favourites such as *****.

    Next we found a little bar called Alley. The service here was on pointe. The bar staff were attentive and we're soon making us all their favourite cocktails including a number that weren't listed on the menu. This place has the best cocktails I've tasted in Mykonos.

    At the recommendation of the bar staff at Alley we went back to Caprice. It was teeming with energy. The music was a mixture of Greek and 90s pop. My Salsa and newly learnt zorba moves featured on the dance floor.

    The night was carefree and fun and all to soon it was very very early. We were in bed before the sun, but only just.    Read more

  • TravelerJust Travelous
    Day 10

    Oopsie Daisy

    October 1, 2017 in Greece ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    A slow start today had us getting to the port just after one. Our ferry was due to leave at 2.05pm. 2.05pm came and went. No ferry. It was running late. It finally arrived 40 minutes later. There are crowds hurrying like mad to get onto the gangway. The wind had died down and the sun was shining for the first time in days, we decide to wait for the crowds to thin. Mistake. Big mistake. The crowds are barely onto boat when the gangways begins to lift. We tried to get someone to stop them, but nope. Ropes are being untied and thrown back onto the boat. This boat is leaving and we aren't on it. There is no second chance.

    Thankfully we were able to get a ticket to Syros and then Paros but with the boat not arriving in Paros until 10.30pm it makes for a very long day of travel.

    To pass the time we found a nearby restaurant, Molaraki which serves the best zucchini fritters I have ever tasted. The sunset was also pretty spectacular, but I would of preferred to watch it in Paros.

    Fingers crossed we don't miss anymore ferries... I could use some sleep (preferably in my hotel bed).    Read more

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