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COVID Tests and Tinos

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Before I get to the good stuff…I had to get a COVID test today. As always, it’s an adventure getting across an island. First the bus, then lots of walking, and finally, a taxi. I made it to the SEA Medical clinic where I got a PCR test.  Even with my vaccination card, the U.S. requires proof of a negative test. I’m actually anxious about the results. So anxious, in fact, I dreamt about testing positive last night. I’ll have the results some time in the middle of the night. After the test, more walking. I needed to get to the port in an hour to catch the ferry to Tinos. The busses aren’t reliable, as I’ve learned, so I scheduled a taxi pick up. The line to get printed tickets was real long, and I was cutting it close. Thankfully, another two ticket kiosks opened, I got my tickets and ran to the ferry. My vineyard tour and wine tasting wasn’t for another two hours so I walked around the port and through the streets. I stopped at a little restaurant for a tasty gyro! Again with the fries?
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Mykonos

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I decided to combine days 1 and 2 for Mykonos and Tinos. I knew I wouldn’t have much time to enjoy these two islands, but wanted to check them off my bucket list of travel spots. Mykonos is the South Beach of the Cyclades. Lots of pretty party people with some families spread throughout.  I arrived in Mykonos and thank the Lord my Air BnB host was gracious enough to meet me at the port. Check-in wasn’t until 4 p.m. and the ferry arrived around 2. He drove me up to the apartment where I planned to leave my bag until the place was ready, but thankfully, it was ready! After the tour and handing over of the keys I settled a bit and prepared for a venture down to the beach. Another hilly, but quick walk. I had a late lunch at Petran, which is right on the Agios Stefanos beach. I tried  Mostra , a traditional Mykonos appetizer. I also ordered the fish special, knowing I was about to be served the whole fish, which was new for me. It was freakin’ delicious, y’all. I had a spa appointment that
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That Boat Life

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My second full day on Santorini was just about perfect. I didn’t have to wake up too early to catch the shuttle to the dock. I grabbed some breakfast at Demilar, and waited for the Spiridakos transport to arrive around 10:00. For about 100 Euro you can book a five-ish hour catamaran tour of some pretty spectacular spots around the island. There’s a crew of four who run the ship and there are about a dozen tourists. A pretty good number, in my opinion. Stefania was our primary go-to throughout most of the trip. She and I talked quite a bit and are now Insta-buddies. I invited her to Colorado when she was ready to visit the states. We traveled to the Black Sand and Red Sand beaches. We stopped at a hot spring, which is cooler than my bath water, but contains some excellent minerals. I learned there are two volcanoes present on Santorini- one is inactive and one is active. Their names are Nea Kameni and Palea Kameni. On our way back to the port we dropped anchor and ate some darn tasty fo
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Thira, Fira, Fire

Santorini day 2 began with a little work. Don’t worry, I planned it that way 😁  Once all was settled I walked to the bus stop to catch a ride to Fira, or Thira. Same. Same. A quick 20 minute ride and I arrived in Santorini’s hot spot. Literally and metaphorically. Fira is where I was supposed to stay, and now that I visited, I’m mostly glad I didn’t. Don’t get me wrong, the views are stunning! And you know the pics of Santorini you see with people lounging by hotel pools that overlook the caldera? All legit. Already I wished I was swimming in a pool of cool water rather than a pool of my own sweat. I chose to wear one of my favorite dresses and, while cute, proved to be the absolutely hottest piece of clothing (literally).  But…Fira is like most major cities-overcrowded and a little smelly. You could smell the sewage and pollution. Icky. I walked around the pedestrian only pathways full of shops and restaurants. There were so many people, and I wore my mask throughout most of my galli
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A Very Long Day

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Today I left Paros. The ferry was scheduled to leave at 11:25 a.m. so I arrived at the port around 10:00. I have such a fear of being late and missing things now. Our ferry didn’t arrive until 1:00. It was wretched hot, and it made me so sleepy. I also had a headache hangover from Monday. Thankfully, I was smart enough to book a nice seat for the ride. I drank an Americano and promptly took a nap. The ride to Santorini was only a couple of hours. My Air BnB host arranged transportation for me. I’ll say it again, it is worth it to book a private car. Rousa snaked her way around the dozens of cars and buses at the port and we drove up, up, up the volcano. Did you know Santorini is part of an extinct volcano? I’ll show you pictures tomorrow when I’m in Fira, but it’s pretty amazing. All of the towns on the west side of the island sit atop the volcano. It reminded me of the mountain homes in Colorado. So, I was supposed to stay in Fira during my time in Santorini. On Friday, August 6th, th
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Antiparos, by Bike

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Today’s adventure took me on a ferry ride to Antiparos, a tiny island southwest of Paros.  I began the day with a quick breakfast and coffee at Anchorage Cafe Bar. Minus the phallic umbrellas, the view of the sea was lovely. Interestingly, when I ordered the salmon and avocado toast I received a salmon and avocado grilled cheese concoction. Not what I was hoping for, but tasty, nonetheless. Paying for items in Greece is different from anything I’ve experienced. As you know, in America we hand out card to the server, they take it away, and return with our card. In Greece, the server comes to you with the credit card machine and you pay on the spot. When I handed my bill and card to the server she indicated that I wait, and returned with the machine.  “Never let a server take your card away.”  “Oh, I’m so used to hiving my card to servers in America.” “This is Greece. Not America.” Noted 😬 I finished my meal just in time to catch the bus to Parikia, the port I needed to get me to Antipa
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