Greek Orthodox Easter 2016 – Mykonos – Athens

Yassas is Hello.

Kalimera is Good Morning.

Kalispera is Good Afternoon. 

Kalinihxta is Good Night.
I think it is great to travel during festivals so that you can see and experience more culture. Two months ago, I was in Venice for their carnival and it was really fun. I even took a gondola lesson and rowed for 2 hours. 

During Easter, the Pyrgos in Santorini will have lots of fire, lighting up the whole place.

I am glad I was there.

In Mykonos, everywhere is nearby and I take about 10 minutes to arrive at the Mykonos airport. The taxi ride cost 20€. 

The flight into Athens only takes about 35 minutes. 

I use the airport bus X95 to go into Syntagma Square in about 40 minutes and it costs 6€ per trip. I can also use the metro but it will cost a bit more. I prefer bus rides because I can enjoy the scenery better.

From Syntagma Square, I passby the government house where there are guards changing ceremony at every hour. This is also where I will use my city sightseeing hop on/off bus. I will use these tour buses when I want to see everything within a short period of time. 

It is true that when you are younger, you have time but not enough money. When you are older, you have money but not enough time. So when you are really old, you are running out of time.

In the evening, I take the metro and get off at Blue Line Evangelismos station and walk towards the hospital. I continue straight ahead on the upward slope and climb the many staircases to reach the funicular station. It is quite expensive at 7€50 for return trip to Lycavittos Hill. However you can choose to walk too.

I choose to come during evening so that I can see all the buildings light up, especially the Acropolis. It was magnificent.

I manage to get a good deal staying a night at a penthouse in Attiki area, five metro stops away from Syntagma. It is a quiet neighbourhood with amenities and I even discover an airport bus X93 route nearby, about 15 minutes walk from the penthouse. 

This 3 posts sums up my 8 days in Greece and I will be back very soon.
Athens-Santorini
Santorini-Mykonos
Mykonos-Athens

Greek Orthodox Easter 2016 – Santorini – Mykonos

The ferry ride from Santorini to Mykonos takes me 3 hours, making a brief stop at Naxos. It is a comfortable ride along the way. I pay about 63€ for my single ride.

From Mykonos port to Platis Gialos beach takes about 10 minutes. I choose this location because it is nearby several beaches and there is a boat station to go to other beaches. 

From Platis Gialos beach, it is about 10 minutes drive to Chora town. A taxi ride will cost 10€. The taxis in Mykonos have fixed rates and if you cannot find a taxi, you can just call them and give them a landmark location. I alight at the taxi station near Little Venice.

My first stop is to visit the windmills. Then I proceed to enjoy the sunset at little Venice and stroll along Mavrogenous Square. I also see the Panagia Paraportiani Church. 

You can join a day tour or buy your own return trip to visit Delos. This ticket booth is near the Panagia Paraportiani Church.

I also have an early dinner at Niko’s taverna. On someone’s recommendation, I also have dinner at Ling Ling, modern Chinese cuisine. 

To me, Mykonos is a party island but it is quiet and peaceful. Mykonos has a different vibe from Santorini.
In Santorini, you can see the sea. But in Mykonos, you go to the sea. I feel that the views in Santorini has the wow factor. But I know each island has their distinct vibes. 

I have a great evening and after dinner, I join in the Easter possession and walk with them around Chora. 

The next day, I hike to Psarou Beach which is about 30 minutes up & downward slope. 

I arrive at Nammos for lunch and if you are driving, be prepare to wait because there are so many people wanting to come to Nammos. It is a trendy beach with fantastic food and they play some English tracks.

As it is Easter week, many restaurants are roasting lamb for Easter feast. 

On my third day, I want to visit the Paradise beach and I wait at the boat station. There are no boats because it is Easter. I did not feel like driving to the beach so I hike over the mountain trail from Platis Gialos Beach towards Agia Anna Beach. It is a fun hike about 30 mins and I get to see the mountains and seas from a high point. I have my Easter lunch at Nicola’s Taverna and they are very busy. 

After a hearty lunch, I just lie down on the beach and enjoy the sunshine in a cool weather. 

Some of my favorite Greek desserts.

To recap, I have spend 3D2N in Santorini and 4D3N in Mykonos. I will spend another night in Athens before I end my short trip to Greece.

I will update later.

Greek Orthodox Easter 2016 – Athens – Santorini

Greece was beautiful and I cannot wait to go back again to do more islands hopping.

This blog contains my one week in Greece, mainly Athens, Santorini & Mykonos. If I have more time, I will definitely spend more time in Greece, visiting more beautiful islands.

This year 2016, the Greek Orthodox Easter collides with May Labor Day and the red eggs fighting and lamb roasting are a must try/eat.

Some Greek islands are not suitable for all year round travels. You can refer to this Blog for more advices. 

Upon arriving in Athens at about noon, my next flight to Santorini will be in the evening. The flight time takes about 45mins and if you wish to travel by ferry, the ferry time is about 7hrs, boarding at Piraeus port. You will need to check for flight/ferry timing on websites. There are many ferries/airlines companies.

Prior arriving at Athens, I have arrange for McArthurGlen outlet for a return trip via taxi. From the website gathered, it costs 22€ per way. My return trip is complimentary because I have purchase the Athens City Sightseeing Red & Green line and on the ticket, it was stated: get a free trip to McArthurGlen outlet. 

Since on my last day, Greece is still celebrating Easter and the shopping will be closed. I choose to go to the outlet on my first day of arrival. I store my luggage at the airport baggage service, minimum storage duration is for 6hrs.

The McArthurGlen outlet is 10mins drive away and I visit Nike, Adidas & H&M. Upon return, I approach the Information counter and they help me to contact the taxi company.

The flight to Santorini is quick and I have made transport arrangements from my villa in Imerovigli village to meet me.

There are many stairs in Santorini so a good pair of walking shoes is preferable. 

For dinner, it is at Aegeon, which is just above my villa, at the square. There is a car rental company, bakeries, supermarkets nearby the square.

I have also made arrangement for car rental from Motor Inn (Link) and they will deliver/collect the car  to/from me the next day. I rent an auto car for 40€/day with insurance. I go around the whole of Santorini in a day and the petrol is about 20€. If you require a driver to bring you around, and you get a quotation about 20-30€/hr then it is a good deal. 

There are plenty of motorbikes and ATV for rental too. In Santorini, there are many up/downwards slopes so be extra careful. Some lanes are narrow and you might need to reverse so that the oncoming cars can move first. 

From Imerovigli, I drive up to Oia, arriving at about 0930hrs and walk my way around the famous three blue domes.   At about 1030hrs, Oia is crowded with tourists. I also visit the ammoudi bay which is just below Oia. 

Then I continue driving, along the coastline to go to the Pyrgos and then the Red beach. 

You will need to do some trekking/hiking to arrive at the Red Beach as that is the only way up/down.

Then continue driving to Afros black beach for lunch and they have fresh wild fish which is tasty. The sun beds are complimentary if you dine at the restaurant.

Then I continue driving around Santorini and finally stop at Fira for some souvenirs shopping. There is this restaurant Mama’s house which is nice. It is nearby the Fira taxi station. 

Then in the evening, I meet up with a local photographer to help me take some photos with the caldera and Skaros Rock at sunset. The photos are amazing.

For dinner, nearby my villa in Imerovigli, about 10 mins walking, there is this popular local restaurant Anogi, which serves pretty nice food.

In Greece, Greeks eat very late at about 9ish so try to go early to get a seat. 

The next morning, I hike to the Skaros Rock and have breakfast at one of the restaurants facing Skaros Rock for the beautiful views.

My ferry to Mykonos is in the afternoon and I take a mini-bus/taxi for 25€ to the port. 

In Greece, there is nearly impossible for you to fly from islands to islands without a flight back to Athens. So you need to return to the Athens in order to fly out. Otherwise, taking ferry will be the better option. 

My ferry (sea jet company) departs 1415hrs from Santorini and arriving at Mykonos at 1625hrs. By taking ferry, I save on time and expensive air tickets and luggage. The ferry is fast and efficient and I experience zero seasickness.

If only I have more time, I will use these ferries and do more islands hopping.The ferry makes a quick stop at Naxos.

The Next blog will contains about my time in Mykonos.