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So, you're asking, "Why was this their favorite place to visit in Greece?" Diving into this tour, or any, you never know what the accommodations will really be like. You're at the mercy of the tour company. We were very happy with every place we stayed, but this was the best. I highly recommend it: Vienoula's Garden. It was a smaller, boutique type place and the staff and the breakfast were great. When we arrived a staff member sat down with us and went over the local map, the transportation options, help with the wind, they were constantly available and always helpful. The location of the hotel was a short bus ride from the beach, and in the other direction a short walk to town. |
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Our tour included a slow ferry from Piraeus (huge port) in Athens to Mykonos. Mykonos is pretty close to Athens; the ferry ride was about 3 hours. More about the ferries later.
We arrived early afternoon in Mykonos, and after checking in we headed out to catch the bus to the beach. We had a great time wading in the surf, and sunning in the...sun. The next day we were completely on our own, and I had made reservations for a "yacht" to take us to the small island of Delos. The yacht was a sailboat, with a crew of 2 and room for 9-10 passengers. I spent hours on Viator looking for the exact vendor to meet our needs: at least an hour early in the day at Delos, before the crowds; lunch on the boat; swimming in the Aegean; snorkels, fins, paddleboard on board. It all made for the perfect day. Mid afternoon the captain announced it was time to head back to port. She said it would be a little choppier, and proceeded to put on a sweat shirt and a rain jacket. The sky was clear. The wind had come up and we experienced 10 foot troughs all the way back. Dressed in our swimsuits and coverups, we were drenched, but happy. Once back at port we learned that no small ships were being allowed out on the water, and by later that afternoon, our ferry (and all vessels) were cancelled the next day until the wind and waves were back to normal. Our tour people were up all night figuring out what to do with us; how to get us to Santorini, and calmly said that "this happens at least once each summer." It made me think about Paul's trips across the Aegean, and his shipwrecks. The Aegean Sea looks calm and lovely, and despite however the weather looks, it can become a caldron of wave and storm to blow the boat apart. It certainly passed through my mind that we wouldn't survive a minute if our boat stalled or capsized. |
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