I have no idea why the only plane leaving Dublin for Athens, Greece is at 6:00 AM in the morning. Is that anyway to start a vacation? The early flight basically meant we would have to get up at 3:00 AM to get dressed and catch a cab at 4:00 AM for the airport. Now Aaron and I know each other pretty well and we both knew the only way for us to not miss our flight was to stay up all night and enjoy a night of debauchery. It was all grand until we had to sit for 41/2 hours on the plane to Greece with hangovers and headaches.
We were only going to be in Athens for a day and a half. Getting in Saturday and leaving Sunday evening. So we had to hit the city running. Aaron had never been to Athens. He loves anything to do with mythology so I was very excited for him to see the Acropolis and the Temple of Zeus. After checking into our hotel and having a quick lunch and one of the best Lattes ever. By the way the Greeks love their coffee and make all kinds that are delicious.
After lunch we were off. First the temple and a then a quick look around the city. If any of you plan to go to the Acropolis or any of the other sites and museums in Athens you can buy your tickets online before you go. I advise you to do this if going in the summer as the lines and wait will be forever. Of course, I forgot and the night before we left I was going crazy looking for tickets online and it appeared they were all sold out. As luck would have it when we got to our hotel they told us this was one of two weekends during the year when everything was free. In addition no lines!
I was really excited for dinner that evening. An old friend who I had not seen in over 25 years came across our Blog and happened to live in Athens so he and his husband were joining us for dinner. It was great to see my friend again. The four of us spent about 5 hours drinking and talking the night away. If I remember correctly our dinner consisted of about 3 appetizers and 25 cocktails. One of the things that made it really fun for me was this was the first friend of mine Aaron has been able to meet since we have spent the last year and a half in virtual isolation due to Covid.
It was probably about 1:00 AM when we stumbled back to our hotel. Our plan was to get up and be at the Acropolis by the time it opened so we could beat the crowds. Slowly it began to dawn on us that after being up all night Friday fucking around and not sleeping and after our evening of drinking on Saturday it might be best to sleep in and just play it by ear.
I think we rolled out of bed around 11:00, had a good breakfast and began our walk to the Acropolis. Walking around the Acropolis you just want to close your eyes and transport yourself back to the time of the ancient Greeks. My favorite temple is a little ways from the Acropolis. It is The Temple of Hephaestus. I thought it was the most beautiful. It is one of the best preserved temples and was built in the 5th century BC. Amazing.
After the Acropolis we walked back down to the Plaka which is one of the nicest areas of Greece, had lunch and just wandered for the rest of the afternoon. As we walked down the various streets we stopped at one of the shops and bought some souvenirs, a warrior costume and a robe like one that Zeus might have worn. I think when we get back to Dublin it might be time for some more, “role play,” fun.
Our day and ½ in Athens was over and it was time to leave for Mykonos. I have only been to Athens twice and I would like to go back sometime and see more of the city and beaches. Luckily we have friends there now. The flight to Mykonos was a breeze. I think 30 minutes. Just enough time to go up and go down.
When we landed in Mykonos it was already dark which was too bad as I always like to get the lay of the land. The hotel had sent a car for us and it whisked us off for the 10 minute ride to the hotel Kouros where we were staying for the next week.
Kouros hotel is built into a cliff overlooking the sea with 30 rooms. From the hotel it was a 15 minute walk to town. We were thinking of this vacation as a delayed honeymoon since we were not allowed out of the country when we married last year and decided we deserved a splurge especially since our wedding reception consisted of only six people and that included the two of us. Reception showed us to our room which I knew would be great and have a beautiful view since it overlooked the sea and the harbor. We also had a great terrace with our own jacuzzi. I couldn’t wait for sunset playtime in our little pool.
After unpacking we were so exhausted we decided to eat in the hotel restaurant. Although it cost 2 arms and a leg it was delicious. Still not sure if it was worth it. Be warned Mykonos is not an inexpensive vacation. I knew it would not be easy getting back to our room after dinner. We were tired from the day and the wine we had with dinner. It was up about 60 steps but we were not about to use the elevator. I still have a bit of dignity and will not take an elevator two floors, I have a feeling this is going to be like Santorini, with a lot of steps and hills.
The next day we slept in and woke to a sunny day like you rarely see in Dublin. The sun completely bathed the sea in light turning it a crystal blue plus the light reflects off all the white buildings. Don’t forget your sunglasses.
Breakfast was outside overlooking one of the pools which overlooked the sea. We were finally in vacation mode after 2 days of running around and decided to hang around one of the pools at the hotel for the day. Mykonos is all about the views and I think we had one of the best. From our room and the pool we were able to see some smaller islands and watch the cruise ships and yachts as they would come and leave the harbor.
The pool was great. I have no idea how booked the hotel was as we rarely saw more than three or four people anywhere. Often it felt like we were the only people there. I discovered a favorite drink to have poolside, the Gentleman. It was vodka, jagermeister and some other secret ingredient. After one or two I would forget we were at a hotel and get a little too frisky. Basically it was give a show or try and navigate the 50 or 60 steps back up to our room. We had to do this quite often.
Finally feeling rested we decided to hike into town. I say hike because whichever direction we took into town some sort of hill was involved. Town was charming. Like the rest of the island the buildings are all white. The streets all feel like little lanes and no cars are allowed. Often when we did not have our phones with google maps we would get lost and our only way out was to try and find the water. If you're a shopper, every store you can imagine is there from the cheap souvenir stores to every designer shop you find in every large city. Best of all the lanes are filled with hidden little restaurants, where you can relax and enjoy a good bottle of wine and some tasty food.
The next day Aaron and I rented a quad bike so we could try out the beach club Elia, which is the gay beach. The best part of the day was the ride out there. I am so lucky my husband is a daredevil. I would never have rented one on my own. The ride to the beach is about 30 minutes over pretty spectacular terrain of hills and hairpin turns. I spent the ride holding onto Aaron for darelife and praying that we would make it back to the hotel in one piece. I did not tell Aaron at the time but when we got to the beach I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get back on for the ride back. My husband has nerves of steel.
The beach club was great and the gay beach nice too. Again be prepared to spend money. The chairs will be 50 Euros a piece and if you want food and drink it is going to cost you. You could easily spend 200 Euro a day at the club. My advice for anyone would be to pack some towels, food and your own drinks and bring them with you. At the end of the beach club there is a small patch of sand where the nudists and people smart enough to bring their own towels, food and drink go.
The beach is located on a small bay and again as everywhere on the island the views are great. The water temperature was perfect even though it was the end of September. When it was time to leave, I held on to Aaron tight and hoped we hoped we would make it home. FYI if you don’t want to drive, there are buses which would probably take forever and taxis would cost and probably be hard to get for your ride home.
We finally got back to the hotel after a few wrong turns and collapsed at the pool. I think we both felt a bit relieved. As much as we loved the beach there was nothing as nice as getting back to our room and into the jacuzzi to watch the sunset with a cocktail or two and then a nap before dinner. This became our daily ritual until we got back to Dublin.
That night we decided to take a look at the gay bars and clubs. Much to our surprise it seemed Babylon had closed for the season. Jackie O’s was still open but it seems Aaron and I never stayed up late enough to see it hopping or it was just too late in the season to hop. Wandering the streets and getting lost on our way home we came across a gay bar that Aaron had read about Lola’s. It became our favorite place to drink and to hang in the evening.
Walking into Lola’s is like walking into a 40’s cocktail lounge. Small, intimate, dimly lit and great cocktails. The tables and booths are all close and you can’t help but become friendly with your neighbors if you want. The waiters are all friendly and will recommend great cocktails. Be careful they are strong. The host loves people and does his best to make sure everyone is having a great time. I am warning you now it is always crowded. Sometimes there were 30 or so people waiting to get in but they will serve you outside.
Some nights we would get back from Lola’s and since Jackie O’s was quiet we would make our room into a disco. We always bring a speaker from home for the beach or the room. Sometimes I just lay in bed and watch Aaron as he hams it up on our little dance floor or I get up and join him until my knees go.
Our vacation was great but after a week it was time to go and we were ready. The weather was turning. The wind was blowing, making it a little too cold to enjoy the sun. We are always a bit sad to come home but that makes it a great time to start planning our next vacation.
Aaron and I always discuss whether we would go back to somewhere we have been. Although we love Mykonos, great atmosphere, great food, and incredibly beautiful, there is one major drawback. Aaron and I both love the beach. We love leaving our room and being right on the water. In Mykonos there are only a few hotels near a beach and if they are near a beach they are not near town, you cannot have both. Although Sitges is nowhere near as beautiful as Mykonos, everything you want is at your fingertips. In addition it's half the flying time and 1/4 of the price. But overall Mykonos is definitely worth a visit if you have never been before.
