No question! Mykonos Town has probably one of the most perfect and picturesque cityscapes you could imagine. It is beautiful, it is stylish, it is a Jet Set hotspot. Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, you name it, it´s all there. It is a photographer´s paradise and if you like to take snapshots, this is the place where you can romp about! Let me take you on a visual walk through the small alleys of one of Greece´s most popular destinations. Continue reading
The Greek capital presents itself at first sight just as you would imagine it to be: Loud, hectic, dusty, chaotic and overcrowded. But don´t worry, the megalopolis has a few spots in store to show you the other side of Athens: Authentic, easy-going and colorful. Continue reading
Looking outside the window and seeing it rain throughout the entire day admittedly gives me a bad mood. Fall can be so beautiful and yes, rain is important for our planet, but it makes me just want to pack my suitcase and flee away from all this wet and grey nightmare outside. Considering the time of year and looking at possible sun blessed destinations in close reach from home, September would actually be the perfect time to pay visit back to Greece. So here I am on my couch, outside rain pouring with my mind wandering off to the beautiful island of Kalymnos that we visited in July during our Mediterranean cruise aboard MSY Wind Star. Continue reading
Walking the narrow streets and cute little back alleys of this Peloponnesian seaside jewel, it is almost hard to believe that Nafplio (or Nauplia) used to be the capital of the First Hellenic Republic and the Kingdom of Greece.
Yet the ruins of Palamidi Castle towering high above and the remains of the Fortifications of Acronauplia reveal a little bit of the importance that this town used to inherit hundreds and hundreds of years ago. Continue reading
This little beauty lies around six to seven hours by ferry from Athens (Piraeus) and belongs to the Cyclades islands in the Southern Aegean region. I was actually an alternate port to our scheduled visit to Mykonos with Windstar Cruises´ “Wind Star”, where strong winds can make anchoring for smaller ships from time to time impossible. Luckily, we had visited the Greek hotspot already in May during a different cruise and even though we did enjoy the picturesque alleys of Mykonos Town a lot at that time, it was a more than welcome alternative! Continue reading
I cannot tell you exactly why it took me decades to return to that one place on earth that has left such an everlasting impression with me like Greece. Maybe one of the reasons was my insatiable thirst for distant shores far, far away that kind of blinded my sight for all the beauty that lies so close to home. Continue reading
After sailing for years on huge and larger resort ships, this summer was just about time to try out something completely different: We decided pretty spontaneously to spend a week onboard Windstar Cruises´ sailing yacht MSY Wind Star on the Aegean sea.
Carrying a maximum of 148 passengers, Wind Star can be called for sure a very intimate cruise vessel. For us being used to the enormous size and room onboard larger ships, it was quite a change in matters of space and privacy. Yet to sail the beautiful Mediterranean on a ship that has a maximum length of 134 meters and a width of 15.8 metres is definitely worth a try.
I have prepared a little photo portrait of the interiors and deck spaces for you. So come join me on the tour: Welcome aboard MSY Wind Star! Continue reading
While it sometimes might be the most comfortable and convenient way to reach your ship by cruise line transfer, this little extra can add up to quite an amount to your onboard bill (depending on the cruise line and the distance to/from the airport). Sure, your luggage will be delivered automatically to your stateroom upon arrival at the pier, the buses are air-conditioned and comfortable and you don´t have to worry about getting stuck in traffic and therefore possibly missing the ship, but everyone has to decide for him/herself wherever the additional 50 to 80 USD pp are worth spending.
For me, the 59 USD pp (Windstar Cruises) transfer from Athens airport to Piraeus one-way were not making up for all the convenience, considering that you can buy a bottle of Jacquart champagne for 48 USD (plus 15% surcharge) onboard. But like I said, this is where everyone sets his/her own priorities. Continue reading
