Stairs to Heaven...Santorini

One of my lovely friends said that I was in Honeymoon territory, I have a theory on this, after spending four days there I really believe that the reason people can't walk properly is indeed an S word...STAIRS! Oh my goodness they are everywhere!

Prettier than Fava Beans

Santorini was created 3,600 years ago as the result of a Volcanic eruption, it is famous for it's white eggplant, cherry tomatoes, capers and split peas which when made into the local speciality Fava (a Euro version of Dahl) is also responsible for some rather epic volcanic eruptions...

It is without doubt one of the most glorious places I've visited, the views the wine and the food! In addition to my prerequisite sardines they have some of the most "foodie" restaurants in Greece...as an example...
Beef fillet potato puree flavoured with bergamot, summer truffle sauce and parmesan ice cream...clever, inventive and DELICIOUS! 

Even the beautiful hotel breakfast, what could be better than licking home made syrupy cherry jam off your fingers, that has dribbled off crusty on the outside and soft on the inside fat white bread...actually, thick Greek yoghurt with lashings of melted chocolate is...

earning lunch

the beautiful Eleni earning a swim

Now, so we could continue to indulge in these fabulous delights, let me tell you why you don't turn into a "porker"...because you have to work for every thing there, whether it's a meal or a swim...
However, the rewards...




When you finally arrive and fall into that beautiful clear crisp sea (its not and Ocean here) my goodness all the hard slog becomes a distant memory, and a G&T on the way home takes care of the return journey!

There is of course the option of taking a donkey, but after a rather traumatic incident with a donkey when I was little, leaving me with a scar on my head and the fact that they're a bit "ponkey" and it's a mean thing to do...we did it the proper way...even though it was tough!


So my Greek odyssey is nearly complete, once again my heart is overwhelmed by the kindness, generosity and sharing of beautiful people in my life. So many adventures and so many memories made!

It was tough...

REALLY TOUGH!

 

 

and to all the beautiful people at home and abroad who continue to read my stories, I so appreciate it...we're off to Turkey next!


Thanks for sharing xxx

Party at the Parthenon!

Party King Mr D!

I visited the new Acropolis Museum on the weekend (as in a new Museum not a new Acropolis) it's a bit of a triumph and wealth of info about the olden days, seriously the stuff in there is super old... interestingly they appear to use Artline marker directly on these pieces to label them though...a lot of the statues have some extremities missing (I had held high hopes for the Erectheion section to find them, sadly it's just another time frame :0) but just incredible history none the less!

I discovered that those guys really knew how to party (in between wars with the Persians and other such people...)

The party King however was Dionysus, he was the God of Wine, Inebriation, Ecstatic Dance and finally Vegetation (which I think is the state they all found themselves in the day after)

His symbols, amongst other things such as grape vines and the Kantharos Cup (the one with a handle on each side) was the phallus.. it is no wonder that he was the most popular Deity, his part of the Parthenon was jumping!

Zeus's place with taxi to Dionysus's

Athens is amazing, in the roads and even some of the shops, are clear floors so that you can see the original aqueducts and real ruiny type locations that run under the City (not like those second rate ones in Lira!) It's amazing to imagine how they worked it all out... 

Authentic ancient tools...Bunnings BC

The Akroploi, Monestiriki and Central area are filled with great little shops and of course gorgeous restaurants, just imagine strolling along glancing up and seeing the Acropolis with the most beautiful night lighting...however I think my fave meal to date was in Gazzi (the old gas station area) and seriously I have to stop eating sardines or I will turn into one (or a cat) but oh my... freshly grilled, liberally sprinkled with sea salt, doused with olive oil and fresh lemon juice and on the side a little wilted wild spinach, steamed baby zuchinni, fat plump vine ripen tomatoes, baby cucumbers and of course feta cheese and the sensational chunks of bread to mop up the plate... you get the idea :0)

Mind the GAP is very serious over here...

I am proud to say not only have I got the hang of the Metro, I also managed to find my favourite bookshop in Athens from my last visit! 

 Pigeon territory...

So, am as happy as the proverbial little piglet in mud, stocked up on books and ready to choose my next Island (I love the international travel library, it feels so great to leave a finished good book behind "somewhere" knowing it will be appreciated by a "starved reader") actually I could say, someone who will fall upon it like a seagull on a chip at the beach...which would segue quite nicely into "a pigeon flew into my head today"...true story, no injuries but I really hate pigeons... 

Yet again I'm pinching myself at how truly lucky I am, currently at the beautiful Eleni's (tall, slim hazel eyed super model material) beautiful apartment with a heaving stocked girlie fridge (wine, smoked salmon, wine) and beauty cabinet with instructions to "make my self totally at home and not to replace anything"...when I pointed out that this was beyond any expectations...Eleni's words were "this is not beyond expectations, THIS is simply hospitality..."

  
No, this is quite simply being the luckiest most appreciative girl in the world knowing I'm loved to bit's by by beautiful, warm, generous people...

As always...thanks for sharing xxx

Greece is the word....

They have splendid knockers on Mykonos..

Back in Athens after a very long absence, so much has changed including my gorgeous friends having two beautiful bambinos...

Last time I was here was about 13 seconds before the Olympics when everyone seemed to realise that nothing was actually "quite" ready and the city seemed in gridlock with Stadiums and pools being built left right and centre...

Well, they did a great job everything looks lovely!

I've had my favourite Greek meal cooked for me by Jenny's authentic Greek Mum, slow cooked beef with tomato, eggplant and feta cheese, and I currently have access to a genuine "family" fridge, positively groaning with all that stuff "family" fridges have, including left overs, I'm in heaven! My beautiful sister will recognise that comment...:0)

So, not to hang around and get porky, it was off to the Islands (well, technically one so far) dead set sexy hollywoodesque Mykonos! Corrrrr....what a spot!

It ticks absolutely all the Greek Isle boxes of the beautiful blue and white architecture and cobbledy streets (in fact I'm sure at my hotel they whitewashed everything each morning!) with the addition of being the playground of choice to a lot of the "celebs"

We spent a sensational day at one of the "private beaches" surrounded by the beautiful peeps,it was utterly fabulous.

This was of course after we learnt the rules, that no you may not just sit down

you need to consult with "Mr Yannis" I almost had a heart attack, imagining Mr  Yannis to be some scary portly bloke with a cigar and dark glasses and a Carte Blanche ownership of all sun lounges on beaches...turns out he was a very nice young guy who said "of course" and to the minxy, huffy little "chick" that told us off, honey...you're job is to bring people drinks (oh yes that would be me) on a beach...and that suntan you have, one day is going to be wrinkles...

I'll have a Bloody Mary thanks....

My gorgeous mate Jenny!

Having said that it was so swanky they gave you big fluffy towels in a very understated taupe, so as not to offend the visual senses with everyone having their own and it looking "unmatchy"...

The next day we went to a less salubrious beach, and had our eyeballs nearly bleed with the "unmatchy" of it all...

However, this one did have a button on the brolly to push for drinks and the waiters were very easy on the eye!

I had a wander through the shops during the week and had been wondering how on earth these wall to wall blingy jewellery stores survive...

Tuesday it be came very clear when I could hardly move for the eleventy billion meandering old people that where clogging the streets walking at possibly top speed of half a pace per five minutes and making many suddenish lurches from left to right going "ooohhhh! ahhhhh! ooohhh!" Yup! They ship 'em in!

The behemoth filled with old people! 

Yes, it's gorgeous, breakfast with Greek yoghurt and warm runny Nutella (that has to be finished off with a flourish of the spoon as you can't lick it at a hotel buffet). Fabulous fresh grilled sardines, hand made pasta with truffles, baklava and of course the cheese the cheese the cheese!
                

I do believe I'm on holidays!!!!

Thanks for sharing! xxx

Hasta Luego Espana!

Very lucky girl...

Three months to the day of arriving in this wonderful country that has taught me so much, it's time to say good bye and Gracias...

Where do you begin? actually there is so much to say that it's too much, so in a nutshell....

Spanish people by and large are absolutely beautiful, not with standing the grumpy twat at the Barcelona Train station...(although he may have just been having a bad day...)

Beautiful People!

Beautiful moments don't always have to technically be "beautiful" people will still love you if your hair is messy and you need some lippie...   

People and kindness are what it's really all about...dear precious family and friends, shiny new friends and the kindness of absolute strangers has astonished, amazed and humbled me...

The San Sebastian "A" team

If you have to carry it yourself you "weigh" up every purchase on many levels, including a full sized tube of Colgate...

Fresh Milk! is there is a cow in here?

The best traffic lights in Spain are to be found in Malaga (they have a little green man who very considerately counts down from 39 seconds) unlike Valencia, Madrid and San Sebastian that give you three "green man" flashes and turn red...not so bad in San Seb and Madrid, but crossing the Plaza De Aylumento in Valencia which is a about 400ks wide is NOT for the faint hearted...

ATM machines throughout Spain are unfailingly polite and well mannered...

 possibly the loudest waitress ever!

Sometimes "tapas/pinxos" are like a tummy full of marbles, it's great to eat a whole meal on your own!

I am so grateful for the beautiful people that I have met whilst murdering the Spanish Language...

Not learning Spanish...

But without doubt the biggest thing I have learnt...is that most things we worry about aren't really that important AND that you can actually do ANYTHING!!!!

                                   Thank you for sharing xxx

 

San Sebastian...good picking!

relaxing, local style

Am very happy with my own work at the moment, San Sebastian is beyond a treat!

Unbeknownst to moi this week is the Fiesta Semana (aka Festival of Perth) for San Seb, filled with a mass of people and with cultural events coming out of ones ears, concerts and fire works every night, can you imagine there being SEVEN different "fireworks type teams" competing for the "big bang" prize? and not a hint of 94.5 to be heard!

It has now become very clear why accommodation was SO tricky to find!

The food is fabulous, fat and fresh occy skewers, big fat prawns with salsa and my all time favs of fresh anchovies in extra virgin olive oil plus a vino blanco...at Euro 4.60 (damn, I have a "Euro" symbol on my key board but don't know how to make it work!) is heaven on a stick/plate quite frankly...

island in the background, is one of those yachts for me?

 In fact, here the way one can judge a good tapas or Pintxos (as they are called in the North) bar is how many paper napkins are strewn about the floor, yeah baby I've been knee deep!

Monday I went to my new school for orientation, and once again was overwhelmed by yet another group of gorgeous young things, just out  enjoying life! I am so looking forward to hearing more of their stories...  

We had a wonderful day, (it was a public holiday) a wander around the "City" and a trip to a beautiful island for some (not so gentle) uphill walking, but happily down hill was a very civilised little bar...

Gorgeous City, Mountains And the ocean all 7 minutes from "home" :0)

It did take me a couple of "dummy runs" to find the school on the weekend when I arrived, first one, I overshot the mark by about 10 ks and thought, nup, I'm simply not turning up if it's this far away, and then the next day I under shot by a major intersection and probably had the locals on the verge of calling the Police as to why this "stranger" (at a very early hour on a Sunday by Spanish standards) was circling the immediate area looking in a very confused manner at her (obviously broken) map... as it turns out I'm 10 minutes away (and there is a hairdressers in between) happy days!

I saw a brilliant exhibition last night, 6 Billion Others, have a look for it, 5600 people from all around the world interviewed with the same questions and their answers recorded, the answer to each question is set up in a special little "tenty thing", I decided I was too far from home and away too long to explore the subjects like "Family"

"Testing Times" or "Fears and Tears" answers so stuck to the "jolly" subjects 

of Happiness, Making Love Last and The Meaning of Life...hhmmm... I cried like a baby.... 

Once again, life gives you a poke and asks how lucky can we all be..

Picasso, Malaga...

My most pressing issues this week (in no particular order) have been, why do the people in the apartment next door have parrot that does V loud wolf whistles (true story), I don't really like the tea at the hotel and will I pay eight Euro to wash my knickers at the laundromat or should I hand wash... Imagine that being a segue into something by Picasso... 

Lucky?...hmmmmm, I reckon so.....

Clearly it's awful here...

As Always, thanks for sharing xxx