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EuroTrip: Athens rocks, stunning Santorini, fun in Mykonos & back to the UK

EuroTrip: Athens rocks, stunning Santorini, fun in Mykonos & back to the UK

Old Jun 19th, 2010, 01:13 PM
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EuroTrip: Athens rocks, stunning Santorini, fun in Mykonos & back to the UK

First, a million thanks to all of the Fodorites, especially our resident Greece experts, for the helpful insight and advice which proved invaluable on our trip. Efharisto! Now, on to the report…

We left June 1 on a two week trip to Athens, the islands and the UK. As we are mid-30’s, active travelers used to squeezing frenetic activity into every second of our oh-too-short vacations, our original plan was two nights in Athens, two in Santorini, three nights open with the intention of making our way to Samos, and Kusadasi/Ephesus beyond, followed by two nights in Mykonos and three in London (to visit family) before returning to the States. As could have been predicted by the learned Fodorite intelligencia, not long after exposure to - what’s the Greek equivalent to joie de vivre? - the whole thing changed.

Athens.

We flew Delta from El Paso to Dulles via Atlanta then boarded a Virgin flight to London, where we would connect on an Aegean flight to Athens. Yes, it’s tiring even writing it, though incredibly, both we and our luggage arrived intact (we were not as lucky in Poland last year with the luggage). Regarding the flights, we flew Virgin upper class and would recommend for the comfortable, fully-flat beds which allowed for a restful sleep (no jet lag!), though the food was mediocre on the outbound and just okay on the return. As for Aegean, if (like me) you’re one of those jaded travelers who’s taken far too many cramped coach flights where a bag of chips will set you back six bucks, faith be restored. The plane was new and immaculate, the seats roomy and comfortable and we were served a delicious meal – at no additional cost – in coach. Hallelujah.

We took a cab from Athens airport to the Periscope Hotel in Kolonaki. In my excitement, I forgot to ask about cab fare in advance, so was (over)charged for the transfer, which was effected at such breakneck speed that we arrived in twenty minutes flat. More time in Athens, less in a cab, so we paid the 55E fare without complaint. The Periscope Hotel is a small design boutique with a bar and restaurant downstairs (which we never saw open except at breakfast) and a small reception area stylish in that dark and minimalist way. The room was large, modern in décor (as is our preference) with a king bed and sofa. The bathroom had one of those frosted doors that didn’t provide 100% privacy, but didn’t much bother us (a married couple), and the water pressure and Korres products were great.

We had an 8 PM reservation at Orizontes at the top of Lycabettus Hill, so we set off walking to the tram. It was a short (exhausting) walk up eight thousand stairs from the Periscope, but in thirty minutes we were seated at a table overlooking Athens, the Acropolis and the sea. The view from Orizontes was spectacular, as were many parts of our meal (starter of shrimp in kataifi with caramelized tomatoes and balsamic and sea bass entrée were both divine, hubby M’s chicken in coconut and basil sauce was just okay). But, when the sun set and the lights of Athens twinkled on like a million tiny stars with the Parthenon beaming brightest among them, we decided Orizontes was worth the tab (US$235 including tip and a bottle of wine). We walked back down Lycabettus Hill carefully, as the route was steep with little/no lighting, then found a cute pedestrian street called Charitos lined with bars near our hotel. It was buzzing even on a Wednesday, and we joined the mostly Greek crowd seated on small stools outside at Baila. This became our favorite bar and provided our first real exposure to the friendliness and warmth of the Greek people. The owner, Alex, was quick to say hello, and we sipped wine and cocktails into the wee hours.

Periscope arranged a driver to take us to Delphi the following day (250E plus tip in a clean, new-ish Mercedes taxi with great A/C). After leaving Athens in the early AM, we headed into the mountains. The scenery was pretty, and in about two hours we arrived at Delphi. We immediately concluded it was absolutely and unequivocally worth the trip. The ruins are extensive, and give off an almost otherworldly feel. Wear comfortable shoes, as you’ll be walking up and downhill, and don’t forget to visit the Temple of Athena down below on the other side of the street (there’s a little café nearby with fresh and delicious orange juice). On our return we stopped for lunch at Oistros in the beautiful village of Arachova. This was one of the best meals of our trip, and we’d happened upon it by chance, being drawn to its charming outdoor patio with an equally quaint interior. We shared tsatsiki, pita, garlic bread, spicy cheese dip, Horiatiki (Greek salad), our first glass of Ouzo and a glass of dry white wine. As for Arachova, our driver said it was a popular Greek skiing village in winter. Though quiet, it was a beautiful town and the quaintness of the place left me and M wishing we could stay. After Delphi it was back to Athens and the Acropolis. Despite the throngs of tourists, I found the Acropolis had all of the magic I’d imagined in my dreams, and as my written words would be grossly insufficient to do it, and the Agora below, justice, I will only say, I heartily recommend. After the Acropolis and the Agora, we walked and walked and walked, through Athens’ squares and streets, stopping at Bairaktaris for a (delicious) gyro, in the little shops along Monastiraki for some shoes and a hat, all the way back to Kolonaki and the Periscope, where we dropped our bags and headed back to Baila and our friend, Alex. We shared drinks and stories until 3 AM, and decided if there were more people like Alex in the world, we would all be the better for it.

Overall, I found Athens enchanting. I admit, my expectations had been low; I’d heard it was a large, dirty city deserving of only a day, but from now on I will, respectfully, disagree with such assessments. If you look hard enough, the city softens in its small streets, lively squares and the friendliness of its people. Not to mention that great Greek wine…

Next, Santorini.

PS. Sorry this is so long! I have gotten far too caught up in reliving the trip! I’ll try to make sure the other installments shorten up!
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Old Jun 19th, 2010, 01:50 PM
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Welcome back mbuhrig and thanks for your report. I remember your questions at the turn of the year and I'm very pleased you enjoyed Delphi and Athens.

Looking forward to reading your impressions of Santorini and Mykonos.

Bill
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Old Jun 19th, 2010, 03:36 PM
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Don't apologize! Waiting for more!
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Old Jun 19th, 2010, 04:26 PM
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Loving your report! I went to Athens with the same sort of expectations and was surprised to find that I absolutely loved it and would return in a heartbeat!
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Old Jun 19th, 2010, 04:52 PM
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Eager for more! You're quite the poet! I love your description:

>

--especially that wine
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Old Jun 19th, 2010, 05:12 PM
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Great report. But please don't shorten your posts, we tend to like the long descriptive style.

Ian
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Old Jun 19th, 2010, 06:24 PM
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mbuhrig: My wife and I just spent the last week of May in Athens (followed by 2 weeks through the islands) and couldn't agree with you more on every thing you said. We also dined at Orizontes and the food there, as it was everywhere else, was just fantastic! Loved the people! the Greeks are the most warm, friendly and helpful people we have ever met. We did also heard similar negative comments about the Country before we departed. I don't know where they get these ideas from, because what we experience was just a wonderful time. Your report was just fab!!! are you a writer? sounds like one!
Please give us your report on Santorini and Mykonos, because we were there and loved them!
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Old Jun 20th, 2010, 08:43 AM
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Just also returned from 2 weeks in Greece and spent 1.5 days in the beginning of our trip in Athens. Way toooo short!! Even though we have been there 3 times before, the total effect and excitement of the Acropolis, Agora, Parliament Square, surrounding streets, museums and the warmth and friendliness of the Athenians, never seize to diminish for us. Glad you enjoyed it!! The view from Lycabettus is simply amazing. Yup, that wine.....I already want to go back!!!
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Old Jun 20th, 2010, 04:42 PM
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Hi, all! Thanks for the comments! Yep, I'm almost glad we didn't get to see everything in Athens...all the more reason to return! I'm a writer by passion, not profession...corporate lawyer by day (don't hold that against me ), aspiring author by night. There is just something about travel - and Greece - that’s inspiring! Well, instead of shorter, this was even longer, but hopefully, it will have some helpful tips! So here goes...

Santorini.

I’ve read Francis Mayes’ “A Year in the World” and wondered whether, like Francis, I really would struggle to find ways to recount the Aegean’s infinite shades. To be honest, I assumed the work was simply overindulgent in its descriptions, but I was wrong. While I found much of Santorini a bit quiet and touristy (said the tourist!), I admit to being haunted by the memory of it. The impossible blueness against brown and russet rock, the stark white of cave houses tumbling down the cliff, the intermittent glimpses of sea and sky like secrets whispered as we walk through town, all of these images are burned in my brain, and I find myself longing desperately to return. Yes, Santorini just might be the most spectacular place I’ve seen with my own two eyes.

We flew Olympic from Athens, and I’m happy to report it maintained the positive impression we had of air travel in Greece. An immaculate plane that arrived on time, and they even managed to serve a sandwich and drinks during the incredibly short flight. We’d selected Esperas Traditional Houses in Oia, and they’d arranged a driver in advance for 30E. While we discovered numerous available taxis outside upon arrival, the driver (a Greek New Yorker who’d moved to Santorini from Brooklyn) was friendly and informative. He deposited us at Esperas, where a valet grabbed our two (heavy) bags, hoisted them on his shoulders and led us effortlessly down vertiginous steps to the hotel. M and I, in our overwhelmed amazement at the scenery, struggled to keep up. The hotel is lovely, and if your preference is to relax the day away on your balcony - perhaps working on your various descriptions of blue - Esperas is your place. The views are stunning, the pool area beautiful and the owners and staff incredibly kind. It’s very quiet and very serene, sort of like a dream. If you prefer to explore Oia, Thira and the rest of Santorini with any regularity, you’ll need a bit of cardio (quite a walk up countless steps from the hotel). But, as all good things, it’s worth the work.

The room (an Esperas House) was a clean and pretty traditional cave house with a sitting area, kitchenette, bedroom and bath and wonderful terrace with two loungers and a table and chairs. For the money, it’s an excellent hotel considering the outrageous prices charged by others in the area. The included breakfast was good and the staff attentive and kind. We were there for M’s birthday, and they brought down a small bottle of champagne in the morning as a gift, which we blissfully enjoyed outside. After checking in and ogling the views, we set out to explore Oia town. After much walking around and anxious for the famed Santorini sunset, we deposited ourselves at Strogili. We sat on the top level terrace with sweeping views of the island’s glory in almost every direction. Had there actually been a stunning sunset (it dipped unimpressively behind the clouds on this night, and every night we were there), we would have had one supreme view of it from the upper terrace. Unfortunately, the only good thing about the place was the view. The service was deplorable (absent and indifferent) and the food average to terrible, and we noticed many people around us impatient to leave with almost full plates in front of them. I’m certain there must be better vantage points in Oia for the sunset that also offers good food and service, and would recommend one of those. Though no experience can be truly terrible overlooking the caldera as we did, Strogili managed to miss the mark.

The next day we had one of our best travel experiences to date. As M is a fish and experienced boat enthusiast, we’d wanted to rent a small boat to self navigate around the caldera (we’d rented one in Croatia for US$50 and found a small island we had all to ourselves!). But apparently, boats can’t be rented for self-sail in Greece (we were told many reasons, from licensure to currents), unless you want to pay several hundred dollars for a rib with an outboard that would take light years to propel you to Nea Kameni. So, we took the advice of our aforementioned driver and booked a semi-private catamaran with Triantafillou Brothers. The following morning we hiked from Esperas down to Ammoudi. We’d been told they would accept 8 or 9 couples, so were thrilled when only 2 other couples showed up…we’d have the boat almost to ourselves! We boarded the beautiful 50’ Lagoon Catamaran, and were immediately offered soft drinks, water and wine from the crew of three before setting sail to red beach, white sails billowing like Aeolus himself was pushing us along. We anchored and jumped in for a swim (the water is cold in June!) before sailing further down the coast. We were served a delicious lunch on deck (shrimp, pork grilled off the back of the boat, pasta salad and greek salad followed by apples drizzled with honey and cinnamon), then sailed to Nea Kemani and the “hot” springs. M and I jumped in, along with one of the other couples, a bit disappointed that the “hot” springs were more “warm” than anything, but still thrilled as we swam into the little cove with goats scaling the cliffs overhead. Back on deck, the wind picked up and a light drizzle fell on the return, but neither bothered us much, enchanted as we were to be on the sea in this incredible, unimaginable place. In all, the trip was well worth the 136E per person cost, and proved to be one of our favorite travel experiences of all time. Thanks, Dinos and Kleopatra!

After the boat trip we rented a car and drove to Thira to explore. Larger than Oia, we found Thira a little more our speed, with its numerous cafes, bars and shops. When the sun set we headed back to Oia, stopping at Santorini Mou on our return. We’d seen the place on Samantha Brown’s Santorini episode, and while we enjoyed the music played by Mihalis and his friend, the food was not as good as other tavernas we’d visited.

Though we were set to leave the following day for yet undetermined islands en route to Ephesus, we found we weren’t quite ready to go. We had the whole rest of Santorini to explore! So in the morning we said goodbye to our friends at Esperas, loaded the luggage in the car and set off. While winding with minimal shoulders in parts, the roads were easy to navigate, and we soon found ourselves driving beside the blue sea toward Kamari, a cute beach village on the southeast side of the island. We were fortunate to find the lovely Anassa a few streets from the sea. The hotel was immaculate and new, the room large with a king bed, sitting area, kitchenette and brand new bathroom with nice fixtures and a vessel sink. The service was incredible: the owner’s daughter helped not only with the room, but with extending our car reservation and ferry schedules. At 95E/night, I couldn’t recommend this place more.

After depositing our bags in the room, we continued exploring the island, having a fantastic lunch at Chili Bar on Perivolas beach. We loved Perivolas, with its cool beach clubs, fun atmosphere and loud music thumping over the sand...definitely a place for young Greeks looking for fun. On the way back to Kamari we stopped at Art Space winery and loved our tour of the impressive facility with the owner, extensive art collection and great wine. The next day we drove easily to Athinios port where we left the car with the doors open and the keys beneath the mat (while we did this with some anxiety, our hotelier assured us this was common and we have yet to hear anything from the rental company, so assume it all worked out!). We purchased tickets for the Flying Cat 4 from the port and bid “andio” to the beautiful, mysterious island and its million shades of blue.

Next, exciting Mykonos!
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Old Jun 22nd, 2010, 10:55 AM
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Finally got our pics together (they're to music so it'll link to a video) if anyone is interested:

http://gallery.me.com/mbuhrig/100164

Will post Mykonos soon!
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Old Jun 22nd, 2010, 11:21 AM
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I spent two weeks in Greece last September and loved it. I'm enjoying your trip report, as it reminds me of my trip. I spent two nights in Arachova at a beautiful resort at the top of the town. I loved it too and had time to wonder around the tiny back streets and take the hundreds of stairs up to the church from the main street. It was also very convenient to Delphi. I too was impressed by Athens, even more than I thought I would be. I didn't make it up to Orizontes, but the view from the roof-top restaurant of the Grande Bretagne wasn't too bad. I'm sure it was even better though from Lycabettus Hill. More please.
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Old Jun 24th, 2010, 08:40 AM
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Mykonos: The Best Steakhouse on Earth, Heaven at N’Ammos and a Dirty Not-so-Little Secret.

We boarded the Flying Cat 4 disappointed to find we weren’t seated beside each other, but one in front of the other on the aisle. So after the boat left port, I found stairs to the business class cabin, where they had plenty of window seats available, and paid 8E per person to upgrade (worth the cost, as the cabin was brighter and less crowded with many windows and far fewer seats). In under 2.5 hours we arrived at Mykonos port. We walked across the street to Pier I where we rented a car (Suzuki Jimmy) for 50E/day. As we weren’t scheduled to arrive at Hotel Andronikos until June 9, we had two nights to account for, so set off to search for a hotel. As I’d researched hotels extensively in advance of our departure, we started with those which had been my runners up, the Belvedere and the Theoxenia. Having read the Belvedere was a fun and lively place to stay, we started there. While we liked the white-on-white design of the Belvedere reception, it was further from the heart of Mykonos town, the pool area was deserted and the icy, disinterested greeting of the two women seated at desks in reception, combined with the 350E quote for a standard (though New Generation) room, sent us scrambling toward option number 2: the Theoxenia. And luckily so.

The Theoxenia is in an ideal location (the best of any hotel we passed in Mykonos), right behind the windmills minutes walk to Little Venice and Mykonos town. We loved the retro-modern design, the swank and immaculate common spaces and the warm welcome of the staff. Manager Harrys immediately offered to show us available rooms. The standard queen garden view room was very small, but nicely appointed and very clean. The superior queen sea view was similar, aside from the view, and I recall the rates were somewhere near 250E and 300E, respectively. We ordered drinks from the bar and took a seat near the wonderful pool area (lots of loungers and sun beds with low music playing) to ponder our decision when we noticed a row of rooms directly on the waterfront. The deluxe sea front room had wood and stone floors, a queen bed on a slightly elevated level (up two stairs), two side chairs and a table on the lower level and a large bathroom with bathtub and separate shower (great water pressure and lots of jets). While not huge, the room was immaculate and well designed, and the balcony (smack on the water) and beautiful view made it well worth the 400E/night cost. And, as we’d come to discover, they had one of the best and most extensive (included) buffet breakfasts of the trip, with various eggs, meats, cheeses, pastries, breads, cereals, salads, juices and, the key ingredient to any great meal, champagne. We settled in happily, then set off to explore Mykonos town.

Moments after approaching the cluster of white buildings leaning into the sea, we fell in love. It was crowded (though not excessively so) and the maze of lanes leading every which way left us feeling like we were in some sort of fun and wonderful game. I had an urge to run off yelling “catch me if you can!” but feared M and I would never find each other again, and one or both of us would be lost in Mykonos town till the end of time. While there was some of the usual kitsch tourist fare, we found quite a few shops with beautiful jewelry and unique art. Now, I know we were in Greece, but I have a weakness for Italian food, and when we passed a cute place with a man out front rolling fresh pasta before our eyes, I couldn’t resist. Café Italia is a small restaurant with a row of tables and chairs against the wall outside, a charming indoor dining space and indescribably adorable upstairs dining level where the ceilings were so low in some areas, you had to crouch down to walk through. We sat outside the first time around and happily wolfed down tzatsiki with garlic bread, tortellini al fungi (for me) and pizza (for M), washed down with fantastic dry white house wine and a complimentary glass of limoncello at the end. The service was friendly and warm, and the food so great we returned the second night and loved the dinner we were served on the funny little balcony level looking out through a sliver of a window on the busy street below. Other dining standouts throughout our four days in Mykonos include Interni (cool, hip interior and delightfully quirky food), Katherine’s (great tzatsiki and the best pita bread ever), Panormous at Panormous Beach (great starters in a cool resto right on the sand), N’Ammos (more on that later), and Uno Con Carne, where we had what we agreed was probably the best steak (filet with béarnaise) we’d ever had (and we live in Texas).

After two nights at Theoxenia we checked into Hotel Andronikos. It’s farther away from Mykonos town compared with Theoxenia, but as we’d already scoured much of the hora, we hadn’t need to walk in. The outdoor area is beautiful, with a nice pool and loungers, and even four poster beds outside. The superior room was large with a sofa and king sized bed and the grey modern bathroom had a vessel sink and tub. Unfortunately, the bed was rock hard, but the spectacular balcony overlooking the pool, with its chaise lounger, table and chairs and white gauzy curtains blowing in the breeze, made up for it all. The best part of Andronikos, however, was bartender Loukas. From the second we arrived, we took a seat at the bar and received such a warm welcome from Loukas and the other staff that we were hard pressed to leave. There is a universal truth that the success of most enterprise is rooted in its staff, and, with Loukas, Andronikos hit it out of the park. Every time we returned to the hotel we were thrilled with the personalized, by-name welcome, and loved the jokes and funny stories he shared so much that we concluded every night at Loukas’ bar, and were truly sad to leave. Thank you, Loukas, for making our stay so special!

As we’d extensively toured the town, we spent the next few days touring the rest of the island. Our favorite places were Panormous Beach, with its chill atmosphere, mountains of cushions and bean bags scattered over the sand for sunbathing in comfort and cool restaurant under camouflage netting, and N’Ammos at Psarou Beach, where we watched the yachts bobbing in the blue water while listening to great music and eating one of the other best meals of our trip: tomato fritters, Arabic pie, tzatsiki, Mykonian meatballs and Horiatiki washed down with a passion fruit mojito and wine. We also stopped at Paradise, Super Paradise and Elia, though didn’t stay, as we far preferred Psarou and Panormous. Throughout our last two days, we would drive almost every inch of the island, off-roading down small dirt roads much of the time in places where the map we’d received from the rental agency didn’t apply, and we had to rely on our iPad GPS. Which is when we happened upon the secret they don’t talk about in guidebooks.

Our last full day we started south, visiting Elia and continuing up the coast, to Kalo Livadi, Kalafatis and Lia. The road climbed higher, and we continued on, hoping to loop around and reconnect to Fokos, which we’d visited the previous day. We headed toward Merthia. Our map showed a faint line we assumed was a road, and as the dirt lane opened up, we were certain we were on the right track. The views were spectacular: blue skies and deep blue seas, rolling hills with old rock walls winding down them like lines in the palm of a hand. And then we started to see it: trash scattered down the mountain, like someone had opened the bed of a truck and simply sped away. Then more trash, discarded appliances, old retail fixtures, black bags and old bricks. Then the road turned sharply left, and it was suddenly everywhere, like we were driving through a massive trash dump with beautiful water on our right and mountains of trash on our left, covering everything. There didn’t seem to be any signage or other indication this was an official dumping ground, but a dumping ground it was. We weren’t quite sure we should continue, but kept on as the road itself was clear, until we wound around another bed, and blocking the road was a massive pile of construction debris. We heard the sound of an engine on the other side of the chasm we’d just driven around, and saw a dump truck filled with construction debris back up, open its gate, empty its contents and drive away. M climbed a hill and saw that the road was clear on the other side, but it was impassable because of the trash. Dejected, we drove back the way we came. Now, I’m not so idealistic that I don’t understand the realities of modern life and the disposal issues created by a consumable society such as ours, but the disbursement patterns (widespread, instead of consolidated into a specific area) made it clear the disposal being done there was ad hoc; there was no method to this madness. The wind picked up empty concrete bags and blew them down the mountain; there appeared to be no measures in place to stop the flow of trash into the sea, no apparent recycling or containment methods at all. I couldn’t believe the volume of it, covering acres of the mountain both above and below the small dirt road running through it. I know places such as this exist, even on an island as beautiful as Mykonos, but I have to believe it could be done differently, or at least more contained. I have to believe there is some way to restrain the empty concrete bags we saw blowing all over the place. Does anyone know what this place is? Is it an official trash dump and we’re simply being hypersensitive tourists?

While our trash experience was troubling, we enjoyed the rest of our time in Mykonos, and as we sat in Mykonos airport the following day waiting for our EasyJet flight to London, we considered intentionally missing the flight and returning for one last drink with Loukas at Andronikos. But we had family to visit, and jobs to return to, so we boarded the flight and flew away.

We spent a wonderful long weekend in London, visiting old favorites (restaurant Fuel in Covent Garden, restaurant Electric on Portobello Road, Portobello Market) and some new ones (Borough Market, Camden Market, Canary Wharf), reluctant to return to the real world and already planning our return.

Please feel free to drop me a line if there is any further info I can provide on any of the hotels, restos or locations. And if anyone has details on the trash site, I’d appreciate - hopefully I'm just being silly and idealistic.

Cheers and Happy Travels!
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Old Jun 24th, 2010, 06:34 PM
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Hi, Enjoyed your trip reports! I want to eat at Orizontes on our last night in Athens, as it will be our actual 30th anniversary, and our last night in Greece as well. Was it difficult to get reservations? Would it be a good idea to contact them a couple of weeks in advance? Thanks!
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Old Jun 25th, 2010, 07:59 AM
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I think it's highly dependent upon when you are visiting. My boss had previously visited Orizontes and had to make reservations for an outdoor table with a view of the Acropolis a month in advance. So, taking his advice, I sent them an email far in advance through their website: http://www.kastelorizo.com.gr/ and heard back pretty quickly. They said they were going to charge 50E to hold the reservation, but never did make the charge. When we got there, we had a fantastic table reserved, but the place was pretty empty so we'd have gotten a good table either way. But, to make absolutely sure, I'd recommend contacting them in advance, and few weeks to a month should be plenty. Enjoy your dinner...you'll love it there! Happy Anniversary!
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Old Aug 7th, 2010, 10:46 AM
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Mbuhrig! this report is fantastic. Practical and sheer literary excellence. Thanks for the feedback. Leaving in two weeks, and this report has refined some of the choices!
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