The Traveling Martens: June 2005

Inside Pacha dance club, opening night for the summer.

Ibiza town

Ibiza - then we´ll be home on June 16

We flew to Ibiza early Friday morning, and luckily, we were able to check into our hotel a day early. It is a small hotel which was one of the first original buildings on the port of Ibiza town, built more than 100 years ago. We have a balcony in our room which overlooks the port and water, and we have enjoyed sitting there watching the yachts come in and out of port. About 100,000 people live on Ibiza year-round, but it gets much more crowded as a summer vacation spot, known for its beaches and nightlife.

Wish we could say more now, but we are running out of time at the internet cafe. We´ll have lots more to write about Ibiza, and will update this from home later this week if we don´t get time again here!

A quick stay (and exit) in Barcelona

We´ll start with the good parts of Barcelona, we explored the city, starting at the port and walking up the main La Rambla, the famous road through the middle of the city which is a wide cobble-stone pedestrian street. The buildings and architecture in the city are truly amazing, it is like a big outdoor museum. Some of the features the city is known for are the works of Gaudi, who has a very organic style of architecture with lots of curving shapes and colors. His unfinished masterpiece, and what he devoted most of his life to, is the Familia cathedral. It was started in the 1860's and is still not nearly finished. It is scheduled to be done by 2030, as it is entirely funded by donations and the fee for tourists to walk through it. We entered and it is a major construction site. The outside has soaring spires and intricately carved pictures of animals and nature scenes in the walls. The columns on the inside are made to look like trees, with the roots spreading into the floor at the bottom and the branches and canopy spreading overhead to form the roof of the center of the church. At first, Gaudi´s work seems eccentric, but we got to read his writings inside the church and he was a genius, with an understanding of math and nature that was ahead of his time. His writings reminded us of Ayn Rand´s Fountainhead.

The restaurants in Barcelona were great, there is such a variety of foods there. We ate a long lunch at a Spanish-Morrocan style restaurant. Another Indian meal for dinner, it was delicious, we don´t find as much Asian food here in the Mediterranean.

Then there is the disappointing side of Barcelona. We´ve been told such good things by people who have been there before, so we had high hopes, but we have to believe that Barcelona has changed dramatically the past few years or even months. There is a saying that you never wash a rental car before returning it, and Barcelona seems like an old rental car that has been absolutely trashed. Our first view of the city coming in on the train was through a shattered window, and even windows in the designer clothing stores in the city center were smashed, and looked like they had been shot. There was trash everywhere in the streets and grafitti covered the beautiful buildings. Even many of the sculptures in the city parks had grafitti on them. The La Rambla street was full of souvenir stands and people getting suckered into a card game here, in which tourists play what they think is a game of chance, but they don´t realize there are accomplices of the dealer playing alongside them. We wonder if the bombings right before the election, and the entry of a new government are part of it. Things we read here (in the Iberia airlines magazine for example, which you would think would try and say good things) say that Barcelona is having severe social problems lately due to the influx of poor immigrants. Walking around, we saw posters for only two political parties- the Communists, and the anti-immigration Socialist party. The Catelonia separitist movement is also prevalent, with grafitti spray-painted "This is not Spain" and "Bombers!". We met some nice people inside of buildings, but everyone on the street seemed to give us dirty looks. The receptionist at our hotel told us it was perfectly safe to walk outside- as long as we weren´t drunk, walked quickly, and clutched any bags tightly to our chest. These our just our own views and possibly an isolated bad experience, but it was shocking and we didn´t even feel safe.

So we made the first unscheduled change in all of our trips, and decided to leave Barcelona a day early and head to Ibiza- Yeah! Back to a small, sandy island in the Mediterranean!

In front of the Parthenon, high on the hill above Athens.

A day in Athens and flight to Barcelona

Our high speed ferry was much smoother than a few days ago, and we arrived in Athens mid-afternoon, figured out the Athens train system (the airport and all the transportation here is much nicer since the Olympics) and checked in to our hotel. In fact, Athens put in some new underground rail lines for the Olympics and had to dig them more than 50 feet deep to avoid destroying too many unknown potential ancient sites. Nevertheless, they discovered many new excavation sites, and the homes, pottery, even ancient kids´ toys are now in displays all along the rail stations where they were found. We then headed for one of the several long, wide pedestrian streets which spread out from downtown and all meet at the base of the Acropolis, high on its hill. You can even see the Parthenon and some of the other temples on the Acropolis from the streets below. Even the first view from far away explains why these were temples of gods.

We walked around the streets, which are full of modern clothing stores and cafes, and then you suddenly turn a corner and there is a park full of ancient columns and ruins- fascinating! We ate dinner at a street cafe, and then had a bottle of wine waiting for the sunset. After dark, we walked to the base of the Acropolis and took in one of the coolest views. There are floodlights at the base of the hill which illuminate the sides, shining up to the white marble monuments on top which are also light up. Everything looks like it is floating in the sky with the dark backdrop of night.

We got up early the next morning, put on our walking shoes, and headed out to see the actual monuments in the sky. Even walking around the base, you come across incredible ruins, including two old theatres, one of which has been restored and is still used by the Athens orchestra (which we imagine would be an incredible setting). Even the theatre which hasn´t been restored still has amazing marble chairs set in a giant half circle around the stage, and the columns at the top are still there. Marble, marble, everywhere! Buildings, sidewalks, steps, the airport, entire bathrooms, benches, etc. Walking up the steps on one side of the hill you see the first of several temples immediately, it forms the entrance to the top of the Acropolis. There is a lot of restoration work going on everywhere, but it doesn´t detract from the awe the temples inspire upon seeing them. The Parthenon itself is incredible, and the view shows all of Athens at your feet and the sea out in the distance.

After another gyro, we headed for the new Athens airport on the rail we had used a lot already. However, on the way there, we happened to get a ticket and fined by some very friendly Greek cops on the rail. Unfortunately, we accidentally bought a rail ticket which wouldn´t take us as far as the airport. Oops! At least we didn´t need to get a lawyer! At the airport, we saw someone wearing a Steamboat Springs, CO t-shirt, and by coincidence, Stacy was wearing her Steamboat t-shirt too.

It was a nice flight on Iberia, with some great Spanish red wine with dinner (Greek wine is nice, but it´s not one of Greece´s strengths, even though we had plenty). The sun was going down when we walked out of Barcelona´s airport, so we got another great sunset. It took us a few hours on the metro to get to the city and we checked into our hostel here. Lacking a few things like AC and a private bathroom, we are looking today for someplace a little nicer and to see the Barcelona we have heard good things about. It´s nice and sunny, more later.

Beach tour of Mykonos

We took a bus again to Platys Gialos beach just a few miles south of town. From there, a small boat taxi takes people to the other beaches, so we boarded this to get a scenic tour of all the beaches from the water. We stopped back at Paradise, Super Paradise, and ended up at Elia beach, considered one of the top nudist beaches in the world. The reputation is well-deserved.

Back in town this evening, we had probably our 20th Greek salad for dinner, along with a crepe and some pizza. We're taking a ferry to Athens tommorrow and are glad that the strong wind we had the day we came to Mykonos has died down, the weather is sunny and beautiful.

We found Paradise (Beach)

Our hotel in Mykonos sits on a hill and has a beautiful pool overlooking the city, but it would be a crime to go to a hotel pool here, as this island is known for having some of the best beaches in the world. We figured out the bus system for the island, which seems a little more disorganized than many places, and headed for Paradise Beach on the southern part of the island. All of the beaches here are in small coves with white rocky cliffs on the sides, and blue water stretching out in front of us. We relaxed on the beach all day with lots of locals, as many Greek families typically come to Mykonos for summer vacation.

Just above the sand on one side of the beach is a swimming pool surrounded by a terrace with pillow covered beds overlooking the sea. White curtains flow down from columns standing above the pool. Around 5 pm, a DJ started blasting dance music and we walked into the funnest party we have ever been to! It was insane- everyone was dancing around the pool, dancing on tables, dancing on the beds, dancing in the pool, and of course, drinking shots of ouzo. People were jumping up and down, blowing whistles, and yelling "ayiyiyi". The music was great and we made lots of new friends. I don't think the ancient Greeks could have partied any harder than this.

We headed to our hotel that night to watch the last of the sunset from the balcony of our hotel room. It was one of the best sunsets we have ever seen. We then took a short nap before heading out with all the locals for dinner at midnight, and more fun afterwards. When we left the bar at 3 am, it was still getting more crowded- crazy.

The Paradise Beach party!

View from above Mykonos town and the harbor (while Mel was getting us lost looking for our hotel the first day).

Sunset from our hotel balcony.

Off to Mykonos

Leaving Santorini, we took the narrow street down the cliffs to the port. We boarded a high-speed ferry which sat above the water. This boat is normally very smooth, but the wind was rough and half the boat, including Stacy, was a little ill. We had three island stops during the three hour ride before pulling into the tiny port of Mykonos. Happy to be ashore, we took in the view of the blue water in the small harbor. White buildings creep up the hillsides around the town, and our hotel sits a short walk up the hill, and the balcony of our room overlooks the town. The town is a maze of narrow paths between the buildings, and is also known as Little Venice due to the winding streets and jumble of buildings.

On our way to dinner, we turned a corner and came across the town mascot, a giant pelican standing four feet tall walking down an alley (we think he was looking for a sea food restaurant). For our dinner, Stacy had a shrimp risotto and Mel had a baked lamb dish which was great. For once our meal came without french fries, we have been amazed at how everyone in the world eats so many french fries now. In Amsterdam, people walk down the streets eating baskets of cheese fries, everyone in Australia eats them, and many of the gyros served here in Greece have french fries in them now.

We ate our dinner at 9 pm and the city was still pretty empty. We walked around the small stores, restaurants, and bars and were amazed to see it getting packed with people just getting to town when we went home around 1 am. Mykonos is known as a party island and locals told us there are beach parties each weekend in the summer which don't even start until 3 am. Today we are off to enjoy one of the many beaches Mykonos is also known for.

Last day in Santorini

We spent most of our last day walking around town, shopping, and enjoying the view. After a couple of hours at our hotel pool, we went to a rooftop restaurant for a snack- a chocolate crepe with ice cream and fresh strawberries! Yum! Later for dinner, we went back to the same red rooftop lounge we had eaten at previously. The view brought us back, lounging on the pillows high up on the cliffs, watching the sunset. Our waiter was happy to see us again, and brought shots for the three of us again before leaving. We see this everywhere, an 80 year old couple doing shots of ouzo after dinner, and waiters bringing shots with the receipt to anyone they know. Everyone has been very friendly and seems to realize that they should be- they are living on a beautiful Greek island!

At our favorite restaurant with the rooftop terrace.

The cliffs of Santorini.

Volcano hike, hot springs, and another sunset in Santorini

We caught a bus Thursday morning down to the small port at the base of the cliffs. The road is a narrow strip of gravel with sharp switchbacks slowly winding down the face of the cliff. At the port, we boarded a boat for the volcano! The active volcano here is a small island in the middle of the ring of cliffs and is what is leftover from the previous explosions which destroyed and sunk most of the land here. The volcano is like being on an alien planet, with hills and craters covered in sharp, black volcanic rock. We hiked an hour past several craters to the top. There is no molten lava within view, but the island is hot and you can dig just a few inches into the ground and feel hot steam escaping. There are holes in the rocks with sulferous steam coming out.

We then took the boat just a short way to a very small island with hot springs in one tiny cove. The boat had to park in the deeper water off the cove, so we put on bathing suits and jumped overboard into the Aegean Sea with the blue water between 65 and 70 degrees. Getting closer to the cove, the water turned a bright green, and finally a bright red-rusty color at the hot springs, and the water became warmer and warmer, reaching 85 degrees. Standing in the red mud in the springs, the water was a reddish color we've never seen before. We picked up the mud and spread it on our skin, turning us a bright red. In fact, our swimsuits may be permanently stained a reddish color, but it was worth it!

Next, we took the boat to Thirresia, which is a small island on the other side of the volcano from Santorini island. Only 300 people live on this island and it is a small fishing village. We ate lunch sitting at a table out on a walkway in the water. The water here is clear and the port was shallow, so we could see the fish and round stones under the water. Tiny, colorful boats float in the water and old Greek men work on repairing boats pulled up onto land. We got to enjoy some wine and a few hours on this island before heading to Oia, which is an artists village at the northern tip of Santorini island, and is famous for watching the sunset. We arrived at the port and walked the steep, narrow walkway all the way up the cliff, dodging donkeys carrying the less-adventurous up the mountain. In Oia, we scouted out the highest terrace for a three hour dinner with fresh bread, sun dried tomatos and olive tapenade, a plate full of cubes of parmesan and proscuitto, and a great pizza. Another wonderful sunset in Santorini.

First day in Santorini (aka Atlantis)

First, words can't describe the beauty and uniqueness of this island. The islands here were created over thousands of years from a giant volcano. The main eruption was one of the largest eruptions in the past several thousand years. After the explosion, most of the volcano sunk into the middle, leaving a circle of islands around the perimeter and a still active volcanic island in the middle. Some believe this is the lost island of Atlantis and there are ongoing excavations of ancient civilizations in sites around the island. Santorini is the largest of the islands, forming a crescent-shaped half moon around the center volcano. The edge of Santorini facing toward the center is a sheer face of cliffs hundreds of feet high. There are no high-rises on the island, just the bright white stucco homes with blue roofs hanging on the edge of the cliff. There are a maze of stone and marble walkways between the homes and shops and you walk through the buildings and suddenly come out to one of many cafes with a terrace overlooking the water far below. You can wander up and down, as the buildings are stacked on top of each other, everyone with incredible views.

Our first afternoon, we walked through the little stores selling jewelry, paintings, and books. We ate gyros for lunch on a rooftop terrace with views of the sea on both sides of the island. We then walked along the edge of the cliffs further away from the main city. Many of the buildings here are actual Greek residences with a few cafes and small apartments mixed in. Some of the bed and breakfast places have tiny swimming pools hanging on the edge. We found a rooftop lounge painted a bright red on the outside and playing lounge music. Walking up the steps, the terrace had slats of wood above keeping off some of the bright sun and was completely open on three sides. There was room for just half a dozen big square tables built in front of concrete benches covered in fluffy, brightly colored pillows. We had the whole place to ourself, kicked off our shoes, and lounged across the pillows, amazed at the view in front and to our sides. We got a bottle of Greek wine and pistachios and found heaven. We made fast friends with our waiter, Margelis, who brought shots of ouzo to our table and insisted we join him, teaching us the Greek toast "yamas". After the toast, we tap the drink on the table, doing a second toast to friends not with us. We like that Greek tradition and think we'll always continue it.

Late afternoon, we walked around the island more and took a quick shower at our hotel, before heading back to the same rooftop lounge for dinner and more Greek wine. We had a great Greek dish (we forget the name), but it was like a stew with pork, multi-colored peppers, and onions in a wine and feta sauce. We also had baked feta for appetizer, just a chuck of feta with olive oil, garlic and peppers thrown into some tin foil and baked on the grill- yum, we are definitely re-creating these dishes at home! During dinner we got to watch the sunset from the lounge and saw the lights of Fira town slowly start to glow below us.

Not again- almost stuck in London!

We got to London Heathrow plenty early to catch our Hellas Jet flight to Athens. With all the extra time, we went to a French cafe in the airport to play cards and drink wine. Relaxed and ready to go, we followed the sign to the Hellas Jet check-in and waited around for someone to show up. Not seeing anyone about an hour and a half before our flight we started asking around, and found out that Hellas Jet, our airline, had gone bankrupt during our trip! Amazingly, this was the second time this has happened to us, in 2001, our airline went bankrupt on just a 5 day trip to Amsterdam. No worries though, British Airways picked up our flight in Amsterdam, and Olympic Airlines, the Greek national airline issued us new tickets this time. Racing on foot over to the Olympic terminal, we checked in to our new flight, leaving London at 10 pm and getting into Athens at 4 am. No problems with the flight, and we arrived at the new Athens airport which was built for their recent Olympics. The new airport is amazing and was super nice. We crashed on the floor and did a crossword puzzle while waiting for our 6 am flight to Santorini. On take-off, we lifted up over Athens and the hilly surroundings and immediately headed out over the water. It was only a half-hour flight, but we flew over numerous islands on our way to Santorini. It was cloudy and still dark when we left Athens, but we saw the sunrise peaking through the clouds during our flight. Santorini's small airport is on the opposite side of the island from the cliffs, but it was still hilly, so the small plane flew right above the water, and then banked hard and landed between hills at the last second. We walked down the steps from the plane onto the runway and walked to the small terminal. It was a cool, crisp morning and our hotel owner (who looks distinctly like a Greek Elvis) met us in front and took us the short drive to the hotel. We went to our room and took a much-needed nap.

Last days in London

Monday morning (Memorial day in the U.S.) was a Bank Holiday in the UK, so the Burkes had the day off and came with us into the city. Before leaving though, Tim took Mel for a ride in his Lotus Elise through the narrow residential streets and the parks around their flat. The Elise is like a go-cart with a rocket engine and we were sitting about two inches off the ground. Lots of fun!

In the city, there were lots of people out and the weather was great again. We feel like we must be setting some kind of record for consecutive sunny days in London. We went to Covent Garden which is an open square with cobble-stone streets and an open-air market with all kinds of odd British antiques. There were jugglers and performers in the streets. We also walked through Leicester Square, Trafalger Square, and the West End which is where all the Broadway-type shows are. We ate lunch at a Wagamama's, which is a popular Japanese noodle bar in London. We then went to St James which is where the high-end shops that serve the royalty are. Above each door of a boot shop, cigar shop, or whatever, there were signs saying "In the Royal service of the Queen" (or a prince, duke, or whomever). After wearing ourselves out walking around the city, we took the tube back to the Burke's and hung out at their house that night.

On Tuesday, we went back into the city for more sightseeing. Our first stop was the same Thai restaurant across from Harrod's which we went to one of our first days here, we hadn't tried the pad thai yet! We walked past Buckingham Palace and along the edge of a park, and had a parade of Royal horses, guards, and cannons pass us so we followed to see what was going on. We got to a huge courtyard where the Royal band was playing the Olympic theme song. London is bidding for the 2012 Olympics and the band was out practicing. We walked on- Look kids, Big Ben... Parliament... and on to the Thames River. Then back to the Burke's to pick up our bags and head to the airport for our flight to Athens.

The Traveling Martens

Monday, June 13, 2005

Ibiza - then we´ll be home on June 16

A quick stay (and exit) in Barcelona

Thursday, June 09, 2005

A day in Athens and flight to Barcelona

Monday, June 06, 2005

Beach tour of Mykonos

We found Paradise (Beach)

Sunday, June 05, 2005

Off to Mykonos

Last day in Santorini

Saturday, June 04, 2005

Friday, June 03, 2005

Volcano hike, hot springs, and another sunset in Santorini

First day in Santorini (aka Atlantis)

Not again- almost stuck in London!

Last days in London

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