Venice and the Greek Isles: Corfu, Santorini and Mykonos

After leaving Olympia, Jose and I headed back towards Venice to begin the second half of our cruise. We spent the day in Italy walking around the streets of Venice getting lost and buying one of the most expensive beers of our lives. We also took a gondola ride which was romantic in its own way (something I hadn't done last time I was in Venice with my friend Kate). Unfortunately there were a TON of people in Venice and we even hit traffic on the canals while with our ever-texting gondolier. We both agreed that Venice is beautiful and that we would love to return someday, perhaps when it is a bit quieter and less expensive (if that is ever possible).

Our splurge: a gondola ride
San Marco square
After Venice we were off to our next three stops in the Greek Islands. First we visited Corfu where we did some shopping and visited the old fort. It was also incredibly hot and probably our least favorite destination. I did decide to go to a spa where you stuck your feet in water filled with little fishies that ate your skin. It felt really creepy but kind of cool.

The fort on Corfu



Maybe if we had had more time to explore on the island we might have had a different experience there. Luckily the other places we visited made up for it. Afterwards we visited Santorini which has a port located at the bottom of an incredibly steep hill. The only way to climb it is on a SMELLY mule, in a cable car (with a super long line) or trekking up a winding path of stairs. We chose the later and I almost died once we finally reached the top. A mixture of the heat, the overbearing stench of caca and mule, the lack of water and the fact that I had a headcold contributed.

Before the climb, all smiles. After was another story

Not sure if you can see the path we took ALL the way to the top
We had a quick lunch, rested and then spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach which had black volcanic sand. Santorini was beautiful. Our final Greek Island was Mykonos: our definite favorite. We arrived and wandered around the city. It (like Santorini) has what you would typically associate with Greece, white buildings with blue roofs and shutters, a shoreline with crystal clear water, beaches, good food and sunshine. We explored, swam, and made friends with an excentric local artist. All in all it was a wonderful visit. Afterwards we headed to Turkey, the next chapter in our voyage and our final stop on the cruise. We are getting spoiled and do not want our trip to end.

Loved the quaint streets with that white and blue

Kitties!


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