3 Days in Santorini

From Mykonos, we made our way to Santorini, another large island in the Cyclades. Santorini is a magical place. Created from a giant eruption in which the volcano collapsed and created what is called a caldera, the island of Santorini is a beautiful geological formation. The island is in crescent shape with beautiful cliffs falling into the calm ocean in the volcano's crater. The Santorini eruption, estimated to have occured in the mid second millennium BCE, was one of the largest volcanic events recorded in human history. It is believed to have devastated several Minoan settlements in the area at the time. This devastating eruption from thousands of years ago has left us with a visually stunning tourist destination. Just check out these incredible pictures a novice like me was able to capture:

Getting There:

I mentioned in my previous post about Mykonos taking the Blue Star Ferry, one of the larger slower options. From Mykonos to Santorini, I opted to book the faster SeaJets ferry to allow more time on the island. Let me tell you, the Mediterranean Sea is a very windy spot, and traversing it on a tiny ferry is like being on a plane that has constant turbulence. When we boarded the boat, there were many people who had been on since Athens, and just about everyone had already been seasick. Talk about terrifying, as I get motion sickness easily. Unlike the Blue Star Ferry, where you could walk around and pick where you wanted to sit, the SeaJets ferry had assigned seating like on an airplane due to the small amount of space on board. It was hard enough getting to our seats, but once we were there, I strapped myself in, found a space on the seat in front of my to stare at, and did not move for the entire trip. The 2 hour trip was absolutely miserable!!! To those that have any chance of getting sea sick, I highly recommend either flying or taking the larger ferry between islands. We chose to fly from Santorini back to Athens, and it was amazing! Santorini has a tiny airport with very little wait, so unlike big city airports, you did not have to arrive as early. Boarding went really quickly, and the flight was incredibly short to get into Athens. If your budget allows it, flying is the way to go to save time and your stomach!

Where I Stayed/ Getting Around

Unlike Mykonos, where most everything besides the beaches are centered around Mykonos Town, in Santorini you have a few different options of where you can stay. Fira is by far the largest town on the island, but I opted to stay in Oia (pronounced ee-yah), its smaller more picturesque counterpart. Oia was beautiful, but if I were to go again, I would probably choose to stay in Fira where there was actually a nightlife to speak of. After sunset, Oia pretty much closed down for the day. Besides that, the lodgings in Oia were incredible! We stayed with Delfini Villas in a cave room. Cave houses were carved into the cliffs of Santorini by indigenous people to protect from the strong winds. Now, most are converted into hotels. We were lucky enough to be upgraded from a basic room to a suite which included our very own hot tub. It was amazing to come back to our hotel at the end of the day and soak in the hot tub with a view of the caldera. Our views were amazing, and we were extremely comfortable. Like in Mykonos, our breakfast view was fantastic! When the hotel noticed us moving around in the mornings, they would leave us a breakfast on the table in front of our door, and then we'd come out to a lovely spread of food with an even lovelier view. I'd highly recommend checking out staying in a cave house in your stay, and choosing Delfini Villas as they were so great and helpful during our time there. They assisted us in choosing the best day tours, and booked everything for us. My favorite part of our stay in Santorini was the boat trip we took, which had been recommended by our hosts. 

View outside of our door

Breakfast on our patio

Shared Pool

Cave Suite

Our own hot tub!

Getting around Oia is done primarily by foot. The main pathway is for pedestrians only, making the city even more picture perfect. Buses routinely run between Fira and Oia.

What to Do:

• A Boat Tour: If you have limited time in Santorini, do this!! The boat tour we chose was an all day tour on a brand new catamaran. Since it was early in the season, we only had to share the tour with about 10 people. To top it off, the weather was amazing! I felt like a celebrity, cruising around the island in luxury. Our tour made a stop at the hot springs created by the volcano, the red beach, and a nice little cove for snorkeling. Unlimited wine and a delicious lunch was also provided on our tour. This was the highlight of our Santorini trip, and I cannot stress enough how great it was. I am not sure which tour company we went through, as it was booked through our hotel. I'd recommend booking a tour with your hotel when you arrive! 
  
  
  

  

  View of the volcano from the boat

  
  
  
  
  

  

  Unlimited wine

• Hot Springs: To get this hot springs, you have to swim to it as it is in the middle of the caldera. You'll eventually feel the cold sea water slowly get warmer and turn from a beautiful, clear turquoise to a cloudy orangey-red color. The water will also get shallower until you can stand up directly in the muddy waters of hot springs. Be sure to rub some mud on yourselves and have a luxurious mud bath.

  

  The crystal clear waters turning muddy as we swam closer to the hot springs

• Red Beach: The volcanic eruption created beautiful colors on the cliffs, and also this red hued beach. There is not much to this beach besides the red sands, but it is cool to see nonetheless. 
  
• Snorkeling: Honestly, having been snorkeling in coral reefs in the Caribbean, snorkeling here was not that exciting. But in the crystal clear waters, you could see some fish swimming around. 
  
• Perissa Black Sand Beach: This was my favorite beach on the island. Not only did it have the cool black coloring from the volcano, but there were friendly stray dogs to play with! I don't know if the dogs are there all year long, but they sure were friendly when we went. The beach chairs and umbrellas here are free if you order something off the restaurant menu. We had a nice lunch and spent quite a bit of time at this lovely beach. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Ammoudi Bay: We spent an evening here eating seafood and watching the sun set. To get here from Oia, you either have to take the hundreds of steep stairs down, ride a donkey down the cliff, or take a cab. We made the trek down once; however, to get back to Oia, we took a cab, as walking up in the dark seemed pretty ominous. 

  

  Steps between Ammoudi Bay and Oia

  

  Oia on top of the cliff with Ammoudi Bay on the bottom

• Photo Safari: Oia is a magical place with a great camera shot in every direction! The best thing to do here is to grab your camera, and start walking! You'll notice as sunset is nearing, people start crowding around the best viewing spots. Some say that the Oia sunset is the most beautiful in the world. 

  

  Tourists waiting for the sunset

  
  

  

  Oia sunset

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Shopping in Fira: Fira, the larger town on Santorini, has amazing shopping! You'll find tons of jewelry and clothing stores to stop in and buy souvenirs. I bought a super great evil eye necklace here; you see the evil eye everywhere in Greece! 

  

  Fira at night

Where to Eat:

• Seafood at Ammoudi Bay: Any option here will be super fresh and delicious! 
• Skiza: This cute coffee shop and bakery in Oia was incredibly delicious. We stopped here 2 or 3 times for their delicious desserts. Try the ekmek kataifi- you won't be disappointed!
• Skala: Right next to the steps down to Ammoudi Bay in Oia, this had a great view of the donkeys making their way up. Here was where I had the best moussaka I had ever tasted. It ruined other moussaka's for me for the rest of the trip! Their fava dip, a Santorini specialty, was also really delicious, and it was the only place we found Santorini's craft beer: yellow, red, and crazy donkey. 

  

  Moussaka

  
  

  

  Craft beer made in Santorini

  
  
  

Santorini is a picturesque, romantic island with a relaxing pace. Come here for a peaceful stay in a beautiful destination!

New in the [Heights] Neighborhood

This past month, it feels like there has been an explosion of restaurant openings, especially in my neighborhood of the Heights. This post features some of the new restaurants I've tried.

Lee's Fried Chicken and Donuts

This new small restaurant is literally right across the street from my apartment. I've been watching the remodeling progress for months after the Church's Chicken closed down, and the F.E.E.D. group (of BRC and Liberty Kitchen fame) took over the building. I followed all the Houston restaurant twitter sites  and stalked the other social network sites, waiting for word of its opening. Then one Friday on the way home from work, we saw people inside! Of course we decided to try it that very night. It did not disappoint!! The fried chicken is really homey tasting with delicious flavors . I usually prefer spicy fried chicken, but Lee manages to inject a crazy amount of flavor without the usual peppers I look for in my fried chicken. This fried chicken is pure comfort food! Lee's fried chicken sandwich is also really delicious and quite a steal at $6.95! The sides and sauces we've tried have all hit the spot, but it is the chicken that really shines! I'd recommend the sour cream mashed potatoes, add bacon jalapeno cream gravy, and the creamed corn. I was slightly disappointed with the rolls, but they were still good just not amazing as expected.

Lee's other side, breakfast, is also a win. Their donuts are super light and fluffy, and their kolaches have a nice size sausage encased in the delicious breading. Go classic with a super fresh glazed donut, or if in a crazier mood definitely try the praline and bacon!

Grade: A+

Hunky Dory (pub side)

The biggest growth in the Houston Heights seems to be at the intersection of Shepherd and 19th street. Ka, a new sushi spot I haven't tried yet, has popped up in the shopping center shared with Fat Cat Creamery and Hugs & Donuts. Word has also come out that there will soon be a Bernie's Burger Bus and Mellow Mushroom joining the party. However, the wait is over for the new British tavern Hunky Dory, which has been in the works for what seems like forever by the Treadsack group (Down House and D&T Drive Inn). Hunky Dory has 2 parts: their main tavern dining room, and the pub side. I have yet to try the main dining room, but I have been lucky enough to feast at their pub side with my in-laws. The great thing about eating with a large group at a new place is the ability to order a ton of options and share. This is exactly what we did. Between the 5 of us, we ordered the fish & chips, shepherd's pie, bangers & mash, steak frites, and the silver salver. Every single item we ordered was fantastic! The silver salver was a super fun starter to share, coming with an assortment of spreads, cheeses, breads, and accompaniments. My favorite was the chicken mousse and pork pie! Out of the entrees, the shepherd's pie was a close second, but the big winner to me was the fish & chips. I am constantly trying to find fish & chips that match the deliciousness I found in England while studying abroad, and this is by far the winner! The trick is to pour malt vinegar all over the fish and chips, then munch away. Trust me, it is amazing! After gorging on a deliciously hearty English meal, be sure to save room for dessert. The sticky toffee pudding was an incredible way to end the meal, and I can highly recommend it. I do apologize for the lack of pictures; we were too hungry to wait for a camera! 

Grade: A+

silver salver starter

Southern Goods

Southern Goods is another restaurant which recently opened at the intersection of Shepherd and 19th that I had been eyeing for a while. Unfortunately, unlike Hunky Dory, Southern Goods did not meet my expectations. Upon first glance, the space is really cool. There is a nice outdoor space with large trees, and the bar is open to the patio. However, it is the food that let me down. Southern Goods calls their menu "a blend of southern cuisine with modern interpretations." To be fair, the appetizers we ordered were really great, it was just the entrees that did not wow me. We ordered the shrimp and grit croquettes and the cornbread to start. The croquettes were a really fun way to showcase the southern dish shrimp and grits, and the sauce that came with these fried balls of goodness really complimented them. The cornbread came in a cast iron skillet and was also super delicious. For our entrees, we ordered the pig wings, red beans and rice, and the burnt ends with collard greens and grits. Everything was good, but nothing was great. My biggest problem was that besides the croquettes everything was sweet. Even the burnt ends with grits had a slightly sweet sauce. Pork is one of my favorite things, and I truly did enjoy the pork wings. However, they had a sweet sauce that made me not be able to eat the entire meal, and they were not as tender as I had hoped. The burnt ends were the same- not quite as tender as beef can be. We finished with bourbon balls, which were a really interesting cross between cookie dough and caramel with a bourbon flavor.

I really did enjoy the atmosphere, the beer selection, and the appetizers we tried. I would definitely come back for a happy hour type setting on a nice day, but with all the amazing A+ restaurants in Houston, I probably would not come back for a full dinner.

Grade: B-

3 Days in Mykonos

After Athens, we hopped over to Mykonos, my favorite stop on our Greece trip! Mykonos is a beautiful island in the Cyclades with amazing beaches, delicious food, and really friendly people. It is also known as a party island; however, since I went in May during the shoulder season rather than peak season, there were very few crowds, and the island was relatively quiet and peaceful. As I am not much of a crazy party animal, I really loved the laid back vibe of the island during that time.

Getting There:

We opted to take a Blue Star ferry from Athens to Mykonos. While doing trip planning, you'll notice there are a few different options to island hop. Blue Star ferries are very large and nice, but take a little more time than the faster smaller ferries. Blue Star ferries make a very comfortable ride in that you can walk around, find a comfy place to relax, go out on deck to check out the view, and purchase snacks and drinks. None of these options are available on the high speed ferries. The ferry ride took about 6 hours, which is definitely a large chunk of time, but it is much more comfortable than the smaller, faster ferries. I would highly recommend the Blue Star Ferry option for those who get sea sick! It was easy to book the Blue Star ferry a few weeks ahead of time (the ferry schedule does not come out super far in advance), then pick up the ticket at their office by the port.

Where I Stayed/Getting Around:

We stayed at the Vencia Hotel, a really great boutique hotel in an awesome location. The hotel is situated at the top of the hill near Mykonos Town, the largest town in Mykonos. It is an easy walk down the hill into town, where most streets are for pedestrians only. Mykonos Town is a great place to stroll around and explore by foot. It is easy and fun to get lost in the maze made by the streets. Mykonos Town also conveniently has an area to hop on a bus to many of the island's beautiful beaches. The Vencia Hotel was our most expensive hotel on the trip, but it was worth every penny! Our view was beautiful from our bedroom window. The breakfast view was even more breathtaking. Just look at these pictures!

View from our Room

Breakfast View

The Vencia Hotel

Infinity Pool

Every morning we woke up to a delicious spread of options and a gorgeous view. The Vencia Hotel also had a really great infinity pool with plenty of cabanas to lounge on. The Vencia was nice enough to arrange a car to pick us up at the ferry port. We were delivered to the hotel where a cocktail and tour of the hotel waited for us. I cannot say just how much I enjoyed staying at the Vencia Hotel!

The Beaches:

Mykonos is the place to go for beautiful beaches! There are so many to choose from depending on what mood you are in. Here are the beaches we checked out on our stay:

• Paraga Beach: One of my favorite beaches on the island! This beach had beautiful turquoise water with calm waves, plenty of lounge chairs to rent, and fantastic beach tavernas. It is an easy walk or cab ride to Paradise beach from here.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Paradise Beach: One of the party beaches on the island, the beach bars were pretty empty in May when we went. Tropicana beach bar had pounding music and every tropical drink you could think of. I had a margarita to celebrate Cinco de Mayo while here. I hear Super Paradise Beach is even more of a party, but we did not make it that far. 
  
  

  

  
  

• Ornos Beach: This was the most commercial and family friendly of beaches we went to. It was not my favorite, but I could certainly see the appeal.
• Agios Ioannis Beach: This beach was made famous by a British movie filmed here. There is not much here except for a few small resorts. It was our least favorite of the beaches we visited, but I would highly recommend taking a bus here and walking down the street to the next beach on the list.
• Kapari Beach: This tiny secluded cove was my very favorite beach in Mykonos! It was the most beautiful beach that felt like a secret only a few people know about. From Agios Ioannis, walk down the street then turn right at the church. Then walk down the rocky path to paradise! Word of caution: beware of naked sunbathers! 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Other Mykonos Sites/ Things to Do:

• Little Venice: Grab a table before sunset in one of the bars lining the water such as Semeli the Bar, and enjoy a drink as the sun goes down.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Windmills of Mykonos: Mykonos is knows as the Island of the Winds. You cannot go to Mykonos without taking a picture in front of these iconic windmills!
  
• Church of Paraportiani: This whitewashed church actually consists of 5 churches which are joined together. 
  
• Say hello to Petros the Pelican: The official mascot of Mykonos. 
  
  
  
• Matoyianni Street: Best place for shopping in Mykonos.
• Go to a Party! You are on the party island after all, so it is easy to find a beach party or a fun club in town. We went to Scandinavian Bar- Disco on their opening weekend and had a blast dancing the night away with people from all over the world!

Where to Eat:

• Fato a Mano: This place was great! We started with the zucchini fritters and shared the mixed grill. After we finished, we were brought free dessert and liquors. The waiters at this restaurant were super friendly, and gave us lots of suggestions of things to do in Mykonos. The waiter here was how we found out about Kapari Beach!
• To Maereio: This cozy little restaurant in Mykonos town had delicious mezes (appetizers) and lots of locals.
• Jimmy's Souvlaki Shop or Sakis Grill House: We tried both, but preferred Sakis Grill House for their amazingly cheap and delicious pork gyro and souvlaki. 3 euro for a meal is a steal, especially considering how scrumptious these Greek sandwiches were!
  
• Koursaros: We went here as our splurge dinner while on the island. It was pretty expensive, but the seafood was so fresh and delicious, and the atmosphere was really cool. Also, this was the first time we found our favorite Greek dessert on a menu, loukoumades!! 
  

If you do make it to Mykonos one day (which I truly hope you do!), be sure to enjoy the island vibe and the beauty surrounding you. I know you'll enjoy this paradise as much as I did!