Day 33 - Saturday July 31, 2010 - Mykonos to Athens Greece to Philadelphia to Ft Lauderdale

Saturday July 31, 2010 Mykonos to Athens to Philadelphia to Ft. Lauderdale (There is no place like home!)

Pictures: Home Sweet Home!

Sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean from our condo

The Venetian - we live on top!

Las Olas Wall at the beach

Flights 16, 17, and 18 to complete my around-the-world trip traveling 6,099 miles. I've traveled 27,550 miles and visited 5 countries over 33 days. Not a long time in each country but it was GREAT. I've now "ticked off" 72 countries on my "Visit 100 Countries in a Lifetime" list. I guess this is part of my bucket list. Don't want to accomplish this too quickly unless I decide to extend my bucket list to "Visit 200 Countries in a Lifetime"!!! (:-) By my count there are 241 countries in the world right now so that is doable!

We had a wake-up call for 5 am. At least we got to see one sunrise on Mykonos.
We were ready by 5:30 and went to check-out from the hotel. Geeezzz – the bar bill was a lot!

The taxi arrived in no time and it was only a 5 minute drive to the small Mykonos airport. The gate wasn’t open yet so we had to wait for that. It was no surprise that our luggage was overweight so we had to pay 16 euros for that. Funny how it worked out – we ended up with 27 euro cents after the taxi and baggage charge.
We got through security, onto the bus to go to the plane and we left about 10 minutes late. It was only a 20 minute flight and we had plenty of time in Athens before our flight to the US. We retrieved our luggage and went to US Airways to check in. They had switched our seats so we could sit together but they were reassigned so we had to change seats again once we got on so we could sit together.
We went to the British Airways Lounge since we are flying Business Class, used the internet, had coffee and relaxed.

Went through security and to the gate. Looks like a packed flight. Only issue was our seats. I had changed our seats since we had different reservations so we could sit together. Somehow US Airways changed that. We figured out that it was because of the air marshall sitting next to me. He wasn't very friendly and wouldn't change seats with us. Oh well. We ended up spending the 10.5 hour flight from Athens to Philadelphia watching movies, reading, and I got all of my pictures organized in a trip album. That took a couple of hours as I must have 100 pictures!!!!

I used the world map in the US Airways magazine to star planning my next ATW trip. This next one may be the South American capitals. Belize, San Sanvador (El Sanvador), then Bogata (Columbia), Caracas (Venezuela), Rio de Janiero (Brazil) and then maybe to Manila (Phillipines). I'm also searching for an "enlightenment" class in Thailand to go to - intrigued by the Buddhists. I'm not sure of other Asian or European or African stops. Will give that some thought soon as I may do a southern hemisphere trip during the winter while it is summer there.

We arrived in Philadelphia early but typical of US Airways our gate wasn't available so we had to wait and ended up being late. Went through immigration swiftly since we were first off the plane. Then the wait for the bags to arrive. Typical of Philadelphia and their slow baggage system. They finally came out, we retrieved them, went through customs and gave US Airways our bags for the next flight to Ft Lauderdale.

We went to the Envoy Lounge but they told me that was only for outbound passengers but we could use the US Airways Club. So we went there, had a drink and snacks (just what both of us need - more food!), caught up on email and recharged our computers. I checked my cell phone message and was surprised - only 2 over the last 33 days so people actually listened to my "away message"!

Our flight to Ft Lauderdale left on time and we both crashed. I felt like I had been drugged. I guess it was the one cocktail in the US Airways lounge! Twenty-four hours of travel is a lot. Being back at home in my own bed is such a good feeling after such an extended trip.

Arrival in Ft Lauderdale was uneventful. We retrieved our bags and got a taxi to take us home. It always feels so good to be at home in your own bed. Nothing like it. Didn't do much packing - just washed up, shaved, and then straight to bed for a good night's sleep after an exciting fourth trip around the world. Dreaming of the next one!

Day 32 - Friday July 30, 2010 - Mykonos, Greece

Friday July 30, 2010 – Last day on Mykonos

Left: Elia Beach

Right: With Yiannis, our entertaining waiter at Fato a Mano in Mykonos

I woke up with the sun about 7 but didn’t get up until 8. Tim slept in longer. Another hotel but beautiful day on Mykonos.

I did my computer things, had breakfast and then got ready to leave for our last day at Elia. We left on the 11 am bus and were able to get a good spot on the beach. What a glorious day. The beach is beautiful - sandy - the water cobalt blue, a bit chilly but refreshing, and the lounges and "huts" are perfect for relaxing.

We decided to eat at a different restaurant for lunch - Capelayo (which means the mast of a ship). It was good. We split a Capelayo salad, I had seafood souvlaki and Tim had black pasta with crayfish. Delicious. We had a great bottle of Greek white wine.

Tim wanted to leave on the 6:25 bus since we have to pack tonight - but it was absolutely packed. People standing everywhere. They opened the back door and "pushed" more people on where there was no room. They turned about 12 people away since there was no room. We lucked out as the man standing by the back door yelled for the driver to stop at the round-about and since we were seated right there we got off and we able to walk down "the hill". Love it.

I had a banana daiquiri and swam to cool off in the hotel pool. About 8 we went to shower and get ready for our last sunset on Mykonos and another dinner at Fato a Mano. We stayed for both of the shows and they were doing of filming of the party and shows. We left about 9:45 pm and headed into the city to Fato a Mano. We hoped that Yiannis will be able to wait on our table again.

As we arrived Yiannis spotted us and unlocked the special balcony for us and we had our special table again. Yiannis was very happy as the business venture he is working on with his brother is coming to fruition. We are happy for him.

He likes Alexander the Great and takes a "strategic approach" to many things - like trying to get a date with Nancy who works at the restaurant next door. He has other business ideas including starting a magazine for young men. With his ideas, energy, and positive attitude Yiannis will be able to make a difference. He gave me his FaceBook address and I invited him to be a friend.

Yiannis made recommendations for dinner. We started with tomato balls which were really fried tomatoes and beef carpaccio with parmasan cheese. For dinner Yiannis recommended that I get the pork with pomegranate sauce. Tim had prawns that were delicious. Also another bottle of Greek white wine. We've enjoyed the wine so much this trip.

Yiannis brought us a fruit platter with caramel and honey drizzle which we enjoyed. We engaged in a lot of conversation with him which we greatly enjoyed. We went to the front of the restaurant across the street and had our picture made with him (above).

Back to the hotel about 12:30, we finished packing and to bed about 1 am. We have a wake-up call for 5 am - ugh!

Day 31 - Thursday, July 29, 2010 - Mykonos, Greece

Thursday July 29, 2010

Left: Our favorite bartender at Elysium - Emile. Always doing something precocious with his fans.

Middle: Tim with our favorite waiter at Elysium - Dimitri

We slept until 10 am today – amazing to both of us. Off to breakfast, update email and then we caught the noon bus to Elia Beach. It was packed. And when we got to the beach, all of the umbrellas and chairs on the first 3 rows were already taken, so we had to settle for the 4th row. A bit windy at the beach but otherwise enjoyable. Reading, napping, listening to music, talking to others. I finished my book as did Tim. So far, I’ve ready 4 books on this trip and have 1 to keep me company on the trip home on Saturday.

We went to lunch at 3:30. Not our favorite meal. We started with stuffed mushrooms which were good. Then we both had pasta. Tim’s was green pasta with fish and I had linguini with seafood. Mine was good but a little sandy in a couple of bites.
We stayed at the beach until 7:30 and took the bus back into town. It was close to sunset time so instead of showering we got our last bottle of Greek wine and headed to the veranda to enjoy the sun setting. There were no clouds and it was once again beautiful.

We showered and dressed and went to the last show by the pool. We talked to Eugene, the dancer, and Larry, from Microsoft. We had the front desk make reservations for us at Gola, which is UP “the hill” from the hotel and only a 10 minute walk from the hotel. It was just past the Starbucks we had patronized and a beautiful space. High on the hill overlooking the harbor. Even had a pool but Andreas, our waiter from Italy, told us “it is forbidden”! Apparently for some reason it cannot be used, but pretty to look at.

Dinner at Gola was excellent. We started with martinis. For starters Tim had squid that was excellent and I actually don’t remember what I had . For main course, Tim had the lobster and pasta dish and I had a pork filet with truffle sauce which was excellent. We tried a Greek red wine which was almost a rose and pretty good. For dessert we had their special dessert which was semi-fredo, an ice cream dish made from yogurt with crunchy things in it. By the end of the dinner, we were “toast” too!

We walked down “the hill” back to the hotel about 12:30 am. Yeah – I didn’t have to walk up “the hill” at all today. Funny how I revel in the smallest things!

Right to sleep, exhausted from all of this relaxation on Mykonos. We look forward to our last day on the island with great anticipation.

Day 30 - Wednesday July 28, 2010 - Mykonos, Greece

Mykonos July 28, 2010

We got up about 9:30, had breakfast and went into town. Got some water at the mini-market and headed to the bus station. The bus was there waiting and soon we were on our way to Elia. Another absolutely glorious day at the beach. Such a pretty place.
I had another massage in early afternoon from the Chinese massage therapist. He was really good and it made my back feel so much better. We read, listened to music. Swam, and napped until 3 and then went for lunch at the nice restaurant. We had an Elia salad and a plate of mussels. For lunch Tim has moussaka and I had a pork steak. Delicious.

We stayed at the beach until 6:25. The late afternoon is the best – absolute best. We enjoy that the most. The bus was packed and many had to stand. We got off at the round-about again and walked “down” to the hotel. No Starbucks today though. We had banana and strawberry daiquiris and swam in the pool. The pool was so refreshing after being at the beach.

We showered and dressed and went for sunset cocktails. This was the most beautiful of the sunsets. Clear and the colors after the sun set were beautiful. Even though we see this every day in Florida, we enjoy watching this. We saw the early show at the hotel (the same one as last Wednesday). We are wondering if they will all repeat now. We went into town so I could get a Mykonos T-shirt and then went to Katrin for our 10 pm reservations.

We were greeted warmly when we arrived – they know us know. “Mrs” went screaming across the restaurant to “Mr.” - - - “Lorenzo – Lorenzo”! That was funny. They sat us at our prominent table right by the front door. Mr. came over to talk to us and I asked if he had any fresh fish – and he said “Of course – a red snapper for you”. We ended up letting him choose our entire dinner. The first course was a fish dish in a large shell baked with béchamel cheese on top – delicious with shrimp, mussels, fish and scallop. It was wonderful. Mr. showed us our fish and we enjoyed the wine he picked out for us while they grilled it. Then it was presented again all cooked. Mrs. filleted it. She asked us if we wanted the head and we both in unison said “Yes”! She said she liked people who wanted the head and knew what was in it – the cheek meat. Dinner was delicious. Tim left only a skeleton after dissecting the head.

Ends up that Mr. and Mrs. aren’t a married couple as we had suspected – they are cousins. Her brother works there and another cousin. A family business. I inquired about Katrin and was told very reverently that she “was resting”. The brother suggested desserts for us – a crème brulee and a chocolate brownie that we like a chocolate lava cake with ice cream. Delicious.

Mr. offered us a cognac which we politely accepted and sat there enjoying the evening. Several large groups had come to the restaurant about 11:30 so everyone was really busy. We bade our farewells and told them we would see them on our next visit to Mykonos. They were very pleased.

It was after 12:30 so we headed back to the hotel – unfortunately up “the hill” but we stopped a few times along the way and rested. Right to bed and a good night’s sleep.

Day 29 - Tuesday July 27, 2010 - Mykonos, Greece

Tuesday July 27 in Mykonos

I woke up at 7:30 despite the late night last night. Today is a pool day so I'll get some napping in by the pool.

Reserved "our chairs" by the pool and updated email and my blog and had breakfast. Tim seems to have a bit of a hangover today - imagine that!

Today is a quiet day by the pool. We got all of our computers updated and bade farewell to Josh from NYC who heads back to the US today. We were the first out by the pool at 11:30 - everyone sleeps late here. We read, napped, swam, listened to music and talked to Larry from Brooklyn until he headed to Elia for the day. We intended to go into town for a late lunch about 4 but opted to stay at the hotel instead of having to walk back up "the hill"!

So the Italian Alex (waiter) set us up a table in the shade and we had wraps and enjoyed a bottle of wine. It was good. We settled back by the pool and then a big surprise. We had met Eugene from Zurich last night at Pierro's. He studied with Alvin Alley and has a dance company. He put on a show - and it was fantastic. They cranked the music up. He was ALL OVER the pool area with his number. At one point they poured a bottle of champagne over his head. He used a cake and then a bottle of water that he poured on one guest by surprise at the end of the number. I ended up being a small part of the show when he pushed me in the pool half way through his number. Fun, impromptu and very entertaining. He is very talented.

We stayed by the pool until 7:30 and then dressed for dinner. We had our cocktails, watched sunset, watched both of the evening shows put on by the hotel, and talked more to Larry from Brooklyn. We then headed into town to shop for new sandals for Tim. He wanted Greecian sandals that lace up around your ankle. We looked in a couple of shops to no avail. Then I found a huge shop with all kinds of sandals - that's all they sold. I didn't see what he was looking for and asked the woman and there they were - right in front of me. Tim tried them on and bought them. Mission accomplished.

Then I saw a shirt in the alleyway at another shop that I liked and went in that shop. She had my size, I tried it on in the store and bought it. Then Tim bought a cotton knit shirt at the same shop. Then to dinner.

Our destination was Fato a Mano Restaurant which had been recommended to us by several people. We arrived there (right next to the fish restaurant we ate at the first night) and the restaurant was almost full. We were warmly greeted and asked if we would like to eat in a "special place". We said yes and followed him across the street and upstairs to a private balcony set up for diners. We were the only ones there and had a table at the edge overlooking the street below and the restaurant across the street. The moon was full and clearly visible from our table. Now how did we get picked from all of the patrons at this restaurant for this special table? Things like this happen to us all of the time. Why us? We couldn't figure it out but had a wonderful evening.

Dinner was good - Greek salad and proscuitto and melon. The melon here is not like our melon at home - much sweeter. Delicious. Tim had taggliatella with proscuitto, peas and a cream sauce (Pasta a Mano) and I had their filet (Filet a Mano!). Both were delicious.

Our waiter was very engaging and entertaining too. Yiannis told us many interesting facts about Greece. For example, the Parthenon, the Temple of Poseidon, and the Temple of Hera form a triangle and the sides of the triangle are all the same distance. May have this one slightly wrong, but if you extend the columns of the Parthenon up, it would be 1,860 - the golden number.

Yiannis is very proud of his country and its rich history. He was intrigued with our story of Oasis of the Seas and gave me his email and I sent him a link. He hadn't heard about that.

We ended dinner with a dessert platter with of a cream filled pastry with fruist with caramel and honey drizzled all over it. It was so good. Sitting there with the full moon, having a delicious dinner, and having interesting conversation with Yiannis was great.

Then we headed to Jackie O for a night cap (which neither of us really needed). The music was loud and it was packed by the water front. But we enjoyed that.

We then headed back to the hotel. It was very still and HOT. I struggled with "the hill" yet again and fell right into bed when we returned. An enjoyable day.

Day 28 - Monday July 26, 2010 - Mykonos, Greece

Monday July 26, 2010

Picture: The villas overlooking Elia Beach

I woke up at 7:30 and finally got up at 8 today. Early for a change but well rested. I updated my blog and email and we went to breakfast.

We headed back to Elia today since yesterday was so enjoyable. Now that we have "the hill" thing figured out, it is easier - down to catch the bus, and then off at the round-about on the return - and down back to the hotel. The only time I have to climb "the hill" is after dinner - I can handle doing it once a day - I think.

But it was beautiful at the beach. The morning had occasional clouds so it wasn't so hot. The people watching at the beach was great. We read, listening to music, and swam. I had a massage by a Chinese man from Shanghai that was glorious. He hit all of the right places in my shoulders, back and feet. I'll do that again. Only 35 euros so it was a bargain.

We went for lunch at 3:30 and had a wonderful fresh fish that they fileted for us. It was superb. (And expensive). We stayed on the beach until 7:15 and caught the 7:25 bus back to town. We did the "walk down" and stopped at Starbucks for my afternoon caramel frappachino. Yummy.

We showered and went to the sunset party but missed the actual sunset but stayed for the shows that were fun. The crowd was really going so there were naked people in the pool before the evening was over.

We headed into town for dinner at Nikos - an old Greek establishment. Josh from NYC joined us and we enjoyed talking to him. I got to meet Niko too. Tim had the lamb chops (overdone) and I had lamb moussaka. It was good but not fabulous. We then headed to Pierro's Night Club - just what we needed - another drink!. Boy did we get into it there. Friends from NYC who were staying at our hotel were celebrating a birthday and had the VIP area reserved. So we were invited to sit with them right out front. Later, Juan (or John) from Capetown, South Africa had a group who joined us. He owns a home on the island were Mamma Mia was filmed and they had just come over to Mykonos for a week. He says that was enough. It was interesting talking to him.

We left about 2 am just as "the show" was starting. Time for a much needed rest.

Day 27 - Sunday July 25, 2010 - Mykonos, Greece

Sunday July 25, 2010

We slept until almost 10 am, had a quick breakfast and then headed to the bus station across town by the port. This is where the buses depart for Elia Beach. No sooner had we purchased our tickets and return tickets from the kiosk when the bus arrived. It departed for Elia Beach right on time at 11 am for the 25 minute ride across the island from Mykonos City. This is the first bus of the day to Elia.

We arrived and headed to the beach on the far right and secured our beach chairs and umbrella for the day. The fee of 12 euros seems to be standard for this on Mykonos. We had a spectacular day on the beach. Reading, swimming, napping, listening to music on our ipods, and Tim even had a back massage. The sun is so strong here so we had to continually use sun block and we stayed under the umbrella a lot.

About 3:30 we headed to the restaurant for lunch and had a delicious lunch of mussels, aphrodisiac salad, and shrimp. The shrimp here are so sweet and delicious. We also enjoyed a bottle of white wine that was good. Our experience with the Greek wines is much better this trip than the last.

We finished lunch about 4. There was a bus back to Mykonos City at 4:25 but we opted to stay until the 6:25 bus and enjoy the beach more. A relaxing and enjoyable day. We’ll repeat this day tomorrow.

The bus arrived right on time and was packed. We sat near the front and asked the driver to let us off early at the round-about. We are going to “experiment” with the return. We think if we get off at the round-about, then the walk back to the hotel will be about the same but all DOWN hill instead of the grueling walk UP hill. We were right. It was just a 10 minute walk from the round-about to our street. And then a short walk DOWN hill to our hotel. I stopped at Starbucks and treated myself to a caramel frappachino – yum!

It was about 7:15 by the time we got back so we showered and I washed out a few clothes since I’ve now been gone almost 5 weeks. Off to sunset and cocktails at 8. We met Clinton from Halifax, Canada and enjoyed talking to him. Josh came over during the show and we chatted with him, He had spent the day by the pool.

At 10 we headed into town for dinner. Tonight we tried a homemade pasta restaurant. They make the pasta on the street so everyone can watch. We asked for a table and were immediately seated upstairs on a makeshift balcony. The ceiling was so low I had to bend over to get through. Two Australian couples were seated near us in a window alcove with an arching window sill. One of the women had to take her hair down from on top of her head and bend her head forward during the meal since the ceiling was so low.

The dinner was delicious. We started with tomato balls and caprese salad. Tim had ravioli stuffed with mushrooms. I had the spaghetti with lobster. And of course a bottle of wine. We laughed as we thought about how many bottles of wine we have enjoyed. The restaurant was very popular and packed the entire time.
We left a little after midnight and stopped for some gelato before making our way back to the hotel. The sun made us tired and we got a good night’s sleep.

Day 26 - Saturday July 24, 2010 - Mykonos, Greece

Day 26 in Mykonos

Top: Super Paradise Beach from the boat returning to Plati Gialos.

We slept until 10:30 - now that's unheard of. Perhaps we are getting on Greek time now.

We went to the breakfast before they shut it down at 11 am. Just what we needed - more food!
We sat in the lobby and finally got a fairly good connection to the internet and updated my blog, email, etc. Tim got us chairs by the pool and I joined him about 1:30 and we relaxed by the pool for the day.

Tim got us some lounge chairs by the pool under an umbrella. We had a great location and were glad to get these as other people come to our hotel to use the pool during the day and there is no preference given to hotel guests which doesn’t seem exactly right.

So the day was spent lounging by the pool – that was it. We read, slept, listened to music. The hotel has a fabulous sound system and they played some Sarah Brightman sounds so I ended up listening to her most of the day. We enjoyed a Mythos beer (Greek) by the pool. About 4 pm we were getting hungry so Dimitri set up a table in the shade with our lunch and a bottle of Greek wine. It was good although a bit pricy.

We stayed by the pool until about 7:30 and then freshened for the sunset and show. Sunset draws a HUGE crowd here as this is a great place to watch over the city while the sun sets. We had a couple of drinks (Tim is exclusively doing “Rose Kennedys” now. And of course none of the bartenders know what that is!).

We headed into town about 9:30 for our 10 o’clock reservations at La Maison de Katrin (again!). We were seated right inside the front door where we had sat on our first visit here 10 years ago. After much consternation we settled on the chateaubriand for two and we were not disappointed. I started with the prosciutto and melon. We ordered a bottle of Argentinian red wine that was really good with the meat. This place is great – and we love it. We had tarte tatin (upside down apple tart) and chocolate mousse for dessert. Yum!

We got to meet Katrin herself. We had never seen her in the background. But there she was preparing some things for the kitchen and resting in between. She opened Katrin’s in 1971 and we imagine she is in her 80’s. We thing “Mrs.” is her daughter – there is a resemblance. “Mr.” definitely runs the establishment though. What a team they all make here. So enjoyable.

I paid the bill and we made reservations for Wednesday (under my traveling name of “Mr. Lorenzo” of course!). They offered us a free ouzo shot for our patronage. We accepted and somehow got it down.

We then roamed around the alleyways of Mykonos City and ended up at Mona’s for a drink. By this time it was about 1:30 in the morning – we never do this at home! But it’s the Greek way! So we headed back up “the hill” for a good night’s sleep. The walk seems to get harder and harder – there has to be a better way!

A fun filled day of relaxation, sun, good food, good drinks – enjoying life. Isn’t this what it is all supposed to be about. A great time of reflection and enjoyment.
"La Bon Vie"! Lovin' it!

Day 25, Friday July 23, 2010 - Mykonos, Greece

Day 25 in Mykonos

Left: The beach at Elia.

Right: The pool at Elysium Hotel

We awoke about 8:30 and headed off to the buffet breakfast by the pool. We got dressed and headed to the bus station to catch the 10:30 bus to Paradise. From there we'll "walk over the mountain" to Super Paradise like we did 10 years ago. The bus station is just at the bottom of "the hill" from our hotel.

We bought tickets for the ride there and return - 1.6 euros each. The bus departed right on time but I just don't understand how he navigated in the streets with the traffic and that big bus. The ride to Paradise was only about 15 minutes. When we got off we headed "up the hill". But immediately we noticed things had changed. Lots of houses where before it was just mountain. So here are Larry and Tim on another adventure - completely unexpected. It ends up that NO ONE walks over the mountain to Super Paradise any more because the land has been subdivided into goat stalls with huge rock walls. And there are houses everywhere. But did that stop us? NOOOOO! We pushed on.

So after more than 45 minutes of walking through brissly bushes, over huge rock walls, through goat pastures, and almost getting eatten alive by a german shepherd, we arrive at the cliff overlooking Super Paradise. Dimitri laughed later at us as he said "No one does that any more!" Oh well - another adventure.

We found our way down the mountain and I was exhausted. We rented an umbrella and chairs and relaxed for the afternoon. Reading, listening to music, people watching. But this beach is nothing like our last visit here. This was an adult beach before and now it is full of children and Italian teenagers. But we relaxed - that was the purpose.

Mid afternoon we went to the restaurant and had a good lunch and enjoyed being in the shade. The sun here is deceiving with all of the wind blowing. And a couple of times we got a sand blast.

We stayed until 4 pm. The question was how to get back to the bus at Paradise. NOT THE WALK, for sure!

We waited for the boat and it left at 4:30 and took us to Plati Gialos where we caught the bus back to Mykonos City - or Chura. The bus was right on time and it was a short ride back. We walked back up "the hill" and went to relax by the pool. Josh joined us later and he had been to Elia where we had gone yesterday.

We stayed by the pool until 7:30, then showered, dressed and went out on our patio with our bottle of wine to enjoy sunset. This was the prettiest yet. And the wine was good. We enjoyed some of our peanuts covered in caramel and sesame seeds. Good.

After sunset we went to the pool for drinks (didn't really need these) and the 2 shows. They were fun. The massage man from the hotek was in the show - fantastic!

We told Josh about the seafood restaurant we had eatten at 2 nights before and Emile gave him directions - the same as us - "You know this place? Well that's not it - go to this other place. You know his place? Well that's not it - go to . . ." Funny!

We went to a recommended steak restaurant Uno Con Carne. A beautiful outdoor space. We arrived at 10:30 and it was only half full. But midnight it was packed. We had champagne and oysters - French ones that were real salty but good. My filet was great but Tim's rib eye was chewy. We had a bottle of Argentinian red wine that was a great accompaniment. But the alcohol was too much tonight.

About 1:30 we headed back to the hotel and I could hardly walk. I don't remember much about the walk up "the hill" but I made it and fell fully clothed into bed - exhausted. I did get up to undress for bed but I fell right asleep. Lots of walking but a good time in Mykonos.

What adventures await us tomorrow? Believe we are planning a quiet relaxing day by the pool.

Day 24 - Thursday July 22, 2010 - Mykonos, Greece

Day 24 in Mykonos, Greece

Left: Sunset over Mykonos from our patio.

Middle: Mykonos City from our patio.

We slept until 8:30, got up and went for the large buffet breakfast that is included with the room. We also got on their wireless system from the large breakfast patio.

Today we are going to use our car to see the island instead of going to the Super Paradise Beach - we'll do that tomorrow.

Tim wanted me to check about changing hotels since the room was warm. But the cancellation of this one at this point is 30% of the remaining nights. I don't think so. We'll enjoy where we are. Plus is only takes about 30 minutes for the room to cool down. Mr. Patience will just have to "be patient"!

We showered and set out in our little red car to explore the island. The streets are very, very narrow and it is a bit harrowing when you meet a big bus or truck - but they just keep going. We went north to Lake Marathi then by Panormos to to the northernmost city of Agrilia. I was surprised how small Mykonos Island is. We got there in no time. We then headed southeast through Ano Mera which is right in the middle of the island. We were trying to get to Lia but ended up in Kalafatis. We then headed to Elia, a beautiful beach. We decided to rent chairs and an umbrella for a few hours and relaxed, read, and listened to music on the beach. We'll come back here.

About 2 pm we gathered our things and headed back to Mykonos to return the little red rental car. We stopped at a store and bought some water and wine and dropped those at the hotel. We then drove back to the port and returned the car. They sure don't do that like they would in the US. They merely took the keys and drove off with it.

We were just at the edge of the Mykonos City waterfront so we walked along the waters edge to see if we could find La Maison de Katrin restaurant - Tim's favorite. We passed the Hotel Neko where I had stayed years ago - beautiful grounds here and so convenient to the city. That would have been better than the "forced march up the hill" to Elysium Hotel where we are staying.

We started roaming around and a jeweler asked us if he could help us. Small world - Dimitri has a jewelry store in Mykonos and Boca. And lives in Boca during the winter. He gave us directions to Katrin and off we went. En route I was able to get a post card and stamp to send the girls a card from Mykonos.

We found Katrin - finally. It sure is tucked away but that's the way the narrow alleys are in Mykonos. No car traffic or scooters here - just lots of people.

We went to the waterfront and had lunch by the water. Pork sovlaki and a bottle of wine. Good.

We then roamed around determined to "find our way" so we can get back to the hotel in the future. Last night's march in the dark for over 30 minutes trying to find the hotel wasn't fun, but I guess that's part of the fun in Mykonos - getting lost and finding your way. So we figured that out and have good landmarks now. But the walk up "the hill" to the hotel is grueling. There are 71 steep steps and that only gets you 1/3 of the way. Then you have to walk up a steep, sometimes slippery incline while traffic is coming from both ways on a street that accommodates only one car width. A challenge.

By this time it was 5 pm so we went to the pool at the hotel and napped. Our bartenders, Emile, Dimitry, and Alex took good care of us. We also met Josh from NYC and chatted. They have "a show" here every night right after sunset and then a short one at 9:30. We got dressed for dinner and saw the first show but skipped the second so we could get to Katrin's and try to get a table without a reservation. That is a challenge.

We walked into the city and got to Katrin's and it was almost full even at 9:30. I asked the wife for a table and she told me we needed a reservation. The tables were all reserved. But she had her husband (the owner) come and I explained this was our FAVORITE restaurant in Mykonos and he led us to a table and removed the reserved plaque. The table was ours for the night!

We started with a glass of champagne. He made recommendations which we took. We started with the fish soup - delicious - and then he fixed me a special sole fish. Tim had lamb fricassee which was also delicious. The wife fileted the sole for me tableside. Delicious. Then we had coffee and dessert - cheesecake with fruit topping and ice cream with cherries soaked in liquor. These were good. Oh, we also had a bottle of French white wine - a Sancerre. The Mr. was very pleased that we selected this to accompany our dinner.

Of course dinner cost an arm and a leg but we enjoyed revisiting Katrin. I asked Mrs. to make a reservation for us for Saturday (Tim will pay the next time!). I gave her my name - Lorenzo - and we want a table outside at 10 pm. "Oh Mr. Lorenzo, I cannot guarantee that as . . .". We'll get there early and hopefully get our favorite table outside where we can people watch.

We walked around to walk off the big dinner. Ended up about midnight at Piano Bar that is owned by Niko who we met at a party in Ft Lauderdale. I talked to him, we had some after dinner drinks and enjoyed the piano and singer. She reminded me a bit of Deborah Hampton in FLL. We met some guys there from Switzerland.

By this time it was about 1:3o (or so) and we headed back to the hotel - well fed, well soused and very tired. A fun first day in Mykonos. Tomorrow Super Paradise.

Day 23 - Wednesday, July 21, 2010 - Santorini to Mykonos, Greece

Day 23 of my journey. Today we will travel on leg 15 of 18 for only 72 miles from Santorini to Mykonos via ferry boat.

Left: Thira as we leave Santorini via ferry for Mykonos

Right: Our home in Mykonos - loved watching the sunset from our patio

We got up earlier and had our big breakfast on the patio and talked to a couple from Virginia Beach. We packed and then headed out to gas up the Peugeot so we could return it this morning. Kosmos is going to take us to the ferry boat port at Athinios which will be convenient. We are both excited about our return visit to Mykonos. Getting the little yellow car up the alley close to the hotel to pick up the luggage was indeed a challenge - had to back down at one point so a car coming down could get through first. Frustrating.

We arrived at Kosmos early, he took care of another customer and then we were off to the port of Athinios. That was very accommodating of Kosmos to do that and saved us about 20 euros!

There were lots of people at the port. One large ferry came in and unloaded many many tourists who all spole different languages and they loaded up on tour busses by language. After they left, our ferry, Flying Cat 4, arrived and unloaded. Then we loaded, depositing our luggage on the stern of the catamaran and then we went upstairs to the Business Class - not as crowded and nicer seats with large windows to see the views. Our reserved seats weren't together but we moved to 2 together that were open once we were underway.

It was beautiful sailing by the various islands. We made 1 stop in Paros and then were underway to Mykonos. The arrival in Mykonos was hectic - so many people getting off of the boat and so many people waiting to get on. We retrieved our luggage and went to the taxi stand where there was chaos and no taxis! A Greek man stopped in a little teeny, tiny cart with a small flatbed on the back and offered to take us to the hotel! Where would we sit much less put all of the luggage. He said "I take your luggage and you walk!". I don't think so.

We waited for a taxi for about 15 minutes - only about 2 came by. Mr. Patience (Tim) finally decided we were going to walk! Of course, we have no idea where we are supposed to walk to as we don't know where the hotel is! So we start lugging the luggage and head up the road. Not too far up is a rental car agency. I asked about getting a car and he was sold out but told me there was another around the corner. So we walked there, I rented a small car for 50 euros, we loaded up and headed out for the hotel. Of course, we still don't know where we are supposed to be going!

So the next HOUR was a true adventure and we saw a lot of Mykonos. Up roads, down roads, around circles, driving in circles. We stopped to get gas and the man directed up to take the first road to the right. It ended up that was a narrow "alley" and Mr. Patience didn't think that was it. Well, it was. But we drove around the circle and down the hill yet again and came UP that same alley - passing the hotel the first time. We convinced ourselves that it just HAD to be here, so we turned around in the alley and came back down and there it was. A true adventure - and we laughed about it.

We checked in - a nice hotel with a spectacular view of the harbor, windmills, and sunset. We went to the pool bar and met Emile from Romania. He made us much needed drinks and gave us many suggestions about places to go and places to eat. In fact he made us a dinner reservation at his favorite fish restaurant.

We had a city map and he gave us directions - but we thought he would never finish. "Do you know THIS place? Well go there and then turn right. Now do you know THIS place? Well go there and then turn left. Do you know this street? etc, etc, etc. This went on for quite a while until he finally pointed out the restaurant on the map.

We swam, used the hot tub (not very hot) and then showered and got ready for sunset. The setting for sunset by the pool was beautiful. Lots of people, good music, good drinks, and even a short show after sunset. We skipped the second show (9:30) and headed into the city via foot to find our fish restaurant. We had 10 pm reservations - early via Mykonos standards!

We roamed the streeets that were packed with people and shops. We went to a place far into the city and I knew we had gone to far, so I asked a shopkeeper and he directed us back to the first left. We went there and shortly thereafter found our special restaurant.

The space was stunning- outside in a patio, very modern decor. There weren't many people there since it was so early. But we ordered - a salad, shrips in ouzo sauce, and we went into the kitchen with the owner to pick out our fish for dinner - a large red snapper. And a bottle of white wine of course.

Dinner was delicious. A bit pricy but good.

After dinner we headed out to find Katrina's Restaurant, Tim's favorite place from our visit 10 years ago. We looked and looked and looked to no avail. By this time it was after midnight and we decided to head back to the hotel. That was easier said than done. We were helplessly lost again - this time on foot! We walked and walked and walked and finally found our street. The last climb up the steep street was grueling.

We arrived back to a hot room. Mr. Patience was ready to check out and find another hotel. But we put the key in the slot to get electricity in the room and A/C and went to bed immediately. I was exhausted. It was going in 1 pm. Of course Mykonos was just getting started good, but we were tired.

The room cooled our quickly and we rested well. A fun and adventuresome first day in Mykonos. What new adventures lie in store for us?

Day 22 - Tuesday July 20, 2010 - Santorini, Greece

Day 22 on Santorini

Left: The "Red Beach" made of red lava rock

Right: Ia (pronounced long "e"-short "a") at the end of Santorini - We enjoyed sunset here and had a fabulous seafood dinner on the docks.

We slept until 9 and then went down to the patio for our breakfast. Same selections and very filling. There are 3 large cruise ships in today so the city will be packed. We are glad that we are renting a car and leaving Fira. We went to the reception and the car man was there on another task. But Anna directed us to his store (Kosmos) and we met him there.

We rented a little yellow Peugeot with stick shift. The doors are electronically operated and move back like the door on a van. But both the driver and passenger doors worked this way. We got the car (50 euros including insurance - not bad) and headed off on our adventure.

We first headed south from Fira to Akrotiri where the ruins are. An entire city was buried here centuries ago when the volcano erupted. We saw the ruins last time but they are closed now as the roof fell and killed a tourist and they are trying to repair it. Whoops!

From there we went to Kokkini - the Red Beach built into the tall cliff of a huge red rock. Lots of swimmers and sun worshippers here.

Then we went through Vilchada en route to Perissa - the black sand beach. The sand was hot, hot. hot and made from black volcanic rock. Lots of people on the beach - some topless! We stopped at a cafe and enjoyed a Mythos beer (Greek) and then got back in the car and drove through Perissa and Perivolos (the swankier beach). It was all beautiful.

We then had to drive almost back to Fira to get around the mountain next to Perissa and we went to Kamari where we parked the car on the boardwalk (we don't think we were supposed to be driving there, but we did as it was all pedestrians - and our little yellow car - but no one said anything!) We sat under a trellis and ordered the mixed grill for lunch - it was magnificent. We started with Santorini tomato balls - delicious - and then the seafood platter arrived with a large whole fish (including head), 2 fish filets, 2 large shrimp, a large octopus tentacle (that was so good!) and a large dish of mussles in a delicious sauce. It was yummy! We also enjoyed a bottle of Santorini white wine.

After lunch we left Kamari and drove north bypassing Fira and headed on a back road all of the way up the island to Kouloubo, a beautiful secluded rocky beach where clothing was optional. We relaxed there for a while - and Tim got a nap after the large lunch. I went in the water but it was really rocky on the bottom and that hurt my feet.

We left Kouloubo about 5 and headed into Ia for sunset. We walked all around the city taking in its charms and the spectacular views. Rather than cobble stone streets/walkways like Fira they had marble. Nice.

We found a restaurant/club with a pool that had a spectacular view for sunset. As sunset drew nearer (about 8:30) the crowds got larger and larger. We enjoyed a bottle of wine and I nursed a martini (not a typical martini but it was good). Tim had 2 cups of coffee that ended up keeping him up much of the night.

Sunset was beautiful - the prettiest one we have seen here. We then retrieved the car and drove down to the small fishing port at the foot of the cliffs where Ia is built. Our reception at the hotel had recommended this for seafood and it was so good. The fish couldn't have been better. I had seafood pasta - yummy and Tim had a swordfish steak that was excellent. We sat in this small restaurant right by the water. Good food, good ambience.

We then went back to the car. I had a hard time backing it up in such a steep hill and feared we would be thrust over the edge (no guard rails here) but we made it. We found our way back through Ia and then to Fira - about a 20 minute ride.

Parking was a bit of an issue but Kosmos had told us about a parking lot at a school where we parked the car for the night. We walked back to the hotel and it was about midnight and the comfortable bed was waiting.

We enjoyed our explorations all around the island of Santorini. We have seen many different things this visit. Tomorrow on to Mykonos by ferry boat.

Day 21 - Monday July 19, 2010 - Santorini, Greece

Day 21 - 3 weeks into my around-the-world 2010 trip. Full day on Santorini.

Top picture: On the tour boat to the cone of the volcano looking back at Fira.

Bottom: Sunset over the Mediterranean from our balcony at the Hotel Kavalari. Breath-taking.

We were able to sleep until 8:30 - both of us needed that. Got dressed and went for the breakfast that came with the room - huge breakfast with bowl of fresh cut fruits, huge croissant, jams, butters, large bowl of yogurt, and a variety of breads in a bread basket. And coffee. It was very filling.

We went back to the room and enjoyed the cool breezes from our balcony which is in the shade this morning but will be in sun soon. We walked around Fira for a couple of hours and stopped just before noon for a gyro sandwich - pork and chicken. The breakfast had been so filling that neither of us was very hungry. It was good. We bought tickets for a boat trip over to the cone of the volcano in the middle of the caldera.

We decided to walk down 588 steps to the Fira Port where the tour boats leave from. I almost fell a couple of times (it was quite steep and the stones slippery) and Tim did fall and almost sprained his wrist. We were walking down the steps that the donkeys climb up with tourists from the port, so it was smelly, very smelly, and littered with "donkey". Yuck. We had to maneuver through packs of donkeys twice - Lillian would not have liked that!

We made it safely to the bottom and had just a short wait for our tour boat. It was filled with French young people. Some of those young boys were "all over" the young girls and the girls were enjoying the attention!

We sailed around the caldera for a while and then put into port at the island that is the cone of the active volcano. It last eruped in 1950. The original eruption for 3,500 years ago which destroyed the city of Akrotiri and formed the island as we somewhat know it today. We docked and then began "the forced march" up the cone of the volcano (Nea Kameni) to the summit. Dusty, rocky, and hot. The views were interesting but not really spectacular. The crater of the volcano was a bit disappointing - nothing at all like the crater in the island of Hawaii. But we marched up anyway.

The views back to Santorini were great.

After reaching the top, we walked around the main crater and then made our way back down. Easier coming down than up. This is building up my knees!!!

The boat then departed for the volcanic hot springs. We had to jump or dive off of the boat out and swim in to the hot springs. We could feel the warmer water as we approached the springs and the water turned from blue to light brown. It was a big smelly and very salty. The spring water wasn't that great but it was easy to float and we had a good time.

We swam back to the boat and then made our way back to Santorini. We took the cable car back to the top of the rim and went for our afternoon gelato. By this time it was almost 6 pm and time for cocktails so we had our afternoon martinis while enjoying our balcony. We had the receptionist make dinner reservations at Selene in Pyrgos, a short taxi ride away from Fira. We stopped a taxi letting people off near our hotel and he agreed to take us but he had to drop someone else off first at the taxi stand. We were glad we got this taxi as there was a long line of people at the taxi stand waiting for an available taxi.

We enjoyed the ride to Selene and were seated outside on the porch overlooking the island with the sea in the distance. The stars were shining brightly. We were glad that we weren't seated at the edge as it was quite windy and many people changed tables to get away from the winds. But we had a protected table and enjoyed it.

The dinner was spectacular. We started with an amuse bouche which was yogurt ice cream with herbs. Delicious. It was actually ice cream made from yogurt and very unusual. Then I had the best cold tomato soup (like gaspacho) that I've ever had. Instead of having a dallop of sour cream in it, it had plain yogurt ice cream. It was SO good. Tim had a tomato salad that he ooohed and aaahed over. We both had fish for main course - excellently prepared. Then the best - cold strawberry soup with basil ice cream. An ususual and very delicious combination. This restaurant was fabulous. We enjoyed a bottle of Santorini white wine with dinner.

The restaurant called us a taxi and we were driven back into Fira. We went to Tropical for a nightcap (didn't really need it) but we enjoyed the music and people watching. It was about 12:30 when we left and made our way back to the Kavalari Hotel for a much needed rest. An enjoyable day. Tomorrow we rent a car and go exploring in the island.

Day 20 - Sunday July 18, 2010 - Athens to Santorini, Greece (Thira)

Day 20 - Ah, Beautiful Santorini. We believe that this is one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world.

Left picture: The city of Fira on the island of Santorini - hugging the top edge of the caldera of the volcano. Stunning!

Right picture: Picture of the Mediterranean and the cone of the new volcano rising out of the Mediterranean. The cone is getting bigger.

I was up about 7 and went for coffee. Finished packing and then checked the flight status. Tim's plane arrived 45 minutes early so I went over to the terminal to meet him. Even though he was in business class, his bag was one of the last to come out! Go figure. He said the service on US Airways was awful and no amenities like eye shades, ear plugs, etc.

Today I'll be in Flight 14 of 18 and travel only 141 miles from Athens to the beautiful island of Santorini. Tim checked in for our flight to Santorini and got rid of his big bag. We then returned to the hotel and he showered and changed clothes and napped. We returned to the terminal for a light lunch, and then I checked in for our flight to Santorini. My bag was overweight by 7 kg so I had to pay a nominal fee for the overage. We got through security and waited for our flight to Santorini.

I thought we would be on a puddle jumper like we were last time we went to Santorini but this was a big plane and it was packed. Lots of Italians talking animatedly!

Beautiful flight out over the Mediterranean with views of lots of islands. Such a beautiful place. Everyone should experience this. How lucky I feel to be able to do this.

The Santorini airport hadn't changed at all - same little terminal. We retrieved our bags and took a taxi into Fira. Our hotel is located right across from the large Greek Orthodox Church in Fira at the top edge of the caldera overlooking the Mediterranean. Stunning views. Anna who did my booking was there and gave us the scoop on things and a map.

We first went over to the main square to pick up our boat tickets from Volcano Travel for our trip on Wednesday from Santorini to Mykonos. We then enjoyed a gelato - Yum! We stopped at the grocery store and got some water and wine (Santorini white wine no less for $10).

We dropped things off at the hotel and then headed out to explore the city of Fira again with all of its shops, bars, and restaurants. We found a place for dinner - Koukoumavlos - and had the receptionist make a reservation for us for 9 pm - after sunset. We took a long walk all along the rim of the caldera - stunning views. A great walk.

We headed back to the hotel for a short nap and then had martinis with the Chopin Vodka that I had bought in Poland followed by our "fizzy" bottle of complementary white Santorini wine that the hotel gave us. We sat on our balcony and watched the sunset. Spectacular. The sunset was stunning and the sky turned many different colors as the sun set. We enjoyed the quiet of our balcony having drinks and watching the beautiful views.

We freshed up and then went to Koukoumavlos just done the street for dinner. Excellent meal and wine - a white Santorini Reserve (better than what the hotel gave us!). Good service, good ambience, good evening.

We then went to Tropical, one of "our" bars, and had a nightcap and sat on the balcony overlooking the sea. No matter where you are in this city, the views are stunning. Highly recommend this.

By this time it was after midnight and we headed back to the hotel for a well-deserved rest. Relaxing - relaxing - relaxing.

Day 19 - Saturday July 17, 2010 - Warsaw, Poland to Athens, Greece

Day 19 - and having a blast. Such a diverse trip and I've learned so many things.

On the left: "The Palm Tree" in Poland. Yes a palm tree! Not really - it is fake - "art" they call it and many Poles don't like it.

On the right: The church where Chopin played and composed

Awake with the sun at 4 am again. Out of bed at 5:30 and out on the streets at 6 am. Very quiet but one amazing phenomenon. I tried to find some coffee. No coffee shops open - but plenty of bars open! And many, many people sitting at cafes drinking beer - probably from last night. Several night clubs going full blast with disco music blaring.

Poland has lots of bars and pubs. Believe I read that Krakow has more bars per capita than any other city in Europe! Many people travel here just to drink and party - especially British batchelor parties!

I walked for over 2 hours. Finally found a Starbucks that opened at 7:30 and got my coffee. Went down to see "the palm tree" at a major intersection - put there as art and many Warsawians don't like it. It looks real. Walked to the river, and then down Krakowskie Przedmiescle to the Old City again. It was beautiful and quiet.

Went by the church where Chopin was a regular and played the organ. Also by the Presidential Palace where there was a vigil still being held for the deceased President and First Lady due to a plane crash in Russia in April. 95 high level officials of the government were all killed.

Enjoyed the quiet streets, peaceful setting, and slightly cooler temperatures.

Back to the hotel to finish packing and checked out and headed to the Warsaw Airport. Today I travel on flight 13 of 18 for 995 miles from Warsaw, Poland to Athens, Greece. A travel day since I had to leave Warsaw at 9 am for the 11 am flight on LOT Airlines. It was somewhat difficult scheduling a flight from Poland to Greece as the choices were limited. I also backtrack today traveling back south and a good bit east.

The hotel limo (another Mercedes) took me back to the airport. A short 15 minute ride with not much traffic. Check-in was swift and I went to duty free to spend my last Polish monies. I bought a bottle of Chopin vodka to enjoy for martinis at sunset in Mykonos overlooking the caldera. That should be special!

The plane was late and this time Business Class was almost full but I was lucky and didn't have anyone next to me. A 2 1/2 hour flight to Athens from Warsaw. My bag came out quickly, I exchanged money for euros and merely walked across the street to the Sofitel Hotel where I'll stay tonight. The receptionist told me that the trip into Athens proper is about 30-40 minutes by taxi so I think I'll nap and veg out here for the rest of the day.

Tomorrow a short flight out to Thira on the island of Santorini - a naturally beautiful Greek Isle. Can't wait.

Day 18 - Friday July 16, 2010 - Krakow to Warsaw, Poland

Day 18 Krakow to Warsaw

Top Picture: Poland's Presidential Palace in Warsaw

Middle Picture: Royal Castle - Zamek Krokewski - reconstructed 1971-1984

Bottom Picture: Palace of Culture and Science - tallest building in Warsaw

Today I flew on flight 12 of 18 for a total of only 153 miles. I've now flown over 21,000 miles. A little over 6,000 miles to go over the next 2 1/2 weeks.

Awoke at 4 with the sun. What is this? I never get up this early. Out of bed by 5 and I was in the quiet main square by 5:30 using the free wifi since there is none in my 5-Star hotel!

After catching up on email, facebook and my blog, I started walking and took a 2 hour + walk around the Old City. It was beautiful and not crowded with all of the people I've seen here. I went into St. Mary's Basilica and took in its beauty. Then I walked to the south end of Krakow and went to St. Bernadin's which was magnificent inside. Not many people around which made it . The magnificence of the interior was breath-taking.

I then walked around Wawel Castle again and enjoyed the views of the Wisla River where I had walked last night after dinner. Very peaceful this early in the morning and not so hot either.

Then walked all of the way around The Planty (the park that surrounds the Old Town where the city wall used to be). Beautiful gardens and many early morning walkers.

Then went to a little cafe down the street from the Grand Hotel and had breakfast at 1/3 of the price of the breakfast at the hotel! So much for a 5 Star Hotel. What can I say - it was convenient.

Headed back to the hotel and showered and dressed for my short trip to Warsaw. The shuttle driver was actually early and off we went to the airport. It only took 20 minutes. I am flying only to Warsaw today so I went to the much smaller domestic terminal. Read my book and did Soduku while I waited for the plane. We left Warsaw right on time - I was the only person in Business Class (if you can call it that!).

Beautiful day in Warsaw. I collected my bag and met the shuttle driver who picked me up in a Mercedes for the 20 minute ride to the Warsaw Marriott. Dropped my things in the room and immediately headed out to see the city since I don't have long in Warsaw.

The Marriott is right across Jerozolimski Street from the large Warsaw Central Station. I walked over to the tall Palace of Culture and Science - the tallest building in Warsaw. Then through Ogrod Saski - a huge park in the middle of the city with large trees, flowers, statues, and fountains. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was here and guarded by 2 miliary honor guards. It was beautiful with the fountains and flowers.

I walked by the elaborate Senate building where their government meets and then to the Old Town area which has all been reconstructed. What a surprise the Old Town was for me.

I went by the Royal Palace (Zamek Kroewski) at Plac Zamkowy. Beautiful structure. Strolled through the Old Town and ended up in the Old Town Market Square with lots of sidewalk cafes and shops. Lots of antique shops. I treated myself to a gelato - yum!!! Almost as good as Italy!

Roamed over to look out on the Vistula River (Wisla in Polish). The old city wall has been reconstucted. I really liked the Old City - much different than Krakov and much smaller but it was quaint and the architecture was beautiful. I stopped at a cafe and struck up a conversation with the waiter who is a student. He had me try a local Warsaw beer - Przedmiescle - it was really good. While having my beer I listened to a very young boy playing a large accordian. He was excellent. He played some movements from the Four Seasons. Loved it. This is part of what I like about traveling - the impromptu things that happen. I gave him some money since I enjoyed it so much.

Then headed up Krakowski Przedmiescle - Poland's most prestigious street. It starts by the Royal Palace and passes the Presidential Palace, many churches, restaurants, cafes, and shops. Lots of people around - and even a wedding!

There are lots of tributes to Chopin around - he played a prominent part in Warsaw's history. There were some concerts and I comtemplated that but decided to roam around instead.

Returned to the Marriott around 9 and went to the 50th floor to have a drink and take in the view of the city. Spectacular. Went close by and had a salad and beef goulash with spatzle. It was good and filling.

I headed to bed about 11 - tired from all of the walking around Warsaw.

Poland was interesting. I didn't find the people very friendly. They never make eye contact and always seem suspicious. I imagine this is from their past with the Soviet and German occupations. The common dress for many of the men and boys was gym shorts - the kind that we wore in high school PE class. Saw that everywhere.

Looking forward to 2 weeks in the Greek Isles now.

Day 17 - Thursday July 15, 2010 - Krakow, Poland

Day 17 - In Krakow, Poland - Visit to Auschwitz and Birkenau Nazi Concentration Camps

Top picture: The entrance to Birkenau where the box cars brought the prisoners. Birkenau was 20 times the size of Auschwitz and built after much experimentation showed the Nazis how to exterminate the Jews with gas. So Birkenau was built with more gas chambers and 2 crematoriums.

Middle picture: The platform where a Nazi doctor looked at each person on arrival. Thumb to the left meant they went to the gas chamber immediately. Thumb to the right meant they went to a barrack to be put on a work detail – but most of these only lasted a few months and then were gassed.

Bottom picture: The toilets in the mens’ camp. There were 200 holes with no
sewerage system. Hard to imagine living in these conditions.


The sun did it to me again - woke up at 4 am, but went back to sleep until 6. They don't know air conditioning like we know air conditioning. My room is HOT relatively with just air blowing. Not really cooling.

I got dressed and headed out to St. Mary's Basilica to hear the bells and trumpet again. Updated my blog using the free internet at the square. The Grand Hotel doesn't have internet service!!!!

Today was a reflective and somewhat emotional day spent visiting Auschwitz and Birkenau about 70 km outside of Krakow. How fortunate I am not to have endured anything like this. The horrors that were carried out at these 2 Nazi concentration camps are mind-boggling. Over 1.2 million people killed with 1 million of them being Jews. Will we human beings ever learn????

I found a great breakfast with large coffee for only $4! Who said Krakow was expensive? Then I found a deli and got a fresh ham sandwich, chips, 2 waters, and a candy bar for another $4. What a deal! Met the tour at 8:45 am and by 9 am were on the mini van – only 12 of us. Better than a large tour bus.

On the trip to Auschwitz, we watched an hour long video made by a Russian photographer at the time of the liberation of Auschwitz and Birkenau. Horrible sights.

We arrived at Auschwitz and things were a bit confusing so I’m glad I went with a tour. She made logic out of madness. She then put us with our tour guide for the camp and we donned headsets that allowed us all to hear her talking. Very effective. We went all through Auschwitz – the smaller of the camps. Here we saw where the prisoners lived, and displays of the hair cut from their bodies, personal possessions, suitcases with their names, and many other pictures. We saw where many were “tried” and then shot at the shooting wall. The Nazis experimented on the Jews at Auschwitz with the gas and after perfecting it, they built Birkenau which was 20 times larger. The objective was the total annilation of the Jews and Poles as well as any other “undesirable” ethic groups – i.e. gypies, gays, etc.

We had a very short break so I sat in a park next to Auschwitz and ate my bargain lunch. Then back on the van for the short ride to Birkenau. Here we saw where the trains brought the Jews into the camp. The camp was huge. On the train platform, a Nazi doctor would look at each person and make an immediate determination as to their fitness to work. If fit to work he motioned his thumb to the right. If not, he motioned his thumb to the left and these people went off to the gas chambers immediately. They were stripped, and marched into the chamber supposedly to get a fresh shower. It took less than 15 minutes to kill 1,000 people at a time. But then the problem the Nazis had was disposal of the bodies so the crematoriums were built to get rid of “the evidence” quickly. The Nazis destroyed the 2 crematoriums at Birkenau when the Russians liberated it in 1945.

We arrived back in Krakow about 4 pm. I booked a transfer to the airport for tomorrow and took a short nap. Then went to the Vienna Café at the Grand Hotel for a glass of wine. Then off to explore other areas of the city that I didn’t see yesterday on foot. Stopped at a sidewalk café for a beer and to people watch. The Polish beer is good. I’ve tried Zywiec and Tyskie. Both are good.

Then enjoyed a great dinner at a Polish restaurant. Had their specialty – Potato cake (it was black?) with Polish chicken goulash and a trio of salad. It was so good but very filling (and salty!).

I walked dinner off with a long walk down by the Vistula River – to the other side, around and back to the Planty, the main square, and to the hotel. Arrived back about 9:30 just as it was getting dark outside.

Really enjoyed Krakow. Now on to Warsaw tomorrow afternoon.

Day 16 - Wednesday July 14, 2010 - Krakow, Poland

Day 16 sent in Krakow, Poland:

Top: Schindler's Factory - now a museum.

Middle: St Mary's Basilica where the trumpeter plays on the hour every hour.

Bottom: The remaining part of the wall around "the Ghetto" where the Jews were kept in Krakow.

What a beautiful city. Krakow was untouched pretty much physically during WW2. Beautiful architecture, clean, and relatively small making exploration easy.

It gets light about 4 am here and even though I was exhausted from traveling yesterday, I woke up but was finally able to sleep another 2 hours. I got dressed and went to the lobby about 7 to get a map from the Front Desk. Even though the Grand Hotel is supposed to be one of the top 3 in Krakow they have no concierge and were not able to organize tours for me.

I took my map and guide book to the hotel breakfast buffet and laid out a strategy for seeing Krakow. After breakfast I headed out into the Old City. The Grand Hotel is well situated in the northern end of the Old City only 1.5 blocks from the main square – Rynek Glowny. En route to the main square, I was approached by a tour guide and booked a 2 hour tour of Old Town, Wawel – the Royal Castle (pronounced Vavel), Kazimierz (the Jewish district), the Ghetto (1941-1943), and Schindler’s Museum (just recently opened after many delays).

It ends up that my tour guide was an American from Tampa and he is here at the University studying International Relations. Both of Tom’s parents are Polish and he was fluent and knew a lot about the sites. Very informative and I think he enjoyed talking in English to an American. It was funny that he is a spitting image of my friend Jason Kincaid who also lived in Tampa!

We took off in the electric golf cart and hit the major sites around the Old City – Main Market Square and Cloth Hall, St. Mary’s Basilica, St. Florian Gate and the old defensive walls of the city (the Barbican), the Planty (a huge park circling the Old Town where the old city walls used to stand), Szczepanski Square, Collegium Maius, Collegium Novum, Window of Pope John Paul II, St. Peter and Paul Church, St. Andrew’s Church, and many, many sites in between. At St. Mary’s Basilica, we heard the bells chime and heard the trumpeter as well. There is an old from 1241 that someone saw invading Tartar troops and played a trumpet from the bell tower to alert the residents of Krakow. He was shot in the neck with an arrow and the song ended abruptly. They do the same thing today!

Also in the Rynek Glowny is Glowa Glowna (The Head) and giant oversized head situated on its side and a major attraction. Kids love to crawl inside and have their picture taken looking out the huge eye holes.

We then drove by the Wawel where there is a huge cathedral, the Royal Tombs, and many other sites. Tom told me to allow 4 hours to see the Wawel. The former President of Poland and his wife are buried in the Royal Tombs which apparently was quite controversial.
Then off to Kazimeirz – the old Jewish district. There used to be 65,000 Jews in Krakow and today there are only 1,000. We saw the Church on the Rock, St Catherine’s Church, Wolnica Square, Corpus Christi Church, Tempel Synagogue, New Square, Old Synagogue, Szeroka Street, and Flamuh Synagogue. The recording in the golf cart and Tom’s additional commentary were excellent.

We then went through “The Ghetto” – the area of the city used to segregate and isolate the Jews between 1941 and 1943. They built a huge wall around the Ghetto that looked like Jewish tombstones placed side by side. There is a memorial square with oversized chairs of different sizes placed around. The interpretation of the art was difficult to understand. I saw the one pharmacy in the Ghetto that the Nazis allowed the Jews to have to prevent the outbreak of disease.

Then to the newly opened Schindler’s Museum which is in the old Schindler factory. Same building that is in the movie! The displays were excellent and informative. Glad I got to see that.
Tom returned me to the main square, I exchanged more money (I’m finding Krakow to be expensive !). Then I set out for a stroll back to many of the sites I had visited earlier. The weather was beautiful although hot and I enjoyed by stroll. I stopped at St. Peter and Paul Church and bought a ticket for a classical concert tonight. Spent about 1 ½ hours in the Wawel. Then headed back to the main square where I had a fabulous lunch at one of the many, many sidewalk cafes that surround the square. Lots of people watching.

By this time it was after 4 pm so I headed back to the hotel for a well-deserved nap. Had a good rest, freshened up for the concert and then headed out to roam the city before the concert.

The classical concert was fabulous. The church was a perfect setting and the musicians very talented, My favorites were Pachelbel’s Canon. Vivaldi’s Four Seasons (they did Autumn), and Albinoni’s Adagio. I got goosebumps during those pieces. There were 7 musicians – 3 violinists, 1 cello, 1 base, 1 flute and 1 trumpet. Glad I saw that.

After the concert, I strolled the city for about 1 ½ hours – beautiful lit up at night. Lots of people out and the cafes were full. My lunch was so filling, I skipped dinner and headed back to the hotel and to bed.

A great first day in Krakow. Glad I came here. Tomorrow is Auschwitz and Birkenau which should be educational and moving.

Day 15 - Tuesday July 13, 2010 - Chiang Mai to Bangkok to Munich to Krakow, Poland

Day 15 - Almost half way through my trip. Still don't know what day of the week it is!

Left: Entrance to Myanmar from the northernmost point of Thailand

Right: My Chaing Mai tour guide, Mr. Lemon Tree! Very knowledgable and fun.

I was up with the sun rising to finish packing, have my morning coffee, check email one more time and check out of the hotel. The Dusit D2 Hotel is really cool - enjoyed staying there and will return some day soon perhaps.

My checkout was effortless and the hotel shuttle driver was waiting to take me to the Chiang Mai Airport. I was a little concerned as they told me I didn't need to even leave the hotel until 90 minutes before the flight - and they were right. The Thai have that process down pat - always so customer focused!

Checked my bag through to Krakow, got through immigration and went to the gate. The plane arrived - a 747 to fly between Chiang Mai and Bangkok - they must bring a lot of people in and out. I was seated in the first class cabin which was really plush - never been there on a 747 before. We were served a light meal and Thai Air redeemed themselves with the food. Service is always immaculate. Arrived in Bangkok right on time - I had a special sticker on my shirt so I got to bypass some of the counters since I was in transit to international leaving the country. It was smooth as silk!

Went to the Executive Lounge in Munich and relaxed for an hour and then headed off to the plane. Today 'm on flights 9, 10 and 11 of 18 and will travel a total of 6,187 miles today.

The Lufthansa flight to Krakow was late and at a remote gate. I read that the Poles have no sense of a "queue" and experienced that at the airport - they butt in line with no apologies or explanation. Oh well. I was one of only 4 people in Business Class from Munich to Krakow and slept. They offered me a meal but I'd already eatten 4 times today!!!! Enough airplane food!

Arrival in Krakow was easy. In immigration. But I got gipped at the currency exchange - apparently during the late hours you don't get a very good rate - should have been $3.14 and they only gave me $2.74. Bummer. Then I found out the taxis charge a 50% premium after 10 pm. Oh well. Welcome to Krakow.

Arrived at the Grand Hotel in the Old City - at least it used to be Grand. Beautiful building but needs updating desperately. Room is spacious and "grand" but just old. Went right to bed after traveling for 22 hours! Excited about seeing Krakow tomorrow.