I felt a tinge of envy when we saw the infinity swimming pool at this hilltop villa while hiking through the Danakos area of Syros island last week. The pool and adjacent terrace enjoy jaw-dropping views of the scenic Kini Bay region of Syros as well as Giaros island in the distance. The sunset views from the pool must be incredible since they’re spectacular even from sea level in Kini village. Below is a side view of the pool and villa. Click on the photos to see larger-size images.
A caïque (traditional Aegean fishing boat) reflects late afternoon sunlight as it rests at anchor in Psarou bay on Mykonos. More than two dozen of these boats, which can carry 30 passengers each, now serve as water taxis that shuttle travellers between several of the most popular beaches on the south coast of Mykonos each summer. Consult the Mykonos Cruises website for further information about boat schedules, fares, and private charters.
The Cavo Paradiso DJ lineup for July and August 2014
Party planning: In my Beach parties on Mykonos post last month, I promised to update information about upcoming events as news became available. I can now report that the two biggest beach clubs on Mykonos have released the DJ entertainment lineups for their 2014 summer events.
Cavo Paradiso posted a list of its July and August events on its Facebook page today. The schedule shows that events will be held every night in July and each night in August until the 25th of that month. Headlining acts for several parties at the end of July and two in August have not yet been named, but the club says it expects to confirm the “to be announced” DJs shortly. The schedule does not yet include events for September, and does not indicate when Cavo will hold its season-closing party.
Paradise Club has posted a more extensive event listing on its website, showing the DJ lineup for more than 50 events taking place between now and its closing party on September 20. It, too, has several “to be announced” gigs for which the entertainment has yet to be confirmed.
Tickets for Paradise Club events can be purchased in advance through an online order form on the club’s website. VIP tables also can be booked in advance through a separate section of the website; click here for a direct link to that page.
Tables reservations for Cavo Paradiso events can be booked in advance but full prepayment is required. Further details and contact information are available on the newly-redesigned Cavo Paradiso website.
Both clubs are located at Paradise beach.
A promotional flyer listing the names of acts that will appear at Paradise Club this summer was posted on the venue’s Facebook page
Dark stormclouds hover overhead as rain falls on Mykonos and nearby islands. I shot this photo from the swimming pool deck at Hotel Tagoo on the morning of May 18 2012. Many Greek islands and parts of mainland Greece have been experiencing similar stormy weather conditions this week.
Be prepared: If you’re planning to travel to Greece in May or early June next year, be sure to pack an umbrella or waterproof windbreaker in your suitcase — there’s a good chance you might need to use them for a day or two.
Occasional bad weather used to be something you could expect to encounter in early spring — especially while travelling during April or the first two weeks of May in the Cyclades, Dodecanese, East Aegean and Sporades island groups. But once the middle of May had passed, rainstorms and completely overcast skies would be rare — visitors typically could expect one day after another of warm, dry and mainly sunny weather until the fall.
Climate patterns seem to have changed in recent years, however, and travellers have been encountering sporadic stormy conditions later in May and into early June too, as bad weather across much of Greece this week has shown.
We didn’t need rainwear or umbrellas until 2010
On our trips to Athens and various Greek islands between 2004 and 2009, we didn’t encounter any major rainstorms or other inclement weather bad enough to put a damper on a day of sightseeing, hiking or beach activities. We would pack travel umbrellas in our suitcases, but never have to take them out. In fact, we recall only three instances of rain — all in early May 2006, the time of month when unsettled weather still could be expected.
That year, there was some overnight rain on May 11 and 12 while we were visiting Mykonos, but the clouds cleared by the time we got up for breakfast. One week later (on May 18) we were at Maragas beach on Naxos when a late afternoon thunderstorm suddenly blew in from the west. Rain began to sprinkle so we hurried over to the Gorgona Taverna at Agia Anna beach, where we had an early dinner while waiting for the precipitation to stop. Within 90 minutes the sun came back out and gave us a beautiful sunset that evening.
After the storm: Thunderclouds begin to break up over Paros island (top) and Naxos following a late afternoon downpour on May 18 2006. We shot this photo from Agia Anna beach on Naxos.
Of course, the weather wasn’t perfect the rest of the time during our first five Greek holidays. We did encounter a few days when it was extremely cloudy, like on June 8 2005, when we arrived at Santorini to find the island shrouded in thick, low-hanging clouds that obscured sunset views and lingered into the next morning before dissipating. We also experienced several exceptionally windy days, as well as some very chilly mornings and nights that forced us to wear sweaters and jackets to keep warm. But there wasn’t any horribly bad weather, and the adverse conditions didn’t stop us from fully enjoying the islands.
When we arrived at Santorini on June 8 2005, the island was surrounded by thick clouds that obscured caldera and sunset views that evening. There was no rain, but the clouds hung around until morning. We shot this photo from our terrace at the Phenix Hotel in Imerovigli during a brief break in the clouds.
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This video, which was posted online by YouTube member neasantorinis, shows astounding aerial views of Santorini as well as the adjacent volcano island of Nea Kameni. Click the arrow to play the video, and enjoy your flight!
The video Flashmob @ Chania: Dancing with a Cretan Heart features great views of the beautiful Chania harbourfront — and a spontaneous pentozali line dance by dozens of local residents and tourists
Seaside line dance: I’ve been to the city of Chania in northwestern Crete only once — during a daytrip back in 2004 — but a video I discovered on YouTube the other day instantly took me back.
Flashmob @ Chania: Dancing with a Cretan Heart was filmed at the picturesque Chania harbourfront, which we enjoyed seeing during the few hours we had available to explore the city. We were on a whirlwind island-hopping tour — actually, our first-ever trip to Greece — and rented a car for a day so we could take a drive from Heraklion to see Chania and other parts of Crete.
Chania has an extensive history that dates back to the Minoan era (roughly the 27th Century BC to the 15th Century BC). There’s a lot to see at Chania and nearby, but we only got to scratch the surface since we were so pressed for time. We’ve been meaning to get back and actually stay there for several days so we can see some of the many things we missed, and this video made me wish we were returning soon.
The film features two Cretan artists, George and Nikos Stratakis, who are having coffee at the Chania waterfront. When a young boy walks up and begins tapping a tabor on the table, George and Nikos take their cue and join in with their musical instruments. People in the crowd start clapping, and soon locals and tourists alike join in a spontaneous pentolazi, a traditional line dance.
The dancing is fun to watch, and there are plenty of shots of the scenic Chania waterfront that might make you wish you could soon visit the city, too.
The video was posted on YouTube by the HeartCrete Facebook page, which features photos of Chania and stunning scenery from places throughout Crete.
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