Stormclouds pass above a pedestrian square in Kos Town
Category: Greek Islands
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Flower towers in the Cyclades
An agave flower stem towers above Plaka beach near Orkos on Naxos
Island highrises: Colourful bougainvillea and geraniums are the flowering plants you’ll see the most often while travelling in the Greek Isles. However, on Naxos, Milos and other islands in the Cyclades, distinctive agave flower stems will catch your attention, too. They’re hard to miss, particularly since the slender green stems of these peculiar succulent plants can soar two storeys tall. (I think they resemble giant asparagus stalks.) We’ve seen them near Plaka, Mikri Vigla and Agia Anna beaches on Naxos, as well as on Milos and other islands. Often called “century plants,” the stems of these perennials flower only once and then die, often tilting at sharp angles as they begin to rot.
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Greece holiday 2011: Much-talked-about tavernas we didn’t get to visit on Mykonos this year
Joanna’s Niko’s Place at Megali Ammos Beach was the taverna getting the most buzz amongst travellers to Mykonos this past spring
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Rave reviews: Mykonos has such a wide variety of restaurants — serving virtually everything from traditional Greek cooking to Italian food to contemporary international cuisine — that it can be difficult deciding where to eat, or what to recommend to other travellers. It’s also tough keeping track from one tourist season to the next of what’s hot and what’s not, what’s new and what’s gone. A favourite from one visit can be a big let-down next time around, or it could disappear altogether. There are tavernas in remote beach areas that can’t be reached without private transportation because the local buses don’t serve every corner of the island. Some restaurants don’t even open until June, so regular May travellers like us never get a chance to try them. And, of course, personal taste has to be factored into the equation. Some people prefer expensive haute cuisine, while others want cheap ‘n’ cheerful Greek comfort food. Some abhor obvious tourist traps, yet others can’t get enough of them.
Each year, there’s a handful of restaurants that attract a lot of attention in travel magazines and websites, and in conversations between visitors, hotel staff and local residents. This year was no exception.
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Greece holiday 2011: Three Mykonos restaurants that hit the spot with great food, service & prices
The dining highlights of our Mykonos visit in May included a delicious home-cooked lunch on Agia Anna beach at the Nazos family’s Nicolas Taverna …
… a hearty and very satisfying dinner at Oregano Cook & Grill …
… and a wonderful meal with a good friend at Ithaki on Ornos beach
Mmmm-mmm Mykonos: I hope you’ll pardon the pun, but one of my biggest “beefs” about Mykonos is that the island has so many dining spots, you smell food cooking and see people eating practically everywhere you go. That’s especially the case in the confusing maze of streets in Mykonos Town, where a half-hour stroll will take you past dozens of tavernas, cafés and snack bars with chairs and tables in the narrow streets or bougainvillea-shaded terraces and courtyards merely steps away. It literally seems like everywhere you look, restaurant staff are busy serving food and beverages, while tourists and locals alike are sitting down to enjoy their snacks, meals or drinks. Of course, everything always looks tantalizing and smells divine!
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