Wednesday 3 April 2013

travel inspiration: mykonos greece

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
Saint Augustine

I honestly don't know if this part of this blog post is a travel inspiration or simply the ramblings of a hopeless daydreamer. I blame the weather. This morning it started snowing for crying out loud! It wasn't much; one could count the snowflakes and they were gone as soon as they hit the ground, but still, there is a limit to what this girl can handle in springtime!

To survive I turned to my travel inspiration board and headed south.

I have never visited the Greek island Mykonos but let's just say it's on my list. The island is part of a cluster of islands, including Delos and Rhenia, and these three are sometimes called the Cycladic Sisters (all three are part of the Cyclades in the Aegean See, which comprise of more than 200 islands). The population of Mykonos is only +10,000 and the town is commonly known as Chora.

From the photos I have viewed of Mykonos it has a delightful and picturesque landscape. Think white houses and narrow whitewashed cobblestone streets on land and a mixture of fishing boats and cruising boats at sea.

I wish I could take you on a more personal visual journey to the island but I guess that will have to wait until I actually travel there myself. Here is hoping!

Now some travel books talk.

Some time ago I told you about The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton that I had just started reading. As you already know, I love books and it seldom happens that I don't finish a book that I start reading. Sometimes I need stubbornness to finish, but I will finish. Botton's book, however, is not one of those books. I was half way through it when I stopped reading; it just didn't feel worthy of my stubbornness.

Once I started reading it, it was as if everyone I knew had already read it and they all said it was great. Well, it started well but as I continued reading, I got bored. I stubbornly kept on reading until I just couldn't continue. It failed to inspire me and I thought to myself is something wrong with me? Then I went online to read some reviews.

In his review from May, 2002 for The Observer, Philip Marsden wrote: "The trouble with The Art of Travel is that he clearly does not have the same enthusiasm for travel." He was comparing this book with the others written by de Botton. This lack of enthusiasm is exactly what I sensed when reading the part of the book that I got through.

I am currently reading Travels with a Tangerine: A Journey in the Footnotes of Ibn Battutah by Tim Mackintosh-Smith and that one I'm thoroughly enjoying. The subject matter appeals to me and I find it both educating and witty. Maybe I will tell you more about it in my next travel inspiration post.

Now I will go and enjoy my avocado and olive sandwich. Yia sas! (means goodbye in Greek - plural form)

photo credit:
1: via Condé Nast Traveler / 2-3: via mykonos.gr / 4: via Condé Nast Traveler

5 comments:

  1. I wish you make your dream come true soon Lisa! I've never been to Mykonos myself (although it's only a few jours away from Crete). You've chosen beautiful shots, thanks for the visual inspiration =)
    xoxo

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  2. Thank you! I needed this kind of a sunny post. It's raining here and I don't like rain...at all. I've been to Greece, but not to Mykonos so far. Greece has something very special, maybe it's the sun light in that part of the world, or their white houses and the blue water of the seas, but you know when you see a photo taken there. Looking forward to hear more about that travel book you're reading. :)

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  3. That last image is stunning! If only I could be magically transported there now ;-) Greece is definitely on my vacation list.

    Rowena @ rolala loves

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  4. Those photos are absolutely divine, I would love to go to Greece one day for a holiday. I'm sure it would be such an experience!

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  5. Can I please beam myself right now onto Mykonos?? It keeps being grey and cold here and I am sick and tired of this never ending winter. I want sun. I want bright light. I want warmth. I want sea. Oh, Friday daydreaming...

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