First Day in Mykonos

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Written on 5/31/06, 12:18 PM at gate B15 waiting for Alitalia Flight 733 to Milan, Italy, weather outside is about 80º in Athens.

May 28, 2006 Sunday (Eric’s Birthday)

...Eric was taken aback.

The day started out with a giant catamaran/ferryboat ride to the island of Mykonos. http://www.ferries.gr/hfd/ As mentioned before, it’s about a 3-hour ride. Perhaps the strongest attraction for many visitors to Mykonos is its superb sandy beaches, many of which have gained fame outside Greece (Platis Yialos, Paradise, and Super Paradise). Windsurfing, scuba diving, and a variety of other waters sports are also available for those searching for outdoor activities while on the island. We were not looking for any of them – we were in it to relax and unwind through the last days of our vacation.

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We ported in Mykonos at about 3:30 PM where the hotel shuttle drove us through the hillside roads of the island; more winding and narrow roadways. I think it’s amazing how we haven’t seen one accident the entire trip. We finally arrived at Mykonos Grand Resort & Spa. http://mykonosgrand.gr/ Our room had a great view of the Aegean Sea and some of the town’s amazing landscapes.

We got to the room and Eric, of course, checked his Fantasy Baseball. This time it cost 6 Euros for 60 minutes. Well worth it for Eric. I felt tired so I rested up for a surprise I had planned for Eric…

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As soon as I found out where we were staying, I called this hotel to inquire about a private dinner for Eric’s birthday. Mr. Dimos helped me make it happen. We talked about an elegant setting; what I saw was even better than what he’d described over email.

Eric kept asking what I wanted to do for dinner so I said, “we should try the hotel’s restaurant”. I was trying to get him to stay inside the property. At this point, I still didn’t know how where this dinner I had arranged was going to be. I was freaking out because I couldn’t really leave the room or call to find out what the plan was. Well, true to form, Eric took his regular “meeting” in the bathroom where I was able to make a quick call. Mr. Pestasos, who turns out is also the owner of the hotel, took us on a tour of the entire property. Eric was nudging me and was like, “what the hell, we saw and know all about this already”. It’s tough to put anything over on Eric.

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We’re now outside, passed the spa, passed the pool and now down by the beach. As the sun was setting walking on sandy beach, we find lanterns lined along a path that leads to a sweet heart table with 2 chairs under a lovely canopy. SURPRISE! Up until this point, he was calling all the shots and making decisions for us, needless to say, Eric was taken aback.

We had a delightful dinner where Andreas served us for the night. Nice guy; told us what to do and where to go while we were in town. Eric, of course, had suvlaki and I had steak with lobster. The night couldn’t have been more perfect. I’m so glad Eric was happy and surprised. This will certainly be a night to remember.

Tomorrow, we head for Super Paradise…