Travelogue - Greece: The Island of Santorini

Sunset at Fira #santorini #greece #leicadlux #nofilter

A photo posted by CS (@mamathediva) on Sep 8, 2016 at 1:52am PDT

Santorini - The Island of Romance

To many, the mention of Santorini sends images of blue seas, white stone houses, romance, beautiful sunsets and beaches. I had high expectations before I arrived at this much-talked about island of romance. Boy, I was disappointed. Maybe Crete wowed me so much that in comparison, Santorini paled. The other downside of the island - super packed with tourists and it is seriously challenging to take a nice picturesque photo of any part of the scenery without any tourist in the picture. Santorini is also a very small island so the choices of activities are pretty limited.

What I do like about Santorini is the wide selection of luxurious resorts that staying in the resort beats going out squeezing with the other tourists. The economy of this island is largely driven by tourism so much so that people are renting out their own houses to tourists and they end up putting up at smaller rented apartments.

Let's start with the accommodation we chose for Santorini.  This place topped all the other places we stayed in Greece although it was very hard to locate. The luxury house is called Afoura Houses and it is situated up a very narrow single lane side road. Don't be shocked by the listed price on Tripadvisor. Google around for third party sites to get deals for the accommodation and you probably can get it at a fraction of the listed price. I love the rustic feel of the room, raw terracotta flooring, aged heavy wooden doors, wrought-iron grilled windows, superior bedding that allows your body to sink into lullaby and plenty of storage. Also, this place is located in the centre of Santorini hence it is easy to get to different parts of the island. Love love love this place.

Santorini is a small island - most people would visit Fira, Oia, Amoudi Bay, beaches and wineries. I am no exception. 

Wineries

Santorini has a small but flourishing wine industry, and produces its own species of grapes that are unique to Santorini. For our holidays, it is a ritual to visit breweries, wineries and distilleries. Over the years, I have picked up quite a fair bit of knowledge on the production of alcohol and that was also how we got interested in home brewing. We visited 3 wineries in Santorini - Venetsanos Winery, Koutsoyannopoulous Wine Museum and Domaine Sigalas. 

Venetsanos Winery

Venetsanos has a very small 'museum' section to talk about its history. The first industrial winery in Santorini, it was built with the concept of gravity loading. The winery was built from the top to the bottom and allowed wine to flow to the port, overcoming the terrains that inhibited fast transportation in the olden days of Santorini. Conceptualised by George Venatsanos, first owner of the winery, this place was recently reopened by his nephews. This place overlooks the sea and is a great venue for weddings. We chose the 6-wine tasting platter and added additional order of a seafood platter. As Santorini is a popular holiday destination by many Western Europeans and Chinese, prices here are steeper than Crete.

Koutsoyannopoulous Wine Museum

In contrast to Venetsanos, Koutsoyannopoulous has an extensive museum section that provided very indepth information, exhibits and displays of the history of this winery. You will be provided with a headset that allows visitors to choose their preferred language. The headset will provide the information when you touch every exhibit point. The museum tour is then followed by the wine tasting session where a staff of the winery will share more information about each wine. 

Domaine Sigalas

We visited Domaine not entirely for its wines but we read good reviews on a dish made with fava beans. So we are here, rather famished from a long drive in the day. It is a cosy winery that does not have a museum. Most people who visit are here to try their wines and get a bite. The food served are more appetizer-type of portion but they go well with the tasting. I ordered the Fried Guyere Cheese with Strawberry Compote. Very complex in taste, and I can't decide if it is an appetizer or dessert. Nonetheless, it was a lovely dish. Hub ordered the Fava Santorini - it is fava bean mousse topped with chopped onions and peppercorn. I am not a fan of legumes but this dish went well with me. It is quite filling too. Indeed, it was a dish worth driving for. 

Beaches

Greece is famous for its beaches so regardless of island, you will be spoilt for choice when beach hopping. However, Santorini is not exactly well know for its beaches compared to the other islands, mainly due to the fact that it was a volcanic island, thus the beaches are mainly filled up with black volcanic sand  At this stage of the holiday, I was already very tanned and was quite reluctant to sunbathe anymore. Nonetheless, we decided on two beaches to at least get a flavour of the Santorini beaches. 

Perissa Beach

Typical of a Santorinian beach, the beach is mainly made up of black volcanic sand that can get very hot from noon onwards. The view at the beach is quite different from that of Crete's where you can see far into the horizon, clear waters and bright blue skies. In Santorini, there is a misty feel and the beaches kind of disappear into a mystical realm where the skies and the sea join in a blurry faraway land. Perissa Beach is flanked by many restaurants and pubs, and the typical deal is to get 2 mojitos, and two sunbeds are yours for the rest of the day. Not a good idea to lie on a mat over the sand as the sand is coarse and hot. 

Vlychada Beach 

A rather small stretch of beach, pretty quiet as compared to Perissa. The interesting thing about the beach is the rock formation behind the beach that you can see as you sunbathe. You might catch some surfers doing their stunts as the waves can get quite high. 

Fira

Fira is the main town of Santorini. Here, you spend your day shopping, eating, chilling out, having a gelato, or grabbing fresh bread from the bakeries. Vibrant place to hang out and soak in the atmosphere. 

Oia 

Oia is THE PLACE where you see the images when you google 'Santorini'. White cave houses on a slope overseeing the blue waters. Oia is a small town with many shops, cafes, restaurants and luxury resorts, all perched on the slope. You can spend the afternoon strolling, stopping by ever so often to snap a picture or two. By dusk, grab a good spot at a restaurant to enjoy the sunset. It is one of the most mesmerising sunset I have ever seen. The huge orange ball of fire slowly 'descending' into the waters. A sky painted in hues of orange, yellow and blue, interspersed into each other. Oia is an expensive place to shop so I won't recommend any shopping to be done here. When the sun sets, and the sky darkens, get a spot to watch the lighted houses glittering by the slope. Equally captivating!

Amoudi Bay 

Besides the row of taverns that will greet you when you arrive, there is actually a spot for deep sea swimming if you are game enough. I am not a water-baby so I was quite contented chilling at a tavern watching the sunset and having seafood. You could also rent a boat out with some friends and enjoy the sea and view.

Some of guides that you read online will say that you could walk from Fira to Oia to Amoudi Bay. From Oia to Amoudi Bay and back, there are also donkeys (which happens to be one of their mode of transport) that take you up the slope. We rented a car so we skipped the walking. Given the weather, it is actually pretty nice if you don't mind the walk.

Well, you can probably sense I didn't do as much in Santorini as compared to Crete. And if you have read my post on Crete, you would agree that it looked better than Santorini, right? Nonetheless, there are a few places I would recommend if you visit Santorini:

1. Brusco Wine Coffee Deli - nice place to have breakfast, serves food made with natural and organic ingredients. One of the earliest place to open for breakfast if you are an early bird like me.
2. Good Heart Restaurant - This is a very nice place to have lunch or dinner. They serve a variety of food, generous portions, good service and delicious food. The setting is like a little hut, very rustic but clean and comfortable. 
3. Taverna Katina - Located at Amoudi Bay, this is a great place serving fresh seafood grilled upon order. Get a front table (only for dinner) and enjoy the sunset with freshly grilled seafood and beer. 

Travelogue - Greece: The Island of Crete

Sunning octopus! #octopus #seafood #plaka #sea #bluewaters #leicadlux #crete #greece

A photo posted by CS (@mamathediva) on Sep 5, 2016 at 11:10am PDT

Prologue:

Before I go into the actual post on Crete, here's a little background behind the nature of my travels. It is customary for the hub and I to take a couple trip annually. We can only do so with the blessings of my parents as they would have to help with the kids for about a week or two. Not an easy task at all so I am truly grateful. Why the insistence on the couple trip? For those of you out there who are grappling with the changes of parenthood or transitioning through a different type of couple relationship, please read on. It is not just about relaxing without the kids as most people would think so. You will get the 'noble' mums telling you that it is terrible to do that to your kids and parents. Cut them out! The deeper reasons behind the couple trip are:

• It is a dedicated time to rebuild connections with your spouse. Most often than not, the children do require the parents' dedication when they are around. Hence, the quality of time spent with your spouse may not be ideal so this is the time to refocus on each other (not just as your children's dad or mum). Have undisturbed, deep conversations, discuss common interests, discover new things about each other and connect previous experiences with new ones  


• Its is important to do fun or thrilling things together. Relationships do need some catalysts once in a while. Many articles talk about how emotions deepen when couples laugh, have fun or try a thrilling activity together. The emotional impact of having a variety of shared positive experiences is huge. Hence, travelling once a year without the kids do provide an opportunity to go off the beaten track together - as a couple.

So, that's why I do what I do till today :)

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Crete - Greece's Largest Island

Crete is Greece's largest island and is located on the southern side of the Aegean Sea. Not as popular as Santorini as a common tourist destination but certainly hold her own credit for that island charm. I love the unspoilt terrain, beautiful beaches and lovely Cretan cuisine. As Crete is a large island, it is important to rent a car to get around the island. I would recommend a higher CC car. The sandy roads are not easy to manoeuvre if the car is not powerful enough. Moreover, some roads are rather narrow, especially in the traditional towns. Best time to visit the island would be the period of August and September but be warned, it will be packed. If you are going in summer, pack the usual summer gear and LOTS of sunblock. Temperatures can get as high as 39 degrees Celsius, and on clear days, the sun will be right smacked on your face. Be prepared to come back 5 shades darker.

West Crete

I started exploring Crete from the West. One of the highlights of West Crete is Elafonisi Beach, located southwest of Crete. Known for its pink coral sand, the beach looks pristine in the sun. The water is crystal clear and you can see small fishes swimming in the lagoon areas as you wade in the water. A rather unspoilt area, Elafonisi spans over a large area with different areas for beach-goers to chillax on rented sunbeds (8 euros for 2 sunbeds for the whole day). My observation is that the people are not early-risers here so if you reach about 9-10am, you could still pick your preferred spot. Anything later, just make do.

The town to visit in West Crete is the Chania Old Town and Harbour. It is a charming old town where there's a local produce market, shops strewn along both sides of the sidewalks and romantic restaurants along the harbour - most suited to unwind over dinner and drinks while you watch the sunset. One roof top bar/restaurant that I would recommend is Pallas. Pallas is a café-bar-restaurant that opens from 8am to 4am! Make a reservation to get a seat on the rooftop to enjoy a romantic dinner with a view. Though it is fine dining, the prices are really reasonable with generous portions.

What is a holiday to Greece without a visit to an archaeological site? Trust me, after a few sites, you kind of feel they are all about the same (at least for me). The Ancient Aptera is actually my favourite archi site for this trip. It is located in West Crete and easily located after an uphill drive. The site is well known for a two-part temple from the 5th century BC and an ancient theatre with acoustic effects. I was so fascinated by the acoustic effects produced by zero technology. Basically, you stand in the middle of the theatre. As you sing, you can hear your own voice amplified back at you, all without any amplifier, microphone or sound system. It sounded like I had headsets on. Super surround sound.

Another marvel of West Crete is the iconic white chapel. Ever admired those Instagram-worthy pictures of a white chapel on blue waves and rocky islets? I always imagined myself in a wedding gown in one of those. The Chapel of Agios Nikolaos in Georgioupolis is one place you need your camera fully charged. This is the place to create your Instagram moment. Come dressed in a white flowy dress and nicely braided hair and you are all set. Unfortunately, I was not prepared at all, with only flip flops, shorts and singlets. So much for Instagramming. If you are game for a little adventure, you can attempt to reach the chapel by challenging the rocky islet and crashing waves. Well, I tried but only managed to cross the halfway mark and had to make a retreat as I was overwhelmed by the crashing waves. Just round the corner of this beachside town is a lovely restaurant perched at the edge of the bay, giving diners a much closer view of the chapel. So if you are not as adventurous and would like a better of the chapel, head down to Arkadi Fish Tavern to enjoy an unblocked view of the chapel as you eat.

A short drive from Georgioupolis will take you to Lake Kournas. Lake Kournas is the only

freshwater lake in Crete. It is an idyllic site and we spent our afternoon strolling, looking at the swans and ducks, watching families play, drinking at the lakeside pubs and having desserts. The shops located near the lake has some cheap buys of their local pottery and I managed to grab a pretty candle holder to take home as keepsake.

After a long day, we wrapped up by visiting the Rethymnon Harbour. This is another ancient Greek town with some parts redeveloped into upmarket pubs and eateries. Catch sight of the buildings from the Renassiance era and beautiful churches. On summer nights, it really feels good to stroll by the harbour walk or check out small shops in the alley for some local products. If you are fretting what to take home as sourvenirs, the small bottles of Argan oil shampoo and conditioner is a good buy.

South-Central Crete

Crete has some of the nicest beaches in Greece. I would say this trip was really a beach-hopping-sun-tanning one. Preveli Beach, located on the south coast of Crete, is one of the hidden beaches in Crete. It is not as populated and accessible as Elafonisi Beach. The nearest point where the car could go was the carpark near the monastery and we walked about 45 mins down the mountain ridges.  Preveli Beach has an interesting landscape, in which a river actually forms a lagoon at the opening to the sea. Flanked both sides by palm trees, the scene looked like a postcard, right in front of me. While the beach was beautiful, the climb back to civilisation almost killed me. The uphill mountain climb left my legs feeling like jelly, and had me re-evaluating if the beach was all that worth it, only to find out later that there is an alternate route to the beach by boat from Plakais. Hmph......

An eatery that is worth a mention in South Crete is a lush alfresco eatery operating next to a lake. Gefira Taverna is a simple café but serves very authentic Cretan cuisine. We ordered Sfougato (a traditional Cretan omelette), moussaka (Cretan potato-based dish), Greek coffee and beer. One thing I learnt in Greece is that you cannot (never!) order your food only when you are hungry because you probably cannot survive the wait. So, like a typical Greek eatery, it was a very idyllic wait. We sat and watched the geese waddling in the lake, sipping our drinks, taking pictures and just whiling the day away under the canopy of lush green trees. Bliss.


Another popular stop in South Crete is the Knossos. It is probably rated top on Tripadvisor. If you ask me,  honestly I would say it is not worth visiting. Firstly, it charges the most exorbitant entrance fees and secondly, the area is so small that I didn't feel that I have learnt anything. Many of the exhibits were  not original too. Comparing Knossos to Aptera, this was quite a let down.


To make up for the disappointing trip at the Knossos, we searched for a nice place to have dinner and we found Mythos Family Restaurant, Port Hersonissos. This is a family-run restaurant that serves authentic Greek food. I was impressed by their hospitality and warmth. The restaurant was packed when we arrived but we were quickly settled into a cosy corner seat. This place serves the best warm bread with their own homemade spread. Dinner was indeed splendid as we tucked into our tasty dishes with the host checking in with us occasionally.

East Crete

The last area that I explored was the eastern part of Crete. Here, we visited Plaka, a seaside town (yes, again) which has a harbour that will take us to Spinalonga. Plaka has plenty of seafood restaurants and one should pick the restaurant which gives you the best views. Wind is strong here so be careful of your scarf and hat. We picked Delphini Taverna for drinks and Thalassa Restaurant for lunch. I would say the cuisine offered and prices are more or less the same.  

Spinalonga is an island that is no longer inhabited. Once a fortress and also a lepers' colony, today, Spinalonga welcomes loads of tourist who are keen to learn more about the history of Greece. We spent about 2 hours exploring the island that is built like a fortress, trying to imagine how life was for the habitants then.


The entire island of Crete will take about 4 days to cover at a leisurely pace, giving time to take walks, suntan, drink wine and enjoy the evenings. Cost of living is relatively low here with food and drinks very affordable. These are the accommodation that I stayed in Crete:

1. Kalvyes Bay
2. Villa Frati  
3. Klery Studios

I am so glad to have decided on Crete as one of the island to visit for the Greece trip. No regrets at all! I know this is a long post, enjoy the scenary and food pics from Crete on my Flipagram while I prepare for my next post - part 2 of Greece: Santorini and Athens.


Stay tuned!

How do I strut around in my heels without hurting? (they really don't!)

I have been asked many times, how do I get around with my heels all the time? Don't they hurt? Aren't you tired? For me, I have been so used to walking around in heels so much so that I tend to trip when I'm on flats. It's true. I can even run in heels. Wearing heels to me is like....the last piece to the jigsaw puzzle. It completes the picture. Of course, it has to be the correct pair of heels, else it will cause you so much discomfort that it becomes a sorrowful picture.

This boils down to a few fundamentals to wearing heels:

1. The correct pair of shoes (heels) will make or break your outfit. How many times have we seen ladies dressed in very nice clothes but as you scan down south...argh! sloppy shoes!!!....anti-climax 
2. It is all about proportions. Face it, most of us here are not born with a pair of supermodel legs. Hence, the heels will make a lot of difference to your proportions, and ultimately make you look slimmer and taller (and perkier, hehe). 
3. Power heels. Yes, wearing heels have been shown to make a difference in a work place. Wear heels to look assertive and firm. Walk with a strut and look confident (even if you are shaking inside). Fake it till you get it.

So what is stopping you from wearing heels when you know it can do some good stuff to you. Heels don't have to hurt if we know our feet well. I have narrow feet, bony (very fleshless), long toes and a slightly flat arch (that's why wearing ballerina flats hurts me more than anything else). How do I choose my heels?

1. Shoes come in many widths. Go to shops that offer a choice of widths. For narrow feet like mine, I always go for the ''Narrow' or 'B'. Never attempt to put insoles to 'make up' for the width. It will just hurt especially for heels. Contrary to what people think, wider shoes that don't fit do cause as much hurt as narrow shoes.
2. Getting the right size. I've observed many people buying shoes that are half size larger than what is necessary and then say they can always put insoles later to make it fit. Shoes should fit well without insoles. A size or half too large means that the shoe will be moving a lot. And that means it is rubbing against your foot a lot, causing blisters. You may also try to grip the shoe in place, causing your feet to go into weird positions, resulting in aches and pains later. Bigger is not always better.
3. Thick or thin straps. Bony feet for me means avoiding the thin strappy open-toe sexy heels. They will never fit me. And the support will be so lacking that my feet will be aching. So if you have some fleshy feet, go for it. Otherwise, choose heels with wider straps for more support so that you can walk safely and confidently in them.
4. Toe finishes. Peep toes and pointy fronts work well for my narrow, bony, long-toed feet. The round-toed shoes don't work as well, as my long toes will not be accommodated. So try a few types of toe finishes (round, pointed, flat, open, peep) to see which ones work for you. Added work is needed if you put on open or peep-toe shoes, you gotta keep up with those pedicures.
5. Try, try, try.  This one is tricky. For me with a slightly flat arch, I have to try the 'curvature' of the shoes to ensure a perfect fit. Trying out the arch of shoes help in determining which brands are more suitable for your feet. The curvature of a pair of heels is dependent on many things, but it is usually consistent within the brand. And I do find that a little platform (or hidden platform) works when the heels are more than 3.5" and above. Keeps the stability there and prevents over-extension of your soles.
6. If shoes don't fit, they won't, even if you wear them a million times (or attempt to bite them). Many people think they can season the shoes or 'break-in'. Meaning, giving a new pair of shoes time to soften or get used to your feet so that you will have fewer blisters as time goes by. If you put those shoes on and they bite you or feel so stiff even as you walk on the carpeted floor in the mall, don't even think they will be seasoned enough to be comfortable. More likely, your feet will be battered with blisters. So go with the first feeling when trying on the shoes. 

So what are my favourite brands? If you have long narrow feet like mine, these are some brands that fit me well - Nine West, Salvatore Ferragamo (choose Narrow width, not available in Singapore though), Pedro, Kate Spade New York and Guess. 

For those with wider feet, these are some brands that are known to fit better - Tory Burch, Salvatore Ferragamo (choose 'D' or 'C'), Cole Hann, Naturalizer, Marks and Spencer and ASOS. 

So start looking at your feet real hard, try out different brands of heels, find the one that fit (no insoles) and be the Cinderella. Once you have established a few brands that suit your feet, you can safely go online to get shoes. Sometimes they have mark-downs that are so much cheaper than buying from the shops here. My few favourite sites are:

www.shopbop.com (offers free international shipping above USD100)

www.zappos.com (needs to ship through a freight forwarder e.g. Borderlinx)

www.toryburch.com (needs to ship through a freight forwarder e.g. Borderlinx)

www.outnet.com (direct international shipping)

By the way, I do wear flats, occasionally.

*this is not a sponsored post.

Starting to blog again

It has been years.

Blogging or writing has always been one of my passions. I am obsessed with notebooks. I love scribbling stuff, thoughts, little words of inspiration, thoughtful reminders etc all over my life. Well, for those who know me, I am now in a dormant period of my life. Forced to rest at home till I'm fully recuperated. Honestly, I was bored. But I started to think seriously how to make full use of this time, to transform my life, contribute to society, and do the things that I have always stalled because "I was too busy".

So here goes my list:

1. Start blogging again - so here I am, with my resurrected blog


2. Print out my photographs before they get lost in the digital world


3. Start packing up nooks and corners of my house that has long been forgotten a.k.a collecting dust for the longest time (but this gotta be done very slowly and carefully because I am limited in my physical movement currently)


4. Start designing a exercise regime that I can start once my body is ready (lots of research to do on this, and how to make it SUSTAINABLE)

I suppose, with my growth over the last few years, I have plenty to share. When I turned 40 last year, I totally felt a rejuvenated me, a sense of energy, an injection of urge to want to live life better, and how not to let age determine what can or cannot be done. So in this blog, I hope to share my insights, adventures and snippets of my life.

I hope people will find enjoyment reading them.