Showing posts with label Southern Europe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Southern Europe. Show all posts

Monday, December 17, 2012

Perhaps most famous for its partying night life, Mykonos to me epitomizes the reason why Greece's flag is blue and white stripes. This charming little island had beautiful colors of blue and whites contrasting no matter where you looked -- whether it was the blue paints, the blue sky, the blue ocean or the sharp white houses and buildings or the boats. 
It glitters in summer and has the touristy vibe to match. Cruise ships are frequent, beaches are quite full, and the nightclubs, pumping. The restaurants and shops live up to their location, but it is still a charming place -- if ever I was to become a writer and live in isolation, I think Mykonos would be a pretty great location, but then, I thought that of most of Greece! 
It's main town of Hora is a cluster of narrow passages working their way up the hillside overlooking a busy bay and harbor. Little Venice to the south is perched right on the water underneath the iconic windmills
 
Source: Lonely Planet Greece 8th Edition

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Known in old as Kouklia, it was the supposed place of Aphrodite's birth. Paphos is on the southern coast of Cyprus, near the western end of the island in the middle of the hub of British (and other) tourists. Including sites of both Old and New Paphos (old and new already existed in the time of Seneca!), it was an important administrative center until the middle ages. The archaeological sites are impressive, and include the Odeon Ampitheatre, three temples built on a rise, the Tombs of the Kings, spectacular mosaics and a castle closer to town.

The Tombs of the Kings, in a beautiful ocean-side location, are reminiscent of Petra and other subterranean cities, wtih huge temples carved out of the solid rock. Many date back to the 4th Century BCE, but no kings were actually buried here (they were so named because they were so impressive). With Doric columns, frescoes, they are a pretty area that has been visited by many over the centuries.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paphos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kouklia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombs_of_the_Kings_(Paphos)