The response to my post on the trip to Mykonos has been amazing! I guess quite a lot of you share my dream of combining a gorgeous Greek island and scrapbooking too! I’m so sad that today is our last day on the island of Mykonos. It’s been an even more incredible trip then I could ever have imagined! I guess I’ll just need to come back again next year! Once I get back home and have had a chance to sort through all the information I gathered this week I will have more information, including pricing, available. Look for that at the end of next week. If you have emailed or left a comment on my last couple of blog posts, I’ll be sure to email you with additional information.
And the editor is doing something wierd. I wanted to get a post up tonight and as I need to go pack, I don’t have time to figure it out. Sorry for the big gaps!
The view from the reception at the Hotel Kouros
I can’t believe we leave on the 7am flight; it’s just been too wonderful here. This is the first vacation I’ve had in years where I actually feel completely and absolutely relaxed. My sister and I have been spending most of our days checking out restaurants, beaches, tours, meeting with guides, restaurant managers and travel operators to make sure every aspect of our event goes off smoothly next year. I’ve been spending time with Elina and John, who own and operate the hotel going over rooming charts, arranging meals and working on special extras for next year. In spite of the fact that we really are working, the unbelievable setting seems to force you to let go of any stress and give yourself away to the moment. Sigh…
I am so excited for next year! The Hotel Kouros is beyond gorgeous, the customer service is outstanding, the views are breathtaking and the vibe is perfect! It’s hard to believe that next year it will be even better (they have extensive renovations planned for this winter). I think everyone who will come on the trip will be blown away by how well Elina, John and the hotel do EVERYTHING! It’s been such an incredible pleasure to work with them. They both are meticulous in their planning and the fact that Elina is perhaps one of the most enthusiastic (and extremely talented) scrapbookers I’ve met doesn’t hurt one bit! She knows firsthand what scrapbookers need and has been working with me to make sure everything will be perfect next year. I think that alone (and the fact that her hotel is an exquisite 5 star boutique hotel!) will set this event apart.
Hard at work in Greece!
We have really enjoyed the island as well. The town is so much fun to explore. All the walkways throughout are narrow and winding (the better to trick pirates back in their heyday!) and are lined with restaurants, cafes, boutiques and jewelry stores. There are no cars in the town – it would be impossible for them to fit through the labyrinths of “streets” that are just mere feet across. If you love Greek food, you’ll be in paradise. If you just love food – you’ll definitely be in paradise! It seems as if there are restaurants for every cuisine imaginable! Through hard work (ok, maybe just LOTS of eating) we’ve found several exquisite restaurants where we’ll hold event dinners. I think I’ll be dreaming of some of the dishes we sampled until next year – they were so delicious!
I've never seen so many beautiful waiters!
One of the streets in Mykonos!
I banned myself from elevators this week and running stairs in hopes of not going home with several extra pounds (I have zero willpower when it comes to tempting pastries, yummy crepes and creamy gelato!). But even if I do, I don’t think I’ll regret a pound as ever bite was scrumptious!
One of the restaurants for the event
Another highlight of the trip was the boat ride to and the tour of Delos. Tours like this are decidedly not my sister’s or my usual cup of tea. In fact we both privately thought we’d be bored to tears. However, it turned out that the tour and the boat ride were so much fun! The entire island is an archaeological site, the largest in Europe in fact. I had never heard of Delos before but it was essentially the center of the universe for several centuries B.C. as well as the birthplace of the Greek God Apollo. It was also the banking center of the world where any currency could be exchanged. Nothing like that existed again until the Renaissance. 25,000 people from around the known world lived on the island peaceably for hundreds of years. Because it was believed to be the birthplace of Apollo, everyone was afraid to attack the island. That is until the King of the Black Sea got jealous, attacked and completely destroyed the island.
2500 year old ruins of a 4 story house
Now the whole island is an archaeological site where are you are free to roam anywhere. One of the things that really blew us away was the 4 story house and a 2500 year old staircase you can still climb and a bathtub as well (the entire island had running water)! We saw floor mosaics, plumbing systems and temples that had survived since 500BC. Another thing we loved on the trip was the climb up the hill in the middle of the island. The views from there were more than worth the 25 minute climb! The trip to Delos tour is part of next year’s event that no one will want to miss out on. The scenery is spectacular and what could be better than going to a site like that especially after taking Karen’s photography course AND having her along?
Stairway in Delos
It’s been an absolutely amazing week getting all of the pieces of the puzzle in place for our event and I can not wait to share it all with other scrapbookers next year! Erin and I leave tomorrow and I will be back at home on Sunday evening. By the end of next week I should have prices and additional information available for everyone who has been interested in the event.
Have a great weekend!!!
I am a believer, wife, mother, sister and daughter. I have been married to my best friend for a decade and have three lovely children to continue the legacy.
