Attica in Flames

Attica has been burning since yesterday and here in Athens we are all glued to the TV waiting for some good news but the winds make things worse. Many people have lost their homes, others are carried to the hospital because of breathing problems and there are those who refuse to leave their area hoping that they will save their properties. It seems that the fires are caused by arsonists. This is what angers me most. I am safe at the moment although I live very near the areas where the fires broke out. The weather forecast says that the winds will calm down tomorrow. Let's hope that tomorrow will be a better day and that all the fires will be under control.

Back from the Holidays

All good things eventually come to an end! Although my summer holiday was much shorter than last year, I made time to forget all about work and personal worries and..recharge the batteries. I spent most of my holiday time in Mykonos, which is very unlike me as I hate the husltle and bustle of the island and I hate ..clubbing as well. Apart from its worldwide reputation of an island that never sleeps, Mykonos has also got its unique beauties. I stayed at a quiet hotel, near Ftelia - the best beach for windsurfing which is one of my favourite sports. Mykonos is also called the Island of the Winds and is ideal for the sport. After swimming and windsurfing, I had lunch at "Akri" - one of the best tavernas in the area of Ftelia at about 9 km from the Hora - the centre of Mykonos. The truth is, I only went to the centre once only to have dinner at Chez Maria but spent most of the evenings in my hotel room reading or listening to my favourite music. I went to bed early, before 11 pm and got up early to go swimming or windsurfing. Mykonos can be a very quiet place. It depends on what you are looking for. Now how about you? Did you have a nice holiday?

Romantic Weekend

Here I am back from a very relaxing and very romantic weekend at Coral Bay in Paphos. As I needed to have both my flat and the school refurbished, I had to split my holidays in weekends rather than take 10 days in a row. So, after Protaras it was Paphos. We stayed at the Coral Beach Hotel in a beautiful suite with a private terrace furnished with umbrellas, sunbeds , a wooden coffee table and a small rattan outdoor lounge. Alkis and I had the time to relax and unwind while enjoying the sun and the sea. Before leaving, we also visited the Bird and Animal Park at the nearby village of Peyia where an albino wallaby kangaroo was born 8 weeks ago. This is the 4th wallaby in the world - the last one was born 30 years ago in the UK. Only the birds live in cages with the exception of two parrots whose home includes a huge umbrella to protect them from the sun and the rain. All other animals live in their natural habitat in spacious places and are well taken care of by the staff of the park.