Lifestyles of the rich and famous. I didn’t have a lot of time here so I decided to check out the scene at the Nikki Beach Club. Some say this club is past its prime. However, it didn’t disappoint for people watching. The open air concept is fully embraced with outdoor everything. If you are not familiar with Nikki Beach, it’s a luxury beach club concept that combines the elements of music, dining, entertainment, fashion, film and art into one. It has several clubs in prime weather locations around the world.
Marbella coastline Local square on my walk to the club.This local shopper (who bears a slight resemblance to my housekeeper in Sicily back in 2014) seems to be locked out of her car. Maybe she should just head to the disco like her beach bag says.Oceanside at Nikki Beach Club. Of course there is full oceanside service. Many of these patrons were enjoying chilled bottles of Dom Perignon. What an entirely sybaritic scene.Poolside at Nikki Beach. No shortage of restylane and botox here. So much that in some cases it could serve as a floatation device. See if you can zoom in on this redheads lips.Poolside with more action. She won best swimsuit with this creative design. It was a swathy one-piece.Get that sunscreen on, you sure don’t want to burn.
So, Marbella has a lot more to offer than just a scene like Nikki Beach, however my time was limited here do to my own poor planning. More coming as I spend the autumn in the Mediterranean area. Hope to report soon.
Nida is a small, very low key resort town on the spit of land Neringa, on the Baltic Sea. This idyllic little place is home to only 4 thousand people. It was an old fishing village and retains much of that character today. It’s a time capsule in some ways, one is that the children you see riding their bikes, playing ball, or otherwise things kids do, are almost totally devoid of any electronic devices. The forests you walk through on the way to the beach smell so fragrant with that “woodsy” smell. No need to lock your doors as crime is non-existent.
My home for my stay here.Typical street in Nida.
Wildflowers abound everywhere.Tiny marina with the boats of current day fishermen.Hike up to the largest and highest sand dune known as the “Dead Dune.” In prior centuries, these dunes were constantly moving. Consequently, they would occasionally encroach and bury the fishing villages. In order to prevent this, the villagers constructed walls to impede the movement. This led to the dunes becoming stagnant, and thus dying.Overlooking the Curonian Lagoon from the dune’s apex.Another view of the Curonian lagoon. The land along the horizon is mainland Lithuania.Crowded beach day.View to the north just minutes before sunset.Sunset over the Baltic
In a few days I will head to the Mediterranean for warmer waters and a whole different food experience.
This town is as charming as they get. With a population of approximately 650 thousand people it feels much like a lot of other western European capitals. It abounds with museums, art, shopping, restaurants, cafes, and tavernas. There are many fabulous hotels as well. It is very walkable and in summer the daylight is abundant, not getting dark until around 11PM. The city’s renaissance began just after its liberation from Russia in 1991, and it is still underway. It is evident in the numerous architectural restorations throughout the city, as well as the condition of most of its infrastructure. The streets are almost entirely made of cobblestone.
Cathedral Square. (Katedros aikste). Located at the end of Pilies Gatve, a charming little street lined with shops, restaurants, taverns, other outdoor attractions.Fountain in the square located at the other end of Pilies Gatve.Side streets with cafes, bars, and restaurants are abundant. While the Lithuanian language is predominant, English is very widely spoken and understood, especially with people under the age of 45.In July the daylight is plentiful. This image was taken at 10 PM.Hotel Pacai was my home for 5 nights. It is fabulous. Restored to preserve and expose its architectural significance. The building was originally a baroque manor house dating back to 1677. A child’s drawing of the 1991 revolution where Lithuania fought and won its independence from Russia. In this depiction you can see the Russian tanks driving over people to attack the television tower. Made even more sad, considering too that its artist was only 10 years old.The river running through on your walk to Uzupis. Uzupis is a neighborhood in Vilnius’ old town. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This district mainly attracts the large art community that thrives here. It has been compared to Freetown in Copenhagen, due to its laissez-faire and bohemian atmosphere. In 1997 the district declared itself an independent republic, with its own constitution.View to the other side of the bridge on the walk to Uzupis..Outdoor sculptures abound in Uzupis.The angel of UzupisAbout a 40 minute drive from Vilius you can find Trakai Castle. This was built in the 14th century. It is considered a masterpiece in defensive medieval architecture. Many films have been partially filmed on location here.The castle’s draw bridge is as medieval as it gets here.View from inside the castle.
After a 5 night visit to Vilnius, I will head west across the country to the little resort town of Nida, located on the UNESCO designated island of Neringa, on the Baltic Sea. See you there.
Instead of flying back to the States this time, and since I had the time, I decided to sail back on the Seabourn Pursuit. The Newly built Pursuit is specifically designed as an expedition ship. It was coming to Lisbon from its construction shipyard in Genoa, Italy and being re-positioned to Antarctica. I decided to check it out for a possible future expedition. It has only 120 guest suites, 24 Zodiacs for exploration, two small submarines, and amazing high-tech capabilities. So, with only a one day stop in Madeira, then non-stop to Florida the entire voyage would take only 12 days. As a not so incidental benefit of this choice of transportation, not only would I gain an hour of sleep every other night going across the Atlantic, but I would suffer no jet lag when I got to my final destination in the States.
This is the vessel, The Seabourn Pursuit, before its maiden voyage across the Atlantic. I was not at all worried that it would end like the Titanic’s maiden voyage across the Atlantic. Just completed in Genoa, Italy in July, it is a Class 4 icebreaker expedition ship. These are the two dozen Zodiacs on board for deployment in most of the destinations to be explored and observed.The Captain’s bridge is high-tech and state of the art. The ship is equipped with stabilizers, amongst many other features.Another bridge perspectiveLooking out the side from the bridge. Along with all the exterior cameras, this allows a live actual view all the way down the starboard side from the bridge.One of the two on board submarines. A bit like Jules Verne.Another pic of the sub. Each sub holds three passengers in the front globe area and three in the rear globe area. The pilot’s seat is in the middle. The entry point is the opened hatch on top.View from inside the sub deployed in the water. These three passenger seats all swivel 360 degrees. With all the viewing polymer-like glass it doesn’t feel as claustrophobic as you might think. By next year the Titan’s implosion in 2023 will be a distant memory for some people. However, that event was not a positive for tiny submarines anywhere. The beautiful Madeira coastline. Here’s another place I could spend a ton of time. The population is a very manageable 250,000. The climate is temperate all year long as a result of being located in the Gulf Stream. Leaving the Island of Madeira bound for the States. From here it’s 10 days until we see any land.Chef’s market dinner after shopping in Madeira today. Great seafood and ahi, along with many island fruits and vegetables.Infinity pool at the rear of the ship. Not pictured is the adjacent and always necessary pool bar and grill. My view from in the pool looking forward at the ship. My view off the back from the pool. Nothing but water for a couple of thousand miles. It’s a very good feeling for me. My location somewhere in the Atlantic between Africa and The Americas on our way to the states.Beautiful sunset during cocktail time. What’s not to like here? So much prettier than flying back at 36,000 feet. And again, if you have the time, there’s nothing better than the “old-world” of traveling by ship. It puts my life into slow motion, which is a nice departure from what has become normal.
Lisbon is the last stop for me before I set sail for home in the States. Portugal is great. It’s eclectic, beautiful, old, new, and everything in between. The weather was perfect. The hotel I chose was in a great location just off the Avenue da Liberdade. Very walk friendly city, especially if you don’t mind hills. Lot’s of them here. Uber cars also work great.
Panoramic view of Lisbon.LX Market and one of its many bars. City walk on the Avenue da Liberdade.Little rental car. Definitely want to avoid any collisions in this thing. It’s electric too. Castle in Sintra. Inspires me to want to watch Game of Thrones.Coffee break at the LX Market.Great book store in the LX Market. Vintage audio as well as books being sold here.Classic albums same store. They also sold cassettes and 8tracks. Crazy.Walk in the park in Sintra. Touring option if the hills are too much. And this tuk tuk is quite festive too. Rent this one and it comes with all the corn chips you can eat, and a mariachi band.Parting shot of Lisbon as I set sail for the United States. More next week from the high-seas.
Syros has a lot going for it. It is the capital of the Cyclade Islands. The architecture is Venetian in style. There are plenty of art galleries, as well as music. The beaches are great, and as always, the restaurant, tavernas, and bars are as well. Some beaches are quiet and off the beaten path, while others are full service and popular. While there is a small airport with infrequent flights, the primary choice of transportation is the inter-island ferry. The ferry from mainland Greece is just under 2 hours in duration. If there was one island of the many Greece Islands which I have visited over the years where I would want to spend a significant amount of time, this one is it. I could live here for months on end.
Coastline near the main town of Ermoupoli. The ferry I arrived on from Naxos. The coastline at night has great luminescense. I could hear the music playing from the club below and the hour was past 1AM. Daytime image of the same coast. Hotel Aristides. This little charming hotel has only 8 suites for accommodation. To the left is its garden restaurant. The hotel lobby is eclectic and the owners saw to a great restoration of the building. The stairs, banisters, and columns are all Carrara marble. Town square in Ermoupoli. Many of the sidewalks as well as this square are also Carrara marble. On the positive side the marble lasts for centuries, but as slippery as ice on teflon when it rains. Interesting art galleries abound on Syos. This particular piece was created before the recent popular Barbie movie was released. Oil on canvas, 61cm x 91cm. Backgammon anyone. How do you say “can I play winner” in Greek?Typical street scene. And typical couple enjoying wine at the Box of Bush wine bistro.Great full service beach. Some days just call for it. Beers, cocktails, burgers, or sushi. I expected to spend 3 hours or so, but ended up spending the entire day. Long enough to have two meals and plenty of drinks. I did get back to the hotel before dark.Same beach, different perspective. The full service beaches in Greece are so good. There are a couple of dine-in restaurants too. That’s where this image was captured.Afternoon bliss. It’s easy to see why I spent the entire day here.A short walk from the Aristides Hotel brought me to dinner and this restaurant in the street. Great Mediterranean fare. The string band although not great, pulled me in like a magnet.And the band played on. They were having more fun than their expressions indicate. Keep buying them grappa and maybe they start to smile. I bought them two rounds just to see. This image was captured before the rounds. Very intoxicated but happy couple. No shortage of smiles here. This guy was a salty old sailor. They were at the table just next to mine. Not sure if they were a father and daughter, or if they were something else. My best guess is… not sure. Everyone is so friendly it’s hard to tell.Charming little bakery and great coffee too.I hiked up to a church and got this fabulous view of the main harbor below. This religion must have had some allure back in the day, because the walk to get here from the center of town was all uphill and lasted about two hours. I guess a follower must really have wanted whatever this place is selling.
My next stop is Lisbon, Portugal. Until then, safe travels wherever you go.
Naxos is a charming island in the Cyclade Islands to the south of the Greek mainland. It is a large island with great beaches, mountain villages, and ancient ruins. A rental car is necessary for seeing much of what this island has to offer. The people are very friendly and welcoming. It’s quite a family friendly place too. The feel of this place is “unresorty” and non-touristic. Rather it feels normal and non-exclusive. The other thing I noticed about this part of Europe is that nearly everyone smokes or vapes. It seems so European. Almost makes me want an after dinner cigarette. When I look around, it looks like a very pleasant experience.
Many of the beaches are family friendly place. Probably because parents don’t have to worry too much about their kids being swept away by the surf.Wind surfing is big on certain parts of the island. The winds are fairly consistent and predictable. The land mass far across the water is the island of Paros.Great place for lunch on the drive to one of the mountain villages. This little place was called Rotunda. Not for those folks suffering from acrophobia. 500 Year old olive trees just outside the little mountain village. Hard to fathom that these trees were nothing more than mere saplings when the famous portrait of Mona Lisa was painted by DaVinci in the 1500s.Village street on the higher interior part of the island. It appears as though everyone here is on holiday. Plenty of day-drinking, and of course smoking.
Naxos town in the distance. Although it appears to be a large town, it has only 12,000 inhabitants.
Evening scene at a popular restaurant in Naxos Town. Seventy-five percent of the restaurants’ dining space is alfresco. These guys create some magical dishes at the Del Mar Cafe. The lasagna was so light it just about floated off the plate.Another hotel I loved. Only 12 rooms and just a 4 minute walk to my new favorite restaurant noted above.Fabulous greek fair offered by a fabulous greek family. At first I was just walking by, then I was drawn into it by the allure of the aromas and the vibe. Here I am inside. This was a great traditional greek restaurant owned by the Giannoulis Family. I have found that the house wines served at most of these restaurants, while not in jeopardy of winning any awards, are very drinkable and perfect with almost all of the cuisine served. So much so that it was the rare dinner experience where we consumed less than 1.5 liters. About a 750ml bottle per person. Also important to note is that no adverse consequences were experienced the next morning. I love this country.
I chartered a catamaran in September in order to explore some of the Ionian Islands. Since I wasn’t entirely confident in my level of sailing expertise, I also enjoyed the company of a Greek captain and his lovely Turkish wife. She was acting as our hostess. She did some light cooking too. They, and the few friends who were joining me for this charter, made for a pretty magical time together. It was the perfect vessel for sailing from island to island and otherwise enjoying this scenically beautiful area. The Ionian Islands are just off the western coast of the Greek mainland. Daytime temperatures were in the mid 80s (or 30 degrees celsius). Nightime temperatures range from 72-78 degrees. The sea is a refreshing 80 degrees. We were in the water several time a day. The places we chose to visit are largely frequented by Greek tourists, rather than drawing a more international crowd. Consequently, these places are much less touristic and this results in a more intimate experience at every point.
View from the water of the Bali 4.8 Catamaran. The catamaran is very stable because of its 25 foot width. We were able to sail unassisted by its motors about half of the time we were on the water. Here we took a break to swim and paddle-board to a nearby beach. Rear view of the vessel. Besides its 6 cabins and 6 bathrooms this vessel has great common areas. The view shown here illustrates the openness of the main deck area. The entire rear wall with its sliding doors recesses up into the ceiling, thus disappearing for the entire time we spent. It allows the outside and inside to become one very large and comfortable area with seating for 12-14 people.While almost all of our dinners were enjoyed in little restaurants and tavernas in the little villages we visited, breakfasts and some lunches were enjoyed on-board. This image was taken in the morning after filling the water tanks and getting some important provisions like more tequila and ice. Otherwise the Bali was well provisioned with everything we needed.The first of many snorkeling sites. Great water temperatures and clarity allowed for some incredible snorkeling. As can be seen there is no development. This spot was as quiet and pristine as it gets. Another image of the snorkeling coastline. In the distance on the left the sandy beach can be seen.The limestone features make for an interesting contrast.Antipaxos, this was our home for the night. This image was taken as we were sailing away in the morning. Some of the nights we had to moor instead of a marina tie-up. This night we had a tie up. The Bali had a small dingy for shuttling people from the boat to the shore when marina tie-up was not possible. These little villages are fantastic. Lots of bars, restaurants, little boutiques, and some dancing.Shopping for fruits and vegetables. Another afternoon and another little harbor for the evening. This place is known as the island of Paxos.Post sunset from the boat.A different evening and another beautiful stop for the overnight.The village at dusk is shot from above after a short hike up. On this particular night we moored the Bali in the harbor below. Then a 10 minute dingy transfer to the shore. Dinner by the little harbor. Eat, drink, and be merry then walk back to our home away from home. This group looks pretty merry indeed. Oddly enough, and it may be hard to see, but the woman seated on the far-back left bears a strong resemblance to that housekeeper I had in Sicily back in 2013. What’s crazier is that she doesn’t seem to get any older. Bella luna and some great cloud formations when I returned to the catamaran after dinner in the village. Perfect moment to enjoy a small glass of mastic and savor the view.
When the time on the catamaran is done we all part company. I will be headed to spend some time in the islands to the south of the Greek mainland known as the Cyclades. Until then, keep exploring.
This was a great choice to visit. It’s on the Dalmatian Coast in the Adriatic Sea. The city was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979 in recognition of its outstanding medieval architecture and fortified old town. The city dates back to the 7th century. In 1991 it was besieged by the Yugoslav People’s Army for 7 months and suffered significant damage from bombings and shellings (See image below).
Sunrise along the Dalmatian Coast just outside Dubrovnik.One unique bridge. Gotta love the physics at play here. Visitors entering the walled city. There was a lot filming done here for the HBO series The Game of Thrones. It’s easy to see why. Typical street inside the city. There are numerous taverns, restaurants, and shops.Love seeing stuff like this Vespa displayed in stores. This is the plaza area within the city. A curious candy lover for sure. Not just another “looky lu.” She was not leaving without sampling and buying a variety of these tasty treats.A view toward the marina and harbor. 1991. The walled city after being bombed and shelled by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. 2022. Same perspective as the image just above, but 31 years later. The clock tower still stands. The restoration of this site is nothing short of incredible.
This is one stunningly beautiful place in the Balkans. It’s bordered by Serbia and Bosnia, and Kosovo to the east. Kotor was founded in the 5th century. The old city was built in 12th to m14th centuries. The protected walls lead up the the fortress of Saint Ivan. Kotor is on the World Heritage list.
Within the walled city people enjoy taverns, restaurants, museums, and old churches.Just another quiet street where some businesses are closed for the season.Just outside the gate you can see what was once a functioning draw-bridge. Scarf man was happy I was in his shop. The pending hike up to the old fortress. Assuming you can, this is something you must do when visiting Kotor.Steps, steps, and more steps on the way up to the top. The view from above. It had to be at least 1,800 steps to the fortress at the top. I’m glad I wasn’t part of the construction crew who built it. The mountain range behind the old fortress does not look like it’s easily crossable. Thus, no sizable attacks could be mustered from this direction.Part of the old fortress. All the materials were transported up from the city below.Descending from the fortress back down to Kotor.
Perast
Perast is a tiny village about a 30 minute ride from Kotor. It’s right on the water and a great place to grab lunch. There is some fishing here, but not a lot more to do.
Perast from the street above. Not much to look at from this perspective except the beautiful Adriatic Sea.Perast from the water. This little town is absolutely charming and so picturesque.
