July 11, 2025

I'm already tired of summer......

 

Lots of Datura plants in the Sandia foothills.  Pretty but very poisonous.  As you can see there are a lot of blooms, so there's always a show when we walk by in the morning.

Because our dogs need a walk most everyday, there is no sleeping in much around here during these super hot days.  Yesterday was 101F (38.3C).  This is the first week of festival baking, which works out OK since the hall is air conditioned and it's way too hot after 10am to be outside.....even at 7:00am you can feel the heat and you know it's gonna be a hot one.  bleh. We have already baked over 3,000 koulourakia.  This year is the 50th anniversary of the St George Greek Festival, and I'm sure we'll have a lot of folks coming this year! 


We don't put sesame seeds on ours though.  They are so good, I don't miss them at all

I am currently embroidering this design on the back of my denim jacket.....

 

The goal is to finish it up by the end of the summer.  I have some down time during the hot part of the day, so I thought, why not?  This design really appealed to me....I love to read.  

                                                            The Island of Delos 

I am so glad I was in Greece while all the poppies were blooming.  


 

The Sacred Way ~ the lions were dedicated to the sanctuary of Apollo and the sacred lake of Delos.  Ancient history here ~ all this would have been new in the 6th Century BC.  And although these lions are replicas of the originals that are in the museum, it's amazing that all the artifacts, buildings, statues, etc. have been around since then.  

This isn't my photo, but you can see many of the ruins and the ancient port of Delos.  I am not sure because I am not well traveled, but the Aegean Sea is really one of the most beautiful.


 

Extremely weathered, but still amazing.  Not me, the statue, haha


One of the beautiful mosaics in Delos.  

My homage to Hermes for putting up with someone creating this hairdo.  Yikes......


 

A lone statue standing as a sentry, forgotten in time and nearly unrecognizable due to erosion.

Next time: Santorini!

Have a great weekend!

Love, 365 

 

July 3, 2025

Mykonos....

If I had a dollar (or a euro) for each church we saw on our travels through Greece, I may have been able to cover half of the cost of the entire trip!  There were plenty in Athens, but when we visited the islands they were much more visible.  Some were small; they were built to honor someone in the family, such as a loved one who died during war and conflict ~ but I imagine there were many different reasons for building these tiny memorial chapels.  Our tour guide mentioned that many are built as a private family chapel, or are churches that honor the Saint of a local village.  I also visited a few cathedrals, which were stunning.  

I am not sure if our guide was correct in saying that this small church was one of the most photographed in Greece, but it is near plenty of restaurants.   

This church (which is considerably bigger) is about 20 yards from the one pictured above.  The cafe owners were cleaning up and preparing for the influx of tourists that would happen a couple of weeks from when we were there ~ so there were some that weren't open yet, including around half of the hotels. 

Mykonos....

It's easy to get turned around, wondering where you are ~ but eventually you catch a glimpse of the sea and you're back on track.

Note the date on the door of this church (1816).  The inscription, color and door columns caught my eye.


 

Mykonos is so picturesque!  

 The Mykonos windmills were primarily used from the 16th century until the mid-20th century. They were built by the Venetians and were strategically positioned to harness the strong northern winds to grind grains like wheat and barley. The windmills played a vital role in the island's economy, particularly in the 17th-19th centuries, by producing flour for both local consumption and trade. While still standing and serving as iconic landmarks, the windmills ceased their operational use with the advent of modern technology and the decline of traditional grain milling.   **I wish there had been one that had it's sails intact so we could view them turning!

Colorful little Venice.  Later, there were 4 girls practicing their cheerleading skills right on this beach ~ in their bikinis of course!  It was really chilly too.


 

I have been playing around with Copilot ~ a new app on my iphone.  Hmmm, it made me look younger and skinnier!  I like it!

As Dave and Ruth are heading up the path, I had to stop and take a photo of this little shop called Happiness.  My own was thwarted, as it was closed.  😊. Ruth and Dave were very kind to the solo travelers like me, and often invited us to dinner, drinks, and a wine tasting.
 
The hotel in Mykonos was one of my favorites, and this was the view from the balconey.


 


 Our tour guide, Michael took us to the Lighthouse point to take these gorgeous photos of the sunset.  It was extremely windy and cold, so as we were waiting for that magic moment, we huddled on the side of the old lighthouse out of the wind.

And this seems a good place to stop for now!  

No, I did not post every photo.  There are too many!

Love, 365 

I'm already tired of summer......

  Lots of Datura plants in the Sandia foothills.  Pretty but very poisonous.  As you can see there are a lot of blooms, so there's alway...