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Greek Blue

山林

Thanks to note, it is a lot of fun to look back at the photos I have saved over the years. I have collected some photos of the impressive blue I encountered when I visited Greece in 2012.

Santorini is a famous tourist destination. Even looking back at it now, the contrast between the white-painted buildings and the blue is beautiful and photogenic.

I traveled around the islands at a leisurely pace in April and May, avoiding the high season of July and August, so I didn't book any hotels in advance. I would find a nice-looking hotel as I happened to pass by, go in, ring the bell, ask if they had any vacancies for the day, have them show me a room, and if I liked it, I would negotiate the price. If I liked it even more after staying, I would extend my stay for two or three nights. In that kind of situation, it's better for the hotel to have someone stay than to leave the room empty for the day, so you can often negotiate a very low price.

I can't guarantee it, but the key to negotiating a great hotel at a bargain price is
not to bring in (large) luggage.

If you are traveling by rental car, leave your luggage in the car. If you absolutely must look for a hotel while carrying large luggage like a suitcase, I leave myself behind to watch the bags, and my husband goes to negotiate alone. By doing this, the negotiation is often easily settled at 50-70% of the regular price. Especially if it's a high-end hotel, you should (forcefully) exude that "elegant," "dignified," and "unfazed" vibe common to people who stay at such places, and you must never, ever say the reality that you haven't decided where to stay today, you're in trouble, you have so much luggage, it's the worst, etc. Once the negotiation is settled, you can have the luggage and your companion (me) appear later and check in promptly.

For example, the reason I was able to stay at a beautiful hotel in Santorini (at a bargain price) was because this strategy succeeded.

A wonderful hotel I found in Santorini, which I was able to stay at for a bargain price
It was divided into several rooms like a villa
It was spacious and relaxing
The breakfast was also delicious
It felt wonderful

I recently went to Istanbul, Turkey, around the same time of year (April-May), but I wonder why I felt the Greek sea was more beautiful, even though they are geographically close.

I don't remember seeing jellyfish in the Greek Mediterranean like I did in the Bosphorus Strait, but maybe that's because it was over 10 years ago?
The white paint, which looks like it has been applied in many layers, is very Greek.
In Santorini, there are many cave-like hotels where they have dug into the cliffs to create terraced rooms. Look at this blue of the sea.
Yacht harbors are everywhere you go in Greece.
This is not Santorini, but Mykonos.
Delos, an uninhabited island where only ruins remain.
Ruins on Delos. The lions are well-balanced and cool without looking childish.
I love Greece.
I also traveled around the mainland by rental car.
When people think of Greece, they imagine the sea, but the mainland also has many highlights.
I also encountered many divine, massive trees.
I also climbed Greece's highest peak, Mt. Olympus (2,917m). In Greek mythology, it is said that the twelve gods, including Zeus, the king of the gods, as well as Apollo and Poseidon, live on this mountain.
Actually, I got lost on this mountain while descending.
In April and May, there is still snow left on the summit.
I lost the trail while descending and kept going down into the valley. When I realized it, there were only goats around. The golden rule if you get lost on a mountain is to climb up, don't go down. Since I had already descended quite far into the valley at that point, it was very difficult and time-consuming to climb back up to the original path—if the days had been shorter, I might have ended up in a hopeless situation after dark.
There is a famous Greek (Crete) film called Zorba the Greek (a movie I love), and men who dance like Zorba (the old man) really do exist. It is no exaggeration to say that Greece is truly a paradise for men like Zorba (while the women are shadowy figures in the kitchen, etc.).
I was wearing a blue T-shirt, so I included it at the end; taken by my husband (he took a good shot).

Bonus included.


いいなと思ったら応援しよう！

山林 ❤️