The Colors of Mykonos

Oh, the debate I had with myself over the title of this blog post.  My readership is pretty much evenly split between the US and UK (with about 10% various other countries).  So...  do I use the American spelling "colors" and let half of you think I just can't spell.  Or do I use "colours" and risk the other half think I'm a wannabe Brit who will next start speaking with a fake British accent like Madonna.  Dilemma. Anywho,  I posted before about all of the reds of Mykonos.  Here are some more photos of this beautiful place sorted by color colour... err chromaticity.   

Girlfriend Getaway in Mykonos, Greece

Gina and I still talk about our last Girls' Trip.  A few years ago we had an incredible time in Provence with Erin and Sarah (miss you!).  Matt gives me the side eye when I still declare it the "best trip ever."  We've been talking about doing another trip since then.  But you know how it is... you keep talking about it but then it doesn't actually happen.  Life gets in the way.   The only way to get around that is to just book the trip!  So we did.  We booked a long weekend in Mykonos, Greece.  Guess what?  "Best Trip Ever!"

Everything's Rosé in Mykonos

Galileo eloquently stated that "Wine is sunlight, held together by water."   My girls' weekend in Mykonos, Greece with Gina was all about sunlight, water and wine.  The cycladic architecture of the Greek Islands features the iconic white-washed cube houses with dominant azure blue accents, all against the backdrop of the turquoise sea.  But while editing my photos another color also popped out of many of the scenes.    The deep rose color of the wine that we shared over our four day escape. 

Fisherman's Village in Koh Samui

My final post about our week in Thailand and I'm now convinced that we need to go back.  And this time we need to stay even longer.  While we were in Koh Samui we mostly just relaxed and enjoyed the beach.  But we did venture a little bit further one evening to experience the Friday Market at Fisherman's Village. 

Koh Samui, Thailand

After our crazy few days in both Bangkok, Thailand and Yangon, Myanmar it was time to move on to the part of the vacation that I had been dreaming about.  As Zac Brown would say "I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand."  (You can take the girl out of Texas...)   Koh Samui is a large resort island off of the east coast of Thailand, second only to Phuket in popularity with tourists.  That is where we spent the reminder of our holiday, soaking in the sun.

Is it safe to visit Egypt?

The most common question that we get regarding our trip to Egypt is about safety.  Some do not consider Egypt a safe travel destination currently.  Although many do.  According to the UK government, "Over 900,000 British nationals visit Egypt every year. Most visits are trouble-free."  

Of course I was concerned when we were planning our trip.  We did hours of the research and I felt confident that we would be safe.  We can't tell you if it is safe to travel to Egypt, but I thought we should address the issue on our blog.  Because Matt is such an experienced traveler, I asked him to help me write this post to get the conversation started. 

Melia de Mar Majorca

The hotel that we chose for our weekend in Majorca was the three-star Meliá de Mar, an adults only hotel in Illetas.  They are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and it was the perfect location for our sunshine getaway.

The hotel is right on the water.  It’s surrounded by a rocky outcrop, but there is a little cove to swim in and a small beach just around the corner.  For the big white beaches of Majorca you’ll have to venture out by taxi, but we were more than happy to spend our time relaxing by the pool. 

All of the rooms in the hotel face the ocean and have balconies.  You just can’t beat the views from high up.  Our room had a separate living room and a ton of space.  The massive, cushy bed faced the windows perfectly and the two large balconies were used for several naps.  

Our upgrade to The Level gave so many wonderful perks, included access to their exclusive lounge.  Throughout the day, we would venture there for a complimentary snack or a drink. 

There are several bars and restaurants on the premises.  There's little need to venture out if you don't want to. 

I’ll admit that a pet peeve of mine is when people reserve loungers for the entire day, but then never show up.  At one point I counted about 35 empty lounges in prime spots being held with towels.   But if you have any trouble, just ask for assistance.  The pool staff were very helpful in pulling two loungers together for us and getting us an umbrella. 

Our upgrade to The Level also gave us the use of a big white sunbed for one day with a complimentary fruit tray and bottle of cava.  (Be sure to reserve your sunbed ahead of time.)  There is a full spa and gym on the premises if you just aren't relaxed enough. 

My only complaint is that our stay just wasn’t long enough.  About the time we started to really relax and settle in, it was time to head home. 

Have you ever enjoyed a day on a big white sunbed?

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We booked our stay at Meliá de Mar as part of a package.
Our upgrade to The Level was complimentary for the purposes of review.
  All photos, writing and opinions are my own.
As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.  

One Happy Island

*This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Aruba Tourism Authority. All opinions are 100% mine.

We love to cruise.

In fact, our next cruise is only eight weeks away and I'm getting so excited.

Recently, someone told me that cruising doesn't count as travel.

Uhm. Excuse me?  What did you just say?  Doesn't count as travel?

Pfft.  Whatever, dude.

Cruising is one of the best ways to travel!

It's like the Taster's Menu of travel.  You get to visit five countries in one week.

Sure, it's a short stay but you get to experience someplace completely new.

And if you fall in love, you add it to the list of places to revisit for a longer stay.

Aruba is the perfect example.

We spent a wonderful day in Aruba in 2011 while on a Caribbean Cruise.

Aruba is an island about 20 miles long and 6 miles wide in the Dutch Antilles.

With a year round temperature of 82 degrees, it's the ideal place to getaway.

Not to mention that it’s located just below the hurricane belt so is usually dry.

We spent a few hours with a small group touring the interior of the island.

We stopped at the California Lighthouse, rock formations,

and one of the oldest churches on the island.

 

Then we spent a few hours relaxing on one of Aruba’s beautiful white beaches, Eagle Beach.

On an island of beaches, Eagle Beach is one of the best,

voted the top beach in the Caribbean in a USA Today survey

of frequent travellers and travel writers.

With a wide, expanse of soft white sand and gentle turquoise water it was the ideal spot.

We spent most of our time watching a huge pelican dive for fish

right in the middle of all of the swimmers.

I love watching them dive bomb, they’re so agile and precise.

It's definitely on the list of places we'd love to revisit for a longer stay.

How would you spend your time in Aruba?

Visit  Aruba travel to check out all of the options.

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This is a sponsored post which means I was compensated.  All photos, writing and opinions are my own.  The video is via the Aruba Tourism Authority.  As always, I promise to be open, honest and transparent with my readers.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Sunset Walk on the Beach

Our next day in Portugal was spent much like the previous day, relaxing on the beach.

Lunch at the snack bar.

Afternoon glass of wine in the hotel.

A satisfying seafood dinner under the moonlight.

But the highlight of the weekend had to be the sunset walk on the beach with my love.

Promise

'From sunrise to sunset,
I want to watch it with you,
From sunrise to sunset,
I want to live it with you,
I want us to walk our sunsets together,
Love you forever.

Vizard Dhawan

Do you celebrate when the sun finally dips below the horizon?

Maybe with giddy applause?  Or a sweet kiss?

Do you strain your ears to hear the distant hiss of fire meeting water?

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