Konstandinidis Bakery in Athens Greece

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In a recent visit to Greece, I stopped by a local bakery in Athens called Konstandinidi's or at least that what I think the name it in English. Their website takes forever to load, so be patient if you click through. It is one of those old fashioned bakeries that still make everything they did when the family first started. The bakery was wonderful. The shop had the most incredible aroma that it was impossible not to buy something.  

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Gazing over trays and trays of cookies I was gaga. One of the bakers let me taste these white powdered sugar cookies, which were like the "butter ball" cookies my grandmother used to bake. They were so delicious that i bought 2 pounds...or should i say 1 kilogram size box of them.

You only have to look at this photo to see what I mean. It was a veritable feast for the eyes. Drizzles of chocolate, swirls of honey, sprinklings of sliced almonds, it was all so delicious. Baked goods are my kryptonite. Cakes, cookies, breads, pastries, that is the secret weapon to disarm me in seconds flat. Or at least get me to part with my Euros. Needless to say that it was one of the best bakeries I have ever visited. So if you are ever in Athens, Greece, stop by. I can't even tell you the website because it is all in Greek! 

If you can read Greek, maybe this will help you identify the bakery!

The Aegean Sea Cruise: Mykonos, Greece

Ah Mykonos at last! I’d been looking forward to visiting Mykonos for many years. Last year’s trip to the Mediterranean included just one stop in Greece- Corfu which was lovely, but the least typical of the Greek islands. Without a doubt, Mykonos is a jewel in the Aegean Sea. When you first see the coastline of Mykonos, you can’t help but be affected by its breathtakingly beauty. The stark visual contrasts are burned in my mind’s eye. Crisp square-shaped white houses with blue accents on doors and shutters, rocky terrain set in the middle of sapphire-blue waters of the Aegean. A relatively small island, Mykonos offers plenty for everyone. Winding alleys with charming white painted walkways, cafes, and hundreds of little shops with everything from souvenirs, clothing, home décor and jewelry as far as you can see. Nearby Delos is an uninhabited island with ruins around the Greek god Apollo. Delos is a national museum as has fascinating insights to ancient Greek history.
The locals and tourists alike are happy relaxing on the beach, boating or just enjoying the fresh and delicious food- eating is a social activity here, and with good reason. We stopped for lunch at one of the many cafes along the main waterfront area and feasted on a delicious Greek salad, some zucchini meatballs, Arabic pie (cheese, tomato and basil) and something they called Pasticia (it was like lasagne with pasta, Bolognese and béchamel sauce. We washed it all down with a cold Mythos beer, just to keep things completely authentic Greek. I took a bunch of photos while in Mykonos. In the interests of not usingup too much internet access time I'll just lump them all below. You'll get a good idea of how wonderful it is here. First, here are photos of lunch:


Look how charming this kitty is in the blue window:


above: cafe's line the streets and waterfront







above: we saw pelicans just walking around the streets and ont waterfront as if they were tourists

above: I just liked the look of this old Greek man sitting here



We were utterly taken with Mykonos; it is the sort of place where you can lose yourself in the abundant sunshine and be mesmerized by the gentle waters. I’m ready to pack up the poodles and cat and move here. Today we’re at sea, sailing to Egypt, so stay tuned…
-Rick Rockhill

The Aegean Sea Cruise: Athens, Greece

The long awaited arrival in Athens came quietly in the very early morning hours on Friday. I woke up at 4:00 AM, it was still dark, but I could see that we had arrived in Athens. From my balcony, what I saw was a populated, sprawling city, and no evidence of antiquity of this ancient city. It wasn’t until we journeyed well into town that we caught our first glimpse of the pride and glory of Greece. When I first saw the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Acropolis from afar, they looked like something on a movie set. It wasn’t of course until you get closer that it becomes very real. You can feel the history when in its presence. The core of ancient Athens was built high up on a hill, with temples and monuments to the Greek Gods. Athena, goddess of wisdom was important to the ancient Greeks, as was Poseidon, god of the sea. Both are honored in these magnificent temples that overlook the all important Aegean Sea from afar. Throughout its history, Athens had various foreign rulers, including the Roman Emperor Hadrian who ordered the Olympian Temple of Zeus and his own Hadrian’s Arch constructed. We walked up to the Acropolis, a fair climb on a path paved with stones. We approached the Propylea, which lead us into the Parthenon, then the Erectheion and the porch of the Caryatids. Looking down we could see what remains of Dionysus Theatre. It was all still in amazing condition, but the government is slowly reconstructing it all, following the exact same process, materials and methods used by the ancient Greeks, except for the use of cranes. The visit to this area was memorable-one which I would recommend seeing if you can get to Greece. Later we had a really delicious lunch at a local restaurant where there were barely any tourists to be found. That’s the sort of place I like to eat when I travel. It may sound cliché, but we each had a Greek Salad (no lettuce- tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, green peppers, kalmata olives and huge hunks of feta cheese). We also had Greek Crepes, filled with cheese and vegetables. It was served with fresh baked sesame bread, and I indulged with a Greek beer, Alfa or something like that. What a delicious meal. We explored Athens on foot, taking in the sights, sounds and signs; take this sign for example:

What the heck does this say anyway?
Modern Athens is a huge city, and some parts are not pretty at all- but that is city life anywhere.

above: an lovely Greek Church

above: the Parliament building
I did enjoy poking around some of the markets and shops that serve the locals. Things like fish markets, dried goods, all kinds of things sold in bulk. Check out these photos:

Fish Market



These fresh olives looked so delicious!
I went into one shop and tasted some alcoholic drink called Raki I think. It was so strong. I can hardly believe I drank something from a shop keeper that was poured out of a bottle I didn’t even look at! At any rate I did a bit of shopping and was quite happy with our time in Athens. Here are all the photos I took of the ancient ruins and temples:

above: temple of Olympian Zeus

bove: Thesseion

above: Hadrian's Arch

above: Dionysus Theatre

above: Wet Doggie at the Acropolis!

above: at the Acropolis

above: approaching the Acropolis, Athena's Temple
Other than the hideous amounts of rain that kept pouring down most of the day, we enjoyed it. And we now have an overpriced umbrella as a souvenir. Today we’re in Kusadasi, Turkey. I hope you can come back again for more adventures from the Aegean Sea Cruise. Thanks for stopping by!
-Rick Rockhill

Mediterranean Cruise Day 9: Corfu, Greece

The Mediterranean Cruise Blog continues, with an update from Corfu Greece. Corfu is located on the Ionian sea, situated between Greece and Italy, and very close to Albania. Typical with many Mediterranean locales, Corfu has had a rich and varied history, having been ruled by the Romans, Venetians, French and British. The old town in Corfu is very charming; you can see the Fortress and Citadel quite easily while walking around. While the summers are quite dry, apparently they receive lots of rain in the winter months, which keeps the island quite green and lush. In addition to all the beautiful flowers and vegetation, Corfu boasts more than 4 million olive trees, making this tiny island third in olive oil production after Italy and Spain.

We started the day driving around Corfu along the coast to enjoy the early morning sun. First on our agenda was an area called Paleokastritsa, which has stunning westerly views of the bay of the Ionian Sea, which opens out into the Adriatic. We saw the legendary rocky island said to be the petrified ship of Odysseus. Whether you choose to believe the legend, it certainly looks like a ship sitting in the middle of the bay.

While in Paleokastritsa we went to the Monastery of the Virgin Mary, which was built in 1288. The chapel at the monastery is quite beautiful, with a nice collection of Byzantine art and religious icons. Following Greek Orthodox custom, I paused to light some candles and said a brief prayer.

Later we made our way to the Esplanade, which is the main square in Corfu, which has a large park, lined with palm trees and also has an English cricket pitch from the days when the British Empire ruled this island.

We also went into the Church of St. Spyridon, a 16th century church built by wealthy Venetians who respected the Greek customs and Orthodox religion. It has a combination of Italian style art and Byzantine art, which is unusual for a Greek church. While in St Spyridon, I watched a steady stream of Greek men and woman, young and old pass through to kiss the many icons and also the silver coffin of St Spyridon. I went in and touched the coffin, but did not kiss it, as I felt it would not be genuine to do so.

I managed to do a bit of shopping while in Corfu, including two new rings, both with Greek designs. I love finding things with a local flavor like that. We had a delicious lunch at a traditional Greek restaurant on the Esplanade. I had a Greek Salad with ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers and fresh feta cheese that was “to die for”. My main course had a chicken, olives, cheese, pine nuts and capers, it was delicious! Of course, being in the Mediterranean we had a bottle of red wine with lunch, so as to observe the local customs, naturally.

Corfu was a wonderful port of call, and was quite memorable. I’d like to return to Greece and visit some of the other islands someday. After leaving Corfu, we sailed to Albania, and continued onto Montenegro. We will spend Wednesday in Kotor, which will be a new experience for me as I have never been to Montenegro.
Here are the photos from our day in Corfu, Greece:

above: The old Fortress and Citadel
Views of Corfu

above left: the belltower of St Spyridon.

Monastery of the Virgin Mary in Paleokastritsa

above: there was an old woman handing out the candles in the chapel. I bought two and lit them and said a prayer before I left.

above: a cute patio restaurant overlooking the seaside. above right: a perfect restaurant for lunch!

above: the coast of Albania

Thanks for stopping by today, tomorrow we are in Kotor, Montenegro.

-Signore Ricardo Rockhill