Sometimes, from Vathy, on days with clear sky, you can see the peak of Mt Karvounis. And, if you look carefully, you can see three structures: white thingy on the right and two brown thingies on the left. That made me curious: what are they? Let’s find out! I searched for a bike rental shop in Vathy. I found only one place (open) and they were not renting bikes at Continue…
Samos is not just beaches. The island is mountainous. In the center you can find Mount Karvounis, reaching over 1100m. In the western part, Mount Kerkis reaches over 1400m. Mount Karvounis is covered by forests and vineyards. Small villages are perched on its slopes. We visited a few of them, like Manolates, Vourliotes and Pyrgos. They have the characteristic Mediterranean architecture, with white houses, blue doors and window frames, red Continue…
The Island of Samos was this year’s CICLing Conference host. The island is known as a popular tourist attraction and an important source for wine. Tourist season has not started yet – most shops and restaurants were closed. This might seem bad, but I really enjoyed the quiet and peaceful streets. The island has been populated for thousands of years. A few places on the island (like Pythagorio and the Continue…
Farewell Bucharest! Hello Athens! A short flight from Athens (less than 300 km) took me to the island of Samos. The airport there was cute – small and remote, just like an island’s airport is supposed to feel like. 15 km away lies Vathy, the most important town and harbor on the island. Up a little hill is the hotel where I’m staying, with views towards the city, sea and Continue…
We were on the island of Phi Phi Don. Just a couple of km away lies the island of Phi Phi Lee, major tourist attraction after the movie The Beach got filmed there. In the movie, it was presented as a hidden paradise, a lagoon encircled by vertical cliffs, with a beach where you could live and forget about outside society. Obviously, Thai travel agents have continued to present Phi Continue…