TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE DIARIES

Where else can you have a little picnic on the beach while waiting for your flight back home? Answer: Mytilene Airport in Lesvos Island (Grecian archipelago) That’s what we literally did while waiting for our flight back to Amsterdam from Mytilene (also spelled as Mytilini) in Lesvos Island, Greece last summer. As with packaged holidays (yes, I do both—packaged holidays and DIY holidays for various reasons that makes our lives easy and exciting), you get a pick-up and transfer in your arrangement which is quite handy but this also means that the tour agency allot enough time in between to guarantee that passengers do not miss their flights. From Anaxos where we stayed is 1.5 hours to Mytilene Airport which is situated right on the seaside. Looking at the clock and seeing that we have an hour and a half to bum around, we decided to scuttle outside the airport and cross the street to the seaside, and voila, we saw the opportunity to have a little picnic. Earlier on the day ...

Dutchman and I were really surprised with the nightlife in Mytilene. Firstly, it is FULL of locals, mostly the younger group—15 years old to 30. I have mentioned before that Lesvos Island is not a very touristy island. The holidaymakers are mostly concentrated up north where the resorts are located. Thus Mytilene was really a local haven. There are few holidaymakers here. Secondly, the nightlife scene is quite mature in the sense that you don’t see wild teenagers strutting in Spice Girls outfits and thick makeup with lipstick colour matching their pumps, and groups of rowdy and intoxicated Backstreet Boys vomiting on the pavement. I remember Dutchman and I watching these groups in Crete and Kos. Thirdly, the night life scene is outdoors. Well, I am sure there are nightclubs and discotheques but the main scene is concentrated along the harbour. It’s like a one big outdoor lounge where people can chat and laugh with friends whilst drinking cocktails and listening to ...

Spotted these in Mytilene, the capital city of Lesvos Island: Oh, I love loukoumades! Lovely when poured over with sugar syrup.They are the round ones at the back. They are sinful fatty delights, so eat moderately please. Not sure what those sweets in the fore. They looked like fried mini lumpias. Um, I am not sure what this is? They look like a baklava round pie to me. Yummy grilled sweet corn on a cob. I used to be crazy about them when I was little. Dutchman and I visited an Asian thrift shop as well and saw all kinds of junk sold there including these cheap plastic guns and rifles. They quite look so real. These kinds of toy guns and rifles are prohibited in the Netherlands. You would be taken custody by the police if caught with these in the country. But surely not in Greece! Honestly, if I am a mother (which I am not), I would never buy toys like these for my children. It's just not right. Why encourage the little ones to think about war and ki...

It was quite a long drive, about an hour, from the north in Anaxos (where we stayed) to the capital city of Lesvos Island—MYTILENE. Luckily we went with our newly rented little car instead of the scooter. After a week of having the scooter we changed it with a car so we can travel to farther places in the island. Lesvos is quite big, and is the third biggest island in the Greek archipelago. A car obviously is much comfortable than a scooter. Now we were told by the travel agency that if we were caught parking illegally in Mytilene, this will cost us 300 EUR! So we made sure to park at the designated areas just outside the core centrum. If you travel here with a car, take heed if you do not want to end up paying the ridiculous amount. They target the guileless holidaymaker. When we first caught sight of the panoramic Mytilene harbour, we were impressed. It is a beauty! Check out the pictures below: I also went to check out the Cathedral of the city which is located very near to t...

While visiting Mytilene, the capital city of Lesvos Island in Greece, Dutchman and I passed by the little village of Moria. It is famous for its Roman Aqueduct that dates back to the 2nd century. The aqueduct was built to bring water to Mytilene from the nearby springs. The 'Roman Aqueduct' is about 6 kilometres from the capital city, Mytilene. Anyway, I had to sweet-talk the Dutchman to come here. He’s sadly a barbarian when it comes to culture and history. When he was little, this poor blonde boy was dragged unwillingly by his parents all over Europe to visit ancient villages, historical ruins, castles and palaces, old art and architecture, UNESCO world heritage sites and such. So in that regard, he has seen a lot. He is quite tired of travelling and he always tells me, ‘If you have seen it once, you have seen it enough.’ Well, I don’t quite agree! Enjoy the pictures =) Travel Period: June-July 2012 Destination: Moria (Mytilene – Lesvo...