A quiet time in Mykonos

The economic downturn was very evident in Mykonos this summer. The maddening crowds were nowhere to be found, there was no wait time for the island's top restaurants and we were upgraded to the villa at the Geranium Moonlight Hotel even though we had paid for the more affordable Geranium Town Suites. Blame it on the recession and the string of poor reviews Alex has received on Trip Advisor. We finally felt like our loyalty to the Gorgieve Empire was rewarded. I must note that we were banished to the maid's quarters for the last 2 nights but I can't complain because that's what we paid for.

Much seafood was consumed and paired with cheap rosé wine at Kiki's and Kounelas restaurants. Most of our time was spent lingering at the Geranium pool ogling over a certain Serbian male model named Nicky but we did manage to make it to Elia beach twice. The biggest news on the island was that Pierro's, the oldest living Gay bar in the universe had lost its 40-year reign to a new club named Babylon. Many clubs have tried but have failed to overthrow Pierro's but it looks like Babylon, with its contemporary decor, hip crowd and great music, might have succeeded. Only time will tell.

The weather was great for the most part. The meltemi winds subsided for one day and made the heat unbearable. The overwhelming heat caused a power outage on the island at the exact moment that Ed was leaving for the airport. Poor Ed had to jump over the electronic fence in order to catch his cab to the airport. As a result, he twisted his ankle and broke a heel.

Our flight back was on Lufthansa. Having flown Lufthansa in First class in the past, I was expecting this flight to be just as memorable as my previous ones. I'm sad to say that it was less than satisfying. The cabin looked dated and the service was unorganized and spotty. The only highlight was the caviar service. As it turns out, we were asked to fill out a survey about our experience. Let's just say I'm glad I didn't actually pay for this flight.

A Swiss affair

This was our 14th visit to the Island of Mykonos. Things have changed quite a bit since our first stay, there's a Starbucks now, but the island manages to keep its charm. On this journey, we decided to try out Swiss airline's newly remodeled A330-300. We cashed in our United Airlines winnings from the Elite Choice contest and booked ourselves in First class. It had been a while since we had enough miles to fly in First so I was very excited about this trip. Swiss did not disappoint, in fact, I found the new cabin and service comparable to Singapore airlines. They don't serve caviar in First but everything else made up for it. We got a Bally dobb kit with La Prairie products in it, slippers and pajamas. The service was spot on and the food was plentiful. Most impressive was the new modern cabin.

We landed in Zurich with a few hours to freshen up in the First-class lounge before our flight to Rome, our stopover before Mykonos. We both took showers and Mr. M chose to take a nap in the dayroom while I feasted on nibbly bits.

The flight to Rome was short and uneventful; in fact we slept through most of it. In Rome we picked up our rental car, an upgrade to a BMW hatchback, and headed toward the Waldorf Rome Cavalieri. This is one of my favorite hotels in the world but I liked it much better when it was a Hilton. The rebranding has almost doubled the number of points required for a free night at this palace and has diminished the elite benefits. Nonetheless, we were upgraded to a lovely suite but had to pay a surcharge to have access to our beloved imperial lounge.

Our favorite restaurant, Myosotis, has gone out of business so we had dinner at Pierluigi's in Campo dei Fiori. The place is a total tourist trap and the meal was probably one of the worst I've had in Rome. I should have listened to my friend Shanone and gone to a restaurant in the Trastevere. Lezione appresa.

The next morning, we sunbathed at the lovely pool until noon and then headed off to the Prada outlet in Tuscany. The outlet was a dud but we managed to make a few forced purchases. I really enjoy the road trip and the stops at the many Autogrills on the way but have really been disappointed with the offerings at the outlet the past few times. I think this might be our last pilgrimage for a while.

Next stop Athens > Mykonos!