The journey to these Greek islands was not my first and, hopefully, not the last, as it was long enough to fall in love with that place. Anyways, not going to amuse anyone with a long story and think it should be delivered shortly. So, here you go. 

Last year, an old friend of mine invited me to Greece with his friends, whom I didn't know, except for one guy I learned from my salesman's days. That was my friend's 50th birthday — no more, no less — and he got to the point that he wanted to go across the pond to celebrate half of his 100 (no kidding aside). I assume Greece was his wife's idea, but I never asked. 

We first flew to Athens for two nights, and there we agreed to begin from Mykonos. Everything was set, starting from a country guide to reservations and the transition between islands. A local boutique travel firm designed the itinerary, but it felt a little chaotic initially. 

I thought local guys did not like us Americans but soon realized — that was just how they were, a little sleepy. And they probably thought we were a little noisy, huh? This was a pretty inexpensive trip for all, though.

The first night at Mykonos, we enjoyed each other's company in Opia, a delicate dining area on top of the hill above the Chora. It'll award you a 180 degrees view around the town, including ports and far-stretched lagune. I believe it's the best night view you can get there in Summer.

Most restaurants offer Raki, a traditional homemade liquor made of grapes, very strong booze, really kicking you out of your ketosis, so be careful. The food was excellent, something in between a fusion and Mediterranean cuisine. Then we took off for the bar closer to our hotel, Palladium. I remember dancing with German frau, but I don’t remember how I ended up in bed alone — I was completely blank. 

The hotel was great, within a 15-minute walk to the Psarou beach. The gorgeous sea view suit delivered a breathtaking view, as promised. The massive pool was saturated with young women — definitely too luxurious to be a regular family spot, as I thought before. I wish I had more time alone, as the entire location was auspicious. I highly recommend it.

The next day we ordered a walking tour around the town. We stopped by Gioras, the oldest bakery on the island, and had a fabulous feta pie there. Then we had drinks by the Windmills, a lovely spot to meet Sunset. I had white wine, which I would recommend; if I remembered its type, was it Athiri?

There it is, Naxos. Number two on the route — went there by ferry. Upon arrival, we walked to The Temple of Apollo Ruins and Mitropolis Museum; both ruins seed a feeling of eternity inside you. Then we went to eat and ended up in the Archeological Museum.

We stayed at the Villa Marandi hotel, which served us the most authentic meals of the trip.

In general, Naxos is a great and more “laid back" resort, with a significant cultural benefit for each interested in the history of humankind. 

We visited Saint Anna Winery, where we learned about the different local varieties, not a large assortment. However, it's been a gratifying experience for me personally anyways. Besides, the landscape views downhill were astonishing.

Santorini was third. We took a ferry there, too. Such a wild place crowded with tourists, but I knew it would be.

If you can't breathe well during the noon heat, take a private tour to Fira and then up north, to Oia, early in the morning. Private tours are pleasantly off track; you can stop any time by any unknown, but worth seeing spots on the route.

We started in the town of Fira, with its well-known Museum of Prehistoric, then went through the Cathedral of Saint John Baptist to the Church of the Resurrection of the Lord. Next, we stopped by Skaros Rock, an ancient castle ruins on an outcrop, but did have time for the way up — hiking was not on the schedule.

Then we finally made it to the Diamond Rock Venue; the views of the sea and a bunch of other, smaller islands were incredible. Getting closer to the Kokkino-Vouno Volcano, we were arguing about whether to take a boat there and see hot springs for about forty euros but decided to skip. The volcano is active, however.

We made a stopover in Perivolas, where I saw the most beautiful Greek women of all ages for the trip. Some were just stunning, with olive eyes, dark skin, and impulsive attitudes.

We spent the whole night at Oia. It was something I didn't want to recall. There was some tranquil place where we were going to celebrate my friend Harry's birthday, but luckily, I met a decent chick there. My destination changed drastically, but he didn't mind.

Greece is fantastic, with great people, evident historical heritage, terrific nature, authentic food, and drinks. I’d highly recommend making dinner reservations in Santorini, as it is crowded with travelers all year round.