Hi everyone! Greetings from Santorini where I’m typing away this post on a sun lounger by the pool – my absolute preferred writing setting so far!
I’m propped up with pillows in the shade with my baby girl making my pregnant belly jump up and down (looks hilarious!) and her daddy grilling himself in the sun. It’s day three of our babymoon and I’m on holiday mode (easy considering it’s the second week of my summer break, bliss).
We arrived late on Saturday night after a relatively tough journey. Gatwick airport was busier than I’ve ever seen it (read: 25min queue even to Pret which is unheard of!), our flight was delayed and then we ended up spending an hour extra on the plane before take off due to a thunder storm. Nothing too bad but my endurance level for extra hassle seems to have gone down… All was forgotten however, after checking in to our hotel near Perissa Beach and soon finding a lovely late night dinner spot by the sea. The grilled seafood platter was a winner!
Since we are fortunate enough to have two weeks here in Greece we had decided to spend the first three days just relaxing and not doing much. The black beach of Perissa and our hotel 9 Muses on the Eastern side of Santorini have provided a quiet location to unwind. As a bonus we have enjoyed the good size pool and gym at the hotel for some exercise.
Sunday was my 32nd birthday and I spent the day doing nothing but relaxing, swimming, reading and eating. Weather has been heavenly with clear blue skies and a welcome breeze – it is hot hot hot! I got new swimming goggles (anti-fog) for my birthday which I put to test straight away!
Yesterday I was a bit more active and joined my other half at the gym for a 1h workout in addition to my swimming during the day. After the travelling and two days on a sun bed my body felt stiff and achy and it felt really good to get some blood flowing! Around sunset (8pm) and before dinner was the perfect time for exercise as the temperature is lower then. Wakes up my appetite as well!! It often disappears in the heat.
Speaking of appetite, I absolutely love Greek food! The tragedy this time is that I’ve had to avoid the thick creamy Greek yoghurt which I love and the chunks of feta cheese in my salad as I haven’t been able to figure out what’s pasteurised and what isn’t… Compared to Italy where we’ve recently spent a few holidays, it much easier to eat healthy in Greece. Fresh vegetables, fruit and salads are on offer everywhere. We also enjoy all things grilled and both meats and seafood have been great! Meanwhile in Italy the readily available and economic options were often very carbohydrate-rich and heavy. I do enjoy a pizza or a pasta every now and then but not daily for two weeks…
I’m staying out of the sun and using a factor 50 sun screen because I’ve read that during pregnancy our skin can react in unexpected ways (weird patchy pigmentation etc). After I’d mentioned to my partner that the baby should not overheat, he’s made sure the “bump stays in the shade” 🙂
Funnily enough I’m not bothered about tanning so much. I’m so fair anyway it’d take ages and I burn easily. I’m also not (too) bothered about having bought my first “mum bikini” as my existing stock of tiny triangle bikinis just won’t do the job anymore (for my preggo-size boobs).
Tomorrow night we will head to an island called Milos to enjoy its multiple beaches for a week, before returning to Santorini to explore the famous spots on the Western coast (Oia) for some picturesque sunsets from the Caldera.
xoxoxo,
Sini
Ps. Updating the blog subject to dodgy wifi’s cooperation 🙂 And via my iPhone, apologies for any layout mishaps!