Cruise and barbecue at Rhenia on a perfect Summer day.

The sun was starting to set. I took a big, juicy bite of my fresh watermelon and I tried to seize the moment: Here I was, with my heart full of happiness, lying on the golden sand (well, not exactly on the sand; there was this beautiful sarong from Bali covering my improvised plank lounger) of this exclusive turquoise paradise. Peter laid besides me, barefoot at last, eyes closed, and whispered: “We should totally do this again. Soon.”

We had rent a yacht that morning, along with the rest of our friends (ten in total!), to go on a cruise to the sacred island of Delos – a must-see destination of the Mykonos experience. Our next stop was the island of Rhenia; or should I say paradise? There it was, one of the most beautiful beaches I had ever laid my eyes on, including Thailand’s and Caribbean islands’. The waters were absolutely perfect; crystal green, a bit cold at first, so warm and welcoming after a few moments. After a good two hours of snorkeling, the captain and Katerina took us to one of the “Choria”. It was time for barbeque! Thank Hermes, because I was starving. “Chorio” literally means “village” in Greek, but this is how the locals in Rhenia name the (very) few houses on the island. I had heard all about these rustic houses with the stone over and the huge tin pots, the gardens producing fresh fruits and vegetables, the cows and the chickens all around. I had also heard about the incredible meals with the fresh fish, and crawfish, and super yummy clams, and I just couldn’t wait.

Needless to say, my expectations far exceeded reality. The moment we sat down, there was these gorgeous, enormous marble trays (the work of a local marble-maker) full of delicious urchins, that Katerina, still in her diving gear, had just gotten out of the sea. We ate them (the urchins, not the trays) with lemon on freshly-baked artisan bread. And this was only the beginning. After a while, we wouldn’t know what to focus on. The apparently high-skilled (and, dare I say, very handsome!) chef kept bringing us sea shells, fresh tomatoes from the garden (my God, these tomatoes! I don’t even remember when was the last time a tomato tasted like a real one, organic or not), and delicious grilled fish. The meal was outstanding. The local wine was extraordinary. The setting was marvelous. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  

But all good things come to an end. And finally, there I was, lying on the beach, eating a juicy piece of watermelon, watching the sunset, with my friends around me and all my senses fully satisfied, and wondering why should I ever return to earth. And then Peter whispered the magic words: We should totally do this again. Soon.

Till next time,

Anna*

* Anna is an Amsterdam-based writer, and a keen traveler. She only writes about stuff she really, really enjoys.