Secret Ingredients of a Fantasy Island
Andrea Otte
Exploring Traveler
Love, nature, sunshine, beach, flowers, a beautiful island away from all the madness and last but not least, you sipping on a cocktail wearing flip flops.
Doesn’t this cover all the ingredients you need for a perfect holiday?
Let me tell you a secret as where to find this magical place.
Some of you might have known the tv series in the 80’s called Fantasy Island, with the host Ricardo Montalban and the little guy Tattoo.
Tattoo who basically informed his boss everything that happened on the island, especially the arrival of the guests but the thing I most remember is him announcing the coming of the plane hollering The plane…. The plane … So funny.
For those who don’t know the series let me inform you its story-line in short.
This was basically an Island where people went to have their fantasies come to life anyway imaginable, sounds fun doesn’t it.
Now the reason for me telling you about this, is that I went there this summer.
My Fantasy Island is called Zakynthos.
“This Island has so many secret ingredients for fantasy if you are willing to look and absorb all its beauty .”
Andrea Otte
This Island has so many secret ingredients for fantasy if you are willing to look and absorb all its beauty .Let me tell you more.
For starters it has a mild climate which makes that the nature on the Island is truly mesmerizing.
The vast orchards of olive trees alone look ancient if you know that an olive tree grows about one inch every year.They are so beautiful to notice , especially really early in the morning with the hazy mist of the passing night still lingering upon them.
I even bought a book during my visit here, “Among the Olive Groves” by Chrissie Parker who lives on the Island.
My fascination about olive trees, who have a holiness about them, has gotten me even more interested in all its glory.
The flowers on the Island are gorgeous and Oh my God the smell, the smell alone will stay locked in your memories forever, searching to find the same satisfying odor because your addiction and need for more of it.Jasmine is my addiction.
The views and colors on top of the high cliffs looking over the vastness of the ocean are startling. From turquoise green , because of the sandstone rocks, to dark blue looking further down the horizon.
The world famous photograph that everyone knows is actually on Zakynthos Island on top of the cliff looking downward on shipwreck bay.
The food, oh my, the food is delish, it is almost like everything tastes better there, simply because it does.The herbs and spices all give the food that extra bit of love it deserves.
I have tasted olive oils made like pure gold, produced with so much dedication it’s almost an honor to your taste buds, for the approval alone is worth a medal.
The animals on the Island is something else worth sharing.To all the places I have been in Greece so far, unfortunately, the animals are not well cared for.
But here on the Island there are different places you can donate to the welfare of these sweet little beings and you can tell……..
People care.There is even a book I bought on the Island, written about the welfare of the animals and is called “Puddles of Love”by Netty Morgan.
“But here on the Island there are different places you can donate to the welfare of these sweet little beings and you can tell…..People do care.”
Andrea Otte
“This Island has so many secret ingredients for fantasy if you are willing to look and absorb all its beauty .”
Andrea Otte
What I miss most, being back home, is the stillness and quiet sound of nothingness.
As I lay here, listening to what sounds like bees going to their hives, except they are not bees, but cars on the highway.
After all are we not the same as bees going to work? Only we do not notice the resemblance anymore, by doing most of the things we do in our robotic kinda lives. We should all take more time to celebrate and appreciate everything of beauty in this world, there is still so much more to explore.
Don’t you agree?
Talking about people, the people on the Island really make the fantasy complete, the love, acceptance and care that I have received on my stay alone is an ingredient worth sharing and something I will cherish in my heart forever.
It doesn’t matter if you go to a pharmacy, a store, hotel or restaurant they treat you with respect and as a descent human being.
I even had both books, I mentioned in this article, delivered to me in person by someone I met on the Zakynthos Informer from Facebook . The sweet Katerina Tsekouras who is a nail technician on the island made the effort to meet me in my hotel, how sweet is that. Yes, Zakynthos will definitely see me again.
Hi Andrea, be carefull because it is also a very dangerous island! If you went once you will go back, It’s addicting and I can know it because I already go there 17 years. Sometimes twice a year. :-). Nice blog.
Hahaha…..Thank you so much Rene, I really appreciate the comment and yes it is a dangerous Island 😉 ….. I fell in love with it even before visiting it for the first time.It really is addictive, everything about it
Heel erg mooi!! Van iemand die weet van en hoe , van het leven te genieten en dat te delen met anderen!!!!
Dankjewel Jos, fijn dat je een beetje mee hebt genoten 😉