Here's the one-word way to avoid Trump's tacky UFC stunt on the White House lawn: Mykonos
The Greek holiday island sounds more tempting than ever
It’s true Tina Turner, we don’t need another hero. But guess what? We might actually need a weekend in Mykonos.
If that’s what it takes to dodge the biggest national travesty since, uh, I don’t don’t know, acidwash jeans, Vietnam? — then so be it.
We’re talking about the UFC thing taking place on June 14 on the South Lawn of the White House, Claw and all. What a way to fete the country’s 250th birthday and freedom: by standing by and watching a tasteless calamity unfold (on Trump’s 604th birthday!) and one that you and I probably had zero say in.
Or did someone ask you if you wanted to see good old all-American (?) boys like Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje kick and punch each other to pieces while America’s craven press corp looks glibly on?
Didn’t think so.
There’s a reason why this UFC junk is not an Olympic sport.
Speaking of the Olympics, though, that brings us back to the place where they, and the concept of the nobleness of actual, not “Claw”-staged athletic events started: Greece. So, yes, you can avoid this, I guess uniquely American horror show in DC by buying a ticket to Greece before the airfares possibly shoot up even higher, and get thee to Mykonos. Then, this is what you do:
Try The Wild Hotel by Interni on the rugged south coast of the Republic of Mykonos. (Ok, so the island does not have an official flag or anything like that, but Mykonos is pretty much its own state nevertheless.)
Rare for Mykonos, this hotel actually has a staircase to a private beach. As any island-dweller will aver, a swimming pool on an island is always better when paired with a nice beach nearby. And the Wild’s is beyond fine: in fact, without the odd Russian oligarch-wannabe or two yammering on their cellphones, it would be pretty darn close to perfect.
You can’t tell from the above image, but to reach that beach all you need to do is saunter down a winding staircase directly behind it. (Ladies, ditch those heels.)
The legendary holiday island made famous by the likes of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and countless celebrities who followed in her footsteps has no shortage of chic resorts, but The Wild truly seems like it leapt off the screen of a James Bond movie: all 40 rooms, suites and villas are amphitheatrically set above the sea in the quiet Kalafatis beach zone. Each accommodation, some with their own dining room and plunge pool, has its own distinguished style in synthesis with natural materials in an earthy palette.
High-end design furnishings are matched with handmade lamps, artisanal objects with antiques, cotton and linen fabrics with soft leather, fine tiles with handcrafted floors. Every detail makes a difference. The Wild is an expression of the philosophy and eclectic taste of the Varveris family, true Mykonos aficionados. “We wanted to preserve the emotions and the feelings that the island exhales. To incorporate the experience of ‘our’ Mykonos in a place – wild at heart, mesmerizing, unspoiled, nonchalant and, at the same time, filled with culture, excitement and a cosmopolitan flair. The energy of this tiny Cycladic island that artists and bon vivants, free spirits and insightful travellers, have fallen in love with for decades,” Philip Varveris explains.
During my brief stay at the wild, although one of the highlights was “finding my wild” at that small private beach that you reach via the long stone staircase down to the sand…another was the delicious cuisine. The locally sourced Greek breakfast was one of the best I have ever had. With the new hygiene protocols, a team member guides each guest individually through the buffet, and you can also order hot items like strapatsada, Greek scrambled eggs with feta cheese and tomato. One morning at breakfast, with the Aegean Sea view as a backdrop, I chatted with a guy from Turkey who told me some of his favorite places to visit in Mykonos and nearby Tinos. That global, cosmopolitan atmosphere is something for which Mykonos is renowned, and like the island it calls home The Wild by Interni is both a place and a state of mind. And oh yes, home to the Mediterranean’s most dramatic new pool, too.
