Cats from Ano Mera {Mykonos}

If you are wondering what to see on the Greek island of Mykonos, apart from the famous beaches and the old center of Mykonos Town, an inland excursion to Ano Mera has to be on your bucket list.

Located in the heart of the island, Ano Mera is a small town centered around a large square with typical white-washed houses and small cafés. You’ll see plenty of locals having a meal or drink on the outside patios. 

There aren’t as many tourists in Ano Mera as in the rest of Mykonos island, which makes the place quite unique, even though it is the second-largest town of Mykonos.

Ano Mera's main point of interest is the Monastery of Panagia Tourliani.

One of the characteristics of Mykonos is the abundance of churches, chapels, and monasteries that can be found scattered around the island. Some articles say that their number is almost 800. However, the restored Monastery of Panagia Tourliani is the prettiest of all.

This monastery complex is a place of peace and quiet. Many cloisters are decorated with greenery and flowers. Cats sleep in corners or on the bench, or drink from the beautifully decorated water fountain in the courtyard. Its whitewashed exteriors blend in with the rest of Ano Mera, while its bright red dome sets it apart. Inside the monastery, there is a collection of Byzantine relics and icons of apostles and saints.

The Monastery of Panagia Tourliani is open daily from 9 am to 1 pm and from 4 pm to 7 pm. 

Tours are available, but you can also visit the monastery on your own. 

Be sure to say "hi" to the cats while in Ano Mera. 😊

Photo #3 by Eric Valette. Other photos by Vanessa Morgan

href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSkY_2RmXwk7wCsgSjBEkVdo7jV2TuTu0mHKSdBs9kDvhzIFsJDWySLjfnEIqJZwAbMIK3K34Ca00D47ayyR4V_7yBfg6WuzaLchu4aAkhZHwZNkvmyfEnkiVfUn-57Jwsd6FI0MGy5na8PfMrbc82ia2qH_C79mm6H_jWutUs-f20kr7WjMljMXE/s1102/easy-day-trip-from-mykonos-town.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">

Cats from Namur {Belgium}

 

The city of Namur, though small, is one of the cutest places you can visit in Belgium. Whether you opt for a long walk along the rivers Meuse and Sambre, a visit of the famous citadel and belfry, or a casual stroll through the cozy shopping streets of the old town, a day in Namur is always memorable.

If that wasn't enough to get you over there, what about the idea of spending a few hours in a cozy café in the company of several free-roaming cats?

Welcome to Chez Miss Miaouw.

Chez Miss Miaouw is modeled upon the many other cat cafés sprouting up all over the world. The concept originated in Japan, and caters to people whose lifestyle doesn't allow them to have a pet. It allows cat lovers a place to have a cup of tea or coffee while getting to know the resident moggies. So many years later, cat cafés have become a popular destination to cat lovers all over the world, including those who own a couple of felines themselves.

The two-storey Chez Miss Miaouw is not even the first cat café in Belgium. Other examples of Belgian cat cafés are Le Chatouille in Brussels, DreamKatchers in Ghent, and the now defunct Kuro Neko in Kortrijk and MangaKat in Brussels.

Chez Miss Miaouw was originally created by three ladies. But when one of them got pregnant and the other one wanted to travel, they left it to Miss Miaouw's current owner, Pauline Valk. She had never heard of the concept of a cat café before, but she loved both pastry and cats, and since she was ready for a career change, she decided to give the business a try. She changed the interior of the place to include more light-colored wood and make for a maximum amount of luminosity. 

The cats at Chez Miss Miaouw are all fostered from a local shelter called Poils & Moustaches (which translates to Fur & Whiskers), so they are all socialized, dewormed, sterilized, and chipped.

The idea is that the cats at Chez Miss Miaouw can all be adopted. A huge number of cats sit in shelters every year waiting for new homes to go to. By giving some of them a place in the café, they are more likely to find their forever home.

All adoptions are made under contract of the association. Not everyone can go home with a cat, though. Potential adoptive parents are carefully screened, and only locals are accepted for adoption since Poils & Moustaches regularly schedules home visits to check whether the little ones are well cared for.

This seems to be working because there has been at least one adoption per week since the cat café opened. 

Chez Miss Miaouw not only gives a temporary home to plenty of moggies that wait for a family to adopt them. it also serves up an extensive menu of pastries, coffees, milkshakes, smoothies, and teas.

And while you can’t bring your four-legged furry friend along, there are plenty of cats to play with at the café. All the cats at Chez Miss Miaouw are registered, microchipped, and fully vaccinated (and very cute, too).

Address: Chez Miss Miaouw, Rue des Brasseurs 8, 5000 Namur, Belgium

Opening hours:

Wednesday from 12:00 pm to 06:00 pm

Thursday & Friday from 01:00 pm to 06:00 pm

Saturday from 12:00 pm to 06:00 pm

Sunday from 12:00 pm to 06:00 pm

Closed on Monday and Tuesday

Unlike many other cat cafés, reservations aren't necessary.

Cat from Meteora {Greece}

 

The Meteora is a rock formation in central Greece, hosting one of the largest complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries. In her book Meteora Monastery: Discover The Historical Monuments In Greece: Mount Athos And Meteora, Krista Goldfuss writes, "These 'columns of the sky' were built, despite incredible difficulties, from the 11th century onwards, at the time of the great revival of the eremetic ideal in the 15th century. Their 16th-century frescoes mark a key stage in the development of post-Byzantine painting."

Because the Meteora is located in a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, its monasteries are regarded as a perfect isolated place to find peace and harmony and to support spiritual ascension. It is therefore an official holy place since 1995.

A five-hour train ride connects Athens to Kalambaka, the town at the foot of the Meteora. Tourists often spend the night in a small nearby town called Kastraki.

Have you visited the Meteora monasteries? Have you met this cat?

Photo by Lauren Palmucci

Cat from Sorrento {Italy}

 

Have you ever seen a cat in a more confusingly isolated but picturesque spot?

It was getting stormy on the Sorrentine peninsula when this kitty found a sheltered spot overlooking the Bagni Regina Giovanna for nap time. Named after the Queen Giovanna d'Angio of the Kingdom of Naples (who supposedly spent hours in the water with her various lovers) this secluded beach and swimming hole is surmounted by a rock arch on which stand the scenic ruins of a sprawling Roman villa. This popular getaway is only a 45-minute-walk away from Sorrento's city center, or you can go there by bus.

Have you ever visited the Bagni Regina Giovanna? Did you meet this cat? 

Photos by Laura Tottenham 

Cat from Dingle {Ireland}

 

Next to the entrance of the Sweet Pea gift shop in Dingle, Ireland, you'll find a mural of a chunky black-and-white cat. Chances are the model for that painting will be sitting right next to it.

The cat's name is Angel, and her mural has become one of the most "instagrammable" spots of the otherwise already picturesque little port town.

"Angel came to my shop when she was still tiny, about ten weeks old," says shop owner Helen O'Grady. "There were four or five kittens, but Angel was the only one who came in and sat just inside the door of my shop. The kittens were all taken to the vet and re-homed but Angel stayed."

Dingle is much loved for its rugged scenery and colorful houses, and many tourists noticed her sitting in front of the shop. They used to say to her, 'Oh, what a little angel.' That's how she got her name. 

Helen has had a mural painted of Angel under the sunny window where she often sits, waiting to be petted. "She sat patiently for it too," Helen explains.

Did you notice how much fatter Angel is compared to her mural?

That's not a mistake. The customers of the Sweet Pea shop love to give her treats, so now there's a sign on the window that says not to feed the cat. 

"Angel never bothered anyone or broke anything in six years, even though the Sweet Pea shop is full of pottery and glass," Helen says. "One day, a Jack Russell chased her upstairs to the gallery and back down again. Since then, she wont let a dog near the door. In fact, now the local dogs cross the street."

Angel is well loved in Dingle, and the children know her name and come looking for her during their holidays.

She has become such a well-known presence in town that the Sweet Pea shop even started selling Angel the cat mugs (you can also find them in Sweet Pea's online store if you're interested).

Sweet Pea is located on Green Street in Dingle, Kerry Ireland, and is open every day from 11am to 5pm (Sunday and Monday only to 3pm).

Too late?

Don't worry. You can probably still spot Angel as she will most probably be sitting behind the window, just above her mural.

Photos one and two by Sally O'Reilly. All the other photos by Sweet Pea.

href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizMIWzt01RrukoHr2wVCXAbamX1fh44q1p0wiVSIf7qUU7dxPbrT1CkJFDlRG6n1pflfcwnLRO70lGlS9nYPhaQyrr3dCaPF7XMjMzX6hSmRhj8eNEQksRjxMA0taJO06ivXrXX9pbfGKef5i5FhNnKBOKzUpXRjyxsFAs_jwR6fBgE9qZDiEOzlrH/s1102/dingle-ireland-instagram.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">

Cats from Delos {Greece}

 

Greece’s most iconic islands, the Cyclades, are defined by the purity of their architecture and the beautiful wildness of their landscapes. This most famous group includes Santorini and Mykonos. But you can also experience the intense beauty of the Cyclades on quieter islands, such as Delos. 

 

The island of Delos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of only 5 kilometers long and 1,300 meters wide. It is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Greece, steeped in myths and legends. 

If The Odyssey and The Homeric Hymn to Apollo are to be believed, Delos used to be a famous religious center of the Ionians. Back then, the dominant power in the region was the neighboring island of Naxos, which demonstrated its superiority by erecting on Delos buildings and dedications. Some of these include the House of the Naxians, the colossal statue of Apollo, and the Terrace of the Lions opposite the Sacred Lake and the Sacred Palm-tree where, according to myth, the Titaness Leto brought Apollo into the world. The remains of these, including the impressive floor mosaics, can still be explored and admired. 

The island of Delos, which was once home to about 30,000 people, is now uninhabited and almost devoid of vegetation. Yet a good number of cats and sheep can be found roaming the premises. They are cared for by the employees of the museum and the port. 

The Delos Museum collects some of the most important objects relating to everyday life in the Hellenisticperiod as well as ancient Greek sculptures. 

You can visit Delos and its ancient ruins by taking one of the ferries that depart from Mykonos' old harbor. 

Ferries leave and come back daily, but boats may be cancelled on slow or windy days. Always ask for confirmation at the port. 

The boat trip from Mykonos to Delos takes between 30 and 45 minutes. 

 

 

Delos can be visited every day, except for Mondays when the archeological site is closed. 

If you are interested in architecture and history, Delos is one of the best places to see in Greece. It's an enchanting island where time stands still.