Saturday 11 July 2009

Last post on Christina Onassis and the rich life


Much of Christina and Alexandros Onassis' childhood were spent living on the Onassis faily yacht - the Chrtistina O. Their family could work from there. It is said to have been second only to the British Queen's Royal yacht Britannia in terms of luxury. Like the island of Skorpios it also played host to the rich and famous of the world - Maria Callas, Sir WInston Churchill and his wife, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe are but a few examples. In fact, it was on board this yacht that Churchill first met John F. Kennedy.
During the summer days the yacht could be seen anchored off the island of Skorpios. If you are interested in reading more about the life and times of Onassis and his relationship to the great diva, Maria Callas, I can recommend an excellent book called "Greek Fire" which also contains many accounts of the travels and persons who enjoyed the hospitality of the Christina O. It had a crew of 34 and could accommodate 36 guests.
What eventually became of the yacht. Christina in her will left it to the President of Greece but as the government was unable to pay for the upkeep, it was sold to a private company. Now you can rent it to sail in luxury in Greek waters - prices, I believe, are around $300 000 dollars/week.

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