Athens

On our way home Athens had us over for a slumber party. We spent no more than 18 hours getting to know her which was a shame because we only got to know her at glance. In travellers hours, our time there felt more like an Olympic sprint than a marathon. 

We arrived from Santorini well after 8pm, waiting impatiently for our bags to appear on the carousel before rushing to catch the 9:10pm bus to Syntagma Square. From there we jumped on the metro and a minute later we jumped off at the Acropolis stop and walked a block before arriving at Hotel Phillipos at 10:30pm. Exhausted we showered and turned in for the night.

The next day we literally had 1 hour to venture out and explore our surrounds.

We admired the Acropolis from afar...

Posed for a photo at the Temple of Athena Nike...

Admired their beautiful terracotta bins!

Ducked under the Arch of Hadrian...

And took in the sights of the Temple of Olympian Zeus

Instead to taking the metro and bus back to the airport we decided to take a private taxi and boy am I glad we did! Our driver played tour guide telling us about the city and we talked politics and about the Olympics. We also admired the Panathinaiko Stadio Kalimarmaro and endless rows of olive trees.

We didn't even get to scrape the surface of what Athens has to offer - but the little that we got to see had as standing in awe. We hope to visit her again but maybe next time for a few successive sleepovers.

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Santorini: Day 4

Santorini has been so kind to us. Out of all the European countries we visited, the Greeks have been the most genuine, the food had been stellar and the view has been spectacular.

We slept in late this morning and checked out at 12pm. We were given a refreshment suite to store our luggage which has beds and a bathroom and were invited to continue using the hotel's pool and facilities until our departure later in the evening. It's the first time that a hotel has made us feel so welcome despite having already checked out.

The porter dropped our luggage in the room and we decided to walk down one of the lower part of the cliff's paths to take some photos of the island's famous doors and architecture and to simply explore.

The view was just as glamorous as it was the day we arrived.

We even spotted Athina Suites which The Londoner (www.thelondoner.me) stayed in during her travels to the island.

On our way back to the hotel we grabbed a scrumptious Greek pita filled with lamb, beef, tomato, lettuce, tzatziki and chips! Did I mention that the Greeks have the best food? Delicious! We're planning on having another for dinner...

And so we've been lazing by the pool for the last three hours. We've enjoyed a Piña Colada, the Santorini sunshine and cooling off in the crystal clear pool.

We're still here for another 2 hours before our shuttle picks us up then it's goodbye Santorini... 

We hope you'll have us back again very soon!

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Santorini: Day 3 cont'd

When Shaun returned from scuba diving he was famished!

So we took the quad for a spin to Firostefani.

It was picture perfect!

After walking along the path checking out the restaurants (and stopping for the view) we decided that Mama Thira Taverna was the place to eat!

We ordered the mixed grilled meat, sat back and chatted about Shaun's dive. 

Santorini is made from Volcanic rock so the fish and other sea life isn't very vast. He spotted a few small fish but otherwise he enjoyed diving through the clear waters and into the big Caves.

As we sat there I admired the town's reflection in one of the windows.

After some reminiscing and 15 minutes later... it arrived. Our hunky stack of grilled meat! And every bit was as mouth watering as it looked.

By the time we got back to our hotel it was just past 4pm.

Shaun had a nap and I had a long shower followed by some reading.

At 8pm we decided to treat ourselves to dinner on the cliff at Archapelegos so we could enjoy the golden sunset with our meal.

We had juicy meatballs slathered in a fresh tomato sauce as an appetiser.

And for mains Shaun had the Salmon.

I opted for the chicken and sun dried tomato penne.

Even our food seemed to shine in the sunset. A golden ending to our last official night in Santorini.

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Santorini: Day 1

An alarm pulled me out of my dream. It was 4:45am. A bit too early to wake up when you're on holiday I think but when Santorini is the destination it's well worth it!

We had 15 minutes to wake up, get dressed and check out before our taxi arrived. I had found out the day before that the hotel's €6 shuttle was only available from 6am - much to my and Shaun's dismay. I've learnt a lot on this vacation. Never make assumptions... always check the details and if you're only staying somewhere for a night and flying out midday the next day then book a hotel near the airport (I'll tell you about this later).

Our taxi arrived just after 5am. A 4km ride and €25 later we arrived at the airport. Everything was on schedule; we checked-in our luggage and went to our boarding gate with 40 minutes to spare before boarding.

Shaun and I were just discussing how fantastic it was that all of our six flights so far had been on time when the announcement came. Of all the destinations! You can imagine our disappointment - a two hour flight delay!

But let me tell you - she was worth the wait! The minute we reached our hotel I was kicking myself for not having booked a longer stay. Just check out the view!

We were warmly welcomed by Dimitria at Aria Suites who gave us a detailed run through of the island, where to eat local cuisine and not burn a hole in your wallet as well as places to see. She soon took us to our suite 'La Boheme' - our suite which included a main bedroom and a loft bedroom, kitchenette, lounge, bathroom with a jacuzzi as well as a front and back porch - was just as beautiful as the photos on the website!

We even have our very own mulberry tree!

By this stage it was 1pm and having missed breakfast at the hotel in Rome we decided to try a place down the lane way that Demitria recommended... And boy was the food good!

Shaun and I shared a cheese and vegetable appetiser...

And Greek salad (our first real salad in over a month that didn't consist of only lettuce leaves). I was so hungry that I already dug in - sorry!

Shaun had a chicken souvlaki dish.

And still craving seafood I had the fried calamari and squid.

With full stomachs we eagerly toured through the lane ways. There were countless jewellery stores with beautiful pieces handcrafted by local designers. Feeling a bit dreary from the early morning wake up, we decided to laze by the pool.

But at 7pm our stomachs we grumbling again so we hit the beautifully cobbled pavement! 

We went back to the Greek Tavern...

And shared Greek meatballs covered in a cheese sauce as an appetiser.

I've been craving a good salad all month so ordered another Greek Salad.

And Shaun had the lamp chops and roasted potatoes.

Cheers!

When we were finished we strolled to the edge to watch the sun setting over the Caldera...

And continued to explore down the lane ways soaking up the view along the way. 

As darkness falls and the Caldera slips out of view, all the restaurants suddenly become more evident. Patrons stand at the ready in front of their respective restaurants inviting you in, candles appear on the tables, creating a romantic mood and the smells of authentically barbecued eggplants, zucchini, tomato and artichoke fills the air. 

We even got to see a chef in action!

And said goodnight to passing locals.

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