Pics HERE
4:00pm: at the hotel in Athens taking a breather after a fun morning. Went to breakfast around 8:30 and said we weren’t going to have that much but they offered us scrambled eggs today and that sounded good so we had that plus all kinds of delicious offerings off the huge buffer...and probably (definitely) ate too much before a food tour...
Anyway, walked up about 15 minutes to the north and met our guide Julia and others on our Airbnb experience food tour. There were 8 of us total and a fun group of mostly Americans. Our first stop was the last remaining shop in Athens that makes its own yogurt the traditional way with sheep’s milk. We got yogurt with walnuts and honey and Greek coffee, which is STRONG. I hate yogurt typically but this wasn’t as bad. We then went to a multitude of other tastings - tons of olives, cheese, cured meats, wine, breads, you name it. We had lunch at a hole in the wall right inside the meat market and then a traditional custard dessert. In all it was a super fun morning/early afternoon that was filling and educational, too!
Luckily the tour ended right near our hotel so we came back for a quick rest and then set out to enjoy our last afternoon but after almost three weeks of perfect weather, it was raining. So we went into a bar and had a drink - I finally found some Greek hard cider! By the time we finished, the rain died down and we wandered/shopped a bit and then came back here for a rest. After three weeks of travel we are getting tired easily!
7:45pm: Back at the hotel for a very early night because we have to wake up around 3:00am tomorrow for our flight home. We ended up wandering around our neighborhood and looking at a few menus but nothing struck us, so we wandered a couple minutes to what Rick Steves calls “Souvlaki Row” and ate at Thanasis (I think). Matt had a pork gyro pita and I had a chicken souvlaki pita and that plus an order of fries and a bottle of water was under 10 euros, delicious, and exactly what we wanted for our last dinner. During our wandering we had walked past a busy place making traditional Greek donuts called loukoumades, so we went back for dessert. I had them stuffed with what essentially tasted like Nutella and Matt had ice cream. Now we are back packing and will go to bed quite early for that wake-up call.
Hopefully the three of you who read this blog enjoyed it - and until next time!!!
Friday, September 20, 2019
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Greece Day 20 - 9/19/19 - Athens
Pics HERE
8:30pm: Back at the hotel for an early night after a long day. Started early with breakfast at our hotel’s sister hotel a minute away and it was a fantastic huge buffet with no fewer than four kinds of olives alone plus an awesome view of the Acropolis/Parthenon. We then set out for the Acropolis - the main historical site here and one of the most important in the world. After about 10 minutes walking we found the entrance and went in. It is a massive site on a hill with several ruined buildings. The views of the city are great. It is a good thing we were there early as it was already starting to get hot and there were already tons of people (lots of cruise excursions it looked like). The ruins are definitely incredible and all things considered fairly well-preserved. There are a lot of ongoing restoration/conservation works going on as well.
After seeing the Acropolis itself, we went down to the Acropolis museum, which is a relatively new building and the artifacts from the hill are presented in a pretty cool way. We wandered around that for a while and then checked out Syntagma square, one of the main squares in the city where parliament is. There was nothing much there though besides a ton of traffic. We stopped at a Turkish bakery and picked up a variety of baklava for dessert tonight and wandered back down a main pedestrian shopping street that basically led right back to our hotel.
We dropped off a few things we had purchased and then went to lunch near the hotel. I had a souvlaki sandwich, which was a kebab of chicken on a pita with some other stuff and it was only 2.50 for more than enough food. We then wandered around a little bit and found the central market. I bough a pack of really tiny olives that I had never seen anything like before. We then came back to the hotel for a rest.
Before dinner we went to a place called “beer time” and Matt tried some local brews while I had a glass of Greek white. We then went to Taverna tou Psirri right nearby for dinner. Both of us were extremely tired and we decided to come back to the hotel for an early night.
Tomorrow is our last day and we will spend most of it on a food walking tour!
8:30pm: Back at the hotel for an early night after a long day. Started early with breakfast at our hotel’s sister hotel a minute away and it was a fantastic huge buffet with no fewer than four kinds of olives alone plus an awesome view of the Acropolis/Parthenon. We then set out for the Acropolis - the main historical site here and one of the most important in the world. After about 10 minutes walking we found the entrance and went in. It is a massive site on a hill with several ruined buildings. The views of the city are great. It is a good thing we were there early as it was already starting to get hot and there were already tons of people (lots of cruise excursions it looked like). The ruins are definitely incredible and all things considered fairly well-preserved. There are a lot of ongoing restoration/conservation works going on as well.
After seeing the Acropolis itself, we went down to the Acropolis museum, which is a relatively new building and the artifacts from the hill are presented in a pretty cool way. We wandered around that for a while and then checked out Syntagma square, one of the main squares in the city where parliament is. There was nothing much there though besides a ton of traffic. We stopped at a Turkish bakery and picked up a variety of baklava for dessert tonight and wandered back down a main pedestrian shopping street that basically led right back to our hotel.
We dropped off a few things we had purchased and then went to lunch near the hotel. I had a souvlaki sandwich, which was a kebab of chicken on a pita with some other stuff and it was only 2.50 for more than enough food. We then wandered around a little bit and found the central market. I bough a pack of really tiny olives that I had never seen anything like before. We then came back to the hotel for a rest.
Before dinner we went to a place called “beer time” and Matt tried some local brews while I had a glass of Greek white. We then went to Taverna tou Psirri right nearby for dinner. Both of us were extremely tired and we decided to come back to the hotel for an early night.
Tomorrow is our last day and we will spend most of it on a food walking tour!
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Greece Day 19 - 9/18/19 - Athens
Pics HERE:
9:00pm: in our super cool junior hotel suite in the middle of Athens after a long, fulfilling day. We had breakfast at our hotel in Delphi and got on the road by about 9. Luckily the drive was largely on a superhighway, so it took about 2 hours. We had some difficulty finding the hotel and drove in a few circles but finally found it and by the stroke of luck also found a parking space right out front so we could bring our bags in. The room was not quite ready so we went to return the car at the Hertz/Thrifty downtown office which was also an ~adventure~ But finally we just pulled the car on to their sidewalk and returned it. Matt was a hero driving in this insanity.
Now happily car-free, it was around noon at this point and we meandered back towards our hotel through the touristy Plaka district. We stopped for lunch at a touristy cafe and did some window-shopping. We returned to the hotel just before 2pm and our room was ready so we checked in and had a rest. This is a larger hotel than I usually stay at but we were able to use credit card points and upgraded to a junior suite with balcony that has an Acropolis view. It is nice to have a bit of a larger space and room to relax in such a crazy city!
After a rest, we went out to find one of the lesser ruins, the Ancient Agora. I had us take a wrong turn, which ended up causing about an extra 30 minutes of walking but finally we found it and saw the ruins. They were a bit sparse but neat nonetheless. We then meandered back to the neighborhood where we are staying, Psyrri, and sat at a cafe called Little Cook that is completely decked out for Halloween. My lemonade was even served in a skull glass. Insane place!!
Then we wandered around this district a little more and actually chose a place for dinner out of the Rick Steves book, Avli. The door is nondescript but you walk inside and it’s a long thin alley that was already hopping before 7pm. We had a fantastic tomato cucumber salad, cheese croquettes, and a delicious pan-fried chicken. That including water and bread was only 19 euros for both of us and this place was quite a trip!
We then wandered around this fun, hip district a bit more, picked up a piece of cake for dessert later, and went to six d.o.g.s., a truly wild outdoor bar on multiple levels under trees. The place was packed before 8pm. Matt had a beer and I had a delicious “cold chocolate” - we people-watched for a bit and then decided to have an early night because we want to get to the Acropolis early tomorrow!
9:00pm: in our super cool junior hotel suite in the middle of Athens after a long, fulfilling day. We had breakfast at our hotel in Delphi and got on the road by about 9. Luckily the drive was largely on a superhighway, so it took about 2 hours. We had some difficulty finding the hotel and drove in a few circles but finally found it and by the stroke of luck also found a parking space right out front so we could bring our bags in. The room was not quite ready so we went to return the car at the Hertz/Thrifty downtown office which was also an ~adventure~ But finally we just pulled the car on to their sidewalk and returned it. Matt was a hero driving in this insanity.
Now happily car-free, it was around noon at this point and we meandered back towards our hotel through the touristy Plaka district. We stopped for lunch at a touristy cafe and did some window-shopping. We returned to the hotel just before 2pm and our room was ready so we checked in and had a rest. This is a larger hotel than I usually stay at but we were able to use credit card points and upgraded to a junior suite with balcony that has an Acropolis view. It is nice to have a bit of a larger space and room to relax in such a crazy city!
After a rest, we went out to find one of the lesser ruins, the Ancient Agora. I had us take a wrong turn, which ended up causing about an extra 30 minutes of walking but finally we found it and saw the ruins. They were a bit sparse but neat nonetheless. We then meandered back to the neighborhood where we are staying, Psyrri, and sat at a cafe called Little Cook that is completely decked out for Halloween. My lemonade was even served in a skull glass. Insane place!!
Then we wandered around this district a little more and actually chose a place for dinner out of the Rick Steves book, Avli. The door is nondescript but you walk inside and it’s a long thin alley that was already hopping before 7pm. We had a fantastic tomato cucumber salad, cheese croquettes, and a delicious pan-fried chicken. That including water and bread was only 19 euros for both of us and this place was quite a trip!
We then wandered around this fun, hip district a bit more, picked up a piece of cake for dessert later, and went to six d.o.g.s., a truly wild outdoor bar on multiple levels under trees. The place was packed before 8pm. Matt had a beer and I had a delicious “cold chocolate” - we people-watched for a bit and then decided to have an early night because we want to get to the Acropolis early tomorrow!
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Greece Day 18 - 9/17/19 - Delphi and all pics uploaded!
Pics from day 16 HERE
Pics from day 17 including all the cave pics HERE
Pics from today HERE
9:30pm: at our little hotel in Delphi for one night after a long day. Went to breakfast early in Kardamyli before we checked out began the drive the long/scenic way around the west side of the Peloponnese to Delphi to see the ruins. That drive was not so scenic until we crossed a huge bridge to leave the Peloponnese - the toll was 13.50! Anyway, then the drive got pretty along the coastline.
However, we were making good time so we got to Delphi by 2pm, actually found a parking spot in town near the hotel, and checked in. The hosts George and Vicki are super sweet and own a souvenir shop downstairs. This town is basically two streets set up with shops and restaurants based on the ruins a few minutes walk below.
We had originally planned to arrive here, check out town, and do the ruins tomorrow before going to Athens but something made us do the ruins today. So we walked down and first checked out the museum, which had a lot of cool artifacts and sculptures, then walked further to the ruins. It was hot and the ruins are mostly upstairs/uphill, so we only made it to the theatre and skipped some of the rest of the ruins that were way more uphill.
After that, we returned to the hotel, showered, and took a rest before a little browsing in the shops and dinner in town. We went to a place recommended by the guy at the hotel. He said it is busy season for tour groups and most of the restaurants seemed to have some groups in them.
Tomorrow we head to Athens to ditch the car and have a few days of sightseeing in our final stop!!
Pics from day 17 including all the cave pics HERE
Pics from today HERE
9:30pm: at our little hotel in Delphi for one night after a long day. Went to breakfast early in Kardamyli before we checked out began the drive the long/scenic way around the west side of the Peloponnese to Delphi to see the ruins. That drive was not so scenic until we crossed a huge bridge to leave the Peloponnese - the toll was 13.50! Anyway, then the drive got pretty along the coastline.
However, we were making good time so we got to Delphi by 2pm, actually found a parking spot in town near the hotel, and checked in. The hosts George and Vicki are super sweet and own a souvenir shop downstairs. This town is basically two streets set up with shops and restaurants based on the ruins a few minutes walk below.
We had originally planned to arrive here, check out town, and do the ruins tomorrow before going to Athens but something made us do the ruins today. So we walked down and first checked out the museum, which had a lot of cool artifacts and sculptures, then walked further to the ruins. It was hot and the ruins are mostly upstairs/uphill, so we only made it to the theatre and skipped some of the rest of the ruins that were way more uphill.
After that, we returned to the hotel, showered, and took a rest before a little browsing in the shops and dinner in town. We went to a place recommended by the guy at the hotel. He said it is busy season for tour groups and most of the restaurants seemed to have some groups in them.
Tomorrow we head to Athens to ditch the car and have a few days of sightseeing in our final stop!!
Monday, September 16, 2019
Greece Day 17 - 9/16/19 - Exploring the Mani Peninsula
Uploading WiFi is still very slow - Day 15 pics are HERE - yesterday and today are still chugging unfortunately...
4:30pm: at the hotel for a pre-dinner rest after another long day. Went to breakfast at the hotel rights 8 and set out about 20 minutes later. Our first stop was the Pyrgos Dirou caves about an hour away. You buy your tickets at one place then keep driving a bit to the entrance. This place is unbelievable. You walk down some stairs, put on a life jacket, and get into a small rowboat holding about 8 people. It is almost off season so there was no wait but apparently it can get quite bad. There is a guy masterfully steering the boat 1.2km on crystal clear water through the most amazing colorful caves. The photos and videos I took do not do it proper justice. At the end of the boat ride, you then walk a little bit to the exit. What an experience!! I went a little camera-happy here so once these photos post there will be a lot!!!
We next drove to the little town Gerolimenas, which has a couple cafes and hotels on a pebbly beach but not much else, then to Vathia, which is an insane fortified ghost town. According to Rick Steves, basically no one got along and the town is now deserted. All these beautiful old stone buildings just falling apart. We decided to cut off the southernmost end of the Peninsula and head back up the eastern side through a number of towns. This is a well-maintained but narrow and very windy road that was sometimes next to a cliff and definitely two-way! But the scenery is just stunning - desolate hillsides dotted with stone buildings new and old, olive trees, and gorgeous coastline. We looped up and around back to Areopoli, a little bit of a larger town, and had lunch in the main square at a nondescript place. We were tired and going to drive through, but not really stop in, a couple other towns but the way I put it into google maps didn’t really tell us where to turn for those towns, so all of a sudden, an hour later, we were back at the hotel. It’s OK, it is unlikely there is anything life-altering in those towns.
9:45pm: back at the hotel after a nice evening in town. We went to Tikla Cafe around 7pm and had a salad with various seeds and fresh figs. Matt had steak from local beef and potatoes and I had slow-cooked beef on pasta with mushrooms. Very delicious and still under 50 euros even with two glasses of wine. And sunset was particularly gorgeous tonight as if the sky was on fire.
After dinner, we wandered town a bit, I bought a handmade olive tree magnet, and we sat for a bit while Matt had a local beer before we returned to the hotel. And yes we drove the two minutes into town and back rather than hike that path again!
Tomorrow it is off to Delphi for a night to see the ruins!
4:30pm: at the hotel for a pre-dinner rest after another long day. Went to breakfast at the hotel rights 8 and set out about 20 minutes later. Our first stop was the Pyrgos Dirou caves about an hour away. You buy your tickets at one place then keep driving a bit to the entrance. This place is unbelievable. You walk down some stairs, put on a life jacket, and get into a small rowboat holding about 8 people. It is almost off season so there was no wait but apparently it can get quite bad. There is a guy masterfully steering the boat 1.2km on crystal clear water through the most amazing colorful caves. The photos and videos I took do not do it proper justice. At the end of the boat ride, you then walk a little bit to the exit. What an experience!! I went a little camera-happy here so once these photos post there will be a lot!!!
We next drove to the little town Gerolimenas, which has a couple cafes and hotels on a pebbly beach but not much else, then to Vathia, which is an insane fortified ghost town. According to Rick Steves, basically no one got along and the town is now deserted. All these beautiful old stone buildings just falling apart. We decided to cut off the southernmost end of the Peninsula and head back up the eastern side through a number of towns. This is a well-maintained but narrow and very windy road that was sometimes next to a cliff and definitely two-way! But the scenery is just stunning - desolate hillsides dotted with stone buildings new and old, olive trees, and gorgeous coastline. We looped up and around back to Areopoli, a little bit of a larger town, and had lunch in the main square at a nondescript place. We were tired and going to drive through, but not really stop in, a couple other towns but the way I put it into google maps didn’t really tell us where to turn for those towns, so all of a sudden, an hour later, we were back at the hotel. It’s OK, it is unlikely there is anything life-altering in those towns.
9:45pm: back at the hotel after a nice evening in town. We went to Tikla Cafe around 7pm and had a salad with various seeds and fresh figs. Matt had steak from local beef and potatoes and I had slow-cooked beef on pasta with mushrooms. Very delicious and still under 50 euros even with two glasses of wine. And sunset was particularly gorgeous tonight as if the sky was on fire.
After dinner, we wandered town a bit, I bought a handmade olive tree magnet, and we sat for a bit while Matt had a local beer before we returned to the hotel. And yes we drove the two minutes into town and back rather than hike that path again!
Tomorrow it is off to Delphi for a night to see the ruins!
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Greece Day 16 - 9/15/19 - Exploring the Messinia Region
Unfortunately the upload internet at this hotel is poor - will get pics up as soon as I can!
9:00pm: at the hotel after a long and tiring day. We ate breakfast here just after 8an, dropped off some clothes that the hotel said they would wash for us, and set off for Kalamata, yes of olive fame, which is a large-ish city about an hour away. We parked easily enough but had trouble finding the historic/old town I had read was nice. We finally found an old church and a few streets but it is Sunday and most things are closed. So after a little wandering we left, but not after encountering a nice lady from Chicago of Greek descent who heard us speaking English and gave us some tips.
We then set out another hour or so south to Koroni, a little seaside village. We parked in town and wandered a bit and had lunch on the water. We then set out for our next stop, Methoni, which is known for having a huge castle, and huge it was. We could have probably spent hours there but frankly, it was hot and we were starting to get tired. It was still a cool castle though and a nice little town.
We decided to skip the third stop Pilos - though we drove through and it looked essentially like the others - and it took almost 2 hours to get back to our hotel in Kardamyli. The roads here, while generally in good condition, are windy and slow-going in many parts. We got back just before 5pm and our laundry had been hung out on our balcony and was dry. We rested for a bit and then drove just outside ton to Taverna Kastro, which basically everyone says is the best place here to eat. We arrived and were seated almost in an olive grove. The owner then came and sat with us to tell us about the menu for the day. They have no written menu. We split the “Mani salad,” which was made with all kinds of local products, ham, cheese, tomatoes, oranges, olives , etc. It was fantastic. Matt had the slow cooked beef with potatoes and I had the chicken but we shared. They were delicious. We also split some hire wine that was only 3.50 for a half liter carafe. For the free little dessert, it was some kind of yogurt-based cake so not my favorite but still a nice touch. A fantastic meal and lovely experience and only 34 euros!
Tomorrow we will try to see some caves and explore the area known as the Mani Peninsula!
9:00pm: at the hotel after a long and tiring day. We ate breakfast here just after 8an, dropped off some clothes that the hotel said they would wash for us, and set off for Kalamata, yes of olive fame, which is a large-ish city about an hour away. We parked easily enough but had trouble finding the historic/old town I had read was nice. We finally found an old church and a few streets but it is Sunday and most things are closed. So after a little wandering we left, but not after encountering a nice lady from Chicago of Greek descent who heard us speaking English and gave us some tips.
We then set out another hour or so south to Koroni, a little seaside village. We parked in town and wandered a bit and had lunch on the water. We then set out for our next stop, Methoni, which is known for having a huge castle, and huge it was. We could have probably spent hours there but frankly, it was hot and we were starting to get tired. It was still a cool castle though and a nice little town.
We decided to skip the third stop Pilos - though we drove through and it looked essentially like the others - and it took almost 2 hours to get back to our hotel in Kardamyli. The roads here, while generally in good condition, are windy and slow-going in many parts. We got back just before 5pm and our laundry had been hung out on our balcony and was dry. We rested for a bit and then drove just outside ton to Taverna Kastro, which basically everyone says is the best place here to eat. We arrived and were seated almost in an olive grove. The owner then came and sat with us to tell us about the menu for the day. They have no written menu. We split the “Mani salad,” which was made with all kinds of local products, ham, cheese, tomatoes, oranges, olives , etc. It was fantastic. Matt had the slow cooked beef with potatoes and I had the chicken but we shared. They were delicious. We also split some hire wine that was only 3.50 for a half liter carafe. For the free little dessert, it was some kind of yogurt-based cake so not my favorite but still a nice touch. A fantastic meal and lovely experience and only 34 euros!
Tomorrow we will try to see some caves and explore the area known as the Mani Peninsula!
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Greece Day 15 - 9/14/19 - Nafplio to Kardamyli
Pics as soon as Flickr and the WiFi cooperate!
4:45pm: taking a rest in our hotel in Kardamyli, deep in the Peloponnese, after a long day. We got breakfast at the hotel and then walked a few minutes to the Saturday Nafplio market, which was bigger than I expected and much fun! There were small sections for junk and seafood and a large produce section in between. You could buy anything from bananas to super sketchy cheap wine in plastic bottles! I bought a couple of kinds of olives and some of the biggest fresh figs I’ve ever seen. We went back to the hotel, got our bags, checked out, and set out for our next stop.
To satiate Matt, we detoured a bit to Sparta, yes that Sparta. Too bad the town is nondescript and the ruins are in such disrepair that they are free and unattended. The town also has a nice modern olive and olive oil museum, which had some cool historical equipment and told the story of the importance in Greece. Across the street, a shop aptly titled “300” was selling local products and I got a little 100ml bottle of Spartan olive oil.
We then set off for our next base for 3 nights, Kardamyli, at the start of what is called the Mani Peninsula. If you look at Sparta to Kardamyli on a map, it looks close, but there are essentially mountains in between so it took about 2 hours on a wild and windy, but otherwise in good condition, road. Along the way we found a bakery and got a snack/lunch. We arrived at the hotel around 3:30 and were greeted by a lovely lady. The hotel is a large stone structure set above town so every room has a balcony and sea view. I knew it was a bit of a hike down into town - they have a private path - well, it is 120 steps. So, we will be doing that max once a day and preferably in the evening as it is hot here, about 90F.
9:30pm: back at the hotel after a wander through this cute little town, a lovely sunset dinner on the water at Lela’s Tavern (we had Greek salad and split pork cooked with potatoes, lemon, and oregano and it was delicious), and Lola’s for some yummy ice cream. We stopped in a wine bar in town where the owner produces his own olive oil and I bought a small bottle. Even though it is from last year’s harvest, the oils here are strong and delicious and I’m glad we’re buying a bunch of small bottles of different kinds rather than one big bottle. This town is pretty cute but small - a couple markets, a couple banks, a pharmacy, a few shops, and a few restaurants, and a lot of hotels/rooms to rent.
We somehow survived the ascent back up to the hotel even though the bottiom is basically a dark dirt path - thank goodness for iPhone flashlights! To put it mildly, we will not be doing that again.
Tomorrow we explore more of this region!
4:45pm: taking a rest in our hotel in Kardamyli, deep in the Peloponnese, after a long day. We got breakfast at the hotel and then walked a few minutes to the Saturday Nafplio market, which was bigger than I expected and much fun! There were small sections for junk and seafood and a large produce section in between. You could buy anything from bananas to super sketchy cheap wine in plastic bottles! I bought a couple of kinds of olives and some of the biggest fresh figs I’ve ever seen. We went back to the hotel, got our bags, checked out, and set out for our next stop.
To satiate Matt, we detoured a bit to Sparta, yes that Sparta. Too bad the town is nondescript and the ruins are in such disrepair that they are free and unattended. The town also has a nice modern olive and olive oil museum, which had some cool historical equipment and told the story of the importance in Greece. Across the street, a shop aptly titled “300” was selling local products and I got a little 100ml bottle of Spartan olive oil.
We then set off for our next base for 3 nights, Kardamyli, at the start of what is called the Mani Peninsula. If you look at Sparta to Kardamyli on a map, it looks close, but there are essentially mountains in between so it took about 2 hours on a wild and windy, but otherwise in good condition, road. Along the way we found a bakery and got a snack/lunch. We arrived at the hotel around 3:30 and were greeted by a lovely lady. The hotel is a large stone structure set above town so every room has a balcony and sea view. I knew it was a bit of a hike down into town - they have a private path - well, it is 120 steps. So, we will be doing that max once a day and preferably in the evening as it is hot here, about 90F.
9:30pm: back at the hotel after a wander through this cute little town, a lovely sunset dinner on the water at Lela’s Tavern (we had Greek salad and split pork cooked with potatoes, lemon, and oregano and it was delicious), and Lola’s for some yummy ice cream. We stopped in a wine bar in town where the owner produces his own olive oil and I bought a small bottle. Even though it is from last year’s harvest, the oils here are strong and delicious and I’m glad we’re buying a bunch of small bottles of different kinds rather than one big bottle. This town is pretty cute but small - a couple markets, a couple banks, a pharmacy, a few shops, and a few restaurants, and a lot of hotels/rooms to rent.
We somehow survived the ascent back up to the hotel even though the bottiom is basically a dark dirt path - thank goodness for iPhone flashlights! To put it mildly, we will not be doing that again.
Tomorrow we explore more of this region!
Friday, September 13, 2019
Greece Day 14 - 9/13/19 - more Nafplio & Environs
Pics are HERE
9:30pm: back at the hotel after another long fun day. It was raining when we woke up but luckily it didn’t last long. We got up a bit earlier today, had another fabulous breakfast at the hotel, and set out for the ancient ruins of Mycenae, which are in a beautiful countryside setting dotted with vineyards and olive trees, rolling hills, and cypress. The ruins themselves are at the top of a hill. We explored that and their museum for a bit.
We then drove around the area near Mycenae called Nemea, which is a well-known wine area. We weren’t sure of our exact schedule and I did not put the same kind of planning into this trip as others, so we did not have a reservation at any wineries. The tradition in Greece seems to be you make an appointment and get a tasting as well as some food and sometimes even a tour. It is the harvest time right now so that would have been fun. Anyway, we went to the ancient ruins of Nemea, which were small but still interesting, and a winery right in front of it was harvesting.
We then took a different route back to Nafplio and drove past a winery that looked like it was open for walk-ins so we took a chance and he let us do a little tasting and showed us his cellar. Very nice guy, We bought a 7 euro bottle of rose. We made it back to Nafplio around 2pm, found parking, and ate lunch at Alaloum, right around the corner from our hotel. I had “rooster in wine sauce” and it was delicious; Matt had a burger. We then went to the shop of a weaver we had walked through yesterday and did a bit of damage. She is an eccentric character and makes everything on the loom in the back of her shop. She was feeding us grapes while we were paying? As an aside, the minimum pend to get the VAT back here is only 50 euro, bu very few totes seem to want to deal with the paperwork and participate. That is frustrating because technically we could get back 24% anywhere we spend 50 euros in one go.
Anyway, we made it back to the hotel around 3:30 and took a rest. We set out again around 5:30 because we had reserved a wine tasting at Koronis, apparently the best wine shop in town. we were there with a group of 9 annoying Canadians but we tasted 5 typical Greek wines and the owner was very interesting and fun. We stopped somewhere for a drink as we weren’t quite hungry yet, then went to Kastro Karima for dinner, which I had read about a couple places. Pretty traditional place - we both had chicken and split a nice salad to start.
Tomorrow we will check out the Saturday market here before going to our next stop a little more remote into the Peloponnese - Kardamyli!
9:30pm: back at the hotel after another long fun day. It was raining when we woke up but luckily it didn’t last long. We got up a bit earlier today, had another fabulous breakfast at the hotel, and set out for the ancient ruins of Mycenae, which are in a beautiful countryside setting dotted with vineyards and olive trees, rolling hills, and cypress. The ruins themselves are at the top of a hill. We explored that and their museum for a bit.
We then drove around the area near Mycenae called Nemea, which is a well-known wine area. We weren’t sure of our exact schedule and I did not put the same kind of planning into this trip as others, so we did not have a reservation at any wineries. The tradition in Greece seems to be you make an appointment and get a tasting as well as some food and sometimes even a tour. It is the harvest time right now so that would have been fun. Anyway, we went to the ancient ruins of Nemea, which were small but still interesting, and a winery right in front of it was harvesting.
We then took a different route back to Nafplio and drove past a winery that looked like it was open for walk-ins so we took a chance and he let us do a little tasting and showed us his cellar. Very nice guy, We bought a 7 euro bottle of rose. We made it back to Nafplio around 2pm, found parking, and ate lunch at Alaloum, right around the corner from our hotel. I had “rooster in wine sauce” and it was delicious; Matt had a burger. We then went to the shop of a weaver we had walked through yesterday and did a bit of damage. She is an eccentric character and makes everything on the loom in the back of her shop. She was feeding us grapes while we were paying? As an aside, the minimum pend to get the VAT back here is only 50 euro, bu very few totes seem to want to deal with the paperwork and participate. That is frustrating because technically we could get back 24% anywhere we spend 50 euros in one go.
Anyway, we made it back to the hotel around 3:30 and took a rest. We set out again around 5:30 because we had reserved a wine tasting at Koronis, apparently the best wine shop in town. we were there with a group of 9 annoying Canadians but we tasted 5 typical Greek wines and the owner was very interesting and fun. We stopped somewhere for a drink as we weren’t quite hungry yet, then went to Kastro Karima for dinner, which I had read about a couple places. Pretty traditional place - we both had chicken and split a nice salad to start.
Tomorrow we will check out the Saturday market here before going to our next stop a little more remote into the Peloponnese - Kardamyli!
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Greece Day 13 - Nafplio & Environs 9/12/19
Pics HERE
9:30pm: back at the hotel room after a fun day. We took our time getting ready this morning and went to breakfast a little after 9am. The spread was as advertised, a veritable feast of sweet and savory treats, most homemade or of the hotel’s own production. It was delicious! After filling up on treats, we set out for Epidavros, home to one of Greece’s best theatres, and it was sure impressive! The other ruins were kind of lame but still interesting.
On the way back to town, we stopped at a ceramic workshop/showroom and did a bit of damage. They gave us a 20% off end of season discount!
We then stopped at the top of town at the Palamidi Fortress, a Venetian fortification at the top of the town. If you don’t want to drive, your other option is walking up 999 stairs from town - no thanks! From the fortress, there were great views over the port and bay and some interesting structures. We then drove back into town and parked the car at the first spot we could find, then meandered through old town for lunch. We had a tomato and cucumber salad and I had chicken souvlaki, Matt had meatballs. We wandered around town a bit and got some gelato at a traditional Italian style shop and then went back to the hotel for a rest.
We set out for dinner a little before 7 and went to a place a little more in the modern town about a 10 minute walk away called Menta - I had heard about it but one of the people from our hotel specifically suggested it so we wanted to try it. It is a meze bar meaning mostly small plates. It was nice to see some different things on the menu. We split a watermelon/tomato/feta salad that was awesome, a bruschetta with local cheese, artichokes, and tomatoes, and a risotto with paprika and chicken pieces. Declicious unique dinner for about 30 euros!
After dinner we wandered back through town. Matt wanted to try a couple of watering holes so we did that and made a reservation for a wine tasting tomorrow at a main wine shop in town.
I keep forgetting to comment on a few things I have noticed so far here in Greece:
Tomorrow it’s more ruins in the area!
9:30pm: back at the hotel room after a fun day. We took our time getting ready this morning and went to breakfast a little after 9am. The spread was as advertised, a veritable feast of sweet and savory treats, most homemade or of the hotel’s own production. It was delicious! After filling up on treats, we set out for Epidavros, home to one of Greece’s best theatres, and it was sure impressive! The other ruins were kind of lame but still interesting.
On the way back to town, we stopped at a ceramic workshop/showroom and did a bit of damage. They gave us a 20% off end of season discount!
We then stopped at the top of town at the Palamidi Fortress, a Venetian fortification at the top of the town. If you don’t want to drive, your other option is walking up 999 stairs from town - no thanks! From the fortress, there were great views over the port and bay and some interesting structures. We then drove back into town and parked the car at the first spot we could find, then meandered through old town for lunch. We had a tomato and cucumber salad and I had chicken souvlaki, Matt had meatballs. We wandered around town a bit and got some gelato at a traditional Italian style shop and then went back to the hotel for a rest.
We set out for dinner a little before 7 and went to a place a little more in the modern town about a 10 minute walk away called Menta - I had heard about it but one of the people from our hotel specifically suggested it so we wanted to try it. It is a meze bar meaning mostly small plates. It was nice to see some different things on the menu. We split a watermelon/tomato/feta salad that was awesome, a bruschetta with local cheese, artichokes, and tomatoes, and a risotto with paprika and chicken pieces. Declicious unique dinner for about 30 euros!
After dinner we wandered back through town. Matt wanted to try a couple of watering holes so we did that and made a reservation for a wine tasting tomorrow at a main wine shop in town.
I keep forgetting to comment on a few things I have noticed so far here in Greece:
- They don’t really put salt on the food here. If you want it, you have to add it. Even on something obvious like fried potatoes.
- The number of stray cats and dogs everywhere is alarming, Apparently some places they are actually collared and vaccinated but it is still sad.
- 95% of the restrooms in hotels, restaurants, etc. here have signs asking you not to put any paper at all in the toilet. Apparently the pipes here are so old and small that toilet paper cannot even be accommodated.
Tomorrow it’s more ruins in the area!
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Greece Day 12 - 9/11/19 - Milos to Nafplio
A few pics, mostly of our cool hotel room, are HERE
7:30am 9/12 - sitting in one of the few adorable little sitting nooks in our Nafplio hotel room. We used credit card points and got a bit of an upgraded room. But more about that in a bit. Not much happened yesterday. We had breakfast at the hotel in Milos and checked out and the woman insisted on driving us to the port herself - well ok then!
Then, naturally, we waited much longer than we were supposed to and our 10:45am boat to arrive in Athens at 2 left at noon and arrived at 4. It was a nasty ride in parts and a lot of people got sick but I was wearing my sea bands and had taken my Bonine and was keeping my eyes closed so thankfully I made it through all the boats with no sickness!! Upon arrival in Athens we took a quick cab to the car rental office and picked up our ride for the week, a cute blue Opel Corsa, and set out for Nafplio, our first stop on the Peloponnese. It took just under 2 hours so through rolling green hills and by the time we found parking, it was about 7 when we got to the hotel. The hotel is actually two small boutique hotels run together and breakfast will be in the other one. Everyone says the breakfast is great. Our room is up several flights of stairs but we have a little balcony with a partial sea view and they gave us a bottle of wine from their own production, which is super generous!
After checking in we went around the corner to a bustling restaurant and grabbed a quick bite. I had chicken slow cooked in tomato sauce and it was delicious. We wandered around old town a little but we were both tired and will have more time to do that so we came back to the room and, once again, crashed. I can tell you one thing - I do not need to be on a boat for a VERY LONG TIME!
7:30am 9/12 - sitting in one of the few adorable little sitting nooks in our Nafplio hotel room. We used credit card points and got a bit of an upgraded room. But more about that in a bit. Not much happened yesterday. We had breakfast at the hotel in Milos and checked out and the woman insisted on driving us to the port herself - well ok then!
Then, naturally, we waited much longer than we were supposed to and our 10:45am boat to arrive in Athens at 2 left at noon and arrived at 4. It was a nasty ride in parts and a lot of people got sick but I was wearing my sea bands and had taken my Bonine and was keeping my eyes closed so thankfully I made it through all the boats with no sickness!! Upon arrival in Athens we took a quick cab to the car rental office and picked up our ride for the week, a cute blue Opel Corsa, and set out for Nafplio, our first stop on the Peloponnese. It took just under 2 hours so through rolling green hills and by the time we found parking, it was about 7 when we got to the hotel. The hotel is actually two small boutique hotels run together and breakfast will be in the other one. Everyone says the breakfast is great. Our room is up several flights of stairs but we have a little balcony with a partial sea view and they gave us a bottle of wine from their own production, which is super generous!
After checking in we went around the corner to a bustling restaurant and grabbed a quick bite. I had chicken slow cooked in tomato sauce and it was delicious. We wandered around old town a little but we were both tired and will have more time to do that so we came back to the room and, once again, crashed. I can tell you one thing - I do not need to be on a boat for a VERY LONG TIME!
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Greece Day 11 - 9/10/19 - Milos by sea
Tons of pics HERE
8:30pm: at the hotel after a long, tiring, great day. Had a light breakfast at the hotel, gave our laundry to the owner, and made the quick walk to town to get on our boat Oneiro for our day excursion around the island. We left just before 9 and there were about 17 people on the boat plus the awesome captain Elias and his equally awesome cook Vasilias. They started out by telling us we are very lucky because the winds are calm, which allowed us to do both the west and south side of the island - usually they can only do one. They started out by serving some light snacks and pointing out things were seeing along the way - fishing villages, rock formations, etc. as well as giving us some historical information.
We stopped at a few places to swim nanely some caves wher they also took us inside the caves in a tiny boat. The water here is SO clear and blue/aqua and gorgeous that it’s almost unfair! This routine with food and drink and gorgeous swimming stops basically condtinued all day, all with their great banter and stories throw in. Considering the hard work they do and the fact that they only really work six months of the year, it is impressive how much they care. Almost everything they served they grew - including melons, tomatoes, etc. Such an impressive day and people and the island is just beautiful. Take a look at the pictures when flickr decides to cooperate, but they don’t really do it justice either.
We finished up around 5:30 in a southern beach resort. They had a bus waiting to take us back to Adamas. We decided on a quick pizza at the port since were both still feeling the sea legs thing, then had some ice cream and walked back to the room. Luckily our clean laundry was waiting for us inside the room. We decided to take a rest here outside and the owner bought us some melon. She is hospitable in an almost overbearing kind of way!
Tomorrow it is one last boat ride to Athens when we pick up a car for the week to explore mainland Peloponnese!
8:30pm: at the hotel after a long, tiring, great day. Had a light breakfast at the hotel, gave our laundry to the owner, and made the quick walk to town to get on our boat Oneiro for our day excursion around the island. We left just before 9 and there were about 17 people on the boat plus the awesome captain Elias and his equally awesome cook Vasilias. They started out by telling us we are very lucky because the winds are calm, which allowed us to do both the west and south side of the island - usually they can only do one. They started out by serving some light snacks and pointing out things were seeing along the way - fishing villages, rock formations, etc. as well as giving us some historical information.
We stopped at a few places to swim nanely some caves wher they also took us inside the caves in a tiny boat. The water here is SO clear and blue/aqua and gorgeous that it’s almost unfair! This routine with food and drink and gorgeous swimming stops basically condtinued all day, all with their great banter and stories throw in. Considering the hard work they do and the fact that they only really work six months of the year, it is impressive how much they care. Almost everything they served they grew - including melons, tomatoes, etc. Such an impressive day and people and the island is just beautiful. Take a look at the pictures when flickr decides to cooperate, but they don’t really do it justice either.
We finished up around 5:30 in a southern beach resort. They had a bus waiting to take us back to Adamas. We decided on a quick pizza at the port since were both still feeling the sea legs thing, then had some ice cream and walked back to the room. Luckily our clean laundry was waiting for us inside the room. We decided to take a rest here outside and the owner bought us some melon. She is hospitable in an almost overbearing kind of way!
Tomorrow it is one last boat ride to Athens when we pick up a car for the week to explore mainland Peloponnese!
Monday, September 9, 2019
Greece Days 9-10 — made it to Milos after a big a wasted day
Pics HERE
5:00pm Monday 9/10: resting in our hotel in Milos for a while before dinner after a fun morning exploring this rugged island.
The three of you who read this blog possibly realized I did not post yesterday. I think that’s a first for me in all my travels but honestly, there was basically nothing to share. To catch you up, our boat from Naxos to Milos was scheduled for 5:20pm yesterday. We had little left to do in Naxos so we sat in some cafes, had lunch, and met our hotel at the port, who so kindly dropped off our bags (and gave us a magnet as a present, what sweet sweet people!). Of course though, the boat left over an hour late and took longer than it was supposed to, so instead of arriving around 7:30pm, it was after 9. We took a taxi to the hotel and the port area here was really quite busy - restaurants full, etc. A little surprising to be honest - we were expecting a bit of quiet here but I guess it’s all relative. At the hotel we were met by a sweet lady who spoke no English but gave us our keys. We got a very quick bite and crashed. And that was it.
Today we had breakfast at the hotel - a huge spread of sweet and savory treats - and met our car rental company here. They dropped of some kind of hilarious Chevrolet - at least it was automatic? It made weird beeping sounds, had no power locks or windows of any kind, and struggled to make it up the winding hills on the island. The check engine light may have come on once or twice. But we made it. We first set to find Klima, an ancient village where Venus de Milo was apparently found. Well Google had some trouble and we couldn’t really find it so we moved on to Plaka, the actual capital of the island. Shops weren’t open yet but it was a cute little hilltop village.
We then went to Sarakiniko, a beach/rock formation that reminds me a lot of the Scala dei Turchi in Sicily. We wandered around its caves and inlets for a while and admired the blue waters and crazy formations before setting off for Pollonia, the resort town at the top of the island. When doing what little research I did for this trip, a lot of people recommended staying there. We would have been bored out of our minds. It is cute and there is a nice little beach right in town but there is essentially nothing to do there but eat.
We had an early lunch/brunch overlooking the water and went to the catacombs. Thy are largely not open to the public, but I always find interest in those kinds of things. We toyed around with the idea of trying to find Klima again but did not feel like it, so instead we returned to Adamas, returned the car, got some ice cream, and walked back to the hotel for a rest. Along the way, we checked out the main town here and it has actually pretty little to offer. This seems like an island to com for natural beauty, one historical significance and nice villages, and mostly the beach. Originally I regretted not having much time here but I think it will turn out to be just right!
8:00pm - back after an early dinner at O! Hamos! - a place I had read about and tried to make a reservation but was told they don’t take them and to come before 6:30pm, so that is what we did and it was indeed already pretty busy. This place is a trip - people write on the chairs and there are words along the booths and the end is like a book with stories and in many different languages, We had a veritable feast of a tomato salad, homemade pasta with a tomato sauce, slow-cooked suckling pig with couscous, and halva for dessert. Everything was delicious ad Matt was happy to have finally found a place that has craft beers. The total was under 50 euros for everything! We got out dinner and crossed the street to the beach right at sunset - perfect timing! So we took some pictures and returned for an early night. Tomorrow we are taking an all day boat/food/swimming/extravaganza tour of the parts of the island inaccessible by car so it will be a long one!
5:00pm Monday 9/10: resting in our hotel in Milos for a while before dinner after a fun morning exploring this rugged island.
The three of you who read this blog possibly realized I did not post yesterday. I think that’s a first for me in all my travels but honestly, there was basically nothing to share. To catch you up, our boat from Naxos to Milos was scheduled for 5:20pm yesterday. We had little left to do in Naxos so we sat in some cafes, had lunch, and met our hotel at the port, who so kindly dropped off our bags (and gave us a magnet as a present, what sweet sweet people!). Of course though, the boat left over an hour late and took longer than it was supposed to, so instead of arriving around 7:30pm, it was after 9. We took a taxi to the hotel and the port area here was really quite busy - restaurants full, etc. A little surprising to be honest - we were expecting a bit of quiet here but I guess it’s all relative. At the hotel we were met by a sweet lady who spoke no English but gave us our keys. We got a very quick bite and crashed. And that was it.
Today we had breakfast at the hotel - a huge spread of sweet and savory treats - and met our car rental company here. They dropped of some kind of hilarious Chevrolet - at least it was automatic? It made weird beeping sounds, had no power locks or windows of any kind, and struggled to make it up the winding hills on the island. The check engine light may have come on once or twice. But we made it. We first set to find Klima, an ancient village where Venus de Milo was apparently found. Well Google had some trouble and we couldn’t really find it so we moved on to Plaka, the actual capital of the island. Shops weren’t open yet but it was a cute little hilltop village.
We then went to Sarakiniko, a beach/rock formation that reminds me a lot of the Scala dei Turchi in Sicily. We wandered around its caves and inlets for a while and admired the blue waters and crazy formations before setting off for Pollonia, the resort town at the top of the island. When doing what little research I did for this trip, a lot of people recommended staying there. We would have been bored out of our minds. It is cute and there is a nice little beach right in town but there is essentially nothing to do there but eat.
We had an early lunch/brunch overlooking the water and went to the catacombs. Thy are largely not open to the public, but I always find interest in those kinds of things. We toyed around with the idea of trying to find Klima again but did not feel like it, so instead we returned to Adamas, returned the car, got some ice cream, and walked back to the hotel for a rest. Along the way, we checked out the main town here and it has actually pretty little to offer. This seems like an island to com for natural beauty, one historical significance and nice villages, and mostly the beach. Originally I regretted not having much time here but I think it will turn out to be just right!
8:00pm - back after an early dinner at O! Hamos! - a place I had read about and tried to make a reservation but was told they don’t take them and to come before 6:30pm, so that is what we did and it was indeed already pretty busy. This place is a trip - people write on the chairs and there are words along the booths and the end is like a book with stories and in many different languages, We had a veritable feast of a tomato salad, homemade pasta with a tomato sauce, slow-cooked suckling pig with couscous, and halva for dessert. Everything was delicious ad Matt was happy to have finally found a place that has craft beers. The total was under 50 euros for everything! We got out dinner and crossed the street to the beach right at sunset - perfect timing! So we took some pictures and returned for an early night. Tomorrow we are taking an all day boat/food/swimming/extravaganza tour of the parts of the island inaccessible by car so it will be a long one!
Saturday, September 7, 2019
Greece Day 8 - 9/7/19 - more of Naxos’s villages
Pics HERE
6:00pm - at the hotel for a breather after a fun day. We were in no rush in the morning so we took our time getting ready and having breakfast, today they made waffles topped with fruit. Around 10 we set out for the little village of Eggares to the “Naxos olive oil museum,” which was a shop with two rooms of old equipment. A lady explained everything, which was pretty interesting, and I bought a little bottle of local oil and an olive wood olive picker.
We then set out for a drive along the northern coast to the tiny beach town Appollonas at the top of the island. It was a beautiful winding drive up the coast and at the end almost felt like the end of the world. We parked in town and had a quick drink stop at a beachside cafe. Because we’d had breakfast a little later, we weren’t hungry yet so we set out for the island’s second ancient Kouros statue outside Appollonas, and then went to our last stop of the day Koronos.
Koronos is a mountainous village perched between two hills. We parked at the top and walked down, and down, and down, and down a lot of stairs. We stumbled upon a little restuarant under some vines where people were eating and it looked like a great stop. And oh it was. No menu (your options were chicken, pork, lamb, or goat with a side or a couple veggie options) and a couple of appetizers. We had a Greek salad and the pork in lemon sauce with spaghetti. Fantastic. They also gave us free tap water and dessert that was a little like tiramisu. 16 euros. We then ascended the many steps, which thankfully didn’t seem as bad going up!
The drive back to Naxos Town was about 45 minutes. Even though Naxos is big there are only a few roads so it is pretty hard to get lost. We drove by a lot of marble quarries and sharp hills. We returned the car with no issues and then came back for a rest.
9:45pm: back at the hotel after dinner at Capone’s, an American-style steakhouse where we split a ribeye made from local Naxos meat and fried potatoes. For once we didn’t terribly over-order! Then we walked over to the shop to pick up my finished custo sandals, they are awesome! Then we went to good old Waffle House for a much smaller ice cream - this time I had “four chocolates” a milk chocolate ice cream filled with white, blonde, and dark chocolate goodies. So yummy. We then wandered back through the old streets and back to the hotel. Along the way we found a little candy shop making beautiful hard candies by hand in a Tom of flavors! Matt has been looking for a piece of art or a print of the ruins at the end of the water here, but no such luck. It’s strange and unfortunate the souvenir-shopping is so lackluster here.
Tomorrow we have most of another day here before a late afternoon boat to our final island, Milos!
6:00pm - at the hotel for a breather after a fun day. We were in no rush in the morning so we took our time getting ready and having breakfast, today they made waffles topped with fruit. Around 10 we set out for the little village of Eggares to the “Naxos olive oil museum,” which was a shop with two rooms of old equipment. A lady explained everything, which was pretty interesting, and I bought a little bottle of local oil and an olive wood olive picker.
We then set out for a drive along the northern coast to the tiny beach town Appollonas at the top of the island. It was a beautiful winding drive up the coast and at the end almost felt like the end of the world. We parked in town and had a quick drink stop at a beachside cafe. Because we’d had breakfast a little later, we weren’t hungry yet so we set out for the island’s second ancient Kouros statue outside Appollonas, and then went to our last stop of the day Koronos.
Koronos is a mountainous village perched between two hills. We parked at the top and walked down, and down, and down, and down a lot of stairs. We stumbled upon a little restuarant under some vines where people were eating and it looked like a great stop. And oh it was. No menu (your options were chicken, pork, lamb, or goat with a side or a couple veggie options) and a couple of appetizers. We had a Greek salad and the pork in lemon sauce with spaghetti. Fantastic. They also gave us free tap water and dessert that was a little like tiramisu. 16 euros. We then ascended the many steps, which thankfully didn’t seem as bad going up!
The drive back to Naxos Town was about 45 minutes. Even though Naxos is big there are only a few roads so it is pretty hard to get lost. We drove by a lot of marble quarries and sharp hills. We returned the car with no issues and then came back for a rest.
9:45pm: back at the hotel after dinner at Capone’s, an American-style steakhouse where we split a ribeye made from local Naxos meat and fried potatoes. For once we didn’t terribly over-order! Then we walked over to the shop to pick up my finished custo sandals, they are awesome! Then we went to good old Waffle House for a much smaller ice cream - this time I had “four chocolates” a milk chocolate ice cream filled with white, blonde, and dark chocolate goodies. So yummy. We then wandered back through the old streets and back to the hotel. Along the way we found a little candy shop making beautiful hard candies by hand in a Tom of flavors! Matt has been looking for a piece of art or a print of the ruins at the end of the water here, but no such luck. It’s strange and unfortunate the souvenir-shopping is so lackluster here.
Tomorrow we have most of another day here before a late afternoon boat to our final island, Milos!
Friday, September 6, 2019
Greece Day 7 - 9/6/19 - Naxos villages
Pics HERE
8:30am Saturday - once again got back from dinner last night and was so tired I didn’t have the energy to type this up. Slept a bit better last night so hopefully that doesn’t happen again.
Started the day by picking the car up from enterprise. The guy was the opposite of the one in Santorini and wanted every document we possessed! But for the next couple days we have a zippy little VW. We set out for something called a Kouros, there are apparently two on the island - they are ancient unfinished statues within marble quarries. There is a lot of marble on Naxos.
We then drove around a bit - the island is large (7 times bigger than Santorini) but nothing is still that far. The roads are in good condition but can get narrow and windy. We stopped in Apiranthos, a town made largely out of marble, and at an old church that is supposed to be nice but was unfortunately not open. In fact we have been here a week now and have yet to really find a big church open?? It almost feels weird to go to Europe and not go into churches all the time.
We then went to Halki, a very cute little village with some nice shops where I was finally able to find a nice handmade magnet. I don’t think I’ve mentioned, but for all the hundreds of cute shops in Naxos Town, the stuff they are selling isn’t that special and looks mostly like junk? Then we had lunch at a restaurant I had read about - Gianni’s Tavern - in the main square. They had amazing looking meat roasting on a spit. It started getting busier and busier. We had feta cheese baked with chili peppper and tomatoes, and thankfully split a plate of the roasted pork. It was delicious but then the bees started coming and at one point there were about six all around us and the food. They were even eating the meat! Needless to say, I couldn’t take that for very long, so we closed out there, got some yummy ice cream made from local ingredients, and went to the beach.
We went to Agia Anna, a little beach south of where we are staying. There was a big parking lot across the street from the beach. We decided to post up at one of the beach cafes that gives you cushioned lounges and an umbrella as long as you pay 15 euros and eat or drink. I had a watermelon juice and some lemon slush and we relaxed for a couple hours. The water is crystal clear, but freezing!!
We made it back to the hotel around 5, freshened up and went to dinner in the maze of old town. We split a Greek Salad, tomato balls, and “fried chicken” which was actually chunks of chicken sauteeed with peppers, onions, and mushrooms and not what we thought it would be at all, but it was all still yummy. And they gave us a little piece of baklava for dessert, which we haven’t had yet. Actually several of the restaurants in Naxos have given us a little sweet treat, which is nice.
After dinner, we stopped at a cafe on the waterfront for a bit then came back and completely crashed. Today more exploring by car!
8:30am Saturday - once again got back from dinner last night and was so tired I didn’t have the energy to type this up. Slept a bit better last night so hopefully that doesn’t happen again.
Started the day by picking the car up from enterprise. The guy was the opposite of the one in Santorini and wanted every document we possessed! But for the next couple days we have a zippy little VW. We set out for something called a Kouros, there are apparently two on the island - they are ancient unfinished statues within marble quarries. There is a lot of marble on Naxos.
We then drove around a bit - the island is large (7 times bigger than Santorini) but nothing is still that far. The roads are in good condition but can get narrow and windy. We stopped in Apiranthos, a town made largely out of marble, and at an old church that is supposed to be nice but was unfortunately not open. In fact we have been here a week now and have yet to really find a big church open?? It almost feels weird to go to Europe and not go into churches all the time.
We then went to Halki, a very cute little village with some nice shops where I was finally able to find a nice handmade magnet. I don’t think I’ve mentioned, but for all the hundreds of cute shops in Naxos Town, the stuff they are selling isn’t that special and looks mostly like junk? Then we had lunch at a restaurant I had read about - Gianni’s Tavern - in the main square. They had amazing looking meat roasting on a spit. It started getting busier and busier. We had feta cheese baked with chili peppper and tomatoes, and thankfully split a plate of the roasted pork. It was delicious but then the bees started coming and at one point there were about six all around us and the food. They were even eating the meat! Needless to say, I couldn’t take that for very long, so we closed out there, got some yummy ice cream made from local ingredients, and went to the beach.
We went to Agia Anna, a little beach south of where we are staying. There was a big parking lot across the street from the beach. We decided to post up at one of the beach cafes that gives you cushioned lounges and an umbrella as long as you pay 15 euros and eat or drink. I had a watermelon juice and some lemon slush and we relaxed for a couple hours. The water is crystal clear, but freezing!!
We made it back to the hotel around 5, freshened up and went to dinner in the maze of old town. We split a Greek Salad, tomato balls, and “fried chicken” which was actually chunks of chicken sauteeed with peppers, onions, and mushrooms and not what we thought it would be at all, but it was all still yummy. And they gave us a little piece of baklava for dessert, which we haven’t had yet. Actually several of the restaurants in Naxos have given us a little sweet treat, which is nice.
After dinner, we stopped at a cafe on the waterfront for a bit then came back and completely crashed. Today more exploring by car!
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Greece Day 6 - Naxos 9/5/19
Pics HERE - not too many today.
9:00pm - at the hotel for an early night after a nice, pretty easy day. We had a quick bite of cake, coffee, and fruit at the hotel and then wandered around the old town a little. I ordered some custom handmade leather sandals that I’ll pick up in a couple of days so I am pretty excited about that. We had lunch at Scirocco - some oregano bread, a local sharp cheese, and I had chicken with a mushroom sauce. Pretty tasty!
After lunch we meandered our way through more of the old town, up by the castle, and back down. We arrived mid-afternoon and took a much needed siesta, and both of us took a nap. Around 6:30 we set back into town and stopped at a bar with a rooftop patio called Like Home, where all the drinks are named after rooms in houses. I had a custom non-alcoholic passion fruit drink that was fantastic. From there we saw the sunset and then wandered a little more and decided upon the Labrynth Wine Restuarant, which has an adorable little outside patio. Matt had pasta and I had chicken in lemon sauce. Unfortunately my chicken was quitet dry and on top of that I wasn’t really hungry so I did not eat that much. The wait staff seemed to take this personally and I feel quite guilty, and they took over 12 euros off our bill even though we assured them they didn't do anything wrong! So far the hospitality in Greece has been lovely.
Our hotel owners continue to be rock stars. When we left in the morning we handed them a huge bag of laundry and ten euros and by 6pm it was back to us, clean! Fantastic,
Tonight it’s an early night, tomorrow we will rent a car and see sone of the inside of the island.
9:00pm - at the hotel for an early night after a nice, pretty easy day. We had a quick bite of cake, coffee, and fruit at the hotel and then wandered around the old town a little. I ordered some custom handmade leather sandals that I’ll pick up in a couple of days so I am pretty excited about that. We had lunch at Scirocco - some oregano bread, a local sharp cheese, and I had chicken with a mushroom sauce. Pretty tasty!
After lunch we meandered our way through more of the old town, up by the castle, and back down. We arrived mid-afternoon and took a much needed siesta, and both of us took a nap. Around 6:30 we set back into town and stopped at a bar with a rooftop patio called Like Home, where all the drinks are named after rooms in houses. I had a custom non-alcoholic passion fruit drink that was fantastic. From there we saw the sunset and then wandered a little more and decided upon the Labrynth Wine Restuarant, which has an adorable little outside patio. Matt had pasta and I had chicken in lemon sauce. Unfortunately my chicken was quitet dry and on top of that I wasn’t really hungry so I did not eat that much. The wait staff seemed to take this personally and I feel quite guilty, and they took over 12 euros off our bill even though we assured them they didn't do anything wrong! So far the hospitality in Greece has been lovely.
Our hotel owners continue to be rock stars. When we left in the morning we handed them a huge bag of laundry and ten euros and by 6pm it was back to us, clean! Fantastic,
Tonight it’s an early night, tomorrow we will rent a car and see sone of the inside of the island.
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Greece Day 5 - Santorini to Naxos 9/4/19
Pictures HERE!
4:00pm - sitting in our adorable little hotel in the middle of Naxos town center, where we will spend the next four nights. This morning/afternoon, we survived the chaotic hell of the Santorini port, which might actually give LAX a solid run for its money! A porter came to the airbnb to bring the suitcases to the street, where met the same driver who originally picked us up at the airport. We made it to the port in about 45 minutes but the road down from the main road to the port is an insane mess of traffic, big buses, and hairpin turns.
Once we arrived we sat at a touristy cafe and got a bite to eat then found some other Americans on our boat and figured it out. I won’t even try to describe the scene at the port because it’s too crazy. Needless to say we left about a half hour late. The boat itself was sleek, modern, super fast, and thankfully pretty smooth. Avoided seasickness again! I have a feeling the next couple boat rides may not be so successful.
At the end of the pier a happy gentleman was holding a sign with our hotel name and took us the 1 minute ride to Pension Sofi where his wife was waiting for us with fresh lemonade and information. She gave us a great 2-day driving itinerary and some other recommendations for food, etc. This is why I love staying in small hotels and B&Bs! We then went to a cafe right nearby for a late lunch - Matt had a gyro pizzza, which was enormous, and I had a traditional dish of slow-cooked pork in a garlic tomato sauce. Delicious and less than half the price of Santorini basically. It is clear already how much quieter it is here and we are grateful for it. And now it is time for some well-deserved rest!
9:40pm - back at the hotel after a lovely little evening. Got some reconmendations from the hotel owner and set out to wander by the water. There is a portara with some ruins on it and as the sun was setting, we wandered around that. Since we ate lunch so late we were not really hungry so instead we got some delicious ice cream at the best place in town called... Waffle House. I nearly laughed when the hotel lady suggested it! I had bitter chocolate and blond chocolate hazelnut and it was some of the richest, creamiest ice cream I have EVER had. Seriously.
Wandered some side streets to get back to the hotel and they were so cute, narrow white cobbled streets lied with shops and cafes and plant life. See the pictures! Tomorrow we will have a fairly relaxed day exploring this town more.
4:00pm - sitting in our adorable little hotel in the middle of Naxos town center, where we will spend the next four nights. This morning/afternoon, we survived the chaotic hell of the Santorini port, which might actually give LAX a solid run for its money! A porter came to the airbnb to bring the suitcases to the street, where met the same driver who originally picked us up at the airport. We made it to the port in about 45 minutes but the road down from the main road to the port is an insane mess of traffic, big buses, and hairpin turns.
Once we arrived we sat at a touristy cafe and got a bite to eat then found some other Americans on our boat and figured it out. I won’t even try to describe the scene at the port because it’s too crazy. Needless to say we left about a half hour late. The boat itself was sleek, modern, super fast, and thankfully pretty smooth. Avoided seasickness again! I have a feeling the next couple boat rides may not be so successful.
At the end of the pier a happy gentleman was holding a sign with our hotel name and took us the 1 minute ride to Pension Sofi where his wife was waiting for us with fresh lemonade and information. She gave us a great 2-day driving itinerary and some other recommendations for food, etc. This is why I love staying in small hotels and B&Bs! We then went to a cafe right nearby for a late lunch - Matt had a gyro pizzza, which was enormous, and I had a traditional dish of slow-cooked pork in a garlic tomato sauce. Delicious and less than half the price of Santorini basically. It is clear already how much quieter it is here and we are grateful for it. And now it is time for some well-deserved rest!
9:40pm - back at the hotel after a lovely little evening. Got some reconmendations from the hotel owner and set out to wander by the water. There is a portara with some ruins on it and as the sun was setting, we wandered around that. Since we ate lunch so late we were not really hungry so instead we got some delicious ice cream at the best place in town called... Waffle House. I nearly laughed when the hotel lady suggested it! I had bitter chocolate and blond chocolate hazelnut and it was some of the richest, creamiest ice cream I have EVER had. Seriously.
Wandered some side streets to get back to the hotel and they were so cute, narrow white cobbled streets lied with shops and cafes and plant life. See the pictures! Tomorrow we will have a fairly relaxed day exploring this town more.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Greece Day 4 - Santorini 9/3/19
Pics HERE
8:00am 9/4 - I was so tired yesterday that when we got back from our winery and brewery tour, I had zero energy to even write this. Unfortunately we've slept rather poorly our entire time on Santorini. But back to yesterday....
We received a car rental at 9am, very interesting concept they actually bring you the car here! We got a little smart cabrio for the day, stone we wanted something really small and a little fun. We then set out. Everything here is only a few miles away but with the narrow windy roads it takes longer than expected. We arrived in Kamari and couldn't really find anything going on (this is what happen when you're planning a wedding and a big vacation at the same time!) so we didn't even stop and went immediately to Pyrgos, a cute little hilltop village that just goes uphill, uphill, uphill. We got some eggs for breakfast in a cafe in the main square and wandered a while before setting off for Emporio. We initially had a hard time finding the interesting part of this town but ended up finding it. It's also an uphill maze of windy alleys and crazy rounded architecture, almost reminding me of the smurfs.
After Emporio we drove to the southern part of the island and checked out the cool ruins of Ancient Akrotiri, which predate the volcano even creating Santorini! Also the ruins we covered in a shelter, which was very nice!
We then arrived back in Fira and left the car where they told us to, unlocked, with the keys inside it!?
We then found lunch at a quick place near where our tour was to depart, and then moved over to the coffee shop where we would meet our guide. There, I was even able to catch up for a few minutes with an old friend who happened to be here as well! Awesome! We then met our guide Nikolas and visited a brewery and three unique wineries - tasting a lot of things and getting some authentic Greek snacks in the process. It was a lot of fun even though I an not a big wine or beer persob. Nikolas then dropped us off at the parking lot near our airbnb and we basically crashed. Today it is a ferry to our next island Naxos!
8:00am 9/4 - I was so tired yesterday that when we got back from our winery and brewery tour, I had zero energy to even write this. Unfortunately we've slept rather poorly our entire time on Santorini. But back to yesterday....
We received a car rental at 9am, very interesting concept they actually bring you the car here! We got a little smart cabrio for the day, stone we wanted something really small and a little fun. We then set out. Everything here is only a few miles away but with the narrow windy roads it takes longer than expected. We arrived in Kamari and couldn't really find anything going on (this is what happen when you're planning a wedding and a big vacation at the same time!) so we didn't even stop and went immediately to Pyrgos, a cute little hilltop village that just goes uphill, uphill, uphill. We got some eggs for breakfast in a cafe in the main square and wandered a while before setting off for Emporio. We initially had a hard time finding the interesting part of this town but ended up finding it. It's also an uphill maze of windy alleys and crazy rounded architecture, almost reminding me of the smurfs.
After Emporio we drove to the southern part of the island and checked out the cool ruins of Ancient Akrotiri, which predate the volcano even creating Santorini! Also the ruins we covered in a shelter, which was very nice!
We then arrived back in Fira and left the car where they told us to, unlocked, with the keys inside it!?
We then found lunch at a quick place near where our tour was to depart, and then moved over to the coffee shop where we would meet our guide. There, I was even able to catch up for a few minutes with an old friend who happened to be here as well! Awesome! We then met our guide Nikolas and visited a brewery and three unique wineries - tasting a lot of things and getting some authentic Greek snacks in the process. It was a lot of fun even though I an not a big wine or beer persob. Nikolas then dropped us off at the parking lot near our airbnb and we basically crashed. Today it is a ferry to our next island Naxos!
Monday, September 2, 2019
Greece Day 3 - 9/2/19 - Santorini
Pictures are HERE
9:00pm: Back at the airbnb after a long but fun day. Slept terribly again but didn’t fully wake up until about 7:30. We went back to Meloni bakery for breakfast overlooking the water, I had an iced cappuccino (seens to be a specialty here and it is delicious!) and a slice of dark chocolate torte. Matt had a veritable feast of a pancake drowning in honey, fruit salad, and greek yogurt topped with homemade granola bars. We then wandered around town for a bit and that was a challenge because it looked like three cruise ships were docked and the streets were packed even at 9an. Aroud 11:15, we made a quick pit stop back at the airbnb and found a little cafe right near the airbnb to have a light lunch before our sunset boat cruise was to pick us up - we had another greek salad and helping of the local tomato fritters plus some delicious olives,
Then we were picked up by the boat tour company and took a winding and long trip to the south of the island over honestly mostly barren terrain. There is a LOT of incomplete construction here. We then arrived at the Southern port and loaded the boat, which had about 20 people, mostly Americans. It took us to the red beach, the white beach, the volcanic “hot springs” (they were not even warm), and included drinks, a bbq dinner, etc. It was great fun even though I sat around a lot with my eyes closed so as to avoid getting seasick - and thank goodness I did!!! Anyway, the people were mostly really fun to talk to, the food decent, the staff super nice, and the sunset view from the water priceless. Luckily due to where our airbnb is, we were also the first people dropped off the return bus and made it back relatively early.
Tomorrow we rent a car for a few hours to explore the island’s quieter towns, then drop the car off and take an airbnb experience winery/brewery tour!
9:00pm: Back at the airbnb after a long but fun day. Slept terribly again but didn’t fully wake up until about 7:30. We went back to Meloni bakery for breakfast overlooking the water, I had an iced cappuccino (seens to be a specialty here and it is delicious!) and a slice of dark chocolate torte. Matt had a veritable feast of a pancake drowning in honey, fruit salad, and greek yogurt topped with homemade granola bars. We then wandered around town for a bit and that was a challenge because it looked like three cruise ships were docked and the streets were packed even at 9an. Aroud 11:15, we made a quick pit stop back at the airbnb and found a little cafe right near the airbnb to have a light lunch before our sunset boat cruise was to pick us up - we had another greek salad and helping of the local tomato fritters plus some delicious olives,
Then we were picked up by the boat tour company and took a winding and long trip to the south of the island over honestly mostly barren terrain. There is a LOT of incomplete construction here. We then arrived at the Southern port and loaded the boat, which had about 20 people, mostly Americans. It took us to the red beach, the white beach, the volcanic “hot springs” (they were not even warm), and included drinks, a bbq dinner, etc. It was great fun even though I sat around a lot with my eyes closed so as to avoid getting seasick - and thank goodness I did!!! Anyway, the people were mostly really fun to talk to, the food decent, the staff super nice, and the sunset view from the water priceless. Luckily due to where our airbnb is, we were also the first people dropped off the return bus and made it back relatively early.
Tomorrow we rent a car for a few hours to explore the island’s quieter towns, then drop the car off and take an airbnb experience winery/brewery tour!
Sunday, September 1, 2019
Greece Days 1 & 2 - The Honeymoon Adventure Begins!
Day 1 pics HERE and day 2 pics HERE. (Sorry this didn't go up last night the internet was being cranky at the airbnb).
3:00pm Greece time: Resting at our cool airbnb cave house in Oia, Santorini to start our three-week Greece adventure after an exhausting couple of days. What day IS it even??!
I did not blog yesterday because frankly we were too tired. Before 8am on Friday we received notification from Lufthansa that our flight from LAX-Munich was going to be so delayed we were going to miss our connection to Santorini. I immediately called Lufthansa and we were rebooked to LAX-Chicago-Munich-Santorini, arriving same time. We went for it but it meant we had to leave about 3 hours earlier. Matt rushed home from work and we rushed to LAX. Everything from there, thankfully, was pretty smooth sailing. The Munich airport lived up to reputation and was not only easy to connect through but on a Saturday afternoon, an epic ghost town. The only hiccup was that our flight to Santorini was about 45 minutes delayed due to an EU air traffic issue, which was of course just long enough of a delay to miss sunset from our airbnb by like 20 minutes. Oh well, we have tonight!
Our airbnb is a cave house right on the cliffs in Oia with amazing views and our own little jacuzzi. The host arranged our airport transfer, which was great. After checking in and taking some pictures, we wandered into town and sat down for a quick dinner at the first decent-looking place we encountered. We had a Greek salad (naturally), delicious Santorini fried tomato balls, and a local tomato garlic spaghetti. Matt had fun explaning to the waiter what kickball is! After dinner, we wandered around and browsed as most of the shops were still open. We then went to bed though neither of us slept particularly well.
Today, we meandered over to the bus station, getting chocolate donuts and delicious iced cappuccino on the way. We then took the bus to Imerovigli, near the main town Thira, and walked the tail end of a long footpath/hike. Luckily, this direction was mostly downhill. Along the way there were great views. We got to Thira around 10am and wandered down the lanes and in and out of some cute shops.
Around 11:30am, we were hungry and ate at a little cafe in town called Eleni. Matt got pizza, and I got a grilled chicken breast. During lunch the wind really kicked up. That does not bode well for all the boat rides we have booked during the first half of this trip! After lunch we meandered down to the bus station and caught the 12:30pm bus back to Oia, arriving just after 1pm. It was pretty hot by this point but we wandered through town a bit more and bought some souvenirs and here we are at the airbnb relaxing until sunset!
10:30pm - back at the airbnb after a a long rest followed by watching the amazing sunset from our balcony, then a delicious dinner at Skala. We had this crumbly cheese melted with tomatoes and peppers and a smoked pork chop. Matt also had tzatziki and tried ouzo for the first time. I tried to order the fried tomato balls again but they were out. It was probably for the best because we had too much food anyway. Stopped at the bakery Melenio on the way back and got a piece of delicious caramel cake to bring back to the airbnb for dessert. And now it is definitely tine for bed and hopefully a better night sleep! Tomorrow we are doing a sunset cruise around the island and I am just hoping I don’t get too seasick!
3:00pm Greece time: Resting at our cool airbnb cave house in Oia, Santorini to start our three-week Greece adventure after an exhausting couple of days. What day IS it even??!
I did not blog yesterday because frankly we were too tired. Before 8am on Friday we received notification from Lufthansa that our flight from LAX-Munich was going to be so delayed we were going to miss our connection to Santorini. I immediately called Lufthansa and we were rebooked to LAX-Chicago-Munich-Santorini, arriving same time. We went for it but it meant we had to leave about 3 hours earlier. Matt rushed home from work and we rushed to LAX. Everything from there, thankfully, was pretty smooth sailing. The Munich airport lived up to reputation and was not only easy to connect through but on a Saturday afternoon, an epic ghost town. The only hiccup was that our flight to Santorini was about 45 minutes delayed due to an EU air traffic issue, which was of course just long enough of a delay to miss sunset from our airbnb by like 20 minutes. Oh well, we have tonight!
Our airbnb is a cave house right on the cliffs in Oia with amazing views and our own little jacuzzi. The host arranged our airport transfer, which was great. After checking in and taking some pictures, we wandered into town and sat down for a quick dinner at the first decent-looking place we encountered. We had a Greek salad (naturally), delicious Santorini fried tomato balls, and a local tomato garlic spaghetti. Matt had fun explaning to the waiter what kickball is! After dinner, we wandered around and browsed as most of the shops were still open. We then went to bed though neither of us slept particularly well.
Today, we meandered over to the bus station, getting chocolate donuts and delicious iced cappuccino on the way. We then took the bus to Imerovigli, near the main town Thira, and walked the tail end of a long footpath/hike. Luckily, this direction was mostly downhill. Along the way there were great views. We got to Thira around 10am and wandered down the lanes and in and out of some cute shops.
Around 11:30am, we were hungry and ate at a little cafe in town called Eleni. Matt got pizza, and I got a grilled chicken breast. During lunch the wind really kicked up. That does not bode well for all the boat rides we have booked during the first half of this trip! After lunch we meandered down to the bus station and caught the 12:30pm bus back to Oia, arriving just after 1pm. It was pretty hot by this point but we wandered through town a bit more and bought some souvenirs and here we are at the airbnb relaxing until sunset!
10:30pm - back at the airbnb after a a long rest followed by watching the amazing sunset from our balcony, then a delicious dinner at Skala. We had this crumbly cheese melted with tomatoes and peppers and a smoked pork chop. Matt also had tzatziki and tried ouzo for the first time. I tried to order the fried tomato balls again but they were out. It was probably for the best because we had too much food anyway. Stopped at the bakery Melenio on the way back and got a piece of delicious caramel cake to bring back to the airbnb for dessert. And now it is definitely tine for bed and hopefully a better night sleep! Tomorrow we are doing a sunset cruise around the island and I am just hoping I don’t get too seasick!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)