Two weeks in Greece

Well hello! Once again, it’s been a while since I’ve posted but we’ve just been having so much fun that I can’t be bothered to take some time to write about it! I last wrote on our second last night in Sorrento, which was over 2 weeks ago, so I’ll start from there… I apologize in advance as this may be a long one, but we have some serious catching up to do… Here we go! We met an awesome guy from San Diego who was travelling alone and staying at a hotel near ours in the secluded little marina. Over dinner we learned all about his life and that he was here to travel around for a few weeks before heading to the Cannes Film Festival where his own film was being showed! He’s a filmmaker, obviously, and it’s pretty darn cool that his work was accepted to such a prestigious international festival! We ended up travelling to Naples with him the next morning since we all had flights out of there on the same day. Crazy how that worked out!  After 2 nights of getting to know our new friend, we headed our separate ways; him off to Paris and us to Athens. We followed each other on Instagram to stay connected… The modern friendship! This is 2015, everyone! Anywho, arriving to Athens was extra special for me because my boyfriend Michael was there waiting for us to spend 2 weeks together! Yay! As soon as we were all together it felt like we had never even been apart, and the 35 days of doing long distance seemed very insignificant. (I realize to some real long distance troopers this may not seem like a long time but for us it’s the longest we’ve ever been apart) We spent one night in Athens close to the port so we could leave nice and early on the ferry to our first stop, Mykonos. After a rather short 5 hours at sea, we made it to our beautiful island destination. Staying just a quick 5 minutes from the beach with an amazing balcony overlooking the water, we were happy campers! We spent 5 nights there, mostly just soaking up the gorgeous weather and hanging out by the beach. We ate tons of incredibly delicious Greek food, and I’m a major foodie so that was definitely one of the best parts! Eating authentic Greek salad and souvlaki right next to a picturesque Greek beach is truly the dream.  My favourite day has to be when we rented quads and explored the island. Cruising along the perfect coast and stopping at some of the beaches on the way was a huge highlight for me. I’ve never been quadding before and it was so exhilarating to be flying down the road with my hair blowing in the wind in such a dreamy location. So cheesy, I know, but I felt like one free bird!!!! We discovered what still remains our favourite Greek restaurant on the way to Super Paradise Beach. It’s just up the road and I wish I could remember the name so that everyone who visits Mykonos could experience it for themselves, but all I remember is a big sign saying “homemade food” on the side of the road. So… If you’re ever in the area and heading towards Super Paradise Beach, then be sure to stop for some of the best Greek cuisine imaginable!  Super Paradise Beach itself is absolutely gorgeous and has the most crystal blue water I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing in real life! It’s just unreal. The name speaks for itself, as it is most definitely not just a heavenly location, but a SUPER heavenly one. It really lives up to its name. Most nights we all got together and played some drinking games on the patio or on the beach, which was always a good time full of laughs. Our last night on the island, we sat on the beach at sunset and drank some amazing berry apple ciders, which are too good actually and I might even avoid recommending them because they make it far too easy to get carried away and drink a little too much. But it made for a good night with good conversation and good company. No complaints there!  Next, we were off to our second and final island! The ferry ride was a quick but expensive one, and in just over 2 hours we found ourselves in the much talked about and coveted destination of Santorini. Ahhhhh yes, the perfectly stacked white and blue houses over the irresistibly blue sea. This place is every bit as amazing as I dreamed it would be!  We spent 4 nights in southern Santorini in an area called Akrotiri. From here we made visits to the red beach, which was unlike any beach I’d ever seen! I’ll be sure to add some pictures because I don’t think I could put the right words together to explain how beautiful and unique it was! We also rented quads for a day and roamed around the island. We were pleasantly surprised at how small it really was and how easily we got from the most southern tip to the very top, which is where we found Oia.  Oia is the part of Santorini that you see in all the photos, so no description is needed. It’s so serene and calm with the most breathtaking views of white villas overlooking the sea. We sat in a rooftop cafe sipping overpriced freddo cappuccinos while taking in the beauty sprawled out before us! It was so incredible to see in real life as this has been one of my top destinations to visit for a while.  Following our stay in Akrotiri, we headed further north for 2 nights in Imerovigli where you can still gawk at the beautiful Caldera views that you get in Oia but for a fraction of the price! We took multiple trips into the main city, Thira, which was always a great place to find authentic meals and more stunning views.  If I go back…. Actually, WHEN I go back, because I most definitely will, I would stay in Thira for sure. That is assuming the next time I make a trip out I am not on a budget and can afford a more luxurious experience, as I’m sure it’s quite pricy to stay there. But for any people out there with fat wallets looking for a dreamy holiday in Santorini… Well first of all why are you taking travel advice from a 19 year old backpacker with a dwindling bank account?! Secondly, I would recommend staying in Thira. That is all.  We headed back to Athens on an 8 hour ferry which went by surprisingly quickly and spent our one day there visiting the Acropolis and its museum. That was a really fascinating experience and another one of those times where I can hardly wrap my head around all the historic monuments that I get to see with my own two eyes. Incroyable! Our hotel in Athens was an absolute dump that smelt of pee, smoke, and wet dog. Yum! The room looked like it was the set of the horror movie SAW and the sheets were stained. To be fair, the stains were quite small, but that doesn’t make it any less disgusting! That kind of makes me want to throw up just thinking about it. The cherry on top would have to be that our room was the lucky number 13. I’m not an overly superstitious person, but that definitely didn’t make me feel like I was going to be the victim in a horror movie any less.   And that wraps up our time in Greece! Michael headed home to beautiful Calgary which I miss more than I ever thought I would, and we are off to Istanbul! I had such an amazing time having him travel with us and we all miss him already! (Especially me) It was a hard goodbye but it’s only 27 days until I’m home!  That is all for now! I am going to try to update frequently for the last leg of our trip and I promise there will be a post up right after our 3 nights in Turkey! 

Tal