It’s been a really great trip so far. The image above is my view from our hotel’s rooftop pool and bar, from which I am writing this post. Our stay at the Classical Athens Imperial has been everything we expected and more. The rooms are nice and the location is very convenient.
When we arrived in Athens about 10 am local time yesterday, neither of us had gotten more than three hours of sleep. Pretty much everything about the 9-hour flight was uncomfortable, but we made it!
Following a nap at the pool, we made our way on the Metro (which is quite nice by the way) to the Acropolis about three stops away. It’s no Egyptian pyramids, but is still quite a captivating site. The Acropolis is actually the very large area of Athens which includes several ruins. The Parthenon is the famous building on top. We spent 3-4 hours walking around all the various sites and will make our way to the renowned museum this evening.
Last night we visited a restaurant called Alexander the Great for our first taste of authentic Greek cuisine. We started with fried feta cheese as an appetizer (boy are they proud of their feta here!), which included some roasted red peppers and olives as well. I had a baked Eggplant and vegetable casserole of some sort, which was super tasty. Stacie had homemade fries (pommes frites) and sausages with tomato sauce. She said it tasted like eating chili fries; needless to say, she loved it!
Following a much-needed eight hours of sleep, this morning started with an activity were pumped about: the Athens Walking Food Tour. For three or so hours, we walked all around the city with a fun and knowledgeable guide, sampling traditional Greek delicacies of all sorts. We had the pleasure of learning all about what inspires Greek food and how it has evolved over the last several hundred years.
Observations of Greece so far
- Greeks love their coffee drinks. They drink a cheap instant coffee drink from Nestle called a Frappe. You see several people carrying these drinks when walking down the street. The local Starbucks chains have even been forced to create their own little "Starbucks Frappe" drink in order to compete.
- For the first time, I feel compelled to learn more about my genealogy. Greeks are so dedicated to family and all of them know their roots. I don’t even know where my ancestors are originally from and would like to find out.
- I feel stronger than ever about learning another language. It would be such a great accomplishment to do so within the next five years. I’m not sure what language to learn yet, but I hate being a stereotypical spoiled American that expects people to speak proficient English even in a foreign country.
We’ll be up early to catch a 5:30 am flight to beautiful Crete in the morning. We have thoroughly enjoyed our two days in Athens.
Chania & Rethymnon, Crete
Chania is completely different than what we had imagined and read. We were expecting a small, picturesque venetian town and harbor, while the real thing was a much larger city with crowded streets and seemingly endless shops everywhere you look.
Our saving grace after a long day of travel turned out to be the wonderful folks at Lefka Apartments, where we are staying. It is a no-frills hotel we are only paying about $60 USD per night for, but the owners and employees have been exceedingly gracious to us. Anna (one of the employees) even gave us a 15-minute lesson on Greek phrases, which we are still working on. By the end of the day, we had enjoyed a nap by the pool, a lovely stroll along the harbor and enough alcohol to be thankful for the bus service we had cussed earlier this morning.
We decided on a restaurant called Tamam (see photo below), which came highly recommended in our Fodor’s book and on Trip Advisor. The food is Turkish-inspired, as is much of the Greek cuisine. We started with a plate consisting of three fresh goat cheeses from local farmers. It was a 10.
Stacie had an "Iranian Style Risotto" with rice, vegetables and saffron, which was also a 10. I had a baked Zucchini and cheese dish, which turned out to be just what my tender stomach needed. Assisted by a bottle of Greek Sauvignon Blanc and couple shots of Raki (on the house), the meal was definitively the best we have enjoyed so far.
Yesterday we made the two-hour bus trip to beautiful Elafonnisi Beach in southwestern Crete. Very little has been written about this hidden gem, probably because it’s a bit off the beaten path. The drive consists of many narrow, curvy roads scouring the mountainous Cretan terrain. On the other side lies a gorgeous, secluded beach.
Aside from crystal clear waters, the cool thing about this beach is that you can walk a couple hundred feet out into the water without the depth coming above your waist. There aren’t any waves, just calm water that is quite cold at first. The sand in the water looks like it has been meticulously groomed, with no rocks to worry about stepping on. The views are breathtaking, with water as far as you can see on one side and mountains as far as you can see on the other. I’m sure our photos can’t do it justice, but we sure tried.
Santorini is Paradise
Our three-night stay in Santorini turned out to be everything we hoped for. We had so much fun that I didn’t even make the time to sit down and write about it until now, on the ferry to Naxos.
Santorini is a place unlike any other in the world. The island used to be one large land mass, thousands of years ago. Then the volcano (which is still active) erupted and created one of the biggest natural explosions on record to this day. The island is now in several pieces, one large piece being inhabited, another large piece being the "Caldera", where the volcano is found.
As a result of the explosion, the main island of Santorini is mostly cliffs instead of flat land and sandy beaches. When looking at it from the Caldera, it truly looks like the island exploded and left these huge pieces with massive cliffs where the land broke off. There are some parts of land on the far side of the island that are flat, but the side closest to the Caldera is all cliffs, with villages on the top. It has a really fascinating history, which you can check out on Wikipedia if interested.
You’ve seen photos of Santorini even if you didn’t know it. All the Greek island postcards, books and websites have pictures of white houses (or churches) on a cliffside, with a scenic ocean view. They are all Santorini, as the other islands don’t really look like that. When it comes to natural beauty found on earth, look no further than this place. I could go on, but the photos do the trick. Words simply don’t do the place justice.
We stayed at a lovely 7-suite hotel called Aris Caves. It’s run by a man and wife (Aris and Christa), who are incredibly friendly and hospitable. All suites have a private terrace with a view of the Caldera, and the hotel has an unbelievable public terrace for guests to go out and sit. It costs less than $200/night during the high season (now), a great price for such an exclusive location. It’s in the village of Oia (pronounced ia), which is very small and is known for one of the most spectacular sunsets on the planet.
Possibly my favorite thing about the island is how it is untainted by big corporate hotels and restaurants. All the hotels are like the one we stayed in, small and quaint with 1-2 people running things. Apparently buying land or a business on the island is extremely difficult because of government regulation. Even if you have money, there are many hoops to jump through in order to get land. If you are not a Greek, forget about it!
Day One
We decided to make our way to a nearby winery called Domaine Sigalas. We sampled a number of wines they have, all of which were good but not great. Drinking wine in Greece is 100% about the experience and atmosphere, very little about the actual wine. We got some cool photos out of it!
For at least a few hours that evening, we walked around the island, snapping photos and trying to keep our jaws off the ground. We climbed the famous (or infamous) Ammoudi Bay stairs, which go all the way up/down the cliff, some 290 in total. We also watched the sunset, which attracts huge crowds from all sides of the island and from the cruise boats there for the day.
Again on Santorini we were struck by the dogs and cats. Most of them are strays, but are incredibly gentle and friendly. You can walk up to any of them and pet for as long as you like while they bask in the attention. They wander the streets, hotels, shops and even restaurants and no one seems to care. It was truly awesome for big dog lovers like us.
We saw probably a dozen shops with jars collecting money for the organization on the island that feeds the animals. They put out food for all the animals in various locations, so they are all well fed. It is truly humbling to see how everyone on the island pitches in to take care of all the animals as their own.
Day Two
We started day two at a nearby pool, sipping on a couple of drinks and reading. Of course we were surrounded by awesome views of the water. I finally got into one of the books I brought, called Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman.
In the afternoon we set sail on one of the trip’s highlights so far: a sunset cruise! We sailed around the island and Caldera for nearly four hours with about 12 other people on a luxury catamaran. Activities included swimming near another island, swimming in the hot springs next to the volcano, hearing historic stories about Santorini and finally watching the sunset from the boat. The whole thing was magnificent.
The hot springs were not so hot, but still very memorable. The sulfur in the water was smelly and will stain white bathing suits. We were lucky to not have white suits on, so no problem for us. The smell wasn’t too bad either, yet it stained our feet when you stepped down on the sulfuric rocks. Once back on the boat from the hot springs, they had a wonderful meal for us with sausages, cheeses, breads, olives, cucumbers and apples with honey and cinnamon for dessert.
Our night ended at a restaurant called Kyprida. Stacie had some sort of meal with lamb, minced meat, cucumbers, potatoes and a yogurt sauce. What was in it doesn’t really matter — it was pure goodness. I had homemade cheese ravioli with tomato sauce, which was great as well.
One thing I must mention is the feta cheese in Greece. Holy cow it is the most amazing cheese! I’ve never even been a huge fan of feta before, but here you can order appetizers that are just two big pancake-size chunks and eat it without anything else. It is worth the trip to Greece just to have the creamy feta cheese.
Day Three
On the final full day in Santorini, we decided to rent a car and drive to more wineries. The first winery we visited is called Boutari, who actually has five or six wineries throughout Greece. They are one of the big names. Despite being quite difficult to find, we finally arrived. It looks nothing like the photos I have in TripIt, but we sat down to sample eight different wines anyways. Again the wines were good, but nothing good enough to bring home. We bought one bottle to drink later in our trip and that was all.
During our tasting the weirdest thing happened. A couple walked up to us and said they recognized us from Tamam, the restaurant we enjoyed in Crete a few days prior. We got to talking and they actually live in Brooklyn, in one of the neighborhoods we looked at a couple of weeks ago! Not only that, but the woman Rebecca works at Google in NYC, so we had plenty to talk about.
We had a really fantastic time with our new friends and may meet up with them in Naxos in a few days for dinner. Either way, we’re hoping to keep in touch, as we’re hoping to pack our bags for NYC in the not-so-distant future.
The night ended on a high note, with one of the best meals we have had so far. We ate at a restaurant called Nectar & Ambrosia. I had a traditional Greek dish called Moussaka (eggplant + meat + secret awesomeness) and Stacie had pumpkin ravioli. We then ended with chocolate souffle and ice cream. Day three might have been the most memorable day we’ve had in Greece thus far.
Now we’re on to Naxos, to what I think will be the nicest hotel of our stay. The resort sits on a sandy beach, so we should have more time for reading and relaxation on this leg.
Rest & Relaxation in Naxos
Our stop in Naxos came at the perfect time on our trip. Athens, Crete and Santorini had so much to see and do that we still hadn’t made time to be lazy. Naxos has been a great place for us to sit, read, nap or whatever we wanted to do for a few days.
The Nissaki Beach Hotel has been everything we hoped for from the photos. It has comfortable, modern accommodations, including a shower that sprays you from two heads. It’s like a simultaneous scalp and back massage. The hotel also has a great beachfront area and pool, where we spent most of our time. Stacie is officially glued to the Stephanie Meyer novel, "The Host", while I split my time between a couple of books, a little work and Angry Birds HD on my iPad (a fun game).
A couple of highlights outside of the hotel have been food-related. We thoroughly enjoyed a nearby mexican restaurant called Picasso. I like their website address, picassoismexican.com. Picasso has a great vibe, solid margaritas and really great food. We think the owners are American, as they have the whole tex-mex thing down.
Final leg: Mykonos!
From the moment we stepped off the boat, Mykonos was clearly a different place compared to the other destinations on our trip. We arrived around 8:00 pm, at which time the city is just starting to light up. In the words of Anna, the co-owner of our hotel, "Mykonos is all beaches and nightlife." Basically the island is one big ongoing party, so we weren’t really sure what to expect.
We barely had time to put our bags down at Hotel Tagoo before being thrust headfirst into what they call "Greek Night". During Greek Night, the husband and wife owners of the hotel teach guests two different Greek dances. Participation is about as optional as doing the chicken dance at a wedding; you look silly for not jumping in and having fun with it. So we latched arms with roughly 15 other guests and went in circles around the pool, repeating the steps over and over. I ended up having a ball if you can believe it. (Note: there is no photographic evidence of this)
The vibe on Mykonos is different from anything we’ve ever experienced. "The gays," which I say in the most loving way possible, easily outnumber "heteros" like us. They set the tone on the island and I think it’s fantastic. At least there is one place on earth where they are treated just like everyone else and celebrated for being themselves. Everyone is beautiful, dresses impeccably and loves to have a great time.
Day Two
We spent day two at one of the many recommended beaches on the island, called Paragas. It’s a bit smaller and more low key than the big party beach that is nearby called Paradise Beach. It only takes a 2.80 Euro round-trip bus ticket to get there.
The beach is where you find the widest variety of people on the island. People of all ages, geographical origins and sexual orientations are there. The further you walk, the higher percentage of people that are completely naked (you don’t have to walk far). It’s nothing raunchy or offensive at all, just people having a good time and acting as though wearing no clothes is perfectly normal. Maybe it is for them! Needless to say, that was a new experience, but otherwise it was just another great day on a beautiful beach.
Day Three
On our final full day in Mykonos we went back into tourist mode. We visited the nearby island of Delos, which is very famous from a Greek mythology standpoint. Between 900 BC and AD 100, it was a major place of prominence in the world. Over time and following a couple invasions, the island was eventually abandoned, although many ruins still remain.
Since the island doesn’t have any residents or modern structures, you can really get a good grasp on the scale and size of what used to be there by merely walking around. There is also a free on-site museum that has some typical Greek statues and such. Finally we got to climb a pretty big hill on the island and take some cool photos from the top (see below). The whole experience proves no one really did things like the Egyptians, but was still well worth the trip.
We really loved Mykonos. An island like this is all about timing. High season is coming to a close in September, so the weather was still fantastic but the crowds were dying down. I’m sure it’s a bit overwhelming in mid-July, but it was a big highlight for us in early September.
Final Observations and Lessons Learned
- One thing we would do differently is carry more cash. I didn’t want to carry too much cash in case something happened, but using a credit/debit card outside the country is a joke. Visa and AMEX alike charge fees on every transaction, so it would have been cheaper to carry cash. It’s a little risky, but we probably would have done that instead of ever using a card.
- For those that are worried, I’ve done a great job not working too much :-). I’m thankful for a great team back home and I was a bit lucky that nothing came up. I’m not terribly behind and was able to keep peace with Mrs. Francis the entire trip! I also thankful for our hotels, as they all had very good, reliable wifi service.
- Gyros in Greece are not served in pitas unless you are ordering it to go or at a little stand. “Gyro” to them still means a platter of food. That was a little surprising for us at first.
- All of the many hours we spent scouring trip advisor for hotel and restaurant recommendations were well worth it! All our hotel experiences were amazing. All the recommendations were a huge help and we had the best possible Greece trip we could have imagined.
- If any of you ever consider Greece, of course don’t hesitate to ask for advice. We’d also be happy to give you an idea of what a vacation like this costs. I’ve tallied all the expenses and finished the budget!