Rainy Travel: Greece

 I'm back from another trip across the pond! This time, our adventurous spirit took us to the cultural and traditional streets of Greece, specifically Athens and Santorini. While Greece has always sounded nice to me, it wasn't actually on my top list of places to visit. It was my husband who suggested Greece as we were planning our next trip and I'm glad he did. Here's my experience in Greece from September 15th - September 22nd, 2022.

The Food

Omgosh, where do I even start with this one? There was so much food I tried during my time in Greece. From the meat filled goodness of the gyro, to the sweet and moist flavor of portokalopita (Greek orange cake), to the simple flavors of tzatziki, I absolutely loved every bite I took from every dish I ate. 

My favorite food experience though is hands down this tiny, literal hole in the ground, no sign, no AC, basement dwelling called Diporto. This restaurant, while looking a little sketch from the outside, is full of flavors on the inside. It's chef and owner is a little old Greek grandpa that sets you down and gives you a fixed menu with whatever he is feeling like making that day. On the day we went, we had house white wine that is made in the barrels you see in the restaurant, homemade bread, fresh Greek salad, this buttery chickpea soup that made me like chickpeas, and fava bean soup. Simple dishes, but they are packed with flavor. As my husband put it, it reminded us of our grandmother's cooking, and that's

exactly what we were looking for in a local dish.

The People

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the Greeks might be the friendliest country, though I still have plenty of countries to explore, the Greeks have been the friendliest people we have encountered thus far. From our friendly tour guide, to the awesome Nicole hind the bar at Enastron who talked to us about music until the store closed, we had a great experience with the locals. Everyone's kindness felt genuine and everyone was willing to lend a helping hand. 

The Stay

In Athens, we stayed in a quaint little apartment overlooking the city with a beautiful view of the Acropolis. The apartment was what I was expecting in a European town, minimal, yet functional. The neighborhood we stayed in was very uphill, which wasn't fun going back to. However, the neighborhood feel, with local bars, restaurants, and stores around us made up for being up on a hill. And after experiencing the middle of downtown Athens, where all the major hotels are situated, we were glad we stayed in a quieter part of town.

 In Santorini, we stayed in small hotel not far from the city center of Thira named Costa Marina. I really loved the hotel, as it was quant and run by a super friendly and helpful lady name Leila that reminded me of the mother from Mamma Mia. The hotel was picturesque, Mediterranean faire and it was exactly where I wanted to stay at on the island.

The Experiences

We did quite a bit of experiences on this trip so I'll list them down below starting with the most obvious one:

• The Acropolis: If it's your first time in Athens, Greece, you have to make a stop a The Acropolis! The Acropolis is made out of 3 temples: the Parthenon, the Erechteion, and the Temple of Nike. The Acropolis offers distinct views, along with opportunities to learn about the Greeks of the past. We did take a 8:45am walking tour of this, which I'm glad we did. Ever since we took a guided tour of the Colosseum, we learned that having a tour guide give you the insight into the little details about the past, the architecture and be able to answer questions is all worth it. With that, I will also say that a morning excursion to The Acropolis is highly recommended. 
• The Acropolis Museum: The museum is located on the foothill of the Acropolis. It acts as extension of what you just saw at the Acropolis, along with more details and artifacts found. The museum also has a pretty decent cafe if you find yourself wanting a refresher or a snack. 
• Cats of Acropolis Tour: Now this was a more unique tour. We stumbled upon this one-hour tour on Airbnb. My husband loves cats and we had to jump on the opportunity to get to know the local cats. On the tour, we are guided by a knowledgeable and phenomenal volunteer of the cats. Along the way, we learn a little bit of history about the cats, each cat's name, what the volunteers do, and of course, pet the cats! 
• Vouliagmeni Lake: Vouliagmeni Lake is a thermal lake with little fishes that nibble on your dead skin. Don't worry, it freaked me out at first too. But after a few minutes of getting used to the little fish nibbles, you find that the results come in the form of soft skin. One lady we overheard talking had come from LA and had visited 5 years ago. She swore that her skin has been baby soft for 5 years, so we'll see how long this lasts before we need to go back.
•  Poseidon's Temple: This is a great temple to go before or after the Vouliagmeni Lake. It's about a 45-minute drive from the lake. Unlike the Acropolis, it's an easier walk to get to, and provides stunning views of the Aegan Sea. Poseidon's temple is a great place to stop if you're into Greek mythology.
• Vylchada Beach: When choosing a beach in Santorini, my husband and I were looking for somewhere unique, and not as populated. With our search, we found the beautiful craftsmanship that makes up Vlychada Beach. The beach consists of super tiny black lava rocks, sand swept cliffs that resemble something you'd see on the moon (hence this beaches nickname is Moon Beach), and crystal-clear waters. The beach is also half nude, so if you feel like letting it all out on your Greece vacation, feel free too, chance are you won't be the only one. There was also a nice drink/snack bar on either side of the beach and there were made-up chairs and umbrellas ready for you to rent for about $10 for the day.
• Hike from Thira to Oia (with detour to Skaros Rock): This is about a 6 mile hike, 6.5 when you include Skaros Rock. Now to some, hiking on vacation is not an ideal situation, but let me tell you how beautiful the views are from walking from the middle of the island to the other side. We hiked on a more cloudy day, so it made the hike more bearable. We stopped quite a few times to take in the scenery, as there's always a good view on the walk. We also liked that the hike had different levels and terrains to it. You start off on cobblestone streets, then dirt roads, then go down slipper rocks, then go up steep hills, and go down wide paths. The hike rom Thira to Oia is a fun one with rewarding views and it's a great way to see the island. 
• Viewing the Santorini Sunset: When I was researching for this trip, I kept coming across these HUGE crowds of people looking at the sunsets on the Greek islands and having to camp out hours before for a good spot. I'm not sure if it's because we went not in the dead of summer, but we didn't experience much crowds. Sure the island had quite a few people, but I had a feeling it's been much more packed. However, there were plenty of places in Thira to view the sunset. Either way, watching that Santorini sunset go down is unlike any other. 10/10 recommend. 

Any Other Noteworthy Things

• Bookstores/Libraries. Bookstores and libraries are literally everywhere. There was even a man with a huge book cart stand in the middle of the night. I loved it!
• Bathrooms. There is no flushing toilet paper in the bathrooms, which is fine, but I felt incredibly horrible when I would forget. But try not to forget and be a respectful tourist!
• Language Barriers. Most, if not all the people in Athens spoke English. On the island of Thira though, we found most people didn't speak hardly, if not any English, but they try and it's always easy to point on the menu what you want. 
• Little Kook. Little Kook is a cute, Alice in Wonderland inspired place in the middle of a neighborhood in Athens. Definitely take a look, take pictures, and grab a delicious dessert.
• Monastraki Flea Market. The Monastraki Flea Market is the biggest flea market in all of Athens. It contains a mixture of people out with their booths, and actual stores and some little restaurants/cafes. It's a great place to find something unique for you or someone back home.

Overall, I absolutely fell in love with Greece. I was so obsessed that I wanted to cry before we left. I've never shed a tear before leaving a destination before, but I think the people and the wonderful experience just came crashing in. I definitely want to visit Greece again and go to Crete and the island of Naxos. Maybe a stop in Athens to visit Nicole and the little fishes of Vouliagmeni Lake. 

Until next adventure, stay safe and keep reading!