Blogs from Greece, Europe

Yesterday we arrived in Kastraki. It's a very tiny town and at times you won't see anyone on the streets, but it still attracts tourists because it is situated below the rock formation and monasteries of Meteora. These are the most amazing rock formations I have ever seen! Our hotel looks right at them so I get to wake up to this beautiful site. Our hotel is really nice, it doesn't feel like you are in a hotel, it feels like you are in their home (we've already used their washing machine!). The rock formations apparently were originally a delta shaped cone consisting of river stones and mud. Over time it separated into two areas and the water found an outlet into the Aegian. Due to the wind, earthquakes and rain caused it to break up ... read more

Today we got up really early for our flight to Athens, Greece. When we arrived at the airport we found out that the air traffic controllers in Greece were going on strike at the time we were supposed to land so our flight was delayed by 2hrs. We landed in Athens but missed our train to Kalambaka and the next one was at midnight, so we decided to stay in Athens for the night and try again in the morning. We made our way to the hotel by train which was a bit tricky taking two suitcases. So far we are amazed at how nice the people are here in Athens. They have helped us with getting our luggage up and down the stairs and stopping and helping us when we looked lost (kind of lucky ... read more

Once again I am reminded how much I dislike tours and especially tourists. I know that does not sound nice but I am stuck in the bowels of the Louis Olympia cruise ship with 5000 orientals crammed 5 to 20 people in their rooms that should only sleep 4 max. Im not sure why they feel its ok to scream down the halls at each other. And I'm not sure how I'm going to make it through this. I feel seriously challenged right now. The last time I was on a cruise ship was with my mom and she has since passed away. Maybe it's a culmination of the 10 million orientals in my section of the cruise ship and going on a cruise without my mom. Just right now I miss her terribly. 😪 Someone ... read more

In order to provide some additional time in this fascinating land we back track to Ashdod, the port developed to relieve the congestion of Tel Aviv. This gives us an opportunity to see Caesarea, the Roman port city developed by Herod and named after Caesar to facilitate the Mediterranean trade. With an ongoing archaeology dig this is a National Park. Included in the excavations are The Theater, Promontory Palace, Herodian Amphitheater, Bathhouse Complex, ancient outdoor running water toilets, Fortified Medieval City, The Harbour, The Statues Square, the Hippodrome (circus) and the Roman Wall. Movies at the beginning and end of the tour recount the 3000 years of history involved. A windshield tour of our guide’s home city Tel Aviv reveals a vibrant cosmopolitan environment without the marked religiosity of Jerusalem. Our guide reports the expression: while ... read more

Today i slept in until 8am and I felt great. All hotels offer free breakfast until 10am so I didn't want to miss it even though I'm not a breakfast person. eggs toast espresso cheese cold cuts - the typical European flair. My hotel is nice. I headed off to see some sites and after walking for 2 hours I realized that I forgot my temple ruin pass to I had to come home To get it. That's life. I went to see few ruins, Roman actually, and a Jewish museum and church. I caught the sermon in a Jewish? Church and I swear I understood some of it. Then they all went downstairs but I declined as I thought with all the Palestinian unrest this would be an excellent target. That and I'm not Jewish, ... read more

Tuesday May 14, 2013. Mykonos, Greece The island of Mykonos lies between Tinos, Paros, Naxos and Syros in the Souther Ageean Sea and they all form part of the Cyclades Island Group. It is recently become a very popular tourist destination and the island is served by low cost airlines including Easy Jet from the UK. The island boasts many beautiful beaches with white sand and clear blue waters. Mykonos is a fairly small island - just 33 square kilometres, with only 10,000 year round residents. Settlement on this island dates back to the early part of the 11th century. In the early 20th century the island relied upon fishing as its primary industry but now it is tourism. we had another posh breakfast and then caught the $5 shuttle from the New Port (where the ... read more

So here I am, on a bus heading from Greece to Turkey with Lindsay. Never thought this day would arrive when a year and a half ago we were dreaming up this adventure. My last blog, I had some rather large emotional few days and was feeling super low. Glad to say I'm over that slump and my passion and excitement for travel is back in full force!! I will say how awesome it is to travel with a friend! I love going alone and meeting new friends and putting myself out there, but there is something so great to be beside a friend who knows you and sharing the experiences. Also, while in Greece, I have hardly seen backpackers. So here is a tip, don't come here alone! Either you are old, on your honeymoon, ... read more

Sunday May 12, 2013. Rhodes, Greece Rhodes is one of the largest Greek islands and has been inhabited since the Stone Age. It has a temperate climate and mild winters which makes it a popular year-round resort. After breakfast we met Alan and Karen by the gangway at 8.45 as we had arranged last night. We docked at the city of Rhodes at the north tip of the Island. We had planned to take the local bus to Lindos but as we exited the port gates we found a very reasonably priced car rental place. We decided to hire a car instead as it would give us more flexibility to see other things - and we had a reasonably long day here, not having to be back onboard until 5.30 (and, we found out later, was ... read more