Blogs from Greece, Europe - page 2

Advertisement

Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens October 20th 2023

Disembarkation was sad but went smoothly, except for the fact that our driver was to meet us at Terminal A and we pulled in at Terminal C. The small mix-up was solved and after a short wait our driver found us. The port is actually in Pireus, a “suburb” of Athens. So we had a 30 minute drive along the coast to get to our hotel. Sharon booked us a room in the Electra Palace, Athens. It is in the old part of the city, “Plaka” at the foothills of the Acropolis. I have to say, the daytime view is amazing but the evening view is breathtaking. We had to wait for our room to be readied so we left our usage with the bellman and headed out to explore. Every street is lined with stores ... read more
Pancakes with yogurt
Pistacio Tart
Crank organ musician

Europe » Greece » Central Greece » Itea October 19th 2023

We were expecting sunny skies this morning but awoke to crazy dark clouds. All the weather apps called for sunshine so Dave packed the rain ponchos, just to ward off the rain, and we followed the crowds down the pier to our waiting buses. The only excursion we booked through the ship was this one, to see Delphi. Not one to be very good about learning my Greek and Roman gods and the mythology of the day, I didn’t really have a good appreciation for what Delphi really was. As an ancient city, contemporaneous with Efes and the others we have seen, the construction methods and remaining walls, columns and temple mounts looked very family. Delphi is built on the side of a very steep mountain and requires lot of climbing up big, uneven steps. We ... read more
Delphi canal
Original wall - has remained as constructed since more than 300BC
The ramp up to the priests in the Temple of Apollo

Europe » Greece » South Aegean » Santorini »  Ia October 19th 2023

I have only been to a few. Here are mine, out of the top 30 listed by "Far and Wide" article. Tattered Cover (Denver) Tattered Cover Book Store is the largest independent bookseller in Colorado, with six locations around the Denver metro area. Joyce Meskis, who owned Tattered Cover from 1974 until her retirement in 2017, was a high-profile activist for literacy and freedom of expression. The stores sell a mix of used and new books, and host over 500 literacy and community events each year in-store. The current owners continue Meskis’ mission to defend free speech and build knowledge and intellectual curiosity through books and reading. The Last Bookstore (Los Angeles) When owner Josh Spencer opened his now iconic bookstore in downtown Los Angeles in 2005, he was certain it would only last three years ... read more
Love the layout

Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens » Pláka October 19th 2023

A few days ago, I mentioned my collection of travel magnets. Here is even more information to reinforce this idea: From HuffPost: Love it or hate it, souvenir shopping is a big part of many travelers’ itineraries. It’s natural to want to bring home a special memento from your vacation to commemorate the experience and perhaps inject a piece of that travel magic into your day-to-day life. But whether you’re buying for yourself or searching for a gift for loved ones back home, the vast souvenir offerings at tourist shops can feel overwhelming and inauthentic. To avoid filling your house with random knickknacks devoid of meaning, consider taking a more mindful approach and selecting items that will be used or otherwise appreciated. To inspire your choices, HuffPost asked people who work in the travel industry to ... read more
Masters Polo shirt
Melissinos sandals

Europe » Greece October 18th 2023

This is a blog for Remi. Our upcoming move to Perth has offered up the ideal opportunity to expose you to what I hope will be a lifelong love of travel. Your mum and I have done this sort of thing a few times already (not our first rodeo, Tim) and we thought the additional challenge of catering for a know-it-all 3 year old is exactly the sort of adventure we need. The idea was based upon a the dreaded prospect of a long haul flight direct to Australia with a hyperactive, moody toddler to contend with. Plus yourself. This nightmare scenario opened the door for us to break up the journey into shorter legs, which then quickly evolved into the chance to milk it for all its worth. And here we are.. The following is ... read more

Europe » Greece » South Aegean » Santorini October 17th 2023

Santorini is probably the most popular island destination for tourists in Greece. It is actually the smallest of the Cyclades island chain, but it is special because it was formed by volcanic eruption. The three cities of Santorini sit high on top of the cliffs that form the caldera of the volcano, with three small uninhabited islands in the middle, one of them an active volcano. There are three other volcanoes near Santorini, all undersea, so they are not visible. Since they are all active, with the last eruption in 1950, I was a bit uneasy the whole time. One of our drivers said that when the experts begin to see activity, the locals will have three days to completely vacate the island and hopefully make it to safety before it erupts. It is geologically very ... read more
Tram to the top
Oia skyline
Bouganvilla

Europe » Greece » Attica » Athens » Pláka October 16th 2023

“Beyond finding beautiful crafts at local markets, one of my favorite travel souvenirs is a magnet. It fits perfectly in your personal item, every destination has one, it’s affordable and each time you open your refrigerator to grab a snack, you’re reminded of all of the incredible places you’ve been. The fridge is the Louvre of the home, after all.” ― Melissa DaSilva, president of url=https://go.skimresources.com/?id=38395X987171&xs=1&xcust=6364265ae4b0eb51ab0e12bc&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.trafalgar.com%2Fen-usTrafalgar, North America One of the most exciting and appealing tourist souvenirs is a bagpipe-shaped fridge magnet that a user bought at a Scottish airport. Despite its apparent touristy nature, this charming keepsake has a special plac... read more
Some of my magnets
Mrs. DP's mugs

Europe » Greece » South Aegean » Mykonos October 14th 2023

After my 12 hour coma I awoke in front of a picturesque new island and ready for a fresh start. Mykonos is unofficially known as the island for the jet-setters. While they cater to the thousands of tourists that visit everyday, they are more well known for their night life and ability to party. Since that is not really my scene, I was happy to oblige their economy with a stroll through the most amazing streets. It doesn’t really matter where you start, all paths lead back to the oceanfront. That is by ancient design, not modern ingenuity. The winding paths lead two many forks and even today are unlabeled with street names. In ancient times, this was a defense strategy. Invaders would get lost and frustratingly end up back in the same place. Only those ... read more
Big fat cat at dock
Selfie with our ship
Blue door, blue dress

Europe » Greece October 13th 2023

This morning I awoke early, before sunrise. I suppose it might have been the excitement of the day ahead, but, I couldn’t coax my mind back into slumber, even for a short while. So, I dressed and headed to the lounge at the bow, for a cup of coffee. For some reason, it tasted extra delicious this morning, maybe the sea air, maybe the anticipation of breakfast and the day ahead. We were still a few hours from our destination. Lemnos is a small island in the Aegean Sea. The population of the island is around 6,000, and in Myrina, where we anchored is about 2,500. It is quaint, small community, with old cobblestone streets, historic buildings repurposed many times over, and super friendly residents. We enjoyed a delicious lunch on the ship then boarded the ... read more
Local Butcher
Church in the square
Bookstore

Europe » Greece » Crete » Heraklion » Arkadi October 12th 2023

As a solo traveler, you might ask what I do to fill the "down" time during my trips. Other than the occasional nap, my down time is quite limited. My television viewing is certainly curtailed, since I can only handle so much of BBC and CNN. "Kelly's Thoughts on Things" has some suggestions. While many individuals view traveling as an opportunity to enjoy quality time with loved ones, it can also serve as a personal odyssey for self-reflection and rejuvenation, offering respite from the frenetic pace of life. Traveling alone can be a liberating experience, but it can also be challenging at times. If you have upcoming travel plans and find yourself concerned about how to keep yourself entertained while traveling alone, fret not! Here are her ideas: Read a boo ... read more
Party time in Plaka
New rules of travel




Tot: 0.234s; Tpl: 0.007s; cc: 18; qc: 71; dbt: 0.0594s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1; ; mem: 1.3mb