HappyTummy              

Ten days and 10 nights in some the most breathtakingly beautiful and historically significant places ever—that is what we expereinced when we headed to Greece. Four night on the magical island of Santorini, three nights on charming island of Mykonos and three nights in the cultural capital of Athens, our vacation was a dream. Of course, the food was phenomenal.

It took almost 24 hours to reach Santorini–Chicago to Philly, Philly to Athens, Athens to Santorini–and by the end we were exhausted. But the view during the drive from the airport to our hotel, Nostos Apartments, was so spectacular, we couldn’t wait to explore. Nostos was great–we stayed in a traditional cave room and every morning sat on our private balcony and just marveled at how serene the water looked.

We had debated making Santorini the last stop of our trip, but I’m so glad we chose to go first–it was a relaxing way to start our vacation. We set aside one particular day to walk along the caldera from Oia to Fira. It’s a 6.5-mile hike each way, but the views are unbelievable–it was without a doubt one of the best days I’ve had in my life.

The rest of our time on Santorini was spent going on an excursion to a nearby dormant volcano, swimming in a natural hot spring, watching the famous sunset, exploring the villages and of course, eating lots of good food. When B discovered the local gyros stand, he was in heaven. We still joke about how he ate no fewer than two gyros every day we were in Greece. Oye.

From Santorini, we took a 2.5 hour boat trip to the island of Mykonos, best known for its party scene, but in my opinion, so much more than just nightclubs and wild nights. First of all, the Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort was pure luxury.

While in Mykonos, we took a day trip to the island of Delos, known as the birthplace of Apollo. The ruins were amazing.

Every night in Mykonos, we’d pick a different restaurant to go to. In Greece, people always sit next to each other when dining, which was great since there was such a beautiful view. We’d eat, watch the waves lapping at the sand and just people-watch.

Finally, the last leg of our trip took us to Athens, where we spent two full days roaming the city and its ruins. We had signed up for a walking tour of the Acropolis, which was perfect since it was a small group and the guide was extremely knowledgable and open to my incessant questions. What can I say–I’m a very curious and eager learner! :)

We were lucky to have spent a Saturday in Athens. On Saturdays, the Athens Central Market is bustling with meat and seafood vendors. If you’re squeamish, this probably isn’t the place for you. If you’re not completely sick from the bloody carcasses, the smell alone will make your stomach churn. But it was fascinating, and while this wasn’t on B’s list of things to do while in Athens, he ended up really enjoying it and having a good time.

Ahhh. Definitely my favorite part of the Central Market. Nuts, seeds and dried fruit of every kind set out for bulk purchases.

Our hotel, the Athens Gate, was located right in Plaka, a touristy but very charming area of Athens. There are hundreds of restaurants and shops in Plaka.