Santorini, Greece

Day 7- Santorini

This was the one place I was most excited to visit. When someone says, 'Greece,' this place immediately comes to mind. I think we were the first people off the boat on this particular morning because I wanted to get my fill of Santorini. 

There are two ways to get to the top of this island... The first is by cable car and the second is two walk up (or ride a donkey). I wanted to take the cable car but the line was forever long and my husband thought it would be a great idea to walk it. 

I was miserable.

Not only was smell horrendous from the donkey poo, but we where both sweating by the time we made it up.

It was a long way up!

After getting a well deserved beverage we headed for the nearest ATV shop. FUN FACT: You can rent ATV'S for the day in Santorini. It costs you about 30 euros (depending where you rent from). Just make sure you have both your US drivers license and passport with you. Cameron had never driven an ATV before so I ended up driving for the first part of our trip. 
  

After a quick stop to check the map we headed directly for the Red Sand Beach. Which, of course is beautiful. Then we decided to head to the Black Sand Beach. This time Cameron took the wheel. I warned him about the turning radius on the ATV. 

He didn't listen. 

We almost died.

Needless to say, I drove to the next destination.  

The Black Sand Beach! Again, it was gorgeous. If your thinking... that sand must be hot! You would be right.

As we were leaving, Cameron somehow convinced me that he would be careful this time. So, I let him drive for the rest of the day. He actually did very well. We stopped a few times to 'take it all in' and decided it was time to get something to eat.

After returning the ATV we found this beautiful restaurant that had an amazing view of the volcano. The food was outstanding and the waiter was so kind. He told us all about the volcano and some of the history of Santorini. (In tourist areas it's sometimes hard to find people so nice.) So, after a delicious meal we did some shopping and then headed back down the mountain. 

I hate having my picture taken. 

a

The way back down was much better than the way up. I snapped this shot as we headed down. I thought he was adorable.

I was sad to leave but, I think when we're older we'll come back to Greece...especially Mykonos and Santorini. We both feel in love with these places! 

Our cruise was coming to an end and we only had one more stop~

Mykonos, Greece

Day 6- Mykonos
 
Out of all the places we visited, Mykonos was our favorite. This little piece of paradise is located on the Aegean sea. I've never seen blue waters like this anywhere else and doubt I ever will again.

Once again, our goal was to find a beach and go swimming. First we did some exploring... we walked the streets admiring the white walls and blue doors. Cameron surprised me and bought me a bracelet while I was in another store buying a bag. He's so sweet. This place didn't feel like a tourist hot spot, more like a quaint little Greek ocean-side town. If that makes any sense?

We found a wonderful cafe called Kavos. It's right on the water and it's where I ate the best Greek salad of my life. You can't go to Greece and not eat Greek food!

The Windmills~

 I wanted to jump in right then and there... 

 

I love the look of old/worn boats

Kavos, right on the water~

I wish I could say these pictures do it justice. 

For this trip I borrowed a friends' camera because mine soaks up batteries quicker than you can say the word. So, I went back to the ship to put the camera in our room before we headed to the beach. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent in the water. I think we both decided that when we become millionaires we'll buy a home there. (Ha... yeah, right.)

About an hour before the last boat left for the day we went searching for some baklava. If you never had it... you should. We found in a tiny family owned sandwich shop where we both spotted a large pan of it. We sat down and enjoyed the best baklava of our lives. I know... two in one day! I couldn't believe it myself.

Mykonos really was amazing and I think it's a great vacation spot! 

Athens, Greece

Day 5- Athens

You must, I repeat you MUST buy a cruise expedition for this port. The reasons are as follows...

1. The port is 30 minutes by bus to the city.
2. The city is MASSIVE and you WILL get lost.
3. The costs of your ticket included passes to get into all the major sites 

Trust me on this... just the bus ride in Cameron and I looked at each other and said there was no way we would have got around or found anything we really wanted to see if we didn't buy cruise tickets. Also, the cruise-lines try and keep you in the safer areas of the city. You could definitely see the economic woes that Greece was and still is dealing with. So take my advice and you'll enjoy Athens much more because, there is nothing more frustrating and scary than being lost in a big city where you don't speak the language. (I still have nightmares about Vienna.)

Once we arrived in Athens our tour guide took us straight to Acropolis where the Parthenon is located. Which is incredible! I've seen the one in Nashville, Tennessee... yes, there is one in Nashville. Anyways, I remember my parents saying, 'Well kids, this is the closest thing to the actual Parthenon you'll ever see." 

HA! I showed them! 

TIP: Where good tennis shoes. I prefer Solomon's for rocky terrain. I wore flip flops (like an idiot) and stubbed my toe at least 3 times. 

It's said that this is the mount where Peter preached the gospel of Jesus Christ

 Me pushing my belly out for the 'baby bump shot'. This was how I originally planned to tell my parents that we were expecting~

 
The Ancient Olympic stadium. The flame(torch) for every Olympics begins here. 

Yum! You have to try ice cream where ever you go!

This was a gyro shop we stopped and ate at. It was delicious! We both got lamb gyros. FUN FACT: It costs extra to sit down and eat at most places in Greece.

The Temple of Zeus, what's left of it anyway...

We saw (drove) past a few other places on the tour. I'm not a fan of taking picture on a bus. 

We did see Parliament but it was covered in graffiti. Most of it had to do with the recent financial collapse. Though, we did arrive just in time for the changing of the guard, so that was pretty cool. 

The rest of the day was mostly spent window shopping. All in all, Athens was fun... and I saw what I wanted to see.

I came, I saw, I conquered.