Greece Part One

History, food, culture, mythology, and islands bursting full of sunny beaches. Greece has a little something (actually a lot of it) for everyone. Similar to Kyle's previous Italy experience, Nicole had spent several weeks in Greece previously. It was her turn to geek out and show him the ropes! Transitioning out of Albania induced a sort-of reverse culture shock. We heard English again! We could use credit cards! The online information (locations, schedules, etc) was actually accurate! Being back in a more standard tourist destination reminded us that the world is truly getting a little more accessible for everyone (which is a good thing, everyone should be able to come see these places!). However, we were still in for a world of fun surprises in Greece!

We arrived in Athens following the aforementioned 15 hour bus ride (see previous post) around 9pm. Our hostel was a short walk away, and we were greeted by a very kind host who told us about his favorite nearby spot for dinner (FYI, all comments about bus rides will likely be followed with comments about food, as you may have noticed from our previous few posts). Kyle got a gyro (duh), Nicole got some Souvlaki (a Greek staple of skewered meat) and we both split a large Greek salad (one of about 500 we ate while in the country. We spent the rest of the evening back at the hostel practicing our Greek conversational words/phrases before we set off the next day.

A quick side note: although we don't always do great with it, we always try to learn basic greetings and simple language elements in each country. Although some of these are difficult, the effort seems to have a positive effect on the locals we interact with. In Greece, it was tough to consistently use much more than the simple "Hello," "Goodbye," “Thank you”, or "You're Welcome." However, even just making the attempt at these little words made our waiters, shop clerks, bus drivers, and all beam with excitement. It's something we can tell they don't get a lot of, which is a little disappointing. English is, and will always be, the standard tourism language, but we have, so far, been inspired to learn many others! We likely explains why Nicole recently bought a Babbel subscription...

The next day was spent wandering around Athens. We met up with some of Nicole's coworkers (shout out to Tricia and Gabe!) who were actually in town for a wedding. These two actually had started a similar-type trip as ours, but got hit hard by the Covid shutdowns in South America in Spring 2020. We shared a coffee with them before setting off for the Acropolis for a hot but fun day of exploration of the Ancient Greek ruins. The Acropolis is, of course, home to the Parthenon (temple of Athena) which is one of the pinnacles of architecture and engineering for it's time (at least, according to Kyle!). It rests on a hill high above the rest of Athens and is surrounded by ruins of other temples, amphitheaters, markets, and other similar structures. Following that, we made our way to the Acropolis Museum which houses much of the salvaged ornamental elements of the Parthenon (including the original statues, pediments, and friezes that surrounded the temple). Interestingly, the museum has "bones" that are similar in shape (same number of columns and spacing, same size inner building, etc) to the Parthenon, so that the recovered elements are placed in the same relative location in the museum as they were when the temple was whole. We wrapped up the afternoon at an AMAZING loukumade (Greek-type donut) place (thanks to a pro tip from Tricia and Gabe's local friends). After that, we said our goodbyes and intended to head home. Instead, we wandered over to the Panathenaic stadium (which has been around since 300 BC and was excavated to host the modern Olympics games which were hosted there in 1896). There were some lights set up and some commotion happening within, and as we stood on the fence to get a better look a random guy approached us and told us to come with him. Caught like deer in the headlights, we followed (generally bad advice) and he gave us free entry into what ended up being some sort of symphony (we never figured out what the actual event was as the entire ticket was in Greek). Overall, it was a very random, but entertaining, way to end the night in Athens.

From Athens we hopped on the (slow, but much cheaper) ferry to Santorini. The ferry rides in Greece are actually a fun way to travel, and we would recommend taking the slow ones even if cost isn't much of an issue. The slow ferries have open decks up top where you can enjoy a beer or glass of wine (or several, if you choose) and watch as the islands roll by while breathing in the salty Mediterranean air. We did make the small mistake of sitting near one of the engine steam stacks. As the steam came out of the stack, it quickly condensed and rained saltwater on us for a few hours...but still, overall, it was a cool experience. When trying to plan out which Greek islands to hit, it can be, and was for us, super overwhelming. There are so many, and each offer their own unique atmosphere and things to do and see. We ultimately decided that we wanted to go to fewer islands and spend more time on each. Santorini is good in that it has some of the best quintessential Greek island staples: breathtaking white houses built into the cliffsides, amazing restaurants with local fresh Mediterranean cuisine and fish, beautiful beaches, and local wines, olives, and cheeses. However, the bad is that it is one of the better known islands and can tend to be overrun with tourists. As this was Kyle's first time in Greece, we decided it was a must-see and it definitely did not disappoint! To offset the heavy tourism aspect and the prices that come along with it, we stayed on a slightly less populated side of the island (near Kamari beach). Our room had an awesome seaside view and the beach was not too crowded, plus the restaurants near us were very reasonably priced. We would recommend this spot if (when) you come to Santorini!

Our first night in Santorini we had reservations at a place called Santo Wines. It is a winery that serves their own locally made wines and those from other nearby islands. The restaurant overlooks the sea and has an amazing sunset view. Since we are trying to be budget-conscience, we have to pick and choose our spots to splurge and this one was definitely worth it. We split a large wine sampler (although not as many wine glasses as the 30ish that Nicole and Marielle split the last time they were here, but that is a story for another time), as well as a large cheese plate and enjoyed the evening until the sun went down. Feeling courageous after the wine injection, we decided to save cab fare and walk all the way across the island in the dark back to our place. It probably wasn't our smartest decision, but we made it, and we finished the night with a delicious dinner of steamed mussels and stuffed peppers, stuffed tomatoes, and Saganaki (fried cheese).

One of the best ways to get around each of the Greek islands, besides walking in the dark of course, is via ATV (you can also rent a car or Vespa). This is especially true if you stay outside the city center. Our host hooked us up with a good deal on one, and we spent our second day in Santorini exploring the island in style. We visited several beaches, a lighthouse, and some cliffs with amazing panoramic views of the entire island. During our afternoon escapades around the island, we stopped in Fira, the major town near the port, for an olive oil tasting. Between swishing olive oil like mouthwash, learning about the history and process, and snacks in between we left fully satisfied. We made it back early to fancify (we promise its a word) ourselves to head to the more bougie town of Oia, where previously mentioned tourists and expensive prices are concentrated. Kyle thought that the sunset he saw at Santo Wines was going to be his favorite of the isles, but it still couldn't compare to the one that sets across from Oia. The burning colors throw themselves on the cascading white houses built from the top of the hill all the way down to the sea. Across the water, you watch as the sun is eclipsed by the horizon and the reflection hits the mass of sailboats in the sea. It is truly breathtaking. Unfortunately, everyone else know this as well and the whole town becomes packed with tourists, to where you can barely move, let alone find a good viewing spot. Fortunately, Nicole ain't no rookie at something simple like trespassing. After hopping a wall and dancing along a 15 foot drop along a spiked fence, we had a spot to ourselves in some old ruins overlooking all of Oia! Kyle needs to marry her ASAP! We brought a bottle of white wine to enjoy during the sunset, and eventually made our way back home (with a slight scare as the ATV tank had been on empty for awhile) after the sun went down.

Although our time in Santorini was short, we had a wonderful, relaxing time before heading out the next morning for Milos. PS, we were gouged for our taxi that morning (35 euros for a 10 minute, 6km ride) so, if you can, plan your ferry times around bus times, car/ATV rentals, etc to save a few dollars!