Eye See You: Greece

29.9.13

Greece Part Four: SANTORINI

Santorini may be one of the most touristy of the Greek islands but for good reason. The real Greek name of the island is "Thira", for some reason the Italian name Santorini seems to have struck a cord with travelers. It boasts two volcanoes(one is active), the most magical sunsets ever witnessed, an array of luxury hotels, a flourishing wine industry, ruins dating back to 3000BC, picturesque white wash villages nestled into the cliff side and of course speculation that it may possibly be the legendary Atlantis.

We opted to finish our trip to Greece with Santorini and could not be happier that we chose to do it that way. In the other places we visited every day was jam packed with adventures and a ton of walking and we wanted to finish with some luxury and pampering. Which is exactly what was delivered. We stayed in Oia at The Kirini, which is a fabulous hotel with an amazing staff who went above and beyond. Most days consisted of brunch, going for a walk, getting a pedicure, laying by the pool, taking a swim, getting a massage, reading, napping, walking and then an amazing dinner.

One of the days we had a private yacht tour of the island and I cannot recommend this enough. It was filled with fruit, wine, snorkeling, Thira history lessons, a delicious meal literally on the water, champagne and a sunset I will never forget. One day when I am dying I will think back to that day and I will die happy.

our balcony(above and below)

sipping frozen drinks by the pool

our view of the caldera

lots of winding white staircases

our feets taking in the view from our balcony

our room

our balcony

Daniel on the balcony

the hot sun over the buildings

dips in the Mediterranean

cocktails while watching the sunset

Daniel enjoying champagne on our balcony

room service pizza yum!

exploring the ruins at Akrotiri from 3000BC

Daniel pointing at something...

stealing kisses on a walk

delicious Greek salad

one of the many churches

and the pedestrian walkway

sunset kisses and cocktails

rest and relaxation

taking in the view from the pool

our yacht feast

doors to paradise

sipping champagne on a yacht

the view from our shower window

Thira!

the sunset

Thank you for your amazingness Greece!

17.9.13

Greece Part Three: CRETE

Crete is unimaginably gorgeous. There is so much wild, rugged terrain, with quaint, picturesque villages tucked in here and there. The whole island nestled in the deep blue of the Mediterranean, rich with ancient history. It also holds some of the oldest ruins in the world, Knossos. The first settlement dates to about 7000 BC. The first palace dates to 1900 BC. It's a really cool place to check out, the oldest road in Europe is part of the ruins of Knossos. I could write a lot about the facts and history of Knossos, if it interests you, do a little wiki research.

From Knossos we drove back through Heraklion and headed out west across the island. We chose to stay in Rethymno, which I could not be happier about, it was simply enchanting. It's architecture dates back to the 16th century, as a Venetian fishing village, with arched doorways, long stairways and narrow cobblestone walkways, complete with a Venetian-era citadel, the Fortezza, one of the best-preserved castles in Crete. Rethymno was timeless, romantic and had some of the best seafood dishes of all time. The next day we drove through the Samaria Gorge to the south western side of the island where we stumbled across a gorgeous beach called Shinaria. It even had lounge chairs and umbrellas, and you can buy a Mythos for a couple euro.

Crete is a genuinely divine island, that I plan on returning to many, many times. In fact Daniel and I hope to one day own a little piece of it ourselves.

Until next time, Crete.