Spoleto, Umbria, Italy
We headed back for one night in Rome where we checked out the Spanish Steps (along with many rose and Selfie Stick sellers), as well as a drink at the Summer Market on the banks of the Tiber. The weather was perfect and it was a great way to kill time and take our minds off the anticipation of the next day: meeting up with Ness, Steve and Jonty in Umbria.
We caught a train to Spoleto, located pretty much smack bang in the middle of Italy. At least we thought we got a train to Spoleto. Little did we know until the train had sped away into the distance that the station before Spoleto ALSO had the word Spoleto in it. Meaning after all that travel, we'd gotten off a stop early. Unfortunately trains aren't all that frequent and as it was a Saturday, the buses weren't reliable.
Luckily enough we met Brian. Brian turned out to be the kindest person we'd met on the trip. He first checked to see if we were okay, and once we told him we'd just wait for an hour for the next train, he said "My wife's on her way to get me now- I'll just get her to drop you where you need to go". Incredible. We were complete strangers, with terrible beards (at least Jon and I) and the smell of 5 months travel on us but he insisted. So we piled in, had a great chat to Brian's wife (we never got her name) and she dropped us at Spoleto station.
Already there were Steve's brother Johann, his wife Claire and their kids Lara and Raimi. After introducing ourselves, we started having a chat before the mother of all storms kicked in and we huddled indoors waiting for our lift to the villa. After a bit of a wait, we jumped in the van and made our way up the hill and out of the town to find our own private farmhouse, complete with beautiful pool.
So began an incredibly relaxing final week of our adventure. We had lots of cuddles with Jonty, beautiful food cooked by Steve's friend Emerson and plenty of dips in the aforementioned pool. We also managed to get out for a bit of an explore in the countryside, sneaking into an old fort in a small town and earning some scratches from branches as we made our way off track. The entire time we felt incredibly lucky to be sharing such a amazing experience with people that make us very happy, while at the same time growing in excitement for the big trip at the end of the week: getting to London.
Amalfi Coast, Italy
We left from Rome by train to Salerno, the last town on the Amalfi coast. We'd found that it was a much cheaper place to stay than the more famous towns, and it was relatively easy to travel by bus for day trips. We settled in to our massive 3 bedroom apartment and tried to fix the oscillating fan that the owners had broken upon check in. We were not successful and so ensued a pretty sweaty night for all of us.
The next day we all wanted to go exploring and after tracking down a bus to take us, made our way to Amalfi. It was on the trip there that we discovered how popular the journey is as many locals and tourists packed into the bus. Unfortunately Jon was left standing and through sheer willpower forced himself to focus and not be sick as we travelled round and round the winding road. It was incredibly picteresque though, and we very much appreciated it once we arrived in Amalfi. We had some lunch and wandered around the town before making our way to the smaller town, Ravello. Located up the hill, it provided an incredible view of the coast from above. The trip back was less cramped and we enjoyed beers and a home cooked meal on the balcony, discussing how well we'd all handle a zombie apocalypse. Hint: we probably wouldn't last long.
We relaxed the next day, drinking coffee and going for a swim at the small beach in Salerno. While it isn't the most beautiful of beaches, the water was refreshing and provided much needed relief from the heat.
We checked out early and headed north by ferry to Sorrento. The heat was pretty overwhelming but we got to our cosy little apartment just out of town and relaxed. Nikki's friend Tori met us there and we headed out for gelati, finding some cool grass to sit and relax in while catching up.
Pompeii was the destination the following day, and after a straight forward train trip from Sorrento, we booked a 2-hour tour and started exploring the ancient town. Some of the technology used was incredibly impressive and what was left of the structures showed just how forward thinking the society was. We all had a laugh at the red light district and the way that showed the sailors how to get to the brothels. While we only got a chance to look around a small section of the city, we got the feeling of how immense the town really was. In sight at all times is Mt Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed the town and covered it in ash and most confronting was the preserved bodies of humans and animals who were unable to escape the horror. After paying an exorbitant amount for lunch, we headed back home for a rest before grabbing some delicious antipasto goodies from the market. Cards, wine and a movie was a great way to finish the day.
Beach fun was planned for our final day in Sorrento, and after a shop around town (and an American that found Jon and Dom hilarious) we slip, slop, slapped and walked down the cliff and found a spot on the beach. A lot smaller than what we are used to in Australia, we didn't mind as the water once again gave us some respite from the warm sunshine. After we were sufficiently wrinkled, we walked back up top and treated ourselves to a dinner at a restaurant where we were served by a guy who thought he was working at TGIF's and was incredibly generous with his limoncello shots.
The next day we all wanted to go exploring and after tracking down a bus to take us, made our way to Amalfi. It was on the trip there that we discovered how popular the journey is as many locals and tourists packed into the bus. Unfortunately Jon was left standing and through sheer willpower forced himself to focus and not be sick as we travelled round and round the winding road. It was incredibly picteresque though, and we very much appreciated it once we arrived in Amalfi. We had some lunch and wandered around the town before making our way to the smaller town, Ravello. Located up the hill, it provided an incredible view of the coast from above. The trip back was less cramped and we enjoyed beers and a home cooked meal on the balcony, discussing how well we'd all handle a zombie apocalypse. Hint: we probably wouldn't last long.
We relaxed the next day, drinking coffee and going for a swim at the small beach in Salerno. While it isn't the most beautiful of beaches, the water was refreshing and provided much needed relief from the heat.
We checked out early and headed north by ferry to Sorrento. The heat was pretty overwhelming but we got to our cosy little apartment just out of town and relaxed. Nikki's friend Tori met us there and we headed out for gelati, finding some cool grass to sit and relax in while catching up.
Pompeii was the destination the following day, and after a straight forward train trip from Sorrento, we booked a 2-hour tour and started exploring the ancient town. Some of the technology used was incredibly impressive and what was left of the structures showed just how forward thinking the society was. We all had a laugh at the red light district and the way that showed the sailors how to get to the brothels. While we only got a chance to look around a small section of the city, we got the feeling of how immense the town really was. In sight at all times is Mt Vesuvius, the volcano that destroyed the town and covered it in ash and most confronting was the preserved bodies of humans and animals who were unable to escape the horror. After paying an exorbitant amount for lunch, we headed back home for a rest before grabbing some delicious antipasto goodies from the market. Cards, wine and a movie was a great way to finish the day.
Beach fun was planned for our final day in Sorrento, and after a shop around town (and an American that found Jon and Dom hilarious) we slip, slop, slapped and walked down the cliff and found a spot on the beach. A lot smaller than what we are used to in Australia, we didn't mind as the water once again gave us some respite from the warm sunshine. After we were sufficiently wrinkled, we walked back up top and treated ourselves to a dinner at a restaurant where we were served by a guy who thought he was working at TGIF's and was incredibly generous with his limoncello shots.
Rome, Italy
From Dubrovnik we got a flight to Rome, Italy. We were excited for a couple of reasons: firstly, it was a new city to explore with its many famous sights to see, but mainly we were pumped to finally be joined by the man himself, Jonathan Robb. Jon was meant to have been with us from Greece, but due to some unfortunate setbacks had to delay the trip. However, once he knew he could leave Australia, we arranged to be in Rome at the same time to travel for a few weeks before moving together to London.
We had a restless sleep the night before his impending arrival, also due to the fact that the cats that lived in the AirBnB apartment that we were staying in decided to join us in bed frequently throughout the night. We slept in longer than intended the next day and we were still in pyjamas when we heard the bell at the door. And then there he was: dressed as if he was still in freezing Melbourne, but standing in 30 degree Roman heat. Once he'd removed the duffle coat and thermals he was wearing, we had the obligatory chat about his trip over, had an early morning beer in celebration and then decided to get moving and do some exploring.
Our first stop was the Colosseum, and as we were walking there we inevitably saw many sights. Old marble columns still stood in certain places, and we strolled past the ruins of the Forum. We turned a corner and then there it was: the arena that saw the death of many men and animals. We joined on with a tour and our guide gave some interesting insights and information as to how the Colosseum actually operated. It's incredible to imagine the carnage that happened on the sand in front of 80,000 spectators.
After a quick bite in the shade of the stadium, we decided to keep wandering to the famous Trevi Fountain. We were pretty excited to get to this incredible structure, with its impressive marble statues and clear water. There were many people in front, so we weaved our way through, eager to get the clearest view possible of...a construction site. It was completely covered in scaffolding and it was difficult to see a thing. It was decided amongst the group that the traditional toss of the coin over the shoulder for luck was probably unnecessary. We had a laugh and a gelato to commiserate, then made our way to the far more impressive Pantheon. It was beautiful inside and we admired the ornate features it offers, like the open hole in the roof, leaving it to fight against the elements.
Jon was somehow still trucking despite not really sleeping in 30 hours, so we allowed him a rest back at the apartment. We relaxed for a while, avoiding the angry cats that decided our arms and legs were good scratching posts, before heading out for a cheap pizza and beer. After a quick wander through the neighbourhood and enjoying the sounds of a 10 year playing the accordion, we made our way back 'home' for a chat on the balcony before calling it a night.
We had a restless sleep the night before his impending arrival, also due to the fact that the cats that lived in the AirBnB apartment that we were staying in decided to join us in bed frequently throughout the night. We slept in longer than intended the next day and we were still in pyjamas when we heard the bell at the door. And then there he was: dressed as if he was still in freezing Melbourne, but standing in 30 degree Roman heat. Once he'd removed the duffle coat and thermals he was wearing, we had the obligatory chat about his trip over, had an early morning beer in celebration and then decided to get moving and do some exploring.
Our first stop was the Colosseum, and as we were walking there we inevitably saw many sights. Old marble columns still stood in certain places, and we strolled past the ruins of the Forum. We turned a corner and then there it was: the arena that saw the death of many men and animals. We joined on with a tour and our guide gave some interesting insights and information as to how the Colosseum actually operated. It's incredible to imagine the carnage that happened on the sand in front of 80,000 spectators.
After a quick bite in the shade of the stadium, we decided to keep wandering to the famous Trevi Fountain. We were pretty excited to get to this incredible structure, with its impressive marble statues and clear water. There were many people in front, so we weaved our way through, eager to get the clearest view possible of...a construction site. It was completely covered in scaffolding and it was difficult to see a thing. It was decided amongst the group that the traditional toss of the coin over the shoulder for luck was probably unnecessary. We had a laugh and a gelato to commiserate, then made our way to the far more impressive Pantheon. It was beautiful inside and we admired the ornate features it offers, like the open hole in the roof, leaving it to fight against the elements.
Jon was somehow still trucking despite not really sleeping in 30 hours, so we allowed him a rest back at the apartment. We relaxed for a while, avoiding the angry cats that decided our arms and legs were good scratching posts, before heading out for a cheap pizza and beer. After a quick wander through the neighbourhood and enjoying the sounds of a 10 year playing the accordion, we made our way back 'home' for a chat on the balcony before calling it a night.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
We bussed from Mostar into Croatia and down to the famous coastal town of Dubrovnik. We'd managed to get some accommodation right in the old town and after a cramped local bus ride and a bit of a battle to locate our exact street in the maze of cobblestones we found our quaint little place for the 3 nights. Most importantly, it had air conditioning- vital as the weather for our visit was hot hot hot.
After spending the first evening roaming the old town, we used the second day to walk the walls of the city, providing us an incredible view of the inside and the tops of the buildings covered in terracotta tiles. It's a pretty incredible feeling to walk above the city, trying to imagine what it all would have looked like in its prime. The walk takes about an hour, with plenty of photo opportunities and we were lucky to have a beautiful, clear day. We'd worked up a sweat though, and the only solution to how hot we were feeling was beer. After a quick lunch from the bakery (Dubrovnik is renown for its inflated prices in restaurants) and Nikki fending off a photographer who was unaware of personal space, we found a cool (literally) bar, ordered some beers and sat playing cards and chatting for a few hours.
We spent the rest of our time in Dubrovnik exploring an old fort that is perched on a small hill just outside the city walls; hiking up to the highest point in the town, providing us with another incredible view of the city below; and drinking coffee and eating delicious food amongst the many travellers wandering the streets.
After spending the first evening roaming the old town, we used the second day to walk the walls of the city, providing us an incredible view of the inside and the tops of the buildings covered in terracotta tiles. It's a pretty incredible feeling to walk above the city, trying to imagine what it all would have looked like in its prime. The walk takes about an hour, with plenty of photo opportunities and we were lucky to have a beautiful, clear day. We'd worked up a sweat though, and the only solution to how hot we were feeling was beer. After a quick lunch from the bakery (Dubrovnik is renown for its inflated prices in restaurants) and Nikki fending off a photographer who was unaware of personal space, we found a cool (literally) bar, ordered some beers and sat playing cards and chatting for a few hours.
We spent the rest of our time in Dubrovnik exploring an old fort that is perched on a small hill just outside the city walls; hiking up to the highest point in the town, providing us with another incredible view of the city below; and drinking coffee and eating delicious food amongst the many travellers wandering the streets.
Mostar, Bosnia Herzegovina
We'd been recommended by a few friends to check out the southern town of Mostar. The city itself was damaged a lot during the war but today is a busy tourist town, with the Ottoman-style bridge its proudest feature.
We arrived from Sarajevo and were picked up by the owner of our hostel, Denny. An absolute gentleman, the entire duration of our trip he ensured that we were having an incredible time. Which we certainly did. We followed some of his directions and roamed about the town for the afternoon, enjoying the cobble stone streets and browsing the markets. As in much of Bosnia Herzegovina, there aren't many parks in Mostar, however we managed to find one and had a relax in the shade.
Denny took us on a tour of the region at large the next day. This included an old Dervish house built on the river bank and protected by high mountains; a town famous for an alleged sighting of the Virgin Mary and now filled with Christians on a pilgrimage; a beautiful swimming spot where we got to climb through waterfalls and relax on the shore; and finally an ancient castle, with crumbling towers to explore. It was a full day, and Denny was fantastic, explaining events and history constantly, all while trying to maintain the goings-on back at the hostel.
Denny recommended a white water rafting tour and we decided that would be a pretty fun way to spend our final day in Bosnia Herzegovina. The weather was perfect, the water was refreshing and the boat was relaxing as we chatted with fellow travellers. Every now and then a large rapid would appear, but nothing too difficult to maneuver. We had stops to jump in off some cliffs and float along in the current and it was topped off with a beautiful lunch by the river to unwind.
We arrived from Sarajevo and were picked up by the owner of our hostel, Denny. An absolute gentleman, the entire duration of our trip he ensured that we were having an incredible time. Which we certainly did. We followed some of his directions and roamed about the town for the afternoon, enjoying the cobble stone streets and browsing the markets. As in much of Bosnia Herzegovina, there aren't many parks in Mostar, however we managed to find one and had a relax in the shade.
Denny took us on a tour of the region at large the next day. This included an old Dervish house built on the river bank and protected by high mountains; a town famous for an alleged sighting of the Virgin Mary and now filled with Christians on a pilgrimage; a beautiful swimming spot where we got to climb through waterfalls and relax on the shore; and finally an ancient castle, with crumbling towers to explore. It was a full day, and Denny was fantastic, explaining events and history constantly, all while trying to maintain the goings-on back at the hostel.
Denny recommended a white water rafting tour and we decided that would be a pretty fun way to spend our final day in Bosnia Herzegovina. The weather was perfect, the water was refreshing and the boat was relaxing as we chatted with fellow travellers. Every now and then a large rapid would appear, but nothing too difficult to maneuver. We had stops to jump in off some cliffs and float along in the current and it was topped off with a beautiful lunch by the river to unwind.
Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina
Zagreb, Croatia
We trained early from Siofuk to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. After a brief border crossing (where they put stamps in the most random places), we arrived in the city at lunchtime and quickly discovered that while they have lots of cafes, not many of them actually serve food. We eventually tracked down some mini burgers and using our new found energy got ourselves by tram to the hostel.
No one had given Zagreb much of a wrap- apparently it was boring and with not much to do. Croatia is understandably famous for its beautiful coastline and the capital is often forgotten. This was great for us as it means food is cheap and tourist spots are empty. We had an awesome couple of days exploring. After a bit of research, we came up with a rough plan of where to walk around and spent the first evening checking out sights that ranged from cathedrals to market places to botanical gardens to concert halls. There is plenty of street art and monuments to local heroes also to discover, as well as a great atmosphere in the restaurant district.
After a morning workout the next day, we trammed back into the city to explore some of the sights we didn't get to including the moving Stone Gate, the Tower with a cannon that goes off everyday at noon, as well as the fascinating 'Museum of Broken Relationships'. This museum has travelled the world but is now based in Zagreb and contains various items donated by the public from around the globe that signify a failed relationship, accompanied by a short blurb. While it starts off with somewhat humourous accounts of teen romance, the displays get darker as we learn about children who no longer see their parents, of marriages that didn't work out and attempts at long-distance that ended in heartbreak. Incredibly worthwhile visiting and very thought provoking (particularly if you were a person that suddenly saw a gift you gave an ex-partner 20 years ago).
No one had given Zagreb much of a wrap- apparently it was boring and with not much to do. Croatia is understandably famous for its beautiful coastline and the capital is often forgotten. This was great for us as it means food is cheap and tourist spots are empty. We had an awesome couple of days exploring. After a bit of research, we came up with a rough plan of where to walk around and spent the first evening checking out sights that ranged from cathedrals to market places to botanical gardens to concert halls. There is plenty of street art and monuments to local heroes also to discover, as well as a great atmosphere in the restaurant district.
After a morning workout the next day, we trammed back into the city to explore some of the sights we didn't get to including the moving Stone Gate, the Tower with a cannon that goes off everyday at noon, as well as the fascinating 'Museum of Broken Relationships'. This museum has travelled the world but is now based in Zagreb and contains various items donated by the public from around the globe that signify a failed relationship, accompanied by a short blurb. While it starts off with somewhat humourous accounts of teen romance, the displays get darker as we learn about children who no longer see their parents, of marriages that didn't work out and attempts at long-distance that ended in heartbreak. Incredibly worthwhile visiting and very thought provoking (particularly if you were a person that suddenly saw a gift you gave an ex-partner 20 years ago).
Budapest, Hungary
We spent one night in Athens deciding where we wanted to go to next, and because of the relatively cheap flights that we found going there, we decided on Budapest, Hungary.
We had our first travel delay of the trip which turned out to be a non-issue (just a 90min extra wait in Belgrade during the transfer- although we did get to see humanity at its finest as people called loved ones in a panic, as if they'd never see them again). Budapest turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip so far. We stayed in a brand new hostel called The Hive which was in a perfect location to all the necessary sites. The day we arrived also turned out to be the start of a music, food and culture festival called 'Budapest Essentials'. This 4-day event coincided with our entire stay so we purchased a festival pass each and aimed to make the most of it all. This one little wristband got us 20% off our bill at a number of restaurants and cafes around the entire city; to The Wombats, one of our favourite live bands; as well as into one of the many relaxing day spas that are around the city, making the most of thermal springs below the surface. During our stay, we also did a free walking tour around the city which orientated us to where we were in regards to the Danube River and the Buda and Pest sides that border it. The Buda side tends to have a richer reputation, containing the Royal Palace (despite there being no Royal family in Hungary) and the Presidential office. However, the Pest side where we were staying had far more things to do and see, in particular the perfectly symmetrical Parliament House which was filled with ornate trimmings and a rich history. There's also a fantastic Central Market Hall that has stall after stall of fresh, beautiful fruit and is at the end of a shopping district that is fun to walk along and be amongst the locals. One of our favourite things to do was visit Margaret Island, in the middle of the Danube and just a short, 'free' tram ride away from our hostel. The island is known to be where the fitness freaks of Budapest work out, so naturally we gravitated there and ran a few laps. It's a wonderful atmosphere with big open areas and was the site of the various music performances we saw. There's also bikes to hire and a huge fountain that 'performs' to timed music every couple of hours which was a lot of fun to watch. We spent our final afternoon in the city at the thermal springs just to relax our bodies after 5 days of walking, dancing and eating our way across the city. While the layout of the spas has clearly not been changed in the 100 years it's been opened and is consequently very confusing to simply get in the door, once we submerged ourselves in the 36 degree water all worries melted away and we were able to reflect on our stay in a pretty awesome city. Once our time in Budapest came to a close, we looked to other parts of the country to visit. We were in no hurry to get anywhere in particular and after a bit of research discovered Lake Balaton, about 3 hours west of Budapest. The lake is the largest in Europe and we decided to spend time in 2 different towns that surround it. The first town was Heviz and after finally receiving the keys and paying an unreasonably large security deposit, we had a look around the town. We quickly discovered that not many twenty-somethings visit the town and that we wouldn't be out clubbing for the next 3 nights. Instead we cooked meals, washed every item of clothing and finished season 9 of 'How I Met Your Mother'. The town itself is very beautiful and we managed to fit in some exercise in one of the shady parks. This and drinking coffee and chatting in cafes meant that our time there was pretty relaxing. After ensuring we got our deposit back, we headed up north by train to one of the larger towns on the lake, Siofuk. We had managed to find random accommodation in a house that turned out to be owned by the local Deputy Mayor. Peter was so friendly, offering us coffee on arrival and insisting we use his own food out of the fridge. There isn't much to do in Siofuk, but our one full day there was spent roaming the small town and drinking beers while playing cards in a bar. Dom also thought he'd lost his wallet but soon realised it was in his backpack. Where he'd put it. To be safe. NB- you may have noticed that we were staying by this lake, yet at no point mentioned visiting/swimming/looking at it. That's because we didn't. Whoops. |
Santorini, Greek Islands
This island has everything. You could go on a holiday here and just sit and relax on Perissa Beach the whole time. Or you could hire an ATV everyday and cruise around to all the tiny towns that are scattered around the place. Or you could go on any number of hikes along the coast or up mini-mountains. Or you could try and do all of it like we did.
After a bit of a wander and explore on our first afternoon around Perissa Beach, the town on the east coast of the island where we were staying, we started early on our second day, eager to get exploring. First thing was first- getting an ATV. Easily the most fun way to explore the island, we got one each for the day and used it to get everywhere. It would only take an hour or so to drive one of these around the entire island, so we took that as a challenge. We visited Red Beach first, before taking a wrong turn up a pedestrian only street and getting abused by an elderly local who was clearly sick of tourists disturbing his quiet piece of paradise. Once back on an actual road, we got to the southern most point for a wonderful view back along the island. Then it was lunchtime, and we revved our way up the hill to the main town, Fira. We parked our bikes, had a gyros and then wandered around the town, taking in the shops and restaurants. The highest point of the island was our next destination and this was where the difference in power of our ATVs was most obvious- the girls shot up the hill, while Dom putt-putted along like Bowser in Mario Kart. The 360 degree view from the top was incredible and it was the perfect spot for a few photos. After Dom redeemed himself on the downhill (taking a few corners a little too sharply), we headed back for an early dinner and bed. We had set ourselves for a hike up to Ancient Theira the next morning, so we laced our shoes and began the walk up. It was well worth it, as we were able to walk through the old laneways of the first city of the island. It was still possible to make out the buildings and structures and the views again with clear blue sky were breathtaking. Nikki made the point that the white buildings that make up the towns on top of hills make it look like they're snow capped. It was decided that all that walking meant we had earned a relax on the beach, so after a quick hotel change with minor difficulties, we laid out on some sun beds, read some books and eavesdropped on various conversations. Hayley's boyfriend Julian had arrived overnight from Australia, so after a few hello's the next morning we decided to test his jet lag with a 3 hour hike along the coast from Fira to the northern most point of the island, Oia. It was great walking along, chatting and (again) taking in the scenery. The walk itself isn't that difficult, with only a few sharp uphills. We made it into Oia, and after a quick ice cream break we set about finding a cliff jumping spot we'd heard about. After venturing down to the shore, we finally found a small area where you could swim out to an island and jump in from about 5m. The water was nice and cool after the long walk and everyone had a go. We had a quick bite that was delicious, but the portion size didn't match the price and then Nikki did her specialist recon work to find the perfect spot to view the sunset, without the crowds. She succeeded and we sat on the edge of a wall with an unimpeded view of the sun dropping slowly down. Then it was onto a bus back to Perissa, trying not to nod off and miss our stop. Then it was June 22nd- the most important day of the year. Nikki's 25th birthday was celebrated in style as we bought tickets for a day long cruise on a ship around the various other islands that make up Santorini. The sun was out and the sky was blue as promised by Nikki's dad Michael, and we soaked it all in. The stops involved visiting a volcano crater, the original cause of the all the islands in the area when it exploded and broke everything up a few thousand years ago, as well as another island for lunch (gyros of course). We also had the option of having a swim in some hot springs, but we decided that the cool water of the Mediterranean would be much nicer so we had a quick dip, trying to avoid tourists that had difficulty understanding the concept of personal space. The boat cruised along the coast of the main island and dropped us at the small port at Fira. There were 3 options to get up the hill to the town- walk, cable car or donkey. Naturally we chose the latter and it was an interesting run/canter up the large steps on the animal. Sometimes they'd stop completely, other times they'd be sprinting away from their owner with the large cane. Nix saw why first hand when the guy smacked her donkey hard on the head. Naturally she gave him a piece of her mind, but undoubtedly it fell on deaf ears. After a quick drink once we'd jumped off, we made our way to the restaurant we'd booked for Nikki's birthday, appropriately named 'Niki's'. The food and wine were yum, the view was typically stunning and the restaurant obliged by bringing Nix some chocolate cake with sparklers as we sung Happy Birthday. All in all a pretty special day and a great way to finish our Greek Island adventures. |
Crete, Greek Islands
After another expensive ferry ride, we arrived late into Heraklion, a main port town of Crete. We had to move fast to get on a bus that was going to take us east to a small town Rethymno, where we were meeting a taxi at 11pm to take us south to our final destination, Plakias. Sounds like an ordeal but it was all pretty straight forward. We just had to avoid strange Canadians and deal with our cab driver pulling over and vomiting on the side of the road (think the winding route got to him). We finally got to 'Youth' Hostel Plakias and so begun the most bizarre hostel experience we'd had so far. It all started off swell- friendly people, comfy beds and clean facilities. The three of us had a top bunk each and we went to bed that night pretty excited for 5 nights of fun. One slight problem arose though at 4:30am that morning when Dom, having one of his recurring 'spiders running all over his body' dreams, threw himself off the aforementioned top bunk. As his knees smacked into tiles, he awoke to hear Nikki produce a blood curtling scream as she had watched the entire ordeal and believed that her beloved had just plummeted to his death. Thankfully, all was well and Dom managed to even tell Nikki to 'be quiet or you'll wake everyone up'. Then it was back to sleep- after a quick check under the pillow for any spiders.
The following morning was spent chatting to fellow travellers, with Dom assuring the others in the dorm that the bungee jump won't be a nightly occurrence. A big group was heading to Palm Beach by bus that afternoon for a swim and a relax, so we headed there with them and were blown away by the beauty of this hidden spot. We had such a great day lying out on the warm sand and swimming in the refreshing water before catching a boat back along the coast to get us to the hostel. It was that night that we realised the name 'Youth' Hostel was a bit rich- the average age of the people staying there was approximately 50 years. Now this was fine, but we all found it a bit odd. Even the younger travellers were just odd themselves and they probably thought the same about us. We decided that the next day we needed a bit of separation from the pack and decided to take on a famous river walk that was close by on our own. We had an awesome time physically walking in the river, upstream, rock climbing and slipping and swimming as we went along. Hayley almost lost a thong, and Nix demonstrated her accomplished problem solving skills when the path wasn't all that obvious. After a few hours we arrived at a small town for a bite to eat, then headed back downhill to the hostel to find that all our food in the fridge had either been consumed by other people, or had been taken by the staff. A few choice words from Nikki meant our stuff was recovered, but it was this night that we decided we'd be cutting our stay short. This decision was validated the next day when we headed with a few of the older male travellers to 'One Rock' beach. The walk there went well- a nice lunch, friendly conversation- but all went sour once we arrived as we quickly discovered it was a secluded nudist beach and the gents we'd been chatting with whipped off their trunks and showed us the whole package. Now none of us are prudes, however these 50+ guys were just a little too pleased with being in the nude in front of young women, so we had a quick dip, said goodbye while maintaining strong eye contact and strolled back to the hostel for a relaxing afternoon and an early night. We got moving quickly the next day and weren't all that sorry to say goodbye. We bussed back to Rethymno where we had booked 2 nights in a hostel there. Dom and Nix were both feeling pretty shady due to the flu, so Hayley took control and became the tour guide for the afternoon, taking us around the old castle and winding streets and alleys. We had booked a hire car for the following day to take us to Elafonissi beach- one of the most beautiful in the world. It lived up to expectations and we had a great day relaxing by the water. The 2 hour drive there was fun, with Dom managing to master manual on the wrong side of the car and trying to understand the 'speed limits'. The drive itself was beautiful, taking us along skinny winding roads with spectacular views of the island and through small, quaint towns. We parked the car back in the city upon returning and went out for a final gyros and chocolate crepe for dinner. Then we packed up, prepared for an early boat to Santorini the next morning. |
Ios, Greek Islands
What a place. As most of you would know, we're not the biggest party-ers, but there's something about the place and you can't help but get involved. Nikki made the point that usually we're home by midnight, but here we didn't head out till then. It's just fun and everyone is there to have a great time.
Hayley had organised accommodation at Francesco's, one of the best hostels we've stayed in. It has an incredible view of the port and beyond, is nice and close to all the nightlife and is a good walk to the beach. Throw in a pool and a bar with sensational Espresso Martini's and we were set for the 5 nights. They have a welcome shot every night at 10:30pm and it's a great way to meet the other guests who'll you be dancing and drinking with later on. Everyone heads out together into the winding alley ways to start at a club, and then you're free to go in and out of the numerous bars (there's so many that we're sure we didn't see all of them). Our favourite was Circus, which had great live music and really fun staff. We ended most nights with a dance there before walking home. The days were spent relaxing at the beach. For €3 you can get a day bed on the beach with a big umbrella to shade the roasting sun. The water is refreshing and there's a great atmosphere as promoters from all the clubs roam around trying to get customers for the evening. Once sufficiently relaxed, we headed back to the hostel, grabbed a €2 gyros for dinner and then usually had a nap in preparation for the night. Then we did it all again (we did have one night off and went to bed early, but were called pikers the next day by the staff). The town is very beautiful, especially with blue skies and a bright sun above. All the buildings are blindingly white, with bright blue shutters. It seems as if people take pride in having the whitest house. The footpaths are a bit of a maze and it's easy to lose your bearings, and what's strange is how it's almost as if the city is hidden within the hill. If you didn't know how much was up there, you wouldn't believe it. We were lucky to have gone in June- as soon as it gets to July the place becomes packed and I can imagine that a bit of the charm would go. There were still plenty of people around, but not so many that bars were crammed and we couldn't get a seat at restaurants (of which there are a number of nice places). Definitely a place we'll return to. |
Athens, Greece
When we told people that Athens was our first European stop, one of the main questions we were asked was "how long are you spending there?". When our response was 4 nights, we were met with puzzled faces and concerned voices "oh no", they'd say "you only need a night or two in Athens. There's nothing to do there". Because of this, we arrived in the capital a little concerned that we'd overbooked and that we'd be twiddling our thumbs for a while until we jumped on the ferry to the islands. However, once on the ground, we found it to be a charming city filled with history and mystery. Athens gets a bad wrap, and I don't think people are doing it right.
We arrived late afternoon and were staying at a hostel, Athenstyle, in Montasaraki, located right in the heart of the city. We had caught the metro from the airport and it was cheap, fast and safe (It's one of the more positive products of the 2004 Olympics and the locals seem to use it as a main source of transport). The hostel promoted a rooftop bar and so after our 30-hour journey we treated ourselves to a beer up there, soaking in the most incredible view. We were mesmerised by the stunning sunset to the west and the ancient Acropolis to the east, perched above the city keeping watch. The beers were cold, the food was great and we made friends with some fellow travellers. Finally we decided sleep was probably a necessity and went to bed in one of the more bizarre dorms we've experienced (basically it had 2 double beds...for 2 couples. So we had a Swedish couple snoozing next to us). We wanted to get our bearings of the city so the next day we were up early for a free walking tour. We didn't get as much history as we would have liked, but it did help us understand where things were in relation to where we were staying. We also got our first up close look at the marble that is scattered throughout the city. The bones of ancient buildings are seemingly around every corner, and columns tower over modern structures. It's a bizarre feeling as you roam around, trying to imagine that this was the birth place of Western society. We left the walking tour early (only after Dom managed to slip on some rocks and smack his elbow) and made our way back to our hostel. On the way we stopped at the Montessaraki Flea Market, a buzzing little area filled with cafes and shops. We really enjoyed just exploring and finding old shops in small alleyways. Then it was off to our new hostel Athens Backpackers where we were meeting Nikki's friend Hayley. After hugs hello and organisation of bunk beds (no doubles here) we headed out for dinner. We avoided the many spruikers claiming that "this is the best one", found a nice restaurant and talked Hayley's ears off with our travelling tales. Despite waking up to a bit of rain, we powered through and made our way to the New Museum, sitting below the Acropolis. This impressive building is filled with restored artefacts and sits above an excavation site which you get glimpses of through the glass floor. We slowly made our way around, soaking it all in and then rested our legs with a coffee. Later that afternoon, we strolled through the city towards the old Olympic Stadium. Easily one of the highlights of the city, the three of us loved the experience and the audio guide provided quality information and facts about the site. After a race on the track, we walked back through the Botanic Gardens to cook our own dinner and have an early night. Feeling motivated, we went for a jog around the Acropolis the next morning on the pedestrian path that circles it. Once we'd recovered, we made our way up into the ruins and were treated to a pretty incredible view of the city. The Acropolis itself is essentially a work site, with scaffolding and cranes sitting within and around the buildings. It was actually pretty disappointing, as excavation there began in 1992 and a lot of the machines look like they haven't moved in that long. It's difficult to take a photo without all the other stuff in it, but it was interesting being up close to the Parthenon. We slowly made our way back down the hill and did some shopping around the city. Once back at the hostel, we attempted to cook dinner but somehow the electric stove short circuited and shut off all power to the apartment. The hostel treated us to some burgers, but we had to chuck the food and we would have much preferred our oregano chicken. Then it was early to bed as we had a 7am ferry to catch the next morning. |