"It's a Wrap"

One of our best selfies. At Red Sand Beach, near Akrotira on Santorini

Traveling the way we do, concentrating on an area, gives us an opportunity to immerse in a place -- get to know it, the history, the people, and the food.  We spent four nights in Athens and five nights on each: Mykonos, Naxos, and Santorini. The entire vacation, we were enveloped in unparalleled beauty and the sense of history and tradition. 

Church in the middle of Ermou Street in Athens

Mykonos 

The Castle on Naxos

There's  time to get away from the usual tourist paths and chat with wonderful, interesting people, even build  relationships. We met locals who told us of their growing up in Greece. They shared their stories and provided history and context for what we were seeing. Fellow travelers, who shared their touring experiences and recommendations, enhanced our journey, too. 

Planning a trip like this took some doing, some research, and some letting go. We read guide books, searched websites, and asked friends about their travels to Greece. The letting go part came when we realized the ferry schedule rules the day and the stay. So, we didn't make reservations for island lodgings too far in advance. When we left home, we only had our beginning Athens apartment set up and reservations for our last night at the Athens airport. The rest was easy to set up online through booking.com or tripadvisor.com as we traveled.

In Athens, we found an apartment on airbnb.com

On Mykonos, we had reservations at the Semeli the Hotel: ww.semelihotel.gr

On Naxos, our hotel was The Saint Vlassis. See www.saint-vlassis.gr

On Santorini, we stayed in Oia at Aspa Villas, www.aspavillas.com

A few stand-out memories and observations:

Favorite phrases: 

"You're in Greece" with shoulder shrug and palms up, whenever something seemed to be awry.

"But, of course," in answer to any question we asked.

Favorite meal: 

Judy: All the fish was excellent, but the mixed grill of squid, octopus, and swordfish on a skewer. 

Annis: "Moussaka, hands down. And that poached fish at Naoussa in Fira."

Favorite appetizers: 

Dolmades, favas, grilled eggplant, and spinach pie

Favorite daytime drink: 

Variations on iced coffees with chocolate (frappes, Freddos, and Freddoccinos) 

Favorite island: Naxos!  (All beautiful, but Naxos had a great feel.)

The stark white buildings with blue roofs on Santorini, complemented by the brilliant blue of the Aegean, are gorgeous and notable.

Atlantis Books: An exceptional find in Oia 

Rooftop terrace of Atlantis Books, Santorini

Best museums are in Athens, but the small museums on the islands are interesting and worthwhile.

Avoid donkey stairs (and stares) if possible.

Pack light. Pack light. 

Midnight, Thursday, April 23rd, we turned into our driveway after two flights and a rental car trip from LAX. We've had a wonderful vacation, but it's great to be home. The 10-hour time difference means we're dealing with jet-lag. But we will recover soon and be back on the trails, somewhere.

We've had encouraging, positive feedback from many of you and are glad you went along on the journey. Until the next time... Ciao.

Santorini, from Oia, overlooking the caldera