Best Beach Ever, Mallorca Island

I've always wanted the chance to point my finger at a map and go. You'd think I'd have my answers lined up, but when MJ said we could go wherever I want. 

I knew I wanted to go back to Paris, and I liked it that we could take the train from Stuttgart and bypass the airport ordeal.  I knew that I had to go to Santorini.  That was a no brainer.  I also knew that Prague needed to be on that list, but where else?  Since it would be Summer, and I've never been to a European beach, I thought it would be nice to throw a beach vacation in the mix of all that city stuff.

The Balearic Islands are so far South, who knows when we'd make it down there next, so it came down to Majorca or Ibiza.  Ibiza is known for partying and when I started researching it I found that it was pretty expensive.  We are not party people so as cool as it might sound to say I took a pill in Ibiza (even if it was just a vitamin), I did not want to pay the party people price.  I zeroed in on Palma, but we decided to stay in Colonia Sant Jordi in the South because it is close to one of the most beautiful beaches in Majorca.  After the locations were decided, MJ came up with a schedule of dates and that's how our European vacation itinerary came to be.

We had one day between Santorini and Majorca.  One day.  I did laundry, we repacked, and then we were off to the Stuttgart airport for a direct flight from to Palma.  It felt like we were just at the airport...because we were.  At this point I was delirious with happiness.  I had just been to Santorini.  My travel dream had come true, and I still had two trips ahead of me.

Platja D'es Moli De S'estany, Colonia Sant Jordi, Mallorca

 MJ insisted on a rental car.  In retrospect, I know this was a good idea, but I am always going to be resistant to spending more money.  Just on principle.  Our flight was delayed.  Ugh.  We had a pretty late arrival, but as soon as we walked in the door to our hotel, I knew it was another slam dunk and I was so excited.  Hotel El Coto is beautiful.  The bed was so big.  The biggest bed of our vacation so far.  The bed and the king size pillows were foam, and so soft.   Still no drawers, but we had multiple shelves for storing our clothing and a good sized closet.  The bathroom was big and beautiful.
we had a huge balcony that unfortunately, we never took full advantage of.  The balcony even had drying racks for wet bathing suits and towels.  It was fabulous.

At Hotel El Coto breakfast is served outside on the patio overlooking the beautiful pool area.  We had the option of including it in the price of our hotel stay.  That seems to be the thing in Europe.  Half board to include dinner was also an option, but I chose not to because part of the fun of traveling is picking different places to eat meals.  I didn't want to have to eat at the hotel every night, even though, from what I read, Hotel El Coto is known for their gastronomy.

Colonia Sant Jordi

Right after breakfast on our first full day there, we went to the grocery store right down the street and then we hit the beach.

Just a three minute walk from our hotel is one of the most beautiful and most perfect beaches I have ever had the privilege of splashing around in.  The sand is fine and white.  The ocean floor is sandy and smooth.   The water is clear and aqua.  When you first get in it is slightly chilly, but after that it feels warm.  The other thing I loved about this beach is that there were no waves, and I could go pretty far out before the water went over my head.  I floated on my back staring at the sky totally at peace and relaxed.  I looked hard for fish, but all I saw were these tiny little things that didn't scare me at all.  In my opinion this is the most perfect best beach ever.  Better than Hawaii.  For €18 a day we rented a little hut with two padded loungers.  Every time the sun moved, we just adjusted our chairs so we always had shade.  It was perfect.  We sat there for hours!  MJ and I both finished our books.  It was great.

After the beach we went in search of dinner.  Just down the street is the main part of town where there are shops and plenty of restaurants to choose from.  We ate we ice cream every single day we were there.

Once again, we really didn't make any plans.  This vacation was really about the beach, but wanted to spend one day exploring Palma, so on day 2 we headed North.  I loved the Old Town.  I really don't ever get tired of exploring the narrow alley ways and cobble stoned streets of Europe.  I finally got some Paella.  Then we went and found our beloved ice cream.  It was hot.  Another hot sweaty day as a European tourist in the summer, but it was a good day and I was having the time of my life.  There was still plenty of daylight for some pool lounging by the time we came back.  Gotta love those long European days.  The sun doesn't even start to set until about 8ish.  We spent our evening at the pool, and then did our usual search down the street for dinner where we joined the rest of the happy, sun drenched, hair still wet from the beach vacationers.

Our last day in Coloni Sant Jordi was very similar to what we did in Santorini, but instead of a pool + jacuzzi day we did a beach + pool day.  We started out at the  beach.  We already knew to find the lady so that we could pay rent on our little sun hut, so I found a hut, and MJ went off to pay.  As we were setting up, this man comes along and we showed him our ticket only to be told that we had to leave.  It was impossible for us to stay there.  We must go to the other end of the beach if that's where we bought our ticket.  What?  So MJ goes and tells the lady, who speaks zero English.  She got on her cell phone, and told the man we were all good and paid up. They really need to work on streamlining their system. Anyway. Once that was settled we got on with spending the rest of the day between our loungers and the beautiful aqua water of Es Trenc Beach, the so called Caribbean beach of Majorca.

Okay, so here's the deal about the beach.  When I booked the hotel I did so for it's proximity to Es Trenc Beach. When I asked the front desk what beach was right out the door, she told me Es Trenc, however MJ looked it up on map quest and found that Es Trenc is about about a 20 minute drive from the hotel.  I figured that the reason for the discrepancy is that Es Trenc beach is very long. It probably runs quite aways up the coast. However, when you look at google maps on your phone it shows the sandy area where we were as Platja D'es Moli De S'estany.  The next sandy area to the north was called Platja Es Peregons, and then the very next sandy area north of that is Platja d'es Trenc. So, even when I realized that perhaps we were not technically at Es Trenc, I didn't care because our beach was so beautiful and so perfect. I'm guessing it probably looks pretty similar to Es Trenc, and with a better set up because I was reading that Es Trenc isn't what it used to be. The parking has become expensive and there are no chairs to rent.

The only thing Platja D'es Moli De S'estany was lacking was a bathroom. There was an outdoor restaurant that may have had one, but our hotel was so close I chose to use the pool bathroom there.  About half way through the day we switched over to the pool for more relaxing.  Hotel El Coto's pool is great. There is a deep end, a shallow end, and a separate little wading pool. The greenery is pretty. The outdoor bathrooms are elegant.  The chairs are padded, and you can get drinks delivered while you lounge.  It was perfect.

I admit, it was really nice to be in a Spanish speaking as opposed to German or any other language country, because I took Spanish in high school and it was so much fun to see how much I remember.  Words I didn't even know I knew came to me, and it's a heck of a lot easier to read between the lines in Spanish. With German. Forget about it. You can't figure anything out.

Our beach vacation was a hit. My only wish is that we had a little bit more time there since we got in late, and had to leave right after breakfast the day we left. I always want more time though!  Also, not one single picture was taken of MJ and I together the entire time. I was so over asking for pictures. I just gave up, and it's not the biggest deal, but as expected I kinda regret that. I also regret not taking my bikini top off at the beach. You know, live a little. Maybe next time.

I'm so glad we stayed in Colonia Sant Jordi.  More good food.  Cute little town.  Another luxurious, clean, and comfortable hotel.  Another perfect vacation.

Traveling to Santorini Island

I think part of the reason I always wanted to go to Santorini is because it kind of seemed impossible.  It was always my number one dream destination, but there was never really too much disappointment over not going for our honeymoon or in the seven years since our honeymoon, because it felt more like a dream, than something I would ever actually do.  It was fun to fantasize about, but it's too far, too expensive, too...extravagant.  Would I ever really be able to go?

 

There was some serious sticker shock when we started looking for hotels and I found out it was even more expensive than I thought.  The only place I found that rivaled it in price while we were planning all these trips is Ibiza.  My husband found a place that was I kid you not, $1,000 a night.  He sent an email saying, this is where we're staying, and I wondered if he had hit the lottery and forgotten to tell me.  I didn't want to go to any other Greek island.  I wanted a caldera view.  I wanted my perfect dream Santorini experience, but I didn't want to spend an obscene amount of money.  As badly as I wanted to go I was ready to cancel the whole trip because the thought of paying that much made me sick.  We are not rich celebrities!  We can't pay that much for vacation.  We kept searching, and MJ found Nostos Apartments in Oia on Trip Advisor.  Not really budget friendly, but budget friendly enough by Santorini standards.  It was doable and I would get my dream trip.

MJ booked a one way flight from Athens to Santorini on Travelocity with Bahn Air Systems, separate from our round trip travel from Stuttgart, but finding out our actual airline was like an internet scavenger hunt which he conducted on the way to the airport.  He had to use the limited clues he had from our flight reservation to figure it out.  I'm not sure why they couldn't just tell us. At the Santorini airport you will find one luggage carousel and a bathroom.  That's it.  We arranged transportation there and back through our hotel.  It was about a 40 minute drive down narrow curvy roads.   We were dropped off at the little shuttle bus area nearest to our hotel.  The job of getting our bags down the 86 stairs (we counted) to our actual room was left to the hotel staff.

The first thing you notice is all the stairs.  The second thing you notice is how incredibly bright it is.  You really do need sunglasses or else it's just blindingly bright and white.  We didn't plan much for Santorini, and that's exactly how we wanted it.  We were kind of on a schedule in Paris.  It was great, but we had things to do, and we didn't want that for Santorini.

On our first day we settled in and had dinner at Ambrosia.  You have to make reservations, and then reconfirm those reservations two days in advance.  The outdoor seating area is right over the caldera and it's beautiful.  I wanted to go there for the ambiance, however I feel like it was really expensive for what you got.  The food was good...well maybe I wouldn't really know because I ordered a Greek salad with no tomatoes.  I wasn't that hungry.  MJ ordered, fish which he really enjoyed, but we were both hungry that night.

Breakfast room: out the other window was caldera ocean view

It doesn't take long to settle into your vacation routine.  In the morning we'd get up just in time to not miss breakfast, which was from 8-11.  Breakfast was included in our stay, and served in this lovely room overlooking the water.  Soft music, beautiful view, cool breeze, and a buffet selection of food.  Nothing heavy, as is traditional in Europe, but enough to satisfy your stomach.  It was the perfect way to start every day.  Then we'd do whatever we'd decided to do for the day, and then go in search of dinner.  Most days we ended up with two meals because we'd eat breakfast pretty late and then by the time we finished, it was closer to dinner than lunch.

On our second day in Santorini we went to Fira.  You don't have to rent a car if you don't mind crowded buses.  The buses in Santorini look like charter buses, and they come pretty regularly to take you up and down the island.  Once you get on, someone will squeeze their way down the aisle to sell you a ticket for €1.85.   We got a seat on the way there, but there were people who didn't standing in the aisles.   Fira is beautiful.  There is a main area of shops and restaurants that snakes along the top of the caldera overlooking the ocean.  MJ always wanted to get a fish pedicure so we stopped for that.  I was totally grossed out by the whole thing.  I could  barely watch.  We strolled the area, ate lunch overlooking the water,  and I finished up my ice cream cone right before we got on the bus back to Oia.  It was standing room only for us the whole way. That evening we chilled in our jacuzzi.  It wasn't as warm as we would have liked so we asked the staff to turn it up and it was better the next time we went in.

The only outing we planned in advance was a Sunset Catamaran tour with Spiradakos Sailing, which MJ booked through Viator. We were picked up at our hotel in a shuttle van and taken to the port in Thera.  The boat was super nice and it was a small group so we had plenty of space to enjoy it.  They cooked a great meal for us on board and supplied us with unlimited drinks.  We stopped at three different locations, and the views were stunning.  Stop #1 was White Beach, stop #2 was Red Beach and stop #3 was the Hot Springs. I wasn't sure if I'd jump in the water because fish scare me, and I can't swim that well.  Unlike Hawaii where the water was thick with fish, here I didn't see a single fish.  I was looking hard too.  I decided I could do it, so at stop #1 I got a life jacket and went in.   The water felt so good.  Not as warm as Hawaii but not cold like So Cal.  It was really my first time in open water like that and it was so much fun.  The hot springs water is brown and looks kind of gross.  It was quite a long swim to get to the warmer, browner, water but I made it and it was like warm bathwater.  I wouldn't wear white, as we did have some brown marks from the muddy water on our suits, but they washed out.  We were having so much fun that I totally lost track of time.  Per the website it's a 5 hour excursion but between pick up and drop off it was a whole day affair, and we got back to our hotel pretty late.

We dedicated our fourth day to spending the day at the pool and the night at the jacuzzi.  How's that for an agenda?  I'd say perfect.   There is a grocery store right at the top of the stairs that led down to our apartment so we got snacks the night before.  Around noon it was time to pop the cork on the wine, and that was pretty much our day.  The pool temp was perfect.  We'd take a dip in the pool and then head up to our loungers under the umbrella next to our jacuzzi and relax.  All.  Day.  Long.  It was great.  When we got hungry we showered, went to lunch, or dinner, not really sure what it was, by the time we went, and then back into our swimwear and into the jacuzzi to finish off the bottle of wine and enjoy our last night.

Skaros Rock Imerovigli

Typical Greek meal, so good!!!

It's great not to have to leave right away, but there is always that dead space between hotel check out and flight time that you don't know what to do with.  I kind of wanted to hike Skaros rock, but we didn't make time for it on the other days and we didn't want to have to deal with getting sweaty, and no showers before boarding the plane.  Well.  We got sweaty anyway, because it's hard not to with the humidity and that sun beating down on you.  Also, it was the hottest day of our trip.  We decided to spend our last day in Imerovigli, and found out the hard way that Imerovigli has no shops.  We ran into another couple on an ATV looking for the same thing.  It is a gorgeous town, but mostly made up of hotels, and not even very many restaurants to choose from. At least we saw Skaros rock, and all the people making the trek to the top.  We couldn't even really find a place we wanted to eat there, so we headed back "home" to Oia for some exploring, lunch, and our millionth ice cream cone.  I'm glad we stopped at Neptune Restaurant because the food was excellent, the view was great, and we really enjoyed our last meal.  I eat a lot of chicken at home, so a lot of times I avoid it, but the chicken in Greece is really good, and that last meal for me was the best of the entire trip.  The chicken was so full of flavor, the pita bread was slightly crispy and had just the right amount of garlic flavor, and the rice was so good. So good.  I did not want the meal or the trip to end.

Don't get to the Santorini airport too early, because it's crowded and you might not even have a place to sit, but don't get there too late...because it's crowded.  On the way in, the arrival side of the airport was deserted, but on the way out departures was a madhouse.  We stepped one foot inside and immediately found ourselves at the end of a line for check in.  Then we were herded through security where we were stuck in an area full of people standing shoulder to shoulder with all of their luggage because there just wasn't any place to go.  I anticipated the sweaty situation so I bought wet wipes while we were in Imerovigli.  There I was in a hot cramped airport bathroom stall with a line of women out the door hurriedly wet wiping down my entire body, but I had to do it.  I hate feeling dirty, and I couldn't get on an airplane like that.  We had a change of clothes stashed in our bags so we felt reasonably not disgusting by the time we made it through the crowded airport, and non air conditioned bus ride to our plane. 

That pool and row of loungers way at the bottom left was our hotel

I'm glad we stayed in the main part of Oia.  It's way in the North, so you are farthest away from everything else, but it was a perfect location.  I wasn't really interested in shopping, but I like to look.  There were plenty of restaurants to choose from and so many winding alley ways to explore.  Sometimes the main drag was pretty crowded, but other days it wasn't.  Our hotel was at the very bottom of the cliff.  Down those 86 stairs, it was quiet and isolated.  Most of the time we felt like we had it all to ourselves.

We encountered the most aggressive picture takers I have ever seen.  I get it.  Santorini is gorgeous, and your presence there must be documented, but I'm guessing the obsession probably has a lot to do with this age of social media. It was not uncommon for us to see two people spend 45 minutes taking pictures of each other.  I'm not exaggerating.  Sometimes it would just be one person doing selfies of themselves for that long.  Hey, I like to get my shots for the gram too.  I have to ask my husband to take pictures of me, but for real?  There were some full on photo shoots going on.  I love taking pictures.  Not just for social media because I've always been a picture taker since Polaroid days, but seeing people carry on that way reminded me that I don't ever want to see myself get that obsessive about it.

We had five glorious days there that I wished could go on forever.  Nostos Apartments was perfection.  I loved coming home to that sweet little cave style apartment every day.  It was worth all those steps.  Santorini is pure magic, and pure beauty.  ATV's whizzing by.  Herds of donkeys tromping through the streets. Beautiful scenery everywhere you turn.  Relaxed vibe.  It has everything.  Being there truly was a dream come true for me and I am so glad that we finally got to experience it together.

 
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Everything is Beautiful in Santorini

I can't tell you how many people myself included say they have always wanted to go to Santorini.  You look at pictures, and you want to go because it is so beautiful and you can't imagine that a place could really be that perfect.  The stark white curved buildings set against royal blue waters inspires wanderlust in most people.  It's just that kind of place, and after having been there, I can tell you that Santorini is even more breathtaking than it appears in photos. 

I had too many pictures I wanted to share to do this in one post.  I will go into detail about what we did in the next post, but this one is basically a love letter to Santorini because I loved it so much.

WHY I LOVE SANTORINI 

Imerovigli

There are no clouds in Santorini.  Just blue, skies that go on forever.  We kept looking, but did not see a single cloud the entire time we were there.  We also couldn't find the moon.  The weather is pretty consistently mid 70's to 80's and warm.  Mid seventies there feels a lot warmer than I expected.  The air is balmy and humid, and the days are long.

The Royal blue ocean that changes to aquamarine as you get closer to shore.  That line where the ocean meets the sky, with mountains in the background, and boats gliding by in the distance is so beautiful.

Fira

The architecture alone is positively stunning.  The bright white buildings, are magnificent against the backdrop of blue skies and equally blue water.  It's clear that the hotel and shop owners take a lot of pride in the appearance of their establishments.  Or maybe it's a rule.  Everything is spotlessly cleaned and well maintained.  I'm not sure exactly what it takes to keep the buildings so white, but they do it.  I mean look at that!! It's insane how they appear to be stacked on top of each other.  It takes a lot of zig zagging and stairs to get through that maze of buildings.

Oia

It feels like living in a postcard.  You can't look anywhere and not see beauty.  There is either blue water, blue skies, or a white building that curves in such a way that you've never seen buildings curve before.  When you look at the water with the catamarans bobbing up and down and cruise ships regally looming in the distance it's beautiful.  Then, you turn around and see all the beautiful buildings nestled into the side of the mountain and it's even more beautiful.

 

The sunsets are dazzling.  The way that bright orange ball just sinks into the ocean ever so slowly was really beautiful to see.  We got to see it from the ocean so we had the best view possible.

The setting itself is tranquil, and oh so good for the soul.  We ate most of our meals overlooking the ocean.  Most of our days were spent overlooking the ocean.  There is so much beauty surrounding you at all times that it just feels good to be there.  I felt happy and at peace.   I'm sure a lot of that happiness and peace has to do with being on vacation, but the tone and relaxing vibe of Santorini only enhanced those good vibes.  You get the sense that fellow vacationers know how lucky they are to be there.   

 

This wonderful sense that you are on the edge of the world.  You may round a corner or approach a set of stairs that seem to lead directly into the ocean.  The very set up of the place is quite unique with shops and hotels overlooking the caldera that seem to be suspended directly over the ocean.

 

Traditional Greek cave style living is such a unique experience.  Nostos Apartments in Oia was hands down perfection, and I get the sense that most of the hotels overlooking the caldera are similarly charming and beautiful.  I was so in love with our little apartment.  The minute those doors opened I was absolutely delighted with the place an oh so happy to be there.  We were 86 steps down embedded in the cliff overlooking the Caldera.  The place was heavenly.  There are only nine units so it doesn't feel like a hotel at all.  It really felt like our own little one bedroom apartment.  I loved the 100 year old door with the 100 year old key to match.   The charming windows, domed ceilings, thick slab concrete walls, and concrete floor gave it that rustic feel, however the bathroom was modern.  There were skylights instead of windows in the bedroom and the bathroom.  The decor was so well done. The kitchen was super tiny, but functional enough if you needed to use it.  We were provided house shoes and robes.  The house shoes were great to have because although the place was well cleaned daily, the concrete floors will leave a slight powder residue on the bottom of your bare feet.   The hotel had one small pool and we had our own personal jacuzzi right outside our front door.

 

The mix of old and new.  I loved it that while we were waiting at the the bus stop a herd of donkeys clomped their way across the street.  This was juxtaposition between the multitude of vans, buses, cars and people on ATV's whizzing by and a herd of donkeys is just one more thing that makes Santorini special.  Yes, you could smell the donkey poo but that's okay.  The donkeys are another thing you hear about and it was so cool to see them crossing the street or being herded down a set of stairs in the cliff side.

Santorini was truly a dream come true!  I've wanted to go there for so long, and it's awesome that the reality of it met my expectations.  The reality exceeded my expectations.  It truly is just as beautiful as you imagine.

What we did in Santorini

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Pit stop in Athens Greece

Hello there.  I'm totally failing as a travel blogger, but in my defense, I've been pretty busy... traveling.  We had five days between coming back from Paris, and leaving for Athens.

Athens, Greece was basically a pit stop on the way to Santorini.  We were going to be down there and Santorini is too expensive to stay for an entire week so we added a few nights in Athens onto our itinerary.

Our first meal in Athens

We didn't make any plans for Athens.  Amid all the trip planning that we were doing we didn't even schedule our transportation from the airport to the hotel.  I figured we could take public transportation, but our flight didn't land until close to midnight.  We would be too exhausted to deal with it so I booked Welcome Pick Ups the day before we left.   It was more expensive because of the late night pick up, but it was nice to get straight to our hotel as quickly as possible.  Our driver was right there with my name on a sign when we came out.  There were actually so many drivers with signs we could barely find him.  From what I gather it's kind of like Uber, but only open to drivers with a professional license or taxi service and they aren't available in a ton of cities.   They get a guaranteed fare and we get a flat fee.  Win win for everyone.  He talked about some of the history of Athens on our way there, answered any questions we had, and offered us each a bottle of water.  We also had the option of buying Acropolis tickets or booking a tour with him.

Acropolis

It was really weird when we got to the hotel.  It was dark, quiet, and empty.  There were two men at reception waiting for us.  One of them walked us to our room, which was nice.  It turns out that they just want to conserve electricity.  'Aint nothin' wrong with that.  You have to leave one of the key cards in the wall or else the power shuts off and we found that to be the case in our Santorini hotel also.  I was kind of nervous as we walked through the dim hallway, but the room was fine.  Small (but not as small as Paris) and basic.  There was no shelving or drawers, but there was a closet. The bathroom was tiny, but modern and clean.  Overall, it was perfect for our needs, because what you are paying for at the Herodian Hotel is location, location, location.  We were steps from the Acropolis, now we just had to figure out how to get our tickets.

I'd checked out the website before we left, but it was confusing, and I had other things to do so I gave up.  It seems like you had to choose a time in advance which I hate having to do because I don't want to commit, and I couldn't figure out which tickets I was supposed to be buying.  There were two sets, and it wasn't clear what that would get me.  Also, it was just the museum.  What about the Acropolis? The next morning I looked again.  It's the thing to do, so we had to get tickets and I didn't want to spend a lot of time waiting in line.  This website explained everything.  The Acropolis alone is €20 so we paid the €30 for a multi ticket for Acropolis, Parthenon, and other archaeological sites.  Neither ticket can be purchased online.  It was good for five days and we could buy it at any location.  We ended up buying it at Hadrian's Library where there was no line, and went straight to lunch because we were starving.  I didn't notice it until after, but the lady who sold me the ticket tore off the Hadrian's Library ticket, so we never actually got to see that one.

We started with the Acropolis first, which is definitely the highlight.  There is a lot to see there, you just have to be careful not to slip on the marble.  It's everywhere throughout that area and very slippery even in tennis shoes. 

After the Acropolis we began making our way to the other sites that were part of our ticket.   Athens is a charming city, and I really liked getting to walk through it as we went from site to site. That night we ate dinner at Point, the rooftop restaurant of our hotel.  It was pretty windy, but the food was good, and the night time view of the acropolis was unbeatable.

On day two we started with the Acropolis Museum.  It isn't covered in our multi ticket, but it was only €5.  There were a few cool structures on the other sites but a lot of them, but after a while your realize that you are basically looking at piles of rocks.  It was so hot with the sun beating down on us that by the end of the day we were sweaty and exhausted.  We finally called it quits with about three sites unseen.  MJ wasn't really that interested in seeing the first Olympic Stadium, but he would have gone.  I was just too hot and tired, so we went back to our hotel room, took showers, and napped.  That night we went to a local non touristy Greek restaurant near our hotel for dinner.  We literally sat in the street, because that's where they found room to set up a small table for us so we could sit outside, and we enjoyed our last night dining among the locals.  One of which was a table full of smoking women.  Ugh.  We hate cigarette smoke, but when in Europe that is to be expected. 

Ancient Agora

Because we got to Athens so late on day 1 and had to get off to our next flight on day 4 we were there for three nights, but really only had 2 days for exploration.  Not ideal, but sometimes that's how it turns out.  I was getting ready to book Welcome Pick Up to the airport, but decided to check the Uber app and it turns out Athens is the only European city my well traveled husband has encountered that has it. Our driver picked us up in a timely manner and we were off to our next destination.

I'm pretty sure there are things we missed out on.  We really didn't do any research for Athens and clearly weren't too concerned since we didn't have that much time there and it was kind of a side trip anyway.  Overall we enjoyed Athens and I'm glad we got to go.  The more I get to see of the world, the merrier.

There was a bit of a snafu with my airline ticket at the airport on the way back.  MJ auto filled my name on the ticket.  Only problem is it was my maiden name!  My passport has my married name of course, so the ticket agent asked me if I had anything with my maiden name that I could show her.  Thank goodness my marriage license is saved in dropbox, and I was able to access it from my phone.  I'm really not sure what we would have done otherwise.  It was imperative not only that I get out of Athens, but that I get to Santorini.

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