Santorini is a Dream

June 2, 2015January 13, 201611 Comments

Friends, as I may have mentioned before in my Packing List post, Greece has been at the top of my list for quite some time. Santorini in particular had caught my imagination and my eye since it seems to be one of the most photographed travel destinations anywhere. Even though I’d done my planning and preparation for the trip, nothing could make me anticipate just how much beauty this Greek island possesses. I found it to be true in Santorini that even though it’s been hyped up it exceeds expectations and is so worthwhile to visit. I only wish we’d had more time to explore the island but isn’t that usually the case?

Oia

Oia (pronounced e-ah) is the perfect little village you see depicted in the postcard picture views of Santorini. While nearby Fira also has caldera views, Oia is built on a slant down to the caldera and has the famed whitewashed buildings and blue domed churches. It’s perfect for wandering around and taking a ton of photos because everywhere you turn there’s beauty. As you walk along the caldera in the direction of the windmill, there’s a crowded lookout perfect for taking in stunning views. If you want a space here at sunset, make sure you show up early.

Speaking of sunset, I’d read how it’s an event in Santorini, but nothing prepared me for the actual experience. First of all, we didn’t stakeout a viewing area very early since we were enjoying a leisurely dinner, so we checked out two different places. I didn’t love the first spot we went to, and it was madness getting through the throngs of people both coming and going. On top of that, we heard two heated arguments about photography and the sunset which made me glad that even though we did plan on seeing the sunset we didn’t have all these high expectations. I was happy with the second spot we ended up at for the sunset. After the sun dipped into the Aegean Sea, there were cheers from the crowds of people watching.

My Trip Details

Accommodation: Pelogos Hotel near Oia
Transportation: We flew to and from Santorini, but many people take ferries, and it’s a common stop if you’re on a cruise. On the island, we took taxis and buses. If we’d stayed for longer, it would’ve been nice to rent a car or ATV to explore more of the island.
Snack Break: Lolita’s for gelato
Dinner Recommendation: Karma and order the Soutzoukakia (Greek meatballs)
When to Go: High season is July-August so if you want to avoid crowds and high prices then go during shoulder season in April-June or September-October. We found May to be a perfect time to visit because of the weather. Plus, we were glad there weren’t even more tourists.

Quote of the Week

June 1, 2015Leave a comment

“Live, travel, adventure, bless, and don’t be sorry.”
― Jack Kerouac

Perfect Shopping Outing in Athens

May 28, 2015January 23, 20163 Comments

I had an absolutely stunning stay in Greece! It’s such a beautiful place, and we had a fun time exploring a country that’s been on the top of my travel list for quite some time. I highly recommend a trip to see a couple of Greek Islands as well to explore the ancient sites of Athens and surrounding areas.

One of our favorite outings in Athens was a joint shopping and dining adventure. Before the trip, we’d read multiple places about visiting the Melissinos “The Poet Sandal-maker of Athens” shop for handmade, leather sandals. The store is located near Monastiraki, not that far from the Ancient Agora site we visited earlier in the day. The Poet’s grandfather opened the shop in the 1920s to make sandals for the working and upper class, including for theater productions, and later his son, the Poet’s father, sold them to tourists in the 1950s. The sandals became extremely popular when celebrities, including Sophia Loren, Jackie O., and John Lennon bought them. Even today celebrities still buy the sandals and signed photos of various ones are displayed in the stop!

It’s a unique experience visiting the shop and trying on sandals that are then fitted exactly to your foot. I also was commissioned by Meagan to bring her a pair back, and thankfully, she chose a lace-up sandal, the Sophia Loren, which was perfect since the laces can be used to fit them. I tried on several before I decided on the gladiator style Cleopatra for around $45. My sister and niece bought the John Lennon and Maria Callas (I just love the fun names!) sandals. Make sure you allow for plenty of time to try on and get the sandals fitted.

Special instructions that went along with the sandals included putting clear nail polish over the nail heads so that when you sweat it doesn’t bleed on you and using olive oil to turn the sandals are darker color. While at the shop for an hour, my husband enjoyed browsing on his phone and petting the dog in the shop. He did a little TripAdvisor research for lunch and found us an amazing deli (though not your typical American deli) for lunch, which ended up being one of our best meals of the trip. More on that dining outing another time! Are you drooling over our sandals yet?

How to: Plan your Travel Transportation

May 27, 2015January 18, 2016Leave a comment

Let Me Tell You About Rome2rio

Day-dreaming about future adventures has become a full-fledged hobby of mine. I could spend hours looking at travel photos, reading about adventures, and trying to determine which destinations are in my Top 5. There are too many!

While recently planning my family’s upcoming trip to Paris, Avignon, and Beaune, I came across this brilliant website that makes travel-planning a cinch! Trust me. You NEED this resource!

Rome2rio is an amazing one-stop website that shows you all of the possible ways to get from Point A to Point B, and it includes times and rates. Having trouble deciding if you should rent a car, take the train, or brave the local buses? Rome2rio provides all the details so you can decide which route will be the cheapest, the quickest, or the easiest!

Here’s a screenshot of the Rome2Rio Tool.

See that sidebar on the left? Just click through your transportation options to compare costs and times, then select your favorite to book your tickets! Once you have your logistics handled, you can focus on what really matters: daydreaming about your destination!

: Notre Dame

: Louvre

: Sacre Couer

: Eiffel Tower

: Winged Victory

Yes, it’s constant daydreaming about Paris over here now that we have the logistics out of the way. I’ve also been doing a little day-dreaming about how my husband and I can combine a few stops in Spain with some special locations in Morocco for an anniversary trip. While we are still trying to figure out what is feasible, we can check Rome2rio to see when it’s worth it to fly between cities and when an overnight train from Fes to Marrakech will allow us to save on hotel costs. Have you been to Morocco? Do you have any advice for me?

: The Souks

: Tangier

: Jardin Majorelle

: Babouche Slippers

: Aït Benhaddou

It’s hard enough to decide where to go next. Let this website do the transportation planning for you!

[Friends, this is not a sponsored post. We’ve been using Rome2rio in our personal vacation planning, and we love it! We think you will, too!
Morocco Photos courtesy of Apartment Therapy and AFAR Magazine. ]

Quote of the Week

May 26, 2015Leave a comment

“Will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?”
-Walt Whitman

Why You Should Go to Ghent, Belgium

May 26, 2015January 16, 2016Leave a comment

Before planning a trip to Belgium and Amsterdam, I didn’t know much about Ghent (or Gent in Dutch), but it quickly stole my heart. It’s located close to Bruges and has a similar medieval, romantic feel but is smaller and sees less tourists. Here are a few reasons why I loved my time in this hidden gem of Europe and why you should go to Ghent, Belgium!

What to See & Do

My first outing was to the 12th century Gravensteen Castle with amazing views of the city below. It was a cotton mill in the 19th century and thankfully was restored instead of destroyed for the 1913 World Exhibition. There’s a torture museum there that contains a guillotine! It closes at 6pm every day during the summer, and going later in the day meant that I mostly had the place to myself.

St. Baafs Cathedral is famous because of van Eyck’s 1432 Adoration of the Lamb. According to Charney’s “The Ghent Altarpiece: The Truth About the Most Stolen Artwork of All Time” article, “it’s almost been destroyed in a fire, was nearly burned by rioting Calvinists, it’s been forged, pillaged, dismembered, censored, stolen by Napoleon, hunted in the first world war, sold by a renegade cleric, then stolen repeatedly during the second world war, before being rescued by The Monuments Men, miners and a team of commando double-agents.” The piece is impressive and is an amazing oil painting containing Christian imagery. Additionally, in 1934, the Just Judges panel went missing or was stolen, and is quite the mystery since it’s never been found and is still being looked for even today!

I also took a wonderful canal cruise and would recommend doing so if the weather’s nice. The boats leave from the Grasbrug or Vleeshuisbrug bridge depending on which company you choose to ride with.

Night Walk

One of my favorite things I did in Ghent was simply go for a walk at night with a friend I made at the hostel. It’s a beautiful city during the day but there’s something magical about seeing the buildings all lit up, especially with reflections on the water. The Belfry was one of the illuminated buildings that was especially beautiful. I love wandering a bit and discovering parts of a destination you wouldn’t have otherwise seen.

A few treats

If you’ve been to Belgium, you know that their fries are a delicious snack (or meal, in my case sometimes), and it’s easy to find stands all around town. I particularly like the garlic sauce because it reminds me a bit of aioli and patatas bravas from Spain. But the best treat I had in Ghent was an amazing Brussels waffle and delicious cappuccino at the great coffee house Mokabon on Donkersteeg near Sint-Niklaas Church.

Where to STay & Map to use!

Since this was a solo trip for me, I opted to stay in a hostel and booked Hostel Uppelink ahead of time based on excellent reviews on TripAdvisor. It was definitely the best hostel I stayed in during the trip! It was in a prime location in Ghent right next to the main canal and bridge and was in one of the city’s oldest buildings. Also the staff were super helpful and the place was spotless. Plus, you can’t beat the view of the three main church towers and water out the window!

I picked up a Ghent Free Map for Young Travellers made by locals through USE-IT, and besides helping me get around, it also had great recommendations for what to see, do and eat. I also used the maps for my day trip to Bruges and stay in Brussels, and I liked them so much that I kept them to take home! The USE-IT site lists all the cities that they have maps for, including Barcelona, Budapest, Düsseldorf, and Prague.

Lastly, I’ll mention that I did a day trip to Bruges from Ghent, and the reverse could easily be done. I hope this post makes you consider adding Ghent to your Belgium itinerary if you can!

Let us know in the comments if this makes you want to go to Ghent or if you’ve been and have additional recommendations.

Secret Rome – Why You Can’t Miss This Secluded Spot

May 21, 2015January 18, 2016Leave a comment

Rome is a top tourist destination in Europe, and it’s one of our favorite cities! It’s hard to imagine that there could be any hidden spots in a city so full of tourists, but I have a favorite place to share with you today – a little secret Rome you probably haven’t heard about. My fellow A Friend Afar blogger, Stephanie, told me about it when I honeymooned in Italy, and she had heard about it from a friend, too. It’s the perfect little secret spot where you can escape from the crowds and get the best view of the city! I hesitate to even show you a photo of what you should expect to see there, but if not, how can I convince you to visit??

A Secret Spot in Rome

The Keyhole at the Knights of Malta

Just a short walk from the Circus Maximus is the Villa del Priorato di Malta, where the ambassadors of the Knights of Malta to Italy and the Holy See are located. You can read more about them here, but I bet you didn’t know there was more than one sovereign territory in Rome!

To get there, make your way up the hill through the rose garden, the Roseto di Roma Capitale, which lies just to the west of the Circus Maximus. You’ll be heading toward the Santa Sabina church with a gorgeous courtyard overlooking the city. Local romantics and families were enjoying their picnics when we walked by in the evening. It’s a great spot to take in the architecture of the city, and I highly recommend it just before sunset!

Mosaics mark the path through the rose garden. So very Roman!

Just past the courtyard and on your right, you’ll find a large green, arched door with a large keyhole right in the middle of the handle. It’s on an ornate building with crosses and shields carved into the facade. There’s an inconspicuous address plate with the number 3 right next to the door, but other than that, there are no indicators to help it stand out. Here it is on the map.

This is the gate for the Knights of Malta! You’ve found it! The most enchanting view in all of Rome is just beyond that door! Take a peek through the keyhole, and you’ll be rewarded with the view below.

On the night we visited, there was a beautiful event, possibly a wedding, going on at sunset. The view of St. Peter’s, along with the candlelit walkway, took my breath away.

What to Pack for a Week in Greece

May 20, 2015January 13, 20162 Comments

Check out my packing list below from the week I spent on my European vacation visiting Santorini, Hydra, and Athens! Greece had been at the top of my bucket list for a while so I was so excited to finally make it to a place I’d been dreaming about for quite a while.

Packing light is so freeing and makes travel so much easier. I packed all of this (and more) into a small carry-on, and still had room to bring back some great souvenirs!

Here’s what I packed for a week in Greece!

If you’re spending the majority of your time on the islands, you’ll want to bring light and airy clothing. I packed a lightweight scarf for breezy nights on the water, as well. You’ll want skirts, shorts or cropped pants for when your walks take you down to the shore. Hydra doesn’t have any cars, so you’ll need to bring comfy walking shoes and sandals. Also Athens cobblestone are particularly slippery so bring shoes with traction. One last thing: don’t forget your swim suit! This is THE place to wear it!

Greece Packing List

2 pairs of pants – I packed my go-to cropped denim and some adorable, breezy printed pants. It’s still a little cool in the evenings, especially on the water, so these are perfect for sunset strolls. [The printed pair are from Old Navy this season, but I can’t find them online. Here’s a similar pair.]
3 tees – I packed olive green, white, and heather grey. I didn’t want my entire suitcase to be blue, and green is my favorite color!
1 black tank – It’s always classic and easy, and I can dress it up with my jeans and some fancy jewelry.
2 dresses – I packed the blue and white striped dress that you see here, and another blue one that can be worn as a beach cover-up, a dress, or a skirt. So many options! Besides, who doesn’t want to wear blue and white while exploring Santorini? It’s the perfect dress! [Similar: J.Crew, J.Crew Factory, and Gap] You may recognize it from Meagan’s Florence post- I borrowed it from her.
3 pairs of shoes – I brought my cute Keds, which I’ll wear at the airport and for walking, some brown sandals, and some black sandals. I bought some sandals there, of course, and leaving my older ones behind.
1 swim suit – Are you seeing a theme with my colors? I couldn’t help but to pack items that fit the Mediterranean color scheme!
A Baggu backpack – My trusted Baggu backpack joined me in Cuba, and it was the perfect day bag in Greece as well. Those blue and white stripes – so perfect!
1 floppy beach hat – in navy, of course!
My camera and camera case – Check out my camera strap here. It’s the perfect accessory for any adventurer.

My most important packing tip:
Be sure that every piece you take can be worn multiple times or with multiple other items. You’ll have so many more outfit options! Even the bold, printed pants in the picture above can be worn with 3 of the shirts that I packed.

A Travel Themed Wedding

May 19, 2015February 3, 2016Leave a comment

Since wedding season is upon us, I thought I’d do a short post about my own wedding. When my husband and I got married, we tried to incorporate unique details that personalized our wedding and was very “us.” We didn’t set out to have a travel themed wedding at first, but much of our decor focused on our mutual love of travel and made it easier to have a common thread.

HopSkipJumpPaper print- Travel Themed Wedding- www.afriendafar.com #afriendafar #travel #wedding

I love you from here to Ghana print

Ghanaian Hankies

Travel Sign

Our save the dates were postcards which we reused as wedding decor. We took the photo while he was visiting me in Ghana! Thanks to the help of some fabulous friends and family, we had handmade programs made from maps. Meagan let me borrow some of her National Geographic magazines to use as table decorations. I also borrowed my sister’s impressive floaty pen collection displayed in mason jars. She has been adding to her unique connection since we were growing up, and I feel invested in them since I’ve bought her plenty of them from my travels.

Globe Guestbook

Map Backdrops

Floaty Pen- Travel Themed Wedding- www.afriendafar.com #afriendafar #travel #wedding

Floaty Pens

We used maps again as a backdrop for some photos displayed of us. My aunt found an antique globe for us to use as a guestbook. My brother-in-law made us a wooden arrow sign pointing in all the directions of different places we’d been together. Handkerchiefs made in Ghana served as a gift for our guests to use during the ceremony and to take home as a favor. We used vintage luggage as decor and to hold our custom print made by Etsy shop HopSkipJumpPaper that reads “I love you from here to Ghana” with the names of places that are special to us also printed on it. There’s also a wedding guestbook alternative poster that’s also customizable with the idea that guests sign the mat, and then it’s a keepsake for you. Happy wedding planning and attending!