Santorini 04/05/12-04/08/12

Oh Santorini. It was quite the roller coaster ride. I took a 9-hour ferry from Athens to get to the island. I went on Blue Star Ferries, and was quite impressed with the ship. It was a big boat and had a few cafes and restaurants. I lucked out and found a seat on a nice, cushioned bench. So most of the ride I napped. It felt so nice to nap lying down on a mode of transportation. I can only sleep so well sitting up! When I got to the port, I was so relieved to have a shuttle provided by my hotel. It is a steep, curving road that would have taken hours to climb up and to the city center, especially with all of my luggage. So if you ever visit Santorini and take a ferry in, definitely go for accommodations that include transportation from the port. That evening I walked around Fira and enjoyed the sunset. It was a bit cloudy, but still nice. I was so excited to see all the colorful and white buildings built up in to the hillside. It was surreal. The majority of those buildings are restaurants or shops. Santorini gets its lifeblood from tourists, which is so evident with how the whole island is equipped for tourists. When I was there it was clear the season was just starting. A few early birds had their shops and restaurants open, but many of the businesses were gearing up. Every path I walked in the cities either smelled like wet paint or had the hum from some power tool. Everywhere people were renovating their shops.

Friday I spent the morning in Fira and took the cable car down to the old port. The water is so clear and such a gorgeous turquoise. But the port was pretty dead, again most shops weren't yet open, so I hopped on a donkey to head back up the hill. It just had to be done... I mean it's Santorini! It was a pretty lengthy ride, and the scenery was very beautiful. A donkey ride is definitely a must-do. In the afternoon I caught a bus to Perissa, a beach town, to check in to my next hotel. Perissa is a beautiful area. The beaches have a fine, black sand that is really a sight to behold. Again it wasn't very busy and many of the businesses were closed. But it was actually nice to have the area be deserted rather than teeming with tourists milling around. And it had a lot of bakeries, which made me oh so happy! One of the bakeries (only a dangerously close walk of 2 minutes from my hotel) had the most disgustingly delicious, sickly sweetest pastries I have tried. It was a croissant sliced in half and smothered with Nutella, and then the whole thing is saturated in honey, which is huge in Greece. Oh my goodness! It was so good. I also enjoyed a lot of baklava from the bakeries and a tasty spanakopita. I spent most of my time in Perissa either laying on the beach or napping in the hotel. It was a very relaxing time.
On Sunday, I rented an ATV and drove around the whole island in the morning. I watched the sun rise at the Red Beach, then I went to the light house. After a brief snack at a bakery, I headed up to Oia, which is the picturesque city of Santorini. It was so beautiful! There were a lot more tourist shops and restaurants with terrace views of the ocean. I didn't spend a whole lot of time in Oia, because there wasn't much to do. So I headed back to Fira and had lunch at Mama's House, a restaurant several people recommended. I tried moussaka, which reminded me a lot of shepherd's pie. It was good, but I think I liked the house wine and butter spread and bread even more! I have to say, Greece does food so well. I think it was one of my favorite places to eat. The gyros, the bread, the traditional dishes, and baklava! Greece does food right. I finished the afternoon by cruising near Perissa beach and checking out ancient Thira, which was basically just remnants of old walls.
Then I got a ride from my hotel down to the port to catch my 17:55 ferry to Crete. Or so I thought. The whole day had been crazy windy. Clouds were zipping through the air, and a few times I felt like I was going to blow over. The wind was so bad that it made huge waves in the water, creating too dangerous of an environment for my ferry to dock or sail in. Ok, so when is the next ferry to Crete available? Oh, not until Tuesday. Well great, because my flight from Crete to Milan left Monday night, so there was really no way to make it. Thank God that there was a 17:00 ferry from Santorini to Piraeus available. And I'm so happy I chose the best place possible to stay at in Santorini, because the manager there, Rich, was incredibly helpful! He figured that my ship would likely be canceled, so he gave me his number to call him if I needed a ride back to the hostel. I was going to stay another night in Santorini, but then decided my best option was to go to Athens. I talked it over with Rich and he gave me some websites to check out. So I hopped on the ferry to Athens, and we sailed through the rough seas for six long hours. Several people got sick, and a few times I was convinced another big wave would come in and flip the boat in its side. But we made it through! I was so happy that I had already stayed in Athens, because I knew where I could get a bed (mind you it was 11 p.m. by the time we arrived). When I got to the hostel I got on to the Internet to try to figure out my game plan for making it to Italy. I was so grateful when I checked my email and saw that Rich had already done the research for me. He showed me a few options for taking ferries to Italy, but none would have made it in time. So I ended up taking a morning flight from Athens to Milan. I only got about two hours of sleep that night, but I figured it would be best to just get to Italy as soon as possible, because I fly from Italy back to the U.S. I was able to get on the flight and made it to Milan. Then I hopped on two different trains to get to Venice. Everything worked out really well. I spent more money than I wanted to, and it was not how i planned it, but it all turned out to be fine. I think this whole experience has shown me that God is always there for me and has bigger (better) plans in mind. So I need to just stop worrying, and start enjoying the wonderful experiences He has blessed me with. I am so happy to be traveling and so happy to see as much of the world as I can. Overall I enjoyed Greece. The food was exceptional, the people were kind and the island was gorgeous. But will I be back anytime soon? Probably not.

Athens 04/04/12

I didn't have a whole lot of time in Athens. But I saw what I wanted to see, so it worked out well. I arrived around 8:30 a.m. local time (1 hour ahead of Albania) and was happy to be able to check in to my hostel right away. I dropped my things off, showered (I needed it after that 14 hour bus ride!) and ventured out. My first stop was an outdoor market a street over and two streets up from my hostel, Athens International Youth Hostel- Victor Hugo. Can I just say, I absolutely love markets! The food is so fresh and so cheap. I should have just been shopping at them the whole time I've been traveling. It's a cheaper, healthier way to eat than constantly dining at restaurants (although I do enjoy a nice sit-down meal as well). I bought eggs, bell peppers, zucchini, onion and mushrooms to make a fabulous omelet, as well as strawberries and bananas. After taking the food back to my room, I ventured back out to the Acropolis. I went to the Acropolis Museum first, which was a good idea, because I was able to see what the area looked like before it was ruins. Then I headed up to the Acropolis. I was able to see it as it stands now and visualize what it might have looked like in ancient times. The Parthenon was so excellent, and the hill was a great vantage point for terrific views of the city. After a short break at a cafe for a snack and drink, I headed to the Olympic grounds. The area had a neglected feel, and wasn't all that impressive. But a huge tunnel of arching metal was quite nice. After that I headed back to the hostel to relax. I was so exhausted from the epic bus journey! After crafting my delicious, fresh omelet, I headed back to the Acropolis to check it out at night. It was nothing special, but still glad I saw it. On the way back to my hostel, I picked up some baklava. Wow! It was delicious.

Tirana 04/03/12

Tirana was just a stop over on my way to Athens, but it was nice to explore it for a few hours. Any longer would have been too much time for me, but I'm still happy I got a taste of Albania. Things there were so cheap! I only exchanged 5 euro, but was able to buy a lot and save some currency as a souvenir. Also, I tried a doner kebab there, and it was really good. I also had baklava, but that wasn't so great. It was a really long day of traveling on buses. I woke up at 4:45 a.m. to catch a 6 a.m. bus to Shkodra (duration: 2 1/2 hours) then another one to Tirana (duration: 2 hours) and then I had to wait about 7 hours to catch my 5:30 p.m. bus to Athens. The last bus took 14 hours. So it was a very exhausting day of traveling, but I got my passport stamped three times! Twice for entering and leaving Albania and once for entering Greece. So that made it worthwhile. It's ironic, because I figured I would only get my passport stamped from doing flights and not from traveling by bus. But it's turned out to be quite the opposite with the exception of flying in to Zadar, Croatia. But back to Tirana. Overall I'm happy I saw it, but not a place that has to be visited.

Ulcinj 04/02/12

I didn't even get to see Ulcinj, Montenegro during the day, but I still loved it. Perhaps because I only saw it at night it gave the city a more magical feeling. My room was in an apartment in the Old Town, which is on a hill right next to the beach. I was in a room right on the edge of the hill and had a stunning view from my window and private terrace. The ocean stretched out to the horizon, and lights from buildings across the bay twinkled in the night. The moon was nearly full, so it cast everything in a romantic glow. It was one of the most breath-taking things I have seen. My favorite part of my room was that it was on the roof was right outside the window. I have always wanted a room set up like that so I could clamber out of my window and sit on my roof any time I felt like it. But it was worth waiting for this rooftop, because it was a ridiculous view. A cool breeze caressed my face while I sat on the roof absorbing the gorgeous view. It was such a serene moment. And the bet part is that it only cost 10 Euro, because everything in Ulcinj is so cheap! I didn't have much time in the city, so i just walked around the Old Town and in the newer part nearby. The city was filled with Internet shops (and patrons) and men getting late-night hair cuts. I also hung out on the beach for a little while. The sand was so fine. It was like real sand again; not pebbles! Also, I got my passport stamped when entering Montenegro. I love collecting stamps and wish every country I have seen would have stamped it!

Dubrovnik 04/01/12

Well the day started out with gale force winds and blown about debris lodging into my eyes, but I still very much enjoyed my time in Dubrovnik. I started the day off by walking around the city walls in the Old Town. Happily I got a student discount and paid less than half of the adult fair! It was a very beautiful walk around the city walls. On one side the ocean stretched out to the horizon, and within the walls the city streets and buildings dotted the area. Walking the walls is definitely a must do, and a great way to start out seeing the old city, because you get to view it all at once. After the walls I strolled around within the city. I saw a good majority of the area, but it soon began to rain. The polished streets became very slick, especially because I was wearing my Toms. So I decided to head back to my room at the Villa Micika and wait out the rain and wind. Eventually I ventured back out, this time to the beach. It was another pebble beach, but they were pretty large pebbles. The beach was nice, and I was able to enjoy another beautiful sunset. And even though the weather wasn't ideal, Dubrovnik was such a lovely city and definitely worth a visit.

Zadar 03/30/12-03/31/12

 

I didn't really know what to expect from Zadar, but I really loved it. It was such a beautiful, relaxing place. The old town was definitely seeable in a day, which was perfect, because that was all the time I had. But I would have loved to have stayed in the area longer, because Zadar is very close to several gorgeous national parks. But the city itself was nice. The old town is a small area, but it is filled with so many treasures. There were several churches and interesting buildings. And a lot of random ruins. It was so great, because the ruins were in huge plazas where people just sat and relaxed. I also stumbled across an In & Out and met a girl, Carmen, from Sacramento. My California roots followed me all the way to Croatia! I had a burger at In & Out, and obviously it wasn't the real deal (I mean it's a & not an N' after all). But it was still very tasty. The bun was so good! Carmen and I also shared a good meal at a restaurant called Konoba Stomorica. An accordion player and guitar player serenaded us with song as we dined in the nautical-themed restaurant. We decided to share our meals, so we had veal with gnocchi and squid ink risotto. Both dishes were very tasty. We also enjoyed two desserts and the local brew. It was a nice meal, and I really enjoyed having someone to spend the evening with. It's been great setting my own pace and going everywhere I want to go, but traveling alone does get lonely from time to time. But I probably wouldn't have met so many people, so it's not too bad! My favorite part of my time in Zadar was most certainly watching the sunset at the salutation to the sun and sea organ. The salutation to the sun was a huge circle of lights that lit up right as the sun set. There were also other smaller circles that did the same. All were dedicated to astronomical aspects, such as the planets. It was so gorgeous to see the pink and orange of the sky paired with the shifting of colors all over the visible spectrum in the circle. It was located at the corner of the huge concrete pier/beach. Sadly, the sandy beach of the city was destroyed by bombs during WWII. But the people of the city changed the tragedy into something beautiful. They built a giant sea organ. As the waves (more like wakes from boats, because it is in a bay) hit the sea organ and push air through it, different notes are created. The melody is always changing with the ocean and is just such a cool thing! Overall, it was probably the most beautiful sunset I have ever experienced.