Tag: Travel

Travel Diary: Mykonos, Greece

After exploring Athens our Greek adventure took us to the beautiful island of Mykonos. We chose to travel by ferry and loved the experience. It gave us time to regroup, appreciate the journey, and stare out the window as we passed by the other islands dotting the Mediterranean Sea. As we pulled into the Mykonos port tears filled my eyes. I couldn’t believe we were living out a dream I held in my heart for so long. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

Once we arrived to our hotel we were greeted with an unexpected suite upgrade. Our room was carved into the landscape which gave the space a luxurious cave-like ambiance and had a balcony that opened up to a sweeping seaside view. If we weren’t drawn to walking into town to check out the quaint alleyways, we could have easily spent the day poolside soaking in the views.

During our first trip into Old Mykonos we checked off a lot of the general sight seeing spots; the windmills, Little Venice, and the Paraportiani Orthodox Church. It felt surreal to watch the sun set over this beautiful backdrop. Ian and I kept looking at each other, stunned that we were experiencing this island together.

The remainder of our time in Mykonos was spent getting lost in the maze of alleyways that make up Old Mykonos. We came across quaint neighborhoods with laundry on the line, cats roaming the streets, and the famous blue doors. As we wandered the streets, we stumbled upon a little bakery that sold the best baklava I’ve ever eaten. I was tempted to buy out their entire supply, but Ian made me refrain. I know I will live out the rest of my days dreaming of that baklava!

Before we knew it, our time in Mykonos came to an end. It was a bittersweet moment since as much as we didn’t want to leave, we knew we were off to our next destination – Santorini!

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Travel Diary: Athens, Greece

I took a step back from blogging the past few weeks, but it was for a good reason – Ian and I were off exploring Greece! I had been dreaming about traveling to Greece for years now and it felt surreal to make it a reality. Our adventure began in Athens and we were awestruck by the ancient history that is around every corner. From standing in the middle of the Acropolis to simple walking the city streets, you are bound to stumble across an ancient ruin.

We kicked off our Athens leg of the trip strolling around the alleyways near our hotel. To our surprise, most of the city is covered in graffiti. Locals say they barely recognize the graffiti anymore, but as a tourist it was very prominent. However, all of the vine covered alleyways that were home to restaurants and shops added a bit of charm to the street art.

The following day we woke up bright and early to beat the crowds at the Acroplois. We arrived right as the sight opened and were able to stroll around the grounds without feeling claustrophobic. It was a true “pinch me” moment to stand in front of the Parthenon after seeing it printed across the pages of numerous textbooks. Ian and I set aside the majority of our morning to soak in the sights and revel in the history that took place beneath our feet.

As the crowds started to flood the Acroplois, we headed off to burrow our way through the narrow streets that lead to the Anafiotika neighborhood. This area of Athens is nestled beneath the Acropolis and has been coined a little Greek island within the city. Some of the alleyways were so narrow we had to shuffle through them sideways, but this all added to the charm of this little city oasis.

We spent the remainder of our time in Athens shopping for souvenirs in the Plaka district, resting our feet in the National Gardens, and trying street food. We were tempted to pick an orange off the millions of orange trees that line the streets, but we refrained in case it was frowned upon. We didn’t want to jeopardize the next leg of our journey which would bring up to the island of Mykonos. Stay tuned for additional travel posts!

Paris, je t’aime

Visiting Paris

If you are traveling and are not flexible with dates (for let’s say, a wedding) booking last minute flights gets tricky. Luckily, Ian is travel savvy and noticed our flights would be significantly cheaper if we flew back to the US out of Paris. Ian and I both have been to Paris multiple times, but we had never experienced the city together. So I jumped at the chance to end our whirlwind adventure in the city of love.

Over the years Ian and I had checked off the major tourist sights, but Versailles was still on his list. Gardens being one of my major weaknesses, it didn’t take much to persuade me to make another trip out to the château. Due to the late arrival of our flight, we didn’t make it out to Versailles until noon and were thrusted into a mob of tourists flocking the entrance gates. After the chaos of getting into the grounds we were able to take a breath and enjoy our surroundings. My favorite spots have been and will always be the hall of mirrors and the queen’s hamlet.

Visiting Paris

Visiting Paris

Visiting Paris

The following day we chose to keep it low-key. We started the day walking down the cobbled streets to grab a crêpe and enjoy a view of the Eiffel Tower. Even though it was early, the city was bustling with people. We were able to find a quiet bench near the Seine and took a moment to soak in our surroundings. I could have sat there all day looking at the view, but we wanted to make the most of our last day!

Visiting Paris

Visiting Paris

Visiting Paris

A quick metro ride later, we were strolling down the charming streets of Île Saint-Louis. We were told we had to try the ice cream at Berthillon Glacier and everyone was right! It was some of the best ice cream we had ever had!

Visiting Paris

Visiting Paris

Once we finished our ice cream we walked to the Jardin du Luxembourg to relax and listen to an orchestra preformance. Time slipped away from us as we sat under the trees in the garden and all of a sudden evening approached. We took the metro back to our hotel to freshen up before heading out to a cafe to eat dinner and watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle at dusk.

Visiting Paris

Visiting Paris

Paris has always held a special place in my heart and I was over the moon that I got to experience it with Ian. During my previous trips, I would daydream about returning with my future husband. Therefore, to be able to walk down the street hand in hand with Ian filled me with butterflies. Sometimes dreams really do come true.