Back where we started: Athens, Greece, Part II

The final stop in our Greece adventure brought us back to Athens. Our flight from Santorini was short and we immediately headed to our hotel to check in. Dinner was at a local Italian restaurant for some pizza and afterwards, we just put the girls down to bed. Summertime in Athens can be very hot, so we were preparing ourselves for lots of sun and heat during our excursion into the city.

The next morning started off by walking through the Plaka, the oldest and historic heart of Athens. Here we found several pedestrianized streets, complete with shops, restaurants and picturesque ruins from the city's Roman era. After browsing through a few shops, we headed back up the hill, to enter the Acropolis.





Although inside the Acropolis was crowded with tourists, it was really amazing to see! Within the Acropolis, we saw such sights as the Theatre of Herodes Atticus, Temple of Athena Nike, Erechtheum and Parthenon (which is undergoing restoration).





In addition, the Acropolis offered us a panoramic view of Athens. We made sure to take plenty of pictures.



After exiting, we stopped for some frozen strawberry drinks to help us cool down from the hot Greek sun.



Next stop was the new Acropolis Museum. This amazing attraction, which had just opened in June, sits at the base of the Acropolis with a direct view of the Parthenon.



It was built directly over an archaeological excavation site and features glass floors that allow you to see the wonders underneath!



The site underneath was discovered in 2002 and was an early Christian settlement dating back to sometime between the 7th to 12th centuries. It was a fascinating museum which houses all of the amazing artifacts found at the Acropolis.



DS was amazed that some of the plates and bowls looked so "new"... how could they be that old?! But, the best part for the girls was looking beneath the glass floors.



After our visit to the museum, we walked over to the Hard Rock Cafe in Athens for a late lunch. Feeling rejuvenated, we proceeded to Hadrian's Arch and the Temple of Zeus, which were both just a short walk away! As you can imagine, Ray was just thrilled to do some more historic sightseeing!!! : )



Soon enough, it was back to the hotel to collect our baggage - but not before a stop to the Executive lounge to load up on some drinks and appetizers. Our stay in Athens was a perfect end to our whirlwind adventure in Greece.



By the time we flew back into Brussels and arrived home it was very late, close to midnight. And suddenly, it was back to business as usual. Ray had a plane to catch for the UK in 6 hours and the girls and I were scheduled to meet some friends at Tervuren Lake the next afternoon.

Which, by the way, resulted in us getting totally drenched from an unexpected downpour of rain while riding bikes at the lake. Welcome back to Belgium!!!

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Aaaaaaaah... Santorini!!

One of the largest volcanic eruptions on this planet occurred in the South Aegean sea, over 3,600 years ago. It wiped out an entire island, leaving in its place an underwater caldera. Lucky for us, it also formed what is now known as Santorini, an island group that is unquestionably one of the most beautiful places on Earth...

And because Santorini has been on my travel "to-do" list, it was a no-brainer to decide to get off our cruise ship and spend a few extra days on this beautiful island.



After finding our driver, it took us almost an hour to reach our destination, Oia, from the cruise port. We stayed in the heart of the village at Old Oia Houses. What a great find!!!



Our house was super-charming, spacious (2 BR, a dining area and a separate reading room) and in a superb location. And oh-my-gosh: THE VIEW!! When we stepped out onto our balcony, we were taken aback by the stunning view of the caldera and surrounding areas. It was truly breath-taking and as you would expect, we spent A LOT of time on that balcony!!!



At 8:00 that evening, we headed out to watch the famed Oia sunset that we have read and heard so much about. Many say it is the most beautiful sunset in the world. There was no mistaking of where to go - just follow the crowd!!!



As we started walking, we realized what a special place Santorini is. The endless array of white, blue and pastel cycladic architecture, winding along narrow streets perfectly framed the spectacular view from everywhere you looked. It was amazing!

All of the streets were lined with quaint shops, art galleries, markets, restaurants and taverna's. There were also lots of steps, many of them steep and not for the faint of heart -- after all, Oia is built on a cliff-side! However, this just adds to the charm of this lovely place.

We found a spot to watch the sun go down, and yes, it was beautiful! A little crowded, but nonetheless, absolutely gorgeous.



Afterwards, we headed back towards the direction of our house and stopped for dinner at Lotsa Restaurant, whose owners, Gil and Visilis, also own the place we were staying at. As we awaited our dinner, we sat in the outdoor courtyard overlooking the Caldera.

The following day, we walked down 291 (steep) steps to Armeni Harbour, where we found ourselves in a secluded oceanfront area (no doubt, due to the 291 steps!). Here, the girls enjoyed playing in the water before we had lunch at the one and only taverna in Armeni.



We enjoyed a delicious lunch featuring local specialties -- deep fried tomatoes, aubergines (eggplant), a wonderfully seasoned pork chop and souvlaki, a perfectly grilled skewer of meat and vegetables.



In addition, the owner brought out a shot of Raki, which is the local "hard stuff", made from what's left over after pressing grapes for wine-making. Although we were not particularly fond of it, it was another opportunity to try something new.

We really enjoyed having the taverna almost completely to ourselves. That, and the quiet charm of the locals made us feel welcomed. Our host even cranked up some Greek music in hopes that PS would continue her dancing in the taverna!



Returning to the village gave us the perfect opportunity to ride the famous Santorini donkeys. Used mainly to carry loads up and down the steep hills, they were a sight for our sore eyes, especially when you are facing 291 steep steps in 90F temperature with two tired little girls!



PS and I rode together on the front donkey, while DS and Ray rode together behind us. While PS and I were "woo-hooing" all the way up, as we looked down those steep cliffs, those donkey riders in back sure were awfully quiet!!! :)



PS was quite tired by the time we got back to the top, so we headed back to the house for her nap, while the rest of us hung out for some R&R (reading and relaxing) on the balcony.

On the way to dinner, we decided to check out more of the village and were treated to another beautiful sunset!!! I can see how the locals never tire of watching it!!!



After dinner at a nearby restaurant, we put the girls to bed while Ray and I spent a quiet evening on the balcony...

The next morning while Ray and DS slept in, PS and I took an early morning walk through the village. This is the best time to explore: before it got too warm and crowded. We walked to the old castle and explored parts of the village that we hadn't seen yet.



Later, we headed back to join Ray and DS for breakfast on the balcony. Love that view!



We stopped and had a wonderful lunch at Restaurant Skala before sightseeing through more of the village.



Following lunch, we stopped for yogurt and honey-- the local Santorini treat recommended by Rick Steves. This plain yogurt has the consistency of a Penguins frozen yogurt, drizzled with lots of honey on top - quite yummy!



Soon enough, it was time to leave beautiful Santorini and head for Athens. But, not before a little excitement at the airport.

Due to some miscommunication with the airlines regarding departure time, we arrived at Santorini airport to find that our plane was already loaded and ready to taxi off. After Ray exchanged a few animated words with the airline agents, we were rushed through security, whisked off in a private car to the tarmac and escorted to where our plane was idling, waiting for takeoff!



Stressful, but at least we were off with no waiting. Now it was onwards to Athens, and the final leg of our Greek holiday...!!!

A visit to Crete and our last day onboard...

Today's Greek word of the day: Kah-lee Spe-ra, which means "Good Evening".



The M/S Cristal arrived early in the morning at the island of Crete. Located southeast of the Greek mainland, it is the 5th largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.



Just the day before, Crete had suffered a 6.7 magnitude earthquake that shook the island. Luckily, damage was very minor and if we hadn't read about it, we never would have known it had happened.

After breakfast, we disembarked the ship and walked to Lake Voulismeni, located right in the center of Aghios Nikolaos. According to Greek legend, it is said that the goddess Athena often bathed or swam here.



We strolled around the lake while the kids stopped to feed the fish.



One of the locals recounted stories where the German army disposed of their cannons, vehicles and other weaponry by driving them all into the lake during their retreat from the area. Another story tells of how legendary explorer Jacques Cousteau dived here, but could not find the bottom! Although today we know the lake to be 64m deep, many stories still abound of Crete's "bottomless lake".



David and Ray were again kind enough to volunteer and take the kids back to the ship while Karen and I stayed in town to shop. Along with a few souvenirs I bought for the girls, I picked myself up a Dolce and Gabbana belt for 10 euro's!! (so uh, what did I get, besides the bill?... - Ray)



When we re-boarded the ship, we joined the rest of "our gang" enjoying banana smoothies while playing a game of scrabble.

After lunch, the kids went to a party at the Kids' Club while Ray and I finalized getting all our stuff out of the cabin in time for disembarkation.



Although we were sad that our holiday on board with the Ng's was coming to an end, we were also looking forward to commencing our long-anticipated stay in Santorini...

A Day at the Beach in Rhodes, Greece...

Our ship arrived into Rhodes early on the morning on July 1st. Rhodes is located just south east of Greece, in the Aegean Sea (near Turkey).





We decided to spend our day on the beach, so we packed up our bathing suits, towels and sunscreen and headed to Elli Beach, a 20 minute walk from our cruise ship.



Our stroll took us past the Harbor Gates, the old city fortifications and some beautiful coastline.





By the time we arrived, it was so hot that everyone was anxious to get into the water! We rented lounge chairs with umbrella's and spent a relaxing day out in the sun. It was a great time swimming with the kids -- the only downside was that the beach was covered with pebbles. Ouch!!



We decided to have lunch at Elli Beach Restaurant, which was just a few meters from our beach chairs. The goat cheese salad that I ordered was simply delicious!



After lunch, it was more beach time for the kids before heading back to the ship.



The men were nice enough to take the kids back, while Karen and I headed into town to do some shopping. Before we knew it, it was time to go back onboard and rest up before dinner, which was our last formal night.

Demitrios serving up some Baked Alaska!


After our daily sunset walk on deck, we headed straight to the Show Lounge. DS had arranged to meet her new shipboard friend from Australia for a "playdate" just before the evening's show.



Then, we all sat together to watch the evening's entertainment, "Enigma", a magic show. Although the show was mediocre, the highlight was when David was picked to go on stage to "star" in one of the acts. That was the evening's true entertainment!



After a long day, it was "lights out" for the girls as we sailed off towards Crete. This cruise is just going way too fast...!!!