A Taste of Greece
In October 2009 I took a trip to Greece and Turkey for 7days with Contiki on the Aegean Classic. The major difference between this tour and the European Discovery one is that this tour is mostly a cruise around Greece and Turkey and the cruise is not exclusive to Contiki rather it is operated by Louis Hellenic Cruise Lines. The tour size was much smaller than when I was on the European Discovery Tour with there being roughly 20 of us and of that group, only 3 males. In all, including airfare, the trip cost me $1600. Below is the description of the tour from Contiki's website followed by my day by day review of the trip and other helpful information.
Aegean Classic
- Arrive Athens Day 2 Hotel After checking in to your hotel, the day is yours to take a sneak preview of Athens before meeting your Tour Representative and fellow travellers this evening at the hotel. After your meeting, maybe join us in the traditional Plaka area for dinner - a great way to kick off your tour!
- Athens to Mykonos Day 3 Cruise ship This morning we leave Athens and board our cruise ship to head to Mykonos – island of whitewashed houses and blue domed churches. (B,L,D,S)
- Cruising to Patmos via Kusadasi Day 4 Cruise ship Our early morning call is the Turkish port of Kusadasi. Explore the bazaar or perhaps take an excursion to the ancient ruins of Ephesus. Later, we dock at Patmos where St John is reputed to have written the book of Revelation. (B,L,D,S)
- Cruising to Rhodes Day 5 Cruise ship A day to explore this island, home to the Colossus of Rhodes. Legend says it was over 30m (100ft.) high and straddled the harbour. (B,L,D,S)
- Cruising to Santorini via Crete Day 6 Cruise ship We dock in Crete, the largest of the Greek islands, before sailing for Santorini. This spectacular volcanic island is in the Cycladic chain of islands. Enjoy Fira and its narrow paved streets with plenty of opportunity to shop in the many boutiques. (B,L,D,S)
- Arrival into Athens Day 7 After breakfast we disembark and transfer into central Athens where your tour ends. Maybe join us for a sightseeing tour of Athens seeing the Acropolis, the Temple of Zeus and the first modern Olympic stadium? (B)
Day One- Getting to Athens & Night Out in Athens
My journey began in the Washington Dulles Airport and I flew to Athens with Air France. I had never flown with Air France before and I will be honest, if you ever have the chance to fly with them do. The service on every flight was great and on my transatlantic flight, champagne and wine was offered for free during beverage services and during meals. I did have a strange connection in Paris both on the way and coming back. If at all possible, try to avoid Charles De Gaulle airport. I have never had a good experience there and the airport is crazy to get through for connections and extremely confusing.
Luckily, since i had a connecting flight that had already taken me through an EU country, when I arrived in Athens I was able to collect my luggage and exit the airport very quickly which was nice because I was ready to get settled in my room. It was very easy to get a taxi right outside the airport and I was taken directly to the Dorian Inn which is in Central Athens. I had an incredibly nice taxi driver who told me a lot about the country which was a nice introduction.
The Dorian Inn is located in Central Athens on a main street. Because of this it is very noisy all day and all night which could be bothersome, but since I was so tired, it was not a big deal to me. The rooms however were very nice and had quite a lot of room. The shower did not have a regular set up as rather than having a shower head, there was a shower head at about hip level that you had to lift up and hold to shower. Breakfast was included in the stay and included a lot of options from fruits, to breads, to even some meat items. The hotel also offered internet for 5 Euro. The most incredible part of the hotel was the rooftop bar which had a stunning view of the city and the Acropolis. Make sure to visit this both at night and during the day. For anyone going on the trip during warm months, there is also a rooftop pool which may be fun.
Around 7pm we had the traditional Contiki Pre tour meeting where everyone came together and met each other and got the overview of what the trip was going to be like. Our Tour Manager was Keren who described herself as being Half Greek Half Scottish. Keren was absolutely incredible from the beginning of the trip right through the end and made sure that all of us got what we wanted out of the tour. The majority of the people on the tour were from the US and Canada with a few people from New Zealand, Australia, and South African. We also had one male from the Netherlands. After the pre tour meeting we had our first optional- the Athens Dinner. THIS IS NOT AN OPTIONAL TO BE MISSED!
The entire group headed into Athens for dinner at Tabernain in the Plaka Area. My first impression of Athens was that it was a mix of old a new similar to Rome. However, many of the buildings had a "slum" look/feel to them which made the city seem dirty. There are some absolutely stunning, gorgeous older buildings and spectacular ruins spread through the city. Beer is served in McDonalds in Athens which is something I found interesting. The Plaka area was what I expected of Greece and was absolutely stunningly beautiful.
The dinner that we went to included traditional Greek food, music, and dancing- all of which we got the opportunity to experience. The meal started with a plethora of appetizers including sausage, meatballs, bread, spinach filo triangle, fried zucchini, tzatziki (a yogurt cucumber dip) and a salad with mozzarella, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Both the fried Zucchini and tzatzki were absolutely incredible. The main course for dinner was a chicken dish with rice, peas and carrots and was absolutely delicious. The meal was finished off with fabulous ice cream with choc chips and a thin layer of choc cake. Throughout dinner we were entertained by a group of dancers doing traditional Greek Dances and even allowing us to get up and dance with them! There was also music and singing throughout the meal. Following dinner, we headed back to the hotel and some of the group went up to the rooftop bar and others went straight to bed to get plenty of rest for our next day!
Below are some pictures of the room at the Dorian Inn
Luckily, since i had a connecting flight that had already taken me through an EU country, when I arrived in Athens I was able to collect my luggage and exit the airport very quickly which was nice because I was ready to get settled in my room. It was very easy to get a taxi right outside the airport and I was taken directly to the Dorian Inn which is in Central Athens. I had an incredibly nice taxi driver who told me a lot about the country which was a nice introduction.
The Dorian Inn is located in Central Athens on a main street. Because of this it is very noisy all day and all night which could be bothersome, but since I was so tired, it was not a big deal to me. The rooms however were very nice and had quite a lot of room. The shower did not have a regular set up as rather than having a shower head, there was a shower head at about hip level that you had to lift up and hold to shower. Breakfast was included in the stay and included a lot of options from fruits, to breads, to even some meat items. The hotel also offered internet for 5 Euro. The most incredible part of the hotel was the rooftop bar which had a stunning view of the city and the Acropolis. Make sure to visit this both at night and during the day. For anyone going on the trip during warm months, there is also a rooftop pool which may be fun.
Around 7pm we had the traditional Contiki Pre tour meeting where everyone came together and met each other and got the overview of what the trip was going to be like. Our Tour Manager was Keren who described herself as being Half Greek Half Scottish. Keren was absolutely incredible from the beginning of the trip right through the end and made sure that all of us got what we wanted out of the tour. The majority of the people on the tour were from the US and Canada with a few people from New Zealand, Australia, and South African. We also had one male from the Netherlands. After the pre tour meeting we had our first optional- the Athens Dinner. THIS IS NOT AN OPTIONAL TO BE MISSED!
The entire group headed into Athens for dinner at Tabernain in the Plaka Area. My first impression of Athens was that it was a mix of old a new similar to Rome. However, many of the buildings had a "slum" look/feel to them which made the city seem dirty. There are some absolutely stunning, gorgeous older buildings and spectacular ruins spread through the city. Beer is served in McDonalds in Athens which is something I found interesting. The Plaka area was what I expected of Greece and was absolutely stunningly beautiful.
The dinner that we went to included traditional Greek food, music, and dancing- all of which we got the opportunity to experience. The meal started with a plethora of appetizers including sausage, meatballs, bread, spinach filo triangle, fried zucchini, tzatziki (a yogurt cucumber dip) and a salad with mozzarella, tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Both the fried Zucchini and tzatzki were absolutely incredible. The main course for dinner was a chicken dish with rice, peas and carrots and was absolutely delicious. The meal was finished off with fabulous ice cream with choc chips and a thin layer of choc cake. Throughout dinner we were entertained by a group of dancers doing traditional Greek Dances and even allowing us to get up and dance with them! There was also music and singing throughout the meal. Following dinner, we headed back to the hotel and some of the group went up to the rooftop bar and others went straight to bed to get plenty of rest for our next day!
Below are some pictures of the room at the Dorian Inn
Day Two- All Aboard & Mykonos
Our second day started off great with us being allowed to sleep in. At 10:30am we loaded up the bus and headed to the port to board the ship. What we learned on our trip to the ship were that there are a ton of stray dogs and cats throughout Greece. It became sort of a game to find them and take pictures of them for some of the people on the trip. Unfortunately it was raining very hard in Athens when we were loading the ship which made the process take a rather long time. I had opted for an inside room for four people to save some costs. It was nice because I got to meet other people on the tour and always had people to hang out with, however, the room was rather small and with four girls became a little cramped. The room was set up with bunk beds on either side and a small bathroom. The shower did not have a lip on it, so every time someone took a shower, the entire bathroom was flooded. What was great about the rooms was that there were both European and American plugs which meant that I did not need a converter! Something interesting that I did not realize, was that we were not allowed to flush toilet paper. Rather, we had to place it in the trashcans in the bathrooms. Our cabins were cleaned several times a day for this very reasons.
The cruise ship was really nice. This was my first cruise, so I really do not have anything major to compare it to. Overall there were 10 decks on the ship which included 3 restaurants (2 dining, 1 buffet), and over prices spa which offered a 30% discount when the ship was docked, a very small pool and hot tub, a small casino, more bars than I could count and a disco. Every day we received a ship newsletter which gave us information about the port we were visiting and what the daily activities were. There was also a drink of the day that was 2 for 1 during Happy Hour (which typically happened once to twice a day). Some of the onboard activities included flower making; Greek Dancing/Language classes; Fitness; Bingo; and Karaoke.
The first port that we visited was the island of Mykonos which has become the party Island of Greece and also the island that the rich and famous come to. We arrived in Mykonos around 6pm and unfortunately it was already dark. The island was still beautiful despite it being dark and Keren took us through the island to the famous Mykonos windmills. I was disappointed that it was dark as it was difficult to take pictures of the windmills. There were lots of little streets on the island with nice shops and cafes and by the water were a lot of restaurants and bars. A group of us wandered around the island and made it through little Venice. Overall, the island was very expensive both for small items and gifts, as well as for food and drinks. Chelsea and I decided to have a nutella crepe while we were on the island which was beyond delicious. We were to be back on the boat at 10pm, so there was plenty of time to explore the island and do some shopping. Buses drove us to/from the ship to the main part of the island.
When we got back to the ship our room had a bottle of wine that we drank (the staff was nice enough to come and open our bottle for us) and then we headed to the ships disco. The music was mostly Techno but there was still a lot of dancing and the group had a great time.
For dinner the first night on the ship we decided to eat at the buffet. This tended to be the popular choice and kept busy. There were so many choices in the buffet with lots of meats, sides, salads, and plenty of deserts. Something that was interesting to me was that coffee, tea, water, and some juices were the only beverages that were included. If you wanted a soda or any type of alcohol, you had to pay additional money. The ship did allow you to purchase a drink package- either an all you can drink nonalcoholic or alcoholic ( with some drinks having an additional surcharge). Many people in the group purchased the all you can drink package which cost $119, but I decided against it and am glad I did because I did not spend that much money on alcohol.
Below are pictures of our cabin and from Mykonos.
The cruise ship was really nice. This was my first cruise, so I really do not have anything major to compare it to. Overall there were 10 decks on the ship which included 3 restaurants (2 dining, 1 buffet), and over prices spa which offered a 30% discount when the ship was docked, a very small pool and hot tub, a small casino, more bars than I could count and a disco. Every day we received a ship newsletter which gave us information about the port we were visiting and what the daily activities were. There was also a drink of the day that was 2 for 1 during Happy Hour (which typically happened once to twice a day). Some of the onboard activities included flower making; Greek Dancing/Language classes; Fitness; Bingo; and Karaoke.
The first port that we visited was the island of Mykonos which has become the party Island of Greece and also the island that the rich and famous come to. We arrived in Mykonos around 6pm and unfortunately it was already dark. The island was still beautiful despite it being dark and Keren took us through the island to the famous Mykonos windmills. I was disappointed that it was dark as it was difficult to take pictures of the windmills. There were lots of little streets on the island with nice shops and cafes and by the water were a lot of restaurants and bars. A group of us wandered around the island and made it through little Venice. Overall, the island was very expensive both for small items and gifts, as well as for food and drinks. Chelsea and I decided to have a nutella crepe while we were on the island which was beyond delicious. We were to be back on the boat at 10pm, so there was plenty of time to explore the island and do some shopping. Buses drove us to/from the ship to the main part of the island.
When we got back to the ship our room had a bottle of wine that we drank (the staff was nice enough to come and open our bottle for us) and then we headed to the ships disco. The music was mostly Techno but there was still a lot of dancing and the group had a great time.
For dinner the first night on the ship we decided to eat at the buffet. This tended to be the popular choice and kept busy. There were so many choices in the buffet with lots of meats, sides, salads, and plenty of deserts. Something that was interesting to me was that coffee, tea, water, and some juices were the only beverages that were included. If you wanted a soda or any type of alcohol, you had to pay additional money. The ship did allow you to purchase a drink package- either an all you can drink nonalcoholic or alcoholic ( with some drinks having an additional surcharge). Many people in the group purchased the all you can drink package which cost $119, but I decided against it and am glad I did because I did not spend that much money on alcohol.
Below are pictures of our cabin and from Mykonos.
Day Three- Patmos & Kudasi
We arrived at Patmos early on the second morning. The ship could not dock right at the island, so we had to take tender boats from the ship to the port. We had roughly two and a half hours to explore Patmos. Patmos is a very small but beautiful island and is where St. John wrote the book of Revelation. If you wanted to, you could go to the Monastery of St John and the grotto both of which are located at the top of the island and look like a fortress. Round trip by taxi for four people is 50 Euro. I would have liked to visit the Monastery, but no one else seemed interested, so I decided to explore the rest of the island.
The main center of the island is full of little shops and cafes where you can find all kinds of goods and gifts. The public bathrooms in Patmos are absolutely disgusting, so try to avoid them at any cost. There is also a small beach on the island where you can go and lay out if you would like to have a relaxing morning. We spent the morning exploring the main part of the island, speaking with some locals, and going into many of the little stores. After exploring, we headed back to the ship to start our journey to Kudasi, Turkey. We spent the journey laying out and relaxing on the deck and then headed down to Happy Hour at 11:30am before lunch. We headed back to the buffet for lunch where there was a taco stand set up by the pool (each day there was a different stand set up by the pool) which was delicious and filling. After lunch we headed back to the deck to lay out until we had to disembark.
I made the decision to go on the excursion that was offered by the cruise line in Kudasi which took us to the ruins of Ancient Ephesus. We disembarked and were led to a coach that drove us about 15 to 20 mins to Ephesus. This is an excursion that should not be missed. The ruins of Ancient Ephesus are absolutely stunning and we had a great guide who explained the history and the different portions of the city to us. The remaining pieces of the library were the most impressive along with the tale of Cleopatra and Anthony meeting there in secret. We walked through the entire Ancient city and were led out to a small set of shops at the end. In total, the excursion took 3 hours.
After the excursion we headed back to the center of Kudasi to the Grand Bazar where you could shop and barter for pretty much anything you could imagine. Kudasi was unlike the Greek Islands in that it was a very large city with high rises and lots of developments. The bazar included shops with pashminas, leather jackets, genuine fake products, jewelry, and carpets amongst other things. The experience can be rather overwhelming. In Turkey, there tends to be no prices and therefore you have to haggle for anything that you buy. I am terrible at this and felt incredibly stressed and uncomfortable bartering. Vendors also tend to harass you while you are walking down the street to get you to come in to their shops and buy something. They also tended to be very intrusive asking questions that were rather personal to try and develop a connection with you so that you were more likely to purchase items from them. However, most of the men we encountered in Turkey were incredibly attractive. After the bazar, we met Keren at a bar for a little bit and then headed back to the ship. On the way back to the ship, you were required to wander through shops and a duty free shop (where we bought wine to sneak back onto the ship) and were stopped by Turkish Officials and required to fill out a survey about our experience in Turkey.
Back on the boat, myself and another ship mate headed to Happy Hour to settle our nerves after our experience in the bazar. That night, the boat hosted a cocktail party for Contiki in the disco where we each got two drinks (though the service at the event was terrible). Tonight was also Greek Night so we all wore Blue and White and had our group photo taken. We had dinner in the seated dinning room during the last seating group. We had a choice of appetizers, soups, salad, main course, and desert. For appetizers we had octopus, meatballs, and tzatziki. The soup was chicken broth and the main course I chose was a pasta dish.
After dinner dinner there was a Greek Show put on by the cruise entertainers with traditional dancing and music which was a lot of fun and a great way to end the night.
Below are pictures from Patmos and Kudasi.
The main center of the island is full of little shops and cafes where you can find all kinds of goods and gifts. The public bathrooms in Patmos are absolutely disgusting, so try to avoid them at any cost. There is also a small beach on the island where you can go and lay out if you would like to have a relaxing morning. We spent the morning exploring the main part of the island, speaking with some locals, and going into many of the little stores. After exploring, we headed back to the ship to start our journey to Kudasi, Turkey. We spent the journey laying out and relaxing on the deck and then headed down to Happy Hour at 11:30am before lunch. We headed back to the buffet for lunch where there was a taco stand set up by the pool (each day there was a different stand set up by the pool) which was delicious and filling. After lunch we headed back to the deck to lay out until we had to disembark.
I made the decision to go on the excursion that was offered by the cruise line in Kudasi which took us to the ruins of Ancient Ephesus. We disembarked and were led to a coach that drove us about 15 to 20 mins to Ephesus. This is an excursion that should not be missed. The ruins of Ancient Ephesus are absolutely stunning and we had a great guide who explained the history and the different portions of the city to us. The remaining pieces of the library were the most impressive along with the tale of Cleopatra and Anthony meeting there in secret. We walked through the entire Ancient city and were led out to a small set of shops at the end. In total, the excursion took 3 hours.
After the excursion we headed back to the center of Kudasi to the Grand Bazar where you could shop and barter for pretty much anything you could imagine. Kudasi was unlike the Greek Islands in that it was a very large city with high rises and lots of developments. The bazar included shops with pashminas, leather jackets, genuine fake products, jewelry, and carpets amongst other things. The experience can be rather overwhelming. In Turkey, there tends to be no prices and therefore you have to haggle for anything that you buy. I am terrible at this and felt incredibly stressed and uncomfortable bartering. Vendors also tend to harass you while you are walking down the street to get you to come in to their shops and buy something. They also tended to be very intrusive asking questions that were rather personal to try and develop a connection with you so that you were more likely to purchase items from them. However, most of the men we encountered in Turkey were incredibly attractive. After the bazar, we met Keren at a bar for a little bit and then headed back to the ship. On the way back to the ship, you were required to wander through shops and a duty free shop (where we bought wine to sneak back onto the ship) and were stopped by Turkish Officials and required to fill out a survey about our experience in Turkey.
Back on the boat, myself and another ship mate headed to Happy Hour to settle our nerves after our experience in the bazar. That night, the boat hosted a cocktail party for Contiki in the disco where we each got two drinks (though the service at the event was terrible). Tonight was also Greek Night so we all wore Blue and White and had our group photo taken. We had dinner in the seated dinning room during the last seating group. We had a choice of appetizers, soups, salad, main course, and desert. For appetizers we had octopus, meatballs, and tzatziki. The soup was chicken broth and the main course I chose was a pasta dish.
After dinner dinner there was a Greek Show put on by the cruise entertainers with traditional dancing and music which was a lot of fun and a great way to end the night.
Below are pictures from Patmos and Kudasi.
Day Four- Rhodes
We got to spend the entire day on the island of Rhodes which is a beautiful medieval town. The day started early again with an excursion to the old town of Rhodes and to the town of Lindos. The old town was absolutely stunning with amazing medieval architecture and pebbled streets. We also drove around the city and saw the public beachers, the old playboy hotel, and a very interesting Muslim graveyard. We then got the chance to walk around the city and hear the history of the town from our excellent tour guide.
When then loaded back in our buses and headed to the town of Lindos and headed to its Acropolis which sits atop the town and has 300 steps leading up to the top. The Acropolis is in ruins, but once held a magnificent temple to the goddess of wisdom, Athena. The view of the island from the top of the Acropolis is absolutely breathtaking. After climbing to the top of the Acropolis, we headed back down the island stopping at many of the little shops. Many of the shops had beautiful artwork. We stopped and grabbed a snack and I had marvelous mint gelato and Chelsea had a crepe with cheese, ham, and vegetables as well as one with nutella and strawberries. There was a festival going on in the main square so when we got back we were able to watch the locals dancing and singing in the streets.
We then left Lindos and headed back to Rhodes but had the opportunity to stop at a pottery workshop and watched a demonstration and had some time to shop around. The only thing I regret about the trip was not buying a piece of pottery in the store. When we got back to Rhodes we went back to the boat and had lunch and then headed back out into the town to explore what we did not get to see in the morning. Again, the area was gorgeous and we found some great little alleyways and shops. After exploring for a while, we headed to find a cafe and found one that was set up in a gorgeous garden. We decided to sit and relax and have some yummy milkshakes and snacks. In the late afternoon, we headed back to the boat and all took some naps before dinner to refresh.
Before dinner, we had a nice reception in the show room where we all got dressed up in cocktail dresses to meet the captain. We were given a free cocktail and got to eat some great appetizers while we heard from the captain and the rest of the senior staff. Following the captains cocktail we headed to our formal farewell dinner where I had Caesar Salad, quail, and baked alaska for desert. Following dinner, we headed to the show room where the staff were putting on selections from musicals.
Below are pictures from Rhodes.
When then loaded back in our buses and headed to the town of Lindos and headed to its Acropolis which sits atop the town and has 300 steps leading up to the top. The Acropolis is in ruins, but once held a magnificent temple to the goddess of wisdom, Athena. The view of the island from the top of the Acropolis is absolutely breathtaking. After climbing to the top of the Acropolis, we headed back down the island stopping at many of the little shops. Many of the shops had beautiful artwork. We stopped and grabbed a snack and I had marvelous mint gelato and Chelsea had a crepe with cheese, ham, and vegetables as well as one with nutella and strawberries. There was a festival going on in the main square so when we got back we were able to watch the locals dancing and singing in the streets.
We then left Lindos and headed back to Rhodes but had the opportunity to stop at a pottery workshop and watched a demonstration and had some time to shop around. The only thing I regret about the trip was not buying a piece of pottery in the store. When we got back to Rhodes we went back to the boat and had lunch and then headed back out into the town to explore what we did not get to see in the morning. Again, the area was gorgeous and we found some great little alleyways and shops. After exploring for a while, we headed to find a cafe and found one that was set up in a gorgeous garden. We decided to sit and relax and have some yummy milkshakes and snacks. In the late afternoon, we headed back to the boat and all took some naps before dinner to refresh.
Before dinner, we had a nice reception in the show room where we all got dressed up in cocktail dresses to meet the captain. We were given a free cocktail and got to eat some great appetizers while we heard from the captain and the rest of the senior staff. Following the captains cocktail we headed to our formal farewell dinner where I had Caesar Salad, quail, and baked alaska for desert. Following dinner, we headed to the show room where the staff were putting on selections from musicals.
Below are pictures from Rhodes.
Day Five- Crete & Santorini
Our first stop this morning was the island of Crete. We decided to sleep in a little bit and not get off the boat right at disembarkation. We decided to just roam around the island and started by walking around the harbor. Compared to the other islands that we visited, Crete is more like a city and is far more developed. The houses and buildings are several stories and are in an array of colors unlike the white buildings we had become accustomed to. We walked around the island and found a cute little lake to take some pictures of and then headed through the main streets eventually making it to the fishing harbor where there was small beach. At the beach we all got in the water and played a little in the sand.
After spending time at the beach we headed back through the main streets to shops and I noticed that if you smile and act nice towards locals- especially shopkeepers- you will get better deals on items and they will take the time to talk to you and explain Greece and its culture. We found some beautiful oil paintings depicting Greek architecture, sea, and sunset. We left Crete at around 11:30am to head to Santorini. Back on the boat, we headed to grab lunch and then went out on the sun deck to relax. Around 4pm we began to draw near to the volcanic island of Santorini. The island had three different colors of rock ranging from green to white to red. The view was absolutely spectacular and unbelievable that towns had been built upon the giant rock.
It is hard to describe just how beautiful the island is. This island is the quintessential Greek Island with a town that has the white buildings with blue domed roofs. There was an excursion that was offered to visit this town and one with cave homes, but I made the decision not to do the excursion and I wish now that I had. We arrived at the island during sunset which made for some gorgeous pictures. Probably one of my most interesting experiences of my life was riding a donkey to the top of Santorini. To get to the top of the island you have three options:
1. Ride a cable car for 4 Euro
2. Walk up the donkey path
3. Ride a donkey for 5 Euro
RIDE THE DONKEY! We made the decision to ride the donkey up and take the cable car back down. I had a very rouge donkey who kept walking to the edge and butting other donkeys who were not going fast enough for him. It was a little terrifying but I am so glad that I had this experience. My donkey was on his own, but the rest of my group were all tied together and had a handler leading them up the path. I also had a really difficult time getting off the donkey and someone had to help me get off.
Sine we did not have a lot of time on the island, we decided to just wander about the main streets. I really wish I could have had a week to explore the island because it was so amazing. There were lots of little restaurants that overlooked the water and the usual tourist shops and jewelry shops. There were also many stores that were offering free samples of food and wine. One the way back down the island, the cable car was much faster but had a long line to get on it. We headed back to the ship on the first tender boat that we could get on and the water was incredibly rough and choppy. Our tender boat ended up having a lot of problems getting close to the boat. I honestly thought we were going to capsize at some point but luckily I eventually got off of the boat.
We then decided to get a cocktail while waiting for others to get back and after cocktails we headed to dinner with others in the group. We went to the dinning room and had an absolutely incredible dinner with spinach and mushroom canneolli, sirloin steak with a mushroom sauce, green beans, a baked potato with tzatziki sauce and tiramsu for desert.
We had to be up very early the next morning for disembarkation and were required to have our bags packed and outside our rooms by midnight to be sure that our bags got off the boat. Make sure that you take an overnight bag with you so you can have clothes for the next day and for in case you happen to leave anything out of your suitcase.
Below are pictures from Santorini and Crete
After spending time at the beach we headed back through the main streets to shops and I noticed that if you smile and act nice towards locals- especially shopkeepers- you will get better deals on items and they will take the time to talk to you and explain Greece and its culture. We found some beautiful oil paintings depicting Greek architecture, sea, and sunset. We left Crete at around 11:30am to head to Santorini. Back on the boat, we headed to grab lunch and then went out on the sun deck to relax. Around 4pm we began to draw near to the volcanic island of Santorini. The island had three different colors of rock ranging from green to white to red. The view was absolutely spectacular and unbelievable that towns had been built upon the giant rock.
It is hard to describe just how beautiful the island is. This island is the quintessential Greek Island with a town that has the white buildings with blue domed roofs. There was an excursion that was offered to visit this town and one with cave homes, but I made the decision not to do the excursion and I wish now that I had. We arrived at the island during sunset which made for some gorgeous pictures. Probably one of my most interesting experiences of my life was riding a donkey to the top of Santorini. To get to the top of the island you have three options:
1. Ride a cable car for 4 Euro
2. Walk up the donkey path
3. Ride a donkey for 5 Euro
RIDE THE DONKEY! We made the decision to ride the donkey up and take the cable car back down. I had a very rouge donkey who kept walking to the edge and butting other donkeys who were not going fast enough for him. It was a little terrifying but I am so glad that I had this experience. My donkey was on his own, but the rest of my group were all tied together and had a handler leading them up the path. I also had a really difficult time getting off the donkey and someone had to help me get off.
Sine we did not have a lot of time on the island, we decided to just wander about the main streets. I really wish I could have had a week to explore the island because it was so amazing. There were lots of little restaurants that overlooked the water and the usual tourist shops and jewelry shops. There were also many stores that were offering free samples of food and wine. One the way back down the island, the cable car was much faster but had a long line to get on it. We headed back to the ship on the first tender boat that we could get on and the water was incredibly rough and choppy. Our tender boat ended up having a lot of problems getting close to the boat. I honestly thought we were going to capsize at some point but luckily I eventually got off of the boat.
We then decided to get a cocktail while waiting for others to get back and after cocktails we headed to dinner with others in the group. We went to the dinning room and had an absolutely incredible dinner with spinach and mushroom canneolli, sirloin steak with a mushroom sauce, green beans, a baked potato with tzatziki sauce and tiramsu for desert.
We had to be up very early the next morning for disembarkation and were required to have our bags packed and outside our rooms by midnight to be sure that our bags got off the boat. Make sure that you take an overnight bag with you so you can have clothes for the next day and for in case you happen to leave anything out of your suitcase.
Below are pictures from Santorini and Crete
Day Six- Athens
We arrived back in Athens around 7am and disembarked shortly after arriving. We grabbed our luggage and headed to the coach that took us back to the Doriann Inn where we were all able to store our luggage. We said goodbye to the people who were leaving right away and to Keren. Following our goodbyes, those of us who were staying in Athens headed out into the city to do the hop on hop off bus tour of the city that took us to many of the famous sites. One the hop on hop off tour you could stay on the bus and do the loop or get off and go visit to the individual sites. The cost for this was 18 Euros. The whole loop without getting off lasted roughly an hour and a half. We chose to get off at the Acropolis and part of the group decided to go up to the Acropolis and the rest of us got back on the bus to continue to loop. This was a great way to see the major sites of the city very quickly. On the loop we got to see the original Olympic stadium which was really neat.
After the loop we got off at Ominia Square and found a cafe to have lunch and a hot drink in. Following lunch we went to a luggage store so that some of the girls who had bought too much could buy additional bags to get everything home. We then headed back to the hotel and checked into our rooms and went up to the rooftop bar to take some pictures of the city and the Acropolis in the day. We then said some more goodbyes and those of us staying headed to our rooms to relax before out last dinner in Greece.
At 4:30, those of us still in Athens met up to head back to the Plaka area for our final dinner together. We went through some of the main shopping streets to get some last minute gifts and then managed to find a gorgeous, candle lit, outdoor Greek restaurant. We ended up staying there for almost 3 hours because of the food, atmosphere, and our server who told us more about Greece and his experience in the country. He took the time to teach us Greek and about some culture that we had not heard about in regards to the inland rather than the islands of Greece. He even took the time to talk to a few of us after dinner about where we need to visit in Greece next time we come back.
Overall, this trip was amazing. I got to see parts of the world that I have never seen before, tried things I never thought I would do, and meet some of the most incredible people. If you go on this trip, you will have an amazing experience.
After the loop we got off at Ominia Square and found a cafe to have lunch and a hot drink in. Following lunch we went to a luggage store so that some of the girls who had bought too much could buy additional bags to get everything home. We then headed back to the hotel and checked into our rooms and went up to the rooftop bar to take some pictures of the city and the Acropolis in the day. We then said some more goodbyes and those of us staying headed to our rooms to relax before out last dinner in Greece.
At 4:30, those of us still in Athens met up to head back to the Plaka area for our final dinner together. We went through some of the main shopping streets to get some last minute gifts and then managed to find a gorgeous, candle lit, outdoor Greek restaurant. We ended up staying there for almost 3 hours because of the food, atmosphere, and our server who told us more about Greece and his experience in the country. He took the time to teach us Greek and about some culture that we had not heard about in regards to the inland rather than the islands of Greece. He even took the time to talk to a few of us after dinner about where we need to visit in Greece next time we come back.
Overall, this trip was amazing. I got to see parts of the world that I have never seen before, tried things I never thought I would do, and meet some of the most incredible people. If you go on this trip, you will have an amazing experience.
Spending Money & Other Tips
Throughout the trip I kept track of what I spent my money on, so that is broken up by day below. I have also put pictures at the end of this of the items that I bought while I was in Greece. Other advice for you:
-If you can, don't leave right after you get back to Athens- stay the extra night
-Bring blue and white to wear for Greek Night
-Bring something nice for captains cocktails
-Bring a selection of clothes including a bathing suit and jacket because it can get cool on deck
-Try new things and food!
-Ride a donkey!
-Have the time of your life
-You can pay excursions/anything on the ship with cash or credit
Money:
Day 1
43 Euro: taxi ride from airport
34 Euro: Greek Dinner in Athens
Day 2
57 Euro: Excursion
59 Euro: Excursion
10 Euro: Ring
15 Euro: Bracelet
3 Euro: Souvenir
4 Euro: Crepe
10 Euro: Internet
8 Euro: Shuttle Bus
5 Euro: Drinks
Day 3
6 Euro: Earrings
3 Euro: Rock Souvenir
1 Euro: Coke
5 Euro: Earrings
7 Euro: Bracelet
5 Euro: Drinks
4 Euro: Drinks
26 Euro: Duty Free
18 Euro: Scarves
5 Euro: Gifts
5 Euro: Wine
Day Four
6 Euro: Ring
2 Euro: ice Cream
8 Euro: Drinks
Day Five
22 Euro: Pictures
19 Euro: Duty Free
20 Euro: Pictures
12 Euro: Jewelry
7 Euro: Souvenirs
5 Euro: Drinks
Day Six
18 Euro: Athens Tour
20 Euro: Souvenirs
30 Euro: Dinner
-If you can, don't leave right after you get back to Athens- stay the extra night
-Bring blue and white to wear for Greek Night
-Bring something nice for captains cocktails
-Bring a selection of clothes including a bathing suit and jacket because it can get cool on deck
-Try new things and food!
-Ride a donkey!
-Have the time of your life
-You can pay excursions/anything on the ship with cash or credit
Money:
Day 1
43 Euro: taxi ride from airport
34 Euro: Greek Dinner in Athens
Day 2
57 Euro: Excursion
59 Euro: Excursion
10 Euro: Ring
15 Euro: Bracelet
3 Euro: Souvenir
4 Euro: Crepe
10 Euro: Internet
8 Euro: Shuttle Bus
5 Euro: Drinks
Day 3
6 Euro: Earrings
3 Euro: Rock Souvenir
1 Euro: Coke
5 Euro: Earrings
7 Euro: Bracelet
5 Euro: Drinks
4 Euro: Drinks
26 Euro: Duty Free
18 Euro: Scarves
5 Euro: Gifts
5 Euro: Wine
Day Four
6 Euro: Ring
2 Euro: ice Cream
8 Euro: Drinks
Day Five
22 Euro: Pictures
19 Euro: Duty Free
20 Euro: Pictures
12 Euro: Jewelry
7 Euro: Souvenirs
5 Euro: Drinks
Day Six
18 Euro: Athens Tour
20 Euro: Souvenirs
30 Euro: Dinner