One Month in Europe: Part 7, Athens

We had one day to spend in Athens before catching our flight to Santorini, and I was incredibly impressed! For some reason I thought of Athens as dark, dingy and kinda blah - but it turned out to be bright, beautiful and totally interesting. Since time wasn’t on our side, we asked our cab driver what we should do on our way to our Airbnb from the airport. We decided to hit the major landmarks and do light research on places to eat. Our first destination was the Acropolis, which contains several historical buildings - most notably the Parthenon. We were lucky to get a bright, sunny day which made it all the more enjoyable.

One of the first landmarks we laid our eyes on was the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, built in 161 AD and was originally a concert venue. It’s enormous and impressive and the patterns are gorgeous.

One of the more impressive architectural remains was the Erechtheum, an Ancient Greek temple dedicated to Athena and Poseiden. The famous "Porch of the Maidens" features six female statues as columns which drew me in immediately (see key photo). It’s absolutely breathtaking and the detail is worth every second of the time you spend gazing at it in admiration.

Sorry about the semi glamour shot.

The main event at the Acropolis is the Parthenon, which has been going through a restoration since 1975 (woah!), hence the scaffolding. Regardless, it’s still a marvel and a famous symbol of ancient Greece, well worth the visit.

We also haphazardly stumbled upon the changing of the guard at the Parliament Building, which was fun to observe in real time. The dedication of these guys I tell ya!

Despite our short stay, we were also lucky enough to catch the Temple of Olympian Zeus - yet another mind blowing landmark from ancient Greece.

We didn’t do much else other than stroll and check out as much as we could in 24 hours, but if I had the option I would have stayed longer! Greece in general is an amazing place and I’ll get into the culture and food more in my next post about our final destination, Santorini. Thanks for staying with me!

One Month in Europe: Part 5, Rome

From Florence, we made our way to Rome. In my early twenties, I visited Rome for three days and it was my favorite part of a much longer European itinerary. It was a much different experience then, as there was no Tripadvisor or blogs telling you what’s what and where to go. We had to go into a creepy basement in our hostels and pay to get a phone call with calling cards to communicate with our family so far, far away. It was also a different time in my life, so a Rome bar crawl was appealing as well as many things I don’t have interest in now. However, I did go back and pay my respects to the landmarks I once witnessed, and Chris had never experienced Rome so we checked the boxes. Our weather wasn’t great, and admittedly one day we stayed in and watched Netflix when it was pouring outside. When in rainy Rome, Netflix.

We stayed in the Trastevere area which was ridiculously charming, full of ivy walls everywhere you look, cobblestone streets, and adorable doorways.

Near our Airbnb, we stumbled upon a sandwich shop called Donkey Punch which had one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. They also had a pretty great beer selection. Super casual, simple and near our Airbnb, so obviously we ate there more than once.

On one of the most beautiful days, we toured the Pantheon and had lunch at a touristy place outside, because location. I’d say the Pantheon is worth a visit for anyone who hasn’t been to Rome. The columns and interior dome are stunning – plus and it’s a classic Rome landmark.

We also made our way to the Colosseum, mostly because Chris hadn’t been. My first time visiting I wasn’t overly in awe, but most people are, so don’t take my word for it. Weather wasn’t on our side this day, so we did a quick tour and then off we went.

What’s a visit to Rome without a stop at the Trevi fountain? We were sure to get some gelato and linger for a bit and then made sure to toss our three coins into the fountain. There are legends/rituals that go along with the coin tossing, so make sure to follow them :) The first legend says to throw the coin from the right hand over the left shoulder so that you’ll make it back to Rome one day. Another legend states that you should toss three coins into the fountain. The first coin guarantees that you’ll return to Rome, the second is for a new romance, and the third will ensure a good marriage.

One of the last main things we did in Rome was visit the Vatican, and though it was different this time around I will never not be in awe by its magic. When I was 22, I remember making my way into the Sistine Chapel. You could hear a pin drop, the room felt sacred and untouched, and goosebumps were abundant. It was surreal in my mind, and my heart dropped just being in the midst of this wonder. The majesty of that moment burns in my mind until this day. Fast forward 12 years later, and it’s very different. People are taking selfies of themselves and the art, violating the no talking rule, and concentrating more on the photos and uploads than the beauty of the moment. It was hard for me to witness that, and I wanted to erase it from my memory and hold true to an older time when it felt so sacred. Regardless, it was still absolutely beautiful, and I hold on tight to my time in 2006.

As far as where we dined, Chris and I sort of winged this part. We did go to L'Arcangelo (the BEST gnocchi I’ve ever had - though I wouldn’t recommend the atmosphere and location) as well as another boutique restaurant that was very high in demand with lines out the door. I’m forgetting the name, but it ended up not being anything that great and we sat next to two tourists and quickly realized we’d been trapped. I wanted to make it to Roscioli, but we didn’t have time.

That’s mostly it for Rome! The next part of our trip is the part we were very excited for - the Amalfi coast.

One Month in Europe: Part 4, Florence

Our first stop in Italy was Florence. We only had two days built into our itinerary so we wanted to make the most of our time. Since we were sort of winging the middle part of our trip, we booked a very last minute Airbnb and it worked out perfectly. We were close to the Statue of David at the Accademia Gallery and about a 10 minutes walk into central Florence. 

I'd visited Italy about ten years ago, but only traveled to Rome and Venice. I'd heard so many mixed reviews about Florence vs. Rome, so I thought it was time to see for myself. Florence to me is smaller, cleaner and has more of a boutique feel to it than larger and grittier Rome. They are just different, both extraordinary in their own regard. 

We made a point to see the statue of David, and eventually caved and bought the group tour tickets while waiting in line. The line was a 3 hour wait, and we just didn't have time for that, not with only 2 days on the itinerary. If you have luxury of planning ahead, I'd look into the best times to jump in line for David, or purchase a ticket ahead. One of the most memorable experiences of our trip, I was blown away by the scale of this marble work of art. And the fact that Michelangelo was only 27 years old when David was created. 27?! I was watching Netflix and going to bars. Ugh. And the fact that I'd read about him in Art History but seeing the statue in person was truly the only education I ever needed.

The other majesty of Florence is the Duomo. It truly took my breath away. It's one of those landmarks you have to experience in person - the magnitude of it all can't be captured in a photograph. We didn't go inside, buy tourist tickets, or climb to the top. We simply admired it's greatness as we passed by, snapping a few pics along the way.

I also highly recommend strolling through the Boboli gardens. I think Chris and I walked 30k steps this day. The grounds are massive and absolutely beautiful, statues and treasures at every turn. We hiked to the very top where we found a garden maze and extraordinary views of Tuscany. 

Our food game wasn't really strong in Florence, we popped into random places - some good, some bad. Gusta Trippa was a very authentic joint that served lampredotto, which is a popular Florence meat (the cooked stomach of a cow). I was grossed out, my husband loved it. 

Right before we left, I was adamant about visiting a different sandwich shop that was listed #1 on Tripadvisor. It was 9 am, I didn't want a sandwich, neither did my husband - but I insisted. I HAD to try the #1 sandwich place before we left! This is where things get really sad. I barely understood the sandwich maker, ordered something terribly disgusting, and sat outside with my poor victimized husband who didn't want a sandwich, forcing him to bite into this undesirable sandwich. That was when I had to really take a good look in the mirror and tell myself to get over FOMO if it's not meant to be.

When I was in Europe in 2006, there was no Tripadvisor. There were no stickers with star ratings in windows. It was perfectly mysterious, adventurous, and story book like. Your expectations weren't let down if the food wasn't great because the place "had 5 stars." You weren't relentlessly chasing hype and other people's opinions. You were just there, enjoying the city in the most authentic way. Those were simpler times, times that I miss because they were so untouched and real. Europe is still magical, but back then it was truly a damn unicorn. 

While we wanted to visit the Uffizi Gallery, there wasn't time, and we were exhausted form cramming in as much as possible – but it's definitely another place to check out while in Florence. Onward to Rome!

One Month in Europe: Part 1, Paris

Chris and I were fortunate enough to be able to spend one month in Europe for our honeymoon back in September-October of 2017. We both work corporate 9-5 jobs, so it took a bit of strategizing to be able to get away with it, which I will cover in a separate post. 

Instead of a relaxing beach vacation, we were more interested in exploring as much of Europe as possible without making it seem like too much work. Our itinerary went like this: Paris, Beaune, French Riviera (Nice, Eze, Monaco), Florence, Rome, Amalfi Coast, Athens, Santorini. Did we map out our entire itinerary? We did not. The trip was planned in the beginning and the end - leaving the middle with a little improv work to do (which, in hindsight, I would not do again). We flew Icelandair and due to some intel and smart seat selecting through seatguru, we sat first class but only paid for business class. More on that trick later.

Our first stop was Paris on September 26, which ended up lasting a bit longer than we had planned because we were enjoying it so much. I'd been to Paris in the past, but it was a vague memory and I was so young that the things I enjoyed then are much different than the things I like to do now. We stayed in a few different places while we were there, the first being Hotel Providence located in the Marais district and later on an Airbnb close by. It was a great central location and aside from the room being itty bitty, the hotel was beautifully designed and we had a blast with the bartender, who we lovingly called George Pooney. Well, we told him he looked like George Clooney, he called himself George Pooney (the George Clooney of Paris? It's blurry), and we all laughed. Cocktails are fun.

During our time in Paris we did a quick trip to the Louvre because Chris had never been. This photo of Mona Lisa is one of my most interesting captures from Paris. The reflection of everyone holding up their iPhones in the painting is such an oxymoron it's almost painful to look at. My experiences in Europe in 2006 vs. 2017 were so vastly different due to social media and technology in general. It's painstaking in a lot of ways because the sacredness that I held so dear felt a bit lost on me in 2017. 

We also strolled through Luxembourg gardens on a beautiful afternoon and took the time to relax from traveling. We quickly grabbed a ham and cheese baguette from a street vendor and sat in the park. Truth be told I've always wanted to eat a ham and cheese sandwich in Luxembourg gardens and live the afternoon Parisian life. I have a vivid memory of this day, sitting in the park behind an older lady and her friend. The way the light hit her and the way they were talking was one of the most peaceful things I've ever witnessed. It was simple and beautiful and made me fall in love with Paris.

Chris had never seen the Eiffel Tower, so we put our tourist pants on and made our way over. While I wasn't that into climbing to the top, Chris being the explorer that he is had a different idea in mind. So we got to it. Me, a little apprehensive. Chris, very eager.

One of our favorite places for dinner was L'Avant Comptoir, which is a tiny tapas place with recipe cards hanging from the ceiling. We bellied up to the bar and ordered as much as possible (we couldn't help it, everything was SO good). All you have to do is point to a card hanging from the ceiling and voila! It appears before you. Chris particularly loved the foie gras burger. In fact, we came back a second time to eat it again. That's 4 foie gras burgers in 24 hours, nbd. The environment was fun, easy and casual - highly recommend when in Paris.

We also traveled to see Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre, which is North of central Paris. Every single thing about this area is charming. Everywhere I looked someone was playing an accordian, people were falling in love, birds were chirping. The area of Montmartre is filled with little shops and cobblestone streets that feels like a nice escape from central Paris. in fact, I purchased one of my favorite souvenirs from a boutique store - an enormous, gorgeous scarf that was difficult to fit in my suitcase but well worth the hassle. Another store I really loved in that area was Lekker, another concept store with some pretty unique items.

Just north of Montmartre, we decided to visit Marché Aux Puces - a flea market to die for. This market stands out in my memory of one of my favorite things in all our travels and also one of my biggest regrets. Chris and I found a blanket there that we adored, but knew it would be impossible to travel around with (especially since it was white). In hindsight I wish I would have purchased it and shipped it back to the US! Ah well, can't have everything.

Another spot we really loved was Merci, a concept store connected to a coffee shop close to our Airbnb. People watching was exceptionally interesting because we happened to be in Paris during fashion week and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the coffee shop guests were famous fashion week artists, models, or designers judging by their style. The store itself has some very cool apparel that we had fun looking at and not buying. 

A few other interesting tid bits about our travels to Paris: really loved Berthillon ice cream, Pierre Hermé Macarons (seriously, wow) and we experienced real-deal hookers very close to our Airbnb - they were out of the movies hookers, guys. It was actually jaw dropping to see, I didn't know they made them like that in real life. We spied them on our way to get pizza close by our airbnb, at a place called Rossi's pizza. They were on that street, whatever street that is, workin' in. And I'll leave you with that.

That's Paris! We absolutely loved it and definitely extended our time there by 2 days (that's the beauty of having an open schedule). Our next destination was Beaune, wine country in France.

Have you been to Paris? Tell me me about your experience in the comments below!