!!HONEYMOON TO GREECE!!

with the Barbers

Arrival

SEPTEMBER 24TH, 2021

Besides a delayed first flight and then sitting in Newark for 2 hours because of lightning storms, our travel was a breeze. We had a long layover and only two flights so the delays never stressed us out which was a great way to start the trip. I have been kicking myself for booking with miles and not being able to get on the upgrade list with points, maybe I will change our travel plan on the way out so we travel in style! The nearly 9 hour flight was pretty darn easy though, Chelsy passed out on takeoff while I waited for food to arrive (of course) and then woke Chelsy to eat and then we both passed out until we landed! Seeing the blue of the Mediterranean as we approached the runway was incredible and immediately got us excited on Greece.

As we went through the airport it was one of the easiest customs experiences I have ever experienced. The vibe was starting positive from the start! I did realize I should have done some more research with the rental car as I quickly saw they have every company and I went with Hertz which is never the inexpensive option. The counter lady also said I don’t need to pay for insurance and if there are an issues they will collect the money and then I sort it with my United Visa card? Is this rental car going to be more trouble than it’s worth?

Driving to Athens was a breeze and really nice to be in our own little vehicle. However, when we got off the highway and got into the city it was another world. Not entirely enjoyable navigating the narrow roads but we managed to find our Hotel and as we were forced to drive past (because the roads are so small) we found a perfect underground parking garage only 2 blocks away that was 13 pounds a day. Awesome that it all fell together so quickly, we had arrived! -SB

ATHENS

SEPTEMBER 24TH-26TH

Epic start to an incredible trip! Our accommodations at Athens Mansion Luxury Suites are great. Super clean high ceiling rooms with marble floors. James greeted us and checked us in as well as spent quite a few minutes giving us some recommendations. We checked out the rooftop which has a pretty view of the Acropolis above the sky line, the rooftop is open all day but only has service for breakfast 7:30-10:30am and drinks and light fare 6pm-1am. They did a really nice job with the rooftop design and I was looking forward to spending time there later with some drinks. First up however we wanted to head into the city and see our surroundings. We made it only a few blocks from the Hotel before we came across one of James recommendations for food at Pame Tsipouro where our waiter George hooked us up with a few recommendations that blew our minds. Slow cooked pork in a tomato base sauce Bekri Meze, sesame crusted Saganaki cheese topped in honey, the best Dolmas we have ever had (one of Chelsy’s favorites), the tzitziki was incredible, and we took a recommendation from Mark Cernosia (a friend who traveled here on his honeymoon in 2009) that the wine is really good and you don’t need to spend a fortune, our 13 euro bottle was perfect. To top it off George brought out a liqueur that originally comes from the island of Crete (where he is from) but that they made in house, Rakomelo. The drink is usually served warm in the winter but he brought it out chilled and it was incredible. Basically a Fireball shot but a refreshing version that didn’t feel like you were shooting syrup. Accompanied with the Rakomelo was Mosaiko (I believe) which was like a soft chocolate nugget desert that I have never had anything else like before, really good! Oh, and our seats also had a view of the Acropolis, this was the ultimate start to the trip!

After food we spent the evening wandering around the bustling Friday streets of downtown Athens. Ermou is a wild shopping district street with polished cobblestone, makes you wonder how old that stone has been there. That street brings you right up to Parliament where the changing of the guards occurs every hour 24 hours a day. We finished the night on our rooftop with drinks made by Christos who was another awesome guy. He made Chelsy a Pornstar cocktail which she loved haha and he made me an intro to Aperol which was very tasty as well. Coming from Aspen from Jack and Hannah’s wedding I don’t think I need an “Intro to Aperol” after all the Aperol Spritz I drank there but this drink with Gin added was awesome. Christos brought us out some flaming sambucca shots at the end of the night with coffee beans, we let the fire bake the coffee taste into the shot and then drank them down with a straw, possibly the first Sambucca Chely has enjoyed as she said she really could taste the added coffee flavor.

We went to bed (not sleep) with the neighboring building blasting 90’s american pop hits off their rooftop until 3am. Chelsy passed out like a rock for 4 hours, but then joined me tossing and turning until we both went to bed at 5am and slept straight until my alarm went off at 9am, oh jetlag. Christos said the best breakfast he could recommend was right at our Hotel and with all you can eat (trying all different sorts of Greek specialties) for 15 euro I knew we didn’t want to miss the 10:30am cutoff.

Breakfast was awesome. We were both foggy from jetlag and ingesting all sorts of liqueurs the night before but Chelsy stayed patient with me as I wanted to order a couple different plates and try it all. It was all very good and being on the rooftop to start the day with only a few other couples was perfect.

We decided to start the day heading back to Parliament to actually see the changing of the guards. They stand stone cold under little umbrellas which is the only way they are getting any relief in their hour shift as I swear it’s the hottest place in the city. I was baking in the sun watching the changing off the guards which while it was fun it was a little drawn out and Chelsy and I didn’t actually watch all the way till the end haha. We walked around the backside of Parliament into the gardens which were pretty bleak, consisting of graffiti benches and a rundown zoo which we didn’t explore for fear we would just see animals in decrepit cages. We continued to the Panathenaic Stadium (the world’s only white marble stadium) which was quite the site but was closed off with all sorts of fences and staging was going up in the middle for an event so we didn’t stop for long. Next was the Temple of Olympian Zeus which also looked a little rundown so we didn’t pay to go in haha. We went to the Arch of Hadrian next which was pretty cool as we were able to walk right up to it, there wasn’t any staging and you could read some fun facts at the base. We were now on the outskirts of the Plaka where Chelsy got some fun items including a beautiful blue linen dress (which I am excited to see come out later this trip), cork purse, and a necklace of the eye which is said to deter any negatives vibes from the people around you, we also got our Christmas ornament of the “eye” (although I won’t be surprised if we pick up another ornament from the islands as well). As we headed back to the hotel we stopped at Hoocut for Gyros. I could have sworn it was a spot Christos recommended for souvlaki but they didn’t have any. It was fun getting Gyros in Greece though, and we needed the energy after a long walk in the city.

All this time I was getting my mental bearings for moving the car from the parking garage to the street as the garage is not open at 5am when we need to leave for our ferry the next morning, “It’s Saturday, it’s busy, how was this going to go?!” - was all I could think about as the time got closer to make the move. We got the car, we drove it around our Hotel a few blocks and parked a block away from our Hotel!! Easy style! Positive vibes continue to be on our side.

It’s now afternoon on our last day before going to the islands, we’ve been in Athens for 36 hours and we have yet to check out the Acropolis, it’s time to go. Using the subway, we go two stops which gets us on the other side from our Hotel where the entrance is. We walk up only to find out it is closed! Apparently there was an olympic celebration for the Greek athletes that had it closed for the evening. It’s 6:30pm and the sun is quickly going down, we take the subway back one stop to Parliament and hail a taxi to go to the view point of the city, Mount Lycabettus, which James at the hotel had mentioned was a favorite of his. We drive 15 minutes up winding roads and what seems like miles and arrive on top just in time for golden hour, it’s beautiful. However, now we realize we are miles from downtown and not in a heavily trafficked area for taxis, our taxi quickly sees our uneasiness to let him go and offers to wait 15 minutes while we enjoy the view for a little bit. It was a perfect solution as we got to enjoy golden hour over the city. The spot was not all that romantic with graffiti and a parking lot so 15 minutes was perfect and then we went right back to the Plaka for dinner at the Cave of Acropolis.

Cave of Acropolis was great. The Plaka is very busy but this restaurant was recommended by the bartender at the hotel Christos and was tucked away up a winding stairway alley. All the restaurants were gorgeous as we climbed up the street with tree limbs arching over the tables that were flickering in candlelight. The Cave was awesome as it was not a cave at all but a table on the sidewalk amongst the trees with a view of the Acropolis walls. We met an older couple from Germany who were headed home soon and they had had a similar trip to the islands that we were embarking on. We ordered new things we hadn’t tried yet which was a seafood platter and we were surrounded by a handful of different cats that would take turns waiting to see if Chelsy would drop something for them, she did, oops.

We walked home and enjoyed how lit up Athens is at night. Chelsy was excited about finding one of the many extravagant Gelato spots and we indulged in salted caramel and cinnamon cookie flavors. We called it a night after that in preparation for our 5am wake up in the morning to our ferry one hour away in Rafina, the earliest day we would have on this trip and filled with unknowns. Would the car be blocked in? Would there be paperwork I overlooked for the ferry? Would the ferry be the worst mode of travel ever? Will the positive vibes stay alive? -SB

PAROS

SEPTEMBER 26TH-SEPTEMBER 30TH

Okay okay okay first of all my skin and hair are salty while I’m writing this and my whole soul could not be happier. This is important for setting the mood because we’re officially on island time and the salt sets the vibe perfectly.

Back to the beginning of today - we woke up at 5am to start our intimidating trek through Athens onto a Ferry and into Paros. Scott parked the car on the street last night and he crushed it. It made the morning easy. We hauled our luggage one block (?) to the car, packed it up, and began the journey - all made easy because Scott was brave enough to exit our comfy parking garage spot for a risky-yet-convenient street spot. And, not surprisingly, Scott drove us out of Athens like it was no big deal at 5:30am. Swoon. We found out minutes into the drive that one of our tires had to sacrifice a little air in the name of tight street parking, but that turned out to be an easy obstacle to resolve at the gas station.

When we got the Ferry we were 40-ish minutes early. They let us drive on right away and it was an easy process; Passport check, COVID card check, minimal directions - classic Greece. We’ve learned people will give us the least amount of information if they can. Not sure if this is a cultural thing, a we-dont-speak-english-and-dont-have-to-so-figure-it-out-yourself thing, OR if it’s just that we look like seasoned veterans at traveling so everyone assumes we know what the f is going on (let’s go with that one). Parking on the ferry was swift and we found ourselves some window seats for the four hour haul.

I didn’t say this before the ride but I was very nervous about being sea sick. Scott was too, but I’m not sure on what level. I was bracing myself for a miserable ride. The Honeymoon Gods were on my side though! No sickness at all. I took a hefty nap which seems to be a trend this trip when we’re en route anywhere and I’m grateful for it. Scott napped too. The islands were epic to view from the boat in my moments of opening my eyes. They helped nurture the growing excitement we had for our own arrival onto Paros.

When we got here it was QUICK. They made the announcement and essentially said that if we weren’t quick enough to get off they’d depart with us still on. We drove off and into a hectic harbor scene buuuuuuut can you guess how all that went with Captain Scott behind the wheel? Smooth sailing. Of course.

Once we got away from the harbor we were on thin winding dirt roads on the hillside. Getting to the “hotel” requires directions. This is definitely not the kind of place people find serendipitously without directions. I actually still don’t know the name of it so I can’t say (Petalides Apartments :-P), but it’s PERFECT. It’s like a motel meets a condo on the ocean? It’s low key and quaint and epic all at once. The ocean is only steps away from our balcony and it’s clear as glass. The rocks are pretty which means my pockets are already full of them. This is funny because on the way here Scott’s backpack kept making an odd plop when he put it down and it’s because he had rocks in his bag that I had collected in Aspen. What can I say, I’m a rock girl. They’re older than everything and who knows what kind of history they’ve seen (like what if a Dinosaur walked over THAT specific rock?!?!)! I can’t not grab a few from everywhere I go.

Anyway.

The rocks. They’re cool. Pinks, corals, whites - all the happy colors. We also spotted a jellyfish, a hermit crab, and an urchin right away. Also cool!

Unfortunately we realized we didnt pack any sunscreen and everything is closed because today is Sunday so we’re avoiding the sun and the beach until we can get to a store. We have nine days left on this trip and we don’t want to ruin it with an irresponsible burn!

We did go to the restaurant Arodo next door (maybe 25 steps from our room?) and got all the good stuff at a shaded table on the water. Greek salad, cheese things I dont know the name of that Scott probably will, spicy tuna rolls, and cocktails. We ate slow…what else are we gonna do when everything is closed? Slowing down is such a gift <3

That leads us to now! In our downtime we decided to update this and take a break from the sun/heat. Tonight we’ll probably enjoy some wine on our balcony (we bought a bottle to go from the restaurant) and then go out to eat again. I’ll be curious to know what kind of places and food we’ll get tomorrow when things are open. Knowing Scott, he’ll probably ask the woman who owns this place what she recommends. Her name is Penn. On this entire trip Scott has been a champ at learning everyone’s names and then asking them a lot what they recommend. Only a few times have people seemed annoyed by this, but for the most part everyone’s been excited and it has been a serious game changer for our experience! We’ve had epic meals and adventures based on the conversations Scott has had with the locals we’ve met. He’s so cute.

That’s it! One whole (half?) day in Paros!

XOXOXOX

We relaxed at the spot for the afternoon and just as we were going to go back to the restaurant at our hotel, Penn leaned over the railing and yelled at Chelsy to come over for grilled Octopus that she had caught recently! Hold up for a second, not only did she catch it but she caught it by seeing it from her second story balcony, casting to it and catching it that way! (As wild as this sounds Chelsy actually saw her fishing like this the following day.) I’ve been excited to try Octopus and while Penn is very difficult to understand with her thick and fast Thai accent this was an awesome opportunity we just could not pass up. Also at dinner was her husband Nikolas who was Greek and two French men, one of them was Erick who did not speak very good english and the other gentlemen who did speak fairly good english had a name that was so hard to pronounce I couldn’t even make a note of it. Chelsy loved the Octopus! She was the first one done with her plate and Nikolas told her, “we like that, that means you are true” (referring to how she kept saying that she enjoyed it). I tried the local favorite spirit Ouzo mixed with water and ice which was a fun experience but not something I am going to crave every night from here on out (I have bought several different spirits from the trip but Ouzo is not one I am dying to bring back haha). We retired before the rest of them and hit the pillow hard even though it was pretty early.

September 27th

Day two in Paros and we decided to go for an adventure after keeping it fairly easy around the hotel the afternoon before. Even though we had a fairly hard time communicating with each other at dinner I managed to get Erick to recommend a beach called Kalogeros on the other side of the island that he said had clay to exfoliate the skin. I was stoked to have a landmark to get to as I really wanted to see a little bit more of the island. To start the day we took another recommendation from the Greek UVM student I mentored, Dino, and headed to Cosa for breakfast in the port of Paros. Cosa was awesome, we had delicious omelets and it’s so epic that you can get fresh orange juice everywhere, I wish that was a thing more prevalent in the States!

After lunch we walked around Paros not thinking we were going to spend too much time in the port. We needed sunscreen, water, wine and I really needed a beard trimmer to shave as it was now the second trip I had forgotten to charge mine. We found water, sunscreen and wine in the first small shop we came across, the beard trimmer took a couple stops but we found one in a small alley after looking not to long. As we meandered through the streets we realized that not all the beauty was on the other side of the island in Naoussa where everyone raves about, the Port of Paros has some gorgeous character!! Also the shopping for Chelsy was pretty unreal. It’s pretty hard for her to find the right dress that she likes the fit of in Burlington and in Greece there are some many styles to chose from across so many shops, I kept encouraging her to go for it! She now has a dress for the rest of the nights and maybe a wedding or two down the line :-). Amongst the streets and incredible architecture we found a castle and I decided to pull a couple “Hot Henry” moves on the funky stone walls.

Now it was time to hit the road, driving around the island was super chill and really made us excited that we had a car and could do our own thing. We took a couple detours and explored some beaches that we could see from the main road and drove through plenty of pretty towns on our way to Kalogeros. When we arrived at our destination a beach to the North was howling wind and on the other side of a strip of land was Kalogeros which was protected and beautiful. Not too many people, beautiful water and cliffs rising up on either side. This destination was worth the drive! We enjoyed the water and the sun, ventured over to a little cliffed out beach that we waded in the water to and then decided to get into the clay. When we washed the clay off I couldn’t believe how smooth our skin was, it was a great experience. Thank you Erick for the recommendation!!!

On our way home from the beach we were able to drive right through the island on a different route and get lunch at a great overlook. We tried Moussaka for the first time which is similar to lasagna and Gemista which I believe can be a variety of stuffed vegetables but this specific time it was two stuffed tomatoes which were good. We had some house wine for 3 euro a glass and enjoyed the view, another awesome meal!

When we got back to Petalides we chilled until dinner and this time we did get to go down to the restaurant and enjoy the gorgeous pier dinning area for sunset. Chelsy got the mushroom risotto and I went with the seafood linguine which in Greek fashion has calamari and squid. The calamari blew our minds, no chewiness to it at all, it was just as soft as the pasta which had Chelsy and I surprised and stoked. The owner of the restaurant (or at least that’s what we believe as he was always there and he is also the only person seemingly allowed to take the orders, all the other staff just sets the tables and brings food) made me a cocktail that I really didn’t enjoy and after getting frustrated and asking me to chose another drink he came back at the end of the meal and gifted us a new dessert we had never had, Ekmek which was an INCREDIBLE dessert. He said he made it himself so if I had anything bad to say about it I should remember how close I was to the waters edge (gesturing he would push me in), we had no issues with that dessert whatsoever.

September 28th

Day 3 in Paros and it was time to leave the gorgeous location of the Petalides Apartments. While it’s one of the most incredible locations you can get being directly above the water with a private beach to ourselves and sunset every night right out our door, we did agree it was time to have nicer amenities. We took our time leaving however, I asked Nikolas if we could have a late check out around 2pm and he said no problem. We went back for breakfast at Cosa which was great and then on our way to the car stopped at the same little convenience store as the day before and bought snorkel gear. Chelsy and I meant to go in Hawaii years ago as she has done Scuba but has never snorkeled. The masks at the store weren’t bad at all for 20 euro so we went for it. When we got back to the apartment we went for a snorkel, all the dark patches you see in the clear water is just seaweed groupings however and the snorkeling is pretty bleh. It was also the longest time Chelsy has pushed her cold allergy in quite some time and the Claritin hadn’t really had all that much time to kick in so she needed to pull herself out when she felt like she was going to faint mid snorkel. Thankfully she was back to normal pretty quickly with the blazing sun warming her up, maybe we will have another location later in the trip to give it another go.

After a slow morning/early afternoon it was off to Saint Andrea Sea Side Resort and exploring Naoussa! Less than 30 minutes driving north it was an easy commute to a new part of the island we hadn’t ventured to yet. We were now in a totally different vibe at a “resort” but it was really nice and a fun change of pace, they even brought us a fun Honeymoon gift: sure we couldn’t stomach the weird sweet puddings and neither of us like Moscato but the gesture had us smiling and feeling very welcomed and taken care of. We hit the road into Naoussa pretty quickly. It’s a 20 minute walk or so but the road was pretty crappy for walking along so we drove. We went to a great authentic Greek spot for lunch just outside town for a mid afternoon snack (greek dips and a dolma variation with lemon sauce and cabbage, Lahanodolmades) and then walked into town from there. Naoussa is a beautiful little fishing harbor: the boats, the sea and the architecture make it a really fun site to feast your eyes on as you walk into town. We wandered around the fishing boats and out to the old fortress where 7 canons could be positioned to protect the harbor. Walking out the waves would come in and crash on the walkway: on the way out we stayed dry, on the way back I was sloppy with my timing and got splashed pretty good.

We then moved into the streets a bit more and were thrilled again with all the architecture and incorporation of trees of all sizes growing against the city walls. All the different tree blossoms are so gorgeous too, are we here at the perfect time or do they bloom like this year round?! We checked out a few shops, I bought a couple linen shirts that fit the Greece vibe a bit more then my t shirts and Chelsy found some great dresses, she’s getting stocked up! Amongst the gelato shops, restaurants and boutiques we found THE donut man. This guy was making fresh donut balls (not holes because they were made as balls, not pulled from the center of a normal donut) and then doused in chocolate/ice cream or honey. Chelsy was so excited and ordered the honey… uh oh, I swear I am going to hear about these donuts for the rest of our lives, and for good reason they were so fresh and so good, even the honey tasted better. As we left the sweet stop Donut Man’s finishing line was, “see you tomorrow,” which had us both smiling.

We didn’t really plan on being out this whole time but it worked out great. We got a couple gin and tonics at a random restaurant on the pier as the sun went down, at that time no one seems to be out at the restaurants so we were just sitting amongst a sea of empty tables. At 7pm Umi sushi opened which I had set my eyes on from surfing google earlier. The fish is awesome here why not switch up the greek cousine and try some sushi out?! Plus I saw they had Toro on the menu for 8 euro, I was planning on going in for a couple orders of that! No one eats at 7pm in Greece but we were not the first couple at Umi, and shortly after another couple joined, I believe I over heard that they were all American or at least english speaking which has been pretty rare for the tourists on this trip so far, funny we were all at the Japenese spot. Umi was awesome, even though they were out of Toro! We had jalapeño yellowtail which was done different and really good, sea bass nigiri which was a first for me and really clean and good, a roll that was a little too overboard with sweet chili but really tasty none the less and then at the end we ordered a crab filled salmon roll with caviar and gold truffle flakes which was insane. It was a great finish to a really enjoyable meal and an incredible first outing around Naoussa. Or almost finish: Chelsy snagged an awesome swimsuit on the way out of town and I stopped in for a peanut butter gelato and THEN we left town.

September 29th

Good sleep at the new spot had us ready to roll in the morning. We headed into town and went to another Dino breakfast recommendation which was Karino and had a great meal. For today Chelsy and I were both looking forward to some beach time, I had researched a couple beaches with one I was particularly interested in pretty close to our resort called Kolymbithres. This beach was a bit of a tourist trap as the restaurants sort of take over the little amount of sand there is with their chairs and umbrellas but we embraced it and paid 20 euros to have a couple chairs (it worked out considering we didn’t bring any towels, I always forget towels haha). The beach has a really cool atmosphere with these small areas of sand tucked amongst some really cool rock crops right on the bay. The water was gorgeous and it was also a protected area from the wind which was important as the wind had picked up and was hitting 24 mph from the North. We enjoyed the beach for awhile and then decided it was time for lunch. I looked up a nice looking spot called Siparos Seaside which was perfect for getting a small snack and it was right by the other beach I wanted to check out on the other side of Naoussa. It was a good thing we were just going for a snack as it was one of the more extravagant menus we had seen yet with 80 euro fish soup and 130 euro for a kilo of lobster grilled (tempted but we know we have access to the best lobster in the world in Maine so we’re not tempted that much haha). Chelsy and I ordered ceviche for the first time this trip as well as an order of fried fresh calamari. I also ordered a 3 euro glass of wine as I hadn’t seen the vineyard name yet (should have wrote it down). The ceviche was great, the calamari was INSANE! Again not chewy whatsoever and lightly breaded and fried, it came with only lemon and was perfect, I asked Chelsy if we should order another serving but we left it at one and stayed happy with only having a couple pickings for lunch. I really enjoyed the wine as well.

Just a short drive from lunch was Santa Maria beach which looked really nice but with the wind from the North it was not the spot to hang that day. Chelsy and I had both thought the pool spot at the resort looked relaxing and so we headed back for some poolside cocktails. With window barriers up for the wind it really was an enjoyable spot. We got a couple gin and tonics with cucumber (now our preference after getting them at lunch the day before) and soaked in the sun.

At 5pm we decided it was time to start moving again and headed back into Naoussa. Chelsy had not stopped thinking about donut balls since we left the day before and seeing as Donut Man had said “see you tomorrow,” it seemed only right that we go back and pay him another visit. I wanted some as well and ordered the chocolate topping while Chelsy went back for the honey. As we waited I saw a pair of sunglasses in the window across the street catch my eye and went in to ask about them. They were an Italian brand called Super I had never heard of that had Zeiss lenses. They were really nice and so I grabbed them to enjoy for the rest of the trip. The sun was now getting close to setting so we found a cafe with a deck and had some cocktails watching the sun go down. Chelsy got a Mastiha and Gin Martini, but it was served on the rocks, who cares she loved it.

Headed back into the streets of Naoussa we wandered into a couple more shops on our way back to Umi for dinner. We had noticed they had rice bowls and decided to come back for an entirely different dinner from the night before. Chelsy ordered the beef rice bowl and I ordered the duck rice bowl and tuna tataki. Everything was excellent yet again. I look forward to some nights of Greek cousine ahead before we inevitably find another sushi spot in Santorini.

Thank you Paros, we will be recommending you to others for sure!

September 30th - Travel to Santorini and arrive at Homeric Poems

Hiiiiii Chelsy here! Leaving Paros was bittersweet because the island was so epic but we were ready to take on the legendary Santorini! We queued up for another ferry ride and, since I had been nervous about sea sickness without needing to be before, I was confident going into this one. Jokes on me, we were officially on the windy side of the Greek islands so this ride wasn’t as pleasant :P. No sickness, but we were both silent so we could focus on our equilibriums and assure our brains we were not on unsteady grounds and everything was okay.

The moment we arrived to Santorini we learned the roads were a new breed. I’ve spent most of this trip working on being a supportive passenger for Scott rather than tense, alarmed, miserable, the usual, but Santorini tested this! Winding roads along a cliffside brought us from the ferry landing to the tops of the mountainous terrain that was a Volcano Crater! Hated this driving, but stayed supportive. And then it got worse. We entered Fira, the actual town/city/busy part of the island where the roads seemed to shrink and people were everywhere. Tourists meandered the roads looking around at everything but the roads themselves (we would become these tourists and thus, the circle of life) and cars were jamming themselves into every nook and cranny. Scott CRUSHED this drive. He was sweet with me and let me know it was okay which immediately calmed my nerves. I’m always so impressed with his ability to offset my tension and I hope I’m able to do the same when he’s feeling tense.

Scott called the hotel reception and she sent someone out to meet us, help us park, grab our luggage and show us how to get to our honeymoon suite (ooh lala). When the guy arrived he pointed out our tire —- nearly flat. Captain Scott somehow retained all the directions on where to get air for the tire and then find the designated parking lot near the hotel. I have no idea how his brain manages to organize so many directions at once but it does and thank goodness for it because if it were up to me we’d be lost all the time. Air for the tire was a success! Finding the parking was a success! We walked into the hillside where all the white buildings are and it was like that scene in Mary Poppins when her and the kids step into that painting. I’m pretty sure we stepped into a well saturated professional photo. My whole brain lit up with the bright whites and blues and open air - a potent dopamine hit I’d be riding for the remainder of the trip (as if I wasn’t already riding that wave haha).

When we got to the Homeric Poems Hotel reception we were greeted by Stephanos and Nadia. They were such a delight! Scott did that thing he does when he meets literally anyone abroad and asked them for recommendations. Stephanos got out a map and went to town with circling things and writing little lists on the sides. If an annotated bibliography could be a map, this was it. Then he showed us to our room— ahem, sorry — our suite.

MIND. BLOWN.

All of our stays have been gorgeous but in their own unique ways. The first stay in Paros didn’t have great beds and the actual room itself wasn’t spectacular but the view was unparalleled and we were ON the ocean. That experience was unforgettable. But this. This Santorini staple was like everything all wrapped into one. The space, the architecture, the design, the BED, the bedroom with doors that opened straight into a pool that over looked the ocean and the volcano that erupted thousands of years ago. It was charming, bougie, romantic, cozy…all the things!

Okay if I’m being honest I don’t remember what we did on the first night here since all the days and nights are blending together, but Scott’s detail oriented so he can elaborate on this one. I do know we jumped into the pool and immediately popped a bottle of wine. The water was warm but the air was nippy and the gusts of wind were fierce so it wasn’t going to be a pool hang where we lingered but we couldn’t NOT jump in. I would’ve gone in if it were snowing. After that I’m not so sure what we did :P Scott, take it away!

Haha I love Chely’s writing. So glad she jumped in and crushed the rest of this blog. You nailed it babe!! We stayed in for the rest of the night, ordered some food to the room which we soon realized was going to be an incredible level of room service that we hadn’t ever experienced before. The goal when booking such a lavish spot at Homeric Poems was really to enjoy any downtime possible in this incredible location that we had!

October 1st - Santorini Walk-About including last minute hike down to the ruins of Skaros Castle

Chelsy again! Hoping my memory serves me right on these updates! Day one of waking up in Santorini was still a little Marry-Poppins-Esque for me! We got our breakfast delivered to the room so we could wake up slow, eat at the adorable table with ocean views, and get ready for a big day of walking. This was a day we chose not to do any driving. Scott’s sweet about breaking up the bigger travel/adventure days with me so I can get more of that vacation vibe without the car angst. “Vacation” is very different than “Adventure” to me and balancing the two is part of what makes us such perfect travel companions.

We walked down to the town of Fira and found a cool art shop owned by a couple who made things we hadn’t seen anywhere else in Greece. Margaret and Jordan are protective of their space so they had signs out that turned us off initially. “No pictures, don’t be rude!!!” was one for the tourists and there was another that let everyone know they had zero affiliation with the neighboring art shop who, we found out later was always trying to plagiarize their work. Being weary of their attitude dissipated when they came out and started telling us about everything. They could tell we were genuinely intrigued and we could quickly tell they were proud of their work. Margaret did all the glass work and Jordan made the brass sculptures. They made things that were 6-7 feet tall and tiny little knick-knacks. We bought a few things, Scott asked for recommendations (obviously), and they gifted us a bottle of wine. This was a cool shopping experience because it was authentic and they showed zero desperation for wanting to win us over. They don’t want people to buy their art if they’re not in love with it and I have respect for that.

After shopping we dropped stuff at the hotel and changed to go walk up to a cafe (or maybe a bar there are no rules on a honeymoon). As we walked further and further Scott got reeeeeally curious about the Skaros Castle ruins. We were already so close that he insisted on finishing the whole walk. The photos of my in all white on a rocky terrain look cool, but that attire was not ideal :P. Still we huffed it up the loose rock and saw more old rocks and I’m glad we did because I LOVE old rocks (I suppose all rocks are old though?).

During our afternoon interlude I did a little work which was nice. I miss my clients and love seeing them crush their workouts so it was a joy to pop in and get a taste of my fitness world!

I just wanted to transition this into “and then we went on one of my favorite dates of the trip” but then I realized “one of” is actually “all". Every single cafe, bar, restaurant date we’ve had on this trip has been a favorite.

SO.

We went on a date and it was perfect. Ginger was a sushi spot recommended by Stephanos. It finally had the Toro Scott had been searching for this whole time! We got plenty of Toro Nigiri and a great roll as well as steak that came out cooking on a hot volcanic rock. There’s something very primal about seeing red meat sizzle on a rock (I’m realizing now my thing for rocks might be weird? Or is this a universal thing???) so if you’re not salivating reading this then you’ll have to fly and ferry to this restaurant to know what I mean. 15/10 recommend.

We got a litttttle buzzy on this dinner with beer and saki so when we walked back to the hotel we went straight to the bar where Karolina and Panos were. She made us gin and tonics with cucumber and the four of us hung out like buds. They told us more about Greece and Santorini, we told them a bit about the US and Vermont. This was a fun hangout and one of the handfuls of reasons why I’m glad we came here as tourist season ended. We got more quality time with locals and could ask more about their favorite Greek things.

At 10pm they were done working so we respectfully went back to our rooms. It was a chilly night at the bar and we didn’t want them feeling obligated to stay late for us. We took our drinks to bed, which our hangovers reminded us was not the best idea, and we watched the movie 300. We’ve been on a kick of watching movies based on Greece whenever we don’t go straight to sleep. It’s fun.

Another memorable day!

XOXOXOX

October 2nd - Oia and Kamari Beach

Adventure day! This means the car. And seeing Scott being patient with me.

Woke up to another great breakfast at our spot. We drove to the other end of the island, Oia, and did some walking around there. I would be curious to know how many steps we took TOTAL in Greece during these 12 days versus how many steps we take total in 12 days at home.

I don’t remember any details from this because, blending…

Haha, Scott here, I’ll give some detail to Oia. It was crowded, Oia is the spot on the island for Sunset but I didn’t want to be apart of the mayhem later on in the day so we checked it out early so we could say we saw it. The streets were pretty packed with people and it was a moment during the trip where Chelsy and I asked, “how do people come here in July and August with ten times this amount of people?!” It was a nice little walk through town though, we got some light fare for lunch at a nice restaurant that was above the street level and we could look out at the crater. Chelsy got a sterling olive leaf ring to add to the collection from a tiny little Jewelry shop operated by a really calm and pleasant man.

We DID go to one of the black sand beaches Kamari that was pretty. It was more rocky than sandy so not great for lounging on but Scott went in the water because the waves looked fun and I loved watching that. Scott plays in the ocean the way I play in pools and each of us doesn’t join the other in these settings so we just watch and smile and get a kick out of seeing the inner child come out.

After the beach we went home, got into some warmer clothes, and walked to another dinner spot, Aktaion! It was delicious. We got an oyster mushroom appetizer and then a pasta dish with mushrooms in it and spent a lot of time talking about how much we love mushrooms between bites. One of my personal favorite parts about turning 30 was that I became obsessed with mushrooms and I love that for me because they’re SO good. We also had a lamb meal that was yummy!

[This reminds me — we’ve been sharing and splitting every meal on this trip which is very unlike me because I prefer my own food on my own plate but it’s been great for trying MORE things without overeating here. The big mystery is - will I want to continue this sharing habit when we get back to the states?! You can ask us when you see us.]

Another day in paradise <3 xoxox

October 3rd - Akrotiri Archeology Site, Argyros Estate, Perissa Beach, Lighthouse for Sunset, Selene for 10 course dinner

WHAT A DAY THIS WAS.

First of all, we started it by going to the ruins in Akrotiri which blew my mind the whole time. When the volcano exploded thousands of years ago it COVERED ruins in thick ash that ended up preserving them really well. Apparently someone found something that led to the digging and finding of this epic underground village. It really makes me wonder how much history must be buried in the Earth and how much of our own current lives will end up buried and found in thousands of years. The fun part is that the archeologists are at this particular site every day because they keep finding more new things to dig up.

We saw tall walls and stairs and well crafted pots. We also learned they used wood to frame their windows and doors and they were very smart about building in ways that kept their homes perfectly intact. Most of these places were 3-4 stories high! Another fun fact we learned (…guilty…we did some eavesdropping when we walked by tour guides) is that they never found any jewels or other important belongings NOR have they found a single human remain so they think the people felt earthquakes leading up the eruption and took them as warnings to flee. We have no idea where they went but archaeologists are still on the lookout! Maybe they didn’t make it far OR maybe they went down and more digging will discover a hideout. Scott thinks there’s no way they would’ve gone DOWN during earthquakes but I’m not sure they would’ve even known what earthquakes were? I bet they thought the Gods were doing something. Who knows!

We went to the Argyros Estate afterward to check out the vineyard and sample some white wines. We enjoyed most all of the wines and bought an array of them to take home with us. We bought ourselves a bottle of the Estate Argyros Cuvee Monsignori Santorini which is from their 200 year old vines growing in old volcanic soil! FUN. We’re going to let this bottle age and drink it on one of our anniversaries. First? Fifth? Tenth anniversary?! Our patience will reveal.

Went to another beach after that! Took a lil wine nap in the sun. Scott also got his saltwater fix.

We went out to eat a small late lunch before heading to the lighthouse for sunset. We got more octopus - scrumptious! I think I have a thing for octopus, even though I think about the Netflix documentary (as mentioned before) the whole time I eat it. I feel bad but it tastes good…the curse of being a carnivore. This time our octopus was served in fava bean dip which is very unique on the island of Santorini in that the fava bean grows in the volcanic rock of the island.

Sunset at the lighthouse was epic. I was initially bummed that so many people were there but once we were all seated it felt kind of like a drive-in movie theater except all of us were there for the world and not a screen. We sat and watched and had the perfect clouds for what would be the best looking sunset of the whole trip. When the last bit of light dipped below the horizon everyone clapped. Something about sharing this moment with a bunch of strangers all on the same page was really sweet.

ALRIGHT FOLKS, hopefully it didn’t read like I was rushing through because I kind of was…I really wanted to get to the part of this day where we went out to eat at a highly rated Michelin star restaurant because it was nuts. In good ways, bad ways, and in between ways. Let’s go:

“Selene, with its 36 years of history, has been acknowledged as a gastronomic and cultural landmark of Santorini for defining and constantly reinventing Contemporary Greek & Cycladic Cuisine.

Led by Michelin-star rated Ettore Botrini, the most important Greek Chef of our time, Selene is entering its brightest phase yet.”

First of all, we got ready. Scott wore the same dress shoes he wore at our wedding. He also wore a cute white linen shirt and pants that fit a smidge tighter, which I love. He looked hot. I wore a coral (brownish?) dress that Scott had picked out at one of the shops we visited here. He’s officially in charge of shopping for me because somehow he finds things I don’t look at and they’re always great!

We arrive at Selene. We have no idea if we’re in the right place but the hostess says we are and she walks us through some pretty hallways with weird stairs into an open courtyard where the tables were. We found out the restaurant is in an old monastery which is what makes it so unique. Also just being surrounded by fancy people instantly makes a space feel more fancy which probably influences it looking more fancy. OH! The hostess also checked our table and chairs with a little blacklight which added to the experience. It was very clean.

We were like fish out of water so when one of the many waiters asked us what we’d like we panic-ordered rum cocktails. This would later be an error but we needed to buy time to look at the menu and situate. This is relatable, right? We’re not the only people who panic-order when we aren’t sure what to do yet?

We ordered a ten course meal (The Eclipse) where the chef chooses everything. We did the wine tasting that paired with it. The wine tasting had HEALTHY pours which means we each had five fat glasses of wine to follow our rum drinks with. Perhaps a contributor to the uncomfortable fullness we each felt around course number six or seven but don’t let me get ahead of myself here…

Course one was like dessert but not dessert at all. We got macaroons with dill pickles in them? And another thing I couldn’t even begin to describe but it was fruitier and yummy.

They brought out a whole herring on a decorated plate and told us about the Greek history of the herring and how the next dish we were about to be served is a culmination of that greek heritage made into a new form. Then they left with it and said they’d bring it back. They did this a few times, showed us what we’d be eating and then left to prepare it. This was fun except every time they brought it back it was a completely different thing. The herring dish came back as a soup. It was warm everywhere but in the middle of the warmth was a ball of cold….ICE CREAM?!?! We ate it, laughing about the cold and why there was ice cream and how we thought we might like it but truly couldn’t tell. Turns out the ice cream was the herring! Michelin rated chefs are oddballs huh.

We got a zucchini pie dish early on. I loved this one! And we were impressed with the slice job of the zucchinis - so precise and thin!

We got swordfish carpaccio with… MORE ICE CREAM (hahahaha) but this time it was actually sorbet and not fishcream (I think). The fish was all fishy which seems silly to write that we didn’t love how something could taste like what it is but it’s true, fishy fish just isn’t ideal! It was yummy, but not our favorite.

Like I said, somewhere around 6-8 courses we were FEELING IT. I was drunk. Scott didn’t want me to be seen ignoring the wine pours so he drank both our glasses on a couple occasions. We were filled to the brim with food, drink, and laughs.

We slowed down a bit toward the end - which was like 2.5 hours in - and realized that even though it would be a three hour dinner we were still somehow eating way faster than everyone else. What even IS this life?! We need to work on our 4-5-hour-ten-course-meal endurance. Toward the end we recapped on it all and had a nice time being happy and overly full together. I love these moments where we have bursts of presence because we know we’re creating unforgettable memories. This whole dinner was like that. And even though we were so full we couldn’t even stomach breakfast the next day this was one of the more memorable snippets for us!

I think that pretty much closes out this day! In true Scott fashion, we somehow did one million activities with ease and accomplished in a day what many tourists probably spend a week getting to.

XOXOXOX

October 4th - Ferry Back to Athens

Not much to say here because we spent the entire day traveling! This was our longest ferry day — about five hours — with some additional driving on top of that. The ferry was no big deal for me. I slept most of it. Not sure if Scott did or not, but I do know he ate some snacks because he left me some baklava to wake up to which was mega sweet.

When we arrived we were in stand still traffic for…an hour? Maybe less but it felt like more. By the time we got to the new hotel it was dark out!

The room was nice and spacious and ALSO had a cute pool! We didn’t know what the view was until the morning.

XOXOX

October 5th - Temple of Poseidon and beach day at EverEden resort

The last day ahhhh!!! I didn’t think I’d ever reach the point where I’d be ready to go home but this truly did feel like a perfect day to end on. We were both feeling ready to wrap up our time and get back to little Lucy and our comfy home.

Our adventure on this day was to see the Temple of Poseidon. We weren’t sure if this would be busy and touristy or if the remains would have scaffolding all over them like the Acropolis so we dove in without any huge expectations.

It was….

Awesome!

We were able to get a close look of how the tall pillars were actually assembled. I’ll never stop being impressed with how people in the earliest times were able to build such massive structures without machines to help. There were paths with more ruins all over the vicinity so we walked around for awhile looking around. One of the little information podiums had a visual of what the city may have looked like when it was thriving. This was SUPER helpful and gave us a better idea of what were looking at. It also turned up the awe factor. There were old houses where we could see what might have been little gutters for moving water into whatever water/drainage-system they had. There was a cooking area in one house (or so we think!) with a shallow bowl and a rock for smashing things up. We could see the different time periods in the rocks. The first people built using marble and the people who came next made repairs with limestone and marble. Not sure if I got the order of the rocks correct but you get the idea!

Some of the old marble blocks on the ground were roped off because tourists were carving their names and dates into them. We could see names from the 1800’s! History on history on history.

We spent the afternoon hanging out at the hotels beach which was really pleasant and less gusty than Santorini. We tried playing paddle ball, which Scott had bought in Paros. It’s just paddles and a tennis ball and you try to volley for as long as possible. Not very exhilarating, but fun and easy to do on vacation! We only played for a short time since the grass wasn’t soft and the beach was too rocky.

After the beach we went and hung out at our private pool. This is where I worked hard to win over “Paco” the tiny cat who had been visiting us since the night we arrived. He was thin and nervous and would always come when we called but hiss at us if we walked toward him. He didn’t let us touch him at all.

Scott got to enjoy his cigar (I tasted it too!) and we had some wine. The best part? Paco let me pet him!!!!! It took some food bribing but still! We bonded! He just needed some slow moving love and a snack. Didn’t we all need that at first?!

For dinner Scott drove us to a restaurant one of the waiters at the beach had recommended. Apparently Scott asked his famous recommendation questions while paying the bill (this explains why it took so long!) and, yet again, it paid off! We ate at a spot owned by the waiters Uncle. We told him to give us what he thought we should try so he brought out bread, tzatziki, greek salad, fried feta and honey, lamb, sheep, feta stuffed burger, and so many fries. It was way too much but HOLY HECK THE LAMB AND SHEEP. Mouth watering. I wanted to eat the BONES it was all so good. I ate most of those plates..sorry, Scott.

After this dinner we were officially stuffed! We went back to our spot and I think we watched a movie??? I forget! I was too busy thinking about how this was the end of our HONEYMOON and we absolutely crushed it. We made the most of every day, got along the whole time, were always supportive of each other, etc. Reason # 298374 why I love Scott and our whole relationship.

This was better than I ever could have imagined. I think that’s the theme of everything. Our wedding was the same. I knew it would be good but THAT good?? I knew this trip would be good but THIS good?? Yes..yes it was. And we’ve the photos to prove it (…also the weight gain but worth it).

XOXOX