[Italy 2015 Trip Report] Day in Tivoli

Tivoli was one of my optional excursions in case I got bored in Rome, but it turned out I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. I also had the best lunch & best dinner on this last day, which ended the trip on a good note.

Sights visited: Hadrian's Villa, Villa d'Este

[Italy 2015 Trip Report] Reckless Amalfi

Amalfi Coast as a day trip from Rome is a very popular question on travel forums, because so many visitors to Italy are tight on time and still want to see everything. Is it doable? Yes. Would I recommend it? Hell no, and nobody should. Is it reckless? Definitely!

Sights visited: Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello (sort of but not really)

[Italy 2015 Trip Report] Soccer Fangirl in Rome

The main reason for my second Italy visit was to see Miroslav Klose in person before he retires. After months of planning and anticipation, I failed to do what I set out to do because of a series of unfortunate events. It was a heartbreaking experience, but I feel like I should write things as it.

Sights visited: Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, Stadio Olimpico, National Roman Museum, Centro Sportivo Formello

[Italy 2015 Trip Report] Cinque Terre is made for Hiking

Cinque Terre has a big name, and many people travel far to see these five villages along the Ligurian coast, lured by the many beautiful photos. What very few people mention was that these photos were taken from the trails, and it's a shame that so many visitors only used the train and missed out on the best views.

Sights visited: Manarola, Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia,  the Blue Path (SVA#2), Riomaggiore

[Italy 2015 Trip Report] Return to Rome

In my Italy trip report three years ago, I concluded that I would love to return to Italy. What I didn't anticipate was that I returned so soon! Apparently 5 cents were all I needed for the Trevi Fountain to work its magic.

Sights visited: Baths of Caracalla, Church of Domine Quo Vadis (Appian Way), Trevestere, Quattro Fontane, Borghese Gallery, Museo dell'Ara Pacis, Mausoleum of Augustus

[Greece 2015 Trip Report] Delphi and Goodbye Greece

The last segment of our Greece holiday was the drive back to Athens and stopping by Delphi on the way. We finished all my planned itinerary, so we had time to see some lovely, less traveled towns and a bonus visit to Cape Sounion.

Sights visited: Gravia, Delphi, Arachova, Chaeronea, Livadia, Athens (Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Lycabettus Hill), Cape Sounion

[Greece 2015 Trip Report] Rocky Pinnacles of Meteora

Meteora is a good five-hour drive from Athens, but it was a sight that needed to be seen to be believed! I seem to have a thing for architecture perched high above grounds and incorporated into rocky pillars (who doesn't?). A close second to Santorini, this would definitely be on my list of Greece's not to be missed.

Sights visited: Thermopylae, Meteora

[Greece 2015 Trip Report] Milos by Boat & Moto

Milos is spoilt for choices when it comes to beaches and boasts some amazing sceneries because of its unique geology. To fully appreciate the island, a self-drive tour and a boat tour are two activities not to be missed.

Sights visited: Excellent Yachting southern Milos boat tour (Provatas, Gerakas, Kleftiko, Tsigrado), Klima, Mandrakia, Sarakiniko

[Greece 2015 Trip Report] The Unspoilt Milos

Milos was my "unpopular" island of choice when it came down to choosing two Greek Islands to focus on, and it exceeded all my expectations. It has the Cycladic charm with the white houses, windmills and villages perched on hills, but without the crowds.

Sights visited: Tripiti, Plaka

[Greece 2015 Trip Report] Santorini Off the Beaten Path

Oia and its acclaimed "World's most beautiful sunset" made it the most popular town on Santorini. However, the island has other options to escape the crowd and also, in my honest opinion, better sunset spots. 

Sights visited: Fira-Oia walk, Megalochori (Agios Nikolaos hiking path, Gavalas Winery)

[Greece 2015 Trip Report] Santorini's Prettiest Oia

Santorini is probably the most crowded and expensive Greek island, but justifiably so. It was the undisputed highlight of the trip. Oia, the claimed most beautiful town of the island, was out of this world.

Sights visited: Oia town, Oia Castle, Amoudi Bay

[Greece 2015 Trip Report] Cruise Island Hopping 3

The last two port of calls of our cruise experience were Rhodes and Heraklion (Crete). Rhodes was kind of a wash, but I really enjoyed the latter. I felt unjustified to say I've been to Crete for merely visiting the Knossos ruins, but gladly crossed it off my bucket list.

Sights visited: Rhodes (Medieval old town, Archeological Museum, Street of the Knights, Palace of Grand Masters), Knossos

[Greece 2015 Trip Report] Cruise Island Hopping 2

The cruise stopped at five port of calls in total within four days, and each stop were few hours long. While we only scratched the surface of these islands, I was glad to have the chance to see even a little bit of Mykonos and Patmos.

Sights visited: Mykonos (old town), Patmos (Apocalypse Grotto, St.John Monastery), Kusadasi

[Greece 2015 Trip Report] Cruise Island Hopping 1

As much as I love traveling, I have never done a cruise! The lack of freedom in choosing my own itinerary and traveling with thousands of other passengers sound like a nightmare. I finally had my first cruise experience in Greece, and it wasn't half bad.

Sights visits: the Celestyal Olympia ship

[Greece 2015 Trip Report] Argolis the Classical Tour

Argolis is a region west of Athens, and is scattered with numerous ancient ruins registered as UNESCO heritage sites. Mainland Greece is often overlooked by tourists, but history buffs cannot miss out on these important classical monuments.

Sights visited: Corinth Canal, Ancient Corinth, Ancient Mycenae, Nafplio, Epidaurus

[Greece 2015 Trip Report] The Gateway that is Athens

For a Classical history fangirl, I've sat on the idea of visiting Greece for decades, and on 2015, it finally became reality. For first time visitors to Greece, Athens is pretty much fixated on the itinerary as the entry/exit point. While I side with the popular opinion of leaving minimal time for this city and more time for the rest of Greece, there were still several cool places I find very worthwhile.

Sights visited: Panathenaic Stadium, New Acropolis Museum, National Archeological Museum, Acropolis, Temple of Olympian Zeus.