Santorini, Greece - Part 1

We had another early morning today. We were on our way by 6:20 to head to the ferry. It was a 4 1/2 hour ferry ride from Athens to Santorini. When we arrived, we were met by a driver, who took us and a few other people to the town of Oia. A wonderful man named Vasily met us at the van and brought us to Nina's House, the name of our cave house. He carried both of our suitcases the whole way, in 30+ heat, up and down many stairs. The stairs here are very rough and uneven, making it hard on the knees to walk them. Glad we didn't have to carry our heavy suitcases as well!

Oh. My. Word. It is incredibly beautiful here! We have the most amazing view of the Aegean Sea and the Calderra (formations left behind by past volcanic eruptions) from our doorstep. The little white buildings with their blue roofs are deservedly famous. We spent the afternoon walking, shopping and eating delicious Greek food.

We also had a new experience – we let little fish nibble at our feet! We were passing by the “Kissing Fish – Fish Spa Concepts”, and were intrigued. We went in and the people receiving treatment convinced us to try it. The little fish are called Garra Rufa, and they have no teeth. They somehow eat the dead skin off of your feet! It's supposed to help with circulation as well. It was an interesting sensation – it tingled. We were both a little nervous to do it, but enjoyed it in the end!

We've been told that the best sunsets in the world are seen here, so we'll check that out tonight.

We are planning a relaxing day tomorrow – we've had a couple of busy days and early mornings!

(bought a new adapter today, so pics are up!)

Athens, Greece

We arrived safe and tired this afternoon in Athens.  We had to leave our place in Positano at 6:00 am, had a hired driver take us to Sorrento, got on a train to Naples, switched trains in Naples, arrived in Rome, got on another train to the airport, flew to Athens, took a taxi to our apartment, and finally arrived at our apartment around 6:00.  Whew!  This travelling business is tiring!  We were a little nervous about missing our flight to Athens, but everything worked out beautifully.

We are only in Athens for this one night.  Our apartment is nice, and it's very close to the Acropolis.  We went to see it, although it's hard to see from the road.  Lots of trees surrounding it.  We found a great restaurant for supper and ate authentic Greek food.  Yum!  We are leaving early tomorrow morning to catch a ferry to Santorini.  Can't wait!

I managed to break my plug adaptor, so the pictures on the blog will have to wait until I can buy another one.  Uploading pics uses a lot of battery juice!  I'll get around to it as soon as possible!

Positano, Italy - Part 2

Today was our last full day in Italy, and we spent most of it on the water!  We took a ferry to the Island of Capri.  We wanted to see the Blue Grotto so we decided to take a boat tour around the island.  We saw the Coral Grotto, White Grotto, Green Grotto and finally the Blue Grotto.  They were all gorgeous.  

The other grottos are visible from the boat, but the Blue Grotto is inside a cave.  When we arrived, our boat stopped and several row boats came to bring us inside the cave.  The opening is so small, you have to lie down in the boat so you don't hit your head.  Quite an adventure!  The Blue Grotto is visually stunning.  The water in the cave is actually glowing an electric blue.  Incredible!

We took the ferry back to Positano, did some shopping, and took our last terrifying bus ride along the Amalfi coast.  Not sorry we don't have to do that again!

We have to leave EARLY tomorrow morning in order to catch our plane in Rome to Athens.  The bus doesn't run as early as we need to leave, so our host ordered a taxi for us to take us to the train station in Sorrento.  We have to take 2 trains to get to Rome, and then make our way to the airport to catch our flight.  Hopefully everything is on time!

Ciao, Italy!  We thank you for 15 amazing days! 

Positano, Italy - Part 1

We arrived in Positano, on the Amalfi coast, yesterday afternoon. We are actually staying in Nocelle, which is a small community, literally clinging to the sides of the cliffs above Positano. We had to take 2 trains and 2 busses to get here. It took about 5 hours to get here from Rome, not because of distance, but because the roads are insane. Narrow and winding. The bus driver has to honk his horn when he drives around a corner to warn oncoming traffic, because there is not room for 2 vehicles to pass one another for most of the way. We met several vehicles on the road, and they had to back up to a point where they could pull off and let the bus pass. It was absolutely terrifying.

We arrived at our bus stop, and weren't sure how to get to Villa Sofia. We found a sign to the Villa, and a very nice local woman whipped out her cell phone and called for us. She didn't speak any English, but she was incredibly helpful. Our host, Luciana, came to meet us 5 minutes later and put our luggage on a 'lift', which is like a mini cable-car. So the luggage got a ride, and we got to walk all 291 steps to the Villa.

Our first night were in a smaller place without air conditioning (have I mentioned how hot it is here??), but now we are in 'Paradise' (the name of our new apartment). We have lots of space, and the very important air conditioning.

Last night Luciana suggested a restaurant to us. The restaurant provides a free shuttle service to the places 'on the rocks'. We only needed to climb the 291 steps, and we were picked up and brought to the stunning Ristorante Scirocco. The man who picked us up was the son of the owner, Antonio. Antonio was waiting for us at the entrance to the restaurant and welcomed us warmly. He was so hospitable and encouraged us to make ourselves at home. We had a fabulous dinner, with a stunning view. He threw in a number of 'freebies', including heart-shaped watermelon for dessert, and insisted on us having Limoncello. It was a wonderful evening.

Today we spent at the beach in Positano. Luciana told us we could walk down the 2,000 (!!!) steps to get there, or we could take the terrifying bus ride again. We figured we'd rather die on the bus than die on step 1,500, so we braved the bus. And survived. :-) We rented a couple of lounge chairs because the beach had no sand. It's only rocks. We haven't seen a beach with sand yet. It was way too hot in the sun, so we stayed in the shade all day (except for quick dips in the water). We somehow still managed to get some sun. We both needed the rest and relaxation and enjoyed it immensely!

Rome, Italy - Part 4

We started the morning by seeking out the Pantheon again, in order to go inside.  It was nice to not have to wait in line for an attraction that we wanted to see.  It was also free!  Bonus.  This building was founded by Agrippa before the time of Christ.  Unreal!  It was re-built in the year 118, and converted to a church in 608.  Hard to believe!  The tombs of the Kings of Italy and the painter, Raphael, are housed there.

We spent some time at a large market, Campo de Fiori.  I wasn't feeling well (I've come down with a nasty cold), so mom went to the Piazza del Popolo (lots of beautiful statues and fountains) and Castel Sant 'Angelo on her own while I rested.  The Castel was built in year 138.

We very much enjoyed our time in Rome.  We hope to be back one day!

Rome, Italy - Part 3

Another blistering hot day in Rome. We know we shouldn't complain about the weather, but it has definitely slowed our sight-seeing down. It's impossible to walk around outside all day in that kind of heat. We are making the best of it, however, and we went to see some ruins today.

We started off with the Colosseum. We took the metro, and were shocked when we stepped out of the metro station and the Colosseum was looming right over us. It's hard to fathom how old the building is when it is surrounded by more modern things, like the metro. It's amazing how much of the building is still intact after almost 2000 years. We went inside and enjoyed wandering about the ruins.

We went across the street to the Palatino, another set of ruins. While it was very interesting, at some point one ruin does start to look like another. :-)

We spent this evening with a dear friend of ours, Ernesto. He lives here in Rome. He took us to a fantastic restaurant for dinner, and then showed us some sights. We saw the Pantheon at night, Piazza Navona and he took us to a place that overlooked the city. It was so great to connect with him again! It was also wonderful to have a local man show us some things we wouldn't have found on our own. Grazie, Ernesto!

Rome, Italy - Part 2

Vatican Day!  The Vatican has been at the very top of my travel wish list for a long time.  To actually be there and see it in person was incredible.  A dream come true!  

We walked up to the walls of the Vatican (a 2 minute walk from our apartment), and were quickly offered a 'skip the line' guided tour.  You pay quite a bit more than the normal admission fee, but you don't have to stand in the crazy line up.  After seeing how long the line was, and feeling how hot the sun was, we decided to go for it.  One of the best decisions we made so far!  We had a guide and were connected to her through an audio system.  She led us through the Vatican Museum, ending with the Sistine Chapel.  What an amazing moment, to stand under that historical and beautiful ceiling.  

The tour ended, and we went on our own inside St. Peter's Basilica.  Such a massive and gorgeous building.  We couldn't miss the opportunity to go up the dome, so we hiked up all 320 steps to the top!  We did take the elevator to by-pass the first steps - otherwise it would have been 551!  The view of St. Peter's Square from up there is perfect.

After spending some time in St. Peter's Square, we decided that we had the energy to see some more sights.  We took the metro (subway) and found the Trevi Fountain. It was super crowded, but we both muscled our way to the front to make a wish.  :-)

We also saw The Spanish Steps.  I guess we figured we hadn't climbed up enough steps for the day, so we did those too.  Only 138.  Legs are a little shaky tonight!

What a perfect day of seeing perfect sights.  Hearts are full.