My love for Rome is unending! Within a day of visiting I had fallen in love with the magical city. Everywhere you look, there is something beautiful to see. We travelled to the Vatican via the metro.... where a middle aged lady on her way to work unzipped my backpack and stuffed her hand in it!! So that was interesting..... We spent a day exploring Vatican city which was magic! We had a guide so we could learn and understand what we were seeing which gave a new meaning to the place. I have no idea how they can retain so much information! The Vatican Museums were truly beautiful. The walls and ceiling were so beautiful and covered in exquisite paintings. There were so many interesting rooms to see - sculptures, paintings and tapestries. Inside the Vatican museums there were literally 1000's of people which resulted in it being extremely hot, despite this It was still an extremely beautiful place to see and it is obvious as to why it is so busy! We spent some time exploring the gardens which were really beautiful and green. There are some beautiful buildings that you can see and a lovely view of St. Peter's Basilica! We then went to the Sistine Chapel, which is famous for the magical ceiling painted by Michelangelo. It took him 4 years to paint which is unbelievable! You unfortunately can't take photos in there and there are guards everywhere keeping a close eye on everyone. You also had to be silent, and it created a beautiful ambience. I saw the famous scenes such as 'the kiss', which represents the separation between humans and God, and the Cardinal depicted as the Devil. We learnt about it from the guide, look it up! St. Peter's Basilica was unbelievable. It was so big! I can't believe how long ago it was built, the people were so talented! We then went to the main square, which was so beautiful. We had delicious gelato for lunch, very healthy! It is definitely worthwhile to take a stroll in the area. We went to Castel St' D'angelo which had stunning views of the Vatican. We also got to see the beautiful bridge of angels! There was a Bulgari fashion museum in the middle of the ancient castle which was strange but beautiful... only in Italy! What a wonderful day! Stay tuned for more Italy posts soon!
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Oh Santorini.... The three days we spent there were so special. I will never forget this magical island! We went to Kamari beach which is very similar to Perissa beach (see past blog) and had a beautiful swim. We had lunch around there before going back to Thira and heading to town. We walked around more, shopped more, and admired the stunning view and of course the cruise ships! We then caught the bus to Oia, originally planning to watch the sunset. It was beautiful, but extremely busy and personally I feel it is a little over rated. So we headed back to Thira to watch the sunset and it was so so so special. We sat at a cafe with the most incredible view and watched the ships sail out and the sun set. It was a truly magical atmosphere. As soon as the last speck of sun disappeared under the horizon- everyone started clapping. It was spectacular. I will never ever forget that night. There was a gorgeous bird flying around and dipping in the sky and it was beautiful. Going to sleep was very sad, because we knew we were leaving the next night. This holiday was a magical journey and I will never forget the memories I made here. Goodnight Greece <3
The three words to describe Santorini are; picturesque, serene and magical. It is honestly hard to believe that such an incredible place exists. Just look at it! We arrived by Ferry which was beautiful. Sailing in was surreal; seeing the caldera with all of the white buildings on the top! There were numerous gorgeous ships parked which made me very excited!! we found our hotel which was only a short bus ride from the hill. When we arrived, we went straight up the top and had a coffee overlooking the magical view of the Caldera. I could have sat there all day. The shopping was AMAZING!! I brought 5 pairs of stunning shoes and a gorgeous dress. Everything was super cheap and I loved it. We had a delicious dinner under the bougainvilleas which was a truly beautiful setting. We then looked around a but more before going back to our hotel.
The next day we went to Perissa beach which was so different from any of the other beaches we have been to but so beautiful. The sand was black and there were volcanic rocks all around. It was a great swim. Santorini is certainly an incredible place. Paros is so beautiful. It has such a different vibe to the other Greek Islands, it is so relaxing and peaceful. It almost feels like a seaside town you go to for family holidays and I love it. We went to a beautiful town called Naoussa. It is so special walking through the little streets with the stunning bougainvilleas everywhere you look. There were some great shops and I bought some fabulous sparkly pink slides! After spending some time there we went home to Aliki for dinner. It was so lovely eating delicious Greek cuisine by the water watching a radiant sunset. After dinner we went back to our little house and watched an old Greek movie that was on TV. My Yai Yai loved it and was singing along to all of the songs and commentating the movie for us as we don't speak Greek and it was so special. The next day we went to a beautiful beach called Piso Lavadi and had a beautiful swim. The water was stunning like everywhere else on the island! It was hilarious because a monster wave came and wet everything on the sand and everyone was running and trying to move their things. It was great. We then went to the port town and did some more shopping. It was also very beautiful. We watched a beautiful sunset while eating ice cream on the beach, which was the perfect way to end our time in Paros. Oh and ps. there are so many cute cats here and I love them. I feed them all. I don't want to leave them behind! We arrived at the beautiful Greek Island of Paros yesterday by ferry and just enjoyed a nice night in Aliki; the seaside village where we are staying. It is a lot quieter than Mykonos but is so special! Today we set off early for a 3 and a half hour boat trip with 'Rofos boat tours' and it was magical. We went to three gorgeous swimming spots and had the most wonderful time. The first spot was my favourite. The water was crystal clear and you could see everything. It was one of the most incredible shades of blue I have ever seen! We had a blast jumping off the side of the boat into the water, I fell off and have a hilarious video! The second spot was stunning as well. It was in a rocky area and it was marvellous, very unique! There was a little bit of snorkelling there but not much to see. The third spot was very similar to the first, light blue crystal clear water which was pure magic. This tour was one of the highlights of my entire trip. We had some refreshments on the boat and the crew were super friendly! It was a stunning day and I will always remember it!
Mykonos was such a beautiful place to visit. The sun was always shining and there were beautiful things around every corner. Mykonos is famous for it's beautiful beaches and crystal clear water, and they did not fail to impress! So we spent a day visiting some of the gorgeous beaches the island has to offer! The first beach we visited was 'Paradise Beach' which was beautiful! It was very busy but not overly crowded. It was a wonderful place to go to for a few hours! Deck chairs ranged from 15-30 euro to hire at all of the beaches so we only hired one once, but that didn't matter as we spent all of our time in the water! There were clubs set up on the beach and you can definitely imagine the parties that happen there at night time.
The second beach we went to was 'Paraga beach' which was even more serene than Paradise beach! It was not as busy and the beach had a more peaceful and relaxing feel to it. It was GORGEOUS! The water was such an incredible shade of blue and we had a magical swim there! There is a cafe on the beach where you can get drinks and ice cream etc. and nearby there is a really nice pool/bar area which you could go to! The final beach we visited was 'Platis Gialos'! It has been named the #1 beach in Mykonos and I can definitely tell why! All along the beach there were fantastic restaurants and the area was really happening. The restaurant we ate at 'Yialo Yialo' had amazing views of the ocean and I had a delicious chicken Gyros for lunch! Like the other beaches, the water was magnificent, such a stunning shade of blue and I could have stayed there all day. After our wonderful day spent at the beach, I enjoyed the wild drive back to our accomodation, especially coming face to face with a huge bus full of tourists! We then spent the afternoon at Little Venice but that will be the next post! Stay tuned! It was so sad to have to leave Athens - we had an incredible time exploring the city. But getting on the ferry to go to Mykonos was so exciting! The ferry ride was around 5 hours and I loved it!! It was CHAOS getting on and getting your bags sorted but once you got on the ferry you could relax and enjoy the trip! It was like a mini cruise ship - it was great. We went on Blue star ferries, I would definitely recommend them. I loved cruising into the island and seeing all of the cruise ships lined up.... ahhhh! When we got off it was steaming hot and we luckily found our hire car quickly and then headed to our accomodation. Driving in Mykonos was CRAZY but it was so much fun being a passenger!! The roads are steep and super small - You have to be so careful! I especially loved it when we came face to face with a huge bus and we couldn't get through and had to reverse! The island is so scenic and there are beautiful views all over. The buildings were all blue and white and were gorgeous to look at!
Our accomodation was amazing! We stayed at a complex with a pool and a private beach. Our little house for the 5 of us was beautiful - exactly what I pictured when I thought of Mykonos! There were gorgeous bougainvillea flowers surrounding it and we had a lovely little outdoor area to relax at. We then enjoyed a nice Greek dinner at the restaurant at the complex and went for a walk around the area! Stay tuned for posts about what we did during our time at the gorgeous island! Our second and third day in Athens were incredible! We spent a lot of time exploring the famous sights such as; The Olympic Stadium, Hadrian's Arch, The Plaka, National Gardens and The Parliament house. Athens was an incredible place to visit! Something very cool about our accomodation in the Plaka was that we could see the Parthenon from our balcony - it was awesome. We spent a lot of time shopping and looking around the Plaka. It was so beautiful! There were so many interesting shops to look at and food to eat. The Plaka is a must see place in Athens - I felt like I was having the real authentic Greek experience there!
We went to the Parliament house and saw the Tomb of the unkown soldier. We also watched the Changing of the Guard which occurs every hour which was amazing! They take their job so seriously and it was a very unique thing to be able to watch. We then took a walk through the national gardens which were beautiful! We sat down and had a cold drink at the garden cafe which was lovely surrounded by all of the greenery! We also went to the iconic Olympic Stadium on the hop on hop off bus! It was fantastic to go there and walk around the stadium for 5 euro. We walked down the long corridor and went to the museum which was very interesting - and air conditioned !!! We also went to Monastiraki square and saw the famous flea markets, the ruins of Hadrian's library and many other interesting things. We went to an AMAZING patisserie there called Cafe Veneti which I 100% recommend! Beautiful food and a gorgeous dining area! There was some great shops in the area which I enjoyed looking at! We then went to the Plaka for dinner - there are so many delicious Greek restaurants to choose from!! You are never short of food - and I can guarantee you that every restaurant will have delicious food! We then walked to Hadrian's arch and the Temple of Zeus which was another exciting historic place to see! I would love to go back to Athens some day, it is definitely a place everyone should visit once in their lifetime! As sad as I was to leave Cyprus, I was beyond excited to arrive in Athens, Greece! We only spent two full days in Athens, but we were able to see and experience so much in so little time. After we arrived and got settled in our very 'unique' air BnB... we went and found the hop on hop off bus and bought a 2 day pass and went straight to the Acropolis. First off I would like to say that the hop on hop off bus was a fantastic and affordable way to see Athens. It stopped at so many fantastic places and was much easier than getting taxis or driving everywhere!
I was so excited to be able to see the Acropolis and go to the Parthenon and see the Temple of the ancient goddess of war and wisdom 'Athena'. I had always had a huge interest in Greek Mythology so it was very exciting to be able to go. On our way up we saw the 'theatre of Dionysus' Which was incredible! The theatre was so beautiful and amazing to see. We then continued on our way up the hill and went up on the big rock and looked at the incredible view of Athens! I definitely recommend doing that as the view is amazing and you get a really great look at the entire structure of the parthenon. We then continued up to the Parthenon! IT WAS INCREDIBLE! The Parthenon was built in 448 BC, and was dedicated to Athena. It was incredible to see something so old that has so much history. We stayed for around an hour or two and looked around and marvelled in the sights around us. The temple of Athena was also beautiful and had statues of her built in the walls of the structure. The view from the top was also amazing. Athens is an incredible city. A TIP: Be sure to take lots of water, as it was unbelievably HOT and I got unbelievably thirsty! I had an amazing time visiting the Acropolis and I feel so lucky to have been able to visit it! Make sure to check back for more posts about Athens! FUN FACT: DO NOT PULL OUT A VOMIT BAG ON A PLANE UNTIL AFTER TAKE OFF!
I just arrived home from a magical 3 week holiday in Cyprus and The Greek Islands. Flying from AUSTRALIA to EUROPE is a very long trip and we knew it was going to be long, tiring and maybe have a few hiccups along the way - never did we think that getting kicked off the plane would be an issue for us! Arriving in Perth was very exciting! It meant that we only had two more long flights to go before finally arriving in Cyprus! Our flight from Brisbane to Perth was approximately 5 hours. Not too bad - but it had still been a long day. We had a six hour stop in Perth so we went out for dinner and spent a little bit of time in town before heading back to the airport. It was late at night and we still had 3 hours before our 11 hour flight en route to Cyprus, so my brother fell asleep. He was in a deep sleep when we woke him up to get on our plane. Walking to the plane he was like a zombie; overtired, dizzy and a bit confused. When we finally boarded the flight - he pulled out a vomit bag FOR JUST IN CASE saying that he felt a bit funny. He was still half asleep and zombie like so we knew that he wasn't actually going to throw up. This is when it all went sour! An Air hostess spotted my brother and came and asked if everything was ok. We said it was and explained the circumstances. My brother said "No, I am fine" to all of the questions they asked about his 'sickness'. I was already watching a movie, my grandma was asleep and we were relaxing on the plane. About 5 minutes later with barely any consultation, the air hostess came back and declared "The medical team has declared you unfit to fly," "I'm sorry?" "you have to get off the plane." We told her that he had been feeling funny for the last 10 minutes, that we had been flying all day, that it was 1:00AM in the morning but it was too late; our suitcases had already been taken off the plane! We got escorted off the plane (VERY EMBARRASSING) and through customs and then the lady told us "Your bags are waiting downstairs," "then what?" "Umm.. you just leave!" "THATS IT? You just kicked us off a plane with barely any consultation with the adults, when my son isn't even sick! We have connecting flights, and why inconvenience all 5 of us and not just take 2 of us off?" We were very angry! How many times had we seen people vomiting in airports - even boarding planes in a wheelchair because they couldn't walk from being so sick but not get kicked off the plane? So how come a young boy who was overtired got kicked off a plane? We ended up talking to the boss who could see that it was definitely an over reaction and that my brother was not sick and he rebooked us on the same flights the following night and gave us the BEST SEATS IN ECONOMY, with no extra charge! So there we were in Perth arriving at a country comfit inn at 1:30AM in the morning, with a perfectly healthy child after being kicked off a plane. And by that time - the anger had worn off and all 5 of us were in hysterics! Oh well, it is a story to tell - and at least we can say we have been to Perth now! The past week in Cyprus was Incredible - and I cried many tears when I had to leave. I had such an incredible week meeting and seeing relatives again and seeing everything the gorgeous country had to offer! We managed to see so much of the country in the week we spent there. I will hopefully be back to visit the country again! Here is the video of my trip there; We had a fabulous day in Cyprus visiting the old traditional towns; Lefkara, Omodos and Laneia in Limassol. It was wonderful to be able to visit the traditional towns and see a bit of Cyprus's history in each of the towns. We firstly went to Laneia and saw how wine was made in the olden days. We also saw where shoes were made and were able to see what the village was like back in the day! It was a very beautiful town! We then went to Omodos and looked around the gorgeous village! We saw all the ladies making the lace tablecloths etc. which were absolutely beautiful! We looked around at all the shops with lots of beautiful, handmaid and traditional things to buy.
We then went to Limmasol and had a wonderful lunch on the marina along the water ..... more delicious Greek food! And I must add, Cyprus has the best frappes! Make sure to have a few if you ever go! We then went to the final village; Lefkara. We had a wonderful time there! We met up with some relatives and it was wonderful to see them again! I loved exploring this village. It was a very beautiful area with gorgeous cobblestone pavement and traditional buildings. Today was another incredible day in Cyprus. I don't want to leave! We were lucky enough to be able to spend a wonderful night in Troodos Mountains with some relatives of ours. Troodos was such a beautiful place to be able to visit! We had a beautiful 2 hour drive with some great stops along the way. We stopped at a few view points along the way - the mountains and countryside in Cyprus are so different to here in Australia! We also stopped at Katrina's sweet shop which had lots of delicious home made sweets and souvenirs. Once we arrived at our destination, we met up with our relatives and went for a beautiful rainforest walk to the Caledonia Falls which took around an hour! After that we went back to the house and had a nice lunch then headed off to look around the village. We had a wonderful frappe at a cafe with a beautiful view of the mountains and then went and saw an EXTREMELY old monastery from the 11th century! Troodos Mountains was such a scenic area - everywhere you looked there was something beautiful to see.
That night my cousin, brother and I walked to the 'unofficial tourist attraction' of Cyprus, The old and abandoned 'Hotel Berengaria' which was once for the rich and famous! It was awesome to go to at night time! It was super spooky and we went on the different levels and had an amazing time. The next morning we went to Kykkos Monastery which was very interesting and then had lunch. We then went back to the haunted hotel to have a better look in the daytime. We had an awesome time in Troodos mountains and I would love to go back there sometime. On our second day in Cyprus we spent the day in Aya Napa, the beach area of Cyprus. We hired a car for the week so we drove there ourselves. We had a fantastic day at the beautiful beaches! We first went and had a look at Cape Greco (the 3rd picture) which was GORGEOUS! The colour of the water was magic. We then went and swam at a really nice beach. I am not entirely sure what it was called but it was near Nissi. We had a great swim there and then went and had a really nice lunch at a taverna nearby! We then went to the most famous beach in Cyprus, Nissi Beach! The beach was beautiful and the weather was perfect so we had a beautiful swim and spent a few hours there. There were some parties going on in the clubs and music playing on different areas of the beach. I would have loved to spend more time at Aya Napa as it was a wonderful area - but we were so busy all week we never got a chance to go back. That night we went out for an another amazing dinner at a really beautiful Taverna with all of the family. We had delicious souvlaki, haloumi, dips and pita bread and so many other Greek delicacies. SO MUCH FOOD! We also went up a hill and looked at a gorgeous view of Cyprus which was beautiful. The first two days in Cyprus were so busy but wonderful! It was so exciting to see all of the family and get our first taste of Cyprus! Follow me on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube to see all of the gorgeous pictures/videos of my trips!
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