Santorini Sunsets Are Not to be Missed

Magic to the eyes every night.....

Santorini, Greece

It took only two and a half hours on a "fast" ferry from Mykonos to dock up on the mystical island of Santorini. Getting on and off the ferry was a cattle call to say the least, but with a little bit of patience we could not help but laugh about the chaotic handling of luggage and people exiting the vessel every which way, trying to locate their suitcase that miraculously appears at the port after being thrown on the deck of a moving boat (literally) .

After arriving at the quaint, family-run Dream hotel in Fira (Santorini's main town) we dropped our bags and strolled to the central square. Fira sits atop a mountain overlooking the Agean Sea, covered with typical Grecian style hotels, shops, restaurants and bars. A few more steps into town and all of a sudden we were standing atop the Caldera witnessing the most stunning sunset. Then we enjoyed the view and a bite to eat with Cristina, our new found friend from San Francisco!

The following day we ventured via bus to Perissa on the other side of the island, a black sand beach that sits below a rocky cliff. The bus ride was eventful; surprisingly there were no chickens as you would have assumed by the looks of our ride but lots of people and little breeze. Some things are just worth it!

Mykonos, Greece

Its official....we finally arrived in the Greek Islands! First stop Mykonos. Such a divine place to visit. The landscape is filled with whitewashed buildings, accents of blue and turquoise doors, window frames and roofs and touches of the most brilliant Bogenvilla. The town of Mykonos has so much to offer! Tons of local shops, great eateries and an energetic, inviting atmosphere.

Our second night in town we did it up with a fancy din din, delicious bottle of local wine and participated in the infamous Mykonos nightlife. We loved every minute of it, dancing to old school jams like Aretha, James and even Tom Jones! Fan-freaking-tastic!!

Oh and we can not forget about Pedro the Pelican. Pedro has been part of the Mykonos scene since the 1950's. He was rescued by a local man and eventually set back to the wild but decided that Mykonos was so amazing he would make it his new home! Smart pelican - we contemplated doing the same. Strolling the streets with him as he soaks up the attention and attempts to blend with the crowd was quite enjoyable.

Athens: Short and Sweet

As soon as we arrived in Greece there was a different feel in the air. The people were kind, the food delicious, the history palpable and energy soulful. Since we only had 1 day in Athens we consumed our time with the basics, starting with the acropolis and its surrounding ruins. The views from atop were spectacular.

There are several stray dogs (with collars) laying and strolling around the acropolis. We couldn't help but wonder what their story was so we asked around and of course later "googled it". They are stray and they do reside there, but all are well taken care of by the local people of Athens. If you feel like googling "stray dogs of the acropolis" its quite an interesting scoop.

After some site seeing we meandered around the streets exploring the old city dropping into shops (each purchasing a hand made tapestry as seen to the left) and sipping frappes! Frappe - the greek version of an iced coffee - it is confirmed that this will be a daily activity for the next 12 days! Looking forward to the islands.....

When In Rome...Shira Style

There is so much to say about Rome; its hard to know where to start. For me (Shira that is) it was four jam packed days of sight seeing! Our time in Rome overlapped with Penny, an old time family-friend. It was her first time there as well so we set out to see a handful of the sights together. How cool to rendevux in Rome with Penny. It was a pleasure! Of all the amazing places we saw, there are a few that truly stand out:

1) The Colloseum - it is a wowzer! As soon as I walked in I could imagine everything covered in marble, the seats filled with people and the gladiators fighting for their lives against great beasts. Needless to say I used my imagination, it is quite impressive!

2) St. Peters Basillica - this is by far the largest church I have ever been in (obviously). The ceilings seem to practically touch the sky and there is gold everywhere. It seemed to go on forever. I was blown away at the beauty and grandeur that was oozing out of every inch.

3) Sistine Chapel - after winding through what seemed like miles of the Vatican Museum, Penny and I finally found ourselves entering the Sistine Chapel. Michael Angelo' ceiling was incredible and I stood with hundreds of other people stairing up at it for as long as I could.

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Tuscany Pics

The Beauty of Tuscany

A Poem by Shira:

The sky meets the earth with an explosion of green rolling hills that flow into infinity. The wind blowing gently through the fields of grapes, olive trees, red poppies, lavender, oregano and oak trees, is like breath giving life to all that surrounds you. You drink the wine, you eat the olive oil, you feel the breath in every sip and every bite. You are more alive then you ever have been, accepting you have no choice but to indulge and bask in the beauty that is Tuscany.