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Europe 2026
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Europe 2026

A 5 week trip to Greece, Italy, Belgium and England with David . Weiterlesen
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    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 City of Westminster, England
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    Day 28 Ghent

    Gestern in Belgien ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    A fantastic day exploring Ghent and relaxing. First off the maximum temperature was 25 degrees so very very pleasant. We again ate at the hotel before heading for the Belfry of Ghent. Rising 91 meters above the city center, the Belfry of Ghent is the tallest belfry in Belgium and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Located between St. Nicholas' Church and St. Bavo's Cathedral, it is famous for its 54-bell carillon and its iconic golden dragon mascot on the roof. The golden clock at the top is also beautiful and the ride up in the elevator takes you to the balcony just below it. After viewing the city from all sides we had to walk down a very narrow tricky spiral staircase. ( 350 steps). We then looked around the shops, many of which had sales on, before a light lunch on the banks of the river. After lunch we continued wandering the streets before going back for a rest and to organise our trip to London tomorrow. We then headed to the 6th floor of our hotel to the roof top bar which was very lively and packed, and enjoyed a pre- dinner drink. Tonight’s dinner was a lovely Belgium meal- meatballs and chicken croquettes, at a quaint little restaurant on the banks of the river. The walk back took us along some streets we had not seen and again there were many people out socialising. We have found the food in Ghent to be a little unusual and like everything here- very expensive. It is however a truly beautiful city and we would highly recommended the Yala hotel.Weiterlesen

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    Day 27 Ghent

    2. Juli in Belgien ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    A very relaxed day exploring Ghent. We got up late for a delicious breakfast at this lovely hotel. We then headed off to the historic centre of town where we boarded an open top boat for a 50 minute tour of the river and canals. There were several boats out and the tour took us down some beautiful parts of the city and under several bridges. The day was actually very grey and at times there was light drizzle until 1pm when the sun came out. While we have managed the heat of the last three weeks this was a welcome relief and we loved the 20-24 degree day. Ghent is also a lot quieter and less touristy than other places we have visited and very easy to get around. We stopped for a delicious wine and cheese board lunch before carrying on our sight seeing which included the most interesting and beautiful church yet. Saint Bavo's Cathedral, also known as Sint-Baafs Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral. The 89-metre-tall Gothic building is the seat of the Diocese of Ghent and is named for Saint Bavo of Ghent. It contains the well-known Ghent Altarpiece, also called the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb painted by Hubert van Eyck, We had paid for a digital augmented reality tour which really was amazing as it explained the masterpiece in detail using holograms. The artwork was truly spectacular when we finally saw it for real as was its history which had involved it being removed from the cathedral several times and it neatly being destroyed on occasions. We left the church and after a short break started our own beer tour. This wasn’t as easy as it seemed as we had wanted to have food at each stop but to our surprise found that most beer bars or houses only sell potato chips - if that. There were lots of people out having a drink but very few eating. As well three Belgium beers in three different bars wax enough and by 7 30 we really were looking for something more substantial to eat. We settled on a little restaurant where we ordered a delicious Belgium pork dish to share. We then walked back to our hotel for a relaxing last drink in the bar there. It really is a cool hotel with a great vibe downstairs and very friendly staff. We are loving Ghent and its similarity to Brugge is one of the reasons we are here as both are truly beautiful places to visit.Weiterlesen

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    Day 26 Bardolino to Ghent, Belgium.

    1. Juli in Belgien ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Not much to write about as our travelling day has been so exhausting. Am thinking that surely I’ve lost a couple of the kilos piled on from eating pasta and pasta for days, as have hardly eaten today and it feels like we’ve run a marathon! 6 45am walk to Bardolino bus, 7am 30 min bus to Peoshera Del Garda railway station, 5 minutes later board train for Milan station, 9 am taxi to Milan Linate airport, 10 am check in for 1pm flight to Brussels, plane arrives in Brussels 1 and half hour later, collected bags, went downstairs to catch regional train to Gent (very helpful staff again to assist with getting the ticket), left 5 minutes later. Just reading that makes me tired let alone the fact we were also hungry, thirsty, lugging bags and not losing things or eachother. But wait there is more- got taxi from Gent station to our accomodation to find the air conditioning has broken down and we are entitled to full refund. We therefore spent 30 minutes finding another hotel nearby. Well there is a silver lining. We dragged the suitcases yet another 10 minutes over uneven cobblestones to check in at a much nicer hotel. A little bit more expensive but worth every cent after today. Always knew today would be challenging but the end result truly is being in a lovely city now for the next three days.Weiterlesen

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    Day 25 Bardolino

    30. Juni in Italien ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C

    A fantastic sight seeing trip today. We took the regional bus to Malcesine which was an hour long very scenic drive along the side of Lake Garda. Apart from some beautiful little villages along the way there were also some gorgeous houses and hotels. The scenery is a little similar to Queenstown but older and with more character. Although a bit windy the lake was relatively calm and there were plenty of boats to be seen. At Malcesine township we boarded a huge cable car which carried about 45 people at one time. It climbed up the hill side and then we got out and climbed into another one for the second part of the climb. The cable car is famous for getting people up Mount Baldo at 1760 m of altitude while also rotating, giving everyone a 360 degree view. It was an amazing view and the temperature up there at 21 degrees was delicious. There were paths everywhere to walk to even higher points. There were two big restaurants and alpaca, sheep and cows with cowbells on ringing in the distance.
    After couple of hours up there we descended to the most beautiful town. Every corner was worth a photo and there were very interesting shops so we were reluctant to leave to catch the 5 pm bus back to Bardolino . We organised ourselves for tomorrow’s trip to Ghent and then had our last evening in this beautiful town at the best restaurant we have been to. This is definitely one of our favourite places.    Weiterlesen

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    Day 24 Bardolino

    29. Juni in Italien ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    Another beautiful day exploring this region. Set off to walk 5 .2 kms to Lazise at 9 15 am. A gorgeous lakeshore walk and nice to share some of it with the Andersons via FaceTime. We arrived in Lazise to find everything just opening up. We had a very healthy breakfast - fresh fruit and yoghurt before wandering the quiet peaceful streets and old fashioned shops. It also had an historical part complete with a wall. We then caught a regional bus which took us to Verona( 30 minute fast bus). After some lunch there we found the historical area which really was beautiful and there were fewer people than other cities we have visited. It included the remains of a large arena where they hold operas. The highlight was the Basilica of St Anastasia built by the Dominicans which would be of the most beautiful churches we have been in. We continued our walk around the historic area and down the river until 4 pm when we caught the bus all the way back to Bardolino( one hour). After a rest and much needed shower and water ( 36 degrees) we headed into town for dinner and a stroll along the water front which has basically been our routine every night we have been here. Things were quieter in town but still a lot of tourists around and people out for dinner and walks.Weiterlesen

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    Day 23 Bardolino

    28. Juni in Italien ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    We are now in one of the most beautiful spots of our holiday. The house we are are renting is fantastic and 5 minutes walk from town. The town itself is full of lovely shops and restaurants and of course a beatiful shoreline. Today we caught a huge ferry at 10am and travelled an hour across the lake to Sirmione. After stopping for a very “healthy “ morning tea we explored Castello Scaligero, the castle which is a spectacular, 14th-century fortress on Lake Garda. Built by the Della Scala family of Verona, it serves as the historic gateway to the peninsula. It really was amazing especially the view from the highest tower (yet more stairs! ) it was surrounded by a moat and there were beautiful views of the coast and town, which was very busy. We then wandered the streets and had a delicious light lunch of cod croquettes and clams. We boarded the ferry again for the return trip. Tonight we ate a pizza for dinner in town before a beautiful walk along the shore where we watched the sunset and talked to a guy from Belgium with a very cute labradoodle who lives here 4 months a year. At least tonight there was a delicious breeze which has cooled things down a little. Definitely think we are a bit more used to the heat as happy enough to be out and about in it as long as we have water and at some point a beer and Aperol Spritz. Not drinking much wine and not wearing any make up as it would only come off!Weiterlesen

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    Day 22 Florence to Bardolino

    27. Juni in Italien ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Another exhausting day but our early start and train trip were rewarded when we arrived in Bardolino. We enjoyed a last walk around and coffee in Florence before hauling the bags back down the 87 steps which we have come to dread. We then walked the 15 minutes to the train station but had a very hot hour wait for our train to Peschiera Del Garda. The train trip was pleasant though as we talked to a lovely young German couple. When we arrived at the station we still had a 30 minute taxi ride to Bardolino. We were greeted by our Air b N B host who showed us around the beautiful apartment which really is a home away from home. We were even given 2 bottles of wine and some snacks. We showered again as we were so hot and headed towards the lake. It is the most beautiful spot. The photos do not do justice to it as the colours of the mountains and water and surrounds are such a soft muted colour. By now it was 3 30 so we stopped for a much needed drink and bruschetta before wandering around the streets and shops of which there are lots more than expected. At this point it was relatively quiet and a lovely change from Florence. After a quick stop at a very average supermarket we headed back for a rest. When we walked back into town (about 500m ) at 7 30 we were very surprised to find how busy it all was. The waterfront itself was full of people, including a clever busker on a violin. We can’t wait to explore this area tomorrow but unfortunately it’s no cooler than the days in Florence- just hot everywhere!Weiterlesen

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    Day 21 Florence

    26. Juni in Italien ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C

    A lovely day spent roaming Florence. We slept in and it was a very relaxed start to the day. We found a cafe for breakfast- very average scrambled eggs but good coffee. We then found the markets which were packed full of “genuine leather”. We were hounded to buy something but managed to escape. We then wandered through the High street of Florence, amazed at the price of everything. At 12 30 we arrived at the Academia and were pleased to be in a fast track queue as it was very hot and there were lines of people everywhere. Inside was quite unusual as you came upon the statue of David reasonably quickly and while there were other artworks to view, most of the sculptures there are plaster reproductions. It was easy to to get close to David and take good photos. It was a huge statue and really quite breath taking. After a drink and a snack ( more bread! ) we went back for a rest as the heat was almost not bearable. Fortunately the narrow streets with high buildings on each side provide lots of shade. We headed off at 7 pm for a return visit to a restaurant we had found earlier in the week. Again we were treated to lovely service, delicious food and quaint surrounds. The pasta in Italy is cooked to perfection and we realise that we always overcook it and smother it with sauce unlike the way it is served here- truly al dente. Still looking for a plate of green vegetables though. We had a lovely walk back and packed up ready to leave for Lake Garda tomorrow. Our lasting memories of Florence will be the huge number of tourists and people, the heat and the number of sights to be very seen and visited.Weiterlesen

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    Day 20 Florence

    25. Juni in Italien ⋅ ☁️ 36 °C

    Another 26000 steps as we walked all over Florence. After a late start we sorted out our arrangements for next couple of days and our washing. After a very hot walk we decided to take a break and retreated to the apartment. It has seemed hotter today 35 degrees. At 5 pm we left for another big walk up to the Pizzale Michelangelo. Located on the plateau to the south of the Arno River, the Piazzale Michelangelo is the best lookout to see the most impressive view of Florence. We then continued up the hill to the San Miniato al Monte church where we ended up at 6 pm Mass which was in Latin and sung by a some monks. It was a beautiful atmosphere with a smallish congregation of tourists and locals and 8 monks singing their vespers after it. By the time we came down the temperature had dropped and we got some great photos as the sun was setting. We returned via lots of small streets and alleys pleased to be n bed did the night. Our last day in Florence is tomorrow.
    A few things I haven’t mentioned: everyone is asking about the heat wave. Yes, it is very very hot, but surprisingly you are not very likely to get sun burnt. It does necessitate buying and drinking heaps of water which is never free in a restaurant. Occasionally we have found a street fountain where you can fill up a water bottle from the running tap. And of course there is always a beer or Aperol Spritz and gelato close by. Our accomodation here which was an Air B N B we booked in 2021 and then rebooked for this trip. . It is four floors up on the top of a 500 year old building looking out at The Duomo which is right across the road. It is also only 15 minutes walk from the railway station. The square is super busy during the day and usually some entertainment at night. Apart from having 87 steps to climb ( they are busy installing exterior elevator) it is so handy and so well equipped including a washing machine out on the balcony. Also excellent air conditioning. Food-well we love Italian food but craving fresh green vegetables as they are in short supply here unless they come with their specialty steak which is so expensive. Consequently we seem to have eaten an endless diet of carbs. Did have Caesar Salad one day but hard to find the lettuce and cucumber in it. Surprisingly meals are costing about the same as in NZ but pizzas and pasta definitely the cheaper option. Walking- an average of 20,000 steps each day so hopefully making up for the pizza and pasta.    Weiterlesen

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    Day 19 Florence

    24. Juni in Italien ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    A 12 hour day exploring Tuscany. We left at 7 am to walk 20 minutes to our tour meeting place. The streets were very quiet and we stopped for the best coffee yet at a small cafe before joining 77 people on one huge bus taking us to San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, and Sienna. The tour also included lunch and wine tasting in a Chianti family owned vineyard. We really loved the morning in San Gimignano as we had two hours to ourselves wandering around the most beautiful streets, shops and historical squares and towers. It was a truly beautiful place with few others around. Moneriggioni was also interesting being just one square circled by a wall and only 36 citizens. Our lunch was good with all local produce including the wines. It was a very hot day at this point and we were actually pleased to be eating inside and that the glasses of wine were small because what we really needed was water! Our final stop was Sienna where we had some spare time and then a walking tour, which included the cathedral. It is also a fascinating place and we loved seeing where they hold the historical horse races in the square twice a year. The church was simply beautiful and contained many famous paintings. Our guide for this part of the tour was local and a bit hard to understand and when there was a sudden thunder storm she appeared to hurry through her tour and leave us to it- think she wanted to get home and get her washing in! The brief rain was welcome as it cooled the temperature down and seemed to refresh everything. Back on the bus it was hour and half before we arrived back in Florence at 7 pm. We were absolutely exhausted and walked back to a little restaurant a block from where we were staying. We were surprised to find the best pizza yet and with a glass of wine and a beer revived us enough to make it back to our accommodation. We were then treated to the most fabulous fireworks display from our lounge window as today has been a public holiday in Florence celebrating poor old St John the Baptist, the patron saint,whose terrible fate was in several paintings at the Uffizi Gallery!Weiterlesen

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    Day 18 Florence

    23. Juni in Italien ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    A huge day and exhausting in the heat and being among so many people. There are tourists everywhere and tourist shops- leather, shoes, jewellery and gelato everywhere. We began with a tour of the Uffizi Gallery. It was fantastic and our guide was excellent. So much to see there and good to see some of the originals from 7th Form Art History.It was good having extra time in there to wander around. We left there to visit the Santa Croce church which was truly beautiful. Then sec find a bite to eat and a drink. Am completely over buying water but an absolute necessity in 36 degrees heat. We then wandered around waiting for our next adventure which was The Duomo . While acess to the crypt was interesting as the foundations of the original church are still there, the church itself is very plain inside, while the outside is so highly decorated. After a bit more walking, we headed back to get sorted for tomorrow and also get ready to go out for dinner which turned out to be one of our best pasta meals yet. We were pleased to get home and will need to be up early in the morning as our trip to Sienna abd SN Gimianno leaves at 7 30.Weiterlesen

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    Day 17 Vernazza to Florence

    22. Juni in Italien ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    Three trains later we arrived at 1pm in Florence. We walked 15 to our lovely Air B N B which is opposite The Duomo in the square itself. After getting the suitcases up the 87 stairs to the fourth floor ( no elevator at all) we were greeted by Luca who gave us very detailed instructions about the apartment which has everything we need, even a washing machine. We will be very comfortable here over 5 days. We headed off in search of a salad for lunch as we are a bit over pasta and bread. After lunch we wandered the streets surprised that it seems so much busier than Rome and it was 36 trees. We came across many very big and historic buildings but needed to do more research to know what they are. We returned hot and very tired to sort washing and have a rest. At 7pm we ventured out again and it was somewhat quieter in our square but there are endless restaurants and all were very busy. We ate at a large outdoor restaurant with mist spaying down on us every so often so kept cool. We walked back pleased to be inside heading to bed.Weiterlesen

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    Day 16 Cinque Terre.

    21. Juni in Italien ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    A wonderful day spent exploring the Cinque Terre villages. We started with great coffee and a croissant at a cafe before buying Cinque Terre cards which gives access to the national park walks and trains and toilets! We set off on the trek at 9 15. It took us from Vernazza to Monterosso. It was a very steep climb out of the village but views were quickly spectacular. The whole walk took 2 hours including a stop at a cafe/bar in the middle of nowhere. It was only 7 kms, but 550 stairs, 62 floors up and down!!! 10,00 steps ( ours). The track was dry and dusty and had mainly rocky steps and it was very high and very narrow in places. Also it was very busy. We finally made it to Monterosso which was a more commercialised village with a swimming beach along with 100s of rentable umbrellas. The beach and water looked beautiful but not an inch of space to be found. We had a nice lunch and caught the train to the third village, Coriglia. It was a beautiful little village but the only one without a marina and it was perched on cliffs above us. It required us to climb yet another 350 steps on a zig zag path to reach the centre. It was full of character and we wondered up and down the alley ways before stopping at a bar with an amazing view for a drink. We then headed back down for the train to Vernazza where we organised ourselves for our Sunset cruise. We left at 6 30 pm and returned at 9 pm after the most beautiful trip out into the Mediterranean on a small 10 person open boat to view both the sunset and all the little villages from the water. David had a swim off the boat and there were drinks and nibbles. It was truly beautiful. When we arrived back we had a pizza at a restaurant and sat talking to a couple from north London for another hour. Apart from the tough start to staying here, we have loved it although it has always felt like we were in a completely different world.Weiterlesen

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    Day 15 Rome to Cinque Terre

    20. Juni in Italien ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    A long long day, having left Rome by taxi at 8 30 for the Rome train station and then travelling by two trains to Vernazza- 5 hours. A long boring ride which after a delay half way along , took an hour longer than it should have. Arriving in Vernazza which is one of 5 historic fishing villages in Tuscany, was like arriving in another world between the sight of the village itself, the number of people on the street and the 40 high stone steps ( see photo) we climbed to get up to the accommodation only to find a note on the door asking us the phone the manager. Not able to make the call David went back down in search of help and returned 20 minutes later to say she had double booked our room and arranged somewhere else for us to stay. Well back down the stairs, more help from another lovely girl working in a bar and new accomodation located- up another very steep interior staircase! Bugger that-I asked a young guy and two girls to carry them up. Didn’t feel too bad as the girl said she worked out!!!! Anyway rewarded with excellent shower, yet another small room and wifi. The shops and bars are outside our front door and continue down to the water where there are more restaurants, people swimming and crowds wandering about. The 28 degree afternoon is such a relief too after Rome. For such a small area of land there are 100s of people. The photos do not do justice to the way the buildings have all been stacked on top of one another and the height of the buildings. Everything seems old and everything is aimed at getting tourists in. The train itself is also at the end of the street and leaves for the next village through a tunnel. Tourists have the option of walking, ferrying or going by train from village to village. It has been an exhausting day and will now try and get some sleep regardless of the noise from the street below and the fan in our room and the train zooming past. A beautiful place to be though and we look forward to exploring the 4 other villages tomorrow.Weiterlesen

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    Day 14 Rome

    19. Juni in Italien ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

    Wow! Our opinion of Rome has changed completely after not loving it in 2015. We have had two full on days of sight seeing, walking, delicious food, and heat (up to 35 degrees). We have been all over the city mainly close into the banks of the Tiber River. Our accommodation was very centrally located and we have also explored the Trastevere area twice. This morning we set off at 7 am and had a beautiful quiet walk right up to St Peter’s. Few people were around and it was amazing. The next 30 minutes was however spent in a queue for the Vatican. We were pleased to have booked for 8 am as not as busy as it was when we came out. We loved our walk around the Vatican Museum and into the Sistine Chapel. We spent ages in there and there was no hurry to leave. So much better than being on a tour. When we left we headed to a cafe nearby for brunch as we had not had breakfast. We then walked up to Trastevere and wandered the streets and alleys there. Quite a different vibe from town and very old. We visited one of the first Christian churches, Santa Maria which was also beautiful inside. By the time we walked back it was 3pm and we were exhausted so had a good little siesta before walking up the street where we found a gorgeous little street restaurant and our drink there turned into dinner, as it was a great spot for people watching, the food was delicious and the staff so friendly. After dinner we spent time in the huge square next to our accomodation where they are setting up for a huge outdoor concert. All in all a lovely end to the day and our last night in Rome as we head to Cinque Terre tomorrow by train.Weiterlesen

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    Day 13 Rome.

    18. Juni in Italien ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    A fantastic day in Rome covering 26 000 steps. We set off this morning for a coffee and croissant before walking to the Colosseum. We met up with the tour we had booked at 10 30 and visited both the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. Although we had been there before it was so much better this time as we had plenty of time and saw a lot more. Our guide was also very informative- a bit too much information by 1 15 when we were still being guided around The Forum in 34 degree heat. We then walked all the way back to our accomodation following the river most of the way and stopping at a street food place for a much needed drink and lunch. Having got back we headed 10 minutes up the road to a laundromat with all our laundry. An hour later that was thankfully done so we headed out for another long walk to the Trevi Fountain. It was amazing as were the crowds of people there. We held onto our belongings tightly as apparently the place is rife with pick pockets. Anyway it was satisfying to see the fountain as last time we visited Rome it was under restoration and was covered in plastic. Also no sign of rats this time! We walked back stopping for a lovely pizza in a busy outdoor restaurant in a square. We are really enjoying Rome but it is has a culture all of its own and every street has a breath taking view of some form of old architecture and the scale of the buildings and sculptures is always huge. The streets are so busy especially around 4pm onwards and it is very hard to imagine living here.Weiterlesen

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    Day 12 Athens to Rome

    17. Juni in Italien ⋅ ⛅ 33 °C

    A very long day as we left Athens accomodation for the airport at 8 30 and it was 3pm by the time we arrived at Tridente Suites in Rome where we are staying in the smallest room yet, but location near to Spanish Steps and beside Piazza del Popol is perfect as are our hosts. After 30 minutes being given a run down on Rome and the accomodation , we had half an hour to change as we then walked 45 minutes to meet our food and wine tour on Travestere. There was only us and another couple who were on honeymoon from America. The whole night was fantastic. They were such fun as was the guide and we ate beautiful Italian food and drank too much wine! The night finished with the four of us enjoying the coolest outdoor concert in a square with everyone up dancing. We loved it. We were finally in bed at midnight. Absolutely shattered but had had the best introduction to Rome.Weiterlesen

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    Day 11 Athens.

    16. Juni in Griechenland ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    A full on day exploring Athens. We set off at 8am to meet half day tour group. We travelled by bus all around the main sights on the flat including the Olympic stadium, before heading up to the Acropolis, the Parthenon and the Acropolis museum. We got out of the bus half way up and then followed our guide who gave us a very informative tour via earphones. There were again thousands of people and we kept a very close eye on each other especially during the last hour on our own on the hill. The Acropolis is the entire fortified hilltop or citadel, while the Parthenon is the specific, famous temple located on top of that hill. We then boarded the bus for the very modern museum. The highlight was probably the glass floor through which you could see recent excavations underground. The were crowds everywhere and we moved fairly quickly through it. We left the guide at 1 pm and wandered to a really nice place for a Greek pizza lunch. Our next stop was a luggage shop- the saga of the suitcase. My good suitcase was in danger of losing a wheel by the time we arrived in Athens the first time. We foolishly bought a new one from a luggage shop near our hotel and after the rough treatment on the ferries going to the islands could see it had already developed some faults, including a broken handle!! Consequently with a lot of travel still ahead of us we bought a decent one today, exactly the same as David’s. An expensive mission but worth it. After time at the hotel organising ourselves for Rome tomorrow, we wandered into town for yet another walk, a drink and dinner. We leave Greece tomorrow. It has been a great start to our holiday. The biggest hassles here though are always buying water and the horrendous toilets- believe it or not, you cannot put toilet paper in any of them, even hotels. We will have a new appreciation of flushing toilets and tap water when we get home!Weiterlesen

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    Day 10 Santorini to Athens

    15. Juni in Griechenland ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Not a lot to report today as 5 1/2 hours spent travelling by ferry to Athens. Once again 1000s were on board and there was the usual lining up and queues to get on and off. While relaxing, the trip is generally very boring and if we’d known we would have chosen to fly from Santorini. Oh well- we arrived, settled into our hotel which is right in the centre of town and a great location. We walked to the corner to a great little cafe for an early Greek dinner as we had not had lunch. We then wandered around town and ended up at a little bar enjoying some interesting people watching, street busking and a drink. We ate up early again tomorrow for our half day tip around Athens and the Acropolis.Weiterlesen

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    Day 9 Santorini

    14. Juni in Griechenland ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    A wonderful morning spent exploring the beautiful area of Santorini- Fira- where we are staying. Again a mixture of tourist shops, narrow paths, beautiful churches and gorgeous scenery. We stopped for another nice drink and tapas before returning to the hotel for a swim and a rest. We met our wine tour driver at 4pm after a minor misunderstanding about pick up point. We headed out and down to the coast with our lovely host Elena and 5 others. The vineyard was nothing like N Z vineyards as the grapes grow organically on the dry ground with the vine trained into a basket shape. She explained the wine making process of the area before taking us to three very different vineyards where we also ate delicious snacks. The final one was the largest in Santorini and we were able to view the incredibly sunset from there. By then we all had got to know each other quite well and it really was lots of fun. We were dropped back at the hotel to view the sunset scenery one last time as we leave for Athens on the morning.Weiterlesen

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    Day 8 Santorini

    13. Juni in Griechenland ⋅ 🌬 23 °C

    A day of viewing breath taking scenery. We left Fira for Oia via taxi and the drive was about 12 kms over narrow high roads with views down to the Mediterranean. On arrival we saw the most beautiful views and apart from the huge number of people everywhere, we enjoyed meandering along taking photos and looking in interesting little shops. The views were incredible but we did have to queue up several times for the best spots. By 1 pm the number of people had reduced somewhat as the tour groups had left. We stopped for tapas and a drink in a gorgeous bar and were reluctant to move on. We headed back to Fira about 4pm in a taxi which took us on a very interesting route along the lower coast where we saw more rural villages, including vineyards and donkeys. Needless to say the road was gravel in places and pretty rough but the driver very confident. He then climbed back up to Fira where we relaxed at the pool before going for dinner at the same place we had lunch yesterday. Equally good and a very short walk back.Weiterlesen

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    Day 7 Mykonos to Santorini.

    12. Juni in Griechenland ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    A long day finishing with the best news- Shaun and Becky’s baby has finally arrived- Lottie. We are relieved and excited for them. The whole of this morning was spent on the ferry to Santorini. Once again the port was chaotic as 1000s boarded several boats that were there. No one seemed to know where to line up and there was quite a lot of disorganisation apart from loading us on which is done very fast. The trip took was a lot longer than expected and took 4 half hours. We were pleased to arrive but couldn’t believe the scene that greeted us. It was a massive cliff with a road carved into it. Buses and trucks and cars could be seen on the steep road above us and at the port thousands of tourists were trying to find transport. Luckily we quickly found our transfer and we were driven up that same road and into Fira where we are staying at a lovely hotel, even though we cannot find our way around it as there are so many levels and rooms. We headed out to the closest restaurant for lunch as it was already 3 15. It was delicious Greek food and we actually met a guy from New Zealand there. We headed off for a walk towards the main shopping area of Fira. The path was a narrow winding one with shops and restaurants and accommodation on every spare piece of land and built on top of each other. The view was breathtaking and it was hard to believe what we were seeing. Feeling very hot and tired we retreated to the hotel pool and had a delicious swim and a rest. Dinner was a pizza on a roof top restaurant and then back to our hotel knowing that Lottie had arrived safely.Weiterlesen

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    Day 6 Mykonos

    11. Juni in Griechenland ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We had late start and headed first to a laundry place to get our washing done during the day. Then we walked to the Old Port to catch bus to Ano Mera, a small inland village with a monastery. The 20 minute drive was really interesting as saw a lot of the countryside and homes. We were pleased to get out of Mykonos town as four huge cruise ships had arrived overnight and there were queues of people everywhere. After a delicious tapas lunch in a quaint little cafe we bused to Kalafatis beach where were spent all afternoon relaxing and I even had a swim. To sit on the beach however required us to pay 30 Euros each! But at least we had loungers and an umbrella. We arrived back off the bus at 5 in time to pick up washing and head back to the hotel. Our final walk onto town was a bit later tonight and the streets were frantically busy. We found a beautiful Italian restaurant where we sat out in the lane and ate delicious pasta. After one last walk around the lanes we wandered back. Tomorrow we leave for Santorini. Our lasting memories are the very narrow streets complete with buses, cars, motorcycles and pedestrians all competing for room ( quite treacherous), hundreds of stray cats everywhere, unbelievable fashion at night and hundreds of girls taking selfies or posing for photos. Also all day heat which lasts overnight. A beautiful island though and a lovely hotel with very friendly staff.Weiterlesen

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    Day 5 Mykonos

    10. Juni in Griechenland ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    Today’s adventure was The Mykonos Delos Rhenia Cruise which left Mykonos with about 22 passengers at 9 30 and returned at 4pm. The day included an hour long stop at the island of Delos.
    Delos is a Greek archaeological site. The mythological birthplace of Apollo, it was a major religious center and port during the 1st millennium B.C. The island's ruins encompass Doric temples, markets, an amphitheater, houses with mosaics and the iconic Terrace of the Lions statues. The Archaeological Museum displays statues excavated from the site. The trip also included swimming in the Mediterranean off the back of the boat (far too cold and deep for me) and a bbq lunch on board. The water was a little choppy out in the open sea but very calm in the bays. Such a warm relaxing day and also some nice company from two American families. Arrived back for a rest and then wandered into town for a delicious Greek meal including cheese pie. We then sat on the beach with hundreds of people all fighting for a spot to see the sunset. Just beautiful.Weiterlesen

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    Day 4 Athens to Mykonos

    9. Juni in Griechenland ⋅ 🌬 24 °C

    An amazing day leaving Athens at 8 am for the port to catch the ferry to Mykonos. There were possibly 2000 people on the boat which required major logistics getting everyone on and then off at a number of islands. The ferry was huge and thankfully our tickets included seat numbers. However it was dwarfed by the massive cruise ships parked up at Mykonos. We were met and taken to our lovely hotel above the main town. The rest of the day was spent wandering the endless lanes, looking in shops and taking endless photos as every corner was a new view of the town and the Mediterranean. All so beautiful and so clean. The 24 degree weather was also very pleasant but it was extremely windy. There were people everywhere and also motorbikes. The roads are definitely one lane but buses full of tourists were able to manoeuvre their way into town. Needless to say walking to our hotel on the side of the road was treacherous. We loved our first day in the Greek Islands.Weiterlesen

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