Travelling TT's: γεια! Sand, Souvlaki and Sun! GREECE!

Santorini, Naxos, Paros and Athens

Santorini (16^th - 20^th July)

Every day we spent in Santorini, we were amazed with the gorgeous views we had. The beautiful mix of white wash homes, blue roofed churches, crystal clear water and bright pink Bougainvillia surrounded the island. Here are some photo's we took while admiring this lovely island.

Santorini was full of steps and ramps down to lower levels, this is where the donkeys come in handy... Although we didnt get a donkey ride - it was amazing to see them still being used to transport people!

Donkeys waiting to make the journey down the steps...

The Donkey entrance

We took a day trip out to Perissa beach - the black sand beach. The black sand was totally different to anything we had seen before and is a result of Volcanic activity on the island.

We watched the sunset from Oia and it was spectacular. Thousands of people flock to this part of the island each night to get the best view. We were lucky enough to witness a newly married couple having their photos taken nearby at sunset.

We tried the local food while in Greece which was tasty and fresh!! Chocolate counts as local Greek food too doesn't it? :)

Gyros! 2.30 Euros each

Greek Chocolate

Octopus, hanging up to dry ready to eat

Saganaki - Greek cheese, fried and served with lemon. Amazing!

A Typical Greek Salad

We walked from Fira to Oia and got some amazing views of the island. It was a fairly long walk at around three hours each way but was well worth it.

Naxos (21^st - 24^th July)

When you first arrive into Naxos, you are greeted by the famous Portara which stands high on a hill in front of the port. The local people of Naxos have given it this name, which means 'huge door'. This monument was once a gateway into what was once a temple dedicated to Apollo and built in the 6th Century BC.

The Portara

The view of Naxos town from the Portara

Naxos was a beautiful town and we thoroughly enjoyed walking through the gorgeous streets in the old town and behind the beach. Again, the white wash houses, blue detailing and Bougainvillia were a beautiful contrast to each other.

The promenade in Naxos was lively and filled with restaurants and bars. The water surrounding the island was crystal clear.

We tried some beautiful Greek food while in Naxos and also saw some traditional Greek ingredients being prepared very traditionally... We didn't try these though.

Eggplants wrapped in bacon and stuffed with Fetta cheese

Gyros plate - charcoal roasted pork with Tzatziki, pita and salad

Halva (a sesame seed dessert)

Crema Frappe (Frappe's were EVERYWHERE in Greece and this one was very creamy!

Octopus hanging out to dry

And some more...

And some fish drying too!

We visited the beautiful Agios Prokopios beach which had super clear water and some of the finer sand we saw while in Greece.

We also visited Plaka beach which was also very nice, however we found the sea was a little rougher here and the sand not as fine.

Paros (25^th - 28^th July)

Paros had a lovely promenade filled with restaurants and cafe's and made for a lovely walk in the nice weather we had while we were there.

There is a lot of rich history in Paros and we visited some beautiful churches and walked through the backstreets and past the walls of the castle.

Historical Church of 100 doors

Parikia Town's Church

The Castle walls

Beautiful Bougainvillia in the backstreets of Paros

We spent the day at Marcello beach which had crystal clear water, was fairly quiet and was a nice walk over from the main town. On the way there, we got a great view of the coast and found some wild figs which we enjoyed on the beach.

Marcello beach

A Cruise ship, docked for the day in Paros

Fresh figs on the beach

View over Paros' coast

On a seperate day in Paros, we found a secluded swimming spot on our way to Marcello beach. We had a great day here and the water was even clearer than the day before. The water was calm and the weather was amazing. The ocean floor was filled with Sea Urchins (Kinna's) so we had to be careful where we stepped!

A Panoramic view of our secluded swimming area

A Sea Urchin

Snorkeling in the crystal clear water

We had a beautiful sunset from our accommodation which we thoroughly enjoyed every night.

Athens (29^th - 31st July)

We only had one full day in Athens and used this day to visit the Acropolis and the other recommended sights and places in Athens.

The Parthenon

The altar of Athena

The view from the top of Acropolis

The Theatre

The back of the Parthenon, currently under construction

A panoramic view of Parthenon and surrounds

A detailed view of the Parthenon

We visited the Central Markets of Athens while in the city centre and enjoyed wandering through the meat market which had a huge range of fresh meat. We also walked through the fruit and veg section which had some amazing produce - particularly the olives.