GREECE – Language Spoken: Greek – Location: Southern Europe (Aegean and Mediterranean Sea)

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SHUT UP, Greece…. you ridiculously gorgeous country, you! Greece is exactly what you see in the pictures and movies, it’s picturesque and one of kind. The food in Greece… oh my sweet Lord! People think when they go to a Greek restaurant in the states that it is good, but truly you don’t even get the real experience entirely. Greeks cook healthy with fresh food and fresh fish. The tip that I got when I was in Greece was to ask, “What fish is fresh?” that meant you want the real stuff, not the one that is transported from another country. It is usually not a fish that you would ever get in the states and that is exactly why I was so keen to try all the different types…. yummmmmmmms!

The other must have in Greece is a cafe freddo! It is like an iced (because you definitely need ice) coffee that is whipped up, blended, and made to perfection. Just thinking about one now makes me yearn for some major caffeine invigoration. They would like you to drink their Greek coffee, but no offense… it was like drinking the bottom of a french press (grinds and a little bit of water) … kinda like coffee mud. Maybe it made me jump like a jumping bean, but the grit in my teeth wasn’t worth it. Try it because it’s a Greek staple, but I can’t guarantee you like it like the freddo! Oh, and if you are lactose free, good luck because they usually don’t have any other type of milk. They only have milk from a cow pretty much and that’s it… whole milk.

Another little gem that I loved, and it’s a strange gem to love was this bread that was hard as a rock, it kinda looked like a rock too. I called it rock bread the whole time, I don’t know the proper name. If you go there, you will know what I am talking about once they bring you the basket of bread. Yummm… rock bread. I’ve never seen it in the states, not even at authentic Greek restaurants. Oh my rock bread, how I miss thee.

Wow, this whole blog has been about food so far and I haven’t even mentioned the two most amazing parts about Greece. The whole reason the country is blue and white – the sun and the sea. I’ve never been so tan in my life, I think my body just eats the Mediterranean sun and sea, as they mix together my skin smiles with bronze goddess joy. I kept telling my traveling bud that the sea is unlike any ocean that she has ever seen. She kept saying “OOOOOOK, Lucy…. I get it.” Then she saw it and agreed… the sea is freakin’ magical.

A huge tip for Greece is to stay hydrated, it is literally really easy to get dehydrated but re-hydration is cheap. HUGE water bottles in Greece are under $1 and you need to stock up on them. The sun makes you sweat like an animal. Why do you we say that when animals don’t really sweat?

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Athens, you aiiight. Athens needs to be visited because it has the historical sites that you just need to see when you go to Greece. The Acropolis, the Parthenon, etc. etc. etc. The safety was questionable in areas of Athens, but I wasn’t worried except when we would walk home at night, which we tried to avoid if necessary. We kinda used Athens to get our sleep in to prepare for the ruckus that we would cause in the islands.

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Mykonos, oh my lovely Mykonos. I could pinch you if you had cheeks! Surprisingly, I didn’t think that I would like Mykonos because I thought it would just be a party spot. I mean it most definitely is a party spot, but it’s super posh. In Mykonos you don’t sleep. You come home at 6AM and then sleep to about 10AM and start all over again the next day. It is like the most fabulous of fabulous party spots in the world to me, and I admit I have done my far share of partying all over the world. Scorpio was by far the most beautiful club I have ever been to, besides the ambiance being completely and utterly enchanting, the people are all basically models. I don’t know how they found all the most beautiful people on the island and put them all in one spot.

The best part of Mykonos was the terrain. We rented an ATV that we literally drove all over the island, some people rent scooters, but since we both couldn’t handle one we went for the ATV. The terrain reminded me of my Malta and it made me joyful with a hint of homesickness. The sea was G O R G E O U S and all the beach resorts had to compete with that so they were top notch. My heart aches when thinking about this island.

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Santorini, you are overrated. I can’t believe I said it, but it’s true. If you like mobs of tourists and lots of kissing couples, then this place is for you. Personally, I hate many tourists and kissing couples are OK if I am the one doing the kissing. Oia is the place where every person in the world thinks of when they hear Greece. It is the one with the magical blue domes that you need to see while you smash against 9 bazillion tourists along a small little walkway. It’s summer, people don’t all wear deodorant, people sweat and slllllllide up on you… I’m good never to see those blue domes with sweaty tourists again. I escaped the slimy crowd to get a few pictures on a balcony of a restaurant until I was told to scoot my buns unless I was eating.

The part of Santorini that I did enjoy was the beach that was less popular and the city that was less popular, Perissa. We stayed in a castle for a couple nights in old city Emporio and it was close to Perissa that I really loved. It is a black sand (volcanic) beach that was SUPPPPPPER hot, but if you have flops then you are OK. I never felt the heat on my feet like I did there in my entire life! The beach was serene and had a good amount of restaurants and shops behind it that even delivered drinks on the beach. Tip: If you eat at the restaurant then you can use their chairs for free! Kamari beach was nice too, but it was definitely more popular and more expensive!

Oh, the other awesome part of Santorini is the wineries and sunsets. Seriously, Santos Wines Winery has the most unbelievable sunsets and tastings. We went on a winery hop one day, but this one was the all time best. Again, we used an ATV to get around the island and that was ideal for us. Don’t drink and drive! There are taxis that will bring you to places you need to go.

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Crete, I’ve been to over 30 countries and countless cities… but Crete is in my top five places I’ve ever traveled. It is not as touristy as the other islands and it’s HUGE! Plus, it has my favorite place in the world that I have ever been, Balos Beach. I felt like I was in a dream. I can’t really explain to you what this place looked like that will make you fully understand the extent of its beauty. OK, picture this…. standing in about three feet of water for miles. The water is as clear as glass, when you look far out it is all shades of turquoise, jade, navy blue, teal, and heaven color. The water was warm, but not too warm because it receives fresh water from the sea through a little inlet. The other beach that is so beautiful is Elfanisi Beach, it has a concession stand that sells coffee and beer. You can drive to Elfanisi, but you have to take a boat to Balos.

The town of Chania is so stinkin’ cute, I could live there. The bars, coffee shops, and restaurants are absolutely so Lucy. I felt like I belonged there, maybe everyone feels that way, but I totally felt like the sea gods were calling out my name to stay and live like a bronze Greek goddess forever. We stayed in the old Jewish district of Chania, which was traditional and full of Cretan spunk. It had GREAT shopping, restaurants, and character.

I will tell y’all… there is something I don’t quite understand about the Greeks besides how they keep their massive bushy beards to always look shiny and pristine… the shine must be from their amazing Greek olive oil products. But, the thing I really don’t understand is… why are there souvenir penises all over the place? I know there is a significance to it because I googled, but still … penises aren’t that pretty to display on the streets of adorable Crete.

I really want to tell you Crete is terrible and never to travel to Balos because it’s so overrated because I want to keep it my secret forever… but I guess I would be defeating the purpose of this blog. Crete is my homegirl, my beaut, my little boo boo…

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Transportation in Greece is relatively easy. Between taxis, planes, rental cars, ATVs, scooters and ferries you can pretty much get all over the country pretty easily.

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F Y I

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Places Stayed:

1. Athens – Acropolis Select Hotel (email me for link) $$$
2. Mykonos – airbnb (email me for link) $$
3. Santorini – airbnb (email me for the links) $$
4. Crete – Shalom Luxory Rooms, Chania $$$

Places to See: Balos Beach (Crete), Perissa (Santorini), Emporio (Santorini), Santos Wines Winery (Santorini), Elfanisi Beach (Crete), Ornos Beach (Mykonos) , Paradise Beach (Mykonos), Scorpio (Club-Mykonos)

Purpose of Trip: Explore