The land of sun, sand, and smiles
You might think that after our relaxing stay in Budapest, we'd be ready to get active in Greece. You'd be wrong. The name of the game was chill-some-more, this time in the luxury of some pretty amazing company.
Day One: Arrival in Athens
Arriving in Athens, we made our way to what would be our home for the next couple of days. Since our plane was slightly delayed, our host could not meet us at the apartment and instead left the keys in a lockbox. This is generally preferable to awkward in-person exchanges. However, this time we lacked a crucial bit of information: what floor was our apartment on?
To our dismay, our host was not responding and we were left to fend for ourselves. So what do you do when you have a set of keys but no apartment number? You start trying doors until one of them works. Floor 1? Nope. Floor 2? Nope. Come on, it's gotta be floor 3. Nope. And so it went, us sweating profusely in the hallway, all the way up. To the last door. Of the last floor. OF A 6 FLOOR COMPLEX. And thus we found our apartment.
Our own stench aside, we were pleasantly surprised with our accommodations. The balcony, with a view of the Acropolis, was the icing on the cake.
We treated ourselves to a well-deserved beverage, watched the World Cup, and awaited the arrival of our companions. Introducing: Kaitie and Zach Barrer!
Day Two: Athens with Kaitie and Zach
Arriving in the morning after a 26-hour commute, Kaitie and Zach realized that sleeping was probably a bad idea and joined us to explore the city. We started by walking through the Acropolis, a remarkable landmark and one definitely worth experiencing. We were so close to Olympus it started raining!
From the Acropolis, we went from sight to sight, hitting up all the important ones.
The Temple of Zeus...
... beer ...
... the Panathenaic Stadium ...
Here, Zach is giving a demonstration of what happens when it takes too long to take the picture and you aren't wearing glasses.
... and last but not least: the infamous Greek turtles!
It is a well-known fact that turtles are nothing more than lizards in a shell.
Let's give credit were credit is due: Zach and Kaitie managed to stay awake until 9:30pm. Don't mind that language started to become a challenge around 8pm.
Day Three: Off to the island of Mykonos
Without question, Mykonos is one of the most stunning places I have ever encountered. It might be small, but the people are kind, the water is clear, and there is nothing to do but have a good time. Day one in Mykonos was spent exploring the very small "town" of Old Town...
I really tried to help put the car back, it just wouldn't budge.
... followed by a dip in the pool. Our hotel (Chill Out Studios - fitting name) was gorgeous, accomodating, and had a beautiful view of the ocean.
A day spent laughing, sipping delicious wine (rosé all day?), and basking in the sun is a day well-spent.
Day Four: Beach Day
We spent the next day lounging at Paraga Beach, and went on a gorgeous mini-hike to the nearby Paradise Beach.
What is there really to say about a beach day? We drank cheap wine, we laughed, we swam, we were blinded by naked people, and we chiiiiiilled. It was awesome.
Greece with the Barrers: 10/10, would do again.
