So the last time I updated was nice, it was brief...... and unfortunatley this will be to. After niece we set out for rome at 8.30 in the morning.......... four train rides and four very tired grils later we arrived in Roma at 8.30pm, a long day to say the least. Rome was the first place on our list of destinations where we were staying longer than three nights......... oh no in Rome we stayed a grand totall of four nights. However four nights flew by as we raced against time to visit the colleseum, Vatican city, spanish steps, trevy fountain and a few other things that Ive forgotten the name of (I know thats not acceptable but it's been a full on couple of weeks and it would be an understatment to say my brain is bursting at the seems). The four of us were more excited than you could ever imagine regarding our departure of rome, however not because we were happy to leave but instead because after a few weeks of going every where on long distance trains we finally got to take that flight from Rome to Athens that we booked way back in march. Knowing that had we not booked this flightthe alternative route would have been a four hour train ride followed by a fourteen hour boat ride followed by a taxi ride and then dusted off with another ten hour ferry ride..... you can begin to imagine just how excited we were for our two hour flight (not to mention they feed us and meals these days are few and far between).
We did have to take a five hour boat ride following our flight to get to santorini but compared to the alternative route this was home squezed lemonade! We arrived to Santorini at the un godly hour of 2am only to be picked up by quite possibly the best hotel in the world. Our five night( yes you heard me even greater than four FIVE!!!!!!!) stay at Villa Manos was beyond extrodinary Days consisted of laying out by the pool, sleeping, eating and one day we even built up the energy to go on a tour of santorini and the ilands that suround it.... oh and did I mention we rode Donkeys? WE RODE DONKEYS!!!!!!!! Donkeys are like the greek version of a lift but they are far nicer, instead of walking the 280 stairs laid out infront of us we simply sadeled those donkeys, and were transprted to the top like kings. Special mention does need to go out to Poppy and her husband, the owners of Villa manos (the most amazing place to stay in the world, it's not a hostel it's a hotel very well priced and if anyone ever goes to santorini they must stay here). Poppy and her husband showd hospitality that far exceeded any hotel or hostel I have ever been to in my life, they drove us into town when they didnt have to, checked up on us to make sure we were having fun, told us the best places to eat, picked us up from the port at 2AM, brought us cake and iced tea when we were laying by the pool and when check out was at 12 but our ferry wasnt untill four....... you guessed it they let us have the room untill four, not to mention the genuine smile literally never strayed from their faces( not even at 2AM). Unfortunatley as the saying goes all good things come to an end and we had to leave Santorini, However now we are refreshed after our perfect holiday from our holiday (yes you are aloud to hate me for going on holiday from holiday) and we all have a certain second wind. We have had a couple of days in Athens and later today we fly out, back to Rome then train to Florence.
Well thats it for now, I guess I lied as that update was longer than brief but there was just so much to say.
Lots of love Lauren

P.s would someone please wipe the grin off my face?