We finally made it out of Egypt. It was nice to see what we saw and experience what we experienced, but it was nice to get to Athens as well. We arrived with only a few hours sleep from our overnight flight, so we found a hostel that was in a great location and crashed for a few hours to catch up on our sleep.

The hostel was located a stones throw away from the Acropolis which was a nice view from the roof bar. We did some exploring of the nearby shops and cafes and enjoyed some omelets and croissants as well as the beautiful clean streets. That night we headed back to the hostel for some mojitos and beer on the roof bar where we watched the sun go down over the Acropolis. So amazing.

The next day we headed out to see Acropolis, Parthenon, and all the history surrounding the area. It was really incredible to imagine how these intricate structures were erected so long ago. I guess what is more amazing is the amount of times they were rebuilt. Most anywhere else would choose to build something brand new in its place rather than choose to preserve history. We tried to take in as much as we could for the day. There is so much to see and learn here. It would take weeks to see it all.

After sight seeing, we went to get some Greek food (stuffed vine leaves) deliciousness. That night we met a couple of guys on the roof and got some great info on the best way to see some of the outer islands. We were told that if we could, we should definitely go to Santorini. So…….

…….we did. We decided that we (including our new friend Ben from Australia who reminds us so much of Ashleigh's cousin Dolan) would go and get tickets for an overnight cruise to Santorini. Later that night we heard there was a open air movie theaternearby so we went to check it out. It was probably one of the high lights of the trip. We watched Mama Mia (A movie filmed in Greece) in Greece on a roof garden that was shadowed by the illuminated Parthenon. Simply stunning.

The next day we went and got tickets to Santorini with Ben and did some errands before heading to the port. We met a some more friends (Another Aussie, a Kiwi, and some brothers from Maryland) on the deck of the ship and a great time sharing traveling stories, food, and fellowship.

We woke up on the ships deck to the sun rising over Santorini. We only had one full day before we had to catch another ferry back to Athens, so we had to make the most of the time we had. Ben was going to hang with us while we were there, so we all found a cheap hotel room to split and dropped our stuff off there. We rented some scooters nearby and started exploring the island. First we hit on e of the beaches for a while before getting some really good food at a restaurant on the beach. After that we found a winery that was heavily recommended and went to have a tasting. They had really great wines that are only grown on that little island.

Next we went to relax at the pool at our hotel and chill out a bit. We crushed some naps and got ready to see the sunset at a place where we were told to go. It is where all the whitewash houses with blue shutters and blue doors are. Postcard perfect. The scooter ride was quite long to get there, but one of the most beautiful parts of the island.

Words can't describe how amazing this place was. You just have to see the pictures. We saw the sunset then headed back to our hotel. We wanted to go out to see the nightlife, but we were really tired. Traveling really takes a lot out of you.

I had seen some swell on the other side of the island, so the next morning I got up at 5am to try to find a dawn patrol session. It was a little difficult to drive the scooter with my surfboard, but I found a way to get down to the water. The waves were really small and barely rideable, but it was a beautiful morning and I was in Greece. So I paddled out and caught a few before we had to leave.

We said goodbye to Ben and caught our 11 hour ferry back to Athens, and then our flight to Madrid the next morning. Such a great stop on our journeys. Greece was amazing.

We will be home soon enough,

C&A