It's all Greek to me (us)!

Well, we are home from Greece (as of yesterday). We left Sunday and flew to Santorini Island. (Interesting history on the name... When the Roman Empire ruled Greece, they called the island the "Holy Irene"... Saint Irene... Santa Irini... Santorini!)

Anyway, after all our running around Rome, Croatia, and Paris, the island was a wonderful change of pace. It was dustier and a bit less picturesque than we expected, but it had a definite island feel! We had a Greek lunch then spent the afternoon on a beautiful black sand beach! (The whole Santorini Island grouping was formed by volcano and the sand is from the volcanic rock.) After swimming in the Mediterranean and roasting in the sun all day we had a chill dinner overlooking the beach, roamed around shopping, and went to bed early. (Oh, we forgot to mention that our trip had started at 3am when we got up to head to the airport, so sleep was necessary!)

The next morning (Monday) we joined an awesome tour group to see all of the Santorini Islands. (And thanks to the economic downfall of Greece we paid only €20 for a full day tour!) First stop after a short boat ride was a hike to the top of the still active Santorini Volcano. Thanks to everything being black rock and vegetation-less, it was a hooooot hike! But don't worry, the second stop was a dive into the Mediterranean to swim in the hot springs (which were not actually hot, but quite refreshing). The third stop was to Thiresa, a small farming and fishing island where we had more crystal water to swim in and more cloudless sun to enjoy. After dinner on the boat we landed in Oia (pronounced Eee-aah), the city that you usually see when you see pictures of Santorini. It is well-known for its amazing sunsets and its blue roofed churches. To get from the boat landing to the city, there were 220 steps; Amy was really excited to ride a donkey up, and Jenni was really excited to avoid the smelly donkeys and walk up! (Jenni noted that Amy smelled like ass... HA HA!) At the top, we were not disappointed by the city, shopping, milkshakes, or sunset. After a short bus ride back we called it a night!

On Tuesday, we checked out of our room and went to the beach again. We decided that Santorini was the place for an adventure! We took to new heights and went parasailing!! The view (and the wonderful breeze) were fantastic!! It was amazingly quiet up there! After drying out we had lunch and lounged around by the pool until it was time to head to the airport. Overall, Santorini was wonderful; the people were welcoming and generous (we got several free desserts and a free ride to the airport), the atmosphere was so relaxed, and the island was gorgeous. No internet access also helped us really get away from things for a few days. Plus, we had a 24-hour bakery down the street which we might have visited about 5 delicious times!

After Santorini we went to Athens... which, sad to say, was actually much less interesting than expected. Tuesday night we got to our hostel, checked in, and went to bed. On Wednesday we had a tour of the Acropolis scheduled. We saw some old stuff (like the Parthenon) then went to a museum to see more old stuff... Truth be told, it might have been cooler if we weren't surrounded by even better history in Rome every day. In Rome, we get to be a part of, and walk within, history all the time; in Athens, we got to see history. In Rome, history is every where you look, but in Athens some history has been moved to a museum rather than leaving at its original site. We were underwhelmed.

We spent the afternoon shopping in the Plaka, the center of the city and an area with tons of shops and restaurants. It is called the "neighborhood of the Gods" because it is in the shadow of the Acropolis (the area which houses both the Parthenon as well as many other ancient temples).

Thursday we got up and literally had nothing more to see. After channeling our inner-Greeks (thank you, Uncle Lee! - see below), we watched the birds in the park until it was time to go to the airport.

After a few days to rest up and get our lives in order, we head out to Venice on Monday!!

Also, the Euro Cup 2012 finals will be Sunday night, Spain versus ITALY! The semi-finals were last night and it was a huge party! It should be a zoo here on Sunday!! Go Italy! (And if you aren't into sports, it's like the soccer version of the Super Bowl, but with all of Europe!)

Pictures:
1) swimming at the Santorini hot springs
2) our awesome tour boat!!
3) Amy riding a smelly ass (hehe)
4) us at a volcano
5) beautiful sunset over Santorini
6) parasailing!
7) "channeling our inner Greek" with a toga party
8) more parasailing
9) at the Parthenon in the Acropolis
10) beautiful views over Oia, Santorini

Paris... Both Predictable and Unredictable

When people first think of Paris, most people think of the Eiffel Tower. Don't worry we saw that (Amy wouldn't let that one slip by) but Moulin Rouge was the first big sight we saw!

Amy's friend from high school (Charlotte King) gave us a guided tour of some of the lesser known sights in Paris for our first big day! We now can say we drank tea at the Paris mosque, saw a Red Panda at the Paris Zoo, and ate pasties by the river.

Now for the more predictable items... The usual, more touristy spots. On the way to the Eiffel Tower we walked through the Louvre to see the neat buildings, beautiful gardens, fountains, and of course the pyramid!

Along the way to the Eiffel Tower, Amy must have taken about 20+ pictures before even getting there. (Jenni thinks this is an inaccurate statement as Amy took a picture of the Eiffel Tower ANY time it was in sight ALL DAY LONG!)

After 674 steps to the second level (the highest the general public can go by stairs) we then jumped on an elevator to the top and could see for 37 miles. Amy was excited to have made it to the top but after enjoying the view of the rest of the city, realized she prefers to see the Eiffel Tower than to see the city from the Tower. (And yes, we climbed back down- 647 steps!)

Since the planing stages our trip Jenni always spoke of a surprise in Paris for Amy, which she managed to keep a secret until in the Eiffel tower- the Tower twinkles for 5 minutes every hour on the hour after sunset! The view from across the river was spectacular! It twinkled with a million little lights- much like camera flashes but much more grand! We finished this memorable evening with our first Nutella and Banana Crepe! (After months of hearing about
Jenni's Crepe craving she was satisfied!)

Done with steps- no way! We needed to climb to the top of the Notre Dame cathedral! 387 stone steps lead the way. Each step in a spiral, complete with a wear pattern from the constant use of the steps since it was completed in 1177. Notre Dame is recognizable from the mix of architectural styles and the famous Gargoyles! There are hundreds of gargoyles- each unique... Various types of creatures in different poses. The gargoyles sit along the edge of the roof line looking pensive, keeping watch over the city. After the front ledge we went to the top of the bell tower complete with the famous bell and great views of the city! Inside the stained glass windows were beautiful! The sun even shown through projecting the colors onto the ancient columns.

The afternoon was sent shopping! For dinner we went to a "burger place" suggested by a local. The burgers were fantastic! But by then we knew we were nearly about to fall over from exhaustion and called it a night. We don't have a clue how far we walked that day but it was enough to give us many blisters (even with good shoes) and many aches and pains!

The following morning was spent at the Louvre. We only had a little of time so we made sure to see the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo (the armless statue.) After seeing the two, we aren't really sure why either is that famous! On our way out we also stopped by to see the inverted pyramid!

Lunch was spent at a corner cafe before parting ways on separate tours- Amy to Versailles and Jenni to Giverny.

Amy: I went to Versailles to see the palace of King Louis XIV. The entrance to the palace had the largest gold gate a person could imagine- it was berth taking (even with an impending thunder storm!) Sadly do to the weather the gardens were closed- a tour of the inside palace it was! Countless paintings and sculptures filled the palace (but after the Vatican nothing could really compare.) The Hall of Mirrors was the most impressive with rows and rows of chandeliers- 17 large chandeliers, 26 small chandeliers, 357 mirrors, and 17 glass doors!

Jenni: I went to Giverny, the home and garden of Claude Monet! It was on my list of things to do before I die, and I was pretty sure I would never be closer again. I will be honest, it was pouring so hard that I was wandering around the droopy gardens feeling sorry for
myself... until I turned a corner and saw myself staring at the bridge and water lilies from one of Monets most famous pieces. The realization that I was standing where Claude Monet, the father of Impressionism, once sat developing his new style of painting and changing the course of art forever altered my perspective a bit. The gardens were beautiful after that and I could see how, even on one of the worst days, he could be inspired to paint there. Fortunately after surviving the closest thing to a hurricane I have ever experience (as in I found leaves in my pockets later that day!) the sun came out and I was able to get some great shots of the amazing garden, river, and home!

We had a nice dinner over looking a busy street- dinner and a show in a way! Next was a walk along the river and through part of the Louvre. We walked on the Champs Ellysse to the Arch de Triumphe. The Arch is so huge it kept looking like it was only a block away but we just didn't seem to get any closer! The Arch is dedicated to French soldiers and is home to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.

We ended the night with one last Nutella and Banana Crepe! By 6am we were on our way back to Home
to Rome! It was a long day of travel and now we have less than 48 hours to heal our blisters and aching wounds until we leave for Greece on Sunday! (A few days in Santorini and a few days in Athens!)

Pictures:
1) Twinkling Eiffel Tower
2) Gargoyle on top of Notre Dame watching over the city
3) Yummm... Crepes!
4) Arch de Triumphe
5) The golden gate at Versailles
6) View from the Eiffel Tower
7) One of many stained glass windows in Notre Dame
8) Eiffel Tower
9) More Eiffel Tower
10) The worn steps in Notre Dame cathedral
11) Hall of Mirrors
12) Our complicated toilet... After a small shower now we have no leg room (even for short girls) when sitting on the toilet
13) View of Monet's garden at Giverny
14) Even more Eiffel tower with the French Statue of Liberty Twin


Amy's Effie Tower picture total: 121

Paris, Here We Come!

The past few days have been spent doing more housework (more laundry, scrubbed our floors and homemade dinner) plus a tip to the famous "Mouth of Truth." This large face like medallion now set into the wall but was once believed to be a drain cover in 4th century BC. Legend has it that the mouth would "snap shut" on the hands of someone who told lies. As a result, it became tradition to have your spouse put their hand in to test their faithfulness.

Strange things have been happening around the city lately too... Don't worry, we are safe but there has just been some odd events. One morning we woke up to find our Piazza del Popolo filled with a stage and massive balloons. Later there was a parade of people that all made their way down to the Piazza. After the parade, only a mere few hours later, everything was gone- no stage, no people, or big balloons! At the Spanish Steps for two days in a row we have walked past various bands playing music dressed in what looks to be military apparel. After researching we cannot find a military holiday or any holiday for that matter on the Italian calendar. There was also a large group of chanting people in the Piazza with colorful smoke bombs. (Of course the chants were in a different language so we don't know what it was about.) We also were wondering the city when we found many groups of 10ish people wearing various team color shirts and riding bicycles. Chances are these things happen in many cities across the world but when you don't know what the shirts or banners say it is a bit odd.

Today we are leaving for Paris! Our are packed, the apartment is clean, and now we must wait until it gets closer to the time we leave. (If only you could here the excitement in Amy's voice... It is probably stopping Jenni from taking a nap!) Cross your fingers for the forecast as 2 out of the 3 days calls for rain.

Again, don't be alarmed if you don't hear from us for a few days but we will post again upon our return!

Arrivederci!
Amy and Jenni

Photos:
1) Our Piazza filled with the craziness of all the people and balloons
2) One of the military bands on the Spanish Steps
3) The Mouth of Truth (not snapping off Amy's hand!)

More Waterfalls... Because the Few from Last Time Aren't Enough

No commentary needed- the pictures speak for themselves. (All from Plitvice NP in Croatia) Enjoy!

Arrivederci!
Amy and Jenni

Home again!

Well, we just returned from Croatia... And for those of you who asked, "Croatia? Why Croatia?", let us tell you that Croatia is amazing!! Beautiful sights, wonderful weather, great food, friendly locals, and very affordable. We would definitely recommend it to anyone!

We left home last Saturday for a long journey via train to Ancona (on the east coast of Italy) then via overnight ferry to Split, Croatia across the Adriatic Sea. We got there Sunday morning, checked into our hostel, spent a good amount of time laughing at the ridiculous "shower", then went out to explore the city. What seemed daunting at first turned out to be a really simple and cute city. We withdrew some money from the ATM; surprisingly, the exchange rate is so bad that 200 kunas is only around $35, but dinner costs around $60-80 kunas (still, thats only around $10!)

The city is cute with a promenade (which one of the locals said "is like our living room") with all sorts of shops and restaurants and a castle district full of little nooks and crannies with specialty shops. We ate dinner at a pretty well known restaurant called Buffet Fife and had such a great time there we ate it twice more before leaving! It is a region of meat & potatoes as well as seafood so both of us were happy (Jenni loves meat and potatoes, Amy loves fish!).

The next morning (Monday) we had booked a Segway tour of the city. We learned to ride our segways (super fun!!) and saw some of the best views of the city! Split is a harbor town in a bay and the water is amazingly clear. Plus the whole coastline is dotted with hundreds of little islands which you can see from the shore. It was a great way to see the city in a shirt amount of time! No casualties occurred. After a lunch of Fife we roamed the city more and checked out Diocletian's Palace more. We skipped dinner and instead went to the Promenade for dessert and to cheer for the Croatian team in the Euro 2012 (the European soccer championship) game, Croatia versus Scotland. Apparently we are Croatian futball fans now!

On Tuesday we met a tour group to go to Plitvice (pronounce "Plitvitza") Lakes National Park and it was incredible!! They brag about 16 lakes and 92 waterfalls and they delivered on the promises. Our trip was interrupted by some showers, but overall the sights were beautiful. There isn't really anything to say other than "...wow...". Words cannot describe the beauty, hopefully our pictures can. On the way to the car to come home we were hit with a random Croatian thunderstorm, our first storm of the summer. We enjoyed our tour, ponchos and all! On the way home we stopped for dinner at an authentic Croatian place then came home, had some local desserts, and hiked up the mountain in Split for a beer overlooking the twilit city. A day of indulgence.

Wednesday we had booked a trip to some of the Croatian islands for a historical tour and a beach day. They cancelled our Wednesday tour on Tuesday night because they expected the weather to be bad, but it turned out to be cloudless and around 80 degrees or more (that's a guess since we don't understand Celsius). We got our 300 kunas (Croatian money) each refunded and then had to decide what to do with all that cash since we couldn't exchange it! (Actually, it's only like $40USD.) We decided to stick to our plan, so we caught a ferry to a nearby island called Brac (pronounced "Bratch"). We laid in the sun and admired the blue blue blue water for a few hours then caught the ferry back to Split. We spent our last kunas on dinner at Fife (Amy ate fish with eyeballs!), shopped for some items at the stands, enjoyed some Croatian treats, and got on the ferry back to Italy.

After a looooong ferry ride, wait for the train, and train ride, we are finally home again! (And we are both excited that it feels like home!) We enjoyed our trip and have retuned home quite a bit pinker than expected (even after tons of sunscreen).

Now we are taking care of the apartment (Amy cleaned the toilet!), grocery shopping, vacuuming, laundry, cooking dinner, dishes, etc before we jet off to Paris on Monday!! Amy finally gets to see her Eiffel Tower!

Arrivederci!!
Amy and Jenni

Pictures:
1) the bell tower to Diocletian's church. It's a cool old building.
2) some cool waterfalls and lakes from Plitvice Lakes NP.
3) a great view from the highest point in Split overlooking one of the peninsulas.
4) Amy is rolling in money! 860 kunas and some change, enough for rent and dinner!
5) enjoying a drink from high above Split!
6) a day at the beach on Brac Island
7) trying to figure out how to use the miniature shower in our room... Even too small for us! For those of you reading since the start, if you wondered why we were so excited for an "American shower," this is why!!

Still in Croatia!

Croatia has been amazing! We will be back in Rome in a few days and will update you more then on our adventures, but to tide you over, here is a sneak peak of our last few days!!

Zbogom (Goodbye!)
Amy and Jenni