Lost in thoughts

Daydreaming Greek-tripping...

Friday, November 7, 2014 making-sweetness

With 2 blocks more before exams/graduation, I'm (unfortunately) already thinking about going for a grad trip. -.- I suspect this is called "counting your chickens before they are hatched", but since I've already been researching on things, might as well put pen to (electronic) paper and get the fantasies out of my head.

As of now, the only thing confirmed are the people going and return tickets to ATHENS!!! Woottttt...that's a good enough starting point for my daydreams. To be honest, I've always wanted to go to Greece and see the ancient ruins I've read about through Paul's letters in the bible, as well as all the stuff mentioned in Greek/Roman mythology. Experiencing Greek hospitality, walking by sandy beaches and watching amazing sunsets into the Agean sea sound pretty awesome as well....so here's my dream itinerary for this mid-march Greek holiday!! =D

Day 1: Arrive in Athens
We would arrive around mid-day, giving us time to have a short wander around the touristy bit of Athens, Plaka and hopefully a seafood dinner near Piraeus!

Day 2: Sail from Athens to Naxos
From port Piraeus near Athens, we'll go to a chain of islands known as the Cyclades, just off the Greek mainland. The first stop would be Naxos, a 5h boat trip on a Blue Star ferry that leaves at 7.30am. On arriving at midday, we'll be greeted by a large gate, which is the doorway of what was once the temple of Apollo. After putting our things down, we'll bus/cycle/walk to one of the many beaches and just chill till dinnertime. Or even snorkel/windsurf....whatever the weather permits.

Day 3: Sail from Naxos to Santorini
In the morning, we could see 1 of the temple ruins there or just have a looooong breakfast before catching the 12.40pm ferry to Santorini. If we stay in Oia, we'll just have a wander through the town and catch the sunset, which is suppose to be one of the prettiest in the world!!

Day 4: Santorini
After breakfast, we could take a short boat ride to the volcano (and possibly swim there), then come back to Fira to explore the town! Of course, we have to catch the sunsets there again....isn't that what most people go to Santorini for?

Day 5: Fly back to Athens
A morning flight back from Santorini to Athens would shave hours off our time and we can go to the museums/Syntagma Square (where the changing of the guards occur), or just wander around Athens for the rest of the day. (perhaps even squeeze in a half-day trip to the temple of Poisedon and watching the sunset there)

Day 6: Delphi excursion
Although it is a 3h bus ride away from Athens, the ruins at Delphi make for a good day trip out of Athens to see all the temples/stadium there. Plus it's a UNESCO world heritage site!!

Day 7: Acropolis
Another thing that should not be missed while in Athens is the Acropolis! From the Parthenon, to the ancient Agora where Apostle Paul visited and preached at....one has definitely NOT seen Athens if they did not go to the Acropolis.

Day 9: Nafplio (with Corinth stopover)
From Athens, we travel west to the region of Peloponnese, stopping by in the ancient city of Corinth which is an hour away from Athens. Having looked at the canals and whatever remains of that once-great city that was destroyed by a big earthquake, we then move on to Nafplio where we can stay for the night in this very pretty town by the sea!

Day 8: Olympia
We can then take a day trip to Olympia to see the birthplace of the Olympic games! Other than the ancient stadium, there are also temples to Zeus and Apollo there. And it's ALSO a UNESCO world heritage site.

Day 10: Back to Athens (with Mycenae stopover)
One day JUST BEFORE the Greek Independence Day, we'll try to make our way back to Athens from Nafplio. Hopefully we'll be able to see the citadels in Mycenae on the way...if there isn't too much disruption to transport.

Day 11: Greece Independence Day in Athens
Back in Athens, we can join in the celebrations on the streets and just soak in the atmosphere in this annual event!!!!

Day 12: Fly back to UK
Last day in Greece....*sobs* The most logical thing to do then would be to have a good breakfast and make our way to the airport for the flight.

To be honest, this is super super unrealistic (especially the part about going to Olympia), but a girl can dream right? ^^ The most realistic plan is to sleep on the boat back to Athens from Santorini (and save $$), then use Athens as our base for the next few days to explore the city and its surrounding regions by day trips, covering places like Corinth, the temple of Poisedon at Sounion, the citadel at Mycenae, or the ruins at Delphi. Olympia is (regrettably) 4h too far to cover it in such a short trip. *sigh*

But any chance to go travelling somewhere is always something to look forward to! =D

POSTED BY mysticmalady AT 2:55 AM |

0 Comments

◄ Older posts making-sweetness

Newer posts ►