Athens, Greece (September, 2014)

Ancient history and crazy traffic is the first thing that comes to my mind whenever I think about Athens. A must see is the Acropolis museum (http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en) which can be found right on the slope of the Acropolis hill and houses an amazing collection ranging from archaic sculptures to marbles from the Parthenon.
A visit to Athens is not complete without seeing the Acropolis. During spring and summer months it is always hot and sunny so make sure you have plenty of water and sun screen so you don't collapse from a heat stroke during your climb up the hill to see the archaeological remains. But the views of Athens when you make it to the top, and the impressive structure of the Parthenon are all worth it.
Another museum I personally enjoyed is the Benaki Museum which is a short walk from Syntagma Square (http://www.benaki.gr/index.asp?lang=en). It houses a privately owned collection of Greek works of art from the antiquity to the modern times while at the same time illustrating Greece's history.
Other than that enjoy the many cafes and restaurants (souvlaki is a must!), go shopping in Monastiraki and just enjoy the atmosphere.

Acropolis Museum

The Acropolis

Ancient ruins underneath the Acropolis museum

Theatre of Dionysus

The Propylaea, entrance to the Acropolis

The Parthenon

The Erechtheion, temple dedicated to Athena and Poseidon

Views of Athens from the Acropolis

Syntagma Square and the Greek Parliament

Syntagma Square

Presidential Guard

Changing of the Guard

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Comments

Antwerp, Belgium (December 2012)

Antwerp often gets overshadowed by the more popular tourist destinations Brussels and Bruges, but not rightly so. It is a vibrant city in the north of Belgium and predominantly known for its port and the largest diamond stock exchange in the world. It is a relatively small city but has a lot to offer from museums, antique shops and popular cafes and restaurants and all the sights can be easily visited on foot. According to a legend, a giant called Antigoon used to demand toll from people wanting to cross the river Scheldt, however anyone who refused to pay got their hands cut off. One day a hero called Brabo cut off the giants hand and threw it into the river and this is supposedly how Antwerp got its name (hand werpen = Dutch for throwing hands). Welcome to Antwerp! Inside Central Station Inside Antwerp Central Station Antwerp Zoo Outside view of Central Station Entrance to the Meir, a popular shopping street The hand, symbolical

Samos, Greece (Seitani)

Samos Island is full of great beaches but by far the most beautiful ones are Mikro (small) and Megalo (big) Seitani on the north western coast of the island. They are not easily accessible but this gives them their unspoilt natural beauty. The only way to get to the beaches is by foot or potentially by boat, although I would highly recommend to do the hike as it's a scenic walk through pine forest and old olive trees and you get lovely views over the northern coast of Samos. I am not an experienced hiker but setting off from the port of Karlovassi it takes about 30 mins to reach Mikro - and from there another 30 mins to get to Megalo Seitani. There are no shops or any other facilities at the beaches so it's important to bring plenty of water and food. As the name suggests Mikro Seitani is the smaller one of the beaches with beautiful crystal clear sea. This is a good place to take a break before heading towards Megalo Seitani. You only really notice how big Megalo Seitani is

Porto Santo (June 2012)

If you are in Madeira and are missing quiet, sandy beaches, take a trip to Porto Santo island! Believe me, you will not be disappointed. There are two ways to get from Madeira to Porto Santo: either take the plane from Funchal airport which is the more expensive option, or take the ferry from the port of Funchal which is what I did. The good thing about taking the ferry is that Porto Santo Line ( http://www.portosantoline.pt/index.php ) has deals with some hotels on the island making it cheaper to book tickets and hotel together rather than booking separately. Porto Santo itself is very small, the main town is called Vila Baleira and has a number of cafes, restaurants and small shops. Nonetheless it is enough to keep you entertained for a few days and nothing is better than to relax on the 9km long beach after some extensive sight-seeing in Madeira! My restaurant tip for the island is a little restaurant called Pe na Agua ( https://www.facebook.com/PeNaAgua ) located right on the

Feugomania

Search This Blog