Exploring Oia : Famous Views + Hillsides

July 5, 2016

Our second day in Santorini, we wanted to explore more of the island and so we had our hotel call us a taxi to head into Oia. This famous spot on the island is where all of the typical Santorini photos are taken and we wanted to see it for ourselves. This area was completely different than Imerovigli and Fira, with a more upscale feel, more shops and restaurants and a cleaner feel over all. If I ever went back to Santorini, which I’m not sure I would, I think I’d opt to stay in Oia, as long as you’re traveling in off season. During peak season, I can’t even imagine how crazy this town is, but in April, it was still quiet.

We wandered through the little streets and hillsides of Oia all afternoon, looking for those famous views and enjoying the colors of the town. All in all, this was my favorite area of Santorini and it also had a ton of great restaurants and cafes to stop at all along the main roads.

A Hotel Review of the Sophia Suites in Santorini

July 4, 2016

Sophia Suites – Santorini, Greece

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When we knew Santorini would be the last stop of our trip, I looked at a bunch of different hotel options. When I came across the brand new Sophia Suites in Santorini with a Moroccan-style design, I reached out to them to see about hosting us for our stay. They accepted and finally, we arrived at this Santorini hotel with views out over the typical white washed buildings and caldera views!

LOVE

Views- The views in Santorini truly are incredible and our hotel didn’t disappoint for this. Our balcony overlooked the cliffside with views out over the caldera and all of the island.

Comfortable Bed – We slept well for our 2 nights in Santorini!

Decor – This was one thing that drew me to the hotel in the first place and the decor was a mix of modern Greek and a Middle-Eastern/Moroccan type vibe. In truth, our room didn’t have as much of this decor as other rooms that I’d seen photos of on the website, but nonetheless, I enjoyed the decor.

Breakfasts with a View – Each morning at the hotel, you get to choose from a menu of local favorites for breakfast. We chose to enjoy ours on our balcony and the food was delicious.

Location – When I was researching where to stay on Santorini, a lot of people recommend Imerovigli instead of Fira or Oia. And while I could see how it would be maybe more convenient for restaurants in the other cities, we did enjoy the quiet local feel of Imerovigli.

DIDN’T LOVE

Shower – I think this was just our room, but still this was something that really bothered us. Our shower was literally in the middle of the bedroom of our room and had no curtain or anything. When we showered, we didn’t have privacy and on top of that, water got everywhere and was just really annoying. And the super simple solution would be for them to hang a curtain and it would have been fine, but the way it was just odd.

Toilet/Bathroom – On top of the toilet paper issue that I spoke about yesterday, our toilet in the room was in a tiny little cave with a cracked wooden door to semi-close it. It again offered no privacy and was directly in the bedroom which seemed strange. It also was really dark.

Noisy Hot Tub that wasn’t hot – Our room had a balcony with what they called a “hot tub.” However, it was stone cold the whole time we were there. It also was super loud and noisy, which one night sounded so loud we thought it was thunder outside.

TIPS

Have the hotel arrange to pick you up from the airport – We did this before hand and it was so much easier to have someone there waiting for you upon your arrival.

When taking taxis, have them drop you at Blue note restaurant – The first day, we told our taxi the hotel and he dropped us in the completely wrong place. Tell them to drop you at Blue Note Restaurant, which is right next to the hotel and everyone knows that spot.

Land of Marvels was welcomed to the Sophia Suites as a guest, though all opinions are my own for this review.

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Exploring Fira : Caldera Views + Stone Pathways

July 1, 2016

We arrived in Santorini mid-day, grabbed our ride to the hotel, and settled in. And the view from our hotel was wonderful, but we wanted to get out and see more of this famous little island, so we set out to walk the 20 minutes to Fira for lunch and for some classic Santorini views. We set out along the main road (which has no sidewalks by the way) and wandered in the general direction of Fira. Finally we came across a pathway from the road into the town and wandered along stone pathways with views out over the ocean. Eventually we came across a little cafe situated with a view overlooking the water and ducked in for some Greek food, all while looking out over the white washed buildings and enjoying the scenic views.

After lunch we sauntered down the sidewalk along the Caldera, stopping for photos and to browse little shops. Finally, we made our way back up to the main road, jumped in a cab and headed back to our hotel for our first Santorini sunset.

Everything You Need to Know Before going to Santorini

June 30, 2016

Our trip to Europe in April was a whirlwind, visiting 4 different countries and when we booked it, I really wanted a destination at the end of the trip that we could just relax a bit. Santorini has always been lingering on our travel list and so we figured it would be the perfect stop over for a bit of relaxation at the end of our travels.

In truth, it ended up being our least favorite spot on the trip, for a number of reasons. Overall, I felt it wasn’t very genuine, in that I didn’t really feel like if tourists didn’t come to the island, it wouldn’t really look like it does. I was also a little blown away by how just a few feet away from the tourist areas, the island is literally falling apart and overrun by garbage. Maybe this was just our experience and maybe just how we explored the island, but it’s not a spot I think I would return to in the future. In an effort to be completely transparent and honest here on Land of Marvels, I think it’s important to be open about our experiences while traveling. And while I’m not sure we’d return, this famous island is still pretty incredible to see in person as it’s known world-wide. If you’ve always wanted to visit this famous Greek Isle, here is everything you need to know before going to Santorini!

There are basically 3 main towns: Fira, Oia and Imerovigli.

When you look at Santorini, there are basically 3 main towns around the crescent shaped caldera of the island. The town of Fira is the capital of the island and a busy tourist hub. Oia (pronounced “ee-ya”) is the town that you always see the typical Santorini photos of. Oia is where the famous windmills are and the hillsides that you always see photos of. Imerovigli is a small, more local town, situated between the two others. There are definitely other sections of the island, but for tourists, these are the 3 main towns you’ll probably frequent the most.

It’s kind of a pain to get around the island.

We stayed in Imerovigli, which is located about 20 minute walk from Fira and about a 25 minute drive from Oia. One of the things that I didn’t like about Santorini was how hard it was to get around if you don’t want to rent a car. To walk, there are no sidewalks in many areas along the main roads. To get a taxi, it’s not an easy task. In Oia, we spent an hour wandering around trying to find the taxi stand which was not easy to find. Then when we finally found it, we had to call (thank goodness we had added cell service for our phones while traveling) for a taxi to come get us, which then took another 20+ minutes. I felt like for a destination with so many tourists, they don’t make it very easy to get around the island.

Now if you’re going and just staying at your hotel, then I guess it wouldn’t matter. But we wanted to explore a little and it wasn’t very easy without having to rent a car.

Don’t flush toilet paper.

One of the things that I found strange on Santorini, at least in Imerovigli, was that you can’t flush toilet paper. Now I get that the island is old but for some place that caters to millions of tourists each year, there are plenty of other old places in the world that have been able to upgrade their sewer systems to modern standards. Regardless it’s something to be aware of.

I’m not sure if all hotels are like this or if some of them have their own systems, but this was pretty standard in public areas and our hotel.

It’s a resort island and hence, everything is overpriced.

Greece has had a rough go of it lately with financial situations and so I was expecting everything to be cheaper than other spots in Europe. Not the case at all! Santorini is definitely charging prices for tourists since it’s a resort island. Food was not cheap, nor were souvenirs or anything else.

Expect to walk a lot.

Whether it’s long stretches of walking with caldera views or going up and down the stairs to your hotel, you’ll walk a ton on Santorini. Bring comfortable shoes and strong legs to get up and down those cliffsides!

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What You Really Love

June 29, 2016

In a quick break from Europe posts, today is a special day that I can’t let go by on the blog without acknowledging. Today is Nick’s 30th birthday and when I think about that milestone in his life, and in my own, I can’t help but be amazed that we’re here already. From what you see here on the blog of Nick, you see his incredible photos of our travels, you hear my stories of us exploring the world together. But what you might not see here on Land of Marvels is just how intertwined our lives have become, his and mine. We are each other’s best friends, confidants and the people each of us always call when we have anything happen in our lives. He is my other half completely.

We’ve spent 10 and a half years together, we said our “I Do’s” five and a half years ago, and we’ve explored 6 continents together, countless countries and cities along the way. We’ve built a life at home and we’ve chased dreams and built careers. And as he turns 30 today, I am drawn to my thoughts on love. We haven’t always had an easy road, there have been fights, tears, misunderstandings. There has been long distance, paths that were hard to keep connected, moments of doubt. But today, we’re stronger than ever.

Love is one of those things that suddenly changes our entire mindset and makes us stronger than we ever were without it. There was a moment a few weeks ago on Nick’s birthday trip to Peru, when we were sitting in the fog at Machu Picchu, waiting for the view to open up, and I looked around me and I looked at Nick and suddenly everything we’ve done together, everything we’ve achieved, everything we’ve worked so incredibly hard to build, it all came together and I was just in awe. Together we’re stronger than we are on our own, together we are capable of more.

I’m not sure what it is, but as I get older all those things that really aren’t that important have begun to fall away and the love that’s at the core of my life has become everything. As I get older I realize that we can work as hard as we want, go after anything in our path, but we also have to let love guide us. I love the Rumi quote, “Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” From one of my favorite poets, I’ve taken that as my guiding force in this life. Love won’t lead you astray. And if you can make it work, love will always be the most important and best part of your life.

And so today, to my love, I can’t quite believe all we’ve done together yet what excites me the most as we head into our thirties, is all the amazing things that I know are still to come. Happy birthday my love!

Vienna’s Old Town : Architecture + Cobblestones

June 27, 2016

Due to our flight schedule, we only had a half day in Vienna, which turned out to be not nearly enough. I’ve already posted about how much I loved this city and how hard I fell for it, but long story short, I loved it so much I would move there. The city is gorgeous, the people friendly, the food amazing. We spent our afternoon eating, wandering and taking it all in, from the architecture and cobblestone streets to the pedestrian only Old Town. It’s safe to say this won’t be our last visit to this amazing city and our afternoon there was one of my favorites of our entire trip!

Where to Stay in Vienna

Don’t Miss in Vienna:

–Figmuller: This famous old restaurant serves the best schnitzel in Vienna. It’s seriously amazing if you like German/Austrian food.

–Cafe Central: For the coffee culture and incredible desserts – spend some time here.

Traveling to Austria?

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How to Order Coffee in Europe (if you like Lattes)

June 24, 2016

Europe has some of the best coffee in the world and it’s an art form that’s taken quite seriously. So if you’re headed to Europe and you like lattes (one of my faves), each country has a unique take on your daily coffee habit, so here’s how to order coffee in Europe and some of my personal favorite hot treats.

In Paris: Cafe au Lait

When in France, I’m a huge fan of the cafe au lait. Coffee, steamed milk and a side of French cafe, yes please.

Enjoy with: a fresh croissant.

In Italy: Latte Macchiato

When in Italy, my go-to is the latte macchiato. Lots of foamy milk, shots of espresso dumped in and mixed to perfection. It’s also usually served in a tall glass.

Enjoy with: an Italian pastry.

In Vienna: Kaffee Melange

In Vienna, where kaffee is a local past time, order the local Kaffee Melange for a latte like consistency and lots of foamed milk. It’s usually served in a glass without a handle.

Enjoy with: Viennese desserts like Apple Strudel or an Osterpinze roll (pictured.)

In Spain: Cafe con Leche

Perhaps my favorite of all, the cafe con leche in Spain is a treat and a caffeine dose. A little sweet, with lots of milk, I never can resist long date dinners followed by a cafe con leche.

Enjoy with: fresh churros and chocolate.

Why Vienna Needs to Jump to the Top of your Travel List

June 23, 2016

There are very few places any more that surprise me. After seeing a lot of the world and being a perpetual planner, I usually have a pretty good idea of what to expect when we visit a new place. Whether that’s photos I’ve seen or books I’ve read or blogs I’ve perused, usually I arrive in a new place having a good idea of what’s in store. Vienna though… I had very little knowledge of the city or what to expect and it completely blew me away.

A little background first on why we were in Vienna before I tell you all the amazing reasons why this amazing city should jump to the top of your travel list… When I was booking our travels from Rome to Santorini, due to timing, we didn’t want to have to fly through Athens so I was looking for direct connections to Santorini from Rome. Our schedules worked out that we had to fly from Rome to Vienna, stay the night in Vienna and then fly direct from Vienna to Santorini the following day. I’m always up for exploring a new city so we jumped at the chance to add Vienna to our itinerary, even if only for 1 afternoon. Hence, we found ourselves in Vienna, arriving at 1:30pm and leaving at 11am the following day. And believe me when I say this, Vienna now ranks among my favorite places in the world and you should jump on a plane there at your earliest conscience and here’s why:

The Incredible Food

This makes it first on my list of reasons why I fell hard for Vienna because the food we had in our short stay there was seriously some of the best of my life. Nick and I joked with our hotel concierge that Vienna’s food is literally everything I love: meat and potatoes, sweets and incredible coffee. In our short time in Vienna we indulged in the most amazing weiner schnitzel at Figmueller, Viennese chocolate cake and Apple streudel at Cafe Central and pretzels and pastries around the city. I was so full the entire time but in the best possible way… Vienna is literally bursting with incredible food.

The Ornate but Tasteful Architecture

Upon our immediate reaction of Vienna, it reminded us a lot of Copenhagen but with less color. As we explored more, we fell in love with the ornate but tasteful buildings, the pedestrian only old town, the pastel colored streets ranging from bright whites to pale mint greens and the cobblestone roads that feel so old world. Vienna is a feast for the eyes quite literally.

The People

We kept raving and raving about how friendly the people were in Vienna. From our hotel staff to the waiters at restaurants to the locals on the streets. Not only did almost everyone speak perfect English, they were happy to oblige and offered amazing suggestions and were so kind. Truly some of the friendliest people we’ve met in our travels.

The Airport

This might seem like a weird one to include, but seriously, the Vienna airport is amazing. I’ve seen a lot of airports in my time but this one, it’s not only gorgeous (with amazing design), it is so efficient, easy to explore and has amazing bars and cafes everywhere. Grab a pretzel and coffee on your way to the gate at the Daily Roast, or grab a seat at one of the many comfortable seating areas. And to make it better, free wifi throughout the entire airport.

Another note on transportation to the airport from the city and back, the CAT train gets you into Central Vienna in only 16 minutes and is incredibly comfortable and a great price as far as airport trains go (hello crazy expensive Heathrow Express).

The Coffee Culture

The coffee culture in Vienna is a huge deal. People spend hours in coffee houses, and it’s easy to see why. Not only do most coffee houses serve incredible coffee (some of the best I’ve had) but they are also world renowned for their sweet delicacies. At Cafe Central in Vienna, we sat for an hour, enjoying coffee, Viennese chocolate cake (to die for) and warm apple streudel (amazing). Take an afternoon while in Vienna and just indulge yourself. There are also amazing cafes like Strock that we stopped into for breakfast for amazing coffee and pastries. After all, what’s Vienna without a sweet treat?

Traveling to Austria?

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Where to Stay in Vienna

The Beauty of Tuscany : Views, Vineyards + More Views

June 21, 2016

I’d always heard about the beauty of Tuscany. How the hills were green and rolling, how the vineyards made some of the best wine in the world. I’d heard of the famous Cyprus trees and seen image after image of those famous Tuscan scenes. But it wasn’t until actually seeing this area for myself that I fully grasped just how incredible it is and why it’s so famous. We loved Tuscany and after seeing it, I think to fully see this area, you have to drive through it on your own, stopping at viewpoints, taking in the scenery.

The area is beyond gorgeous and if you’ve ever thought of heading to Tuscany, just go. It’s one of those places that’s even better in real life than in the photos!

Where to Stay in Italy

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Travel Tips : Driving in Italy

June 20, 2016

One of our favorite parts of our trip to Italy this time was our drive from Rome up through Umbria and Tuscany. The Italian countryside truly is beyond stunning and I’m so glad that we got to experience more than just the cities during this trip. But if you’re going to rent a car and drive in Italy, here are my tips and tricks for driving in Italy.

Get a small car.

The first rule of driving in Italy, don’t rent a big car. If you have lots of people and luggage, it might be better to get a driver or take a tour bus because frankly, these towns are tiny, the roads are really narrow and parking areas barely have room for tiny European cars. So whatever company you go through, make sure it’s a small car.

Follow the signage – Italy has great signs on the roadways.

We found the signage in Italy to be excellent. Everywhere we went, signs were laid out orderly and easy to read. We had GPS on our phones and a paper map but there were many times we just followed the signs and it was really easy.

Be aware of Toll roads … Go through “tickets” line.

Many of the highways through Umbria and Tuscany are toll roads, so just follow the signs and you’ll be fine. Be sure though to go through the line that says “tickets” in Italian (billeteries), grab a ticket and then when you exit the highway, again go to the sign that looks like money (white) and pay the toll. Many lines take both cash and credit cards.

In all small to large towns, there are parking areas outside the city that you can park at and pay, then walk in. Don’t try to park in the cities.

In almost all the small towns we went through (and I know Florence does this too) you aren’t allowed to drive into the city as a tourist. Instead, you must park your car in the car parks outside the city and then walk in. Be sure to pay for your parking (and put the receipt in your car) before heading into town.

Be aware of road speed cameras – there are lots.

In the Umbria/Tuscany section of the highway we drove, there were tons of speed cameras. As long as you stay around the 110 km/hour speed you should be fine. People were speeding past us as well so I’m sure the limit for the cameras is higher than that, but that’s a good speed limit to stick with if in doubt.

Most highways are 110 km/hour speed and in towns, most are 50-60 km/hour. There aren’t many speed signs so just go with the flow of traffic.

While we found there aren’t very many speed signs throughout Italy, we just went with the flow of traffic and eventually saw signs. Most of the highways we were on were 110 km/hour speed and in most towns it was around 60 km/hour. Stick to those and you should be fine.

The roads move fluidly … Do as the Italians do.

When in Italy, do as the Italians do, right? So same goes for on the highways as the traffic moves much more fluidly than it does in the States or even in the UK. Lanes merge together quickly and no one uses blinkers on the highway. So just go with it and move with the traffic and you’ll be fine!

Traveling to Italy?

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Exploring Oia : Famous Views + Hillsides