How I Spent a Week in Greece

I booked a trip through EF Tours to spend a week in Greece and it was one of the best places that I have ever been to. With EF, I didn't have to choose my flights, my hotels, any of my modes of transportation. All of the hard things were done for me and I got to relax and make the most of my time. While everything was pretty much planned for me, you are always welcome to go off on your own and explore whatever else you would like. So, here's how I made the most of my time in Greece.

Day 1: Athens!

Started with a guided tour of the city. Lots of active archeological sites. Fun fact: there's isn't a single straight line on the Parthenon; if all the columns extended in 1.5 miles they would create a triangle.

We went to the Parthenon and saw all of the other amazing ruins. We saw the Temple of Zeus, the Theater of Dionysus, the Athena Temple, and the old Athena/Poseidon Temple. While you obviously

weren't allowed to touch anything, you were able to get a lot closer to the ruins than I thought we would be able to. To get to the Parthenon, you start at the bottom and walk up this sort of ruined mountain. We were actually walking through the same pathways that the ancient Greeks walked. After the tour we grabbed some gyros to go and explored the Plaka neighbourhood. After all this walking I headed back to the hotel for a short nap before dinner. We started doing our exploring right after we landed. Greece is 7 hours ahead of where I live in Michigan so even though it was it was a bright and sunny afternoon in Athens, I was absolutely exhausted. I was a little worried about taking a nap while fighting jetlag but I definitely needed it if I was to go out with the group tonight. A little more upscale meal with a wonderful pianist. This dinner was a great way to get to know each other and where everyone came from. Everyone on this trip either booked it by themselves or had another person or two along with them, but for the most part we were all one big group of individuals traveling together. Next stop: Santorini!

Day 2: Santorini!

Started with the most unsettling ferry ride which made me realize that I was not made for water travel. Docked and headed straight for the black sand beach! The island of Santorini was formed by volcanoes, which is what gives the sand its black colour. You can reserve beach chairs and cabanas on the beach, which fortunately, come with very big umbrellas. There is a restaurant on the other side of the road and the wait staff will take your order at the beach. The water was very cold and very salty, but the sun was out and the sand was hot and the drinks were in pineapples.

After the beach, we checked in to our hotel. THE most beautiful place I have ever seen. Our room has a little patio that overlooks the cliff and gives a great view of the island. A wonderful pool and a much appreciated shower upgrade from the previous hotel. This was probably the most beautiful hotel that I have ever seen in my entire life.

We headed to Fira for dinner and some of us caught the showing of The Greek Wedding Show! This performance demonstrated a traditional Greek wedding and relied heavily on audience participation. After the 15th shout of 'Yamas!' (cheers) I forgot that I didn't like dancing in the spotlight. This show was very much a 'what you make it' show. They serve food and wine to those in the audience as you are there for the family wedding and you will be treated like family. Audience participation is key and the more that you participate the more fun you will have. When the show was done, we were all handed some plates and broke them on the ground. Opa!

Finished the night at Town Club before heading back for some much needed rest.

Day 3: Oia, Santorini!!

Slept in after being out late last night and was still exhausted. Dancing takes a lot out of you! Ate

breakfast with the most delicious coffee and then headed back for a nap. This was the first coffee I've had that I really enjoyed. One thing that I wasn't prepared for was the lack of black coffee. There were a lot of espressos and coffee related beverages, but the hotel breakfast was the only place to consistently find a decent cup of regular hot water over ground beans.

We got the group all together and made our way to Venetsanos Winery for cliff side wine tasting. The wind picked up and it started to drizzle but we came prepared with jackets. With each taste of wine, they pair it with a small snack that would bring out the flavours of the wine. They also sold bottles of their wine at the end so I brought the most wonderful Moscato home.

Left the winery and arrived in the BEAUTIFUL village of Oia. Oia is the richest area of the island and is home to the famous blue dome churches. It was so interested to see all these 'houses' that have their own private hot tubs. I don't think I've ever felt such an extreme feeling of jealousy. If I have one piece of advice for those visiting Santorini, it would be to bring sneakers. There is very little done to maintain the cobblestone roads and there are some places, especially the farther away from the city center you get, that have almost no walking paths at all. You are literally hugging the side of the cliff to make your way to the top and it is not something that should ever be done in heels.

Day 4: Santorini to Paros!

Finished our time in Santorini with a delicious breakfast and a walk to Pyrgos. We saw the remains of an old Venetian castle that had some amazing views. These ruins were not barricaded and you could get as close to them as you wanted. Gyros for lunch (of course) and then boarded the bus to the dock. Another long ferry ride but we finally made it to Paros.

Paros is absolutely stunning. Dropped our things at the hotel (the cutest little place I've ever seen) and walked to the shore to watch the sunset. This beach really felt like home to me. I live about 45 minutes from one of the greatest beaches in the world, Holland, MI, Coast Guard City. I was feeling a little bit homesick so this feeling was a little sign from the universe that I'm right where I need to be. Greek appetizers for dinner and then off to bed to rest for our big adventure tomorrow.

καληνυχτα, kalinychta, and good night!

Day 5: Paros!

This cute little hotel has given me the best coffee in days. A quick breakfast before hopping on a boat. I know, I know, water travel. BUT the views (and the burn) was worth it. We spent the majority of the day on the water and it was lovely. We sailed around Paros and

Antiparos and did a little cave exploring, which was absolutely not for me. The water didn't look terribly deep, mostly because the water was really really clear. We were a little afraid to dive into the water, but after sending our tallest man in we discovered that there was no chance any of us would ever reach the bottom. The cave was super dark and I couldn't see the bottom of the water at all. I have a hard time being in natural bodies of water, but I thought I was doing okay with the clarity here. But cave diving? No. No no. We cooked lunch on the boat and drank homemade wine, which I decided not to partake in because I didn't think I could handle alcohol and waves. We docked the boat near an island and swam up on shore. We did the sand shuffle with our feet because of all the crabs on the bottom of the sea. They camouflaged in pretty well so we walked pretty slowly. Got off the boat and changed at the hotel before heading to the village and enjoying a nice dinner with a view of the sunset. We went more into the city area for dinner and I got to see the iconic pink door. This was one of the most touristy areas, but I can't complain because I am a tourist. We ate dinner outside of a marina that was all decorated with flowers, this might have been the best meal I've eaten here. Ready for a good night sleep.

Day 6: Mykonos!!

Another day, another ferry. Bright and early leaving Paros for Mykonos. We arrived on the island before anything was open so I opted for a shower and a nap. Later that afternoon, the festivities began.

Mykonos became a hot spot thanks to Jackie O's ex-husband and is now known as a party destination. As someone who never parties, I decided to see what the fuss is about. Our hotel is a very big party hotel. There is a party every single night, one that is more intense than any nightclub I have ever been to. This was one of those parties where someone is paid to keep the vibes going. He literally would walk by, pick up a person, and put them on the raised dancing platform. It was glow themed tonight, so we had neon paint painted on us by the workers. They served group drinks served in bowls and they will open your mouth for free shots if they feel you aren't partying hard enough. While this is great for other people, I will not be a regular party attender.

Day 7: Mykonos

Started with a boat tour around the island where we saw one of the worlds largest cruise ships and some of the bluest waters I've ever seen. After falling asleep for far too long in the sun, we headed back towards land.

A quick nap before heading to the main town of Chora. We ate dinner in Little Venice and saw some amazing sights. The windmills were absolutely stunning. The white architecture was very clean and the surrounding colours were so vibrant. Being in Little Venice was sort of like a vacation inside of a vacation. The windmills reminded me of Don Quixote and I was really so content in this moment.

I tried one more time at a party and had more fun than the time before, but waking up exhausted is simply not for me. Even though this hotel was booked for the group, there were a few people that decided to find other accommodations while in Mykonos because they weren't big into the party scene. They met back up with us when we were leaving to head back to Athens and they really enjoyed their time alone. That's another thing that I loved about traveling with EF. They understand that this trip is for us to do and enjoy as we would like and if we don't want to stick with the group then we don't have to. I decided to stay with the group and do all the things that made be uncomfortable because I came here alone and I wanted to make the most of it. I am going to miss all these people that tried to help bring me out of my comfort zone the way they did.

Day 8: Athens!!

Ferry ride to Athens, hotel check in, and a covid test. While everyone took a quick rest, I boarded the

metro and took a self guided audio tour through the Acropolis Museum (absolutely wonderful). It w was nice to take a break from being around everyone and just be alone for a minute. I love this group, but it was relaxing to go do something that I wanted to do. I was really fascinated

with the history of ancient Greece and I was able to really take my time and explore the entire museum at my own pace. I learned so much.

Met the rest of the group in the square for dinner where I (brace yourselves) LEAD a group of people in a Greek dance during a busy restaurant (everyone say 'good job Anna!!) !! I was also carried around in the air, opa! This was the last time the group would be all together.

Tomorrow, we will leave at scattered times to catch our own planes back home. This is the only vacation that I have ever been on that I felt like I truly didn't want to leave. Usually, I am ready for my own bed, my own shower, missing my job. This trip left me relaxed, rejuvenated, and excited for the future.

One last good bye to our tour director; she pulled me in for a hug and left me with 'I know this is only the start of great adventures for you.'