Some kinda chicken and potatoes (top) and I got Parmak sausage and pita (bottom)

Traditional Greek dessert with Greek yogurt, carrots boiled in syrup, and honey. It was fine considering that yogurt makes me want to vomit

I need this tile in my future home—save it for later

Ta Karamarlidika tou Farn (recommended by our lovely hostel receptionist)

View of the Acropolis from our rooftop

View of Athens from Acropolis

Tried a LEMONI Coke Zero and it’s now my new favorite

ACROPOLIS AND PARTHENON

Had a Gyro for both meals today, the lamb one for dinner was better

That’s all

good night

Missing a sister but that’s okay

Breakables I would hold on the plane but I don’t want to commit to that this early in the game

HOW IS THIS REAL

Percy Jackson obsessed 13-year-old me had a field day explaining this to Emerie

MONASTIRAKI FLEA MARKET- thank goodness my backpack is full or my wallet would be empty

ATHENS DAY 2

National Gardens, Monastiraki Flea Market, Acropolis, and Parthenon on a couple hours of sleep

National Gardens made for a nice morning walk

These are called doctor fish—they are bottom feeders that live in this lake and eat your dead skin. People call this a Greek Pedicure

Made a new friend who really liked the saltwater ? Cats are everywhere in Athens

LEGRENA BEACH

Emerie is a fast walker

Lake Vougliameni! Natural lake with so many minerals, locals call it a natural thermal spa. We saw so many elderly people having the time of their lives

⚠️FEET PICS AH SORRY IN ADVANCE ⚠️

An hour walk on a hot dusty road had me feeling bad for poor Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. Or open world video game characters without their horse. But this walk on the side of a highway was totally. safe. Don’t you worry

ATHENS DAY 3

Lake Vougliameni—Legrena Beach—Long trek—Cape Sunion—Temple of Poseidon

Small rocky beach, there was hardly anyone here and we took a nap

Last sunset in Athens

Cape Sunion!

Temple of Poseidon

It’s hard to get around by walking, so we rented a motorbike while we’re here (don’t worry, I’m not driving)

We traveled to Naxos today and started exploring ⬇️

As a certified sour candy fiend, this was an 8/10

My strange (new) addiction ⬇️

Honorable mention for Mark lookalike

And there are blankets in our hostel tonight I am ECSTATIC

NECTARINES

We spent the rest of the day at the beach and exploring old town Naxos

TEMPLE OF APOLLO (at sunset)

Naxos is completely different than Athens. Athens was very urban and apart from the archeological sights, it reminded me of NYC without the smell.

Sunset views of Naxos

First grocery trip and I did break an egg on the way back

Zucchini and tomato balls 7/10

So many cats here (and dogs — everyone walks their dogs here)

I fell asleep on my stomach today at the beach— can you tell

Plaka Beach

EGGARES OLIVE PRESS

One of the 90 remaining manual olive presses

Something I’ve been in awe of while we’ve been here is the fact that the natural landscape of the island hasn’t changed since ancient times. In America,

One of the best stops we’ve made so far. Tried all kinds of olive oils and pastes, the owner was so kind!

Traditional Greek artwork

Chapel guest book

Built into the mountain!

CHAPEL OF AGIOS IOANNIS THEOLOGIS (chapel of St. John the theologian)

My fav was the orange-stuffed olive

NAXOS DAY 3

Today we took a day boat cruise to Rina Cave, Ano, and Kato Koufosini as recommended by some lovely Greek friends we made yesterday. AND They played ABBA on the ferry which just made my entire week 🪩

Rina Cave!

Did Emerie accidentally steal this scuba gear…

Koufosini-best beach we’ve been to! The water was so clear and blue and there were so many boats!

DINNER

Dolmades ate

BEST FISH IVE EVERY HAD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE

After - we devoured

Overall Naxos Rating - 8/10 \240

Before

Started off the day packing and writing postcards, ended with a road trip through Crete

Shopping haul

I made chickpeas for dinner

We swam through FREEZING water that literally took our breath away to get here

Then we hiked over to Prekeli Beach

Rethymono, Crete

my favorite shirt

daily nectarine Except I had 2 today

Prekeli Palm Forest and river

Goats are all I have to show for myself today

We simple had a beach day at Elifonsi Beach (pink sands beach and you’ll have to google it because I forgot to take pictures)

Finished this book and it’s one of the best I’ve ever read

View down the street

Rethymno fortress and ruins

Some Greek score

For my shopping today, (I try to find mostly handmade and not factory produced) I met two lovely women: one who paints shirts (because I didn’t pack enough of them oops) and one my age who studied jewelry-making and hammers them in her shop.

That’s it for today

And I ate a nectarine obviously

I’m holding postcards from the 20’s, 30’s, and 70’s

Rymondi Fountain

This is our hostel cat, I’m not sure what his name is but he’s not very friendly unless it’s lunch time