Europe, looking back

Having had the privilege of having lived in Central Europe for quite some time, some days I cannot help but look back and reminisce with a sense of nostalgia for days long gone. So, dwelling further, I was intrigued to find out what it is I am really reminiscent about, and here it is:

Although I could miss Germany/Europe, I don’t miss it the way I lived it…I am now grateful to:

-have my own house, generous backyard with privacy for enjoying anything, hosting parties, eating dinners, suntanning, doing yoga, working on my computer from a lounge chair in my "outdoor office"

-I don’t miss the drunken voices outside my window yelling at all times

-I don’t miss not having any privacy or sense of ownership, knowing that the "hausmeisters" are watching you, just waiting for that one time when you will slip up and forget to sort out your recycling properly

-although I do not meet the people often, if and when I do meet, it’s the people I really want to see and spend time with…ones who know me well and  we have a fantastic connection, can relate to each other on many levels, have fun, without the language or cultural barrier.

-I love the big, wild, open spaces-and easily being able to reach them-unlike Europe. 

The bottom like is, both places have their advantages. It can be very interesting to discover all the small town of Germany, especially if you are camping, knowing that there are always things around to see and do, but on the same token it can get weary knowing that everything is so dense, built up, with people everywhere like ants...and at times when what you are seeking is a connection with nature and solitude, that may not be all that conducive.

I absolutely adore some aspects of European life, BUT I’ve come to believe that to truly enjoy it, one would have to be a couple (or a young adult looking to party non-stop and have a good time, some casual encounters- that’s pretty easy to do there too, and you would have an amazing time, as it is far easier to find someone who just wants to party with you, go out and drink, rather than someone to relate to you on a more meaningful level, share your interests, and so on). However, Europe, although as an undertone, suggests to be  best viewed as a couple. All the apartments come furnished for a size of 2 or so…the last minute travel deals that would blow your mind to almost anywhere… for two. I am not even going to mention all the cute cafes and intimate restaurants you could have countless dates in and build lasting memories. Another positive-Europe is extremely kid friendly and pretty awesome for travelling with young kids-most of the time, no fare needs to be paid on ground transportation for kids under 7 and the amount of kid-friendly cafes and playgrounds will astonish you.

Overall, while I enjoyed myself  immensely and will once in a while become nostalgic for certain parts of the European lifestyle,  I much prefer the freedom and ample opportunities that the western world has to offer... Having said that, I am already planning my next vacation to Italy in my mind :)

On travelling alone: the pros and cons

Throughout the duration of my studies, the people in my group often commented on my zest for travel, whether I had a travel buddy or not, simply because once I got the idea in my mind of where my next destination should lie, there was very little else stopping me.And while most of the other international students were content with a trip or two, here and there, wherever their friends were willing to travel, I needed to squeeze in as much as I could, knowing that it will all be over sooner than I can imagine. Thus, in a span of 2.5 years I've visited,and some more than once: Spain, Italy, France, Denmark,Switzerland, many parts of Germany, Croatia, Czech republic, Morocco, Greece, as well as the islands of Tenerife, Ibiza, Skiathos; I've volunteered in music festivals without speaking the language, I've stumbled upon free concerts and art exhibitions, met wonderful people all over, some of whom have left lasting impressions...and the list goes on. So, for those of you who are reluctant to travel the world, unless accompanied by a partner/friend, etc- here is my list of "pros" and "cons" regarding solo travelling.

The "pro's":
Well, these are pretty obvious: you're on your own schedule, free to change your mind or adjust your plans at any time. Not only does this give you a tremendous flexibility, but it also increases the probability or meeting people anywhere you go-perhaps other solo travelers, or locals who feel like striking up a conversation while sitting next to you on a park bench. I'll never forget the sweet old man in a Copenhagen park, who, apologizing for his "very bad English" went on to tell me his life story without missing a beat. Or the generous stranger who bought me a train ticket back to the airport after I'd figured out I don't have enough local currency. The thing is, people are kind and open to tourists intrigued by their culture, because at the end of the day we all want to feel proud of where we're living, so by showing interest in local history, traditions, culture, by striving to understand how people live in a given region, makes you more relateable than simply being another "american tourist" (as canadians are most often lumped together with americans, unless you're willing to make a fuss about it and explain the difference to each and every one).

The "con's":

Well, we're all human and sometimes we just want someone to share a moment with. Whether you've stumbled upon a gorgeous view, or a neat marketplace, it can have an even greater memory-making potential once you've shared it with a fellow traveler. Needless to say, mealtime is a little daunting. You can hide there all you want with your guidebook and notes at a corner table, but most people in our society view meal time as a social occasion, thus making you stand out like a sore thumb. I have to say, my opinion differs on that-yes, I prefer a take out when traveling alone, with a possibility of going to a nearby park and enjoying the views and the outdoors. It can also be enjoyable to sit there with a cup of coffee and people watch. However, in some societies it just won't do: in Morocco, for example, a single woman on the streets is basically a "working girl", or so the locals see it,-so, just to make it easier on yourself, I'd advise against it. Same goes for Egypt. Other places, like northern Italy and Switzerland, I was ecstatic to be alone, as there's just too much to see and do to waste your time on group travel.

Of course, it all depends on where you go and with what intentions. If you're looking to meet people along the way and spend a day or two exploring a new place together, hostels are great for that. If you prefer the introverted route, taking photos and blogging about your travels can make you feel like you are sharing these experiences regardless of whether or not you travel solo.I often catch myself walking around thinking how I will write about my day or a particular experience on the road later on. In a way, I find that this internal dialogue keeps you connected to your outside world, with your senses concentrating on perceiving every exotic and foreign detail: someone's conversation nearby, a bird's cry, a new smell, a friendly smile from a stranger, a unique piece of art- a sense of envelopment arises, envelopment in something new, different, strange, scary and yet exciting at the same time-life, at its fullest, on the road.

Greece: the island of Skiathos, Part II

I have to start off by saying that the only 2 factors governing our choice of the island to stay on were:

1) availability or timeshare resorts through RCI

2) ease of transportation to and from the mainland

Based on this, we chose Skiathos-the resort photos were phenomenal, the previous visitors seemed quite content in their reviews, the ferry to and from was 15 euro when booked in advance and only 2 hrs, leaving from a tiny port town of Aghios Konstantinos, where we were required to spend a night each time-the ferry boat only leaves in the morning, and brings you back mid-afternoon, where there are no more connecting buses. Again, if you book a tour, then they have a joint boat/bus schedule, so you step off the ferry and onto the bus-for quadruple the price. I liked the fact that we'd get to see a tiny seaside town on our way and perhaps discover something interesting, instead of being rushed to return back to Athens.

Thus, upon arriving into Aghios Konstantinos in late afternoon, we simply stepped off the bus and asked the first person we saw "hey, any cheap hotels out here?" and he sent us to a nearby hotel/converted apartments, 2 mins walk from the bus station. Yes, it was cheap- that's all I can say. Actually, i was blown away when the old lady said "25 euro, please",-to which I replied "per person?". She just laughed and showed us the room (I wish I had picture of it, but I must have been too shocked to take some)-but money was already paid, the deal was made-imagine my shock when later that evening we found out that a whole stretch of seafront boutique hotels were only 35 euro a night? yes, I guess we got what we asked for- "cheap"-to Greeks, 10 euro difference is a big deal, or maybe the old lady just took advantage of her only customers that month? Needless to say, she was much more ecstatic than us that by some will of nature we went sent her way- oh well, it was 1 night of sleep and we were out of there bring and early, making sure to check all our options next time before getting the wallet out.

Skiathos island at last!

Upon arriving onshore, a cue of lazy cab drivers were waiting for their next victims-only, as it turned out, we had to chase after them! Only in Greece :)

A short cab ride later, we were checked into and delivered into out new digs. First impression? This definitely isn’t what one would expect out of a normal, 4-star RCI resort. However, this is 4 “greek stars”, meaning… well, I don’t even want to imagine what a 2-star accommodation would look like. Considering we had a chance to compare 3 units (yes, we were that picky and no, I did not think of all those stairs i'd have to climb on a daily basis), here’s the details:

None of them are equipped or look alike. The first one had a musty, damp smell and was quite poorly lit. Granted, it was only 100 steps to the beach, thus saving us a huge walk, but it didn’t have its own patio or anything that really screamed that I wanted to stay there, other than the rustic design, which makes you feel like you are in a real greek village home.

quite a bare kitchen but good enough for occasional cooking

Bedroom view, opening onto private balcony

 The next one we tried was a very small unit. In comparison with the previous one, this one seemed a teeny tiny bit better (they all were supposed to be studios accommodating 2 persons), where the dining table was right in the same room as the bed, although it did have a nice, renovated bathroom, which none of the others had. The last (as the reception warned us, the absolutely last room they were going to let us look at) was a winner: same arch design, alright bathroom, separate eating area and a great patio with a nice view over the little olive treed court yard and the pine-covered hills. The balconies are arranged in a  staggered fashion, so as to avoid the neighbors peering into each other’s dinner plates. We happened to travel in what seemed to be the end of tourist season (late august) and lucked out by not having any neighbours  thus any noise or complaints from either side. Overall, the apartments aren't much, but are kept clean enough with the bare essentials to keep you satisfied. We were missing even the basics in the kitchen (we like to make a few snacks here and there, thus we purposefully paid in cash and not in timeshare points to avoid the mandatory half board menu pushed on you otherwise). Believe me, the half board is NOT worth it! We ate at different restaurants, tavernas, etc, never spending more than 25 euro for 2 people with wine, 3 meals, snacks and stuffing our faces with whatever we wanted. There is such a huge variety of great tavernas on the island and it’s a shame that the resort’s one (Nafiska) is a very poor imitation of what is known otherwise as amazing, fresh greek food. We had a misfortune of going there once, and I sincerely hope I can warn people against making these choices. The "greek potatoes" were french fries, my "greek salad" consisted of tomato and cucumber only. But the worst part was the service- they are confident that you will tip them regardless, so they don't even try to accommodate you by any means. We only went there because we were starving and too tired to figure out where the bus was and where we should go.

central cafe next to the ferry station-effortless chic!

For the rest of the week, it was simple: the bus stop was right next to the resort, once you descend down to the main road, it comes every 15 mins or so, thus never having to wait too long, the price was 2 euro pp regardless of the length of  the trip, which I found a bit bizarre  So, if we only wanted to go to the beach that day (the resort's one wasn't really much to look at, although we did use it some evenings if we were too tired to go somewhere else), we ended up walking alongside the road- and no, they don't bother with pedestrian areas-for about 15-20 mins and we were there. Yes, I know it's not ideal to walk alongside traffic and exhaust, but there are virtually no other ways to get from one beach to the next, plus you get to hit up a few convenience stores on the way, pick up some water, refreshments for the day on the beach-and you're set. At lunch time, when the sun was scorching, we'd leave our towels on the beach and head on out to the taverna 2 mins back towards the main road, where the friendly waiters were already smiling and waiting to surprise us with yet another mouth watering creation. This place had hands down the best greek food I've had in the entire 2 weeks: lamb, grilled eggplant with dip, endless seafood options,everything was so tasty that we washed it down with half litre of homemade wine each time! And the prices! appetizers under 6 euro, entrees under 10! Like I mentioned earlier, try as we might, we never managed to spend more than 25-28 euro for a 2-person meal, while leaving this place completely stuffed and content. If this isn't enough of a reason to go to Greece, i don't know what is. Next time I'm in Europe, looking for a vacation destination, I'd head down to Greece just for the sake of gastrotourism alone, never mind the amazing scenery. 

See you soon, Gorgeous!

Greece in Spring: Athens to Skiathos through Delphi, Part I

This post is long overdue. My only excuse? Greece is so vibrant and fantastic, the memories are still as fresh in my head as the day it happened. Out of all the travel photo albums I have, I probably look at the Greece ones the most and cannot wait to return.

I admit, I was skeptical at our initial plan of flying to Athens, then somehow making it more inland towards Delphi, then transporting ourselves onto the island of Skiathos and then back to Athens all in a matter of 2 weeks! Well, the car rental option was out-not only expensive, but everyone advised against it, kind of like back in Italy. I searched and searched and it turned out that Greece has  quite a decent and relatively cheap bus system, so we decided to give it a try, not really sure of what we were getting ourselves into.

Well, arriving into Athens was a no-brainer, the connection by the metro line was pretty straightforward too; we chose a hotel walking distance to the Acropolis and I have to add, we lucked out and saw it lit up at night   from out balcony :) that really made the experience of being in greece for the first time surreal. I've been a huge fan of Greek and Roman mythology for years now, so visiting all the main sights in person is an experience like no other- even the late August heat was not a distraction to our heavily scheduled days.

Acropolis temple

Once the 3 days in Athens flew by, we picked up our bags, got ourselves to the main bus station, got the 1-way tickets to Delphi and off we went! Here, I cannot stress enough how easy it all was- you do not need to book any tours, pay hefty sums only to be ordered around and ripped off. The bus ride was amazing-it was mostly locals, just a few smart tourists like us, who opted out of any tour packages. The bus cost 15 euros for a 3-hour trip, made 2 stops, both at great roadside cafes with decent bathrooms and amazing food selections where I'd managed to stock up for the entire ride and then some. The seats themselves were comfortable, spacious and overall a very pleasant ride. Of course, we did not have a clue where to get off, so we just told the driver to let us off at the main Delphi stop, hoping we'd figure it out from there-that he did. 

Sunset View of Athens from Agora hill

The hotel was an easy 5-minute walking distance from the bus stop, altough we did get some funny looks from the locals as these two "American tourists with oversized luggage" that did not even fit on the sidewalk (where there WAS a sidewalk). Anyhow, we made it! All by ourselves, no tours, no maps.

Now, Delphi... Indescribable to say the least. If you've been to Greece but haven't been to Delphi, you need to return. This place holds so much magic, history, and such an easy-going approach to life that forces you to forget all about time and just relax..

...I can still remember the feeling of wandering the streets of Delphi, the afternoon sun, the golden pillars of the Temple of Athena, the pleasant breeze and the soft pine smells in the air… I can recount the details of almost every day. What I cannot remember is how many times we’ve laughed until it hurt, we found joy in the simplest things, sat by a giant tree for the most delicious homemade moussaka with rose wine that is making my mouth water just writing about it. And the views, the views! Delphi is located in the valley along a winding road, so there are endless photo opportunities hidden behind each bend.

After a much too short stay in Dephi, we were off to the island of Skiathos for a needed swim and relaxation-see the next post!