Greece - Living the dream

It was in 2014 when I first saw a picture of Santorini on the Facebook page of a friend and that was the day I fell in love with Greece. I pointed to the picture and said I am going to go there someday and its true that the universe conspires for things to happen if you truly want it bad. So while in Goa I spoke to a couple of friends of mine about travelling in Europe and my good friend Niranjan was game for it. Initially Germany was the location that we finalized on but then the universe worked its magic and all plans turned towards Greece as our beloved friends Rahul and Shian from London also wanted to visit Greece. So I decided to let Germany wait because I know the traveller in me will make it to Germany soon as well ;-)



When I arrived in Santorini everything seemed so surreal, I couldn't believe that the picture I saw in 2014 was alive in front of my eyes. A few deep breaths, closing my eyes a couple of times and that magnificent view not vanishing finally let the feeling sink in. Yes I was living my dream :-) One of the main attractions in Santorini besides the blue and white town is watching the sunset in Oia. People gather all around the sunset point and its undoubtedly one of the best places in the world to watch the sunset from. The moment turns even more magical especially cause of the unique colours the sky illuminates into during the sunset, some things cant be explained through words or pictures and must be felt. This is definitely one of those things. Another place to visit while in Santorini is the G. Koutsoyannopoulos winery, it has an underground wine museum that explains the entire process of wine making and at the end the friendly staff let you taste 4 varieties of wines (this is included in the entry fee for the museum which is 10 Euros per person and is definitely worth it). We then visited Fira which is like the shopping center of Santorini and also had fun clubbing in Fira as it is known for its nightlife. The next day we explored the Volcanic sites and the hot water springs the waters of which have medicinal properties.


Other places to visit while in Santorini would be the black beach and red beach, the former gets its name due to the presence of black pebbles on the beach and the latter due to the presence of red sand. We then said bye to Santorini and moved to Athens.



We travelled from Santorini to Athens by ferry which was a 5 hour journey but was an amazing experience. Athens is the capital and the largest city of Greece. Just like any other city it is dotted by tall buildings and apartments and compared to the serenity and calm one feels in Santorini this place buzzes with life and we were glad that we could catch up with our Goan friends who were holidaying in Athens as well. The major attraction in Athens is the Acropolis which is an ancient citadel that reminds you of the rich historic heritage that Greece has. The foodie that I am, I love to explore the local cuisine and am glad that my friend Shian had the same tastes too. There are numerous shopping and food places available where one can try almost any type of cuisine and we spent our last day in Greece doing exactly that. The local drinks served at most restaurants is the Greek wine, Metaxa and the ouzo which was my favourite while in Greece. Besides trying the authentic Greek salad in Greece with the divine Feta cheese, the Greek Gyros was mind blowing and the desserts were to die for especially the lumazadee is one Greek delight that we ate until our tummies were about to burst. I can still recollect the flavour of them coated in Honey and drizzled with cinnamon powder, absolutely yum. We also had the experience of the fish spa where the fish clean your feet while tickling them
(lol) our tired feet felt extremely refreshed after that.

Greece has left me delighted as not only has it made my dream come true but has enabled me have an experience that is unique in it's own sense. The people in Greece are extremely helpful and surprisingly hospitable and warm. Yamas (means Cheers in Greek) to the spirit of Greece. I would like to conclude by saying that if you have a dream, believe in it, work hard and pursue it with all you've got and watch the universe work wonders and take you on amazing journeys.



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