indiantraveler's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member indiantraveler on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/indiantraveler en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 06 Aug 2007 08:48:28 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com Aya Sogya and the Blue mosque — Istanbu, Turkey http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180442820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180442820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180442820/tpod.html Mon, 06 Aug 2007 08:48:28 -0400 The Isles of greece, the isles of greece...
Istanbu, Turkey

I have always dreamt of visiting Istanbul - Constantinople, the seat of the Ottoman Empire. Certain places and names just have a mystery and a magic to them - Samarkand, Basra, Egypt - and one is a bit apprehensive about visiting them today, in a modern era, for fear of being disappointed.
]]> Istanbul — Istanbul, Turkey http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180356240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180356240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180356240/tpod.html Mon, 06 Aug 2007 08:46:23 -0400 The Isles of greece, the isles of greece...
Istanbul, Turkey

We were mesmerized by the drive into the city where every turn in the road threw up the vista of another weirdly and wonderfully curved mosque. It seemed as if we had arrived in the middle of the Arabian Nights story. The hotel was bang opposite the Four Seasons Hotel, at about 1/10th the price. The desk clerk was somewhat surly and showed us into a room that did not look like a suite and did not have the Jacuzzi that we had booked for. On questioning he admitted that that room was still occupied, the previous guest having asked for one more day's stay. We were too tired to argue and went straight to bed.

The next morning, we went up for breakfast on the roof. What a view. We were sandwiched between the Topkapi Palace, the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque - a triple decker view - and our necks were cricking from all the craning around. Breakfast was typically Turkish - bread (buns), butter and jam, chunks of feta-like cheese, fruit and olives. We got tea which we asked to be brewed with milk, which was pretty good - that's one thing I always miss during hotel stays - good tea!

Then we set off for sightseeing. The Topkapi Palace was our first stop - a five minute walk away. It was starting to get hot already. The entrance into the Palace is a walk through the garden, full of tall, old trees - very welcoming. The Palace itself was gorgeous - we especially enjoyed seeing the Peacock Throne, which had come to Turkey from India by way of Punjab and Iran. It looks somewhat uncomfortable but is gorgeously decked in all kinds of previous stones (though the Koh-i-noor is now in the UK) and made of gold. Must weigh a ton! There were some other fascinating pieces on display including some lovely porcelain ware, some truly enormous dishes which were used during royal banquets and some typically Turkish paintings of the Sultans et al. there is also a relic of John the Baptist - his arm! The one issue I had with the displays was that the rooms were extremely dimly lit so we couldn't see the exhibits as well as we would have liked to. But for a sheer display of the pageantry and the riches of the Ottoman Empire, the Palace is a must see. We missed seeing the Harem because it opened only by one by which time we wanted to move on. One of the spectacular things in the Topkapi Palace is a verandah with a wide view of the Bosphorus.

If I sound rushed and short, it's because I was - little A had decided to give into an acute bout of jealousy and was in a series of tantrums, making it practically impossible for us to fully take in anything we saw.

We were hungry when we emerged so headed for a nearby café and ordered pasta - they didn't have anything that sounded too good on the menu. The pasta was pretty bad, in a weird tomato-ey sauce. We made up with icecreams all around and headed back to the hotel for a nap - we're big on afternoon naps while vacationing.

In the afternoon, we wanted to go hang out where the Young Turks hang out so we headed over to Beyoglu. The main thoroughfare here has trams running and is a cobbled street with shops on both sides - clothing, music, fashion etc. We roamed around all evening, shopping a little bit and mostly soaking in the atmosphere. We bought a wonderful CD of Turkish fusion music as well. Dinner was at a tiny restaurant here with outdoor, curbside seating - they served beans in sauce with rice, imam bayildi - eggplants with a meat-tomato sauce, vegetables in sauce and more. The food was simple but yummy.

What amazed us about Istanbul was the mix of races one could see and the fact that there didn't seem to be any lines about fraternizing with each other. Cheek by jowl with faces that could pass for Indian would be the most European looking ones. Women dressed conservatively in headscarves were walking arm in arm with girls wearing jeans and midriff-baring Tshirts. We were also impressed by the way Turks dressed and put themselves together - effortlessly chic and super confident of themselves.

We decided we really liked Istanbul and couldn't wait to explore some more.
]]> Leaving Athens — Athens, Greece http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180255560/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180255560/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180255560/tpod.html Mon, 16 Jul 2007 09:33:30 -0400 The Isles of greece, the isles of greece...
Athens, Greece

I woke up early and had breakfast with M, C and R before they left for the airport. Our flight was at 6 om, so we had plenty of time to explore, shop or do nothing. Little A was thrilled to see some cartoons on Nickelodeon though they were in Greek and by the sound of the voices, not particularly child-friendly.

We had breakfast at a leisurely pace and packed, leaving our stuff in the lobby. We wanted to explore some of the big department stores nearby, and I was keen on buying some Greek fashion. We set off around 10, and had coffee at a streetside cafe along the way, serenaded by the inevitable 'Never on Sunday' made famous by Melina Mercouri. Littler a enjoyed the music and jigged along, swaying her hips the best she could from her pram.

It was an incredibly hot morning and we were looking forward to reaching the cool, airconditioned confines of a big store. We had promised little A lunch at McDos and accordingly, he was hungry by noon. We stopped at a biggish McDos by Syntagma Square and got him his burger. There was nothing much vegetarian there, apart from the fries (and I'm not sure what oil they used) and a Greek Salad which was truly awful. Actually all the Greek Salad I've had on this vacation has been awful, primarily due to their habit of pouring in at least an inch's depth of olive oil dressing, and thumping an inch thick wodge of Feta cheese on top. I've had much better here in Delhi.

Anyway, we finished lunch and headed out for Attica, supposedly the biggest department store in all Greece only to be brought up short. All the shops were closed. It was Sunday! I knew that guy playing 'Never on Sunday' on his accordion was trying to give me a message.

Totally pained by this we went back to Adrianou for some aimless trawling up and down - since we had had to check out of our rooms. Adrianou is well worth a visit, even if one is trying to avoid tourist traps, for its selection of stuff. I don't have the tags now but M and I bought these wonderful wraps from a store that seemed to specialise in wrap-pey clothes which looked incredibly chic and cool and also very Greek. They also had these amazing jersey dresses that were double-layered and very stylish. Another shop had an incredible collection of glass lamps including some from Murano, several of greek origin and the selection was fantastic. I wish I could have found a way to buy some of them and bring them home. One shop had a nice and very affordable collection of jewelry, including murano glass pendants and earrings, as well as lava rock jewelry and various other fascinating pieces. One bar had a whole wall set with brilliantly coloured bottles, all more or less the same size. The bar was dimly lit so the bottles glowed like jewels - red, turquoise, emerald, jade, amethyst, aqua - all together.

A finally succumbed and bought this really large glass plate that the two of us had been eyeing - red and black and white with a streak of real silver down the middle. It was amazingly beautiful and the owner very carefully wrapped it in bubble wrap, before we headed out to the gelateria. We were in the process of paying for the flavours we had picked when A decided to let go of the package and it clonked onto the cobbled road with a sickening sound. I didn't have to look to know that the plate was smashed. Being hot tempered in general, I was totally upset at this and A and I had a flaming row in the middle of the street. 150 euros down the drain.

Once I got over it - the advantage of a hot temper is that it cools down fast - and we had made up, A insisted on going back to the store. Unfortunately that was the last plate of that design in that size, so we had to settle for a smaller one. Equally lovely but not as dramatic. The owner double bubble-wrapped it this time and threw in a discount and a free candlestand, which was really nice of him.

Little A and I also spotted some nice hats. I love hats so I bought a beautiful ivory coloured straw and little a got himself a blue cotton one which makes him look as if he's going fishing any minute.

When we got to the airport, there was no one at check-in for ages, which was strange. All our get there 2 hours early turned out to be a bit pointless, since the staff only came in about 45 minutes after we had queued up, but they were efficient.

There was a nice large food court place at the airport and we supped there since we were going to be landing at Istanbul at close to ten o'clock. A and I discussed that we had a nice feeling of anticipation about Istanbul - somehow, we had felt at home there in our brief few hours in transit and were really excited about finally being able to visit a city we had been dreaming of since we first heard the words Constantinople or Orient Express...
]]> Athens — Athens, Greece http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180166580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180166580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180166580/tpod.html Mon, 16 Jul 2007 04:45:45 -0400 The Isles of greece, the isles of greece...
Athens, Greece

We decided to do something a little more relaxing today and recapture some of the 'chilling out' from Santorini. We planned to visit the National Garden - a ten minute walk away - and hang out there for part of the day. It was supposed to have a zoo and lots of walking trails which the kids would love. And we had spotted this little tourist train which again would be great fun for the kids, so that was on the agenda as well.

The National Garden was gorgeous. The main entrance is across Syntagma Square, and it's a really large area, covered with trees, shrubs and flowering plants of all kinds. As soon as we entered, we saw this lovely walkway with creepers growing on the sides and forming a green roof overhead. It was cool and dim and feel suitable lush. We enjoyed walking, prancing and dancing through it to the garden. We ran around in search of the zoo for a while and finally discovered it, though I don't know that I'd dignify it with the appellation Zoo! It had a few goats, some rabbits and a whole yard full of poultry. About the only thing even approaching wild life was an aviary with 5 peacocks in it.

We rambled through the cool garden, eventually finding the children's playground. There were some pretty unique rides for kids there and interestingly, the floor was carpeted with a thick rubber matting, overlaid with sand so the kids wouldn't get hurt.

We whiled away the morning there and then started off to look for the train. A tobacco shop said it goes to Syntagma Square so we headed there. No luck. We went farther down and still saw no signs of it. It was close to lunch time so we headed back towards Plaka for lunch and a nap.M and I had spotted a Greek Taverna close to our hotel the previous night, and it had looked picturesque and promising. We arrived for lunch to find the sole waiter thumbing thrugh a stack of magazines and apparently in no hurry to serve even the menu. There was a pretty sparse selection of food. When it arrived, we wished it had been sparser, because it tasted awful. So much for Greek food in Athens.

In the evening, we were determined to find the train, so we walked a wide swathe through Syntagma Square and nearby, asking at practically every turn where to find it. Someone told us it stopped at Monastiraki so we turned back towards Monastiraki. It was a long walk, though the street between Syntagma and Monastiraki was pretty, with lots of shops, some of them with amazing shoes, bags and clothes. At long last we reached Monastiraki.

This is next to a famous flea market that is open all days of the week. there are some lovely old buildings, a convent and possible a monastery by the square. And one of the roads off the square is adrianou, which is the heart of the tourist area, with restaurants and shops galore. But Monastiraki was a horrible square. Nothing picturesque, just dirty, with graffiti everywhere and drunks and all manner of unwashed people lolling about. We bought a big stash of strawberries and cherries and again wandered around looking for the train, even going into the main railway station. No luck. Then, suddenly, I spotted a small, cardboard sign saying 'Magic Train 6:00 pm'. We had found it.

It was hard to while away 45 minutes in that dirty square, with no place to sit, and I envied littler a her pram. Maybe someone could invent a lightweight folding chair - just strap to your bum and unfold when needed!

The train finally arrived and was pretty cute. It was quite cheap, at 5 euros per head. We settled in and were told that this was a one hour ride, through Plaka and Syntagma, past the National Garden, the parliament and the President's house, Hadrian's Arch and finally back to Monastiraki.

Some of the buildings were amazingly beautiful and we got to see the changing of the guard outside the (relatively modest) Presidential Palace. It was a somewhat funny process, what with the guard clopping his way into position at millimetric speed . But the ride was fun, and we skipped going back to Monastiraki, getting off near Plaka.

M and I got a bit dressed up for our last evening together, as M, C and R were heading out early the next morning, back to the US. We wore these Greek wrappy sweaters we had bought the previous evening - gold coloured and chic and very versatile.

For dinner, we decided to visit one of the cheaper places recommended by Fodor's, off Adrianou. It again took us a while to find the place, and we had reached early, so it wasn't even open. We settled down regardless and enjoyed the setting. It was on the corner or a busy street, but the tables were set by a wall and sheltered from traffic. The restaurant slowly filled up as we sat and within half an hour was full to the brim. There were supposed to be several specialties on the menu, and we ordered whatever was still available. The food was delicious - light, flavourful and easily washed down with the house wine. We skipped dessert, opting for gelatos from the gelateria on Adrianou and slowly walked back to the hotel. It had been a wonderful 10 days together, despite the low spots, and we would miss M, C and R in Istanbul. I would especially miss M and our giggling fits, which are inevitable when the two of us are together. C and A had been quite bemused to watch us as we giggled up a storm, incoherent noises tumbling out of our mouths, yet seemingly comprehended by the other and leading to further merriment...
]]> Athens — Athens, Greece http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180072140/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180072140/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1180072140/tpod.html Thu, 05 Jul 2007 01:57:29 -0400 The Isles of greece, the isles of greece...
Athens, Greece

We had begun our stay yesterday in Athens on such a bad note that we could only hope things got better. The Best Western offered breakfast and a plentiful one too, with cereal, boiled eggs, toast, fruit etc. The fruit in particular was excellent. Having finished breakfast, we packed whatever was left - not an easy task in a room so small that you can't open the suitcase fully! - and sped off to the Nefeli in 2 taxis. The Nefeli is at Plaka, about 50 metres from Adrianou which is the main tourist-trap shopping street, and about 10 minutes walk from the Acropolis. Unfortunately there is no view of the Acropolis from there but it's very close, as are the major squares of Monastiraki and Syntagma.

The rooms here was marginally larger, but the atmosphers inside and outside was much better. The outside looked neat and clean, and we could see lots of restaurants close by. The inside had a family feel as opposed to the cold Best Western lobby, with cushy sofas and a TV, some plants etc. We had 3 beds in our room, and barely enough space for littler a's carriage and our suitcases, but somehow we managed, packed the backpack with essentials and set off for the Acropolis. To get there from the Nefeli, we had to walk up a mildly steep road, complete with terraced steps, and then turnleft and walk down to the Dionysious, the pedestrian walkway in the heart of the tourist area. It's a wide, cobbled road with trees on the right as well as a few monuments, like the ampitheatre etc, the Acropolis up on the hill, and on the left really expensive looking apartments, with the entry lobbies decorated in magnificent style in some of them. It's meant to be a purely pedestrian walkway but quite a few vehicles sped past us as we walked down so it's best to be careful.

The weather was nice, not too cool or too warm and comfortable for walking around. It was a stiffish pull up a steeply cobbled walkway to the entry gate for the Acropolis. We learnt that prams weren't allowed up, so we had to check them in at the foot of the walkway and lug R and littler a - not fun climbing up!

The walk up the hill has some spectacular views of the city. We walk up a flight of steps which turned out to be much less steep than they looked to reach the entry monument, the Propylaia. Once you enter through this gateway, you're on a large, flat plateau on which is the Parthenon, as well as some other buildings including a museum. The Acropolis is magnificent, though the scaffolding in which it is covered does detract from its beauty. It's amazing to think how the ancient Greeks built such a monument, the size of the stones is so large. Moreover, the building has the stones resting one on top of the other precisely, but there is no cement or mortar holding it together. We do a little reading up on the monuments up here and are saddened to learn about how armaments were once stored here and how it has survived more than one attempt at being blown up.


The Parthenon is covered in scaffolding too, but still looks marvelous. We wander around and after a while A starts to feel the weight of littler a and sits down to enjoy the view while little A and I go on a tour. Little A picks up pebbles as souvenirs, planning to show them to his dad and then out them into a scrapbook. We walk through the museum pretty quickly as little A is totally bored by the display. As we exit, a guard comes up to us and says it's forbidden to pick up pebbles from here. God knows why- the place is littered with thousands, maybe millions of them. Little a's face crumples and he says he wants to show them to his dad first before putting them down - he has been diligent about collecting different types to show him. I try and explain to the guard that A is sitting right in front of the Parthenon and that we will throw the pebbles away once we have shown them to him. No luck. He makes little A turn out his fists and pockets to show we haven't hidden away the crown jewels and then lets us go. Poor little A can't understand this behaviour and is pretty sick of Athens. He begs to go back to Santorini, and I wish we could.

We all gather back at the Parthenona nd make our way down the hill. It's hungry time for everyone and we walk down to Adrianou which has innumerable side streets dotted with restaurants, looking for a good place to eat. We wind up at one which has seats available and order. They have vegetarian burgers, fries and some other vegetables, so we decide to try those. The burgers come without the bun here, and are ok. It's one of the most expensive meals we've had so far, costing us over 65 Euros.

We decide to head back to the hotel and get some sleep before setting off again. In the evening, we just wander around Adrianou, since we're all feeling a bit tired. We decide that we're all museum-ed out after our previous holidays and just want to take in the atmosphere. A discovers a lovely little shop selling Gelati and gets his usual holiday cravings for icecream, so we indulge pretty heavily.

That evening we're not in the mood for Greek so we find a small square off Adrianou with a variety of restaurants - there's even a Starbucks - and opt for Italian food. The food, when it comes is wonderful and we all love Italian food so much it tastes like home food to us. the kids play happily, and we watch some Greek dancers at a nearby restaurant perform - it gets repetitive after a while - and listen to Greek music while enjoying our meal.
]]> Santorini - Day 5 — Perissa beach, Santorini, Greece http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1179907860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1179907860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1179907860/tpod.html Tue, 03 Jul 2007 04:26:07 -0400 The Isles of greece, the isles of greece...
Perissa beach, Santorini, Greece

On our last day on Santorini, we decide to just kick back and relax on the beach. We retained the car for one more day so we could lug the various accoutrements of the kiddos back and forth. By the time we left the hotel, after an upma breakfast, it was close to 11 am. M, C and R went straight to the beach while we strolled out to the department store for some essential kiddy supplies, along with little A and litter a. We stopped off at a bakery next to the 'Big supermarket', as it advertises itself all over Perissa and got some Greek style doughnuts. A and C had picked up some baklava from this place the previous day but they had been so large (each one the size of a fist, I kid you not) and so oozy with honey that we had all felt shy of actually attempting to bite into one. The doughnuts were nice, not too sweet and we happily munched on our walk down to the beach.

M and C had picked a nice spot and we all enjoyed looking out at the sea and the fresh breeze which refreshed the warm day. The weather was becoming more and more perfect for a beach vacation as our departure neared. We decided to try a different restaurant for lunch, since we'd practically eaten our way through Volcano's entire vegetarian menu. The food was ok but still not as good as old V. Back to our hotel for a long snooze in the hot afternoon.

At five, we headed beachwards again, having planned to get back early and finish packing. En route, I remembered little A's request for a horse ride and we spotted a place that offered horse riding. We pulled into the stableyard and A and I got out to explain what we wanted. We figured little A may not be ready for a full hour's ride since it was going to be his first time on a horse. The owner kindly agreed to let him mount up and trot around the stable yard for as long as he wanted.

The look on little A's face was priceless. The most amazing blend of fear, pride, delight and sheer joy...

Funnily enough, the horses decided that our car was a different type of quadruped and one of them stuck his face right in through the window, scaring poor R. M and C were kept busy between clicking pictures and rolling up the windows as fast as they could.



After the horse ride, it was back to beach for some R&R - little A headed for the swings and slides, followed by his dad while I found a convenient hammock and enjoyed the view of the sunset and the sea, the mild breeze and the hushed sounds of the sea settling down for the night. Littler A was digging away in the sand, and the world had stopped spinning for one evening.

One last stop at the Volcano for snacks (which were heavy enough to qualify as a meal). The owners recognised us by now and the service and food were as terrific as ever. One of the things we loved about this restaurant was that the owners surprised you at the end of each meal by offering a treat for free - once it was chocolates, another time it was some small greek dessert. Tonight, to wind up a lovely week's holiday, they gave us dessert wine...
]]> To Athens — Athens, Greece http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1179996660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1179996660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1179996660/tpod.html Sun, 01 Jul 2007 05:35:16 -0400 The Isles of greece, the isles of greece...
Athens, Greece

We spent our last morning in Santorini hanging out by the pool at Ira studios. We felt a pang at having to leave this beautiful island which we had finally grown to love, and hoped Athens would provide an equally enjoyable experience. We bravely had a bite each of the giant Baklavas and the other dessert that A and C had picked up - they were huge and incredibly gooey and sweet. A bite was all we could manage!

The guys gave the car back and we got taxis to drop us and all our loads of baggage to the airport. We went there early because we thought we had way too much baggage. Clearly, not early enough. There were long lines at the airport, snaking their way till the entrance doors. It took ages to check in and then we were through to the really small waiting lounge. All the chairs were taken up and there must have been a hundred people in the tiny space. We had to settle for a space on the staircase leading up to the cafe. Luckily, little A made friends with a couple of old ladies who enjoyed playing with him and a paper airplane he had been carrying around. The flight was late and the wait was endless. The cafe floor had a balcony overlooking the landing strip, and there was a wonderful view of the sea beyond as well.

The flight to Athens is only 45 minutes, and we got some wonderful pictures of the islands while flying over the Aegean Sea. Weirdly, it looked like there was a magnetic attraction between clouds and the islands - each island was covered with clouds from top to tip but the sky over the sea was totally clear!

It took eons to find a cab at Athens airport, until an airport attendant took pity on us and ushered us into 2 large cabs. The ride into the city was endless - over an hour and a half - and the city looked as land as vanilla. It turned out there was some demonstration going on downtown so we had to take a roundabout route.

We had booked rooms at a Best Western Hotel in the heart of the tourist district. We pulled up at the hotel and got out to find a grim-looking building in a seedy neighbourhood. there was graffiti all over the walls, several men were hanging around in groups and drinking by the curbside, there was no sign of greenery and the shops had tatty merchandise. Everything looked terribly run down. This was not what we had pictured from a Best Western.

The surly receptionist checked us in, and M and I decided to head upstairs with the kids, leaving the guys to come up with the luggage. We offered to take a couple of bags with us but had to abandon the idea when the elevator arrived - it barely fitted the two of us and little A in! The guys had to come up one suitcase at a time!! The rooms followed suit - there was no space for the luggage. We had to pile the suitcases single-fashion and wondered how on earth we would get at a change of clothes. It was past four pm and we were all really hungry. A and C went out to get some food (no room service here) and I joined M and R in their room. The view from our room had sucked big time - it looked directly into the bathroom of a building next door.

The view from M and C's room was marginally better - it allowed a little sunlight in, though it was uncomfortably close to the living rooms and bedrooms of another building nearby. It took the guys over an hour to get back with lunch - pasta, tsatsiki, bread and some veggies - because it had taken ages to find a clean restaurant. Our hotel was a neighbourhood that looked like one shouldn't be out after 8 pm. We decided to explore other options for accomodation - this was clearly not a place that would help us enjoy Athens.

A and I got on the phone, checking out various hotels, from 7 stars to 5 stars to 3 stars, but they all seemed full. It was after our 25th rejection that we got lucky. A family hotel, Nefeli, in Plaka had rooms. We didn't want to make another bad choice so A and C eventually went to check out the place, accompanied by little A. Littler A in the meanwhile, had gone from a mild fever in the afternoon to a red rash which I panickily thought was measles before remembering that she had had all her inoculations.

The guys came back with good news - the rooms at Nefeli weren't much larger but the neighbourhood was much better. We could move there by 10:30 the next morning. We ate some more of the now cold pasta from lunch and went to bed early. The first day of our vacation in Athens was a bust, just like in Santorini, and we only hoped the rest of our vacation would be as good as our stay there had eventually turned out!
]]> Day 3 - Exploring Santorini — Santorini, Greece http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1179747720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1179747720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1179747720/tpod.html Sun, 24 Jun 2007 10:16:10 -0400 The Isles of greece, the isles of greece...
Santorini, Greece

We have an eventful night. A, who is prone to nightmares, has one of those and in thrashing his arms about dislodges both the bedside table and the TV which was placed upon it. We wake up with a bang, literally. Luckily the kids are sleeping thru it all. We check out the TV only to find, amazingly, that it has suffered no damage.(Must make note of brand if we ever get a TV in our bedroom), place it back and go back to bed, A to snore and me to lie resentfully thumping him at intervals and regretting the lack of reading matter, since I'm an insomniac.

We still have cold water in the morning but manage a sluice-down (one of our longest stretches without a bath. Even when our heater broke down in France we managed to farm out our bathing for the 2 weeks it took a plumber to come repair it!) and breakfast on muesli. As always, we are behind schedule. Having planned to leave at 10 am, it is 11:30 by the time we're out the door, what with various diapers, poopy kids and their food having to be made and packed. The guys have negotiated our car rental up to a Renault Thalia, nice and dark blue and with tons of boot space which is required if you have all the luggage that I detailed out in my last post.

C opts to drive and we're off, guys in front and M and me wedged with kiddies at the back. We've only gone a few hundred metres when we find that little A's travel sickness now extends to rental cars too. A quick stop as we wildly dig around ti find:
a. candy;
b. towel to cover ourselves with;
c. wet wipes container; and
d. Plastic barf bag for him

He and I exchange places, with him now sitting by the window, with strict instructions to look out and not forward. C does a good job navigating the unfamiliar roads and about half hour later we find ourselves in Fira. We stop at a chemist to pick up travel sickness medicine for little A, on a really slopey street and dose him. We arrive in the main part of town and find a place to park, near what seems to be a park (ha ha), which has a spectacular view of the Caldera. M and I plan to hang out there with the kids while C and A are going to find out what touristy things we can do - maybe something on a boat?

M and I keep asking C and A for 'one more thing' out of the car boot before they leave until finally practically everything is unpacked and at our feet. They heave a sigh and proceed while we chill. Unfortunately the ground seems to have lots of pieces of broken glass (why on earth?) but all three kids insist on running about so M and I hope for the best and let them.We're next to a restaurant called Peubm, as far as we can read Greek, and the view would be phenomenal if it weren't for the fact that the famed Santorini winds are blowing even harder up here. M and I have nothing to tie back our hair with and our vision is obscured by black swathes of hair.

It does feel good to finally have the vacation under way - the previous day, at one point we had actually been contemplating flying off to another island in the north of greece or even the Amalfi coast. A and C come back after what seems a long while to report that we can take a 3 hour cruise that starts at 2 pm but tomorrow, since it's almost 1 and we're all hungry. Meanwhile M and I have been laughing our faces off, as always happens when we get together, and are practically hysterical.

We check about lunch at another Fodor recommended restaurant but that turns out to be open only for dinner so we go into Peubm, which it turns out is Greek for Remvi.The food is mucho expensive, especially as compared to volcano, and nothing as nice but the view is spectacular. We take in the sight of the Santorini-breakoff islands and spot a large cruise ship in the bay below It is possible to walk all the way down to the Caldera but the thought of doing it while carrying the two tots and the thought of the walk back give us pause. We decide to drive around the island instead, hitting Oia around sunset which is meant to be spectacular. I'm pretty keen on seeing Akrotiri which is supposed to be these pre-historic ruins that they excavated. It looks weirdly like there are snowcapped mountains at the far end of the island, and later we realise the snow is white coloured homes!

C is at the wheel again, little A goes off to sleep because of the medicine, and we seek Akrotiri. There are lots of pointers for different beaches, but practically every one of them needs us to walk the last 1 kilometer or so, so we decide to reserve beaching for Perissa and carry on. the drive around Santorini is spectacular, reminiscent of the Pacific highway in terms of the view. We stop and A and C get out to take pictures while M and I are trapped under a pile of sleeping kids. I make feminist noises and manage to climb around little A to get out of the car and see the view for myself and take a picture or two.

Near one of the most scenic spots is a small studio with ceramic samples and A and I love anything breakable so we stop and get out to look. Spectacular replicas of ancient Greek pottery, plates, murals etc. but really steeply priced. Oh well, we shrug and carry on. A starts getting his usual holiday craving for icecream and we spot a likely store and stop for that and film. We also find nice bandanas there so M and I invest in one each so we can see a little more of Greece. The shop also has a lot of affordable ceramic ware, little 3D plaster of paris plates of Santorini and some lovely prints of photos of Santorini by Georges Meis. Kitschy here but probably nice at home. A and I and M pick out some photos, a 3D picture for A's parents, one for our home and a blue ceramic vase for our living room. Little A also spots a pair of Mickey Mouse sunglasses which we buy him, since he's such a fan. We get some yummy icecream bars and sit out on the shop porch to eat them.

Back to the car and onwards to Akrotiri. We miss the turn to Akrotiri and find ourselves heading for the red sand beach. We park there and get out of the car next to a gorgeous looking building . The way to the beach seems to be over some rocks and down the other side. M is keen to pick up some red volcanic sand for her nanny who apparently collects (weird) sand, so she and I quickly hand off the kids to the guys and push off before anyone can yelp. When we crest the top of the rocks, we realise the red sand beach is quite some distance away and don't really feel like making the effort. We come back down and take some pictures with some dune buggies before heading back to Akrotiri.

It's about 2 minutes down from the red beach but it's closed to visitors for repairs. There's even a sign out front - Guarded by Vicious dogs! That's that!

We're off to Oia for the sunset before heading back. It's a spectacular and somewhat long drive for Santorini. We are lucky enough to find a good parking spot at Oia and make our way into the town. The sunset is so famous that there must be close to 5000 people perched on every available inch of space to catch it. Hoo boy, we should have come earlier. as we wander into Oia, we are charmed by its pretty streets, the interesting shops and lush green plants everywhere. We decide that we have to come back here tomorrow morning to hand out, even if we have to skip the boat ride which I'm in any case a little wary of, with our little travelsick boy along. 3 hours on a rocking, heaving boat with someone who gets sick on dry land? I don't think so!

We squat along the footpath at a vantage point, just like everyone else is doing. The cobbled streets have a low parapet on the left, and the drop from the street is either down a cliff or into a house/ hotel at a lower level. Warning to parents - the parapets are really low so hang on to your adventurous kids. My heart is in my mouth as Little A tries to run around in his usual style. Littler a is busy doing her usual flirting with passersby, and eventually drifts off to sleep. the breeze here is really cold and cuts like a knife. M is busy feeding R's face before the sun sets. All restaurants are overflowing so there's no hope of watching over a noice hot cup of coffee.

We wait. I walk around trying to click a better picture. then we wait some more. And more. It's way past seven (the sun is supposed to set between 6:30 and 7) when we realise that was it. I've seen more spectacular sunsets from the roof of my old hostel in Calcutta! Quite disappointed and chilled to the bone, we beat the other tourists back to our parking spot and head back to Ira. The photos look a lot more dramatic than what actually happened.

We have chhole and rice for dinner, along with Santorini tomato salad and greek yoghurt. There are some amazingly juicy strawberries and grapes for dessert and we finally have the wine, which is pretty good. All in all, a day which has us finally melting into holiday mode. Plan for tomorrow - Oia and the beach.
]]> Lava and Volcano — Santorini, Greece http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1181040360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1181040360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1181040360/tpod.html Sun, 24 Jun 2007 09:52:41 -0400 The Isles of greece, the isles of greece...
Santorini, Greece

We woke up cold and stiff - the night had been chilly and we had not been provided blankets under the mistaken impression that it was summer. It was still grey and overcast so goodbye to lounging by the beach or poolside. Minni and I concocted a tamarind rice breakfast and we tested the taps for a potential shower. No luck - it was still cold water. Regardless, we decided that the adults could not stand to be bath-less any longer and took what my husband calls a 'hooker's bath' - key areas and hair only - it was freezing but we felt better. It was Brother-in-law C's birthday so we headed out for lunch to a restaurant recommended by Fodor's for its food.

The advantage of staying at Perissa is that the beach is really close and easy to access, unlike many of the other beaches in Santorini, and there are hordes of restaurants all looking out at the sea. Lava, like most restaurants in Perissa, faces the beach. The decor is nice and relaxed - white walls, touches of pale blue. After much waiting and waving at various people at the restaurant in the hope that they were the staff (they weren't), we were finally shown to a table by the sulky waitress. Apparently the indoor part had been booked for a wedding, but we were happy to sit in a 'porch' type area, where we could feel the balmy breeze and look out to the sea. It took a while for the menu to materialize and some of the things we particularly wanted to eat were off the menu. The owner curtly informed us that whatever had been pre-ordered by the wedding was basically what was available that day, so we ordered their specialties which were fortunately available - baked, stuffed onions, stuffed peppers, tsatziki, gyros and a house wine by the carafe. The food took a while to arrive. The restaurant did have great food - baked stuffed onions and peppers, excellent Tsatziki and a nice, light house wine, but the service was disinterested and frankly boorish. The waitress rarely responded to our waves/ calls and whenever she came to the table, her manner was quite rude, so that kind of ruined the delight of the food.

We couldn't celebrate a birthday sans cake so headed to a 'crepes and desserts restaurant on the beach. A( my husband) ordered a crepe with crushed biscuits, chocolate and ice cream, I got a chocolate souffle and M (my sister) and C ordered a walnut cake and a chocolate cake. The dessert servings were enormous and beautifully plated. The souffle was one of the best I've ever had. A's crepe was just too huge though, and despite a manful attempt, he couldn't get through more than half of it. We also got a picture of A and C looking like mafiosos who had kidnapped littler a - take a look!

We adopted the greek tradition of siestas back at our hotel and snoozed away the afternoon. That evening we realized that time was awasting on our all too brief vacation while we were not getting much done by way of sight seeing and decided to rent a car. We considered hiring a driver as well, but gave up when we found it would cost us around 250 euros a day for him. Car rentals are cheap (35 euros a day, unlimited mileage) and we got a nice Renault with ample boot space (critical with 2 infants and their strollers, backpacks full of their formula, water, food, toys, diapers, wetwipes, spare jackets in case of more rain, bibs, snacks for them and us, water and 2 guidebooks) for the next morning.

In the evening, we decided to eat out at a restaurant recommended by Nikitas. We told him about Lava, and he agreed that their service sucked, though the food was good. "Go to Volcano", he said. "Everyone who stay here, when I ask them where did you like it, they say volcano. My wife and I - we go there when we go out." So we headed out to Volcano. It was a long walk down the beach, in the opposite direction to Lava, and again looked out to sea. On the way we passed a collection of swings, slides, hammocks, little beach huts and small beds, with filmy, bright coloured canopies made out of muslin which looked incredibly romantic, and made us decide that we had to spend a day by the beach, regardless of the weather. Little A, my son, wanted to play on the swings and had a merru time for half an hour. Volcano was not very rushed and we got a great table towards the back of the restaurant which was much appreciated as, by this time of evening, a really stiff breeze was blowing and we were chilled.

Tsatsiki had to be ordered. We also ordered cheese pies, stuffed peppers, stuffed aubergines and the guys ordered souvlaki. the house wine was excellent, and those cheese pies...mmm. If I had to go back to greece for only one thing it'd be the cheese pies from Volcano. We tried them at other restaurants later on but they were always too heavy or too think or not crisp enough or something. These were awesome bite sized morsels of flaky, crumbly pastry and meltingly cheesy inners.

Nicely stuffed, we walked back to Ira Studios.We planned on having some of theSantorini white wine we had bought on day one, after all the kids were asleep, and drink it out on our balcony. Nikitas had turned up with wool blankets for everyone, so we were sure we were going to be comfortable this night. A and I huddled down waiting for M and C to put R to bed and come by for the wine...That poor wine breathed and breathed while we drifted off to sleep.
]]> Day 4 - Oia and chill — Oia, perissa, Greece http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1179844380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1179844380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/indiantraveler/greece-istanbul/1179844380/tpod.html Sun, 24 Jun 2007 09:36:02 -0400 The Isles of greece, the isles of greece...
Oia, perissa, Greece

We got a good night's sleep, and even managed showers last night. The day has dawned pleasant and sunny so after beakfast and the usual cooking/ feeding/ cleaning of kids, we set off by 10:30, our earliest start yet, for Oia. We're really looking forward to exploring thistown which looked so pretty yesterday. Little A dozes off in the back thanks to his travel medicine and we enjoy the beautiful vistas of sea as A drives us to Oia. At one point the road is a narrow spar of land with sea on both sides. We wonder what will happen if there's one more earthquake in Santorini - will Oia break off into a separate island?

Oia looks spectacularly inviting with its narrow, cobbled streets and jewel-like shops on both sides selling all manner of beautiful things. We decide not to take the strollers since the streets may be too narrow, a decision we will regret later on. Our backpack weighs a ton, with milk, snacks, diaper changes, wet wipes, water and god knows what else. A and I feel like pack mules, since we're either lugging that or littler a. M and C are in the same condition.

We stroll through the wonderful streets of oia, finding an artist's studio where the artist makes 3D art which is quite beautiful. Another studio is manned by the artist and full of gorgeous water colours of Santorini and Oia in particular. Little cobbled alleys lead to homes or traditional homes which are now hotels. We would have loved to stay in one of these, I think, but while they all have an amazing view of the Caldera, the balcony parapets are too low for comfort especially if you have kids. Oia is also rather crowded even though we're ahead of the full season, so perhaps Perissa is better.

Oia has the most amazing jewelry, byzantine, silver, gold and more. There is a shop which has the most intricately handmade miniature mosaic jewelry - spectacular but also pricey. Shops selling jewelry, ancient-greek style ceramics and glassware abound. I find one shop that has incredible lights for sale, made of glass. I wish I could buy some of the larger pieces but there is no way they'll fit into a suitcase and shipping will just cost too much, so I sigh and move on.

It's getting warmer and we're hungry so we stop for lunch at a restaurant which looks out at the Caldera. It has a deck on the roof so we head there. It is beautiful, with geranium blooms in pots everywhere, white painted loggia and an amazing view. But I'm worried about the kids, since the distance between the deck and railing is enough for a child to fall through, and there's no protective glass or anything. Note to parents: While europeans love kids, few places are child-proof.

After an indifferent pizza lunch, we stroll on towards the town square, where there's a beautiful church with a belfry. All over Santorini, church roofs are painted a vibrant turquoise, which makes them look very inviting. The walls of most buildings are white-plastered and we think it must be greek yoghurt!

We finally make our way back to the car, stopping for some frenzied souvenir shopping. A finds a nice table lamp that we like and that is affordable in that lighting shop and we buy it gleefully, only realising later how heavy it is.

Back at Ira, we nap until early evening at which point we decide to hit the pool before going down to the beach, since it was such a warm day. Little A has been begging to go swimming from the day we got here and looks like it's finally gonna happen. Everyone changes in double-quick time. A, little A, littler a and I are by the pool and I'm turning back to set down my towel when A decides to dip his toe in the water to test the temperature. Little A follows suit and promptly falls in, clothes and all, in the deep end of the pool. I don't remember the intervening seond between him falling in and me being on my knees by the side of the pool, dragging him out by his ankle.

A and I have a furious fight while I'm shivering and undressing little A and towelling him off all at the same time. Later on, I realise that little A was probably more upset by the fight than the falling in. M, C and R reach and are aghast at what could have happened. A and I calm down and M and I decide to plunge into the water since C and A are not as enthusiastic swimmers. In fact, C has a slight cold and won't be getting into the water. We enjoy our swim and R and little A (who is initially afraid) dip their feet in the water and everyone has a good time. post swim we finally get to take hot!! showers and head out for Perissa beach.

The sun has just set and there's a lovely orange glow over everything. The beach is deserted but the restaurants are throbbing with life. There's karaoke, greek dancers and god knows what else on offer. Little A heads for the swings and M and I walk by the shore collecting coloured little pebbles - the most vibrant and beautiful colours - coral red, pale ppink, whte, brown, rust red, emerald green and glossy black...The sea water feels lovely to our feet, and the waves are pretty large. I pick up littler a and head for a cluster of roks where the two of us bond and she dozes off. M, R and C are walking around the beach farther down. A and little A are by the swings. It's quiet here but for the swishing of the waves. Big and little A join us and we walk together by the shore. A feeling of perfect peace steals over us, and for now, the world is perfect.
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