Greece

After being in Italy for a few days, we moved onto Greece. We stayed in Greece for about a week. We stayed in a penthouse that was located in central Athens. Greece was definitely easier to navigate around and we could quickly tell that people were more kind in Greece. It wasn't as crowded as the places we visited in Italy were which was refreshing. During our stay in Greece we had scheduled to get family pictures done, went island hopping, got matching tattoos, went on a tour of the Parthenon, and explored the areas.

We had the pleasure of taking family pictures in the heart of Athens and all around the Parthenon. We were blessed with an amazing and kind photographer, Spyros! After we did family pictures, we ate at one of our favorite places we found there. The food was delicious and the staff was super friendly!

One of our days in Greece we spent it on a private boat tour where we went island hopping. Unfortunately, we were too hasty in booking our tour because we didn't realize that the location the boat tour would start would be a three hour long drive to get there. Nevertheless, we persisted (mainly because it was nonrefundable) and were able to rent a van and driver to get us there and back. The drive there was pretty miserable because it was so curvy. I usually don't get carsick, but even I was struggling on that drive. Once we got to the boat dock, we loaded up our stuff and took off. We were able to go to the island where the movie "Mamma Mia" was filmed and many other islands. The ocean there was so clear and beautiful. However, I didn't swim in it much cause I'm not the biggest fan of the ocean. We stopped at multiple different islands and got to walk around and explore the separate islands.

On one of the days in Greece, my older brother, my sister-in-law, and me all decided to get our matching tattoo. We knew we wanted to get a matching tattoo during our stay in Greece and planned it all beforehand. We actually meant to get matching tattoos on our trip to Hawaii, but it never worked out. We were able to find an incredible tattoo shop called Athens Ink Studio Tattoo. The staff there was incredible! We all got a Greek victory wreath tattoo above our right elbow. They turned out great! I was a little worried about it because it was my first tattoo, but everything went well and the amazing staff members there helped ease my nerves.

We explored the Acropolis area in Greece for a couple days. That's where we were able to do the tour of the Parthenon and learn more about Greek culture and history. Finally, we got ready to head back to the United States after such a successful and eventful trip to Europe. Greek food was definitely my favorite. They had such flavorful options and so much variety. I would love to come back to Greece and maybe stay on one of the islands next time. I think Greece and Hawaii tie for being my favorite places I've visited so far.