The Greek Islands

I must apologise for my recent lack of posts, but as most of you know I have been living it up in the Greek Islands for eight nights.

The Greek Islands are my favourite place in the world. I can't even begin to explain how much I love the scenery, the people, the food, and the lifestyle. I visited Mykonos three years ago and since then I have been longing to return.

We spent four nights in breathtaking Santorini, and another four soaking up the sun and the wonderful vibe of Mykonos... But of course no matter how long we stayed, it could never be enough.

Our time in the Greek Islands was characterised by swimming, sunbathing, reading and sleeping. In Santorini we spent a day sailing around the beaches and volcano, and in Mykonos we rode quad bikes around the island. We lived on coffees, fresh juices, Greek yoghurt, fresh fruit, Greek salad and moussaka. We spent hours browsing through the jewellery shops and boutiques. I watched the sunrise and the beautiful sunsets over the Aegean sea.

I couldn't think of a more perfect place to be for the halfway point of my holiday. The first two months have flown by, and in another two months I will be home again. Every morning when I wake up and look back on all of the experiences I have had over the last two months, I am incredibly happy to be here.

Why you should consider Apartments for Accommodation

You may have noticed the likes of Air BnB, Flipkey and HomeAway becoming more popular over the past year. The concept of these websites is to rent your holiday house to international visitors, who in turn get a 'homely' experience during their time in your city.

During my trip I have been sampling different types of accommodation - from friends houses, university halls, hostels, fancy hotels, to apartments.

To stay in a house/apartment, you firstly check availability and pay online securely through the website. A few days before arrival, you should make contact with your host and arrange for them to meet you upon arrival or leave an entry key/code for the accommodation.

Upon arrival you will find everything you would expect from an average home - from a kitchen area with a dining table, plates, cutlery and wine glasses, to a washing machine, storage space, and a hair dryer.

Our hosts have been welcoming and the houses were clean and spacious. To my surprise, it didn't feel strange to be living in a strangers home.

I would definitely recommend that you explore this type of accommodation for your next holiday. You will have the benefit of feeling like you are at home in a different country, access to a local's tips and advice, and can be close to the main attractions but experience living in the 'suburbia' of the city.

Fascinating Istanbul

My time in Istanbul was a mixture of....

Turkish delight

11pm dinners

Amazing shopping in the Bazaars

Scarves and carpets handmade with beautiful fabrics

Kofte and shish kebabs

Prayers echoing through the city

Upmarket shopping centres

Ferries along the Bosphorus

Catching up on sleep

Chewy ice cream

Hot days

Baklava

Funky modern bars in the back streets

Beautiful mosques

Carts selling roasted chestnuts and corn on the cob

Friendly locals (many who thought I was Turkish!)

Cinque Terre, Italy

The Cinque Terre, literally meaning 'five towns', consists of five fishing villages on the North West coast of Italy. 

Monte Rosso

Monte Rosso is the most popular of the villages, with tourists flocking to it's pebbly beaches. The beaches are covered in sun beds that you can rent for a half or full day. You can also rent kayaks, pedal boats, and my personal favourite... Stand up paddle boards! After a day relaxing by the ocean, you can head into the streets of Monte Rosso to explore the souvenir shops or enjoy a drink or Italian dinner at a nice restaurant.

Vernazza

Vernazza has a bustling Main Street packed with restaurants and people. We hired kayaks in the Marina and paddled halfway to Monte Rosso before heading back to town to sunbathe. The waves were quite rough in this area, but a small waterfall can be found halfway between the villages.

Corniglia

Corniglia is the highest of the five towns, with over 300 stairs to get from the train station to the centre of town. We walked down another large set of stairs on the other side of town to discover a cove perfect for rock climbing, sunbathing and swimming (if you have reef shoes).

Manarola

I stayed in Manarola, so might be biased in saying that it was my favourite of the five towns. It is definitely the most picturesque, with a viewpoint where you can look back at it's houses perched on the cliff side.

Rio Maggiore

On Thursday we hiked the four hour inland trail between Manarola and Rio Maggiore.

Upon arrival, we found a beautiful Marina and a Main Street with lots of lovely shops to browse through.

Mount Pilatus

On Sunday we went up the steepest cogwheel railway in Europe. As a storm was predicted for later in the day, we woke up early and set off on the train.

The views were amazing, and only improving as we climbed in altitude.

We climbed to the peak of Mount Pilatus, taking in our incredible surroundings. We had a Swiss hot chocolate as the fog began to engulf the mountains, and then took the cable cars back down to Lucerne.

Lucerne is beautiful and I could easily live in a cute little wooden cottage on one of the lakes, spending my weekends hiking, bike riding, and buying fresh produce at the market.

What is Travel?

As of yesterday it has been six weeks since I left home, but it already feels like so much longer. In this time I have visited seven countries, been on six flights, and slept in countless beds. I have skyped home, missed my loved ones, taken nearly 1000 photos, and made memories that will last forever.

But aside from all of the beautiful scenery and Facebook photos, what is it really like to be on the road constantly?

Ironing your clothes with a hair straightener.

Only using said hair straightener to straighten your hair once a month.

Forgetting about the clothes buried at the bottom of your suitcase because you only unpack on washing day.

Flooded hostel bathrooms and pressing a button every ten seconds to keep your shower running.

Appreciating the little things like a comfortable pillow, a vacant power point, a good cup of coffee, and fresh fruit.

Not sweating the small stuff - flight delays, sore legs, overpriced bottles of water. When you feel so blessed to have the opportunity to travel the world, these things don't even make it into the bigger picture.

Lots of stairs and lots of walking (in Paris we unintentionally walked 18.5 kilometres one night).

But no matter how much I long to spend time with my family, boyfriend, friends, and dog, I know I will be back home soon. So I continue to be grateful for every single moment and wouldn't change it for the world.

(Written Saturday 19th July)

Lucerne: My Perfect Day

We awoke late on Saturday morning and went to wander around the Lucerne markets, where a variety of jewellery, food, and second hand stalls are setup along the lake in the city centre.

I bought a pastry, fresh strawberries, and a takeaway coffee for breakfast, and we ate on a bench overlooking the lake.

We changed into our bikinis and hired a pedal boat, tanning in the sunshine while looking at the beautiful snow capped mountains.

We walked along the stunning wooden flower bridge and stumbled upon a street performance by 44 musicians. There was a summer festival in the afternoon, where we bought spritzers and relaxed in the sun on the jetty.

Later, we sat at a bar/restaurant on the waterfront eating burgers before heading back to our apartment to rest.