Our Honeymoon in Greece

We finally went on our honeymoon, which we had no time for after our quick legal marriage, but it was so worth the wait because we were able to head to our dream location for it: Greece.

Athens

We loved Athens instantly. In fact, I think so far it has one of my favourite vibes for a European city...due to the warm pastel colours, soothing smells, the ancient remains amongst the vibrant modernity, stunning landscape and brilliant cuisine. Our accomodation, the Meta Stay, was in a great location, walking distance from everything important, practical self-check in, very clean and comfortable with an incredible rooftop view of the Acropolis. Also, my Mummy is called Athene, which made being in Athens a bit more special.

The first thing I needed to do was drag my husband to Plato's Academy Park. I was beyond excited to see the site having loved Plato's work in my youth. When we arrived, it wasn't at all an established archeological site that I may have expected, instead it was a lovely park used by families and all the neighbourhood locals to exercise, picnic and hangout. It was so wholesome but also surreal to see the children playing football and running around the ancient walls of the first university built in Western Civilisation.

What stood out to me about Athens when walking around the city were the narrow grid streets shaded by lovely plants, the socialisation in cozy local restaurants and the numerous stray cats roaming the streets all over the place. They seemed to be taken care of by the locals though.

In comparison to Zurich, our home, Athens had a different form of beauty, one that felt worn in, like a favourite pair of faded colourful sneakers that fit perfectly snug. It had such great character. I also found the smell of Athens very pleasant and comforting. There was this distinct smell in pockets all over our travels in Greece. I have no idea what it was but I wondered if it was fresh dough, oil or preserved meat. It smelt delicious. If you know, please tell me!

Also, in Athens we walked past an FCZ tag, we couldn’t believe our local football nuts had made their mark all the way out here.

Eleusis

I was adamant that I wanted to take the bus out to Eleusis to see the archeological site. This is where the myth of Persephone and Demeter supposedly took place and where the Eleusinian mysteries were carried out for centuries. The bus even mostly follows the pilgrimage and Sacred Way that Athenians would walk to be initiated into the mysteries.

So of course I was buzzed out to see the Telesterion, the Ploutonion and Persephone's cave. If you are also a nerd when it comes to sacred practices & legends this trip is totally worth it. Especially, if you prefer less crowds of tourists. As an enthusiast of ancient mysteries, I found the journey and being on the site surreal. It was also quite peaceful because there was next to no one there during the off season.

The museum there was also fun. Then right next door to the site we got absolutely spoiled by a local cook at her restaurant, Temeteron Trapezounta, where everything was handmade. It really tasted like it and the meat was just incredible! We were astounded by the portions and prices in Greece compared to what we are used to at home.

Acropolis & Agora

We designated a day to go through our preferred tourist hotspots. It was insane how many people were there even during the off season. But putting that aside, the Acropolis was breathtaking. The energy at the top was so clear and fresh with a remarkable view of the surrounding city. I would recommend going through the Acropolis museum first. We enjoyed having had read all about the rich and tumultuous history of the Acropolis before hand so that we could really take in the sensations when up there. Also, both the Roman & Greek Agoras were awesome!

Crete

We wanted to visit Crete, the largest Greek Island. The goal was to see a Cretan city as well as a smaller town closer to the southern hiking trails. So we decided to visit the most populated city Chania first and then drive down to the region Sfakia. Instead of taking the ferry down, we flew from Athens to Chania, which is only an hour flight. It was great to stay in Chania a few nights before driving down south, instead of doing all the travel in one go.

Chania

Wow. This was one of the most beautiful colourful old towns we have seen. It was so clean, well looked after and less crowded. A bit of a contrast from Athens. Again the food was amazing and the weather fantastic. We used these few days to explore the city and do some shopping. I would recommend the restaurant, Ginger Concept, and our accommodation, Monk Rooms, which was also fantastic. It had a brilliant location, lovely interior, easy self-service, but it didn't shut out all of the outside noise.

Sfakia

We wanted to rent a car from the airport, so we took a bus from Chania to the airport in the morning. (This needs to be booked in advance and I would do it as early as possible, the bus was packed full.) The drive down south took some adjusting to the Cretan style of driving, but we were relieved we didn’t go by bus.

We had already heard that driving in Crete was not for the faint hearted, but my goodness were there some shocking moments. Like cars overtaking on corners over double lines, or cars overtaking next to oncoming traffic, or a giant truck making its way through a narrow single-lane town street. There were drivers that appeared like they had a death wish and it felt morbid when seeing all the numerous church shaped memorial monuments alongside the road. Even more so when I saw a couple of outdoor stores selling a bunch of them. But we stayed vigilant and my husband did so well to adjust and drive us calmly around the Island. A cuter (and equally hazardous) sight on the roads were the wandering goats!

When we arrived in Chora Sfakion we were very surprised to see a New Zealand flag. They have it there to commemorate the ANZACs that fought in these areas during World War 2.

We stayed at the Authentic Village, which was just beautiful and peaceful with super lovely staff. Chora Sfakion is such a great location to be based for hiking, exploring nearby beaches and enjoying regional cuisine, because it is accessible by car, has various ferry routes and has a good selection of local restaurants on the harbour. Our favourites were: Kitchen Stories by the Sea, Lefka Ori Taverna and Taverna Nikos.

The landscape of Crete is just phenomenal...the vibrant colours and stunning contrast of the mountains and sea are astounding. We had a magical time hiking through the gorges and along the coastline.

Even though some of the narrow cliff trails freaked me out, it was so rewarding to make it to the wide paths and crystal clear beaches for refreshing swims.

The whole trip ran so smoothly because the season was perfect (autumn is warm and sunny, not stinking hot and has less crowds), the sequence of locations was perfect (from more noise and cities to more quiet and nature), the accomodation was suitable (self-check in for the cities and more service down south where we stayed the longest) and we decided to hire a car.

Overall, Greece definitely grew a place in our hearts and we will certainly be back.

Thank you to the beautiful people, culture and spirit of this phenomenal land for preserving it and sharing it with us.

(All images have no editing, Greece is just stunning!)