TRAVEL

PAROS | 5 THINGS TO DO IN 2 DAYS

Hello Beautiful Souls! As you know by now, I travelled to Greece to visit Athens and five different islands in two weeks. The second stop was the idyllic Island of Syros. Now we are heading to one of the “small” Islands of the Cyclades called Paros. In Paros, it was slightly hard to find five, but here are my five top must-sees in Paros. An Island, you will need a day or two to see it all.

Here is the itinerary of my five things to do in Paros within two days.

Parikia
When you arrive in Paros, you will arrive at Parikia harbour. Parikia is the captial of Paros. The houses in Parikia town are in traditional Cycladic style with flat roofs, whitewash walls, coloured doors and window-frames and shutters. The whitewashed walls of the homes with coloured doors are very picturesque. Walking around the narrow streets will [at some point] lead you to Frankish Castle. This castle is an archaeological site built in 1260 AD. Some restaurants in Parikia that I did enjoy were Taverna Alexandros. This a lovely restaurant where you can see the sunset while having dinner. The Dorada fish was fresh and tasty. If you want something different than Greek cuisine, try Little Green Rocket. The Little Green Rocket is a fusion restaurant of Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. It has some vegetarian options as well.

The Panagia Ekatontapiliani
In Parikia town, you will find this ancient Byzantine church from the 4th century A.D., The Panagia Ekatontapiliani. This church originated from the Roman Empire Constantine the Great in 326. The Byzantine interior of this church is mesmerising. There is even an ancient fresco, where you can still find some of it on a ‘cupola’ inside the church.

Marpissa
Marpissa only has around 600 inhabitants. Many homes in this village are from the 17th and 18th centuries. In this village, you will find traditional windmills. We met a lovely lady who is a traditional weaver. She invited us to her home, told us how she became a weaver and showed us her home and studio. She is such a sweet lady and very hospitable.

Naoussa
Naoussa is more touristic and has its character because of its small port. There are many great restaurants here to eat [some] seafood and octopus [one of my favourites]. At Axinos Seafood restaurant, I had a delicious seafood risotto. It was one of the best risotto during the complete holiday in Greece. The only tip I can give you is to be careful and check your receipt after because they overcharged us for a few things we didn’t have.

Byzantine Route
The Byzantine Route is a 3,5K trail. It is the oldest trail that connects the villages of Lefkes to Prodromos. It takes more or less an hour to hike through this trail. It is worth stopping and enjoying the panoramic view once in a while during the hike.

 

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TRAVEL

SYROS | 5 THINGS TO DO IN 2 DAYS

Hello Beautiful Souls! As you know by now, I travelled to Greece to visit Athens and five different islands in two weeks. The second stop was this idyllic Island of Syros, where we [yet again] had only two days to see it all. So if you are heading to Syros for a few days, keep reading this blog post. There are five top must-sees in Syros, which you will feel like you saw it all.

Here is the itinerary of my five things to do in Syros within two days.

From Athens, we went to the port of Piraeus to take the ferry to Syros. Syros, its capital town Ermoupolis, Ano Syros, is seen as the former municipality of the Cyclades. Coming from Athens, Syros is a [huge] contrast and feels so relaxed after being in a city on the mainland. The Island was the main port with its leading commercial and industrial centre of Greece before the late 19th century. If you have a few days to explore the Island, please look at the itinerary in this blog post.

Ano Syros
Ano Syros, which means above Syros, is on a medieval settlement located on a hill. You can hike through picturesque narrow alleys and streets with an incredible view of the port. On your way to the top, you will find some iconic small churches from the Byzantine era. There are lots of spots where you can rest a bit or take mesmerising pictures for your Instagram. [I got you convered].

Miaouli Square
This historic square leads to the captivating city hall of Syros – Ermoupolis and the Municipal Library of Ermoupolis. From Miaouli Square, you can find many streets with shops, gifts and terraces for refreshing drinks or bits. One of the best restaurants on this Island is Mazi. This “enchanting” restaurant is in an open space with old stone arches and an overgrown secluded garden. It is fine dining at its best. Very romantic, even if you are with a big group. We all enjoyed the food and drinks we had here.

Harbour
Syros is not a party Island like Mykonos. You will not find a lot of tourists around this time. A walk near the harbour is always lovely. Find some gift shops here, but more importantly, have a delicious lunch with a view of the sea. If you like to swim, [this might be a bit cold in September] go on the bus from the harbour to one of many beautiful beaches. One of the beaches I visited was Megas Gialos Beach Syros. There were no tourists on this beach, so you can dip in your “private” beach [if you are lucky].

Churches
Island is full of Byzantine churches. These churches are the two churches that stand out and are worth a visit. The first church is The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. It is the second oldest church on the Island of Syros, built-in 1828. The green marble in this church is fascinating. Don’t forget to look at El Greco’s earlier work, The Icon of the Assumption 1562-64, at the entrance of the church.

The second church is The Orthodox Church of Resurrection. It’s on the top of Vrodados Hill. Find the 1000 steps stairs which lead you to the top of the hill. Once you are on top, it is worth climbing up the stairs. This church has a Byzantine style with neoclassical elements with a beautiful blue dome.

 

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TRAVEL

ATHENS | 5 THINGS TO DO IN 2 DAYS

Hello Beautiful Souls! Finally, a “proper” travel blog post after two years of the pandemic. Last summer, I travelled to Greece to visit Athens and five different islands in two weeks. This holiday was my first time travelling with tour operator Djoser. The first stop was Athens, where we had only two days to see it all. So if you are heading to Athens for a few days, keep reading this blog post. There are five top must-sees in Athens, which you will feel like you saw it all.

Here is the itinerary of my five things to do in Athens within two days.

Acropolis
If you miss the Acropolis, you haven’t been to Athens. The best way to enjoy the Acropolis and to learn something from it is to go on a guided tour. This ancient site has so much history. You will see the most beautiful archaeological site at the highest point of Athens. The four [outstanding] architectural wonders here are the Parthenon, Erechtheion [the Temple of Athena Polia], Propylaea and the Temple of Athena Nike. All of these architectural wonders are from 400 – 500 BC. It is astonishing that you still have a glimpse of something so ancient. Unfortunately, over the years, [lots of] objects and treasures of the site have been confiscated. They are now in many museums [over the world]. The British Museum has lots of the Acropolis due to Lord Elgin, who stripped the Parthenon sculptures to sell them to the British government. It is now called Elgin Marbles.

Acropolis museum
If you have to choose one museum to visit in Athens, this should be it. Here you will find [lots of] artefacts that they found on the Acropolis from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It is truly heaven for historical lovers. There is a part of the museum where you can’t take pictures, but the statues you see here are one of a kind. The museum is doing a great job of keeping the sculptures alive by recreating the original colours from an ancient culture.

Some historical sites
If you wander around in the [historical] old town, you will see most archaeological sites. Some ancient architecture is mesmerising and visible from the outside. However, if you want to see them up close, you can pop in any of these sites for a fee. The below sites you will see while walking in Plaka and the surrounding neighbourhoods; Temple of Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, Hadrian’s Library, Roman Agora, Ancient Agora of Athens, and Odeon of Herodes Atticus.

Syntagma Square and Change of the Guards
Go to the Presidential Palace and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to see the “Evzones” guards change every hour. It is a tradition and part of the city. The Evzones originated in 1868 as a division of the Greek army.

 

Plaka by day or night Monastiraki Square
If you need a place to stay in Athens, Plaka, a lovely [vibrant] old town, is an excellent choice. This town is on the East side of Acropolis hill. It has picturesque narrow streets, markets and boutiques. On the North side of Acropolis Hill, you will find Monastiraki Square. The Square is captivating by night. You can see the Acropolis from here.

One of my favourite restaurants was Diogenes in Plaka. I had a delicious risotto there. The cave of Acropolis is a good restaurant for drinks with a view of the Acropolis. I suggest having dinner in the old town as there are many lovely restaurants to try out.

 

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LIFESTYLE

HELLO LONDON | MUSEUM OF LONDON – LONDON WALL

Hello Beautiful Souls! Today is a post that can be a bit unfortunate for the people who haven’t visited this museum before, but don’t worry, because the museum will be back in 2026 at Smithfield Market. The Museum of London closed its doors on the 4th of December 2022 after 45 years at London Wall.

As this museum is in my neighbourhood, it always crossed my mind to go, but it wasn’t on the top of my list. The moment I saw the news that they were closing the doors, I had to go. Luckily I had a chance to go on the last day. I am so pleased that I went and [kind of] regretting I didn’t go before. There is so much to see about the history of London from prehistoric to the modern era. I couldn’t see all, so I strolled around and got myself a book with all the “highlights” of the museum.

I am surprised this museum has over a million objects that are all part of London’s history. There are so many galleries in this museum, from the palaeolithic period to Londinium, to the Black Death, to War, Plaque & Fire, to the Great Fire [1666], to Expanding the City [the 1670s – 1850s], to People’s City [1850s – 1940s], to World City [1950s – today], to Grime Stories. Too much to write about all in this blog post.

The most interesting for me was the Londinium, the period when London was part of the Roman Empire. It is incredible how many objects are kept safe in this museum. They found [lots of] artefacts from that period. They found the location of a roman bath and an ancient Amphi theatre [which is under The Guildhall Art Gallery, where you still can see some pieces of the theatre in their basement].

I also liked some facts, like the first underground railway was Kings Cross in 1863. Another fun fact St.Pancras railway station opened in 1868. Even the Jack the Ripper murders, which happened in 1888. I did the Jack the Ripper guided tour earlier in the year. During the guided tour, they explained a lot about the period it happened and [of course] the murders.

If you are curious about this museum, you must go when they reopen at Smithfield Market. This location is spectacular. I can’t wait for them to reopen here.

 

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