On top of the Acropolis and Cruising the Mediterranean

Destination: Greece - Athens & Santorini

Number of days spent: 6

Where we stayed: Hotel Rio (close, but not quite like the one in Vegas) in Athens and Neoklassiko and Porto Fira (after we were "stranded") in Santorini

Best restaurant: A small restaurant, Cafe Classico, looking out to the Caldera in Santorini

Best of: Breathtaking views from the Acropolis, wonderful Greek food and Baklava

Worst of: Although the weather was beautiful in Santorini, the high winds caused us not to be able to visit Crete, which we were a little disappointed

Most memorable: The outlook of the caldera volcano at sunset in Santorini and the lighthouse lookout in the southern tip of Santorini as well as the Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens

After a wonderful time in the US with friends and family, we set off to Europe. First we flew into Frankfurt, Germany and had time to walk around the city before our flight to Athens. It started to snow and was pretty cold walking around, but nice to get out after such a long flight. After about 5 hours, we headed to Athens. We didn't get in until the evening, so we settled into our hotel and then found some traditional Greek food for dinner.

The next day we hired a driver, Demetrius, to take us around to all of the major sites in Athens. We started the morning off to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon, temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheum, and the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus. We also saw the Olympic stadium where the first "modern" olympics were held in 1896 and again 108 years later in 2004 for the summer Olympics.

Interesting Fact: The word Acropolis means the highest point of a city, but in Athens it is not. The Acropolis in Athens was a very flat rock 150 meters above sea level where it was easier to build temples and other buildings.

After a full day in the city of Athens, we headed back to our hotel, cleaned up and then went to dinner at a traditional Greek restaurant for crepes and salad.

The next day we flew out to Santorini. We got to our hotel, the Neoklassiko and enjoyed the breathtaking view of the sunset over the Caldera right from our own patio. The view of traditional white houses along the cliffside against the beautiful sunset was a memory never to be forgotten. Santorini is one of the most beautiful places we have been to yet. We rang in the New Year with a romantic dinner in the town of Fira.

The next morning we woke up and started to explore the town. Most things were closed since it was New Year's, but it gave us a chance to enjoy the clear perfect weather and enjoy all the views Santorini has to offer on both the east and west coasts of the island.

The last day we were not able to make it to Crete due to high winds, so we extended our time in Santorini and rented a car to drive all over the island. It was great because we were able to drive to the north to the town of Oia, see all the different beaches (white, red, and the volcanic black beach) as well as drive to the most picturesque part of the island at the south in the town of Faros.

The trip to Greece was unforgettable to say the least. It was a perfect and relaxing way to end our trip around the world and to ring in the New Year!