Posts tagged ‘greece’
Santorini
Some of my best friends and I have been putting our heads together trying to plan a perfect extended Weekend Getaway for us to take some time next spring. My friend Erin is dying to return to Paris so that’s already on the itinerary, but now we’re trying to figure out where else to go!
So, as I was glancing through some of my travel notes and travel books/blogs I realized that the perfect place for four close friends to visit after a no sleep stay in Paris would be the placidly beautiful, Santorini (and no, this has nothing to do with the fact that Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 was partially filmed there).
Santorini consists of several villages located among a group of islands known as Cyclades in Greece. Aside from its white walled villages, Santorini is probably best known for its many beaches and its picture perfect sunsets that lure people in from neighboring towns and cities. However, as much as I enjoy relaxing, I tend to prefer a bit more adventure when I go traveling and Santorini has all kinds of activities for those with similarly restless minds. For example, Santorini is located on an active volcano which is open to public tours where you can see everything from smoking holes to recent lava flows. And if that’s not up your alley then you can drink your way through the villages on a number of different wine tours or take your camera on a hike to see the Faros lighthouse atop a rocky cliff or take a quick boat ride to the Palia Kameni hot springs and bathe in the turquoise blue waters.
So with a little luck and affordable airfare hopefully my friends and I will be venturing off to Santorini in the very near future! Until then, we can admire it from these stunning images:
• Who wouldn’t want to take a donkey taxi ride?! •
• Palia Kameni hot springs •
• Faros Lighthouse •
• Black Pebble Beach •
Have you ever been to Santorini?
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photos via flickr & tumblrIstanbul
Last Friday I wrote about how I would love to travel to the town of Cinqueterre along the Italian Riviera, and before that I wrote about how I’m longing to go back to Paris. Well, I thought I’d continue with my travelers fantasy and take us to Istanbul, Turkey this weekend.
• Hagia Sophia •
I have never been to Istanbul, though I studied its art and architecture all throughout college. It is one of the only cities where you can see architecture from many different centuries and empires. From Byzantine to Roman to Greek, Istanbul is a melting pot of different types of architecture and culture.
Between the endless indoor markets filled with different spices and brightly patterned shoes to its underground cisterns (receptacles that the Greeks built to catch rainwater), the history and unique buildings alone make this the perfect city to fascinate my fashion focused and art historical mindset. Although I must admit that the turquoise blue waters surrounding the city and its reputation for having some of the most delicious fish in the world is enough to lure me into taking a visit.
• underground cistern •
• I want these shoes •
Have you ever been to Istanbul?
all photos via flickr
