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GREECE & SWITZERLAND || SEPTEMBER 2022
After 3 years of no travel, I wanted an international location that had lots of sunshine, color, and good food! 🙂 I nixed our plans for an Ireland/Scotland trip (sorry Phillip – next time I promise!) and started researching for somewhere else!!! I decided that Santorini, Greece was going to be the perfect fit for all of my requirements – and Phillip added Milos, (another Greek island) & Geneva, Switzerland as his requests! 🙂
We didn’t use a travel agent, so we both did HUNDREDS of hours worth of watching YouTube videos, reading reviews, scouring blogs, joining Facebook groups, screenshoting dos/don’ts, and just planning a trip of a lifetime!
If you want the cliff-notes version of our trip:
Hotels/Homes we stayed at:
– Costa Marina Villas (in Fira Santorini Greece – a family-run hotel with the nicest people, not extravagant, but close to EVERYTHING including the main bus terminal!)
– Spitia Tziti (a Cave House in Imervigli Santorini Greece – the one with our private pool, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a den, breakfast every morning, and a host!)
– Milos Inn (in Milos, Greece – awesome location, very simple accommodations but amazing view of the water!)
– Hotel de la Cigogne (in Geneva Switzerland – the most incredible hotel with a FIREPLACE in our amazing room, turn down service, room service, a restaurant, the ritziest lobby, and great location with all the fanciest shopping around!)
A few basic Travel tips:
– Get Euros from your bank before your trip, to avoid ATM fees. They prefer cash! (Greece)
– Call your banks to tell them your travel dates, so your credit cards won’t have a hold on them!
– Get an International Drivers license at your local AAA travel shop if you plan on renting a car or ATV in Greece!
– Download maps offline if you don’t plan on using cell service internationally
– Book transportation in Milos in advance, if you want something other than a car! We walked & used the bus service, but it doesn’t run as often at the bus system in Santorini, so we had to plan our little “trips” accordingly!
– You CANNOT flush ANY toilet paper in Santorini, due to their limited pipes on the islands. You put the tolilet paper in a trash can next to the toilet.
– Do NOT drink the water out of the faucets, always buy bottled waters. (Most hotels provide some upon your arrival)
Restaurants in Fira, Santorini we loved:
– Volkan on the Rocks (we went at lunch)
– Yogi Gyros (take-away Gyros)
– Coni Freddi – gelato & bubble waffles
– I can recommend lots of others from my research, but we didn’t have time to eat at!
Restaurants in Imerovigli, Santorini we loved:
– Skaros (right next to our home, and cheaper food with good views!)
– Aegean (lunch or dinner – in the town square with delicious food & views!)
– Infinity (delicious dinner, insane views, slow service)
– Confetti Dessert Boutique (fun little dessert place for beautiful dessert pastries or gelato!)
– Jimmy’s (for coffee!)
– Iila (bakery for yummy croissants and other pastries!)
Restaurants in Adamas, Milos, Greece we loved:
– Aptoekeyaemata Bakery (for delicious greek pastries, breads, baklava, etc)
– Yankos Gyros – (takeaway for the BEST gryos of the trip! I went twice!!)
– New Malion (a cute spot on the water, get the pizzas or filo-wrapped feta with honey!)
– Ice Monkey (for delicious coffee, rolled ice cream, and great service!)
– Utopia Café (in Plaka, for beautiful drinks and charcuterie as the sun sets! One of the only restaurants on the island with a sunset view!)
If you want the very detailed play by play + the specific things we did, tips/tricks… then keep reading!
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September 5th-6th: We flew overnight from RDU > London Heathrow, and unfortunately had to go through customs, get our baggage, find an Uber and then RACE 1-hour across London to fly OUT of London Gatwick. (Plus going through MORE security lines & re-checking our bags) It was extremely stressful to say the least, and we actually had to SPRINT to our gate at London Gatwick to board on time, but we made it! Highly recommend checking your tickets for the names of airports, haha!
After almost a full day of travel, we landed in Fira (Santorini, Greece) at 5:30pm, and hopped on a bus to downtown Fira! Their bus system is all based out of Fira, so it’s very convenient if you’re planning to stay in Fira (which is their “capitol city”, with the most shopping/restaurants/nightlife/etc) The bus system also only costs 1E80 per person, per way – so it’s much more reasonable than Uber! (Which there aren’t many Ubers or Taxis on the island!)
We arrived at our family-run hotel: Costa Marina Villas – our stay for only 1 night! They were some of the NICEST people we met the entire trip, and were so kind and accommodating! We had the prettiest view (the sunrise side of the island) with a balcony and pink flowers blooming. The hotel room was simple & cute, but the location was amazing – so close to the city center of all the shopping/food. We dropped off our bags, and walked to the city center to catch a glimpse our first sunset! My first Greek meal was a pork GYRO from Yogi Gyros, and I immediately fell in LOVE. Phillip got Greek souvlaki (chicken on a stick) and he loved his too! Dessert was a bubble waffle with oreo gelato, and Phillip said it was one of his TOP 5 desserts ever!
^^^ September 7th: The next morning, we slept in a little to balance out the jet lag, and explored around Fira in the daytime! It was getting crowded because of the influx of cruise ship passengers entering – so a heads up on that! We shopped around lots of little places, explored artist studios, a church, and then got lunch at the well-known: Volkan on the Rocks. I ordered the most delicious avocado toast with poached eggs on top, and best of all – got introduced to my new greek obsession: a Freddo Cappuchino! (Although it cost 3x’s more at this restaurant than at greek coffee shops!) Phillip got a strawberry lemonade – and it was just as pretty as it was delicious & refreshing on a hot day! 🙂
Next, it was time to check out of Costa Marina Villas, and we took the bus to our next village: Imerovigli! We were met in the town square by our host, Amar, and given a tour of our accommodations for the next 4 nights: a traditional 2-bedroom cave home! When we walked down and saw the INCREDIBLE VIEW, our beautiful cave home, and our PRIVATE DECK AND POOL, I almost cried. I was so so so grateful that little slice of heaven was OURS for the next 4 days!!!! I had no idea it would be that beautiful in person, I was blown away!!! We immediately decided to nix a ton of random sightseeing plans that we chose just to fill days (Akrotiri Lighthouse, beaches, sunset cruise, Pyrgos, Megalochori, etc) and decided to soak in this incredible view and just RELAX as much as possible instead!!! I ended up downloading FOUR books on the trip and read them all. It was HEAVEN!!!!!
Right near our little cave home is Skaros Restaurant, and we chose a traditional greek dinner of saganki (fried cheese) as our appetizer, Moussaka for me, and Souvlaki for phillip – and we watched the most incredible sun set over the water and caldera. It was magical. We walked around the village with it lit up at night, and the distant village lights sparkling in the distance. We stopped at Confetti Dessert Boutique and got a delicious cookie cupcake. 🙂
^^^^^ September 8th: The next morning we were served a delicious greek breakfast right on our patio! A greek kitty came over to visit and beg for scraps. (Santorini is known for cats who are all very sweet and friendly!) Next up was a hike to Skaros Rock! It was about an hour hike, and had super cool views of the caldera. A hidden gem was finding a church below the rock! After our hike, we cooled off at our pool, got chocolate croissants from a bakery called Ilia, and got another Freddo Cappuchino from a little coffee shop near our house called Jimmy’s! (It was only 2E20 here, versus the 6E at Volkan!) For dinner, we ate with a beautiful view at Aegan Restaurant (I got a Penne Pasta with Salmon, and Phillip got chicken/potatoes) and they surprise you at the end of the meal with dessert & a shot! We enjoyed some ice cream for dessert on our deck while watching the sun set.
^^^^ September 9th: The next morning we woke up BEFORE SUNRISE for our own photoshoot! Unfortunately due to my hair malfunction and taking longer to get ready, my 1st choice location didn’t work for lighting anymore. I was totally distraught, but Phillip calmed me down and helped me find a “Plan B” location (thank goodness for Phillip haha). We enjoyed exploring around the village early with the streets all to ourselves. To reward ourselves when the shoot was over, we got croissants, coffee, and enjoyed a full afternoon at our pool. Before dinner, Phillip suggested we walk past the original photoshoot spot, and it actually WORKED for lighting!!! We quickly grabbed a few photos there in our dinner outfits, and I was SO SO HAPPY!!!!
(Shoutout to With Love Boutique in Sanford, NC for my incredible white/blue dress and the gold stud earrings!)
^^^ September 10th: The next morning was a early wakeup call to hike from Fira > Oia! This direction is more “downhill” people say than from Oia > Fira, but we still got a solid workout done! It took a few hours, but it was pretty incredible to walk along the caldera the whole way – and sightsee so many different things along the way. (Pro tip: be SURE to wear tennis shoes or hiking boots! Walking in loose volcanic ash would NOT be doable in sandals!) When we arrived, we got brunch at a restaurant overlooking the water, and enjoyed the view. (We timed arriving to Oia around 9:00am, and honestly wish we would have gotten there even EARLIER! When we arrived in Oia, the streets were wide open, and it was so enjoyable! Around 10:00am, cruise ship passengers and tour groups began arriving, and it got PACKED. Shoulder to shoulder, and it was miserable.) We HIGHLY recommend going to Oia as EARLY AS POSSIBLE to avoid all the cruise ship crowds!!!!
People were WAITING IN LINE to photograph the blue domes in Oia, and we were just so thankful to have chosen Imervigili to stay in, with our own blue domes to view without a crowd anytime. To beat the crowds, next we headed down to Ammoudi Bay! On the walk there, we took a photo of the orange doorway that’s in the movie “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and explored the Oia Castle area. Finally we got to Ammoudi Bay, it was such a quaint little spot with turquoise-blue water, fresh octopus hanging up, restaurants right on the water with boats tied up next to them, and a little swimming area! It was the cutest little area, and we got drinks and sat to enjoy the view. The ONLY downside was walking UP hundreds of steps. There are donkeys that some tourists hire to bring them up, but it makes me sad seeing tourists do that – so we walked up instead. (I thought Phillip might kill me haha) Oia was SO crowded at that point, that we shopped and then happily snagged a bus ride back to Imerovigli. 🙂
That night, we got dinner at Infinity Restaurant, and it was SUCH a gorgeous view. We got fresh shrimp as appetizers, bread & olive oil, and split a delicious steak & grilled veggies. We savored the sunset and the view & it was so special!!! For dessert, we stopped back at Confetti Boutique and got gelato.
Last thoughts of Santorini: We planned our trip to be in “shoulder season” which was supposed to be less-touristy. Thanks to COVID giving an influx of travelers this past year, I honestly thought the busy villages of Fira and Oia seemed SUPER crowded still. If you want a more relaxing location – choosing Firostefani, Imerovigli (we are biased, but it’s our fave!), Megalochori, or Kamari would be so much better.
September 11th: The next morning was a Sunday, and apparently the buses don’t run as regularly. After waiting an HOUR for the public bus, we conceded to paying 40E for a Taxi, and headed to the Ferry Port! We took a SuperJet ferry 2 hours to the Greek island of Milos. Immediately I fell in love with this little fishing island. There are boats EVERYWHERE, and you can walk right along the water. We checked into our hotel, Milos Inn – and were surprised with chocolate croissants as a welcome gift! We dropped off our baggage and went exploring! We took a bus to Plaka (the capitol city), and hiked up to the highest eastern point for views & to see old castle ruins. We went shopping in little local boutiques, and then snagged a waterfront table right at opening time at Utopia Cafe – which is one of the very few restaurants on Milos with a sunset view. (Note: there’s only appetizers & salads on the menu, it’s more of a cocktail place!) We caught a bus back to Adamas, and enjoyed sitting on our balcony looking out across the water, and seeing people enjoy their dinners at waterfront restaurants below us!
September 12th: The next day we took a bus to Trypiti to see an ancient theater (so cool), visit some Christian Catacombs (These are 1 of 3 of the oldest catacombs in the WORLD: here in Milos, ones I saw in Rome, and then ones in Jerusalem! So I’ve now seen 2/3!), and then we saw where the Venus de Milo was found. (Full circle moment: in 2018, we saw the Venus de Milo in The Louve in Paris!) Next, we hiked down to the absolutely magical & colorful little fishing village of Klima. It’s known for the colorful fisherman’s boat garages that are on the water. Some of them are even turned into Airbnbs!! It was the cutest little village, and I loved every second of it!
After hiking back to Trypiti, we took a bus back to Adamas & got the BEST gyro of the trip: from Yankos! It was phenomenal!! Next, we headed over to Sarakiniko Beach, where Phillip was REALLY pumped about going cliff jumping. Unfortunately, the waves were really dangerous and rough that day, so instead of cliff jumping – we went swimming and just walked around the unusual moon-like rocks there! I felt bad Phillip missed out on what HE really wanted to do, but relieved that he didn’t chance it and get hurt!! We got cleaned up and grabbed a waterfront dinner at New Malion, where I got Moussaka, Phil got pizza, and we shared the BEST appetizer of the trip: feta cheese wrapped in filo, fried to perfection & topped with honey & sesame seeds! WOW! For dessert, we stopped at the coffee shop next door, Ice Monkey, for a delicious freddo cappuccino & Phillip got rolled ice cream!
September 13th: We woke up and explored the nearby “beaches”! Papakinou, went swimming at Firiplaka (beautiful red/orange Cliffside – but also a nude beach area!), and Lagada. We took a bus to a “secret” beach called Tsigrado – where the only way down to it is climbing down a ladder and step crevasse! We played in the arcades near the water in Adamas before going to dinner again at the New Malion – where we got the feta cheese again and split a pizza! 🙂
September 14th: The next morning was our travel day! We took the ferry 2 hours from Milos back to Santorini, (highly recommend first class, it’s only a little more!) and had 2 hours to spend in Fira before our flight to Switzerland! Our very 1st hotel, Costa Marina Villas was SO NICE, they let us leave our baggage with them so we could shop! We did a lot of souvenir shopping for our families, grabbed my last-ever gyro from Yogi, and Phillip got his favorite bubble waffle and gelato one last time! Then, we headed to the airport to fly to Geneva! 🙂
We landed really late in Switzerland, and it was raining. We took a tram into the city center, and couldn’t figure out the bus ticketing system since it was in French, so we decided to walk 15 minutes to our hotel IN THE RAIN, with all our luggage. I’m sure we were a SIGHT walking into this luxury hotel looking like drowned rats, haha!!!! We checked into the most INCREDIBLE hotel, a massive room: complete with a cozy fireplace, chocolate on the pillow, and the comfiest bed ever.
September 15th: Our first plan in Geneva was to find a Boulangerie/Patisserie, and get a chocolate croissant. AND WOW, did we ever. We found the yummiest ones of our LIVES at Boulangerie Pierre et Jean, and only regretted not buying FIVE.
It was a FULL day of sightseeing and walking:
– Ate the croissants by Geneva’s famed Jet d’ Eau Fountain
– Saw the Jardin Anglais park with the famous “flower clock”
– Window shopped the Rue du Rhone (some of the most expensive shopping areas in the world)
– Visited the St. Pierre Cathedral (highly recommend paying to go up in the towers for incredible views!)
– Walked around the Place du Bourg de Four – a really old city square
– Explored around the Pac de Bastions – a fun park with lots of games and things to do
– Pointe de la Jonction (where 2 rivers converge, it wasn’t epic or worth the walk)
– Had a picnic lunch with groceries from Migros Grocery
– Just admired all the unique architecture
– Got chocolate from Auer Chocolatier (one of the oldest that hand-dip their truffles)
– For dinner ate Raclette Fondue, which is one of their “specialties”
September 16th: This was our last day in Geneva, so we wanted to make the most of it! We walked over 15 miles to soak it all in!
We did these sightseeing adventures:
– A. Pougnier Bourg-de-Four for croissants (not as good as yesterday’s!)
– Palais des Nations (if you want to go inside, you need to make reservations months in advance AND have your passports!)
– Geneva Botanical Garden & Conservatory (LOVED IT, one of my favorite things we did was seeing all the gardens!)
– Bains des Paquis (public baths, would be way more fun in the summer to actually participate)
– Saw the Musee Ariana (didn’t go in, but next time would see all the ceramics and glassware in the museum!)
– Parc de la Grange (the largest city park, so beautiful, with a summer rose garden!)
– Basilica Notre Dame
– Rousseau Island
– Le Jardindes Alpes Mounument
– Carouge (an Italian village with cute row houses, shops, and weekend market)
– A DELICOUS pizza dinner at Pizzeria Ristorante Molino
– Gelato for dessert at Arlecchino Gelato
September 17th:
This was our travel day home! We woke up really early to snag croissants from our favorite place, Boulangerie Pierre et Jean – and figured out the tram system to take us to the airport! Since half of the airport is in France, and half in Italy, we had to go through customs as we LEFT Geneva, which was really odd! The travel day home was smooth sailing and just a long day. So thankful for such an amazing trip!!!! 🙂
Feel free to email me with any travel questions, there’s so much we didn’t even do that I researched, so I’d love to help out!
Thanks for taking the time to read through our blog!!!!! 🙂 <3
