Most memorable nights sleep while travelling (Travel Link Up)

Being a travel addict and ex-flight attendant means that I have been through my share of places. Some beautiful, some charming, some ugly and some just downright plain and forgettable. The memorable for me are those that have a story, good or bad, something that stands out.

Thanks to the lovely girls Emma and Kelly and Rebecca for this travel link up.

My most memorable was a night in Athens (I surprised even myself with that one). The hotel was nice and the bed was comfortable enough but that had nothing to do with why it was memorable. It was the earthquake. I slept through it. Sort of.

I was slightly woken up in the middle of the night to what, to me, sounded like a massive truck rumbling along as it sped through the street. It was so loud it felt like the walls were shaking. In my half sleep half dream stupor I didn't think more of it and drifted off back to sleep. When all that noise was followed with a loud bang and what felt like the bed shifting off the wall and slam back into it, I simply thought I was dreaming.

In the cold light of day the next morning, I began to wonder...did I really dream all that? The girl at reception told me that Athens had an earthquake that night and it was one of their bigger ones. There wasn't any major damage as they are prepared for such things but I was shocked. I SLEPT through a big earthquake!! I thanked my lucky stars that it wasn't more serious and at the same time laughed at how, for a light sleeper, I'd managed to sleep through it. Oops.

My favourite sleep was in Santorini where I was waking up to the gorgeous blue and white every morning on my own terrace. My worst sleep was in Naples during my trip through Italy. Seriously, I wanted to sleep on the floor the bed was that uncomfortable. I also really enjoyed staying Freising, Munich. The hotel was cute, comfortable and an easy walk to the village which was off the regular touristy path.

I also had a minor incident with an inconsiderate girl at a hostel when I first arrived in London who insisted on waking up the entire room while drying her hair every morning but I'll save that story for another day.


What was you most memorable sleep while travelling?

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Hotel Review: Homeric Poems (Santorini, Greece)

The Homeric Poems Hotel in Santorini is an absolute gem. I stayed there on my recent trip to the Greek island and i was not disappointed. The staff from the Manager (Rosalie), to bar man, to cleaning ladies were all friendly, professional, very discreet and made you feel like they truly cared for nothing more than making your stay enjoyable. I stayed in one of the Apartments named "Paris" and the views were stunning as, i imagine, they were from all the other rooms. They keep to the typical blue/white/grey colour scheme and add simple touches here and there to accentuate the beautiful vistas. Their meticulous attention to detail was bar none.

Homeric Poems - Reception is just to the right near the donkey

Let me pause here to say that this is not a paid promotion of the Homeric Poems Hotel. I have in no way been asked to do this review nor am i being reimbursed in any way. I simply think they really are worth mentioning. If you have read my blog for a while, you know i have never dedicated an entire post to a hotel so that should tell you that this place is something special.

The rooftops of the Homeric Poems Hotel

The hotel is just outside Fira in Firostefani and is only a short cab ride from the main taxi stand (next to the bus depot). I was dropped off in a small square and thankfully didn't have to lug my bag far. The main entrance was about 200 meters away and the reception was just inside. I was early but the hotel manager herself, Rosella, came up to greet me and show me to the bar where she offered me a free drink while i waited till my room was ready. She then sat down for a bit of a chat like she was an old friend. I cannot think of any other experience where there has been such a personal touch, it really made a lovely impression. And it didn't stop there, throughout my stay, whenever i saw her, she would smile brightly, stop and ask how i was enjoying my stay, where i had been etc.

Looking off to the left from my terrace

This is the view from the kitchenette window!

My room, when it was ready, was just gorgeous. When I stepped inside i found my bag waiting for me in the large open plan living area (thankfully i didn't have to carry it up or down any stairs). The room was bright and airy, came with air conditioning and free wifi which i love as some hotels charge a fortune. A small kitchenette and dining table was off to the right and, at the back, there was the bedroom with white linen and canopy mosquito net.
The bathroom had a grey concrete moulded open shower space with a shower head that felt like a waterfall and Molton Brown toiletries. Unfortunately i was so taken with the views i didn't take any photos inside! The main doors opened out onto the terrace which had a set of tables and chairs off to the left to take advantage of the view out over the Caledarra. I spent a good amount of time on that terrace soaking up sun, watching the spectacular sunsets and even one night, ordering room service for dinner.

My "Paris" room and terrace - gorgeous or what?

That's my room on the right

Breathtaking sunset - This was taken from my terrace!

The hotel location was great. Just an easy walk from both Fira and Imerovigli and convenient to get to after having a long day out. No winding streets, no stairs, its right off the calderra path. Even if i didn't want to go anywhere, it was an oasis of calm and privacy. One of my favourite things at the hotel was the infinity pool where i took a couple of dips during my stay. I liked to lean on the side and look out at the caldera and Mediterranean sea while feeling weightless in the water.

The infinity pool looking out at the Mediterranean

Downside to the hotel? I really cant think of anything that remotely affected my stay in a negative way. If i had to be nit-picky I'd say that the room service menu is a bit pricey given the surrounding competition. BUT the dishes are delicious, fresh, plated beautifully and are delivered to your terrace. And lets face it, i did have cooking facilities in the little kitchenette if i really didn't want to splurge.

My terrace at sunset

 

That's part of my terrace on the right

The absolute highlight for me was waking up each morning to sunlight coming through the windows, stepping out onto my terrace and seeing nothing but blue and white. I'm biased because i haven't stayed elsewhere in Santorini but if you only go once, you wont be disappointed with choosing to stay here.

The view i woke up to every morning

If you have stayed at the Homeric Poems, I'd love to hear your thoughts, did you enjoy it? Was there somewhere you liked more? Leave me a comment :)

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Meeting a stubborn Donkey in Santorini

If you have read my previous post, you’ll know that there was a bit of a funny story to go with the donkey ride up to Fira from the Old Port in Santorini...

I’d woken up to another gorgeous day in Santorini, the air was warm, the sky was a cloudless blue and I felt well and truly relaxed, so much so that I’d forgotten what day it was. I couldn’t remember the last time that had happened! I slipped into a summer dress and decided to keep the day simple. I would just meander and see where that took me. My wanderings led me to the donkey station at the base of the Old Port in Fira. I did not want to climb the stairs back up to Fira, in sandals, whilst trying to avoid donkey-doo the whole way, plus, I was amused by the novelty of it.

I was standing in line at the "Donkey Station"*, watching some other girls helped up on to their rides and waiting for my own colourful donkey when I realised that maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t the best idea to get on a donkey wearing a short dress, in fact I couldn’t think of a lady-like way of getting on without exposing more leg than I cared to expose. Too late to back out I was helped up and before I could get a grip, my donkey set off after the other girls. A wriggle or two and a couple of yanks on the hem of my skirt and I was OK.

My donkey seemed to know his way just like the others that had gone ahead and was taking a leisurely stroll up the path when suddenly, just around the first bend, he stopped. Ah…donkey what are you doing? I tried coaxing him to keep moving “Come on, let’s go” I said patting him on the side of the neck. Know what he did? He shook his head at me, literally. “Come on” I said and tried flicking the reigns a bit; I just got more head shaking. What was the word for “Go” in Greek again? Damn my useless language skills. I tried a slight squeeze of his belly (I didn’t want to use any force) but it resulted in the same head shake. Uh- oh…

I looked around to see if there was a donkey handler or someone who could help nearby. There was not a single soul in sight…just great. I have heard that donkeys can be seriously stubborn creatures and mine was living up to that reputation. I looked down thinking maybe I could get off and walk back but right where I'd need to step was covered in greenish brown donkey-doo. At that point I had to laugh out loud. Great. Perfect. Maybe I’ll just stay on the donkey forever. At least he came with a sea view.

As I sat there, partly thinking about how to get out of my predicament and partly hoping he’d move along on his own, I spotted a couple ahead. As they got closer I could see they were chuckling. “Um, hi, I’m a bit stuck, would you mind telling the handlers at the bottom?” I said my face flushing the same colour as my dress. The girl agreed, stepped over some patties and continued down the path. As if my donkey knew he’d soon be in trouble, he started walking again! I was over the moon! Great! Brilliant…oh bugger! He stopped again after only going about 20 meters. He was toying with me. I could almost see a cheeky grin on his face.

Luckily only a few minutes passed before I saw a line of donkeys coming up the path along with a handler. Finally! I could have kissed the handlers whiskery cheek I was so glad to see him! But my donkey had other plans. His ears swivelled back and some sound let him know the handler and a drove of donkeys were behind him and he started moving again. When we turned the corner I saw the girls who had left way ahead of me waiting up ahead. I realised that the donkey was simply waiting for the rest of the herd to show up and not just being stubborn. Boy did I feel sheepish.

The donkey was now more than happy to clip along and energetically try to overtake those in front of us. Who cares if he had to terrify his rider in the process? Who cares if he went so close to the wall when turning corners that I was in perpetual expectation of him walking right into them or scraping my knee? Not my donkey that’s for sure!

We continued up the path and aside from him almost knocking another girl off her donkey he didn’t stop once. All the donkeys had a unique way of zigzagging up the path that prevented them from slipping backwards. It actually took a lot longer to get to the top than I thought so there was plenty of time to take in the view. By the time we reached the top I was glad I rode up instead of walking and gave my smart, stubborn donkey an affectionate pat before heading into the maze of Fira streets.

*Please note: These donkeys are looked after by two animal welfare agencies GAWF and SAWA. They are fed, watered, sheltered undergo regular health checks and are well looked after. No injured or sick donkey is allowed to work and they only make a 2-3 round trips a day. I do not like seeing animals mistreated and would not have done this had i thought they were.

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Photo tour: Santorini, Greece

Santorini...where do i even start? If you have been there, you know what i mean. This is a place where every view is picture postcard so for this post, I'm just going to let the photos flow. Tips on staying in Santorini are at the end.

View from my terrace in Firostefani

My little terrace nook

Stunning Santorini sunset - view from my terrace

Another Santorini sunset view from my terrace with a view of Imerovigli to the right

Cable cars down to the Old Port, and Donkeys up.

Santorini has cable cars that will take you down to the Old Port and back. I decided to go down this way and take the Donkeys back - purely for the novelty of it. The donkey trip up takes a bit of time, glad i didn't have to walk it! There is a bit of a funny story to go with this but I'll post about that later.

The cable cars from the bottom of the line

View of Fira from the cable car - you can see the walking trail too

The Old Port from the cable car

Along the Old Port and Fira peeking out from the top

The Old Port - looking back towards the base of the cable cars

The Santorini donkeys are well looked after so i was happy to take them up the trail

Waiting patiently for the next customer

The winding path up the side of the cliff

Views around Fira, Firostefani and Imerovigli

Fira from a vantage point in Firostefani

Fira at twilight

The famous blue domes of Santorini - photographed and painted countless times

Another (smaller) blue dome and unique blue and white one

Fira bathed in sunlight

Blue and white as far as the eye can see

Arches and bells of a church overlooking the sea

Fira's hotels, restaurants and cafes

How do they build them like that? Also notice the colour of the water?

View from Imerovigli 

Love this photo...

Sunset at Oia (sounds like "ee-yah")

Sunset - view from the small port looking up to Oia

Sunset at Oia

The Practical stuff - Santorini Travel Tips

Getting around: Santorini's only public transport is the bus network which is centred in Fira. The buses (coaches actually) are cheap, 1.60 Euros from the airport to Fira, and reach all main towns on the island. Tickets are bought on the bus and a timetable can be found here.
Most people tend to opt to hire a car, atv or motorbike to get around.

Accommodation: If you have a good budget and want a romantic sunset view, opt for staying along the western side of the island in places like Fira, Firostefani, Imerovigli, Oia. If you are travelling on a tiny budget, opt to stay on the eastern side and you will probably need to compromise on views - Santorini does have hostels but make sure you do your research! As this was the indulgent/relaxation/splurge part of my trip i opted to stay at Homeric Poems in Firostefani. The place was gorgeous and the staff very friendly and helpful. I might do a separate post on them later - they are worth it.

One of Homeric Poems' terrace rooms

Eating: Santorini is expensive, but not prohibitively so. There are little supermarkets where you can buy things to cut costs but you can eat out cheaply too (if you are smart about it). Sharing plates is not a problem here and portion sizes are generous. For a snack there are Gyros (a delicious pita wrap with meat) for less than 3 Euros. It may be obvious but just in case...places with a good view will usually charge far more than places without.

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