Courtright Family Trip to Europe, Part 5

We were nearing the end of our Family Trip to Europe, but there was still so much fun ahead. Our cruise ship docked in the Piraeus port in Athens, Greece early in the morning, and we were picked up to make the journey to our rented AirBnb for the next couple of days. Unfortunately, it was too early to check in to our place but they were at least able to store our bags for us. When booking the trip, I knew there would be a window of time before our check-in, so I had booked us an excursion in Athens that would hopefully be fun and not too taxing. While we waited for our excursion time, we found a McDonald's with WiFi and camped out at the tables for a couple of hours to collect ourselves and surf our phones. We were TIRED, ha!

After killing a few hours exploring the Athens city center near our AirBnb and surfing our phones at McDonald's, it was time for our excursion: a 3-hour segway tour of Athens highlights, including the Acropolis, Panathenaic Stadium where the first modern Olympics took place, Ancient Agora of Athens, Changing of the Guards, and so many more amazing spots. The tour turned out to be such a fun way to see Athens highlights while still waiting to check into our AirBnb. We zoomed all around the city and only had 1 minor crash (Jeff, ha)! At the end of our tour, thankfully it was time to check into our AirBnb nearby. We were beyond exhausted and so thankful for a place to stretch out and relax. Collin crashed on his bed for the next 15 hours straight, ha! But the rest of us walked to dinner nearby and ended up having one of the best desserts I've ever enjoyed: a Greek Baklava inspired chocolate donut and ice cream dish. I have no idea what it was called or even the name of the restaurant, but words don't do it justice; I've been thinking of that dessert ever since!

When I planned this 2-week European itinerary, I knew at this point toward the end of our trip that we would be wiped out and tired of excursions. However, one of Connor's top sights to visit included the Acropolis in Athens, and luckily he had a willing participant to join him. The next morning, our last full day in Athens, Jeff and Connor wore their matching Mykonos shirts and headed out to tour the Acropolis site and museum. They loved it and it was for sure one of Connor's favorite sites. The rest of us walked around Athens, enjoying the city and some local Greek cuisine as well. The weather was getting warmer but still such a beautiful day to soak in the Greek city life and culture. Later in the day, we set off for our final excursion, a trip to Cape Sounion and Temple of Poseiden about an hour away. We avoided the sunset crowds and had the place all to ourselves, with stunning views of the temple overlooking the sea. On the way back to Athens, we stopped for a lovely waterside meal with stunning views and enjoyed our last beautiful evening before our long journey home the following morning.

What an absolutely incredible vacation we had in Europe with memories made that we'll cherish forever! I felt beyond grateful for this amazing two weeks with my family and all of the epic experiences we had along the way. Ciao to Italy and Yassou to Greece, it was the adventure of a lifetime!

Courtright Family Trip to Europe, Part 4

The next stop on our Mediterranean cruise was one that Kaitlynn was probably most excited for: Santorini Greece! When we walked onto our cabin balcony in the morning, we were awestruck at the incredible view and beauty of this area. Stunning! We had booked an excursion that would take us by boat to catch a motor coach and visit two of the Greek towns in the area, Oia and Fira. Oia was our first stop, and we were super disappointed that we only had 45 minutes to explore the village with the cutest shops and beautiful rooftop views. Truly postcard worthy! Once we arrived in Fira, we decided to abandon our tour group because we wanted to spend time on our own exploring the town without a time limit. We stopped for some yummy Greek food at a local bar, and we enjoyed exploring the shops and storefronts on our own time. The panoramic vistas were around every corner it seemed, and we took advantage of the photo opportunities as well as the local shopping for unique treasures.

One of the unique things about Santorini is that the cruise port is quite the journey to the actual town. Since we had come in by motor coach, we were on our own to get back to the cruise port. The options for getting down the cliff to the port included a trolley ride, on the back of a donkey, or walking the long and steep winding road ourselves. We underestimated that walk, and I ended up slipping and sliding my way down that road the entire way. In retrospect, we should have taken the trolley!

After more rounds of euchre and another nice cruise dinner, our next day's stop was in a brand new country. We arrived in Ephesus Turkey at the port of Kusadasi, which I had never heard of before but ended up being a really neat day in our journey. Our excursion for the day was another private motor coach with an incredible tour guide who gave us really interesting stories and facts about the area during our travels. Our first stop for the day included a visit to the Virgin Mary's house called Meryemana. Jeff lit a candle for his mom (Nana) while we were there.

Next on our tour was a visit to the ancient city of Ephesus which included one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Temple of Artemis. I didn't realize when we booked this tour that the ruins of this location were so extensive, but our tour guide did an amazing job of educating us on the area and described how new discoveries of ruins are found regularly and so incredibly preserved. We actually found these ruins more interesting than what we saw in Pompeii, although likely it was our great tour guide that made the difference. One of the most memorable areas we saw was the amphitheater where the Apostle Paul was known to give speeches to the early Christians. 

For our lunch, we enjoyed a traditional Turkish meal which was a fun way to enjoy local cuisine which was truly delicious. We ate near a village which featured a handicraft carpet demonstration afterwards, where we were able to experience how Turkish rugs were made by local masters. It was fascinating and we had to fight hard to resist the urge to purchase an expensive carpet! It was an incredible day and a surprising full day of fun, because by this point in our vacation, we were TIRED and starting to feel "done" with all the tours. We arrived in Ephesus with low expectations but ended up having one of our favorite days. Back at the ship, we enjoyed more of our family cabin time with an excellent dinner, and we turned in early in anticipation of another full day the following morning.

The next morning, we were back in Greece, this time in the iconic Mykonos. We took a ferry to arrive in the old town area which is known for its narrow passageways of shops and cafes, iconic Greek windmills, and beaches. Collin and Kevin decided to rent scooters for the day, so they set off on their own to explore the area and enjoy some downtime. Kaitlynn and I headed out to find the perfect backdrop for some photographs, and Jeff and Connor were soaking it all in. It was such a fun day exploring on our own and experiencing the beautiful town of Mykonos. We enjoyed doing some local shopping and then meeting back up for lunch later in the day. I have no idea how we got so lucky with the weather, because yet again it was a truly spectacular day of sunny but cool temps. Absolute perfection!

Back on the ship, it was a dress-up night for dinner. I think I shared these photos already, but I just love when we all clean up and take a nice family photo. This was our very last night on the ship, and the boys were bound to try their luck one more time at the casino. Collin started playing the craps table, and before we knew it, all 6 of us were at the table with some fellow cruise passengers who were getting HOT at the table. And by hot, I mean LUCKY! After being down hundreds of dollars on the week, all 3 boys ended up back in the black (by a lot!) after a lucky streak at the tables. It was an epic night and SO much fun to experience as a family. We were riding high on adrenaline and so excited that they could all cash out with fat stacks at the end of their week! The photo of the boys is probably one of my all time favorites!