Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Mama Mia meets Room With a View/ Girls Italy-Greece Adventure


I had the chance to travel with my Mom and baby sister Hannah to Florence and Santorini for Hannah's study abroad spring break. That's right -- the girl studying fashion in Florence was due for a "break" from it all...

But really. It was an amazing opportunity and my Mom was so generous to play travel hostess once I got my bum over the pond. 

I saw amazing things, I ate carbs, I took naps, I watched movies, I read books, (and that was just on the flight over :-)).. I shopped! I traveled light (although not as light as my Mom, whose bag NEVER made it past Heathrow) and I was only slightly put out by the dearth of public bathrooms. I was even conned into buying a hat, thinking that it would transform into my chic and fashion-savvy sister...the jury is still out on that one. 









A hill with a view!! (I did make Hannah watch the E.M. Forster classic before she left...it really should be showing on repeat on the Florence inbound flights...'cept maybe sans the weird bathing-nudy scene.


No seating -- no problem. Pizza for all!




My saintly mother-in-law watched my kiddos while I was gone, which turned into grandmother extra credit when Charlotte came down with the Chicken Pox on day 2 of my trip. Yikes! Here she is blowing me kisses nonetheless...she's a keeper..




Commemorating another great dinner and the weirdest restaurant playlist we have ever heard. I know you can probably only listen to "That's amore" so many times...but still...





Off to Santorini!!


Our heavenly spa day at the "Suite of the Gods" remodeled winery. Sauna, cave swimming pool and waterfall, body mask and facial...amazing. There is an upside to being here in the off-season -- we were the only guests!



 So....I guess the view beats Massage Envy...

A santorini speciality -- fried tomato balls...





From the volcano...good thing she is still "sleeping" as one waiter described to us...



 Something old and greek. I like to think of Spartans walking here...and by that I mean Gerard Butler.













Ruins at Akrotiri.





One of the amazing sunsets.



The very tip of Oia.




You can feel the steam coming out of the volcano -- crazy! (flashes of Dante's Peak....the scary grandma-acid ones...not the Pierce Brosnan scenes...)




Boat trip to the volcano plus swimming in the "hot springs" -- or misnamed slightly warmed sulfur water on top of the Aegean sea. In the words of our trusty captain -- ok -- you swim now!











We loved our little white hobbit hole at the Mill Houses hotel. Right on the caldera! So, it wasn't pool season -- but the room service breakfast brought to us Downton Abbey style every morning was pretty choice....







All greek to me...




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  Here's looking at you gyro -- yum....  elfharisto Santorini....