GREECE

OH MY GOSH, WOW, IS THIS REAL? Phrases we used over and over again our whole stay in Greece. We discovered some true treasures of the earth while exploring only a few of the hundreds of Greek Islands. 

We had no idea what a treat we were in for. We were not ceased to be amazed for one second. 

We only made it to 3 Islands plus mainland Greece so we are definitely already planning our next trip. 
Warning-This post is going to be pretty long so if you aren't a reader you can just skip to the pictures haha 

We were SO excited to go to Zakynthos which was our first destination in Greece. We flew from Paris to Athens, and slept in the airport for a few hours until our departure to Zakynthos. It came time (7:00am) to board the plane to Zakynthos and we were so excited, yet so tired. As we took off Matt & I both dozed off during the flight. We woke up to an announcement saying we were back in Athens because of a horrible storm in Zakynthos. It was so bad the plane was unable to land and we had to turn around! The next flight  was scheduled to leave the next morning IF the storm  cleared up. Considering our options, we made the executive decision that we would take a 6 hour bus ride to the nearest port where we could catch the 2 hour ferry ride so we could be in Zakynthos that night. Off we went...

We made the long, bummpy trek and were sailing up to the Island only to see the biggest blackest cloud hovering directly above the island.  Hmmm.....it was supposed to be beautiful and sunny... By the time we got our rental car it was dark and still stormy rainy.  Luckily, we had a working GPS, or so we thought.

We soon realized the GPS wasn't working and all the stores were closed. If I was alone on this trip, I would of ended up sleeping in the car, cold and terrified.  Thankfully my husband is Mr. Maps and somehow made it to the house we were staying at which was a 45 minute drive along a cliff on an unmarked windy road. It blows my mind how he found it.  There were no street lights and we were staying on the far end of the island. He remembered seeing the map on google maps at home and got us there by memory and pure logic, wow. That was a moment I was especially grateful for him! I was one impressed wife. 
We woke up in the middle of the night to the loudest thunder storm we had ever heard (I'm a heavy sleeper so that says a lot). We were worried we wouldn't be able to enjoy one of our most anticipated stops on the trip. The next morning we woke up to the sun was streaming through our curtains and the brightest sunniest day waiting for us! All the locals we talked to that day said it had been storming the past 3 days and was supposed to continue storming the rest of the week! God is on our side, that's all I have to say. 

We wasted no time and got on a private boat to go to the famous Shipwreck Beach, and the blue caves. Sailing along the Ionian Sea was truly the experience of a lifetime. Me and my love all alone on this perfect little boat in the most beautiful place on the planet (I'm convinced). I was and still am in love with that moment. You could see the ocean floor 60 feet below and follow the cliffs all the way down because of how clear the water was. The different hues of blue were so bright I couldn't believe my eyes. As we pulled into Shipwreck cove, my breath was taken away. The water in the cove was even bluer and clearer! All the little rocks beneath the water were chalk white so everything underneath was visible and it made the water fluorescent turquoise. We pulled onto an empty shore and got off to be the only ones on the whole beach! We had it all to ourselves for a whole 15 minutes before another boat with 200 passengers invaded our beach ;) There were little tiny fish that were all over, and the water was so warm. 
Next we went to Athens, which was a must. We went to the Acropolis, the Temple of Zeus and Mars Hill where Paul gave his famous sermon! The Acropolis was a really pretty sight especially at night when it was lit up, towering high above the city! While eating lunch, an older couple from San Francisco heard our accents and asked us where we were from. We quickly became friends and a 5 minute conversation turned into 2 hours before we realized it! We love making travel friends everywhere we go! One of the major highlights of Athens was Artemis Patisserie, which sold the most amazing baklava. They even had chocolate baklava! We were head over heels for it haha. Other than the touristy parts of the city, Athens was very dirty and run down. We were excited for the next destination on our list!

I have dreamt about going to Santorini since I saw a picture of it a few years ago on pinterest. I was so antsy to get off the boat and start exploring one of the most beautiful islands I have ever heard of. We went straight to our resort which was on a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean sea. Amenities included an infinity pool, spa, gym, and great food. Usually when planning our trips we decide on a few things or places we want to splurge on and on this trip Santorini was one of them. We constantly had a gorgeous view of the Agean Sea and it never got old. 
The one thing we didn't like about Santorini was all the stairs...  We were constantly walking up and down stairs the whole time we were there.  This did give us a great excuse to eat baklava whenever we had the chance though...haha. There were little shops everywhere selling all kinds of original souvenirs.  Tourism is what keeps those people a float so we made sure to buy some things to keep their economy going! My expectations were exceeded and I was blown away by Santorini. It is known to be the most picturesque Island of them all and it definitely did not disappoint.  The food was great and the people were SO friendly and kind. Oia is at the far west end of the Island and is what most people think of when they hear Santorini. 
Imerovigli was another charming city on the island. Santorini is famous for its sunsets and the island is so pretty an night when the little streets and homes are all lit up against the sun setting sky. 
We also went to both red and black sand beaches while on the island! It was so strange to see black and red sand... We are so used to white sand!  We were sad to leave Santorini, we could have spent a lot more time there. 

Our final destination on our trip was Mykonos which is also known as the party island of Greece.  Fortunately, we got there at the end of the season so we missed all the crazy parties and nightlife.  When you think of the white and grey streets with the red and blue staircases in Greece, you're thinking of Mykonos. There are windy white streets and every door is red, blue, or turquoise. The classic Greek staggered white cave homes, with blue fences and trim, complete with bright pink flowers everywhere!  It is so quaint and very iconic. Mykonos is most famous for the Greek windmills and with the sunset as the back drop...your jaw will drop! Another famous spot on the island was little venice which was also breathtaking especially against a beautiful sunset.  SO gorgeous!  We wandered the streets for hours and got lost a few times but loved every minute. We were sad to leave but after 3 weeks of being in Europe you start remembering all the responsibilities you have and get antsy to come back home. 
This was our absolute favorite trip yet!  The things we saw, the people we met, and the experiences we had will be imprinted on our minds forever. I am so thankful for my husbands hard work that allows us to go on amazing trips like this. I feel so extremely blessed to share such remarkable experiences with my ultimate best friend by my side. No matter where you go the most important thing is who you're with, and I wouldn't rather be with anyone but him! 

The face I get when I tell him to stop eating so I can take a picture..haha.

You would think their economy would be thriving...

Typical neighborhood, can you even handle this?!?!?!

SO dreamy!!

Everywhere in Greece. 

Oh hello adorable street, I love you. 

Couldn't be happier.

My sexy man.

<33

The sun was a little bright if you can't tell...

Sunset in Mykonos. 

SERIOUSly loving this place. 

There were a few moments Matt & I would just stare and couldn't formulate words to express how amazing Santorini was.

Eyyyyyyeee eyyee mattey.

Santorini

Santorini

I'm sorry but this never gets old.

We <3 windmills 

BLACK sand

Champion rock skipper. 

It's just so black!

Santorini, can you even believe this...

Zakynthos!

On top of Mars hill!

The Acropolis.

YES

Are you kidding me?!

LOL.

Life can't get better than this.

Yes pleaseeee.

And another just because...WOW.

:) stoked about life.

Sadly leaving one of our favorite places on the planet. 

Blue Caves here we come. 

In awe, can't even comprehend....

All smiles, all day.

Just hanging with my best friend in the blue caves. 

He doesn't know he does it then he sees pictures and says what the heck, why am I sticking my tongue out..hahaha cutie. 

Famous Santorini picture.

Always squeezing him so tight!

What a cold hand on your back will do to you...lol.

RED sand beach!

Can we all just look at Matt's hair right now LOL. 

Yeah...I don't know how much cooler it can get.

Our attempt at jumping in at the same time.

LOVE Mykonos! 

Just too much cuteness, had to take a picture of this street, plus a thousand others. 

I was wondering how they kept it so white!

Holy moly.

Doors...

Love this hubby of mine. 

TURTLE ISLAND

Pit check? I have no clue...haha.

AH! So beautiful!

Shipwreck <3

Shopping in Mykonos.

Famous Santorini picture.

Little Venice!

Dare devil! 

YUM!

This is the life. 

Life on a cliff.

I spy...

Private beach in Mykonos.

The life.

Yes.

Another beach!

Admiring this beauty. 

What the boat ride really looked like.

Pulling up to a little heaven on earth. 

NO FILTER seriously wow.

Finally here!

From the top!

One of the scariest pictures to take! Not even close to the edge and still freaking out. 

Greek flag!

Pure bliss.

Our little jet.

Welcome to Greece.

The view from our room in Zakynthos.

Closer up of our view from our room.

Olive orchards everywhere!

Cute family owned and run diner.

So much wildlife! 

Greek salad obsessed.

Chocolate baklava..YUM.

Our welcome champagne. 

What we really did with it...lol.

On our way to Oia! 

iPhone picture. Yeah...

Step outside the door, and take it all in.

Not a bad way to eat breakfast. 

What we really got from the all you can eat buffet, haha.

Rough life. 

Crusin in the jeep we had in Mykonos!

Sunset card game on the patio because why not?!

I was so excited to try the hummus in Greece, we had to search high and low to find a restaurant that even MADE it! Then when we finally did find one, it was nasty...Ali Baba's in Newbury Park does it way better. Just for the record. 

Watch out, these are his stomping grounds. 

About to take the plunge!

whew! 

Whaaaaa?!

Pumped on life.

Can't stop smiling. 

You know when you're so happy you can't wipe the smile off your face?! Yeah I do too. To say the least we had an incredible time on this dream vacation and felt so blessed even through all the mishaps! Sometimes you just have to be thankful for the things that go "wrong" or not according to the plan because you never know what you may of avoided and been protected from. We have a love for traveling and the more we do it the more we want to do it!!! We feel in love with the places, the food, the people and everything in between. We will return one day, and have nothing but good things to say! Thanks for reading, I hope you all enjoyed reading about our favorite adventure yet! 

LOVE, The Richardson's