Though tourists now flock to this marvelous city in droves, it’s currently ranked 11th on the list of most visited cities in the world (according to Forbes), this was not always the case. It is also currently the 5th most visited city in Europe (according to Conde Nast Readers’ Choice Award for 2014). The city was not really viewed as a destination until after it hosted the Olympics in 1992. Prior to the ’92 Olympics Barcelona was very different from what it is now. For one thing, there were no beaches in Barcelona, however, once they secured the games, they began working in earnest to transform their city from a mostly industrial backwater into the sun, sand and sangria destination it is today. The city spent over $11 billion dollars to not only construct the many sporting venues, stadiums, and accommodations for the athletes, but to add much needed infrastructure and green spaces and beaches. They demolished the industrial waterfront, added a modern marina and imported enough sand from Egypt to create a 2 mile long beach (they continue to import sand from Egypt every year in order to maintain the beaches). Interestingly enough, the sand was not the only thing they imported. We discovered on our tour of the city that even their palm trees were imported, since palm trees are not native to the area, and that the bulk of their palm trees were imported from as far away as Miami.
You can bet that I was stoked to be in this fabulous place and despite feeling like death warmed over, I couldn’t wait to get out and explore.
We arrived at our hostel, Holidaysbcn Hostel around 11am. Since I had been ill the entire morning, all I wanted to do was get some sleep and recover as soon as possible. After a very long nap, I was feeling well enough to venture out and grab a small meal of paella and sangria. Before leaving our hostel, we had checked out nearby restaurants on Yelp and though there weren’t really any near us, we did notice that Yelp was hosting an event that evening and that all were invited. We made our way to the event, and it just so happened that we arrived in Barcelona during their Dias De Gracias street festival and the Yelp event we attended was in conjunction with the festival.
Scenes from Dias de Gracias 2015 – Barcelona
This festival is something else. As we meandered through the small streets of the neighbourhood we couldn’t help but marvel at the impressive decorations and installations throughout. Each installation was based on a specific theme and the themes were as varied as they were vibrant; The 4 Seasons, Moulin Rouge, Japanese Garden and Amusement Park to name a few. We saw belly dancers, musical performances and a whole lot more. There were countless food stands selling mouthwatering dishes. As we sat down by one of the fountains sipping our 1€ draft beers eating porchetta sandwiches we could hardly believe our luck at happening upon this wonderful festival. Our first night in Barcelona and we were in food and drink heaven. After drinking our fill of beer and gorging on food we made our way through the crowds and back to our hostel for the night.
The next morning, we were up bright and early’ish – okay we rolled out of bed at 10am – we’re on vacation, don’t judge us! We made our way to the Gothic Quarter for the free walking tour. There are several companies offering walking tours, including Sandeman, however, we chose the tour offered by Travel Bar because they were rated number one on TripAdvisor. Our guide, Chrissy, a transplant from Athens who visited Barcelona 4 years ago who fell in love with the city and never looked back, would walk us through the Gothic quarter for the next 2 1/2 hours. We learned quite a bit about Barcelona’s history, legends and lore. Once the tour was over she even sat with us for a drink and gave us some pointers on additional things to see and do during our stay.
A few pics from the Barrio Gothic, Barcelona
One of the tours she mentioned was the Paella cooking experience, an evening tour lead by a trained chef who would guide us through the famous Boqueria Merkat St. Josef where we would purchase all things required for a traditional Spanish meal of pinxtos, paella and sangria. Did someone say Sangria? I’m in!!
Fernando, our chef kicked off the tour by taking us to the Merkat St. Josef to select some of the ingredients (fresh seafood) required for our cooking class later that evening. The tour of the market was brief, but informative as he provided us with tips on selecting the best seafood for making paella.We then made our way to the cooking school where we would be making that evening’s dinner. Once we arrived at the school, we were greeted by the staff and immediately fed plates of iberico ham and cheeses and all of the ingredients needed to assemble some tasty pinxtos, which Fernando instructed us on. Did I mention the Sangria? So much Sangria and it was delicious.
Pinxtos, Paella and Sangria cooking experience
Touring the Boqueria St. Josef in advance of our cooking experience
After eating some pinxtos and drinking Sangria we were then brought to the kitchen area and walked through the process of cleaning the various seafoods, prepping the vegetables and cooking the paella…more Sangria was served, while we were all taught how to make Sangria…hell ya!
Once the paella was ready, we all received a very healthy serving – enough for seconds if you wanted it, along with more pinxtos and, of course, Sangria.
Following dinner, the staff collected our plates and served us more…Sangria!
Overall, a great night. We learned to cook a traditional Spanish meal complete with pinxtos, ate some delicious food all while sipping Sangria and making new friends.
Also, I should mention the price, it was 28 euros and well worth it. We’ve spent double that on meals with one pitcher of sangria! Cannot recommend this activity enough, Fernando and his team were amazing!
The next day, we joined another free walking tour, this one focusing on photography. To be completely honest, I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was. Our guide Andre spoke to us about the history of photography and taught us some of the basics of photo composition, lighting, and searching for the story in your photos. He showed us some easy ways to raise our picture taking to another level, beyond the usual ‘snapshot’ if you will. The tour lasted a little over 2 hours and it was excellent.
Practicing using my new photography skills during the photography tour in Barcelona…I think I’m getting better 🙂
The thing I loved most about Barcelona, and there were many, trust me, was pinxtos. I am obsessed with food so walking into a pinxtos and tapas bar was absolute heaven for me. The endless options, the interesting flavour combinations and all the bite sized portions you can shake a stick at had me grinning from ear to ear every single time we were out and about. A couple of my personal favourites spots to grab pinxtos and tapas were Orio and Lia d’en Vicius. They were lovely spots, with delicious offerings at reasonable prices.
Orio’s pinxtos selection, hundreds of delicious bite sized delights.
Lia d’en Vicius’ sangria and pinxtos offerings…one of our favourite meals in Barcelona.
Barcelona has so many wonderful things going for it, the nightlife, the wines, the food, the beautiful public spaces, Gaudi’s influences everywhere, its beaches, its cobblestone streets and most of all its people – all of which make me want to come back and explore many times over. I will be back, you can count on it!
We begrudgingly crawled out of bed on our final morning in Barcelona and made our way to the train station. Next stop, Valencia.
While in Valencia, we stayed at an airbnb property. The apartment itself was spacious and well appointed. We had our own rooms, a large bathroom with a normal sized shower and a modern kitchen. Yay!
You’d think we’d died and gone to heaven, however a couple of hours into our stay and the apartment started to smell like something had literally died in there! Ground zero for the smell seemed to be an old, rather imposing cabinet in the dining room. The smell can best be described as roach bomb meets garbage truck. So, though our surroundings were beautiful and appeared luxurious, the noxious smell rendered us blind to all of it. The smell became all consuming robbing us of our appetites and even our sleep. We tried everything to get rid of the stench from room deodorizers to bowls of vinegar. NOTHING WORKED.
When Emma contacted the owner to let her know about the order the owner’s response was ‘it smells bad, but it’s not offensive.’ Um…Dude, we think this cabinet is literally killing us, that’s how bad the smell is! Emma dared open one of the drawers to this thing and released an odour so foul it could have only come from the 7th circle of hell. This malodorous buffet was in fact a portal to satan’s realm. I imagined that this is what demon farts must smell like. That stench will haunt my dreams.
Needless to say, we spent as little time there as possible. Returning only to sleep in the evenings.
The city itself is beautiful, with many lush parks and green spaces. Also very walkable.
We didn’t bother with the free walking tour in Valencia, since the free walking tour is only offered on certain days of the week, none of which coincided with our visit.
We knew we wanted to check out the Central Market and Oceanografic – the Santiago Calatrava designed Aquarium.
Valencia’s Central Market is absolutely beautiful!
The central market did not disappoint, I actually preferred it to Barcelona’s Bocario St. Josef. The building that houses the Central Market is massive while its high ceilings and stained glass panes give it an airy feel. There were many people visiting the market, but it never felt crowded because of the way the place is laid out. We tried many cheese and jamon samples that day my friend.
One of the unexpected surprises of Valencia was its many colourful murals. The street art in this city is spectacular, vibrant and highly imaginative. We wandered through many tiny streets discovering some stunning works along the way.
A sampling of some of the amazing and imaginative street art in Valencia
Oceanografic is a must when in Seville. Not just because it’s a fantastic aquarium and extremely well designed, but because it’s part of the larger Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias complex, designed by Santiago Calatrava. This place is stunning. We marvelled at the buildings for a good hour before even setting foot in any of them. The views, the angles, the creativity – all breathtaking. This place was designed by an artist and a dreamer.
Absolutely stunning architecture by Santiago Calatrava
After two days of kicking around Valencia it was up bright and early for the bus ride to Bunol for La Tomatina! What is La Tomatina? Well, it’s only the world’s largest food fight! For 70 years people have been making the yearly pilgrimage to this tiny town in the hills of Spain to throw over 140 tons of tomatoes at anyone crazy enough to take part!
Now, in case you’re wondering, yes there are actual rules to a tomato fight. You have to squash the tomato before launching it at someone so that the blows ‘don’t hurt as much’. You are allowed to throw tomatoes at anyone who is looking at you, not looking at you, standing, sitting, lying down or just within throwing distance. The fight starts as soon as someone retrieves a large ham from the top of a greased pole in the town square at which time the cannon is fired announcing the start of the fight. Once the cannon has been fired the tomatoes begin flying in earnest. The fight ends when the second cannon sounds an hour later.
There were 20,000 of us crammed into this tiny street stomping and throwing tomatoes, ankle deep in tomato guts. The streets running red with a soupy, smelly tomato mess. There was no escape. It was amazing and so much fun! We emerged an hour later exhausted from the fight, bits of tomato in places we’d never imagined. Our hair and clothes caked in this layer of pulp and seeds. It took no less than 4 street showers (basically hosed down by the locals who line the sidewalks) and 2 litres each of sangria before we felt half way human again.
Emma and I at La Tomatina! Photo credit Emma Peachey
Once we got back to our apartment in Valencia we showered again, this time finally able to wash the rest of that stinky red pulp off. The clothes we wore however, were not salvageable. It was two days later and I was still finding tomato bits in my ear!
While La Tomatina had provided us an unforgettable life experience, it also gave us something else completely unexpected – a rash! We woke up the next morning covered in hives, apparently from the acid of the tomatoes – a slight allergic reaction and completely normal apparently. Nothing a little Claritin couldn’t fix.
You will notice that I haven’t really mentioned anything about the food in Valencia, other than our trip to the market and sadly that’s because we didn’t really find the food scene in Valencia to be all that amazing. If I’m being completely honest, it was more than a bit disappointing. The meals we had were ‘meh’ and certainly not on par with our other food experiences in Barcelona and meals I’d enjoyed while visiting Madrid on a previous trip.
On our final day in Valencia, we headed to the beach to recuperate from our tomato battle and work on our tans. The beach was outside of the city and quite beautiful. We lay in the sun that afternoon sipping beer and reminiscing on our food fight to end all food fights.
Emma and I arrived in Greece over a week ago and we’ve been busy! We started in Syros, then off to Mykonos, Paros, and Ios…as we wait for our ferry to Santorini, I thought I’d update you on what we’ve been up to. By the way, EVERY island sells post cards with their name followed by “The Best Island” caption. I thought I would assign categories to each of the islands we visited, in keeping with “The Best Island” theme. You will notice that not a single island received a Best Island for WiFi access…it’s basically shit and in some places mega shit, that’s why it’s taken me so long to get this post up…just sayin’.
Syros – “The Best Island” for lazing around in the sun:
The beach located directly across the street from our hotel
Arrived in Syros, our first stop in Greece, after over 12 hours of flights, waits, ferries and buses and it was so worth it.
Now there is one thing I want to mention as I feel I would be remiss in not bringing this to your attention. Traveling for any amount of time on a ferry or bus in Europe in the middle of summer is NOT glamorous, like at all. Every travel day we leave our hotel freshly showered in clean clothes and our spirits filled with hope that today’s travel experience will be different. It NEVER is. Every travel leg, be it on a plane, a bus, or a ferry it ways ends the same way. Emma and I sweaty and stinking, reduced to puddles and wanting nothing more than a shower and fresh clothes. Some days the trip is short and the shower and bathroom are clean and fresh towels are waiting while other days you end up sitting naked on a stool in a 3×3 foot stall that smells like it hasn’t seen the end of a cleaning brush in decades just praying that your skin doesn’t accidentally brush up against the wall or shower curtain while you attempt to wash the dirt away. Lucky for us, since arriving in Greece we’ve had nothing but clean bathrooms and functioning showers, which makes me fear for what awaits. We’ve been a little too lucky over the last few days. It has me worried.
I’m not sure if it was the combination of the airport bathroom incident, the middle of the night flight, 3am arrival at Athens airport, the 1 hour bus ride to Piraeus port (the man drove like a ‘goddamn animal’, seriously luggage and people were jostled about the bus like balls in a lottery machine), the seemingly innocent glass enclosure on the ferry to Spyros – just a giant easy bake oven for us to slow roast in – but by the time we got to the island my feet were swollen to twice their normal size.
I spent the first night lying on the bed with my legs above my head against the wall to drain the blood from my feet. It was surprisingly comfortable. Who knew that sleeping in an L-shape could be so restful? I awoke the next morning to normal size feet – yay!
Enjoying a beer while watching our first sunset in SyrosFirst sunset in Syros, Greece. This picture does not do it justice.
The next morning, Emma and I got right down to business, and by business I mean eating breakfast then finding wine and a spot on the beach conveniently located directly across the street from our hotel.
We spent the entire day lying on the sand and taking the occasional dip in the sea. The waters were crystal clear in the morning, however, by mid afternoon we noticed something was off. This idyllic setting was no longer. The first thing Emma pointed out was a dead frog floating in the water, upon closer inspection, we quickly realized that it was no dead frog. It was something much, much worse. To our horror, the thing floating toward us in the water was in fact a discarded tampon. As we quickly tried to create as much distance between us and the NOT A DEAD FROG, we then spotted more trash floating in the water – ice cream cone wrappers, a panty liner, plastic bottles, etc. It was as though someone threw a bag of trash into the water. Our spot on the beach, which had been so beautiful earlier had almost instantaneously been transformed into a scene from some post-apocalyptic movie where the seas are filled with trash. Yuck!
(We were told later that afternoon that someone had cleaned things up. Apparently, a passing boat had carelessly dumped their trash into the water…who does that?! Anyway, there is a group of volunteers in Galissas who take care of the beach and do their best to keep it clean. The mess was cleaned up rather quickly.)
Picturesque Galissas, Syros Greece
Needless to say, we left the beach and retreated to our hotel across the street. While in Galissas we stayed at Maistrali Hotel, a small family run property. Our room cost us 90€ for 3 nights and it was a great value. Located directly across from the beach, small balcony at the back and breakfast buffet every morning for an additional 5€. The bathroom was good but the beds were really hard, as in one step above sleeping on a concrete slab. We were in room 1 which was right next to the reception desk. It was ok most of the time, however, the owner who often sat at reception behaved like a petulant child most days – shouting at guests and locals, annoyingly ringing the service bell whenever he wanted the staff to bring him something (most likely a drink because he appeared to be soused most of the time). He was also really flirty – offering to have me run away with him to the Maldives – What?! He was so loud that one couple switched rooms in hopes that it would quieter, didn’t work. There really was no escape.
Our quaint little hotel in Galissas. Maistrali is a family owned hotel, with great rooms and a very good price.
Galissas is a really quaint little town. There really isn’t a lot to do there, but that was kind of the point. After the hustle and bustle of Prague, the change of pace was most welcome.
The town is mostly a tourist stop and appears to exist for that reason alone. The shops clearly cater to tourists selling all manner of souvenirs, postcards, beach towels and sunscreen. The restaurants all face the beach so you can take in the full magnificence of the sunsets on this island, and trust me, they are spectacular. The menus feature Greek food with some burgers and chicken nuggets thrown in for the less adventurous eaters.
While on Syros, we took a bus from Galissas to Megas Gialos a nearby beach town. Again, super small and quiet, but the beach was beautiful and CLEAN! We had lunch and a beer (of course) while overlooking the beach. The bus ride was about 15 minutes and the fare was 1.90€ each way. Well worth it.
Megas Galios, Syros, GreeceChef’s salad and a beer – just a light lunch given that we’re in our bikinis and on the beachDakos and beer, my light lunch…quite tasty.
We spent every evening either drinking beer or wine and toasting the sunsets. On our last night in Galissas we climbed to the peak of the large hill overlooking the bay. At the top of this hill is a tiny white church and one of the most amazing views of the town below and the sun as it sets behind a nearby island. If you happen to glance to the left of the hill you will notice a tiny beach located in a small cove. The water looked so inviting and we may have considered checking it out the next day were it not for the colony of nude campers who had overtaken that tiny beach.
Cove beach as seen from the top of the hillPicnicking at the top of the hill – a girl needs to eat after a long hikeSunset as seen from the top of the hill in GalissasThe church on the hilltop after sunset
As we made our way back down the hill toward our hotel we couldn’t help but marvel at how serene the town below was.
Mykonos – “The Best Island” for people watching:
Arriving in Mykonos Town
We boarded the ferry to Mykonos late morning and arrived at the port little more than an hour later. As we searched for our hotel transfer van, to no avail, I double checked our reservation confirmation email and discovered that we had arrived a day early! No wonder they weren’t there to pick us up. As soon as we realized the droid, we set about finding accommodations for the night. Emma quickly found us a private room at the Paraga Beach Hostel next to Paradise Beach for only 15€ a night each! Problem solved. If you ever arrive at one of he ports without lodging, do not fear. There are always people there with offers of rooms to let – even in high season. Don’t be afraid to negotiate and you can get some pretty good deals, depending on where you are of course. Mykonos and Santorini shamelessly survive on tourism and there are very few deals to be found.
Paraga Beach Hostel, Mykonos Greece
We arrived at Paraga Beach Hostel and it was awesome, well the pool and restaurant area was. The pool was surrounded by beach loungers and beautiful people. The DJ added to the overall Cafe del mar feel of the place. We were walked by the pool and brought to our room and that is when the fantasy ended and the reality hit us. We would not be sleeping in a room, oh no, we were camping that night my friends. We were sleeping in a tent. No A/C, one light and a screen panel for a window. With military style cots for beds. No wifi either so no distraction from the environment whatsoever. We quickly changed into our bikinis and made our way to the restaurant/pool area and ordered the mixed grill plate for two – we were famished after all. The grill plate was the best idea we’d had all week it was piled high with chicken, sausage, meat balls, pork chops and fries and it was DELICIOUS! After devouring the meat plate, we ordered a couple of beers and settled in poolside. Seriously, there is no better time to show off your bikini body than after you’ve eaten your weight in grilled sausages and french fries. Am I right?
How do you think I keep this bikini body…I just eat this!
After two beers worth of sun baking and quick dips in the pool we left the pool and walked over to Paradise Beach next door. The last time I was there was five years ago and a lot has changed. There are more bars and lounge chairs. Every bar is competing for your attention and your dollars. We settled in front of the Guapaloca bar to watch the Brazilian dancers. The host was entertaining and they were giving away free shots…so sure why not! We spent the rest of the day and most of the evening at Paradise Beach sipping beer, various cocktails and a bottle of rose. We ended up dancing the rest of the night away – the DJ was really good – playing everything from rap to hip hop to dance. We sang along and jumped around like idiots. It was awesome!
Overlooking the beach at Paraga Beach Hostel
That night as we made our way back to our tent, we toyed with the idea of sleeping on one of the couches outside the club rather than return to the sweat lodge we were booked in. We went back to our ‘room’ turned on the useless fan and tried to sleep. It was almost impossible to do so. Our cots, despite being elevated about a foot still had us feeling like we were sleeping on the hard ground. How did they manage to do that?! Add to this the fact that the place was a party hostel and there was zero sleep to be had. At one point I swear I heard some guy bust out his ukulele to serenade a group of backpackers in the tent next to us.
After our sleepless night, we hopped aboard the free shuttle to the port to meet the shuttle to the hotel we were booked at for that night. The owner of Maki’s Place greeted us at the shuttle and quickly whisked us away to the hotel which happened to be almost directly across the street from the port. His father, a bit of a curmudgeon, checked us in, all the while letting us know that we got a really good deal in the room (90€ it would normally be 150€) and that one night stays were pretty much the bane of his existence. Ok, we get it – we got a deal. Thanks for letting us know. Once checked in, we made our way to our room and it was adorable! The beds were hard as concrete – again. I began to wonder if concrete slabs as beds were a thing in Greece.
The pool at Maki’s Place was unbelievable…so deep touching the bottom was a struggle.
The beds may have been hard as rocks, but everything else was perfect. The pool was located just outside our room. It was clean and deep and beyond refreshing. After checking in and exploring the hotel, we changed out of our stinking and sweaty clothes and hopped in the sea bus to the old port in Mykonos Town. The sea bus cost 2€ and offered great views of the island as we made our way there.
Sightseeing and photo snapping in Mykonos
Once in Mykonos Town we stopped in a few shops bought some bathing suits we didn’t need, some Havaianas we didn’t need and some food and wine that we definitely did need! We walked through the small winding streets popping in and out of shops and snapping pictures of streetscapes and cats along the way.
Little Venice, Mykonos, Greece
I really wanted Emma to see Mykonos from the top of the hill and convinced her to climb the stairs to one of the vantage points above the town. It was so worth it! After having our fill of stairs and picture taking we headed back to our hotel for a swim, cocktails and dinner. Our last night on Mykonos was pretty unadventurous but it ended with dinner and wine on a deck overlooking the water so not bad at all.
Panorama from the top of Mykonos…well worth the climb
The next morning we checked out of our room and the curmudgeon who’d checked us in the day before had transformed into a funny and personable guy, I guess the people checking in that day had paid full price and were staying for multiple nights. Good for him, I ain’t mad at him. 🙂
Paros – “The Best Island” for shopping:
We arrived in Paros by ferry 2 days ago, hot, sweaty, stinky puddles – formerly human, now feral – and in desperate need of a shower and clean clothes. So our usual state, basically. The Stella Hotel where we are staying is the best place we’ve stayed at so far and at 89€ for 2 nights, it’s a bloody steal! We have a balcony overlooking the sea, a bathroom with a full on stand up shower and ACTUAL MATTRESSES ON THE BEDS. They have springs and everything!
Our first day in Paros we explored the town a little, had lunch on the water – we ordered a mixed plate of appetizers and it was perfect. Various Greek dips and octopus salad with beer, of course. After lunch we stopped by the supermarket to pick up some food stuff like meats, cheeses, tomatoes, grapes and some canned stuffed grape leaves, just in case we were peckish later. Oh and we also bought a 1.5L bottle of wine for bargain price of €2.30. C’mon you know you were wondering! 🙂
Beers on the water, first thing we did in Paros – Shocking!Mixed Greek appetizer platter, with hummus, fava, spicy eggplant, spicy cheese, octopus saladFried Haloumi, Emma’s favourite!
When we got back to the hotel we napped for a bit then snacked on the stuff we bought earlier as we watched the sun set from our terrace. After polishing off half the salami and tomatoes, along with the entire bottle of wine (to be fair this was over a period of several hours) we showered, dressed and then hit the town. It may be a small place, but they have a great bar scene.
We stopped at Entropy, it was rated as the #1 attraction on the island, according to TripAdvisor.
It was pretty easy to find, thanks to my phone GPS. We walked in and there were all of 7 people in the bar, including the owners and the bartender. The first thing i noticed was the haze of cigarette smoke that filled the air. There were two young guys playing beer pong while the other patrons watched and cheered them on. We checked out the cocktail menu, and ordered a drink. Emma had the Wrong Island Ice Tea and I had the Tangerine Dream. They were both ok. We had high expectations for this place, given its high rating on TripAdvisor and I have to say we were disappointed. The owners were friendly and we chatted with them while we finished our drinks, but had zero desire to stick around – my eyes were watering and I felt like every breath was a direct drag off of someone’s ciggy, so we left as soon as we were done our drinks.
We walked around the neighbourhood and discovered this really cool, tiny bar on one of the rooftops over looking the waterfront. The place was packed with people of all ages and the music was pretty good, a very relaxed vibe. We ordered proscecco and settled in at one of the tiny tables to people watch for a bit.
After our proscecco, we walked along the water back to our hotel.
Of note, there are a lot of great shops in Paros and they’re open until quite late, around midnight. You can find pretty much anything you’re looking for and at a reasonable price.
The next morning, we were up early to grab breakfast, shop and then hop the ferry to Antiparos where we would visit the caves and relax at Soros Beach.
The winds were high that day my friends and the sea angry. The ferry ride felt like a roller coaster ride. The ferry chugged along the water as large waves crashed up against it in all directions, tossing us from side to side. There were several occasions during the ride where the passengers screamed – in delight or fear – probably about 50/50. One poor girl came and sat outside at the back of the ferry next to us, seasick.
View from the ferry as we crossed over to AntiparosScene from our ferry crossing to Antiparos
Now the ferry ride normally takes about 10-15 minutes, but it took over 30 minutes that morning. 30 minutes of nausea inducing waves, bobs and rolls. We were very happy to have survived the crossing without puking over the side of the boat.
As soon as we arrived at the port we hopped the bus to the caves and Soros beach (6€ return fare).
I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting much, but they were pretty amazing. The descent (411 steps) into the bottom of the caves was easy and the view was awesome. The caves are comprised of 3 chambers with a total depth of 100m. The entire cave visit took about an hour and I snapped a ton of pictures.
Entrance to St. John’s Caves, AntiparosInside the cave, absolutely breathtaking
Next we were off to Soros beach. The beach itself is not very large and the place was packed. The beach loungers are available to rent for the day for 30€, so fuck that! We’re laying on the sand! We opted to find a spot on the beach next to a tree – I mean, under a shrub – which offered a nice beach view and some shade. Sounds ideal right? Well, in theory yes, but the ‘free’ shelter was very crowded and though we did manage finding a spot, the view wasn’t so great. Yes, I was in the shade next to the beach but every time I looked up all I could see was some guy’s ‘plumber’s butt’. Manscaping hasn’t really caught on in Greece.
The 30 euros/day loungers and the shrub we took shelter under.
Despite the view challenges, we did enjoy the beach day. The water was crystal clear and so refreshing. I was sad to leave, but I knew there were many more beach days ahead of us.
The ferry back across was much smoother than our trip over earlier in the day.
Later that night, we had dinner on the water – like literally on the water – the waves were lapping against the table legs while we enjoyed grilled fish and chicken. It was a clear night and the lights of the island dotted the surrounding hillsides while the silhouettes of the boats in the harbour bobbed in the water in front of our table. It was a perfect final night in Paros.
Thank you all so much for the great feedback and questions I’ve received on the Prague blog post.
In order to answer your questions I thought it might be a good idea add an additional blog post on Prague and cover everything.
Some of you were interested in whether or not food and accommodations were reasonably priced and the answer is an unequivocal YES!
Our tour guide, Callum gave us the low-down on where to eat and what we should expect to pay. He referred to it as ‘The Callum Index’ (TCI) and we followed it to the letter.
The average cost of a 0.5L of draught beer in Prague is anywhere between 25-60 CZK and $1CDN=~19CZK so between $1.25-$3 each. Now, this is an average and if you’re eating and drinking in the ‘touristy’ areas of Prague (anywhere near the Old Town Square, The Charles Bridge, or the Castle) the prices will be in the upper range of that average. Now, according to the TCI no self-respecting Czech will pay more than 35CZK for a beer, so if you’re drinking at a place that charges more than that you’re in a tourist trap my friend. Additionally, a plate of traditional Czech Gulash should not cost you more than 159-189CZK and if it’s priced higher than that – again, tourist trap.
Emma and I had budgeted approximately $65 dollars or ~1200CZK a day for food, drink, excursions and transportation and we always had money left over. We didn’t skip meals and ate and drank a LOT! You’re best to ask where the locals eat if you’re looking for authentic food and good value. Our favourite spot was Krcma, just on the cusp of the touristy area near the Old Town Square. We both had appetizer, entrees and beer and it only cost us about $15/each. The portions were enormous and the food was delicious.
As for our accommodations, we stayed in a pretty dodgy place, at a cost of about $19/night each but the city has many really nice and reasonably priced hotel rooms. We’re just cheap. For $100-$120/night you can expect to find a pretty decent room.
Prague is a photographer’s dream there are so many sights, interesting characters and super cool pockets of the city to discover. The city is very safe so I would encourage to grab your camera and explore. We wandered around the winding streets day and night and discovered so many interesting buildings, statues, art installations and people, all of which increased this city’s cool factor a hundredfold. I snapped more pics in Prague then anywhere else so far and I can’t wait to get home and print some of them!
Now, what would my post be without another little story about Prague. The Czechs appear to be huge fans of ‘defenestrations’ (throwing people or things out of windows). There were two defenestrations in Prague of huge historical significance and impact.
The first happened on July 30, 1419 when a group of radical Hussite followers killed 7 members of their city council by storming the town hall and throwing them out of a window. This eventually led the Hussite wars.
The second defenestration took place in 1618 and it led to the Thirty Years war.
There were many subsequent defenestrations in Prague including the 1948 defenestration of Jan Masaryk, then Minister of Foreign Affairs.
So be warned, if you get into an argument with someone while in Prague, make sure you’re on the ground floor!
Alrighty, best buckle up and settle in…this is gonna take a while, because Prague kinda blew our minds and I have a lot to share with you.
View of the city from the Royal Palace district
I’ve not visited a city with this much character, history and allure in quite a while. To be honest, I’ve never visited a city like this one – period. I absolutely loved everything about it. If you’re looking to visit a place with a rich and storied history, a crazy nightlife, an impressive arts and culture scene, and a place filled with more interesting characters than you can shake a stick at…then Prague is for you my friend!
One of many incredible art installations in Prague
We arrived in Prague in the early evening and took the bus from the airport into the town centre. Our bus stop was conveniently located near our accommodations, the ATS Hotel Jednota. While it at first appeared to be located in a pretty dodgy neighbourhood, this turned out to not be the case. It’s about a 10 minute walk to the Old Town Square and a 5 minute walk from the main train and metro station in Prague. Now, the park surrounding the metro station can be super skeezy, the dodgy looking individuals who ‘live’ there pretty much keep to themselves. It turns out that Prague is a very safe city and people generally don’t bother you. As our tour guide explained, the Czech people are not the type to quarrel in public or get into dust ups…the tourists do a good enough job of that on their own. If you do happen to witness a ‘fight’ in Prague, it’s likely to be a bunch of guys in the city for a stag do fighting with each other. However, they do have an issue with pickpockets, and money exchange scams on the streets in the Old Town Square, so just be wary. Emma and I never felt unsafe, even walking back to our hotel at 3am.
Speaking of our hotel, the building itself was completely lacking in any character, architecture, style, personality or any quality that would make it even remotely interesting. It can best be described as having the look and feel of an abandoned insane asylum, or even possibly a communism-era prison facility. Our room (or cell/hospital ward) was private, however we did have to use the communal showers and ‘kitchen’. The ‘kitchen’ had a sink, a stove, some cupboards and NO FRIDGE. It was also lacking in the one thing you would definitely need in a kitchen…cooking implements. There were no pots, pans, dishes, cutlery of any kind. So, even though it technically did have a ‘kitchen’, it most certainly wasn’t a useful one. Oh, and did I mention that the ‘kitchen’ was located in the communal showers? Our room was located directly across the hallway from the communal shower/washroom/kitchen so it does get a point for convenience, however it’s pretty much all downhill from there. The room did have high ceilings, and a large window that opened to the courtyard (not much of a courtyard, basically a view of the roofs below and the hotel’s guest terrace). We each had a twin bed (not really a bed, more of a deconstructed sofa type piece of furniture with a fabric covered piece of foam stapled to the base), a cupboard for our clothes and a desk. My bed was lopsided in that the frame had a 15 degree angle which caused the ‘mattress’ to tilt to one side, so every night when I lay in bed I felt like I had some strange case of vertigo, perpetually titled toward the floor. Just odd. In case you’re wondering – no A/C (normally not an issue in Prague, however, we did arrive in the midst of a heat wave where the temperatures hovered in the high 30s, and NO WIFI. They did advertise that they had wifi, but that was a lie, a bald faced, dirty lie! Sure, there was spotty wifi in the reception area, but if more than 2 people were logged on, forget about it.
After we checked into our room, we walked over to the Old Town Square, as we were quite anxious to check things out. We had done minimal research on Prague, but what research we did do let us know that we were in for a pretty good stay.
Odd group but good music, one of the many performances in Prague’s Old Town SquarePrague’s Old Town Square
The thing that strikes you immediately about Prague is just how beautiful, I mean stunning, this city is. Every view is a post card, the architecture, the food, the incredible history, the arts, the culture, and the BEER, you cannot forget the beer. All of which combined make it one of the most amazing cities I’ve ever visited.
Sunset at Prague Old Town Square
We explored the Old Town Square and it was quite the experience, everything from snake charmers, puppeteers, pianos players, human statues, singers, dancers, viking bands, bubble blowers and roving evangelists (the Czech Republic despite it’s innumerable churches, basilicas and cathedrals, is the most atheist country in the world – so these guys gots lotsa work to do), you don’t know where to look or what to look at. Everything is coming at you at once – the gaelic sounds of the viking musicians(???), the enthusiastic “JESUS!” chorus ringing in your ears and the hipster musicians screaming at you to give them money if you dare stop and listen to them, the beggars, the squeals of delighted children as they chase the giant bubbles through the square, while being chased by some dude in the mangiest shark costume I’ve ever seen, so much happening! So overwhelming, and yet LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT!
Astronomical Clock, Prague Old Town Square
Sitting in the middle of the Old Town Square is the world famous, centuries old, Astronomical Clock. The clock was built in 1410 and is the oldest working astronomical clock on the planet. The clock, though often listed in the top ten of the most disappointing tourist attractions in the world, is really pretty bloody amazing. Yeah, a show every hour where ‘Death’ rings a bell indicating to Greed, Vanity and the Turk that their time is up, as they shake their heads ‘No” is not much of a big deal to us now, but this was working over six hundred years ago, people were more easily amused back then and this was mind blowing. And let’s not forget the golden rooster who sits atop the clock shaking his wings while all this is happening – over 600 hundred years ago! And the clock still works to this day! That’s badass! If you think the clock is badass, wait until you hear about the guy who designed and built it.
Astronomical Clock, Prague Old Town Square
Legend has it that when Jan Hanus built the clock, Prague was a small merchant town, not the regal capital it is today. Soon after the clock was built, people came from all over Europe to see it. As the clock became famous and more people visited the town, the local merchants who fed and housed the visitors to the area began to see the clock as their bread and butter. Greed took over and they then began to fear that Jan would build another clock in another city and that people would then flock to see it instead. If that happened the tourists would dry up and the stream of money flowing through their coffers would along with it. As their fears grew the merchants met with the town councilmen met to discuss how they could solve this problem. They decided to invite Jan to a dinner at the palace to thank him for all he’d done for the town. Once he arrived at the dinner, did the merchants and councilmen offer to cut Jan in on a percentage of the profits in exchange for his loyatly? No, of course not! Instead, the food and wine flowed and when Jan was sufficiently drunk, they poked his eyes out with hot poker and cut out his tongue so that he could not build another clock or even tell someone how to build such a clock. A few days later, Jan, blinded and mute got his revenge on the council when he had his assistants walk him to the clock and up the tower, where he threw himself into the gears of the clock and rendered it useless until they were finally able to remove his mangled remains from the mechanism over a 100 years later. Badass!
Bone Chuch of Sedlec:
Anyone who knows my travel partner in crime Emma Peachey, knows that she loves, and I mean LOVES all things macabre so when our walking tour our guide mentioned the Bone Church in Sedlec, a small town located just outside Kutna Hora, she was all over that shit! And thus began our visit to quite possibly the creepiest place I’ve ever visited. Now, I say that it is creepy, and it is, however it is also beautiful.
Bone Chandelier, Bone Church of SedlecInside Bone Church, Sedlec
The Bone Church is located next to the Sedlec Ossuary. This small town is located near Kutna Hora, a UNESCO world heritage site – 1 of the 12 world heritage sites located in the Czech Republic. This gothic church was built around 1400 and the skeletal remains of approximately 40,000 to 70,000 people who were buried in the adjoining ossuary were used to decorate it when the church and ossuary were purchased by a wealthy family in the early 1700’s. I have to admit, that the place is stunning. We spent about an hour inside the chapel snapping pictures and marveling at the intricate details of the way the place is decorated. The bone chandelier, prominently featured at the center of the chapel is quite remarkable and it’s obvious that the artist who created it all had an intimate and detailed knowledge of human anatomy and was also one sick fuck.
Inside the Bone Church of Sedlec
After our walk through the bone church, we made our way to Kutna Hora. We didn’t spend much time there as it is rather small. However, what is there is there is worth a look. The town, located in the heart of what was then Bohemia, was settled in 1142 and grew quickly in both size and wealth due to a large silver deposit which was discovered by a local monk. Kutna Hora soon became the leading supplier of silver to Europe and the home of the royal mint. We visited the St. Barbara Church (patron saint of miners), the former Jesuit college, and the Italian courtyard where the royal mint was once located.
Italian courtyard and site of the former Royal Mint.
After walking around the town in near 40 degree heat, we stopped for lunch at local Czech tavern for a delicious meal with our fellow travelers…we also had beer – of course! The entire tour lasted about 7 hours from start to finish, 2 hours of that was spent on trains (horrible trains – do not, I repeat do not use the bathrooms on the train under any circumstances…hold it FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY) traveling to and from the town.
Prague Castle:
First of all it, it’s beautiful. The gardens are massive and you would need a full day to really explore it. We were too cheap to pay the entrance fee because we arrived late in the afternoon, however, we did use that money to enjoy a slice of cake and a glass of wine while overlooking the gardens…with just enough time to check our Facebook – free wifi. Although we didn’t explore inside the castle, we did have an opportunity to check out St. Vitus cathedral and the palace courtyards.
St. Vitus Cathedral, located in the Prague Castle complexInside St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague
Did not regret spending money on wine and cake instead as everything was so pretty. Of note, the view of Prague from the top of the hill on which the palace and cathedral are located is absolutely stunning and I would strongly recommend that you make your way up the winding stairs to take it all in, even if you don’t plan on visiting the castle.
The climb to Prague Castle beginsPrague Castle and St. Vitus Cathedral, PragueSt. Vitus Cathedral, near Prague Royal CastleView of the city from the Royal Palace districtOur wine and cake break at Prague Castle – well worth it and free wifi
The Walking Tour
We decided to do the free Royal Prague Walking Tour and it was amazing. Our guide, Callum, an Aussie who now lives in Prague, was one of, if not the best, walk guides ever. He was extremely knowledgeable and quite funny (this guy’s comedic timing is bang on) which made the tour both informative and entertaining. We stopped in The Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock, were provided with a brief history of Prague and learned about Jan Hus, the Hussite followers and their rebellion against the Catholic church.
Charles Street Bridge, PragueScene from Charles Bridge at dusk
He walked us to the base of the Charles Bridge, then onto the Rudolfinum (it was used as a headquarters for the Nazis during the German occupation of Prague), we then walked to the Josefov, formerly the Jewish ghetto of Prague – this neighbourhood is now the poshest neighbourhood in Prague with stunning architecture at every turn, though our guide informed us that it is now mostly occupied by rich wankers. We learned about Frank Kakfa and toured the New Town. The tour ended outside the Prague Estates Theatre, where Mozart himself conducted the world premiere of Don Giovanni – incidentally, it’s currently in production at this very theatre. Definitely recommend this tour and if you can get Callum as your guide, you’re in for a treat. He’s bloody hilarious.
Rudolfinum, Prague Home of the Prague Symphony Orchestra
Pivo (the Beer) – Naz’Dravi!
So, we had heard that the Czech Republic was a little into their beers and that if you happen to be a be a beer fan, you might want to try some out while you’re there. Coincidentally, Emma and I happen to be beer fans, and as it turns out the Czechs are currently making some of, if not the best beer in the world.
Trying out some Czech beers at the Lokal Beer Hall – popular with both locals and touristsBeer Museum stop, late night beer sampling
We tried many, many beers (strictly for research purposes) and not a single one disappointed. Many of the tour operators and local beer halls offer beer tours and tastings. We didn’t have time for a beer tour in the end, but we really didn’t need one, as our ‘beer tour’ was self-guided. We visited a few beer halls which were mostly frequented by locals and sampled as many brews as we could. Of all the beer halls, U’Medvidku was by far, our favourite. It’s a rather large hall – more like a series of large adjoining halls, it was formerly a medieval brewery and has done a very good job and maintaining that look and feel. They currently brew 11 beers which they offer on their menu along with several other beers. If you’re not comfortable making your own selections, they do offer a brewer’s tasting menu. They also brew the strongest beer in the world, X-33, with an alcohol content of 12.6% – drink with caution, it really sneaks up on you – so they say 🙂
Wild Boar and Venison sausages paired with a local Czech micro brew – typical outdoor market fare
Fun Fact: Czechs consume more beer per capita than any other country. The annual beer consumption per person in the Czech Republic is 150 litres, with Germany holding down second place with 100 litres. Canadians consume on average about 65 litres per person and Australians hover at 83 litres per person – just in case you’re wondering.
The Architecture
If you are an architecture buff or just enjoy taking photos of buildings you think are beautiful, Prague possesses an undeniable wealth in this area. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of the buildings and streetscapes – even when the buildings were of no historical significance or pedigree…they are just stunning! I took well over 250 pictures in Prague, mostly of buildings. I’m like that.
One of countless building photos I snapped…too many to count
Czech Food
We were super excited about trying Czech food and we ate traditional Czech food every chance we could.
Sausages and pivo, the perfect combo – Naz dravi!
Sausages – so many different types of sausages, all of which pair very well with Pivo (beer).
Syr Smazeny
Syr Smazeny – fried cheese
‘Drowned Men’ – marinated sausages
Utopenci (drowned men) – sausages marinated in vinegar and onions, served sliced with mini pickles – yum!
Gulash with dumplings
Gulash – not traditionally a Czech dish, but very popular
I know it doesn’t look good, but trust me, it tasted delicious.
Svickova na smetane – beef doused in a root vegetable gravy and served with whipped cream and cranberry sauce – weird, but totally tasty.
Svarky
Svarky – pork crackling mixed with pork lard and served with salty bread…it looked disgusting but tasted delicious and it goes very well with pivo (beer).
Schnitzel the size of your head.
Schnitzel – really doesn’t require an explanation, though I will say that the serving sizes are as big as your head. You will not starve.
Duck – the Czechs cook a mean duck, traditionally served with red cabbage and potato/stuffing balls.
On our last morning in Prague, on the recommendation of our tour guide Callum, we stopped by the historical Cafe Louvre…and it did not disappoint. The cafe was established in 1902 and has a very colourful history. Albert Einstein and Frank Kafka count among their many famous guests.
Cafe Louvre breakfast
After 5 days of eating and drinking our way through Prague we headed to the airport. You might be thinking this is the end of the Prague post, but not quite. Prague wasn’t done with us yet. We were scheduled to leave on a 10:55pm flight to Athens, which was delayed to 11:20pm…no big deal. Since the flight was so late we thought it might be a good idea to wash up and brush our teeth before boarding. Emma located a bathroom on the lower level, she made her way there an I watched our bags. When Emma returned, I then went down the escalator to the same bathroom. I had just finished washing my face and brushing my teeth when the lights went out. At first I thought the lights were on a motion sensor and that if I waved my arms about that they would come back on…this was not the case. I then tried to open the door, maybe the light switch was on the outside? Nope, I was locked in and the lights were off. For 10 minutes I pounded on the door, yelling, then screaming for help before someone arrived to help me. Apparently, they locked the bathroom for the night, turning off the lights in the process. No one thought to check to see if anyone was still inside. I had pounded on the door so hard that my hands were bleeding by the time I got help. They clearly felt badly for locking me in because once I was freed and back at the gate, the airport staff kept stopping by to check on me to see if I was ok and how my hands were. Note to self, do not use a washroom in the Prague airport after 10pm.
Despite the airport incident, Prague was lovely, mindblowing and somewhere I’d love to return to. If you ever have the opportunity to visit it, I strongly encourage you to do so!
carryonadventures 