Half Way Mark

Today, day sixty-one, officially marks the halfway point of our trip. Coincidentally, over breakfast this morning I told Travis I was ready to go home. Awkward. 

Yes, homesickness is starting to set in and honestly it's about time. However I find myself pining more for the convenience of a fridge, my own bathroom, a laundry machine, and some local Fresh is Best taco chips, more so than for family and friends. To any family and friends reading this, please don't be offended, technology (ie. Facebook) does a great job of keeping me apprised of your every move to the point that I still feel in touch. Also, please do some more exciting things, your status updates are becoming a bit passe. 

As we have officially survived two months of travel without running home, ending up in hospital, or killing each other (touch wood), we decided to celebrate and re-live some of our favorite moments thus far.

Chelsea FC Football Game

We failed to foresee any problems with catching a game on the night of our arrival in London - after a nine hour flight and significant time change. However Travis was able to fulfill a childhood dream, making it all worth while. And hey, the home team won!

Reading Festival - Performance by Of Monsters and Men

There were plenty of amazing performances at the Reading Music Festival this year, however Of Monsters and Men blew us away, and has definitely taken over our iPods since. If you haven't heard of them please go download their album right now - seriously, we'll wait. 

runner up - Florence + the Machine, playing in the pouring rain. It was worth getting completely drenched. 

The Ancient Acropolis

A bit surreal at times, it was difficult to grasp that I was actually standing on the Ancient Acropolis. After years spent daydreaming about getting there, I walked through in a bit of a fog, stopping every three feet to take another picture. Not until I was able to step back and see the site from afar did it start to sink in. I've been to the Acropolis.

Nafplio

In a surprise move, Nafplio stole top spot as our favorite place in Greece. Welcoming and quiet yet offering plenty to do, with amazing food and accommodations, we were sad to leave and only wish we lived closer to make weekend trips to this amazing city possible. 

Thunderstorms in Kotor

Our last day in Kotor it rained, and not just a little bit. I've honestly never heard thunder that loud, echoing off the stone fortifications it felt as though the storm was directly on top of us. Not to mention the rain, sheets of big fat raindrops puddling ankle deep on the cobblestone streets. The police shut down streets for fear of mudslides and the runoff left a lasting impression on the bay where the water level rose considerably.

Hotel Belvedere

Croatia has so much to offer and Travis and I agree that it deserves another visit in the future. In particular, we were blown away by the history in Dubrovnik and the chance to explore war torn Hotel Belvedere. It isn't often that the opportunity presents itself to get off the beaten path in an area seemingly overrun with throngs of cruise ship passengers, however this is exactly what our trip to Hotel Belvedere offered, only fifteen minutes from the ancient walled city.

Zagreb

The perfect end to an amazing run in Croatia, Zagreb's historic centre blew us away with pastel buildings and ornate architecture. Although one day allowed us to cover the highlights, it would be easy to spend two or three and the city has definitely become a must see for us in Croatia.

Cordoba's Mezquita

Thirty minutes into exploring this ancient religious site Travis and I looked at each other and whispered simultaneously "this is the most impressive building I have ever been in". A seamless combination of red and white Moorish arches, Baroque, Gothic, and Renaissance Christian church, and thousands of years of history. Keep an eye out for our upcoming post.  

Food

Self explanatory to an extent, we have filled our bellies with some amazing meals in Europe thus far and only plan to continue that trend moving forward. Although top foodie award has to go to Travis, I've picked my fair share of great restaurants including a memorable Thai restaurant in Barcelona (who knew?). Absolute top meals to date include grilled squids in Kotor, Pasticada in Split, and Piri Piri chicken in Lisbon.

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Nafplio's Two Fortresses

Nafplio has two ancient fortresses within the Old Town centre, Palamidi to the South, perched above the city on a hilltop, and Bourtzi, alone on an island in the bay to the North. These amazing remnants of Nafplio's history are both easily accessible and affordable to explore.

The island of Bourtzi and Nafplio town from Palamidi Fortress

Looking up at Palamidi - and our impending hike

After making trips to each, we recommend a visit to the island fortress of Bourtzi first as it is a quick trip with little physical exhertion, and the fortress itself is much smaller. What you get when visiting Bourtzi is neither a tour nor a taxi, but kind of a combination of both. After making your way to the main dock on the promenade, a boat will take you to the island and wait while you explore for twenty minutes - the cost is four Euro, there isn't an entrance fee upon arrival at Bourtzi. 

The time appears to be set, with no room for flexibility, which we thought was unfortunate as we would have liked to extend our stay, pack a picnic lunch, and explore the fortress in detail. However, we were able to explore the entire fortress adequately in the twenty minutes provided and snap plenty of photos. 

We were also a bit disappointed by the lack of historical information provided, which was none. The island does not have any signage, posters, pamphlets... and we were unable to find much online. There is a Wikipedia page that  provides some basic background information:

The castle of Bourtzi (meaning "tower") is located in the middle of the harbour of Nafplio. The Venetians completed its fortification in 1473 to protect the city from pirates and invaders from the sea. The Greeks regained it from the Turks on June 18, 1822, from where they assisted in the siege of Nafplio. Until 1865 it served as a fortress. It was then transformed into residence of the executioners of convicts from the castle of Palamidi. From 1930 to 1970, it served as a hotel. Since then, it is mainly a tourist attraction hosting occasionally parts of the Summer Music Festival.

In contrast to Bourtzi, the fortress of Palamidi provides a bit more information and bang for your buck. As the fortress itself is much larger, and takes some exertion to climb the rumored 999 steps to the top, your legs may be a bit sluggish in the days that follow so it's probably better to explore later into your trip. However we were just too excited to wait and made the trek our first morning in Nafplio.

The path up the hill starts on the South East edge of Old Town, past the bus station on the way to Arvanitia Beach. There is a sign at the beginning of the stone steps but you don't pay an entrance fee until arriving at the fortress at the top. If we'd only still had the energy of our youth we may have made the climb again at sunset to snap some lovely photos. 

The entrance fee is also four Euro, however you are welcome to explore the fortress for as long as you want, within their hours of operation. As well, you are provided a map/information pamphlet with your ticket purchase that, although brief, provides some interesting background information. 

The hike up took us about forty-five minutes, with plenty of photo stops (the stairs cling to the side of the hill and offer spectacular views of Nafplio), and we then spent another two hours exploring the fortress, eating the breakfast we'd packed, and climbing back down. There is also a road that brings hiking-challenged visitors (aka overdressed in stilettos) up to the fortress by taxi, sightseeing tour, or rental car. 

We were interested to learn a bit more about Palamidi after our visit and again turned to Wikipedia for the (unofficial) facts:

Nestled on the crest of a 216-metre high hill, the fortress was built by the Venetians during their second occupation of the area (1686-1715). The fortress was a very large and ambitious project, but was finished within a relatively short period from 1711 until 1714. It is a typical baroque fortress based on the plans of the engineers Giaxich and Lasalle. In 1715 it was captured by the Turks and remained under their control until 1822, when it was captured by the Greeks.

Overall we found both fortresses extremely photogenic and interesting to explore, a lovely "mini" excursion in a fabulous Greek town.

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Cupcakes for Breakfast

After a misguided trip Wednesday only to find they were closed, Travis and I were able to get back to Liz's Cupcakes Friday morning for, um, breakfast?

It was the first meal of the day so we ordered "breakfast" in addition to our cupcakes - to make our mothers proud - a cheese pie for Travis (flaky pastry crammed with delicious feta) and a banana chocolate muffin for me (straight from the oven). Both were delicious, however we quickly gobbled them up to get to the main event, the cupcakes!

There were six flavours to choose from that day, making the decision a difficult one. Luckily, Liz's husband Alex was up front to guide us through each option, as well as a complete explanation on the different types of iced coffee drinks we'd been seeing around Nafplio and some free architectural advise (from his previous profession). We ended up with one Mocha cupcake for Travis and a Bourtzi Bitterness for myself (tart lemon named after the executioner that once inhabited the local Bourtzi Fortress - our next stop of the day). 

Like the "breakfast" before, the cupcakes did not disappoint, a perfect mix of crumbly cake and sweet creamy icing, they were also incredibly adorable. It was a bit sad to finish them so quickly and although we had a boat to catch and an island fortress to explore, I contemplated going back for a dozen more.

About ten minutes by foot from our hotel, Liz's Cupcakes is quite easy to find using the map on their website and the directions included in the many positive reviews on trip advisor (it's Nafplio's top rated restaurant). The store itself is absolutely adorable, painted in bright bubblegum pink, and the owners Liz and Alex are extremely friendly. In addition to the pictures we snapped, they took one of us now on display on their facebook page.

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Smitten with Nafplio

Breathtaking scenery, once in a lifetime experiences, a world without work, stress, or rules - life on the open road is a wonderful thing.

As the mind blowing moments build up, and days begin to run together, it becomes increasingly difficult to look at our experiences critically and differentiate between them. A word like "favorite" starts to lose all meaning when each day is seemingly as good as the next. But Nafplio is different - located along the ocean two hours West of Athens.

Not just another city with ancient wonders to explore, Nafplio's old centre is a vibrant, young, artsy area full of wonderful restaurants and cafes, unique shops, and lovely pastel buildings. Adding to the feel of the town are Palamidi fortress, perched on a hill high above the city, and Bourtzi fortress that sits on a small island in the middle of the bay.

Although visually interesting, I adore Nafplio for the small details popping up in the small family operated restaurants, cafes and artsy stores - A hand painted wine bottle that serves as a drink menu at one restaurant, mix and match patio furniture throughout the main square, and vintage pinup postcards that accompany the bill at a local cafe, it's impossible not to be smitten.

By the way, our trip photos from Nafplio are up on Flickr - if you haven't had the chance to check them out yet! 

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