My Big Fat Greek Vacation

Mar 10, 2014

Here is the pretty post I promised last week! I'm getting ready for an almost two week trip to Europe and I can't wait to show you pictures of the places I'm going. If you follow me on Pinterest you probably knew something was up with my pins of Europe. My husband's boss and wife took us out for dinner and a play right before Christmas. As a gift they surprised us with a trip to Europe! The funny thing is my husband surprised him with a fly fishing trip. I think these guys know each other very well! It took a little while to figure out where to go on our trip to Europe, but we finally nailed down a plan.

The guys have a business meeting in Chicago right before we start our trip. We will only be here one night, but we have exciting plans. We will leave early from Houston and have a full day of sightseeing. That night we will have dinner at Alinea. It's supposedly the best restaurant in Chicago. I'm not a foodie, but the pictures are very cool.






I present...the scallop. Dun, dun, dun.

I'm excited to shop on the Miracle Mile, but it will be in vain since I can't fit anything else in my suitcase. If you follow me on Instagram and saw my pared down shoe wardrobe you know what I mean. ;)

We leave the next day for Munich. We will have a few days to explore the area and I can't wait to visit some of the amazing castles.

Schloss Linderhof, Bavaria, Germany
Neuschwanstein's Castle! in GERMANY - been there, loved it.
Nueschwanstein Castle in Germany. The castle cinderella's was modeled after! So gorgeous!

It's just like the movie "Frozen." I will be hearing, "Let it go! Let it go!" the entire time I'm here.
Viktualienmarkt in Munich with the Frauenkirche in the background. Come here every day of the week to buy top quality groceries and enjoy the real Bavarian flair.
Rhine Village, Germany. Scott Bergey
Grand Hall of Schloss Schleissheim, Munich, Bavaria, Germany (http://www.schloesser-schleissheim.de/englisch/schleissheim/index.htm)
Then we'll be heading to Berlin. The guys have another meeting there, but we have a few days to explore.
Charlottenburg, Berlin - near where my good friend Marianne lives (and beautiful in any season).
Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, cool place to find good food and items!!  www.liberatingdivineconsciousness.com
The Potsdam area looks so pretty.
New Palace, Potsdam, Germany. Got to tour this Castle when I was in Germany last summer. Oh how I long to go back!
Now, this is where the Greek part of the big fat Greek vacation comes in. We'll be leaving Berlin for Athens! I'm very excited about this because it is a place I have always wanted to visit since my mom and her entire side of the family was born there. On this part of the trip it will just be my husband and I, but we hope to meet up with my extended relatives. We will be staying in the Plaka area of Athens. It's known for great shopping and cafes.
Plaka, Athens  Athens, Greece  http://www.travelandtransitions.com/destinations/destination-advice/europe/
yes, I did stay in the Central Hotel in Athens, Greece.  There's a hot tub on that roof.
Athens, Greece. Visited, but would love to see again.
I think I might know the Acropolis in Athens better than the town I live in thanks to my Art History professor.   One day...
We will leave Athens for a night in Santorini. I think this is one of the most photographed areas of Greece.

I'm especially excited to see the lighthouse on the island.

Santorini lighthouse, Greece

Why? My great grandfather was responsible for this light house when he was a captain in the Greek Navy. My grandmother used to tell me stories of living on Santorini. I think some of them were a bit embellished. I swear she loved scaring the bejesus out of us grandkids with her spooky stories!

From here we will fly back to Athens and catch a flight to Istanbul. We will catch up with our friends here for two days.

The family history does not stop here. My grandmother's family is originally from Istanbul when it was Constantinople. It wasn't a pleasant time when they had to leave this city, but there is one thing that hasn't changed. This cathedral was originally a Greek Orthodox church. A family member of ours was a Bishop here at one time.
Hagia Sofia Cathedral, Istanbul, Turkey
This great place is the historic battleground between Christians and Muslims in ancient Constantinople, Modern Day Istanbul. It was convert over the centuries back and forth from Mosque to Cathedral, from Cathedral to Mosque.
Isn't it beautiful?!

I have always been proud of my rich family history and I can't wait to see it come to life. Of course, I will be updating you with pictures of my trip on Instagram and Facebook. I will also do a recap of our trip when we get back. I know it will be a whirlwind since we will visit three countries in 12 days!

I am thankful for my family that will be able to watch our boys (including Mario). They will be staying at our home part-time so the boys will feel comfortable and able to play with their friends. I am so grateful to have family close by so we can travel to these amazing places. Each city and country we visit enriches our lives in some way. I have a feeling this will be a particularly special trip as I see the places my family has once lived. I can't wait to share it with you!


6 comments:

  1. Oh my Jennifer - the trip of a lifetime! Enjoy every moment :)
    Stacy

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  2. Oh my gosh, how exciting! I'm really excited for you and can't wait to see your pics. I just got the frozen song "let it go" out of my head and there you go putting it back in there. ;)

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  3. That is so exciting, Jennifer!! I love all of your family history! We're heading to Copenhagen for our Spring Break trip, we haven't ever been and are looking forward. Greece is still on our list, hope you have a wonderful time!

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  4. This sounds like an amazing trip! You are going to have such a great experience visiting all these wonderful places! I can't wait to see your pictures. Have a great trip!

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  5. Wow, it sounds incredible! I've been to Greece, and LOVED it! That is very cool about the lighthouse! Yeah, I'm one of those people who love traveling so much, I totally enjoy seeing other people's photos. I am SO looking forward to seeing yours!

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  6. Greece looks amazing....have a wonderful time...

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