Greece

Hiking Olympus Mountain

Hiking a mountain (let alone Greece’s highest) was not on my bucket list. In the summer of 2019, the opportunity to hike Olympus Mountain arose. I just had an unsuccessful frozen embryo transfer; my husband was on a project in Abu Dhabi, and I wanted to keep myself busy. So, I said, what the hell, I might hike a mountain as well. As they say, “Life lies outside of your comfort zone”, right? The hike was organized by a former colleague of mine. We were a team of 10 people, half of them experienced and half novices. We spent a…

Continue reading
Nolan Fried Chicken
Food & Drink

Nolan Restaurant Athens

Nolan is a minimal restaurant included in Michelin’s Bib Gourmand guide. This guide includes little restaurants selected by Michelin guide inspectors for their very good value for money. Nolan’s chef Sotiris Kontizas was a judge in Greek Master Chef recently. This appearance boosted the restaurant’s recognition. The restaurant is located near Syntagma square. It’s opposite a favorite chocolate place of mine. I wanted to visit for years, and only recently took the plunge. Nolan menu Nolan has a minimal menu with 18 dishes and 3 sides. When we arrived at the restaurant the waitress informed us that all the dishes…

Continue reading
almond croissant at Queen Bee Athens
Food & Drink

Queen Bee Athens

I’m a little late to reviewing Queen Bee Athens since it’s open for almost 2 years. It took me 3 visits to finally get some good photos to go with my review. Queen Bee is a small corner bistro in Kolonaki. It’s a popular brunch place and makes delicious croissants. The best I’ve eaten in Athens so far.  The baked goods in this restaurant are what sets it apart from other brunch places in Athens. The owners contacted renowned French baker Kamel Saci. He supervised the bread, croissants and all those goodies included in the menu. Queen Bee menu Let…

Continue reading
Food & Drink

Dickie Dee Athens: Not Another ice cream parlor

I’m always up for trying new ice cream shops in Athens. So, I was very excited to spot Dickie Dee when it opened last year. Did I mention that it’s located very close to my office? What sets it apart from other ice cream parlors in Athens is that it offers soft-serve ice cream. It is inspired by the namesake Canadian company which operated until 2002. Dickie Dee menu Dickie Dee started with 4 ice cream flavors:  fior di latte, pistachio, rosewater, dark vegan chocolate. This year they added salted caramel, vegan strawberry, and mango cream. You have many options…

Continue reading
Asia

Dubai One Day Itinerary

It is true that on the day we visited Dubai the weather conditions were not ideal. The temperature reached 45-47 degrees Celsius that day. The real feel was 56 degrees Celsius. *insert scream emoji here*. Add reduced visibility because of the sand to the mix and you have a less than ideal day to visit any city.   We were already in Abu Dhabi with no plans to revisit the region anytime soon, so we went ahead and took a taxi to Dubai. I asked Kazuko on Instagram about a Dubai one-day itinerary as she used to live in the city….

Continue reading
Asia

Abu Dhabi: the essential guide

  Visiting Abu Dhabi was a case of “Instagram made me do it” and “husband being there for a project”. Visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was not on my list until I spotted Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. And I fell in love. My husband spent the summer in Abu Dhabi, so I traveled there for 4 days. July (and summer in general) is not the best time to visit the UAE due to the sweltering heat. The places I visited were either indoors or visited late in the afternoon when the heat was less intense. Below I’m sharing the…

Continue reading
Greece

The essential guide to Parga

I first visited Parga back in 1994! It was an interim stop returning home from Corfu. What remained from that first visit was the vague memory of an inland (albeit coastal) city with island vibes. It’s also accessible from Athens by car, no ferry needed. That’s why we chose Parga as a summer getaway for a few days last year.  Let’s see what the city of Parga and vicinity has to offer! Exploring Parga Parga is built on the side of a hill on the north side of a picturesque cove in the Ionian Sea. A medieval castle is built…

Continue reading