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Travel Guides

View from Kohtuotsa viewing platform, Tallinn, Estonia
Europe

The essential guide to Tallinn, Estonia

Last month I visited Tallinn for a conference. It was my first time in the city (and Estonia) and needless to say I was excited. Visiting in the summertime meant that I had plenty of daylight to explore the city. The sun set at 10.30pm (whereas in Athens it sets at 8.40pm). Tallinn is a charming town and the old city surrounded by walls, towers, and all that jazz remained intact throughout the years. Another thing that amazed me was the kindness and friendliness of Estonians. From the conference organizers to the waiters in the restaurants, I visited everyone was…

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Fontana di Trevi Rome
Europe

5 Days in Rome: Itinerary & Budget

Travel planning is my jam! I love crafting out itineraries and maximizing my time when visiting a city. I also love to share those itineraries with my friends and here on the blog. Today I’m sharing a 5 day in Rome itinerary and budget from my trip back in March. I’m also sharing our expenses for those days. Let’s get started! 5 Days in Rome Itinerary Day 1: Arrival at Rome, St. Peters Basilica, Pantheon, Piazza Navona We arrived in Rome at around midday. Our flight landed at Leonardo Da Vinci airport and we took the Leonardo Express to the…

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Alice Inn Athens
Greece

Exploring the hidden courtyards of Athens

Back in May, I embarked on yet another Open Walk by Atenistas. This time I explored the hidden courtyards of Athens located in Plaka. It was sweltering hot that day, but equipped with a wide brimmed hat and water I explored as many as I could. Courtyards are typical in the old houses and especially in Plaka. They are not gardens though, but many of them had some trees and flowers. The first stop is the mansion of Benizelos family. It is the older house in Athens dating to the 16th century AD. It is the family home of Saint…

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View from Gianicolo park, Trastevere Rome
Europe

Sunday walk in Trastevere, Rome

I’ve heard about Trastevere back in 1999 during my first visit to Rome. It was a bohemian neighborhood with bars and restaurants ideal for nightlife. Or so it was depicted. Back in 2011, I visited Trastevere for dinner and I admit that I wasn’t impressed. It was during my last visit in March that I got to explore Trastevere. I realized that there is more to it than “bars and restaurants”. We explored Trastevere’s parks, cobblestones streets, and medieval churches! Before I get on with our walk I’d like to let you know that I started a Youtube channel! The…

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Alice Inn Athens
Greece

4 design hotels in Athens you should check out

  Since I live in Athens I have zero experience on how hotels in this city look like! So, last month as I was perusing Open House list I spotted some design hotels in Athens that I wanted to visit. I not only saw those hotels but also came back with suggestions on where to stay during a city break in Athens! 1) Periscope Hotel Periscope Hotel is part of Yes Hotels, a collection of 5 design hotels in Athens and Kifisia. Their first hotel was Semiramis in Kifisia, designed by Karim Rashid. Periscope is located on Haritos Street in…

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Caryatids Acropolis Museum Athens
Greece

The Museums of Athens

  Athens is known for its archaeological sites and museums. From the Acropolis to the new museums of Contemporary Art there is something for everyone. Question is, where to start? A visitor will definitely want to see ancient art. Greece is famous for that. But what about the history of Greece in the middle ages? Or after the liberation from the Ottomans. Greek history is rich and so are the findings that you will find in the museums. In this post, I’ve all the museums and galleries I’ve visited in Athens . These museums exhibit artifacts from 3200 BC until the…

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Pagrati, Athens
Greece

Exploring Pagrati

Last year I shared my experience of Open Walk Athens by atenistas. During that walk, I checked out a lot of mid-20th-century buildings in downtown Athens. This year I participated in another Open Walk, this time in Pagrati. The walk started off from Proskopon (Scouts) square. There we popped in Magemenos Avlos (meaning Magic Flute) restaurant. The restaurant operates since 1961 and was the hangout for Greek artists at the time. Manos Hatzidakis was one of the regulars in this restaurant. Then we made our way towards George Seferis house. George Seferis was a renowned Greek poet, who won the…

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