Dubrovnik had been at the top of my must-see lists for a while. The problem is, during the low months, it’s not super easy to get there because there aren’t many flights. Also, I wanted a few days to see the city; I needed more than just a weekend. Since last summer, I had been thinking about going there for my May break. In January, I decided to make that dream a reality. Dubrovnik here I come!
In April, I spent ten days in Greece. The experience was so unique, much different than any of the places I had traveled before. It’s not quite Western and it’s not quite Eastern either. Greece is also a pretty cheap country, mostly due to their economic problems. Some people are afraid of Greece, perhaps due to their economy or the perceived unsafeness. However, I found Greece to be a charming country. Yet, there are some things you should probably know before going to prevent the culture shock.
Part of me really wanted to hate Santorini. It’s full of tourists and pretty much all the locals are involved in the tourism industry. While in other parts of Greece people confused me for being Greek, in Santorini I hardly heard any Greek spoken. Yet, I couldn’t do it. Santorini is such a beautiful island, but there is still so much more than those sunset pictures you’ve seen everywhere.
While planning my trip to Greece, I wanted to make a trip down to Crete. It’s the largest and most southern island in Greece. My dad had made a brief stop here as well during his time in the Navy, although not in Heraklion. Heraklion is named for Hercules, or Heracles in Greek. It’s not a very big city, or the most beautiful city, but it is a very interesting city to visit.
I seem to be in the minority of people who love Athens. I’m here to change your mind, though. I hope you have read the first part of my experience in Athens. Like I said, I have too much to say, so enjoy the next part about the rest of the city!
You have probably heard that Athens is dirty and there is graffiti everywhere. Yes, that’s true. For that reason, I had no expectations for the city and was merely looking forward to seeing the islands rather than the inland. However, I was taken by surprise once in Athens. It may be dirty, but it’s so full of life and culture.
If you saw my previous post, you would know that my main reason for visiting Krakow was to go to Auschwitz. Previously when I had been in Poland, I was in Warsaw. Getting to Krakow would have been a four-hour (or more) trip. I thought I would never have the opportunity to see this place full of horrific stories. When I had the opportunity to travel to Krakow for a long weekend, the first thing I did was plan to visit Auschwitz.
Blarney Castle was magical, but the biggest part of my trip was yet to come. I jumped into my right-hand-drive car and headed toward the west coast. After a few hours of driving, I arrived in Killarney. It was kind of scary driving there. The roads were small and not in the best condition. I was happy when I finally made it there.
When I was planning my trip, Killarney sounded really familiar. Then, I learned it was because the Ireland part of Busch Gardens is “Killarney”! I must say, though, the real Killarney is not much like the Busch Gardens version. That wasn’t the main reason for going there, though. I really wanted to drive the Ring of Kerry.
Ireland was another one of those places that I had wanted to come to forever, but never had the right opportunity to do so. Plus, Ireland is drab and cold, right? Well, that changed when I kicked off 2019 by traveling to Dublin. Dublin was just my first stop on a whole Irish adventure, but it proved to be a good starting point.