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Europe 2014

October 2014

A month-long trip to Europe in October 2014 started with an 8-day photography tour on the island of Santorini, Greece. It was led by a Houston-based photographer who teaches classes and leads workshops and tours to various local and international destinations. I took one of her classes, and afterward, I decided to check out her website, and just for kicks and giggles decided to check out her international photography tours. The cheapest of her tours, to my surprise, was Santorini. It was still a year out, so I decided to hell with it, and booked a spot on the tour. And to this day nearly 10 years later, it’s still one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Following that, I spent 2 days on another Greek island, Paros, and then went to Athens, Rome, Venice, and Paris, using the skills I picked up during the photography tour in Santorini. I have more than 6,000 photos from the entire trip, but don’t worry, I will only show you some of the best.

Santorini – September 29 – October 09

The first part of my trip was a photography tour of the island of Santorini, known to the Greeks as Thera. It was an 8-day trip led by a Houston-based photography instructor. Our group stayed in Fira, the largest town on the island and the capital, but each day brought a new excursion to another part of the island. We visited, not in any particular order, Emporio, Pyrgos, Akrotiri, Ammoudi Bay, Oia, Perissa Beach, the old port town of Gialos, and from there the volcanic island Nea Kameni. And each day we learned as we explored, taking photos wherever we went. Then, we would convene back at the hotel for some constructive critiquing of one or two select photos.

A view of the entire town of Pyrgos from up high
One of the many blue domes of the Santorini churches
Afternoon in Oia
Even if you are not religious, the white stucco and blue domes of Santorini’s churches are striking
Vessels at the Akrotiri Archaeological Site
Exploring the town of Fira on the first day
My first sunset in Fira with a darkening blue sky
The old port of Gialos
Kind of wish I’d bought one of these at one of the gift shops to hang on my wall
Three cruise ships in the bay, as seen from the pool deck of our hotel
Blue skies, blue seas, and colorful stucco, this is Oia
Lounge chairs at Perissa Beach, a black sand beach where the sand consists of particles of lava rock
Wish I knew who these people were so I could give them a copy of this photo
The pool at the incredible Hotel Ira
One of the mules waiting to carry us back up the cliff switchbacks after a visit to the volcanic island Nea Kameni

Paros – October 09 – 11

After the 8 days in Santorini with the photography tour group, I struck out on my own. The first leg of the rest of my trip consisted of two nights on the island of Paros. I explored by myself, although I did meet an old man by the name of Nikos who took me around the island on his moped as well as on a boat to the very nearby and much smaller island of Antiparos.

The windmill in Old Town Parikia, on the island of Paros
Street photography in Old Town Parikia
Yet another blue-domed church
There were cats everywhere in Greece.
Another street in the Old Town
And another Old Town Street
Taken during a side trip to the smaller island of Antiparos
Love the juxtaposition of weathered doors and windows with living plants

Athens – October 11 – 15

Athens was the next part of my trip. I took the ferry back to the mainland and took the bus from Piraeus (the port town where you get on the ferries for the islands) back to Athens, where I stayed in a hostel for 5 days. There were ancient sites and ruins everywhere, and the nerdy part of me was ecstatic.

Athens was exceptionally easy to get around. There were 2 subway lines only, so very easy to figure those out, and there were also buses. But beyond that, Athens was also highly walkable.

The Erechtheion at the Parthenon
An ancient Amphitheater, heading up to the Acropolis
Dinnertime street photography
Capitoline Venus statue at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens
The changing of the guard at the monument to the Unknown Soldier
Monument to the Unknown Soldier
Sunburst visible at the ruins of the Parthenon
The ruins of the Parthenon at the Acropolis
The Temple of Hephaestus with the city of Athens in the background
The ruins of the Temple of Zeus

Rome – October 16 – 21

More cerebral bliss as I headed to Rome for the next part of my trip. I took another ferry, although first I had to take a 7-hour bus ride up the west coast of Greece to the town of Igoumenitsa, which offered the most practical route to getting to Rome – the ferry would take me to Bari, and a 2-hour train ride would get me from there to Rome.

Rome was every bit as easy to get around as Athens. Rome had a couple more subway lines than Athens, but they were still easy to navigate, and the rest was very walkable. In fact, one night I went on a self-guided Rome-by-night tour, and walked the whole thing.

The Colosseum at Sunset
Inside the Colosseum
The Roman Forum
The Farnese Gardens at Palpatine Hill
Palpatine Hill
The Stadium of Domitian
Michelangelo’s Pieta inside St. Peter’s Basilica
Inside St. Peter’s Basilica
St. Peter’s Baldacchino
A view of the Vatican from the Tiber River
St. Peter’s Basilica at night
This surreal cracked mirror floor is an art installation at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna
The Piazza Navona was so crowded
The Piazza Navona was even crowded at night

Venice – October 21 – 23

The next part of my trip was Venice. I was told that you really don’t need more than a day for Venice, so I booked two nights, allowing myself one full day to explore. After having done so, I respectfully disagree with whoever it was that told me that. I wish I’d had at least three days.

Venice was also once again fairly easy to get around, with a couple of caveats. One, the streets aren’t always labeled, so you have to be very good at reading maps. And two, it’s not particularly accessible for those who can’t walk unaided or use wheelchairs. The city just wasn’t built for it, and that’s a travesty in my opinion. There are lots of bridges, and most of the bridges have stairs. Yes, you can get around by boat, but the trouble is getting into and out of the boat.

Not all streets in Venice are canals.
Loved Venice’s colorful windows
Sunset on the canals
The Gondolier
Canal colors
Another colorful canal
Late afternoon on the canal
More canal colors
The Grand Canal
Another charming window
Even in Venice people have places they need to be
Nighttime isn’t quiet time on the canals

Paris – October 24 – 29

The final leg of my trip was Paris. I spent 5 days there, and honestly, if there were any large city in Europe where I could see myself living, I think Paris would be it. If I’d had more time I would have explored more than just the major tourist attractions – the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, Jardin du Luxembourg, the Louvre, the Palace of Versailles, Sainte Chapelle, and even Moulin Rouge – but alas. Honestly I think any major European city but especially Paris would require at least two weeks to really be able to balance the touristy stuff with hidden treasures from off the beaten path.

A sunny afternoon in Paris, as seen from the towers of Notre Dame
Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris with lots of tourists waiting to go inside
The Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees at night
Another view of the city from the towers of Notre Dame
La Tour Eiffel – tour is French for Tower
Some of the thousands of padlocks on the Pont de l’Archevêché, the Love Lock Bridge
More love locks
At the Jardin du Luxembourg
Moulin Rouge is much better at night
La Musee du Louvre
The North Rose Window of Notre Dame
Afternoon on the Seine
I was devastated to hear of the fire that ravaged the Cathédrale Notre Dame in 2019, and I count myself lucky to have gone to Paris and gone inside when I did.
The Palace at Versailles
Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss, a sculpture at the Louvre
Sainte-Chapelle
Sainte-Chapelle, a closer look
The Western facade of the Notre Dame Cathedral
The Winged Nike Sculpture at the Louvre

The End of the Beginning

For many people, an entire month might be too much, too long away from home, or at least enough to cure them of their travel bug. For me, while I could claim to have been bitten by the travel bug some time in my childhood, as the daughter of two people who love to travel, the month in Europe was what triggered and inflamed an incurable, life-long passion for travel, and I’ve never been the same.