Greece

Our transfer picked us up at 4 am for our 7:20 am Turkish Airlines flight to Thessaloniki, Greece. The ride took about 40 minutes and our car had prom limo vibes - not sure the lights were necessary this early, but it is what it is!



After overall airport security, self bag drop which took a few tries (it was like working a CVS self-checkout kiosk), passport control, security again, we were able to rest in the IGA Lounge due to Justin’s credit card. We noshed, saw more plastic surgery patients, and what I believe to be the Galatasaray Women’s Basketball team. It could have been volleyball too, but it’s the same club that the soccer fans were pregaming for on Sunday.

Separately, throughout the trip, we also saw several recent hair transplant recipients, but most seemed local. Turkey is well-known for their affordable cosmetic and plastic surgery and we saw many bandages and head wraps.

We enjoyed our 4 nights and 3 full days in Istanbul! We leave behind the calls to prayer, the many cats that walk the streets, and the throngs of tourists in this very safe city. We were surprised that Ozan advised there is very limited pickpocketing and we surmised it may come from the low crime culture or the Muslim mindset. We also heard plenty of Russian which was actually surprising noticeable. Perhaps it seemed more to us considering so many countries won’t let Russians visit nowadays.

Our flight took about an hour and upon arrival in Thessaloniki, we picked up our Hertz rental car. This is the planned route for the next few days through Northern Greece ending in Athens:



Most folks do time-consuming day trips from Athens to Meteora annd Delphi, but I figured this would give us flexibility and more time.

For our morning in Thessaloniki, we enjoyed a few highlights and walking around. It’s the second-largest city in Greece and was once the co-capital of the Byzantine Empire with Constantinople.

First, we drove by the White Tower which is on the waterfront and now a symbol of the city - it once was a prison:



After parking the car in a garage, we walked by the Palace of Galerius ruins and then up to the Arch of Galerius and the Rotunda of Galerius. All from the early fourth-century AD and considered outstanding examples of early Byzantine art and architecture, and of course, UNESCO World Heritage sites:







The Rotunda was also once a church and had impressive mosaics:



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We then passed many chain stores and fancy shops down to Aristotelous Square on the waterfront. Apparently, the city’s main university is Aristotle University, the largest in Greece and the Balkans. I rubbed Aristotle’s toe as I saw someone else do it and at the same time, a bird landed on his head:



The large square - my mom said the boats looked like they were in a painting due to the fog:





We then lunched at Mono where we ordered a focaccia, a barchetta, and a salad. Justin aptly pointed out this was more Italian, but was still delicious and hit the spot:



On our way back to the parking garage, I took a photo of the city’s own Hagia Sophia:



Justin and I split the driving, but I ended up doing more as he didn’t sleep much last night or on the plane and I drank a double Greek coffee at lunch. The car is a Kia Sportage - despite the upgrade, it didn’t have CarPlay capabilities like when we struggled with our Japan rental car. But the car navigation was easier to input and seemed more updated than in Japan. For good measure, we still propped my phone for Google Maps. Also, even though it was a Korean car, the navigator had a British accent and some destinations defaulted to British search results.

It started to drizzle and was super foggy on our drive. We couldn’t see Mount Olympus, but I asked Justin to take some random photos:





In less than three hours, we were in Kalabaka, one of the towns in Meteora. I wanted to visit the Holy Church of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary today, as it will be closed tomorrow after our morning monastery tour for a midday break and we will want to head to Delphi. It is believed to be the only Orthodox church in the world that features a free-standing pulpit and is from the 11th century. The blogs said it was definitely worth a visit if you’re staying in town. We couldn’t take photos inside, but were super impressed on how well-preserved it was and with the Meteora backdrop:





Here’s a view of the town along with our rental car:



Our hotel, called Doupiani, is in neighboring Kastraki. I realized Mama Kim and Justin had never stayed in a town that clearly caters to backpackers. It definitely reminds me of experiences in South America and the vibes. Justin had to help carry our suitcases to the second floor as there was no elevator. Mama Kim said this felt like “real travel” and was an adventure. Our second floor room came with a terrace “panorama” view:





After resting, the hotel recommended dinner at Taverna Bakaliarakia which was in the village center and next to the town church. Our waiters were lovely and we shared cokes, local Alfa beer, fried cod, spaghetti, chicken souvlaki, moussaka, and a complimentary yogurt and honey dessert. Here’s a photo of the town vibes and our dinner:





We then drove back up the hill and to our hotel. You will notice there’s no real photos of us today as we were a bit tired and sans makeup. So I leave you with this night photo from our terrace:

Bis Bald

Our pickup at 4 am was delayed about 10 minutes as our driver had to apparently find her cat that had escaped. Her WhatsApp voice message at 3:30 am made my mom and me chuckle. Also I remarked to my mom, I didn’t recognize the highway and for a split second, I forgot we arrived by boat.

The airport was super busy, but we managed through with no problems. All day I was hopeful that we wouldn’t have transit issues like at the start of our trip. We transferred in Amsterdam - here’s not-an-exciting photo from the lounge, but I include because we should have been here at the start of the trip.



To NY, we enjoyed our Delta One seats for which my points upgrade was refunded due to our delays into Budapest (a small plus). Our flight out of Amsterdam was only slightly delayed 30 minutes due to waiting for the incoming plane from Boston and allowed us to relax more in the KLM lounge which I surveyed as we transit here in April on our way to Istanbul.

I leave Austria impressed even more with its culture and impact on history and society. I loved Vienna for its cleanliness and accessibility and hope to come back again. Certainly, I have no regrets as we maximized our time here. We definitely got the hang of the mandatory coat checking culture and plethora of chandeliers - there were several even in the airport! In the future, I hope to visit other areas of Austria - several folks were headed to Salzburg after the cruise which I imagine would be lovely.

So Auf Wiedersehen, as I learned from the “Sound of Music” many years ago. But I can’t use “Auf Wiedersehen” as my post title as I used it in 2019 when I departed Germany. So more causally, Bis Bald!

Heartwarming

My flight is early from Copenhagen airport and Rachie was so kind to drive me. It was great to spend time with the family and see how well they were doing. Much love to them and hope to see them soon overseas or back stateside - the kiddos seem excited about the possibility of crashing on my couch someday!

The airport isn’t large but I definitely arrived later than I usually would. Luckily, the lines were manageable and I wasn’t checking a bag. I enjoyed more Swedish pop music at the gate and as I try to run down my Airalo balance.

Scandinavia in the summer was calming and delightful and I enjoyed the solo time. The weather was colder or warmer than the forecast advised or it would randomly rain, but luckily it was not that heavy.

Look forward to more trips to explore Northern Europe and as I continue to wanderlust and take advantage of a heartwarming home base in Copenhagen!

Grazie Mille

So it has been 10 years since I last came to Italy and 33 since we all came here together. In my desire to do one big family vacation a year, we had a wonderful time exploring new regions and revisiting the past.

I look forward to my next trip to Italy as I continue to build more knowledge and consider other cities, museums, and sites. There’s so much to do in Rome alone and I think due to the popularity and continued over-tourism, will need to consider coming during more of an off-season instead of the shoulder which I prefer to do. I’ll miss the covers of the American songs we heard throughout every single hotel and restaurant and definitely need to diet when I get back due to all the pasta!

Rome is and always will be special to me as it was my first international destination outside of Korea and I have vivid memories thanks to my wonderful Aunt who used to live in Rome. I also remember my first foodie memory being amazing on how fresh and delicious a dish could be. Some more throwback photos below as we remember the heavy camera and massive camcorder bag that we lugged around. We don’t how we did it without GPS and smart phones, but we managed in 1992. Also special thanks to big brother Justin for all the driving, luggage carrying, and always being a trooper!





I have some ideas for our next family vacation, but haven’t solidified yet. What I do know is that Oprah and Gayle were in Japan about a week before us last year and in Rome when the new Pope had his first mass a few weeks ago. I now consider them my advance team for vacationing!

After breakfast this morning, our SunTransfer van arrived and we were at Fiumucino airport in about 35 minutes. We also managed to pass the real Coliseum this time!



Security and the airport process was a breeze, and we are currently enjoying the airport lounge. I surprised the family with Delta One upgrades to give everyone a relaxing ride back home after our Italian adventures! Grazie mille to Italy, the family, and all those who were keeping tabs on us! Arrivederci!

Sicily

On our last day in Malta, we enjoyed the hotel’s breakfast one last time. The Courtyard Marriott was definitely nicer than expected - we didn’t take advantage of the multiple pools or spa, as many seemed to walk around in their spa robes. But it was a pleasant stay and if I ever come back to Malta, I would maybe explore another part of the island but not because I didn’t enjoy the Sliema hotel.

The island had such an interesting and varying landscape and history. I learned as I was leaving there’s even a Popeye’s Village where the real movie set with Robin Williams was turned into a tourist attraction. I found it funny since my company owns the rights to Popeye.

As we headed to the airport, we passed and saw more churches - the country is 98% Catholic and it was nice to experience the history with my mom. At the airport, I tracked Justin’s flight to Rome and as we waited for our flight to Catania which is on the eastern coast of Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island. Our flight from Malta to Sicily was completed within Justin’s 1.5 hour layover! 

We were able to successfully rendezvous in Catania despite a slight difficulty in finding the Avis rental car office. My mom and I were able to find it and sent Justin photos, so he could meet us there quickly. We had a really nice attendant and we were assigned a Ford Kluga crossover SUV hybrid. I drove initially as Justin was beat from his two flights. Driving generally was okay, but there were definitely some speeders who felt very comfortable tailgating me. On our drive, we passed by Mount Etna, the tallest active volcano in Europe (it’s 2.5 times bigger than Mount Vesuvius), but it was pretty cloudy:



The drive to Taormina was about an hour and at one point, there were hairpin turns and very narrow streets. My mom doesn’t love this and it reminded her of when we were in the Pyrenees but she said, “it was empty on those roads and with no Italian drivers and motorbikes!” Justin was helpful in looking out, but sometimes he would get distracted as we were catching up and his response to me was, “just keep going, there’s nowhere else to go!” Oh brothers….A map of part of the route:



We arrived safely at Hotel Metropole Taormina. Taormina is perched on a cliff and accessible via roads or aerial trams and has been a popular vacation destination for decades. It has gotten more popular with cruises and the second season of the White Lotus. Our hotel room is two stories and has a king on the first floor and twin on the second with balcony views of the Ionian Sea:

Justin wanted to nap, but after settling in, my mom and I headed out. The weather tomorrow is all day rain, so we wanted to see what we can. We stopped in Piazza IX Aprile, Taormina's main square:



I had my mom point out our hotel:



And to the left is the Four Seasons, known for White Lotus:



As we walked down the main street, there was plenty of luxury shopping, but you could also admire the cute steps and alleys:







We walked about 10 minutes to the Greek Theater which is the second largest of its kind and notable, because its walls are very well preserved especially behind the seats. They hold concerts there still and was in the White Lotus. When we visited, they were apparently setting up for a private event, so there were lots of Italian construction workers:













There were also awesome views:









After the theater, I treated us to a granita or Italian slushy mixed with orange, lemon, and tangerine:



Then walked to one end of the old town signified by the arch:



We returned to the hotel and before heading out to dinner and while Justin got ready, my mom and I went down to the terrace for drinks which included snacks - we ordered a Bellini and Taormina Mule. You could also see the road below us where we drove in and left our car for the valet and the Ionian sea:







Justin finally joined us and if we had known he was coming down this quickly, we would have saved him some snacks!







For dinner, our hotel made reservations for us at Raya which we’re pretty sure is under the same ownership - but it was delicious and only 200 meters away. We had pasta alla Norma (which reminds us of our favorite Sicilian restaurant in NY called Norma’s), risotto with oysters and citrus, linguini with octopus, and cannolis:



To walk off dinner, we headed to the opposite arch that marks the beginning of old town…





Walked by the cathedral and square:





And took in more cute alleys and steps:





I declared it a successful Sicilian day as we had accomplished our rendezvous and in preparation for the rainy day tomorrow, tried to enjoy what we could of Taormina!