In the few years we have been traveling I have really parred down my international travel packing. It has taken a few trips but I have it fine tuned. I now only pack in a carry on for international trips or any trips that we fly. This being said we do laundry in the place we are staying, a laundry mat, drop off service or sink. Admittedly, I am not a light packer for trips around the Southeast. For some reason I always tend to pack more.

This post includes exactly what I packed for our recent international vacation to Greece. But the rough guide is about always the same. Also preference varies. I took a rolling carry on size suitcase around Italy but after dragging my suitcase through the cobblestone streets, uneven side walks etc, I decided to go with a backpack for Greece. I loved it. It was the prefect choice for me.

Let’s talk packing gear first. I used the Tortuga Setout Divide Backpack. It is the smaller size but expandable. To me the more room you have the more you will over fill. I did order the Setout just to compare sizes on my body frame and preferred the smaller Setout Divide. I am 5’9″ so if you are smaller framed you definitely want the smaller size.

I prefer to use a crossbody bag that zips for my personal item, according to airlines, and day bag while sightseeing. Most museums make you check backpacks usually for a fee (and a line). I feel a crossbody bag can pass off as just a purse due to it’s size and if I use the shoulder strap while in the museum most let it pass. I took a diaper bag to Italy but I wish it had a shoulder strap as well as a crossbody strap. To Greece I packed a smaller purse since it had to pass stricter Ryanair rules while traveling within Greece. Check back next week for what I put in my personal item.

Packing cubes. A must!!! I roll my clothes then pack in a packing cube. Any will do. I have the Travelwise set and Amazon Basic set. I prefer to use 2-4 of the small/medium sizes rather than the large sizes.

I pack my toiletries in the Truffle small clarity pouch. I love that it is reusable, TSA approved and this new design holds more than the older one. I place my shampoo and conditioner in the GoToob+. I have different sizes depending on use and length of trip. I obviously use the smallest one possible. These I place in my personal item for easy access during the flight and security.

Clothing:

• 4 Travel Undies: ExOfficio easy wash and dried.
• 2 bras (one to wear, one to wash). I love this convertible sports bra. Great for lots of walking, sight seeing but also transitions under different types of clothing so your straps do not show.
• 4 pairs of socks. I like the toe socks so I don’t get blisters between my toes with all the walking.
• 1-2 maxi dresses. I love maxi dresses for travel. They are comfy, you can dress them up or down, they are long enough for religious sites. I usually wear these while flying or to a nice dinner out. Athleta is one of my favorite places to grab maxi dresses.
• 1 pair of pjs. I grabbed a soft bamboo pair from Amazon. Easily washable.
• 4-5 shirts. All in the same color scheme such as blue, black, grey etc. My favorites are v neck, long, curved hem to cover your assets. Old Navy, Gap , Madewell, and Academy are my usual go tos.
• 4 bottoms. Usually I always go with capri or pant length so that religious sites and standing out wont be a problem. This time I did decide to take one skort and one short since we would be spending a majority of the time on islands.
• 1 Swimsuit. You NEVER know when your hotel will have an indoor pool etc.
• 1 light jacket/rain jacket or heavier jacket depending on weather. I recently bought a Patagonia packable one and really like it.
• 2 pairs of shoes. My go tos. Birkenstocks, I have this extra strappy pair to dress up and I like my shoes feeling secure when doing so much walking. All Birds, Wool Runners. I have tried the Tree Runners but the Wool just fit me better. I do wear a Men’s because #largefeet. Also sometimes I do better without socks when wearing these.

Check back next Tuesday for what I pack in my personal item/daybag.

Don’t forget there are so many advantages to packing light. Easier to maneuver around. Less stress and literally less stuff weighing you down.

Happy Travels!

We traveled to Crete on the final stretch of our journey in Greece. We took a sunset ferry over from Santorini.  If you can time your ferry ride for sunset I highly recommend it. We took the slower ferry time wise aka cheaper. We enjoyed the sunset and then being under the stars. We stayed up on the top deck under the stars. We were practically the only ones up there.

The first night we stayed in Heraklion. Our hotel was not wonderful but it did the job. Mainly if you were not gentle the doors slammed shut, thus creating a lot of noise. The next morning, we had our rentals car delivered to us which was nice.

The first morning we found a bakery and the open air market. I bought some olives, olive oil and a yellow pomegranate.

Our tour guide who we found on Viator met us at the hotel. We walked to the Archaeological Museum. Here we saw artifacts spanning from the Neolithic to Roman Period. Amazing how old some of the things are. The prehistoric inhabitants in Greece were as old to the Romans as the Romans are to us. Mind blowing.

We wondered around the city center for a bit taking in the Venetian influence. I recommend grabbing a snack from the little cafe, Phyllosophies surrounding the Lion Fountain.

We then traveled to Knossos. The crowds were light and the weather was pleasant. Here is the palace of Minoan Crete. What a treasure to learn about the history. The speculate the city extends far beyond the excavations but basically there is not enough money to unearth it all. Which is really sad to me. What if some important treasure about history is hidden still. We stood on the oldest street in possibly the world that went from the palace grounds to the ocean. Our tour guide really helped to reconstruct the palace and bring the history of a pile of rocks to life.

After our tour we continued on to Chania. What a charming seaside town. I loved Crete the mountains and the oceans so close together with green olive trees abounding. We settled into our hotel. Before we grabbed some pastries for dinner.

Our first full day in Chania we grabbed the Crete specialty pastry for breakfast. We walked to the lighthouse and explored the surroundings along the way. We visited two of the oldest olive trees and had lunch in a small town along the way. It was Sunday. It seemed people got out of church then walked by deciding which party to go to. Baby dedications it seemed. But it was literally like they just picked one rather than knowing before hand which party (held at two different restaurants) they would attend. This was all our observations not knowing any Greek language.

The next day we drove to the mountains with no agenda in mind. We saw goats free ranging along the highway and tons of olive trees. The mountains are about as high as the Appalachian mountains here but appear so much larger. Ryan and I speculate it was because her you have some elevation gained before you see the mountains whereas there you can see them while you are standing at sea level in the ocean. We toured an olive oil factory. The production process is amazing. Local farmers bring their olives to be processed. The entire olive pit and all gets pressed. The olive oil sits for a while before its filtered and then stored in larger tanks. The oil from different farmers is never mixed and from year to year it is not mixed. It was a fascinating tour that I highly recommend.

We grabbed dinner. Holy moly the fries there are heavenly! They have this sauce that is pink, reminds me of ketchup and mayo mixed but a bit sweeter than just that. It was so good!!!

The next day we had souvlaki wraps for breakfast. We stumbled upon an indoor market. Here we grabbed a few goodies. Including the best honey I have ever had. We looked around the Nautical Museum. They have a Minoan boat replica that was actually sailed around Greece. We walked along the harbor again towards the lighthouse.

And then one of the most magical moments in my life happened, we saw Loggerhead sea turtles in the ocean. Two of them. we watched them bob and swim for almost thirty minutes before turning back to the room. On the other side of the harbor we saw a third one. Pure magic. We grabbed dinner and ate it on the balcony. We also maybe had a snack of fries again during the day.

The next day we returned to Heraklion. We grabbed the same snack from the same cafe. Visited the Koules Fortress which is on the water. It was a Venetian fort that a played a role in the Ottaman’s conquering Crete. We flew to Athens that evening and flew home with a brief layover in Frankfurt the next day. What a beautiful and remarkable trip. Travel often my friends.

We spent our 5th anniversary in Greece. We visited Athens and some trips around the mainland before island hopping to Santorini and Crete. We covered many historical places that my brain literally can not compute the time frame. I’m going to post about the three main places we went and also do a big gallery of pictures.

We spent three nights in Athens at the beginning of our trip. We rented an Athen’s Air B&B with Acropolis views. We then travel to Nafplio in the Peloponnese. Here we stayed one night at Leto Nuevo Hotel. The Peloponnese was beautiful and I wish we had spent more time here. There were citrus and olive trees everywhere as well as views of the surrounding seas.

Our arrival day in Athens, Ryan was not feeling well so we rested a bit before grabbing dinner. Off of Monastiraki Square. We ate at O Thanasis, we thought. There is a row of about four or five restaurants on both sides of the street that all appear to have the same name and food. Another night we returned to try out what we think is the one we meant to go to on the first night. The food was good both nights but definitely better at the second O Thanasis. Walking away from the square its up the road a bit on your left. It has a grey stone like exterior. Ryan’s food was delicious. Another day we grabbed Kosta’s which was delicious but lacking sauce in my opinion. Most days for breakfast we stopped in a bakery. I always got a cheese pie and Ryan typically got some sausage/cheese combination. In the evening we would pop in whatever bakeries we were close to for sweet treats. Be prepared to sit and wait at dinner in Greece. It is not a hurried affair and they are not looking to turn tables over quickly.

The next day we had a tour guide and did all the things. I can not recommend a tour guide enough. We use Viator to book a guide. We have now had one in Rome, Athens and Heraklion. They really are worth the money. Providing expert knowledge, local tips and really can bring a pile of rubble to life. I learned so much like that statues what we think of as white used to be painted. There is actually technology now that scans the statues and can produce an imagine of designed and colors often missing to the naked eye.

We visited the Acropolis Museum, National Archaeological Museum of Greece, and Acropolis. It was a full but educational day. Holy it was amazing. All the history and learning all the things. We were able to mostly dodge the rain from the Medicane. Yes, Mediterranean hurricane…what the what? We also stopped by The Poet Sandalmaker to grab my anniversary present from Ryan, who researched and came up with that idea all on his own.

The next day we took a day trip to Archaeological Site of Delphi. The rain ran the fine line between adventure and misery. But the mist and fog definitely enhanced the mystery of the majestic oracle. We had quite the adventure on the way home when the water on the road began to come over the wheel into the passenger floor board.

The next day we headed to Nafplio. Along the way we stopped at Mycenae and Tiryns. Both sites date back to the 15th century BC. WOW! I literally have a hard time calculating that time frame out in my head. It is amazing what they can learn about these ancient civilizations and there expanded world of commerce and trading.

That evening we wondered around the charming town of Napflio. We grabbed lunch at Gallika Salon de The & French Bakery. It was not Greek but yummy still. We had dinner at a somewhat disappointing fish house.

We visited the Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus. Which was an ancient healing center. You know the nurse in me loved that. It was expansive with many buildings and the best preserved theater from that time. We then went to one of my favorite places the Temple of Poseidon. This mermaid girl loved the cliffs overlooking the sea. On the way to stay close to the airport at Apartment Tina, we pulled over to watch a spectacular sunset. The next morning we had an early morning fly to Santorini. Check back next week for our days there!