A few words about Pisa

Pisa is a historic city of Italy that belongs to the Tuscan region, with its university running since 1343 which is evidenced by the many young people you will succeed in the alleys of the town and is world renowned for the sloping Leaning Tower of Pisa with the 6 floors, 56 m high and the infinite steps.

Top Monuments of Pisa

• Piazza dei Miracoli – Duomo Cathedral Square-UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. On the square are the three following monuments that are the main attraction of tourists!
• Leaning Tower of Pisa in Piazza dei Miracoli
• Pisa Cathedral
• Monumental Cemetery of Pisa Camposanto
• Palazzo dei Cavalieri
• Palazzo Blu
• Piazza Garibaldi
• Chiesa di S Paolo in Ripa d Arno
• Orto Botanico
• Baptistery of Pisa
• Knights Square
• Santa Maria della Spina

Where to stay in Pisa?

We recommend hostel Safestay Pisa hostel for a very low budget stay (unless you seek for something more elegant). Colorful hostel with people of all ages, low budget breakfast, dinner buffet and a garden to enjoy your unlimited or beer!

Where to eat and drink?

The answer is, everywhere. All along the old town of Pisa you will meet small picteresque shops to taste delicacies or wine for a very reasonable price  even in the most touristic restaurants. Classic italian espresso, Aperol, wine, limoncello on the one hand and focaccia, pizza, pasta on the other.

pisa rome

Pisa is a beautiful youthful city that is definitely worth visiting but not more than two days. Usually travellers choose it as part of a roadtrip or more generally speaking part of a larger journey. For us Pisa was part of a short trip to Genova and Cinque Terre! We landed on Volotea in Genova and took a train to Pisa.

Pisa is ideal for a weekend!

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1. Oreini Arcadia

Thinking about getting out and experiencing the great outdoors? the surrounding nature of Oreini Arcadia has the perfect solution for you! Its picturesque villages are among the most beautiful architectural examples of Greek craftmanship. Walk the main street of  Vitina with its traditional shops, where you can fetch the famous fir honey and drink coffee in the central square. Passing the “Path of Love”, will be direct you in Elati, then visit the “village of Letters” Dimitsana, the famous Museum of Water Power, beautiful mansions and the Philosopher’s Monastery while you and will fall in love with the picturesque Stemnitsa.  The traditional greek food is great  and for trekking lovers there are beautiful routes that lead to the river Lucio, as well as many small villages waiting to be discovered (Greek, Karytaina etc.)

Accessibility: about two hours time from Athens.

Arachova is one of the most picturesque parts of Greece, with excellent services that find ideal extensions to tradition. You can walk through the main path, which is full of small traditional shops (do not forget to buy formaela!). Drink your coffee in one of the haunts of Lakka Square. Do not hesitate to take the 264 steps that lead you to the church of Saint George! And if you want an extra … escape,  Agoriani is waiting for you at 25 miles away.

Accessibility: about two hours time from Athens.

3. Kalavrita

Kalavrita is one of the most beautiful winter resorts in Greece at an affordable price! Take a walk through dozens of shops at the main street and go sightseeing (Municipal Museum of the Holocaust, Place of Sacrifice, Holy Monastery of Great Cave, the famous Monastery of Agia Lavra and the Cave of Lakes in the village castle! For the romantic ones there is an hourly “must” route to nature with the traditional train called “odontotos” from Kalavryta to Diakofto village, for the most athletic ones hiking on the same route will last about 5 hours (without return).

Accessibility: about two hours time from Athens.

4. Pilio

If you consider yourself a nature lover, head straight to the breathtaking Pilio.The combination of sea and mountains makes it an ideal destination for all four seasons! Winter city breaks introduces to you the beauty of Portaria. Arriving at the central square, you see the City Hall and an elegant building called Zoulia mansion where you can find the Folklore Museum. You can lose yourself in quaint cobbled alleyways to shop traditional products from the Women’s Agricultural Association, admire mansions of unique architecture, surrender yourself to the running water and the outstanding green landscape and taste local delicacies in Mercouri Square, which is full of traditional taverns. At Makrinitsa (10 ‘ away from Portaria) you can wander through the narrow streets among the traditional stone houses. The quais.nt alleyways  lead to the paved square, where you can enjoy your coffee, with the extraordinary view of Volos city unfolding before you. the post-Byzantine churches and medieval tower Skoteinioti in Koukourava, the lower district of Makrinitsa, are waiting to be discovered! Don’t forget to… “check in” at Tsagarada and get photographed with the plane tree of Tsagarada, one of the oldest trees in Europe. Its age is 1000 years!

Accessibility: about four hours time from Athens.

5. Trikala Korinthias

If you wish to change scenes, to let the magnificence of nature to calm you down, to try unique flavors, and all these half hours from Athens. Left the car in Lower – Kato  Trikala and start your tour of the oldest settlement. A cobblestone square, the Church of St. Demetrius, and traditional taverns compose the picture! You continue with the Medium  -Mesaia Trikala, full of traditional tavernas (greek traditional restaurants), the shops with the traditional products the and beautiful hostels. At Upper – Ano Trikala, tall towers and abandoned mansions justify their name during the Turkish occupation as “archontomachalas”. For  dining choose rooster in wine sauce with noodles homemade pies and stews.

Accessibility: about an hour and a half time from Athens

In winter landscape is magical and eerie, like a storyline from a fairy tale. The lake is wearing the most romantic of colors and invites for relaxation and direct contact with nature. You can take a course around the lake (about 60 km.). You will get to know beautiful places and villages like Mouzaki Morfovouni, the village of Dionysus, the Mesenikola -with attentive Wine and Vine Museum, the “balcony” of the lake, Neochori, Kalyvia Pezoulas and the water dam. For the sport lovers there are plenty of outdour activities like archery or even flying with jelicopter above the lake.

Accessibility: about four hours time from Athens.

It is for sure that you will  be filled up with green, you will relax by nature excursions and drink plenty of champagne. You can explore the city and take excursions in the wider region. We recommend the route to Prouso, where you will meet historiac Karyschades, the  Voutiro, the Mikro and Megalo Horio (small and big village), and the famous Touch of the Virgin. One of the must do of the Megalo Horio is try Galaktompoureko (greek traditional dessert)! Other villages worth seeing is the Domnista, Krikello and Snakes which have wonderful view of the lake of Kremaston.

Accessibility: about four hours time from Athens.

8. Oreini Naupaktia – Naupaktos

Nafpaktos gives you many choices.The winter days you will enjoy the mountain while at the same time discovering Villages submerged in firs. Mountains, ravines, rivers … A landscape of incomparable natural beauty …especially when the snow falls, descends rooftops and decorates the scene with winter gifts!

Accessibility: about three hours time from Athens.

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In Venice we found ourselves by chance and we could even say we avoided it a bit because of the numerous tourists that have been invading it in recent years! Having won an air voucher in a competition we decided to visit it for a weekend and of course the experience was wonderful! Unfortunately we visited Venice after the heavy rainfall that hit the country but luckily for us the timing worked out to our favour. Not many tourists and we enjoyed the city as the locals do!

Food

Italy and food… It is a combination well known all over the world!!! And when we talk about food we mean pizzas and pasta, i.e. spaghetti!

From pizzas, of course, we ate countless margaritas and diabolas! The cost was just 2.50 €/piece! We picked out the pizzeria Quanto Pasta where you will find a kind man from Turkey who will welcome you with the most perfect smile and there is room inside the store to relax from your walk (most shops are only for take away so there is not many places to sit and just have a pizza).

Then we choose the other favorite Italian habit, which is none other than spaghetti and gnocchi (just try them with cheese and basil sause)! Everything you can imagine about pasta you will find it there! In the city you will find many shops to serve delicious dishes, with prices starting from 15 €/person (1 plate plus service fee, without salad or any drinks).

Drink

So… we ve talked about food, now lets talk about drinks! When we say drinks in Venice we mean 3 things… espresso cafe, Aperol and wine! All three wonderful and favorite, each one for a different time of the day!

Well… espresso you will find literally everywhere! With prices starting from €1 ala Italiano… You enter a bar, you order, you drink and leave in 5 minutes the most!! Thats the Italian way!  We really loved a small shop in an alley, ideal for a break from your walk! You can have a cup of coffee in San Marco Square, but prepare for steep prices. The most historic and famous café of the square is the Florian Cafe which is preferred by tourists (a tray with beautiful glasses of coffee and ornaments costs more than €10)! Look for the cheaper solution in the Dorsoduro area!

Aperol Spritz you will also find everywhere… quick stop for aperitivo, don’t sit down for ages! Prices start from €3 per glass! The shops we visited were Corner pub and Bacarando in Corte Dell Orso.

Finally for wine lovers  the choices are also many but here we suggest you choose the Black Jack which will definitely draw your attentions for its special appearance, at the corner of a beautiful little square. Combine your wine with some cheese! Prices for a bottle vary considerably depending on the brand but a glass starts at €6.

Stay – Accommodation

In general Venice is considered an expensive city and indeed the accommodation especially in the center is quite a bit of a crush. However, since it is worth staying in the center of the city, at the beautiful picturesque alleys and next to the gondola we recommend the accommodation to be somewhere centrally located! Generally in Italy there are apartments with many rooms and common areas (kitchen-bathroom) which are located in central locations and cost a little money. We stayed at one of these in a central location and paid 120 €/2 nights just search on the Airbnb platform.

What to see in Venice

• The main attraction of Venice is Venice itself! Enjoy walking for endless hours, get lost in the colorful alleys, admire the canals, photograph the beautiful corners and generally step away from the main center area! You will find yourself in magical places and you will be absolutely by yourself!
• The second largest attraction is the square of San Marco, which has taken its name from the cathedral that dominates the square!
• The bridge of sighs has been turned into a symbol of love and is almost behind the church of San Marco.
• The Palace of the Doge (20 € per person), the residence of the leaders of Venice.

What to do in Venice

The most well-known experience in Venice is of course the vaporetto ride (fairly economical-generally the transport network is huge and waterful!-it has many stops which you can easily locate & spot and contain detailed information for the itineraries of Vaporeti) or the gondola ride to the Grande Canal. In any case, you have the opportunity to wander through the city’s canals and admire it through a different perspective!

Note that the gondola ride (which in our opinion shows neither romantic, nor tourist, nor scenic… Sorry!) It costs from 80 €/30 minutes and more during commercial hours! We had read a lot about gondoliers and romance and songs like Amore mio etc… We were told that nothing like this was ever seen, except thta in real life the Gondoliers just did their job, wore some funny hats and most of them weren’t even Italians. We do not say it to deconstruct the experience (in the end we did not try it by ourselves) we simply write about what what we saw, because after all it is all about expectations. Its You choice guys! We d love to hear your opinion after all! We trully believe that Gondolas in Alsace are more romantic than in Venice!

Finally, it is customary to have a one-day excursion to the Murano Island, known for its handmade laces. To get to the island we suggest that you take a 24-hour ticket with 20 € per person (there is also a simple ticket which is not suitable for you who want to explore Murano for some hours).

48 Hours in Venice

We arrived on Friday afternoon and left at Sunday noon !

On the first day we recommend walking the city, a gondola ride (for those of you who insist on doing so) and taste Italian flavors and wine! On the second day (start early travellers!) Visit Piazza San Marco, the cathedral and the surrounding sights and then travel to Murano Island! Returning indulge in delicious Italian treats! Third day wake up and enjoy fragrant espresso before the first tourists wake up, take a photo walk, grab a margarita pizza and get ready for the ride back home!

To and from the airport

Access to the city of Venice is very easy, no reservation is required unless you are traveling high season, with one of the following ways:

Waterbus with 14 €/person/route for 75 minutes
Bus with 8 €/per person/route for 40 minutes

This was our proposal to enjoy Venice within 48 hours! We recommend sport shoes, a raincoat, bags (for feet), a scarf for the evening and good mood!!! We hope you had fun with us and soon see your own pictures of the beautiful Venice!

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City break to Milan

It is a relatively small city, easily accessible and walkable enough! It’s a great idea to escape to Milan even if it is for just one weekend! So if you decided to take a short trip to Milan do not postpone it any more just get on the plane and here you are at the Duomo piazza!!

Duomo Cathedral-Terraces-Piazza

As you already know our day itinerary while traveling starts early! By early we mean at around 8.00 am (walke up time even earlier than that). So in Milan we got to Duomo Square at around 8.00 in the morning! We strongly recommend it because firstly it is the only way to truly enjoy and admire the majesty of the Square and the Duomo cathedrla peacefully, secondly it is the only way to have some pictures without the dozens of tourists who are flooding the square every day and thirdly if you do not want to miss half a day waiting in lines to enter the Cathedral it is good to be at the entrance as early as possible!

Buy online your tickets from the official site of the Duomo and print your tickets or have the QR code ready on your mobile! There are booths next to the cathedral but we do not recommend it because the queue is really long and certainly not worth the hassle and the waiting! Also be informed from the site about the hours of operations in case there is any strange announcement!There is a discounted ticket at €12.5 for your entrance to both the Duomo cathedral and the terraces on foot!

milan italy nonstoptravellers travel

So after you visit the Duomo which is truly amazing both in size and in beauty terms. It is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe and the 5 largest Christian temple in the world! You will probably need about 1 hour to explore it and spend a few minutes sitting next to the locals who are praying!  Oh, get ready for a thorough check… Bags, pockets, etc. So be careful of what things you carry with you that day!

After you finish with the interior of the cathdral and exit, find the entrance that will lead you to the terrace of the Duomo. The terrace opens later than the the cathedral  so it is advisable to visit it after the Duomo itself! In the question of whether it is worth visiting, the answer is YES! The view from up there is really impressive and you can see the architectural details of the temple as well!

The above will definitely get you about 3-4 hours at least so it’s time for a some good breakfast in one of the many stylish italian bakeries! The prices are not particularly steep considering that you are in the center of Milan but definitely worth tasting those delicious cakes while overlooking the Duomo square!

Galleria Vittorio Emanuele

Our walk continues as we proceed to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele the oldest commercial center of Milan and a typical meeting point of the city locals! It connects the Duomo square with La Scala Square and is a real piece of art. With a glass roof that allows the sun light to enter it creates wonderful reflections with the colored floor! You can enjoy your coffee while watching people passing through one of its many corridors!

La Scala

The world-famous theatre-opera of Milan La Scala!  La Scala Di Milano is considered to be one of the most important theatres, operas, ballets of the world and attracts important artists! If you are lucky enough you should pay a visit for a unique experience!  We did not have much time and days to watch a performance but we enjoyed the view of the theater from the park across the street with our breakfast cupcakes! Also, for those who want to see something similar you can visit the Apollo Theatre of Syros island, in Greece, which is considered as the miniature of the Scala di Milano!

Parco Sempione-Castello

A huge park spreads through the castle of Milan! Admission is free and there are also several exhibitions that you can visit at a low price, tickets are available there on site! A wonderful green park inside of which there is a cheap café in which we rested for a while and enjoyed an Italian authentic espresso! Walk up to the arch Arco della Pace and head back again!

Basilica of Sant Ambrogio-San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore-Early Christian churches-The Last Supper…

There are many points of interest such us temples and cathedrals which you can visit according to your time scheduule and mood! There are many tourist maps that you can have for free at the airport!  We had visited a few of them the last time we were in Milan so this time didnt have to rush in order to explore the whole city!

Corso Vittorio Emanuele

The most famous and commercial street of Milan, worth visiting both for those of you who want to live the shopping experience ala Milanese as well as for those of you who just want to feel the Italian air while having some italian style lessons! Get to the San Babila metro station and from there by Metro head to our last travel stop, which is no other than the Navigli area at Porta Genova metro station stop.

Navigli District

A hipster area full of cafes, bars and flea markets! Ideal for happy hour dinner in one of the many shops offering  aperitivo plus buffet dinner at affordable prices starting from €10 per person!

For the closure of the day we recommend to have another one aperitivo at one of the terraces at the Duomo square to enjoy the noght view of the Duomo cathedral! There is a chance you may not find a table so it is advisable to make a reservation prior your arrival.

We hope you got some  Italian air and hope to see your photos from Milan soon!

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Here are the top 10+1 attractions of my choice.

1. Get lost in the Louvre
2. Scale the Eiffel Tower
3. Be impressed by the Musée d’Orsay
4. Take a trip to the Château de Versaille
5. Explore the Jardin du Luxembourg
6. Browse the shelves of Shakespeare & Company
7. Go crazy at the Centre Pompidou
8. Visit Monmartre – the most romantic pin
9. Meet Quasimodo at Notre Dame church
10. Grab a seat at Jardin des Tuileries

Book your tickets and enjoy!

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The reason for our trip there was on the one hand, our travel curiosity and on the other hand a friend who was on an erasmus programm there and showed  us some “pictures” from the colored alleys! In our article we will try in a few lines to convey the magic of the city so that it will be one of ypur next travel choices if you have not already visited it !!!

Walking to the old town of Krakow

Walking along the Florianska Street from the main square you will find the unique piece of the retained wall, the gate and the round Barbikan fortress. It is worth a walk in Planty Park which ends up in the castle. During your walk you will find two buildings with red brick and many emblems, belong to the Jagellonian University, which is one of the most important and oldest in Poland (Copernicus  also studied there!). Try to see them inside. After crossing the old town you will find yourself in front of the Wawel Castle. Stroll through the inner courtyard overlooking the Vistula River. Inside the castle there are two museums in the cathedral and royal apartments. Then enjoy a walk alongside Vistula under the castle, amidst lush green streets. Somewhere there you will meet the dragon that blows flames every 10 minutes – because we are also tourists after all!

Following the Swietego Jana Street from the square, at the first vertical, Tomasza on the right is a very nice cafeteria and drink for just a few zloty (try to go to one of the cabarets in the area and do not be afraid to enter the basement! ). One of our favorite drinks shops is the Wotka Café. Small and very nice, ask for suggestions of vodka with flavors !!! Also try nice hot wine in almost all the bars. Generally, Krakow has a lot of nightlife with lots of mouth-watering bars, fine music and young people going around all the alleys!

Former Jewish District

In this area, explore the streets, find synagogues, cafés, bars, restaurants (super prices and good quality in traditional dishes) and even Jewish cemeteries. Plac Nowy is the central square of this neighborhood with a circular building in the middle, this square was part of trade and trade, but now sells the local ìbromo�sapiçonki. All the shops are atmospherically polarized and with candles, giving even more magic to your experiences there! At Meiselsa there is a very nice bar with a broken clock from outside and in many frames with old family photos. Right across from there is a courtyard-pass-shop, there are shooting there from the Sidler List. Cross it! Finally, the Szeroka road is full of Jewish restaurants !!

Accommodation

For your stay in Krakow we would suggest you stay as close as possible to the old town (if not in). Prices are very affordable!

Visit to History – Auschwitz

One of the places that travellers to Krakow are visiting is Auschwitz. You will need to spend a whole day, but it may be worth doing this “journey” to modern history.

More tips & hints:

• If you need to get a tram, keep in mind that you are taking tickets in the tram only with fine and in the old tram ticket office has only the first wagon.
• Museum for the history of Poland before, during and after the second world is the Sindlers Factory.
• The central square of the old town has been built over the old (due to demolished and a number of problems had to change its level) and in recent years it has been operating underground museum that shows how it was It is interesting! You enter the building through the middle of the central Sukiennice square, in the outer shops you will find tourist information about the tickets.
• Find out the story of Tropmerer! From the highest tower of the Church on the central square, you will hear a trumpet sound, and it is Tropmerer who performs four times a melody to the four points of the horizon! Beware … the melody suddenly shuts off because. . . (mystery)!
• The old city is surrounded by a green planty, in which the wall of the city of Krakow originally existed.
• In most of the great monuments there is somewhere around a mockup that helps one’s perception of where it is (look for the sides).
• Be attentive to lanterns and pedestrians, here is Europe! The pedestrians have priority where there  does not exist a traffic light.
• In Polish cuisine, you should try pirogue, schnitzel, goulash soup in bread and various sweet stuff from the many bakeries!
• Free walking tours: We love them, we love them & we always try them! Try one on the first day you have to browse!

Hope you enjoyed out travelling tips, stay tuned for more travel posts!

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