Euro 3: London & Mediterranean

The trip was to celebrate my 33^rd birthday and as usual, was maximized to visit as many places as I can in 10 days.  In choosing the actual destinations, I considered those that I haven’t visited yet, those with famous landmarks/sights and those that are quite close by so travel time and cost wouldn’t be much of a concern.  Visa applications were swift as I got the one for UK 2 weeks after and the one for Schengen 2 days after through French VFS. 
FLIGHTS

Planning started 6 months in advance and I was lucky to come across a seat sale in Philippine Airlines with a return flight to London for just 707.60USD or 36,000PHP (MNL to LHR).  Next destination was Turkey (Pamukkale in particular) so with the help of Skyscanner, I booked a London to Istanbul (LHR to IST) and Istanbul to Denizli (IST to DNZ) flights for 140.99USD or 7,190PHP, both with Turkish Airlines.  Athens, Greece was the next stop so I booked a separate flight from Denizli to Istanbul (DNZ to IST) with Turkish Airlines for 1,530Php, then Istanbul to Athens (IST to ATH) with Aegean Airlines for 25.99USD or 1,325Php.  RyanAir was my airline choice to the next destination, Santorini, through an Athens to Santorini (ATH to JTR) flight for 21.59EUR or 1,413Php.  Rome in Italy was next and Aegean Airlines was my choice for both flights from Santorini to Athens (JTR to ATH), then Athens to Rome (JTR to FCO) for 65.99USD or 3,365Php.  My planned quick side trip to Pisa with Alitalia (FCO to PSA) was worth 101.76EUR or 6,661PHP, then to Barcelona (PSA to BCN) with Vueling for 35.69EUR or 2,336Php.  And finally, I booked a British Airways flight to London (BCN to LHR) for 55.10EUR or 3,607Php.  For a total of 12 flights, 46 hours up in the air, 5 countries and 7 cities, I spent 1,244USD or 63,427Php – not bad at all! 
AIRLINES REVIEW & TIPS

PAL – I really prefer direct flights and PAL has for both to and from London for 14.5 hours and 12 hours respectively.  I appreciate having printed a menu for Economy class seats, however, if one option runs out, you won’t have an option but to take what’s left which won’t work especially for those with food allergies or specific preference.
Turkish Airlines – They are really strict with the 8 kgs cabin bag as they had them re-weighed before boarding and if more than that will be checked in for free.  I’d say they had the most updated movie selection on-board.  Even for a 5-hr flight, they served a hot meal and a hot sandwich for a short 1-hr flight.
RyanAir – I will compare them with Cebu Pacific as flights are really cheap but no add-ons whatsoever (no food, snack on flight).  Only, they recently implemented a policy not allowing any wheeled bag, regardless of the weight, be brought inside the cabin unless you purchase a “priority” package”, otherwise, will be left to be checked-in for free
Aegean Airlines – All carriers were tiny two-seater each side, one was with propeller, but they had the warmest and friendliest flight attendants.
Alitalia – They are really strict with the 8 kgs cabin bag and because they have a dedicated terminal in FCO, they will check and weigh them before entering security check.  My wheelie initially weighed 9.1 kgs which they demanded to be checked-in but good thing I was able to re-arrange and place some heavy but small items in my drawstring bag (toiletries, souvenir magnets & electronics) so in my next attempt, it just weighed 8.1 kgs.  Personnel were not that friendly and accommodating, especially the women.
British Airways & Vueling – They were fine, no further comments.

LONDON, UK

Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus & Westminster

My first time in London was four years ago with my mom, my sister and her family.  We stayed in the city for a week and ticked off our list the basic tourist sights and activities there: walk and see the Big Ben, Parliament, Westminster Abbey; Buckingham Palace; Trafalgar Square; explored various museums; went inside Madame Tussaud's; rode the London Eye; saw West End shows like Miss Saigon, Phantom of the Opera & Les Miserables.  This time around, my goal was to explore London some more on my own, particularly those that I haven’t seen before.

Stonehenge

My second day was when I started exploring as the I arrived late at night the first day after a grueling 14.5 hours’ direct flight from Manila.  It was a free-and-easy kind of day with just walking around and getting myself familiar once more with roads, directions and the underground routes.  I passed by, and took photos of course, of Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey and the Parliament (too bad Big Ben was being renovated).  I spent the afternoon having coffee at Café Nero and finished my LatAm blog.  I also got to try London’s night life which was fun and ended at 3am.  Third day was dedicated for the Stonehenge tour I got from Viator for 66.20USD or 3,376Php.  The tour bus left early in the morning and drove for around 2 hours to reach the site.  Although the drive was long, it wasn’t bad at all as the bus driver had commentaries about important landmarks in London and the country landscape was very pleasing to the eyes.  The Stonehenge visitor center receives all arriving and departing guests, with an exhibition gallery and cafeteria for everyone’s convenience.  A shuttle bus took us to the stones plus several meters of walk before seeing the actual structures.  They are massive stones that one can view a few meters away from different angles, you can literally go around to take different shots.  All you really need is less than 30 minutes to be able to appreciate its beauty.  It was already late in the afternoon when we arrived back at the city.

Portobello Market | Will's flat from Notting Hill | Abbey Road Crossing

The fourth day was when I visited famous sites that don’t require any tours such as the famous Abbey Road Crossing from the Beatles’ album, Portobello Market and William’s flat from the movie Notting Hill.  In the evening, I had a wine and cheese (actually with chocolates, ice cream and coffee) buffet care of the hotel where I’m staying at, Z Hotel Piccadilly for 87.00GBP or 6,303.00PHP a night. 

Buckingham Palace

London Eye | Parliament

It was great to have covered the rest of the sites I haven’t from my last visit and still had time to relax, sit in coffee shops and even experience the night life this time around.

TIPS

-London’s Tube (underground subway system) is the best way to go around city, even to and from the airport.  I got an Oyster card and loaded 20GBP or 1449Php with 6GBP or 362Php refundable deposit, which can be reloaded if needed.  I wouldn’t recommend using a contactless credit card as banks may charge extra fees on top of the fare per usage.
-Passengers have an option to take the Airport Express train but in my opinion, unless one is really in a hurry, the tube will suffice plus more economical.
-The maps may make London seem complicated to navigate, but it’s really not.  Even distance between places are shorter than how I imagined them when looking at the map. 
PAMUKKALE, TURKEY

View from the hot air balloon

My plan was just to visit the Pamukkale travertine but when the tour agency convinced me to get a complete tour, it became one heck of an experience. 
I flew from LHR to IST early in the morning for 4 hrs and 50 mins, then from IST to DNZ  for 1 hr and 5 mins where the nearest airport to Pamukkale is located.  My pre-booked airport pick-up through PamukkaleTours for 10EUR or 651Php (I wasn’t sure if there is a public transport to my destination, seemed none when I arrived), shared with two other tourists, drove 55 minutes to reach our destination.  I just spent the night resting at Venus Suites for an early start the next day.

Hot Air Balloon

The hot air balloon tour picked me up at 7:15am and drove straight to the site where 3 huge balloons were being warmed up.  I must admit that I was scared since it was my first time and isn’t that adventurous, but became smooth sailing throughout the flight.  The view was breathtaking and the feeling was surreal I would consider it one of the best travel experiences I had and a “must do” for every tourist coming to Pamukkale.  After which, I was driven back to my hotel and had breakfast, immediately followed by my pick-up for the rest of the tour.  The first destination was Karahayit, a small park where there is a red travertine.  Since I really didn’t intend to go beyond the Pamukkale travertine, I only realized that the next site is actually a graveyard from the ancient times as soon as our guide started explaining its history.  We entered Necropolis (land of the dead) which is literally the graveyard in the ancient times, then Heiaropolis (land of the living) and the two were divided by a Hamam (Roman bath).  What made the walk more interesting was the historical walkthrough that our tour guide did, I was even surprised that a lot of biblical events occurred there.  Then there was the travertine, the white rocks formed through calcareous minerals.  What were captured by my lens were equally awesome as the experience of walking through the travertine.  I literally climbed down the edge of a cliff, stepped on white rocks and flowing warm water.  Finally, I climbed up a hill to see the Heiaropolis theatre, dubbed as the best Greek-style Roman theatre which still functions as a concert and events venue according to our guide.

Necropolis & Heiaropolis

Pamukkale Travertine

Pamukkale Theatre

I give this destination two thumbs up and a dream come true for wanderers like me for its rich history, breathtaking sites and unbelievable experiences.

TIPS

-Denizli airport is far from the town and will take almost an hour with no traffic to reach Pamukkale so the only option is to pre-book an airport pick-up & drop off. 
-Try not to get flights that fly in or out during off-hours.  My airport drop-off would have been the same price as the pick-up for 10EUR or 651Php, unfortunately, my flight was too early I had to pay 35EUR or 2,279Php.
-You have the option to book the tours through your hotel (of course, inquire ahead of time) that will save a few Euros/Pesos.  The first destination, Karahayit, included in most agency tours can be missed.
-The advantage of touring on a winter is the less number of tourists, however, the travertine wouldn’t look as nice as the what internet photos show.  They don’t supply water to all travertines at the same time and when I was there, the main ones are empty I had to settle on what had water and were passable at that time.
 ATHENS, GREECE

Parthenon

I’ve always been amazed by the Greek mythology so picking Athens as a destination was a no brainer.  It started with a DNZ to IST flight, then IST to ATH.  I read that Aegean Airlines, the carrier that flew me to Athens, was named as the best regional airlines in Europe and I would say they have the friendliest and warmest flight attendants.  Considering Greece was the first Schengen country I am entering, immigration procedure was hassle free and no questions were asked, not to mention a really short line.  I went to the city through their train system which station is connected to the departure exit for 10EUR or Php636, alighted at Syntagma Square.  After checking in at my hotel, Astor Hotel for Php3,513 or 55EUR a night, and resting for a while, I started exploring the city.  With the help of Sygic Travel app, I was able to visit the most important spots in the city, no paid tour needed, such as the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch, Ancient Agora and those within Acropolis – Parthenon and Areopagus Hill.  The night was spent for dinner and souvenir shopping at Pandrossou, a known touristy street full of stalls.

Ancient Agora | Hadrian's Arch

Herodeon | Acropolis

Temple of Athena Nike | Acropolis | Syntagma Square

Pandrossou

It was an early flight the next day to Santorini and since the train to the airport doesn’t operate until 6:30am, by browsing for the best option online, I found and took the bus (X95) that left Syntagma Square at 4:55am for just 6EUR or Php381 and traveled for 40 mins. 
TIPS 

-Although I was able to navigate through the important sites by just walking, I would now recommend availing a tour package especially to Acropolis as most street signs are in Greek and can be quite complicated to navigate.
-Although Pandrossou is known to have souvenir shops, there are other shops across Hadrian’s arch on the way to Acropolis with cheaper prices.
-There is a McDonalds and a coffee shop right across Syntagma Square that is open 24 hours for those with really early or late arrival/departure. 
SANTORINI GREECE

Both ends of Oia, Santorini

I couldn’t contain my excitement on my way to Santorini thinking about the photos that show its breathtaking view.
It was a 55 mins Ryanair flight that brought me to Santorini (ATH to JTR), a small 2-seater each side plane.  I availed an airport pick-up (and drop off) through Santorini Shuttle for 55EUR or 3,496PHP as I read how complicated locating hotels/properties in Santorini can be due to the lack of street signs.  The 30 mins van ride didn’t disappoint as the process was smooth, the view on the way was magnificent and the it brought me straight to the visitor center in Oia for checking in (yes, check-in is done centrally and there’s a 1EUR or 64PHP tourist tax).    Since I arrived early for the check-in time, I started exploring key spots in Oia with the tips given by the personnel in the visitor center – Blue domed churches, Oia castle & the wind mills, it was picturesque everywhere I looked.  At around noon, I was escorted to my apartment at Residence Suites for 70EUR or 4,419Php a night.  It was a standalone loft type apartment with a balcony facing the Aegean Sea – it was heaven.  I waited for the sunset before heading, once more, to Oia castle where the best views of both sides of Oia can be seen.  It was a really windy evening so I decided to just stay inside and rest.

Blue Domed Churches | Windmills

Oia Sunset

Oia streets

My apartment view

My breakfast next day was delivered and had it in the balcony, then head out to the airport for my next destination, Rome.

Aegean Sea view from Oia

TIPS 
-Winter is not a good time to fully enjoy Santorini as a lot of shops are closed, those open close early, it’s too windy and you won’t be assured of a beautiful sunset.
-I totally recommend booking an accommodation in Oia instead of Fira (considered as the main area/city) as you will most likely get a property facing the famous Aegean Sea view without having to travel.  I was told by the guy in the agency that there’s nothing different in Fira except for more shops.  There's also a shuttle that goes there from Oia.
-Oia town is small and walkable, just around 1km from end to end, but tracks are uneven and up/downhill so can get quire tiring.  With this, if you can drop your wheeled luggage, do so and just use a backpack.
-Lots of stray dogs around but are safe and friendly.  Also, don’t be surprised to encounter donkeys as they are the used to transport construction materials.  Stop whenever they are passing by as they get irritated easily being tired of working all day.  You will also encounter lots of dog and donkey 'poops' around. 
ROME, ITALY

Colosseum

Rome was the second city in Italy I visited (first was Venice a few years back) and one of the two cities I visited in this trip (second was Pisa). 

St. Peter's Basilica

Spanish Steps

Pantheon

First flight was from JTR to ATH for 45 mins, then ATH to FCO for 2 hrs & 10 mins.  Upon arrival, I went straight to the train station and took a direct trip to Roma Termini (central terminal) through Leonardo Express for 14EUR or 890PHP. My hotel was just a few blocks away from the terminal, Venetia Palace Hotel for 58EUR or 3,662Php a night plus a 6EUR or 381Php tourist tax.  I did nothing much in the evening but just to eat and rest as it was too late anyway to roam around and still see something.

Trevi Fountain

Next day, with the help of the Sygic Travel app, I explored some famous spots on my own through the city’s metro trains.  I first went to the Vatican City where St. Peter’s Basilica and Sistine Chapel are located.  Then, I went straight to the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Colosseum, all with the help of their subway system for 1.50EUR or 96Php per ride.
I must admit that the walk was long and tiring going from one place to another, but all worth it.  In the afternoon, I took the same train back to the airport for my next flight going to Pisa. 

TIPS 
-For the Leonardo Express train from airport to city center and vice versa, it is cheaper to get tickets from the machines instead of the ticket booths.  However, even credit card usage requires a pin so better have it handy in case you don't have cash.
-Get an accommodation near Roma Termini (central terminal), there are quite a few affordable 3-4 star hotels around.  The cheapest souvenirs can also be purchased from stores across at the back side, along the same road as McDonalds.
-Each train ride is for 1.50EUR or 96Php regardless of the destination.
-Tourist sites are easy to navigate so no need for a pre-booked tour, plus, a lot of them have their own train stops. 
PISA, ITALY

Leaning Tower of Pisa

I flew to Pisa through an Alitalia flight (FCO to PISA) for 55 mins and as planned, went straight to the tower.  To reach my destination, I first took the train called Pisamover from the airport to the Pisa Centrale train station found on the far left side from the departure exit for 2.70EUR or 173Php.  Then, right in front of the central terminal, I took the bus LAM Rossa for 2EUR or 128Php and after 6 stations, reached the tower (station name is Torre 1).  I probably spent an hour just walking around the complex and taking photos then headed straight to McDonalds right outside the gate before heading back to the airport.  The bus station going back is across the street (Torre 2), then the same train from the central terminal to airport.

Square of Miracles

I’d say Pisa was more of a side trip as there’s really nothing much to see.  I just spent a few hours at the airport and ate dinner while waiting for my flight to Barcelona. 
TIPS: 
-Pisa can very well be a half-day tour destination and you have the option to take the train from any other Italian city.
-Bus departure times are strictly followed.  I was literally standing behind another person who is talking to the driver when the door closed leaving me behind. 
BARCELONA, SPAIN

My Vueling Airlines flight to Spain (PSA to BCN) was for 1 hr & 40 mins and arrived at Saturday midnight.  I took the train from the airport to the city (L9 south line right outside the arrival area) for 4.60EUR or 295Php, which usually stops at midnight except for Fridays when it ends at 2am and runs 24 hours during weekends.  Upon arriving at the last station, Zona Universitaria, I transferred to another line that brought me to the station (Catalunya) near my hotel.

Casa Mila | Casa Batllo | Catedral de Barcelona | Pont Gothic

I woke up early the next day to start exploring the city with the help, once again, of Sygic Travel.  I visited the works of the renowned Spanish Architect, Antoni Gaudi, Casa Batllo & Casa Mila which are close to each other. Several blocks away was Sagrada Familia where I spent around an hour appreciating its architecture and taking photos.  Next, I took the train and went to the Gothic area where I visited Pont Gothic, Catedral de Barcelona & Palau Reial Major.  I took the train once more going to Placa Espanya and Magic Fountain.  My last stop was a shopping street called La Rambla where, coincidentally, there was a Carnivale parade.

Magic Fountain

I would say that the city is a work of art, with well thought of architecture almost everywhere you look.  Before the end of the day, I took the same train route back to the airport for my 1 hr & 20 mins British Airwarys flight back to London (BCN to LHR), then 12.5 hrs Philippine Airlines direct flight back to Manila (LHR to MNL). 
TIPS: 
-The metro train ticket machines at the airport don’t take 50EUR bill so make sure you bring some change.  Withdrawal in the nearest ATM will incur a 5EUR fee.
-Tour isn’t necessary as all sites I’ve visited have metro train stations exactly at the location or nearby.
-I would only recommend visiting the Magic Fountain area at night when the fountain is working and lit, otherwise, you can skip it.
Overall, I’d say this leg of my European sojourn has been one of the best trips I had given the familiar historical, architectural, biblical and mythological sites, combined free-and-easy and usual fast-paced activities, unique experiences and having met people along the way.  Except for the cold weather everywhere I went, I truly enjoyed everything.  Euro 4 soon!