Category Archives: greece

go Greek next summer

and i’m not talking pledging a Greek fraternity!

when it comes to finding a vacation destination that tics plenty of boxes, from sun & sand to culture, postcard picture-perfect scenery and a friendly welcome, Greece is one holiday heavyweight that certainly won’t disappoint!

whether you opt for the romance of Kefalonia, an absolute beauty which earned itself a place on the big screen, the family appeal of Corfu or perhaps the laid-back allure of Samos, there’s bound to be a Greek island with your name on it. each one is different in its own special way AND many have a fantastic selection of resorts to choose from too. clubbers and party animals will no doubt head for the bright lights of Malia in Crete OR lively Kardamena in Kos. for those who love a bit of peace and quiet, Elounda in Crete promises a small-town ambience with a touch of luxury. AND families are simply spoiled for choice with a huge range of child-friendly resorts and hotels offered.

for those who like to keep control of their vacation budget and know that everything is on-tap, all-inclusive holidays to Greece would be the obvious choice. where all-inclusive vacations are concerned, travelers have the benefit of knowing that everything is included – AND that goes way beyond the package essentials of flights, accommodation, transfers and a travel rep. with all-inclusive, you’ll also get all of your hotel meals, drinks & snacks included too. the exact details and standard will vary from one hotel to another BUT in many cases, you’ll get some wonderful extras on top of the food and drink – such as inclusive entry to local attractions, discounts on local golf courses and even free use of on-site activities such as sports lessons.

all the major tour operators such as Thomas Cook vacations offer an excellent range of all-inclusive vacations. travel with a reputable agent for stress-free holiday fun or go it alone by booking low-cost flights and choosing your own hotel. the choice is yours. 

lambda lambda lambda & omega mu

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Filed under europe, greece, travel

Capture the Color with Lola

SHOCKING i’m sure – lola loves color!!

hello my traveling friends. there’s a new contest in town called “Capture the Color” put on by TravelSupermarket.com. the idea behind it is that you publish a post with pictures that capture these five colors – blue, green, yellow, white, and red. (of course, i’m bucking the system and adding pink because…how could i not?) i was graciously tagged by Erin from The World Wanderer and even though i’m no photographer, i’m happy to play along, so thank you Erin!

oh BLUE – i’d be so true to you

nothing was more beautiful than the BLUE BLUE skies of Greece to me

hello GREEN! too much of you could make one mean

cucumber cocktail…a healthy GREEN i like to imbibe A LOT!

look at the sun! look how it shines for you – and everything you do. yeah, it was all YELLOW

this YELLOW-orange sunset in Santorini may have been the most beautiful i’ve ever seen

WHITE – you are pure like the driven snow but i prefer you as BRIGHT WHITE roses instead

the delicate beauty of this WHITE bouquet made me weak in the knees

roses are RED and so is this yummy cocktail called Negroni

RED RED RED – that’s what i said

PINK PINK you make me think…i WANT this car really BAD

deep in the heart of Art Deco Miami lives a PINK car that i must have one day

 

now for the tagging on my part…

Alex of Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler – no doubt, your photos will be Crazy, Sexy & Fun!

Elyse of Foodie International – we all expect pics of mouth-watering food! NOM NOM

Jen of Scarlett Wonderland – i expect some sassy shots my hot friend!

Will Peach of WillPeach.com & My Spanish Adventure + many more sexy sites found on my ‘links amour’ page – may i suggest for your WHITE photo your shower shot from Alone & Naked in Lisbon

looking forward to seeing what you all come up with!

peace out! XO – lola

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Filed under boston, cocktails, greece, miami, travel

my 7 super shots – done lola-style

when i got tagged by my travelin PIC (partner in crime) Leah of Leah’s Travels to do the HostelBookers’ 7 Super Shots i actually snickered to myself. like i said, i am no real photographer and think many of my *best* shots are of me taken by someone else. WHY? because these shots really tell the stories of my travels and the people i meet!

a photo that takes my breath away:

in the bathroom of the playboy club in vegas

you’re probably thinking “why does this take lola’s BREATH AWAY?” well, for starters, i’m not totally sure how i ended up at the playboy club in Vegas let alone in the bathroom with these characters. when i entered the loo these two were striking similar poses which, of course, i felt necessary to replicate. WHAT THE….

a photo that makes me laugh or smile:

blow up man-doll sandwich in miami

c’mon, be honest, this makes you LAUGH just a little doesn’t it? there was a bachelorette party going on that day in Miami. we were at the swanky Delano enjoying a lovely afternoon by the pool. it was time to shake up the place a bit! THE. END.

a photo that makes me dream:

seaside in santorini

as i mentioned in my “real” 7 Super Shots post, going to Greece was a dream come true. this photo reminds me that it wasn’t a dream that i went there. i actually AM there in this picture BUT i continue to DREAM of going back!

a photo that makes me think:

groundhog day in budapest

i got stuck in Budapest when the Icelandic volcano ash cloud debacle happened in April 2010. it was actually quite fabulous to have an enforced extension to what was supposed to be a short getaway. downside was that things got a little repetitious and i picked up a few BAD habits that made me THINK “maybe it’s time to get outta here or i’ll be needing serious rehab!”

a photo that makes my mouth water:

rum punch at st. jean beach - st. barts

there’s much about this picture that makes my MOUTH WATER. fun times, happy friends, beautiful St. Barts, the beach, the ocean, the sunshine…BUT those RUM PUNCHES! they could make anyone’s mouth water – SCRUMPTIOUS i tell you!

a photo that tells a story:

miami airport

what’s the STORY here? what does this photo say to you, HMMM? feel free to TELL ME in your comments!

a photo that i’m most proud of (aka, my NationalGeographic shot):

lolafying the locals

for this honor i coulda gone REAL “National Geographic” with a topless shot. that’s what i remember most about flipping through that periodical in my younger day! BUT i decided it isn’t really worthy of a National Geographic title. SO i chose this. this is a local fortune teller on Miami beach. he takes his craft VERY seriously. he told me my fortune and scared the living daylights out of me by saying someone had put a curse on me but for a nice sum of cash he’d remove the curse. again, WHAT THE….

why am i PROUD of this shot? because after he finished his rounds, i was able to sweet talk him into snapping a pic with me. see how i got him to loosen up & smile?! i gave him some boa feathers to remember me by. HA! the jokes on him – he’s now under a LOLAFIED spell!

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Filed under greece, miami, st. barts, travel, vegas

my 7 super shots from here + there

i don’t fancy myself much of a photographer but will give this a go…

my travelin’ partner in crime, Leah, from Leah Travels tagged me to participate in HostelBookers’ 7 Super Shots. i enjoyed putting this together as it inspired me in a time when i have not been traveling. incredible, the power of photographs! it was fun to see & read what other travel bloggers posted as well. there are some amazing pictures out there that will cause wanderlust in anyone!

a photo that takes my breath away:

sunset in santorini, greece

it was a dream come true to go to Greece this past fall. seeing the Acropolis has been on my bucket list for a LONG time. i’m still carrying the awestruck feeling of seeing it with my own eyes. along with visiting Athens, i also stopped over to the beautiful island of Santorini. it truly looks like all the photographs you’ve seen. AND, for me, it had the most incredible sunsets i’ve ever watched go down. it took my breath away, quite literally.

a photo that makes me laugh or smile:

miami beach, florida

this photo may not incite laughter or cause you to smile but it does for me. Miami is my ‘happy place’ and whenever i’m feeling a little blue, i look at this picture and am reminded of the warm sun, calm water & peace i feel when i’m in Miami. it makes me say ahhh.

a photo that makes me dream:

gouverneur beach in st. barts

if you’ve visited St. Barts you know it’s an absolute dream. i think everything there is dreamy. the weather, the beaches, the food & drinks, the lifestyle, the people – it is HEAVEN on earth. i dream about St. Barts all the time & cannot get back there soon enough.

a photo that makes me think:

berlin wall, germany

there are so many moments in history landmarked around the world and i certainly haven’t seen them all. for me, seeing the Berlin Wall brought home the division of a country that has reunited in my lifetime. World War II was so horrific and the division of a city and country must have been such a dark and sad time in Germany. this picture certainly conjures up thoughts of darkness and sadness to me.

a photo that makes my mouth water:

champagne in provence, france

sante! champagne may not make your mouth water and it doesn’t always mine either. BUT i spent my birthday this year in France and had the pleasure of being reminded how much i love French food. my mouth is watering just thinking about all the delicious food and drinks i devoured while there. bon appetit!

a photo that tells a story:

roman forum in rome, italy

you may think lola’s all fun & games. i am mostly BUT i do enjoy history quite a bit. i have been to Rome a couple of times and even with a personal guide, still am overwhelmed by all that makes up the Roman Forum. so much history, so many stories. everyone from Jesus to Caesar – even me – walked this cobbled path. truly the center of Rome and, at one time, the whole of the world.

a photo that i’m most proud of (aka, my NationalGeographic shot):

nepali coast in kauai, hawaii

it was easy to catch the beauty of the Nepali Coast at the end of the Waimea Canyon in Kauai, Hawaii. it certainly helped that mother nature decided to give me a rainbow to highlight the beauty of this place. like i said, i don’t think i’m a world-class photographer, so i appreciate a subject that is photogenic!

so, there it is – my 7 Super Shots. this is an area of improvement for me and look forward to learning more about photography at the upcoming travel blogger conference – TBEX. i’m going to tag friends who i know are better about taking photos…their’s are sure to inspire wanting to travel near & far.

Raul of ilivetotravel

Keane of Keane Li

Craig of Stay Adventurous

Kirsten of aviators and a camera

Aaron of  The Adventures of elatlboy

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Filed under france, germany, greece, hawaii, italy, miami, st. barts, travel

24 hour tourist in Athens, Greece

Athens gets a bad rap. being a tourist while traveling gets a bad rap. i think neither are really all that bad!

Athens seems to sometime get negative feedback but i think the 2004 Olympics drastically changed things – a new airport, new metro and less pollution for a start. it is one cool city and is way too often underrated. granted, i had a whirlwind visit and maybe this is the perfect dose of time in Athens because i left wanting more.

[slideshow]

what did i do in my precious 24 hours? well, i was a tourist. many travelers are adamant that you should not be a tourist but this was my first trip to Athens so how could i not be? it would have been criminal NOT to see the Parthenon at the Acropolis. it was built in dedication to the goddess of wisdom, Athena, for whom Athens is named. it has an incredible vista well worth trekking up to see and is an activity that’s bound to bring goosebumps to the most cynical of sorts. it’s similar to trying to describe what the Grand Canyon is like to someone who has never been. words and pictures do not do it justice. it’s an absolute must-see if you ever have the chance. after all, it’s where Democracy and Western civilization were born. i also sampled the most touristy of foods – gyros and Greek spirits – mythos & alpha beer and ouzo. it would have been shameful to my taste buds and appetite to have done anything differently.  just see for yourself – could you resist? and you know what? I’D DO IT ALL AGAIN!

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Filed under greece, travel