Knowing my trip is coming to an end, Greece is presenting me its most awesome sights in a bid to keep me there. The beautiful coastline of Halkidiki, the unbelievably well-preserved tombs at Aegae, and the natural overwhelming beauty of Zagori were an unbeatable end to my time in Greece.

Predominantly known for being the site of a number of monasteries, Meteora is a breathtaking rock formation that quite simply has to be seen. A short drive later took me to Mount Olympus to enjoy a climb half way up the mountain, a great precursor to my visit to the second largest city in Greece, Thessaloniki.

My exit from the Peloponnese was precluded to a visit to the former capital of Greece, the beautiful but somewhat touristy Nafplion. There was also time to visit the archaeological remains of Mycenae, an incredible ancient centre dating back over 3000 years ago. I then made my way to Evia, an island by about 40 metres of bridge, home to some wonderful beaches and forest.

I am in two minds about writing this as a single post; a visit the site of the ancient Olympic games over 2500 years ago, and a truly incredible hike between two villages in the Peloponnese mountains. To think that everything I have seen on this trip to Greece is in one region of the mainland is incredible.

Entering Greece was more of a challenge than I had hoped for through my own stupidity, but once I entered I was met with immediate hospitality in the pleasant port of Patras. I have also been treated to arguably the highlight of my trip so far, and an early sign of Greek beauty, Neda Waterfalls.

I am writing from the early stages of my 23 hour ferry journey between Ancona 🇮🇹 and Patras 🇬🇷. Just before setting off I had time to visit Perugia and stay at a B&B on a farm. It was intended as a stop-off but transpiring to be one of my favourite Italian cities!

Firenze, or Florence if you wish to ruin a charming city name, came with a lot of expectation: “The best city in Italy” said some. After 3 days of touring the city I made my verdict and travelled to Lake Trasimeno for a couple of days of relaxing camping at a centrally-situated lake, but not before a brief visit to the smaller city of Siena.

I don’t exactly recall what drew me towards La Spezia and the surrounding area when planning the trip, but I received a lot of positive reviews about the area from those that had preivously visited. I was told lovely tales of hikes between the five villages (the five lands, Cinque Terre) and the beautiful coastline, and yet somehow the reality was much better.

My visit to the incredibly lively city of Bologna was made especially enjoyable thanks to my friend from trivago Lucia and her friend Fosca, who have a very understandable passion for their university city. I’m equally glad I took one day in Parma afterwards to recuperate in a more relaxed city.

I have travelled down from the mountains, passing by Lake Garda, finally stopping in fair Verona, where we lay our scene. In this post not only do I want to relay the beauty of Lake Garda and the charm of Verona, but also share a more relevant story of trying to run a hostel in times of Coronavirus.