In between the company scheduled tours, dinners and activities, I found some time to walk around and explore the area our hotel was located in. To my surprise, I found out that  Elgin  was a former  cathedral city   (town built around a medieval cathedral)  created as a  Royal Burgh   (official royal town)  in the  12th century   by  King David I of Scotland . So historically, there are a lot of places here to whet one's appetite. On a pop culture note,  the Beatles, The Who, Pink Floyd and The Kinks  all performed in a  d ance hall  here back in the  60's ; so, add extra points for coolness!! * The view of the town from my  attic-style hotel room's window !

Much more than just a shopping town, Mykonos also offers something for history junkies, such as myself. A short boat ride away lies the island of Delos ; famous for being the birthplace of the twin gods, Apollo and Artemis , and for being one of the most important archaeological sites in all of Greece. Of course, no trip to Mykonos would be complete without seeing some of its world-famous party beaches , revered the world over by clubholics. * The fiancee and I posing by Mykonos Port before boarding our ferry to Delos. We were extremely fortunate to have seen the official island mascot, Petros the Pelican , the night before. (See previous entry)

After spending much time admiring the hustle and bustle of  Athens , and before flying off to enjoy the enchanting beauty of the  Cyclades   (Greek islands in the Aegean) , we set off to tour the  Greek countryside  to gain a further understanding and appreciation for the link between Greek history and the mythological and legendary stories found within her culture. On Day 1 of our tour, we visited the renowned  Oracle of Delphi  and the  Battlefield of Thermopylae . * What’s a tour without  tourist traps ? Fortunately here in Greece, they come with excellent  Greek coffee ,  gelato  and  Paprika-flavored Pringles . Add the very fresh Greek countryside air to the mix and you have a hell of a great time!

This is a story of two cities: Athens and London . Two cities separated by over 3000 kilometers but united culturally because of their great contributions to our study and understanding of Greek culture. Wait what, London?! Yes, London. For when the Ottoman Turks had the whole of Greece under their rule, an enterprising Brit with the title of Lord of Elgin fell in love with the Parthenon upon seeing it and decided to use his official title, as British Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire , to legally purchase almost ALL the sculptures in the Parthenon, of which can now be found in the British Museum of London . But first things first, let’s take a look at the Acropolis in Athens! 1. The Acropolis in Athens. * The Propylaea serves as the main entrance to the Acropolis. Meaning monumental gateway , the Propylaea’s design has been copied numerous times; from the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to the Propylaea in Munich .

Having already written about the Plaka area of Athens (including Monastiraki Square, Ermou Street, the Ancient Agora and the Metropolitan Cathedral) and wanting to save the Acropolis for its own post, I decided to give you this Top Ten list of other places to see in Athens!! 1. Temple of Olympian Zeus * The colossal and enormous Temple of Olympian Zeus , dedicated to the King of all Olympian gods , was once the largest temple in all of Greece. While the building of the temple started in the 6th Century BC , it wasn’t finished until 638 years later , in the 2nd Century AD . Talk about procrastination!!  

One usually thinks of the Holy Land as a place for prayer, reflection and soul-searching. However, it is also very much an entertainment mecca, historical time-capsule and religious Disney Land all-in-one; where instead of rides, you have places that you have only read about growing up. Check out these amazing activities: 1. Go boating in the Sea of Galilee. A charming wooden boat + cool and windy weather + lively Jewish music + dancing = Relaxation

The final stop on our week-long Mediterranean Cruise was the ancient Roman City of Pompeii. Partially destroyed and buried under 20 feet of ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, Pompeii was rediscovered 1500 years later and is hailed for giving us a detailed glimpse of what life was like during Roman Times. Having seen Rome with its majestic arcs, temples and forums, I was very excited to see the other side of the coin, that of the quaint, provincial town far away from the capital. Maybe it’s the Cebuano in me talking, but being here made me feel nostalgic for the good ol’ days before Manila, when the pace of life was more steady and chill. * One of the many courtyards in town. The Romans sure loved their open-areas! You can feel how much they must have appreciated the fresh air and cool breeze.

Rome  was my  biggest disappointment  this whole trip. Disappointment not because I wasn’t moved or impressed by the place but because we had but  one day (8 hours)  to explore  BOTH Rome AND The Vatican.  That would be the equivalent of  spending an hour in Disneyworld . Ideally, I would like to explore the city of  Rome for a whole week , and The  Vatican for a few more days  after. Hopefully one day my cousin  Clark , an even bigger History buff than myself, decides to follow his dream of being an archaeologist and actually move to Rome so that I can come and crash in his place when I visit. * The first view of  Constantine’s Arch  and  The Colosseum . Take note of the  line of tourists  towards the right going inside the Colosseum with an estimated  waiting time of 1 hour and 20min .  Now compare that to the one hour which was the total time we spent here in this part of Rome.