Kos we all love a good Greek Island!

The Greek Islands. Just the thought of them made me squirm with excitement for years. I'm not even sure how I managed to contain myself on the flight from London; fidgeting in my seat, over-enthusiastically greeting airport staff and cabin crew, devouring more than my fair share of Greek chocolate croissants served as in-flight snacks... I was quite frankly, a mess.

I finally touched down in the beautiful island of Kos, and despite the fact that my Greek experience started off disastrously with the airline losing my luggage (thanks again, Aegean Airlines), I was so elated to finally be visiting the destination of my dreams I found it difficult to care.

Attempting to conduct a somewhat budget-style holiday, opting to catch the local bus from the airport into Kos Town was my first step. The bus leaves from a stand just outside the exit of the airport (it's extremely small, so there's not much room to get lost), costs €3.20 one way and takes approximately half an hour to reach the city centre. In typical Greek fashion, the bus was slightly late but making friends with a couple of German backpackers made the wait less worrying!

I met my friends and stayed at Catherine Hotel in Kos Town, which impressed me in both room quality, location and hospitality considering the wallet-friendly price. However, it was a menace to find as the streets don't seem to match up to the Google Maps version, so make sure you take a printout to ask locals if you get lost! Located only a moment's walk to the marina and main restaurant strip, the hotel provided us with an excellent base for our exploration of Kos.

A plethora of restaurants line the sea side and finding a place to dine was a cinch. Although my arteries probably wouldn't agree, living off Greek gyros (kebab meat, tzatziki, tomato, onion and fries wrapped in pita bread) is highly recommended. You are on holiday, after all?

The beach in Kos was a highlight, as the other two islands I visited (Rhodes and Santorini) were not as beach orientated. Tarzan Beach is the main one, located within close proximity to the town and features mesmerising clear waters. The majority of the beach is owned by individual businesses, however many offer free sun lounges and WiFi (you usually have to buy a drink though), so nabbing a spot on the beach is not an issue.

Kos itself is an expensive island, like many of the touristy Greek Islands, and I learnt this the hard way when I had to buy some emergency supplies whilst waiting for my luggage to find it's way to me... €10 minimum for a pair of plastic flip flops, €15 for a flimsy t-shirt and €2-€3 for toothpaste. I was flabbergasted but didn't have much of a choice. Luckily I'd kept a few essentials in my carry-on that minimised how much I needed to purchase!

I'm kicking myself for not spending more time in Kos to go out to some of the other towns such as Kardamena and Kefalos, as well as taking the quick boat journey over to Bodrum in Turkey, which is only four kilometres away! Such is a European tour...

Kos is a stunning island with plenty to offer and can provide both a relaxing summer séjour or a lively, holiday party atmosphere for those seeking a more fun-filled getaway.

Stay tuned for my next post from the island just a ferry away: Rhodes!

Tilda
xxx

P.S. I'd like to apologise profusely for subjecting you to that ghastly pun in the post title. I feel ashamed but it had to be done!

Bavarian Charm: Lindau and Füssen

My first taste of Germany was Bavaria, the south-east state which is renowned for its many stunning royal castles and also the city of Munich (but we'll leave Munich for a later post.) On a road trip of sorts with our Montpellier-attained hire car, we ended up in Lindau, a quaint town on an island in Lake Constance, the Bodensee.

I immediately fell in love.

While we were only there for 1 night, as a place to rest our heads in transit, I only wish we'd had extra time to soak in the simply wonderful atmosphere Lindau had to offer. With a maze of streets winding throughout the island, you could tell this was a town where everyone knew everyone. With every turn of a corner, we were met with another selection of restaurants, cafes and boutique shops, as well as plenty of traditional architecture.

As we wandered, we stumbled upon the edge of the island and the waterside promenade with picturesque views out to Constance herself. The promenade, Hafenplatz, is lined with the poshest of Lindau's accommodations and dining establishments, including the fancy schmancy Hotel Reutemann, lit up like a Christmas tree at night. Being September, it was still mild temperature-wise and I had no problem strolling along in a long sleeved top with no cardigan during the evening hours.

While we drove into Lindau, over the bridge, a train also runs straight in from the mainland and takes about 3 hours to get there from Munich for around AUD$70. Click here to look up times and prices!

Next stop on this Bavarian extravaganza was Füssen, a town I had been itching to get to throughout the entire European trip. Basically, it has a castle. A FAIRYTALE CASTLE. My inner 6-year-old was screaming at full volume (check out my post on China for the other time this occurred.)

Neuschwanstein Castle is a palace commissioned by Ludvig II of Bavaria as a personal retreat and sits majestically on a hill near Füssen. Background/folklore/rumour: Neuschwanstein was the inspiration behind Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle and you can certainly tell why. Featuring the signature coned turrets and the typical 'princessy' aesthetics, this palace was/is truly royal.

Entrance tickets are bought from the ticket centre in Hohenschwangau village, below the castle, for about 12 euros (under 18's are free!), and after that there are 3 ways to begin your ascent to the palace. a) on foot, however this is not for the unfit; a very steep, long climb, b) by horse-drawn carriage for 6 euros uphill or 3 euros downhill, or c) by bus which leaves from one of the village hotels and costs 1.80 euro.

The castle itself was stunning, although highly touristic, with audio and guided tours followed by the obligatory walk through the gift shop on the way out. However, each room available to the public was even more lavishly decorated as the one the before, demonstrating the sheer amount of wealth these Bavarian royals had at the time. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed inside, but trust me when I say it is definitely worth the visit.

Füssen itself was a charming town, much like Lindau. The town was quaint, with plenty of small streets and souvenir shops dotted around. I stayed at Hotel Sonne, which was by far the best hotel for the price I paid in my life. Rated #1 in Füssen on TripAdvisor, Hotel Sonne is 4-stars and was clean, ideally located in the centre of town with beautiful rooms, decorated uniquely. If you stay at one hotel, make it this one.

And now, pictures!