![My Big Fat Greek Vacation with the Glam Greece Gals by Kathrine Eldridge.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_9697.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
It’s time to share my big fat greek vacation with the glam Greece gals. (I thought it would be fitting to use this title since the third movie came out almost two weeks ago.) The Greece gals happen to be my sister Karen and her best friend Lisa. They both celebrated their 50th birthday this past summer and this was their trip to celebrate. I was so happy to be included in their celebration. And what a 10-day trip it was!
My Big Fat Greek Vacation with the Glam Greece Gals Part 1
![The Parthenon in Athens, Greece.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_4209.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
![Some ruins at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_4210.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
![Some more ruins at the Acropolis.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_4211.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
Part 1 of our trip began in Athens. We took a direct flight from Chicago to Athens on American Airlines. The trip there (and back) went extremely smooth. We arrived there on a Wednesday morning and stayed for two nights in a fantastic Airbnb that my sister found. It was super close to the Acropolis and inside the famed Plaka district of Athens. Our three bedroom apartment was situated in the heart of everything and it exceeded all of our expectations.
Besides seeing the the ruins of the Acropolis which were breathtaking, we also took a private tour with a driver around the city. He brought us to all the must-see places – the Olympic stadium, the Temple of Zeus, and the Academy of Athens to name a few. The best part of this tour was the neighborhoods (Plaka and Monastiraki were my faves.) The shopping and food were amazing! We had the best gyros ever from a street vendor he recommended.
![A view of the Acropolis through Hadrian's Arch.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_9763.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_4272.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
![](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_9806.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
On the second night in Athens, we went to the most breathtaking rooftop in Athens named the GB Roof Garden Restaurant and Bar. Besides the awesome cocktails, it had the best view of the Acropolis at sunset. It was so beautiful!
![The amazing rooftop view from GB Roof Garden Restaurant and Bar.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_9758.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
My favorite restaurant during this first part was at Lyra. They had dining on a gradient terrace outside that was so lovely and the food was top notch.
My Big Fat Greek Vacation with the Glam Greece Gals Part 2
![A view of Santorini from the Naos restaurant rooftop.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_9896.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
Part 2 of our big fat Greek vacation began with a flight to the island of Santorini. Our resort for the next 3 days was Noūs Santorini and the property was stunning. Karen worked her magic and upgraded us to a two-bedroom suite which included its own pool. You can head to my story highlights here in Insta to see the video of our abode and all the highlights of this trip. This resort has a minimalistic relaxed vibe with it’s modern decor and neutral tones. The only thing we didn’t love about where we stayed is because of where it was located. It was close to the airport but not really near the gorgeous cities of Oia and Fira where you see all those gorgeous white buildings hugging the cliffs near the ocean. We would of loved to see that every morning when we woke up.
One our first night, we went to the most amazing rooftop in Oia named Naos. The beautiful view, cocktails, and food were well worth the 30 minute drive to get there.
![A rooftop sunset view in Santorini.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_4364.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
I had the infamous flying dress shoot on the morning of the second day. It was the most amazing fashion experience in my life! My photos are coming soon and I will do a separate blog post of the whole experience. My sister came with me and we got to see all the amazing white buildings and views next to the ocean during my shoot in Imerovigli.
Later that day we walked part of the famed Fira to Oia hike. It’s a great way to see all the gorgeous views of Santorini.
![My sister and I took a stop on the hike from Oia to Fira and had cocktails at this spot in Santorini.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_0140.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
![One of the signature blue domes in Santorini.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_9931.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
![Taking a selfie in front of the town of Fira.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_0151.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
The last full day we did a catamaran boat trip with two other American couples. What a treat to sail, snorkel, eat amazing food, and swim in the azure and turquoise blue waters of the Aegean. We all became fast friends and were singing karaoke by the end of the trip. 🙂
My favorite restaurant during this leg was Kantouni in the village of Prygos. It was traditional Greek cuisine with a twist. The bonus was all the cute cats hanging around the restaurant.
My Big Fat Greek Vacation with the Glam Greece Gals Part 3
Part 3 of this once-in-a-lifetime trip was in Mykonos. This time we took a 2 hour ferry ride from Santorini to Mykonos. When we arrived, we headed to the most amazing and luxurious hotel of the entire trip which was about 30 minutes away from downtown Mykonos. We stayed at the Myconian Villa Collection in their Exclusive Suite. Our balcony with its private pool had the most incredible view. This was the view we wanted to have in Santorini. Even though this was the smallest room of all of our accomodations of the trip, it was by far the best. This is because of the amazing service we received and the glamorous island vibes that the property had.
Our hotel was a part of a larger group of resorts called Myconian Collection Hotels & Resorts which gave us access to the amenities at these other hotels. We took advantage of that and utilized the gorgeous pool at the Imperial resort besides our hotel pool. We also spent time at their private beach. A big thanks to our favorite concierge Constantino for taking care of all our needs.
![The amazing view from our pool at the Myconian Villa Collection.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_0345.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
![One last gorgeous view of the Aegean Sea from our hotel in Mykonos.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_0425.jpeg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
On one of our full days in Mykonos, we hung out in a cabana at Scorpios which is a private beach club. We enjoyed the sun and sand during the day. (I decided to get a massage on the beach and it was heavenly!) Later we got showered and changed clothes to enjoy the club scene at night. Never in my life have I seen so many gorgeous people. You must make reservations in advance if you are interested in hanging out at this popular beach spot.
My favorite restaurant while we were in Mykonos was M-eating which is located in the downtown. The food was a unique take on Greek food and it was extremely delicious. Their signature lamb dish was out of this world.
Back to Reality
We flew back to Athens for one more night before heading back to Chicago. We stayed our last night at the Athens City View Urban Suites in the bustling Monastiraki district. It was a super reasonable price and was comfy and spacious for the three of us. There were tons and restaurants and shops around this hotel so it was easy to get one more dose of Athens before we left. We made sure to have one more gyros, some delicious gelato from Mona Lisa (love their dripping chocolate wall), and a nightcap at the cutest cocktail bar names Barrus. Then it was goodbye to Greece.
![Enjoying some delicious gelato from Mona Lisa.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_0445.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
![Our last night in Greece on a rooftop in front of the Acropolis.](https://i0.wp.com/kathrineeldridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_4613.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1)
I’m not sure when I will do a trip like this again but I would love to see more of Europe someday. A lot of people we met were doing Italy and Greece together. Do they do flying dress shoots in Italy?
Have a fantastic week! XO