It was a homeymoon dreamed up by a girl whose head and heart always wander to another part of the world, and a boy who's had the opportunity to see it all. I alway knew that if I got married I was going to have a BIG honeymoon. Traveling is my passion. When my fiance stated he wanted a big wedding ( I would ve eloped at the time) my one caveat was that the honeymoon ne equally big. If we were going to dream, for one moment in our lives, we were going to have it all. So we agreed to 2 nights in Athens, 6 nights in Rome, 3 in Florence and 2 in Venice. Mid to late September is the best time to go, at least for those who aren't fans of cold weather! Athens was laidback, gloriously historic mixed with modern. We saw the Acropolis (Parthenon), Ancient Agora and the National Archealogical Museum. It had some fun art! We stayed at Tempi Hotel which was really close to the Monastiraki train station and a perfect location. Ask for a room with a balcony and Acropolis view. It's nothing fancy (trust me) but it is economical and that view was amazing! The food that we ate was always fabulous. We had dinner on the stairs leading up to the Acropolis and lunch at Thanasis right off of Monastiraki Square. Wow! Get a good map as it is a pretty confusing city. Everyone was kind and welcomming. There are a lot of stray dogs and cats, but don't worry everyone of them that we ran into was totally friendly. I would definitely visit again. Rome, the Eternal City, was something to behold. The Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, the Borghese Gallery and Vatican City. Don't miss any of them! We stayed at Hotel Rosetta which was right off Imperiali and maybe 10 blocks from the Colosseum. We were by everything and maybe 7 blocks from there we found an Irish Pub, Finnegans, that had great drinks, amazing people and a great vibe. My husband and I are sports fans and they had sports everywhere. Plus they used ice in their drinks which we found out is a rarity in Europe. Italy has crazy drivers so be aware and be bold. He who hesitates is not only lost, but stuck! We loved Rome and can't wait to go back! Florence was sleepy. We went to the Galileo Museum which was differnet from all the other museums and churches, then The Accademia to see the David, onto the Leonardo (Da Vinci) Museum which I liked the most (all his gadgets and gizmos and replicas of his most famous paitings) and finally the Uffizi. We both agreed we could have lived without it. Our guide was great and she wanted to see the soccer game too, but renessaince art was abundant and redundant. There too we found an Irish Pub up the street from Katti House (our hotel) and a few doors down from that a trattoria with the best lasagna I have ever eaten. EVER. We also did a wine tasting and dinner tour through Tuscany by Viator that was utterly amazing! I would do that again in a heartbeat. I'm not a wine girl, but everyone we tasted was fabulous! The dinner was great and the company was a lot of fun! It was totally worth it! Venice...is romantic, exciting and so much fun! Expect this - Venice is expensive. It's practically an island so expect prices to run accordingly. It's great because there's not one car in the city, which is a great break from the rest of Italy. We stayed at Hotel Fontana, which had the only bedroom with a tub that we saw in Europe (itwas a half-sized tub, but one nonetheless. Don't bother with the Accademia (another art museum) unless you are an art buff. It was boring. Enjoy getting lost in the canals, see St. Mark's Basilica (hubby's favorite) and soak up the ambiance and orchestras on St. Mark's Square. Head to the Bar Americano for a drink or limoncello. It's right by St. Mark's Basilica. If you go to see Doge's Palace go with a tour. It's confusing and the hubby and I got lost in (of all places) the dungeon! I was actually a titch nervous! There's also an expensive but worth-every-penny restuarant on a canal Trattoria da Gorgio ai Greci; ask for Roberto and whatever he recommends EAT! His dad own's it, but it's his show! He's welcomming, informative and fun. And trust me, my hisband who is a restaurant manager for a high end seafood chain (McCormick and Schmicks) agrees, this was the single best meal we have EVER eaten. Not just on our honeymoon, but ever. I would never claim to be a saefood fan (ironic I know), but flounder was recommended and it was simply devine. Oh! And don't forget a gondola ride! My hubby nad I had agreed to tak eone by day so we could read our personal vows to each other while on it. We did, and kissed beneath the Railto and enjoyed every single second. It was soo romantic. The canals are just beautiful. DOn't take one off of the Grand Canal - it's crowded, crazy busy with other boats and very bouncy. We found one off a random canal well behind St. Marks and paid less and had a great time on empty canals. Venice is my favorite city on earth.
If you've met your dream man and are going to make him your husband, are planning a dream wedding then don't cheat yourself out of your dream honeymoon. For two weeks in Europe from Chicago we spent $9000. It was the trip of a lifetime, one dreams are made of, and I cherish each and every moment.