While the island has multiple attractions to keep you occupied (including ruins of Ancient Thira and the traditional settlement of Megalohori), there are a couple of popular towns facing the scenic caldera where I'm sure most of the photos are taken from. And they're Fira and Oia. Fira seems to be fairly busy as it has a cable car as well as numerous shops and even a museum as well as a handful of accommodations from luxury hotels to mid-range apartments.

However, if you're after that quintessential Santorini experience, you'll have to go all the way to the top of the island at the town of Oia (pronounced "EE-uh"). For here, it's quieter, charming, mostly vehicle free, and perhaps the best place to see the sunset. Julie and I still think about this place for it's hard to forget something so unique and beautiful.

Outside the Acropolis, it's worth checking out the National Archaeological Museum (in the gritty part of town though) where you can see some of the famous statues you might have come across in your European History textbooks. This includes an Athena Statue, a balanced statue, and even a Zeus statue throwing a lightning bolt. A cool thing about the journey to get to the museum from the main CBD of Athens is that the train station by the CBD is almost like a cross between a subway station and a museum.

In addition, there's the Ancient Agora where you can see more ruins with the Acropolis still perched above the large park. Within the complex, there's the Temple of Hephaistos, which might remind you of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Perhaps now, you can see where some of America's historical monuments get their inspiration from!

There's definitely lots to do in Athens, and that's why Julie and I spent three nights here. But where else can you get such an unusual mix of ancient culture mixed with modern life?

Outside the main part of the archaeological complex, a short walk yields a visit to the Temple of Athena. Here, there are three restored columns, while the remainder are left to the elements. The standing pillars are supposed to give you an idea of what the temple was originally supposed to look like.

In addition to see the monasteries from afar, you can visit a handful of these places. It depends on the schedule as some monasteries are open on days that others are not. But when you go inside one of these things, you not only get more views of other monasteries as well as the modern towns further below of Kalampaki and Kastraki, but you also get to see some of the religiously-influenced halls and corridors making these monasteries very atmospheric.

Strangely, Julie and I didn't see much Turkish influence in the foods except for some of the desserts. We're not sure why that is, but you definitely do see similarities in architecture between some of the ruins here and some of those we've seen on TV or in pictures of Turkey.

Obviously we're not the only ones that think this place is charming for everyday it seems to be consistently overrun by mass tourism. Fortunately, you can chill by dining at one of the cafes or having a drink and just people watch. It's real easy to do within the tight quarters of town. Still, when night time rolls around, this place seems to really come alive as the bars and cafes seem to open into wee hours of the night which attract young party-goers (keeping light sleepers staying within the palace awake thanks to the tight quarters).

Julie and I spent a couple of nights here, and it almost felt as if you could play hide-and-seek within the Palace itself as it's so compact yet be full of hidden nooks and crannies.

One excursion that is probably worth the fairly hefty price is the walk along the city walls. It's actually a fairly long excursion as you can walk the entire perimeter of town looking over the sea of red-tiled roofs with the odd tower poking above the masses. Sure it might be a hot and tiring stroll (especially if it's a sunny day), but the views both within the walls and outside towards the blue-green Aegean are mindblowing.

Finally, if you have a chance to stay within the city walls, we highly recommend doing so. For when the tour groups leave for the day, this becomes your chance to experience the place when the sun goes down or to stroll among the silence in the early morning. Either way, it's one of those places where you'll remember it as a highlight of your trip to Hrvatska.

Of course, this type of place does have its drawbacks. The big one is that it's only worth your while and money (it's very expensive to come up here) if the weather's clear. But given the fickle nature of the weather, it's a real roll of the dice. So you'll have to rely on webcams online or check out TV stations in Interlaken to get an idea of whether you should commit to going or not.

Another big drawback is the thin air. If you're pregnant or you haven't acclimated, it's quite easy to go dizzy or out-of-breath. That was certainly the case with us as we didn't have to exert ourselves much before we found ourselves starting to feel lightheaded.

Finally, there's also nice alpine views to be had as you make the fairly long half-day journey to the top of Europe. There's even a pair of train stops at Eismeer and Eigerwand offering up views of glaciers as well as birds eye views above neighboring mountaintops...

If the elements become a bit much to stay outside in the typically freezing weather, you can retreat inside where there's a rotating cafe providing you 360 degree views without having to walk around and twist your neck.

In addition to the history, the city also features a captive bear family that seems to be a hit with both local and foreign tourists. Moreover, you've got the Grossmunster Cathedral and the Rosengarten where you get gorgeous panoramic views of the whole city. Hard to believe that this is Switzerland's capital city!

Perhaps other cities like Luzern (Lucerne) tried to be as charming as this place, but I think Stein am Rhein has the compact size and the lack of overdoing it on the commercial front. Even though we thought we "discovered" this place on a lark, we did see quite a few tour buses so obviously it's on the itineraries of many of the packaged tours.

Well, regardless of whether it has gotten any pub or not, we thoroughly enjoyed this place, and now we think of this place when it comes to charming Swiss towns.

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