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Within two days of arriving in Greece, all the worry and anxiety of the days before evaporated. We traveled by ferry from Athens to an island called Serifos, staying in a house that a cousin of my mother's lent to us. With no Internet connection and no phone line and hardly a soul around us, there was nothing to do but swim, read, contemplate the impossible beauty around us, eat sun-warmed figs plucked off the tree next to the front door, swim and read some more. Thank goodness.

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I read five books in the first week. Actually, if we're going to get technical, five books in five days. Yes, this is the kind of crazed bookworm I am. If given some free time and a stack of books (or a Kindle, as the case may be), I will plow through them like a house on fire. Look out.

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We walked through hilltop villages where everything was as white-cubed and blue-domed as in the picture books.

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We held our breath as we swam, goggled, through crystal-clear water. We saw black sea urchins, holding on tightly to the rocks, and schools of fearless small fish that darted towards us again and again.

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We met Greece's silent majority: Street cats.

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We photographed every sunset and felt a million miles away from everything we'd left behind. It was just the two of us. Just the way it should be.

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Whenever we saw horta on a menu, we ordered it. There was feta galore and there were tiny fried anchovies and, by the side of a small beach one day, a plate of pork meatballs that could redefine the genre. We dragged the meatballs through a smear of tzatziki and munched, hot, cold, crunchy, smooth, while we watched a teenager walk in from the water, a speared octopus in hand.

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It occurred to me at some point that in my adult life, I have never had a vacation that lasted for two whole weeks. The Europeans are onto something here. As the days melted into another and I started forgetting if it was a Monday or a Thursday, I practically saw the tension lift off my body like steam and gently float away.

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When our time on Serifos came to an end, we took leave of the impossibly clear water, the sprawling fig tree, the stone floors and the dirt road in front of the house and boarded a ferry, heading to Milos and then Santorini.

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It was lovely there, but we missed the stark, lonely beauty of Serifos. Our quiet little beach. Our dirt road. Our fig tree. The sound of waves each night as we fell asleep.

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But really, that's just splitting hairs. I still found it possible to fall more in love with my husband every single day. Feeling like I hit the jackpot for getting to spend the rest of my life with him. In fact, even when the trip came to an end, it was hard to feel sad. We got to go home together! Our lovely, cozy, homey home.

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Honeymooning, man. It's pretty great. In fact, I've decided we'll be needing a honeymoon every year. Stopping at one just seems silly. Wouldn't you say?

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I'll be back with new posts, recipes and more in a day or two. It's so good to be back.

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59 responses to “Honeymooning”

  1. Jane Avatar

    What gorgeous pictures! That crystal blue sea! I reckon a vacation is what everyone needs, at least once a year 🙂

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  2. Charlotte au Chocolat Avatar

    Sounds positively dreamy! So happy for you!

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  3. Zia Elle Avatar

    Actually, we make an honeymoon every year. And we like it sooooo much!!
    Love Greece!!

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  4. philip hendon Avatar

    Good to be back? you fibber! 🙂 I love Greece and have been there so many times I can’t remember exactly how many and I defy anybody to tell me of a better holiday destination, that is mixed with the scenery/culture, people, food and general relaxation. Just don’t mention the ablutions!

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  5. Brighton Restaurants Avatar

    Its like heaven on Earth. Really Amazing Pictures. Thanks for such a nice share. Happy honeymooning. Cheers!!

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  6. Lemon Avatar

    Sounds like the perfect honeymoon. The photos are so beautiful, I feel like I should also go thereto one day.

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  7. kickpleat Avatar

    I loved your photos and hearing about your honeymoon. I smiled at the octopus photo and then got all teary eyed about loving your husband more. Hooray for 2 week vacations (and longer!) and hooray for the happiness and love you’ve got. The smiles on your faces are perfect. Congratulations!!

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  8. Amanda Arthur Avatar
    Amanda Arthur

    So happy for you and so glad your honeymoon was the relaxing recharge you needed! Your glow is palpable! My husband and I went to Crete for our honeymoon last June and had such an amazing time. Locals were so generous and friendly, the food was amazing, and the scenery was just spectacular – white sand, black pebble beaches and the second-largest gorge in Europe (fun fact)! I’m going to have to go through my own photos and relive the experience after this post.
    P.S. I’m also going to have my husband read this post so that he can see that I’m not the only one who A) Often reads a book a day on vacation and B) Can’t resist interrupting him with fascinating facts everytime I read Bill Bryson.
    Great to have you back 🙂

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  9. Kierston Avatar
    Kierston

    Drooling over these pictures! Isn’t it amazing how much a vacation can refresh and recharge your life? You look like you had a great time 🙂

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