We had two stops in Greece - Santorini and Corfu.

Santorini is absolutely picturesque, one of those rare places where human structures actually add to the beauty of the landscape. Whitewashed houses sit clustered atop dramatic cliffs, their doors and domed roofs the same hue of blue as the sea. The most striking part of the landscape is the water-filled caldera, the center of which is a volcano. One of the largest eruptions on earth occurred here thousands of years ago, and some people believe that before the eruption Santorini was the location of the lost city of Atlantis.

During our day in Santorini, we were content to stroll around and just enjoy the natural and manmade beauty visible at every turn. The village of Oia was particularly pretty, and we ambled slowly through, stopping often to take photos or pop into shops. Then we sampled wines at a vineyard. Because of the high volcanic ash content of the soil, grapes in Santorini are distinctly different; the vines grow low to the ground like bushes, and the grapes themselves have a unique taste. We didn't really like the wines we tasted, although the olives we were served were so good.

Our tour guide in Santorini was a petite, very pretty local woman who had an adorable way of speaking. She spoke English well, but with a Greek accent. And she had a couple phrases that she repeated often as she shared information with us. She would sometimes begin sentences with I must tell you... as in "I must tell you that the volcano erupted thousands of years ago." Also, she would say, "What I am about to tell you will surprise you." And then she'd share a fact that we did not find at all surprising. She was very cute. And now Rob and I cannot help but start conversations with "What I am about to tell you will surprise you."

Click to see Santorini photo gallery.

Corfu was another place, like Dubrovnik, in which we didn't know what to expect. But like Dubrovnik, I found it to be delightful. Corfu boasts an eclectic combination of architectural styles - Byzantine, Italian, French, British. The Old Town is a winding maze of streets, much like Venice but without the canals, anchored on each side by a fort.

Our first stop was the New Fort. (And by "New" they really mean newer. It was built in the 13th century.) In addition to great views of the city, it had hella-cool underground tunnels. The four of us were like kids exploring the peepholes and darkened passageways. In fact, we lost track of time, and when we emerged, the fort had closed for the day, locking us in. (In our defense, neither Doreen nor I knew the fort closed at 3pm. The guys were told this, but apparently didn't deem this information worth sharing or abiding by.) When we returned to the only entrance/exit, the heavy iron gate was padlocked shut. We all looked at one another, and it was clear we were all thinking the same thing: How do you escape a FORT? I mean, shit, being insurmountable is its entire purpose. As we walked around in search of an employee, we talked about how this would never happen in the States because we're so worried about liability. (This contrast is apparent everywhere - so many spots I could have fallen into a canal in Venice, for instance. Here, that city would be a lawsuit waiting to happen.) I usually find this relaxed, laidback attitude refreshing, although I found it significantly less endearing when faced with spending the night in a freaking fort.

Of course, we didn't have to sleep in the fort. We never found an employee, but during our search we encountered another group of visitors. We could see them from where we were standing on the wall, and we peered down at them as they proceeded to the gate....and marched right though. They must have had a key, because when we rushed down to the gate, we found they had left the padlock open. Hurray! Ironically, later in the day I ended up scaling the other fort's gate, this time to get IN. This one also closed at 3, but I wanted to see part of it. So I climbed the gate. (My goody-goody husband, of course, did not.) This gate was not nearly so impressive, however. It was a side gate, not the main one. Totally surmountable, as it were.

Kelly the Conqueror

Unlike most of the places we visited, Corfu was really buzzing with locals. They all emerged in the evening, and the energy was palpable in the streets and at the outdoor cafés. In that sense, Corfu felt more like a contemporary city, albeit one with a rich history whose streets and structures seemed to take us back in time.

Click to see Corfu photo gallery.

Best back door location ever.

The caldera