Jeremy, Author at LIVING THE DREAM

Bougatsa is the One Greek Pastry You Absolutely Must Try

Bougatsa is one of those things that when you see pictures of it or read about it you instantly start drooling, even if you’ve never eaten it before.

Such was the case for us when we heard about it on Anthony Bourdain’s show “No Reservations,” and again from one of our friends who traveled to Greece. (Okay, fine, so you have heard about it, but you probably have long since forgotten).

So what is bougatsa? It’s a Greek pastry consisting of buttery, flaky phyllo dough wrapped around either a cheese filling or a sweet semolina custard filling.

Drooling yet? Yep, I thought so.

Cappadocia is one of those places that everyone should visit during a trip, and is the one place you'll regret most if you skip it.

To say that Cappadocia is an amazing destination is putting it lightly. It is one of the most unique places we have ever traveled to.

The rock towers, or “fairy chimneys,” are unlike anything we've seen, and that is without even getting into the underground cities, lush valleys, and other scenery that the region is famous for.

And then there are the Cappadocia hot air balloon trips- the region's crown jewel. It is said that the region is in the Top 10 in the world for ballooning, and it only takes a few photos to understand why. The fairy chimneys from below are stunning, but from above you get a fresh new perspective into the entire region.

So while you'll regret missing Cappadocia if you skip it on your next trip, it is my unfortunate duty to tell you that you'll hate yourself even more if you skip out on the hot air balloon experience when you are there.

So when you finally get done convincing yourself to do it, the following is what you are in for.

We were hosted by Royal Balloon for our flight over Cappadocia.

Our time in the Greek Islands of Crete, Santorini, and Milos was mostly spent enjoying the sights from the land either by long hikes or public transportation to the furthest corners the roads will take you. These experiences were some of the best any visitor to the islands can have, but there is one way you can enjoy it even more.

The absolute best way to get to know a Greek island is to see it from the sea.

We were holding off on taking a boat tour in Greece until our last island, Milos, because it is full of many unique geographical features that can only be enjoyed by being on the sea.

In fact, if you don't plan on taking a boat tour of this particular island, you might not even want to bother going (although, it is still a pretty neat place if you decide to go anyway).

One of my favorite things about Paris is the bakeries: they lure you in with their yeasty smells and their beautiful displays of croissants, baguettes, and sweets that are downright works of art.

On our recent trip to Paris, we made sure to visit as many bakeries as possible to scope out the best French baked goods.Usually we stuck with sampling traditional croissants and baguettes, partly because I have attempted to make baguettes and croissants at home before and know they can be somewhat tricky; therefore, these two ostensibly simple baked goods seem a perfect test of a bakery’s merit.

We set out on our research phase in Paris to hopefully enlighten and inspire us to improve our homemade versions of these baked goods.

Bougatsa is the One Greek Pastry You Absolutely Must Try

Royal Balloon Review – Floating Over Cappadocia in a Balloon

When in Milos, Greece, Go For a Boat Tour on the Thalassitra

French Croissant and Baguette – Making the Perfect Treat