The Sawyer Stories

MICHAEL

Best mode of transportation – Train

Best airport – Stockholm Arlanda

Best hotel – Scandic Hub Helsinki 

Best Airbnb – Athens 

Best food overall – Naxos 

Easiest place to be vegan – Athens 

Best weather – London (I think we got lucky)

Cleanest city – Stockholm

Best views – Train Ride to Zurich 

Best hospitality – Naxos 

Best outing/activity/excursion – Olympic Workout in Athens

Best purchase before the trip – Apple Airpods Max

Most unnecessary purchase – Cooling Cloth (I tried to tough it out J)

Biggest surprise – How affordable Greece and Rome were

Funniest moment – The entirety of Back to the Future the Musical 

Hardest moment – Trying to figure out how to get to our Airbnb in Athens

Moment you felt like a tourist – Trying to figure out the bus system on Naxos

Moment you felt like a local – Walking through the streets of London searching for an Alley from a Libertines music video and visiting Rough Trade Records to shop. 

Where you’d like to revisit – London 

If you had to choose, where would you want to live – London 

Most like home – London

Least like home – Naxos 

What continent you want to visit next – Asia and Australia

New Rhythm you want to adopt – Two Duvets from Scandinavia 

Superlative for Liam – Bravest Traveler (He was alone in Sweden for a week!)

Superlative for Michael – Best Navigator 

Superlative for Amber – Greatest Food Planner (Read as ‘She’s the best Mom’)

AMBER
Best mode of transportation: train
Best airport: Stockholm both for efficiency and restaurants
Best hotel: Scandic in Helsinki
Best Airbnb: Naxos
Best food overall: Rome
Easiest place to be vegan: Greece (Athens and Naxos)
Best weather: London
Cleanest city: Stockholm
Best views: Ano Koufonisi, Greece
Best hospitality: Athens
Best outing/activity/excursion: so tricky…boat ride through the Cyclades
Best purchase before the trip: Pair Eyewear glasses and a blanket scarf. The glasses were great for switching frames and easy switching to sunglasses and the scarf was great for a shawl, scarf, or blanket on travel days and chillier days.
Most unnecessary purchase: travel pillow
Biggest surprise: The smoking! So many people smoking in every single country we visited.
Funniest moment: Watching Liam’s head bob as he fell asleep the side of a boat.
Hardest moment: Trying to find the pedestrian entrance to the ferry in Patras. So hot and so confusing.
Moment you felt like a tourist: Riding the train in Rome. We all stood up in front of the door at our stop. We waited and then the train lurched forward to the next stop, causing us all to almost teeter over. Apparently we were supposed to hit a button for the doors to open.
Moment you felt like a local: Leisurely sitting outside at restaurants in Stockholm and Helsinki.
Where you’d like to revisit: If I have to choose just one, Rome
If you had to choose, where would you want to live: London
Most like home: London
Least like home: Naxos
What continent you want to visit next: South America
Superlative for Liam: Most likely to talk about F1
Superlative for Michael: Most likely to stop and stretch
Superlative for Amber: Most likely to get injured

LIAM
Best mode of transportation: The cab pick up in Athens. He was so nice.
Best airport: Zurich
Best hotel: London
Best Airbnb: Naxos
Best food overall: Naxos
Easiest place to be vegan: Naxos
Best weather: Naxos
Cleanest city: Stockholm
Best views: Naxos
Best hospitality: Naxos
Best outing/activity/excursion: Boat to Greek Islands
Best purchase before the trip: plug adapter and charging port
Most unnecessary purchase: travel blankets
Biggest surprise: There weren’t Swedish Fish in Sweden
Hardest moment: no personal space on transportation
Moment you felt like a tourist: While we were touring the Colosseum
Moment you felt like a local: Riding in a cab in London
Where you’d like to revisit: Sweden
If you had to choose, where would you want to live: Sweden
Most like home: London
Least like home: Rome
What continent you want to visit next: Australia
Superlative for Liam: Best Money Manager
Superlative for Michael: Most Likely to Take A Nap
Superlative for Amber: Best Photographer