Holiday in Zakynthos

This time, I was using the technology to my advantage - I found online numerous details about the Caravelle hotel, together with pictures (far better than anything the travel agent had been able to provide and the hotel seemed idyllic) and booked it.

A few weeks before we were due to go we had the dreaded letter from the travel agent "...there may be some building work...".

Having obtained the hotel’s telephone number from the web, I telephoned the hotel!

"Milate Anglikia parakolo?"

"Neh" - quickly followed by "Yes"

Thank goodness, I asked about the building work only to be re-assured that this finished some time ago and everything was OK and they would ensure we had a good room.

We duly arrived some weeks later about 8.00pm and surprisingly the receptionist remembered the phone call, she made profuse apologies about the room we would have for that night, advised us not to unpack and tomorrow she would arrange to have us transferred to a better room.

Sure enough, the next morning on our way to breakfast, the receptionist told us to go and enjoy ourselves, she would arrange for the luggage to be moved. When we subsequently got to the room, it was superb - a sea view, a bottle of wine, some fruit and flowers awaited us - well done Caravelle.

The following morning we awoke to a beautiful sunrise.

Yes - I know it looks like a sunset but believe me is was a sunrise -I hadn’t got to the Ouzo yet !

Also, as we sat on the balcony watching the sunrise, we were ‘buzzed’ by the local inhabitant feeding her young above us, whilst this was delightful to watch, it also meant that we had to be careful where we sat !

During our stay at the hotel, we were treated to the traditional Greek dancing and Greek music - truly wonderful and intoxicating in more ways than one !

According to Fiona the local red wine was having no effect as she started her second bottle - despite my warnings she finished the second bottle - oh well we all have to learn !!

Whilst in Zakynthos we decided to rent a car and explore inland, having heard about a village - Volimes. As we drove into the outskirts of Volimes, we noticed a small house on the right with scores of rugs and lace tablecloths, we pulled in and tried our best to hold a conversation with a dear old lady- we managed in typical tourist fashion, but decided to continue into Volimes, figuring we would be able to negotiate a better deal!

When we entered Volimes, what a sight - whilst only a two main street village, virtually every house was adorned with colourful towels, rugs, tablecloths, leather belts and a host of other items. Everywhere we went we were met with traders anxious to do a deal. Having seen one particular item we liked, we tried to get the price down to a price that suited us - no joy - we wandered off, only to be pursued by the lad’s mother offering us the item for the price we were prepared to pay !

We could hear the strains of Zorba playing somewhere and as we rounded the corner we were confronted by a donkey (the donkey’s the one on the right !)

Needless to say, the donkey achieved the desired result - we were lured into the web - Fiona stopped to stroke the donkey and sure enough the spider local trader pounced ! - We were captured !

He danced the Hasapico with Fiona to the strains of Zorba, persuaded her to have her picture taken on his donkey and invited us to his lair warehouse - where - needless to say he relieved us of a number of drachmas. Don’t get the wrong impression - we thoroughly enjoyed every minute - he was great -if any of his friends come across this page, please get him to drop us an E-mail. We still have the tablecloths and chair covers and still think they were a bargain.

Remember the old lady on the way in ? We stopped on the way back out and bought the tablecloth without too much haggling - we hadn’t the heart to knock her price down too much (some stories have to have a happy ending !)

As I mentioned, this was now our third trip to the Greek Isles and Fiona had decided it was time for me to get some culture instead of beach bumming - we duly booked a trip to Olympia.

A coach and ferry trip and we were in Olympia. As we strolled down the main street the first thing that struck us was the number of high class jewellers - we were enticed into a shop by a charming guy, but I managed to resist - only to be caught further down the street by an older lady offering orange juice and air-conditioning, I came out with a gold chain and �250 less in my wallet !!

On to the site of the original Olympics - I was captivated - and me a Luddite ! There is so much to see and so much to absorb that I could not do it justice here - and I’m the one who told the teacher that someone had to come bottom in History !

DON’T MISS IT !!!

I might get round to doing a separate page on Olympia from a tourist perspective - watch this space !

Back to the hotel, on the night before we left a traveling music and dance troupe descended upon the hotel and we were treated to a magical evening of dance and delicate singing. The costumes were magnificent and the music enchanting - if anyone recognizes the group from the photographs - please let me know where I can get a CD of their songs.

What can you say about Zakynthos (Zante), it’s a typical Greek island; a lush green envelopes the island, the seas really are as blue as the picture postcards, there are numerous sandy beaches and secluded coves, there is much to see and explore - in fact we took double the amount of photo’s on this holiday and I could easily have doubled the length of this travelogue.

Verdict - Zakynthos - well worth a visit

And finally the local Mafia at the Caravelle Hotel enjoying their moment - after having conned me into thinking I was sharing a Tequila slammer with them - only to knock back in one swig, a glass of cold water!
Wherever we’ve been in Greece, we always find warm, friendly people enjoying life to the full - that’s why we go back year after year.

Holiday in Skiathos

We flew from the UK directly into Skiathos - our first experience of Greece, having wanted to sample Greece for some years. How well I remember the blast of heat and the magnificent blue skies as we got off the plane - glorious!

A short bus ride to our accommodation in Platanias - we had decided to go self catering - and our first paddle in the Aegean. I could not believe how crystal clear the water was (UK residents will understand!) The unusual sanitary arrangements in the accommodation were a very small price to pay for such crystal clear water in which to swim.

Rather than travel far our first evening, we decided to eat at the local tavern and were warmly welcomed by Kostsos and Kristos. The food was superb but the traveling had made Fiona unwell and she was unable to finish her meal - no problem - no charge - in fact more concern as to my wife’s health - to cut a long story short we had many enjoyable times here subsequently both in ‘03 and ‘06. Yia sas Kostos & Kristos -here’s hoping we meet again.

This year I had persuaded Fiona that I wanted to "beach-bum" (spend my days lying in the sun on the beach and going for a swim to cool down). The local beach (4 minutes walk from the accommodation) was no disappointment: plenty of sun beds & shades, a tavern on the beach playing Joe Cocker and serving delightful fresh fish dishes (sadly this was closed but hopefully has been resurrected -no matter - there were other taverns on the beach). Sunbathe, a swim to cool down, an Ouzo at the taverna and a stroll along the beach - what more can anyone want.

The following morning we decided to use the inexpensive, frequent bus service into Skiathos town to explore, on this occasion the buses were reasonably empty - at night it was a different story - a bus would pull up with numerous people already standing (in the UK anymore than 8 standing and the bus would not have stopped) "move along, move along" however they say that in Greek and we were aboard - only to stop at a number of other stops and marvel at how many people would fit on one bus. After this experience we had no qualms about waiting for a bus - in fact we quite looked forward to it even though the local taxis (all Mercedes) were very reasonable.

We would send most of our evenings in Skiathos town, meandering around the back streets just off Papadiamantis St and then stroll along the harbor past the numerous restaurants and shops. At night we would find a variety of street traders, one painting local scenes on greetings cards to send home, one making jewelery - somehow twisting your name into an intricate design with stainless steel wire, one engraving your name on a grain of rice, one selling local caught sponges etc. How we loved to haggle and practise our new found Greek with the sponge trader -he was very good - and we still have the sponges some years later !

We would then be spoilt for choice as to where to eat, but we were never disappointed.

One of the things we loved about Skiathos was the frequent bus service along the south of the island, enabling us to try many of the beautiful sandy beaches along the coast. It was probably because of this and the very good taxi service that we never rented a car and did not get to see inland.

During the holiday we took one of the many excursions to neighboring islands, this particular one was to Skopelos. Even waiting for the ferry was an enjoyable experience - watching the many boats arriving and also the planes landing and taking off.

We took the Flying Dolphins ferry and arrived on the east coast of Skopelos in no time at all.

Unfortunately, because of the language barrier we did not understand what they said and immediately got off ! The absence of any bus service, taxis etc. should have told us something (apparently the ferry continues to the main port on the other side of the island !)

What confronted us was a steep climb through the local town, which in itself proved most interesting if not a little tiring. On arrival at the top we managed to explain that we were looking for a local bus service to take us to the other side of the island, thankfully we were understood and managed to catch a local bus to take us to Skopelos town.

The scenery was fantastic and if we had had more time we would have loved to stop off at one or more of the local villages. Skopelos town itself was charming and we had a delicious lunch before catching the normal ferry back to Skiathos

Holiday in Paros

This was our fourth holiday on the Greek Islands, having previously been to Skiathos twice and Zakynthos once. We arrived on Saturday 12th August after an eventful 36 hour journey which will no doubt be a long running saga between the tour operators and ourselves. BE AWARE - HIGH WINDS IN AUGUST SOMETIMES STOP HIGH SPEED AND SMALL FERRIES !

However, once on the island of Paros it was everything we hoped it would be. We were actually grateful for the high winds referred to above because in the fortnight we were there we did not see a single cloud and the wind helped to keep the temperatures to a comfortable level.

We stayed in the Zefi apartments on the outskirts of Naoussa which is on the north of the island. Zefi - a family (all of whom made us most welcome - no doubt we will return !) run business run by Zefi (Mamma) a charming lady - who speaks virtually no English - her husband Babis (excuse the spelling) and their three offspring Christos, Yannis and Elleni (whose English is superb). Last but not least - Theodore - what a character, a wonderful dry sense of humour and a most helpful guy.

Enough of the advertisements, what about the island ?

Beaches

There was no problem whatsoever in finding quiet sandy beaches even in high season, some within 5 minutes walking distance and others accessible by bus either from Naoussa or Paroikia the capital. This beach at Santa Maria - unspoilt, you can get sunbeds & umbrellas, although what few people we saw preferred to do their own thing; no tavernas on the beach so take your own food & drink unless you want a 3 minute stroll to the nearest cafe. This picture was taken about mid-day in the middle of August with Naoussa in the background.

This beach at Farangas on the south of the island close to Alykes, reached by car down a short dusty track. There’s a delightful little taverna on the beach where we sat and enjoyed a delicious cafe frappe before going for a swim. The high winds did mean that once or twice people on the beach were sand blasted, but a small price to pay for a beautiful setting.

We tried a number of beaches, each of which were charming in their own way but two we particularly liked were :

Ampelas - on the north east of the island, sandy beach,tavernas & charming little harbour.

Piso Livadi - a lot busier but well worth a mention if only for the fact that there is a free car park immediately by the beach and numerous tavernas.

Moving inland.

We attempted to get to the monastery of Agios Antonios at Marpissa, but after driving up a steep winding road for approx. one mile we found ourselves some 300 metres short of the monastery - which we would have to do on foot. I’m embarrassed to say that we just could not face this steep climb, but we did enjoy the panoramic views and marvelled at how the monks manage this journey on a regular basis. Driving further inland we came to the beautiful village of Lefkes with the classic method of cultivation, using terraces just outside the village. A short distance from Lefkes is Kostos, where we stopped for lunch. An idyllic setting on the side of the main road, the taverna being populated with many trees offering shade and a deafening chorus from the crickets when the wind wasn’t blowing. Having perused the menu for five minutes we finally decided what we wanted, only to be told by the lady of the house that there was only a limited menu at lunchtimes ! Oh well - what we had was delicious and the setting was superb.

The towns.

Oh how we fell in love with the maze of little alleyways devoid of cars in both Paroikia and Naoussa. I don’t think we ever found the same way to a particular shop or restaurant twice, but that’s what made it more fun, because we kept finding a NEW shop or restaurant. Each day would find another local inhabitant painting the gaps between the slabs in the alleyways adding further brilliance to the dazzling white of the towns.

Eating out

So many places to choose from each night, each with their own style.

Whilst eating in Naoussa did we want to :

a) sit in the midst of Naoussa and watch the whole world go by, marvel at the street acrobat and his daughter performing, watch the local artists at work.

b) sit in a restaurant with the drying squid as a backdrop

c) sit somewhere quiet and relaxing listening to simple Greek music

d) sit at a table on the beach or by the harbour watching the sun go down (Shirley Valentine style)

We did them all but for c) we’d recommend Pervolaria and for d) we’d recommend Mitsi or Meltemi, but for me nothing beats watching the sun go down in Greece.

Crete in March (Part II)

We were ready for lunch so we drove north through Elounda to the fishing village of Plaka. We looked for boats to take us to the fortress turned leper colony, but there were none as it is still winter.

We did find a wonderful fish tavern for lunch. Of course, we were the only patrons. The proprietor showed us two pans of fish (caught this morning). We selected a flat flounder and a big something or other, which we had with a big salad and a plate of grilled octopus. The view was magnificent--right on the sheltered blue green bay with the island opposite. The "beach" was large, perfectly smooth river stones, and when the waves went out, we could hear a unique sound as they tumbled against each other.

Thus fortified, we drove to the Aretion monastery (closed), stopped and hiked to the scanty remains of ancient Dreros, an important city in the Archaic Period (620-480 BC), where I found a scrap of ancient pottery.

Here we found that everything we had read about the sensual nature of Greece is true. You are surrounded by the sounds of birds singing and the smells of herbs--oregano, thyme and sage. The colors are intense--blue sky and deep blue water; yellow, red and white flowers; pink almond trees.

Home through Kastelli (a different one) with old Venetian mansions and its neighbor, Phourni. It was sprinkling a bit as we stopped to see the "other face of Elounda," the half-submerged city or Olous, destroyed by an earthquake around the 4th century. At the site was also a beautiful mosaic floor, now totally exposed to the elements, from an Early Christian basilica.

Wed., March 11

It was raining when we got up, so we decided to attack Heraklion and the world famous Archaeological Museum. We found a place to park about two inches longer than Jive and just about as wide. Jerry did a great job of parking. (Although the driver's mirror was "folded" back when we returned)


Most of the treasures of Knossos and the other palaces are here, and it was a very interesting visit, especially since we've seen some and will see more of the sites. Again, our guidebook did an excellent job of identifying the contents of each room's cases.

We finished just before 2 and decided to try and reach Tylissos (which closes at 3), where the remains of 3 late Minoan villas are on display. If we hadn't become hopelessly lost in Heraklion we might have made it. As it was, we got there (the books are right--get out of this capital city as quickly as you can) about 2:45, in the pouring rain, and it was locked. However, the parking lot overlooked the site so we were able to get a good idea of its layout.

We had to go back toward the capital so we stopped at a very OBT taverna in Gais. The owner, who looked as if he had spent the morning painting and plastering, spoke no English. So we went into the kitchen, he opened the fridge, and we pointed. Everything was good including a great plate of papouleh salad (I think it must have been some sort of wild green), drizzled with olive oil and vinegar.

We got home about 5:30 and rested.


Th., March 12

This was a long day--we didn't get home till after 7 (and left at 8:30 am) but a very interesting one. The weather was bright and sunny if a bit cool in the mountains, with dramatic black clouds hovering over the mountains.

We took the road south to Ierapetra, the most southerly town in Europe. This is a rich vegetable and fruit-growing region--cucumbers, tomatoes and beans--and is known as the vegetable garden of Greece. Olives and citrus trees were everywhere. The trip was gorgeous, with breathtaking views.

From Ierapetra we turned west and traveled close to the coast to Mirtos, the "hippie beach" where the caves are now locked at night to keep them out. The road went slightly north and then west--very picturesque. Between Sinikismos and Aniras we suddenly came upon a modern monument with a poem in four languages (Greek, English, German and French) inscribed on stones, which honored the 350 people, killed by the Nazis in 1943.

We took one wrong turn but it was only about six miles. I continue to be impressed by this map. We stopped at the town of Aimi at the village market, but it was strictly for the town, not for tourists. There were the usual fruit and vegetable vendors, but also shoes, fabrics, clothes and hardware--nothing we couldn't live without, and no handicrafts.

We drove all the way to Agia Triada for the first of four planned stops. I had a few doubts about whether we would make it up the road, but we did. Speculation is that this site was the summer residence of the rulers from the palace at Festos. Many frescoes and cult objects were found here including the Harvester Vase and the wonderful sarcophagus we saw in Heraklion. One of the interesting things here is the number of apparently original columns, carvings, etc that haven't been moved.

We took a short detour to the town of Vori, where we saw a very interesting folk museum with exhibits categorized into areas of everyday life: food gathering, weaving, agriculture, viniculture, tools, etc.


Festos (Phaistos) was the next stop. After Knossos, this is the most important palace. Like the others it was destroyed and rebuilt on two occasions and was used until 1450 BC (and the catastrophe of Santorini). The famous Festos disc with the world's oldest printed script was found here.

We stopped for lunch in Mires and once again had a very authentic meal. We each started with a bean dish: mine was a kind of vegetable stew, and J's was mashed and heated gray beans drenched with olive oil and onions. Then I had wonderful light fried eggplant slices and J had octopus stew followed by meatballs.

Then to the final site, Gortis, quite a different one. The first building is the impressive ruin of the basilica of St. Titus (6th century), pupil of St. Paul and the first bishop of Crete. More impressive is the Odeon (theatre) at first century Roman rotunda with the famous Code of Gortys, a law code dating from 500-450 BC. Twelve tables of laws have been preserved out of probably an original 20. They are on 42 stone blocks. The Romans didn't understand the dialect and left them alone.

Then we walked across the street and through a working olive grove where columns and tablets lay about or formed part of farmers' walls. What a sense of history! Finally we found a Roman Praetorium, an excavation in process with first and second century carvings. Quite a day!


Fri., March 13

Our vacation is coming to an end. This day was beautiful. We went into AN in the morning. The shop was still closed, so we walked around the town a bit and when we came back it was finally open. The owner, artist Nick Gavril, was working on his copies of ancient Greek art. He told us about the pieces, including a major one, which has been purchased by the Met. We selected a plate with symbols of Aphrodite, Poseidon, and "Harmony."

Then we set off for a scenic tour around the Lasithiou Plateau. We climbed and climbed, almost to the snow covered peaks, then descended into the plain, a basin of about 15 square miles enclosed by the Dikti mountains, and one of the most fertile areas of Crete, growing potatoes, fruits and cereals. One of the caves here (which we didn't visit) was the birthplace of Zeus.

We were hungry and stopped at the only town, which looked as if it might have a taverna, Dzernuado. It had several, but only one was open. The lady in charge, after running across the street when she saw us, led us to the kitchen and offered us bean soup and pork with roasted potatoes. She apologized for not having more, but this was not the season of tourists. It looked fine to us, and we ate heartily.

On the road out of town, we spied a tiny stone shop with beautiful weavings, lace and embroidery. Jerry bargained and we left with 2 rugs.

We stopped at a charming little abandoned monastery, Moni Gouverniotisas, whose only inhabitants were 2 baby goats. In the center was a gorgeous lemon tree, and J speared himself on giant thorns releasing 3 of the yellow globes from bondage.

After one last stop at the supermercado, we made our way back to the villa and began to pack. We went back to Gleeka's for dinner. She was very happy to see us and we had a long conversation. She gave us ouzo again and we ordered dinner: Lamb chops for me and baked gyros with brandy sauce for J. We talked some more and her husband made us a flaming brandy. Jerry forgot to blow his out before tasting. Now his bottom lip is white. We had a drink at the hotel bar and retired.

Sat., March 14

We checked out (owing 17759 drachmas for electricity and water) and headed west about 9:30. We had one last palace to see--Malia--and almost felt as if we knew what we were looking at--we have learned something. Malia was signposted and had paths, probably because of its proximity to the capital. There were also a few other tourists here.

We ate sandwiches by the roadside and made it to the airport without incident. I checked us in while J returned Jive to Hertz. We waited about 45 minutes and boarded our flight. We've noticed that there seems to be little organization in Greek airports. We landed in Athens and got a cab to the Odeon. It seemed to take a long time. There was a demonstration against the devaluation of the drachma and it made the route slow.

We checked in and called Panos. We arranged to meet them at Kolonaki Square, the center of Athens and a very posh neighborhood. We ate dinner at Jackson Hall, an American style sports bar, and then Michael took us for a hair-raising ride up to Lykavithos Hill, the highest in the city. We drove as far as we could, then walked the rest of the way. The views were spectacular. The small whitewashed chapel of Agios Georgios crowns the top of the hill. We had coffee and dessert in the restaurant and then walked back to the car. It was a great way to spend our last evening in Greece.


Sun., March 15

Home on another long flight. Got to LBI about 7:30 PM (2:30 AM body time), went through the mail and prepared to return to reality.

Crete in March (Part I)

Sat., March 7

Six thirty came very early this morning, but we made it. Caught a cab with no trouble at 7 and were at the airport by 7:20 (with a stop on the way to photograph the Acropolis at dawn) for our 8:50 flight. It was uneventful (Olympic Air) and we landed at Heraklion about 9:40. The Hertz counter at the International terminal was closed, but the regular one was open and we got our green, green, green "Jive" Nissan and were on our way.

The drive to Elounda was beautiful. Arid hills, which go right down to the blue sea, were covered with red, white, yellow and orange flowers. Then we found Porto Elounda Mare!!

This is an unbelievably luxurious resort. We are in "Kos", #10 Villa: 2 stories, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 fireplaces, sunken living room, full kitchen, private garden, and our own pool. I feel like Jackie O. The off-season rate is $300 per day and in high season it's $750. I'm a bit overwhelmed.


After we unpacked, we decided on a short trip to visit Krista, a little village near our capital of Agios Nickolas. We visited the church of Panagia Kera, a tiny place and one of the finest creations of Byzantine art. A grove of pines and cypresses gives it an atmosphere of tranquility, but the best things are the beautiful frescos, "the finest in Crete." They were painted everywhere and, even with our very good guidebook, we gave up on identifying all the saints and Bible stories.


Close by was the Doric town of Lato. Here are the ruins of a town founded in the 7th and 8th centuries BC. We wound our way up a narrow and rough road and found one old man sitting by a gate. He told us the site closed at three (it was shortly after 1), and we began our climb. What a neat place!! The Dorians came after the peaceful and creative Minoans and Myceans and really began the classic Greek culture. It is very simple and elegant architecture. The town was very interesting and easy to follow with our books. We also saw kiri kiri (wild goats) clinging to the sides of sheer rock faces.



We made it back by 2:30 and figured we had better find some places to buy food before everything closes at three. We got oranges at a fruit stand, bread at a bakery, and sausage, wine and cheese at a mini mart. We came back to Elounda for a late lunch and stopped at Gleeka's place. Apparently they weren't scheduled to open till five tonight (Grand Opening), but they seemed happy to serve us. We had grilled eggplant, gyros and Greek salad with lots of wine. Gleeka brought us complementary ouzo first and before we left brought us another (for the other leg). We talked quite a while. She is newly here after a not too happy experience in Germany. We walked around the port, but I was tired, so we came home to watch our beautiful view and catch up on our sleep. We went to bed at nine.

Sun., March 8

Slept soundly until 8, breakfasted on freshly squeezed (of course our villa has an electric juicer) orange juice and rolls, then began our "Eastern Crete" itinerary.

Gournia was a typical Minoan town with narrow paved streets, small dwelling houses and a palace and temple on the highest ground. It is one of the earliest examples of a European town. Gournia was occupied from BC 3000-1100. The remains date from its heyday between 1800 and 1500 BC (late middle and early late Minoan periods).

I bought some film in the little fishing village of Paheia Ammes, and we followed the beautiful road along the coast to Sitia. We stopped several times to admire the panoramas. After the first stop, Jerry always remembered to set the hand brake before we got out.

We left the main (red) highway for a yellow road, which hugged the coast, passing the interesting Italinate monastery at Toplori. It was built in the first half of the 14th century and was much used during WWII. We didn't stop as one of the books talked about how the architecture had been changed to accommodate tourists and about how one of the two remaining monks (there had been 150) was rather "sullen."

The landscape is very barren and desolate--sharp mountains covered with stony rubble and scrub brush (herbs such as thyme) dropping right into the very blue sea. At one point we came upon a "development", Dionysis Villas, right in the middle of NOWHERE.

Then suddenly we were in the middle of a banana plantation and a beautiful palm lined blue beach at Vai. The book said the palms were a result of Arab traders leaving seeds from dates they ate. We bought some of the best bananas I've ever had and decided to wait for lunch.

We traveled south through Palekastro with a fascinating mixture of lush countryside and totally barren landscapes to the excavation site of Kato Zakros. The last curvy and rather steep stretch is interesting, leading through country that reminded us of photos of the moon. The valley, however, seemed lush, and we actually saw water on some of the rocks.

Suddenly, the road ended in front of a taverna. We parked and walked around until we found the entrance to the palace behind the taverna. We were (again) the only tourists, but there was a girl in the ticket booth who gave us two tickets (free) and told us the site closed at three (Why was she there?). This was less well preserved than Gournia, but better explained in both books. The area was inhabited from 2700 BC. The palace and ports were in existence from, 1600-1410, making it a bit later than Gournia but much earlier than Lato (Dorian). This one was destroyed by the Mycenaeans, not by the "catastrophes" (earthquakes and tidal waves) that kept destroying the rest of Crete.

We decided to have lunch at the taverna where we had parked (with one other, apparently the total town). The only other people there were locals. We sat at a table just feet from the sea and ate: souvlaki which we had seen cooking on an outdoor grill, tzatziki, Greek salad and calamari with bread and wine. Wonderful. (Jerry in the photo above).

We had filled up with gas at Sitia; so, with a full belly and a full gas tank, we headed west. There were two ways to go--the yellow roadway on which we had come, or the white (minor--some would say donkey path) road. Of course we picked the OBT way, a dirt and stone trail on which we only saw one other (very surprised) vehicle.

It was quite a trip, but we made it back to a yellow road (scenic) and then back via Sitia. On our way through Agios Nickolas, we saw a tiny church with the doors open and we went in. It was about 12x12 but filled with beautiful icons. Quite a treat. Home to our own palace where we had a snack (during which the maid came to check and make sure everything is OK--it is). Now we have to plan tomorrows and Knossos.


Mon., March 9

Another beautiful day. My spring clothes are very comfortable, although the Cretans are still wrapped in layers of woolen duds. It's lovely to come home at the end of the day and to write this journal while looking out over our lighted pool and the blue Mediterranean.


We drove back to Heraklion to get to the palace at Knossos (1600-1400 BC). Here the architectural apogee of the Golden Age of Minoan culture can be seen. The palace extends over five acres and had 1300 rooms on 4 stories. Eight thousand people lived there at the time of the catastrophe of Santorini in 1450. This is purported to be the scene of the Minoan labyrinth where King Minos kept the Minotaur until Theseus killed him. This was much more extensively renovated than anything we've seen so far and apparently the reconstruction has occasioned much controversy. All of the frescos and artifacts have been removed to the museum at Heraklion. Some have been recreated at Knossos and concrete has been used to hold stones together throughout the palace. I'm glad they did it, because it gives a much clearer picture of the site.

From Knossos we drove south through Arkhanes and fields and fields of olives and grapes. There were some excavations here, but they were closed on Monday, so we enjoyed the scenery and went over a very OBT road until we rejoined a red road to Kastelli.

We stopped at the Angarnthos monastery founded in 960. The newer church had wonderful icons including one of the "Mother of God Suckling the Child." We don't understand what the aluminum "tags" hanging from icons are.

We also don't know why the roadside shrines have unusual personal items in front of the icons.



The books talked about the town of Thrapsano where the main street is lined with potter's workshops and the winding lanes and old Turkish houses have hardly changed for centuries. We drove through and saw the workshops, but it seemed very strange, with no people, stores, tavernas or anything. On the outskirts of town we found a shop and bought a plate and a bowl.

The road led into Kastelli where we lunched at the taverna Irini (rainbow) in a neoclassical building built in 1910. We had a great meal of taramosalata, grilled octopus, moussaka and the old goat had old goat.



We came home and walked around the grounds.

Note: at the supermarket, the CD's were various Greek music, Frank Sinatra (40-year-old photo) and Tina Turner.



Tues., March 10

It was a bit overcast when we got up and had our fresh OJ, baklava, chocolate filled croissant, coffee and tea, so we decided to go into AN and visit the Archeological Museum, the most important one in Crete after the one in Heraklion. It was built in 1970 to house the rich new finds from eastern Crete. It was very well set up, with exhibits arranged in chronological order from Neolithic (6000-2100 BC) to the end of the Greco-Roman period (550-400 BC). It was very interesting, and my guidebook identified the contents of each room, case-by-case.

By the time we emerged, the weather had cleared and it was sunny and warm. We decided to explore the town. It is a very Mediterranean place, with the beautiful Gulf of Mirabello to the east and the picturesque lake Voulismeni (one of only 2 fresh water lakes in Crete) adjoining the harbor. One of the guidebooks says, "It soon becomes clear that water is not the main attraction...AN is quite simply a magnet for the trendiest of Crete's tourists--the one resort on the island which is reminiscent of Mykonos."

We, however, appear to be the only tourists here. We were the only ones at the Museum (they had to turn the lights on for us). The season doesn't start for another 10 days, and the Tourist Office wasn't even open (although the sign outside listed our hotel as the most expensive in the area). We walked around and looked in shops and restaurants. The one really nice "Museum Shop" was closed so we'll try that again.

We finally found the church for which the town was named. It was outside of the town on the grounds of the Minos Palace Hotel--a beautiful new place where workmen were frantically trying to get it ready for the season. We got a key for the church at the front desk (after surrendering our passport as hostage).

It was a beautiful little place and one of the oldest churches in Crete with the only example of the ornamental frescos from the period of Iconoclasm (726-843) when figural representation was banned in churches and the only painting was ornamental. It was overpainted with figures in the 14th century, and we also saw graffiti carved by visitors in the 18thcentury.

Backpacking in Greece (Part VI)

Parga - Mainland Greece

The village of Parga is well worth a visit or even a stay here, being only 1 hour by bus from Sivota. It is set against a backdrop of huge mountains overlooking a beautiful bay. High on the hill at the end of the harbour stands the ruins of a Venetian castle/fortress, which is brightly lit of an evening. From the castle i mention, there is a dirt track which runs down to a great beach called Valtos beach. You will find another great beach with very fine shingle at Lichnos. There are also two small town beaches, where if you wish can hire pedalos.

There are lots of very narrow streets surrounding Parga which are quite fun exploring. Plenty of tavernas, shops, and cafe/bars. There are also two discos here. Try taverna "Romantica" it probably has the best views and is not expensive at all. You will find this almost at the top of the many steps towards the castle. The taverna is signposted once you are near the top this is a 15 minute stroll.(quite steep) Parga is situated opposite the island of Paxos, nearest larger island being Corfu.

Parga is a lot busier than Sivota, you will find many rooms to rent here, even on the road approaching Parga village.

Backpacking in Greece (Part V)

Sivota - Mainland Greece

Both Sivota & Parga are on the Greek mainland, in an area known as Epirus, Sivota being opposite the island of Corfu, which can be seen from the harbour. The scenery around both these towns is spectacular, huge mountain ranges can be seen wherever you look.

Sivota is by far the quietest, although beginning to be noticed. There are several ways to get here; you can get a flight from Athens to Preveza, the nearest airport. Then take a Taxi from outside the airport this journey will take an hour to Parga, or a 2 hour journey to Sivota. You could email Vasso from Isabella Tours and I am sure she would organise a taxi to meet you at the airport.

Another option is a flight to Corfu then a ferry to Igoumenitsa, there you will need to catch a taxi to Sivota (which should take 45 minutes) or Parga (which should be around 90 minutes).

Or fly direct to Preveza with Excel Airlines operating from the UK. Do not let these journey times put you off, i can assure you it will be worth it!

When you reach your destination there will be no shortage of rooms for rent.

Once in Sivota pay a visit to Isabella Tours (general tourist office) A must! Vasso or Georgia will help you in any way, whether it be finding accomodation or just a day trip. They also rent motor bikes and scooters from their office in the main street, make sure you remember to take your driving license with you.

You can change any monies or travellers cheques in either of their two offices. Nothing is too much trouble for these great characters.

Upon arrival in Sivota you will probably be dropped off in the main street outside Isabella Tours. You are only five minutes walk from the beautiful waterfront. From this main street just past Isabella Tours you can catch a bus to Parga if you wish, the bus from Sivota leaves every day around 11-45am, and costs around 2 Euro.

Take note, the bus only goes one way and will not return to Sivota, therefore once you want to return, catch a taxi from the main street in Parga. Expect to see a taxi every 30 minutes or so, the cost should be around 20 Euro. It will take aprox 45 minutes. You may find them more frequent in the evening.

The motor bikes i mentioned before from Isabella Tours will cost around 10 Euro for the smaller engine size, i.e: 50cc, or 16 Euro for the larger bikes 125cc, this price is based on one day and does not include fuel which is extra.

There are many tavernas and cafes to choose from in Sivota, half the fun is trying new places to eat. You will find some hidden away near the main street and others on the waterfront itself. I never found any bad ones whilst i was staying here, which is probably a first for me.

If you like Italian, check these out:
La Ruota Ristorante
Mediterraneo Ristorante
Parasole Cafe-Ristorante

For great breakfasts try :
The Blue Coast taverna, situated on the waterfront, one of the first to be built here in Sivota. You will find cafe bars on the waterfront all of these serve drinks night and day, but may only serve light snacks. i.e : cheese & ham toastie.

My favourite bar is Bamboo Place opposite the small jetty. A very warm welcome is to be had here, especially once you are greeted by Andraes (the waiter) his father owns this cafe bar.

There is one music bar which stays open till at least 2am, this is situated at the start of the harbour area. Also Sivota has a couple of night-clubs.

Several nice shops are to be found in Sivota ranging from small shops selling cheap goods to more expensive jewelry. You will also find two minimarkets on the waterfront, and two supermarkets on the main road.

There are five great beaches to choose from, depending on how far you want to walk. Mega Amos is the furthest away, but has more to offer, i.e : volleyball, pedaloes, and sunbeds, even has a taverna/bar. This will take 30 minutes to walk, follow the main road, up towards Isabella tours.

You have three which are from 10 minutes to 25 minutes walk, at the end of the harbour there is a path up a small hill, follow this and you will come across the first one, from there you can walk to the next two.

My favorite beach has to be at the other end of the harbor, called "Bela Vraka" walk up the very steep hill past the chemist, carry on for a further 15 minutes you will come across a very nice House/Villa, opposite there is a dusty path going downhill follow this all the way down.

Then Paradise!

Take note: There is a Hotel and water sports centre which have started to use this beach aswell, they seem to have started storing their windsurfing boards here, which is a great shame! You can walk across the sea to the other side which is another beach on a small island, the sea here is only 18 inches deep. Worth the little trek, spend all day here and forget everything!

There are now four places to hire these boats from, and you will find them around the waterfront. We always use the one at the end of the waterfront, right infront of the two new big supermarkets.

There are many islands around Sivota, the scenery is amazing, so if you have the time, and here i am sure you will have. Hire these boats, they are a must! The cost should be around 35 Euros for 4 - 5 hours, this price does not include the fuel used, which will be checked upon bringing back the boat. You can also hire them for the whole day, price around 45 Euro plus fuel. If the boat guys think it will be rough out there, or the weather will change for the worst, they will probably not let you take the boats out to sea.

Just come back from Sivota, Who knows you may see me here next year, i will for sure be returning to Sivota. I am kind of addicted to this little place, have so many good friends here now.
On our return they all said to me,
"Your not putting Sivota on your website are you?"
"We do not want it getting too popular"

Other places worthy of a visit nearby are;
Plataria, River Acheron, the islands Paxos and AntiPaxos, Ioannina, Igoumenitsa, and if you have a couple of days visit Meteora monastries, one of these monastries you will know from a James Bond film. Spectactular sights!

Backpacking in Greece (Part IV)

Peloponnese

I have traveled the Greek islands for many years now and apart from Athens had given very little thought to the mainland. I had never until recently hired a car and gone in search of the interesting, and, as it turned out, quite spectacular sights to be seen there.

The following places I mention were all seen in a day, but you need to start out early. Take plenty of film with you and have fun!

First and foremost, a special "thank you" to our Athenian friend Amalia, both our tour guide and driver on this trip, but we won't mention anything about a railway barrier!

CORINTHIA

Whilst traveling the National Road from Athens, you will come across toll-booth's, the road toll charges will range from 1.46 Euro to 2.93 Euro. When you take the highway out of Athens the first prefecture you come to in the Peloponnese is Corinthia. Make sure to pull over at the lay-bye, take your camera and look down at the Corinth Canal...... What a view! You will no doubt recognize it from the many postcards published.

The Corinthian's were the first people to come up with the idea of a canal but were unable to complete it, so they turned to building a paved slip-way in order to haul their boats over the isthmus. It was not until 1893 that the Corinth Canal was eventually completed, in fact by the French.

As time passed Athens was to become such a powerful force that Corinth's power declined, then the Roman's under Nero completely destroyed the city in 146BC. Today Corinth is one of Greece's major cities it has a large waterfront with lots of taverns, bars etc, it is lively in both summer and winter.

Many ancient ruins are at the base of the huge rock of Acrocorinth, most of these however are Roman. The views here are quite stunning!
Amongst the many ancient buildings can be found the Temple of Aphrodite. The goddess of love!

Further along the National Road between Corinth and Patras you will come across lots of smaller villages which are well worth a visit, time permitting of course.

The next town I mention we came across because we were slightly lost! (Not according to our tour guide)


ARGOS

Here you will see Roman baths, ancient Odeum and the Agora, Argos also has a modern town, which can be quite busy, however it is virtually free of tourist's. Also you will see hundreds of orange orchards, Argos is famous for this.


MYCENEAE

Now this is a must! a quite amazing amount of history and ancient ruins to behold. Park your car and head towards the Acropolis, pick up a book/map from the kiosk. (worth the money)
You enter the Acropolis through the Lion Gate, a good photo opportunity, (it has a second entrance on the opposite side.) Inside are the palace ruins, a walk to the top will provide great views. On your way back down you will come across some footpaths, follow these to some incredible tombs built like cones. To this day they are not sure how these were actually built.


NAFPLION


The first capital of Greece, Nafplion is an amazing place, there is a great Venetian fortress in the middle of Nafplion Bay. Look up and you will see the restored castle of Palamide, if you are prepared to climb the 1000 steps it will provide worthwhile. Once again a view to be admired, another great camera moment! We arrived late afternoon just in time to see the sunset, I never thought the mainland could be so spectactular until I came across Nafplion, here would be a great base from which to explore the surrounding sites. It's waterfront is filled with tavernas, bars and cafes, and for the ladies the main square has lots of small boutiques.

Backpacking in Greece (Part III)

I have only wrote about the Islands that i have personally visited myself, and many revisited.

PAROS

One of my favorites I will always go back to. The main port is called Parikia, and can get very busy especially June/July. Try and head for Naoussa (about 25 mins). You should easily find a room here, it has a few beaches, and plenty of Tavernas to choose from mainly in the road heading to the Church. I recommend - "Takis" restaurant. There are also some splended places to eat around the harbour area (mainly fish tavernas). This area is very RELAXING! Paros is quite a large island, therefore lots to do.
Make sure you visit Anti - Paros

NAXOS

Very close to Paros, only one hour away by ferry. Therefore a must! There is a small kiosk at the waterfront offering rooms this may help you. Naxos claims to have more & more backpackers (visitors) each year. It is also one of the biggest islands of the Cyclades. You first come across Chora/Naxos town, which has a very touristy water front with lots of tavernas & bars. (Which can be quieter out of season) Follow the small streets to the top, lots of little shops on the way. (hard going on the legs) Take a look at The Temple of Apollo!

MYKONOS


This island is probably one of the most expensive, the accommodation also seems to be higher priced. But do not let this put you off. Well worth a visit, July/August can be very busy. This is the island where they filmed "Shirley Valentine". It has great beaches, Paradise probably being the most famous beach. Also famous for the 1956 Pelican bird landing here! (Island attracts lots of young people & has a high number of Gay people visiting)

SYROS

I was unlucky here, as I left the night the Olympic Torch ceremony was being held. Spectactular as you aproach from a ferry. Straight away your eyes look towards the two towns. The main town being Ermoupolis, even here we had no trouble with finding rooms. If you love walking then you must walk to the top. WHAT A VIEW! Do not forget to take the camera.

SIFNOS

Another one of my favorites, I will always go back here just to chill out! What a lovely place as you arrive by boat you see this small town surrounded by huge mountains. This is where I met Matt Barrett. We arrived here in early May, it was probably the quietest island I had visited, lovely but had trouble getting food during the day. Catch the local bus at the end of the port which runs backwards & forwards and you can get off at any of the stops and go exploring. Kastro is a must, wow, what a walk down!

IOS

This island tries to live up to it's reputation, those looking for traditional Greek Islands would probably do best to avoid it. Saying that, I am glad I visited Ios. Old Chora is very picturesque, the port of Gialos is quiet, apart from a few bars. Behind the port climbs the old mule track up to the Chora, which is worth trying to climb!!
(Ios attracts young people finding bar work)


CORFU

Corfu is a very green Island, and has many vineyards and orange groves. Probably mostly famous as the number one package deal holiday from the UK. But still worth a visit. It is the second largest Island of the Ionian. The most spectacular scenery is to be found on the west coast. The Greek mainland can be reached from here in under two hours, and Sivota can be seen on a clear day. Make sure you pay a visit to Corfu Town, but if you want a quiet time stay away from "Kavos".

SANTORINI

We arrived & managed to sit on a ferry for over four hours stuck at the port (top deck) WOW! Who cared about the dockers strike! The stunning view was worth the long wait. Try and stay in Thira, the main town. Slightly more expensive but worth the extra money. The great attraction in the old town has to be the view over the caldera and the volcano. Try walking down the steps to the bottom port, great going down, wait till you come up!!! That is why they have donkeys down there as some people give up in the heat!
Thira has lots to offer, and becomes very busy at night, shops everywhere & plenty of bars and tavernas to choose from.

CRETE

This island has something for everyone, being the largest Greek Island, you would find you need six weeks to cover most of the island. Also has the longest and deepest gorge in Europe. "SAMARIA gorge". Which is a must if you like walking (an all day trip) Chania is a very popular destination, also Agios Nickolaos the later being a lot more touristy. Chania also was the capital until 1971.
This island is very mountainous, and worth hiring a jeep or car!


POROS & HYDRA

Poros is not to be confused with Paros, totally different Islands. Poros & Hydra are very close to the mainland and can be both reached easily from Aegina, the main village here is called "Poros". This village faces the mainland and has shingle beaches. Poros Town is quite busy, here you will find plenty of small stalls and shops. You can reach most beaches from the harbour where you can get a boat shuttle.

HYDRA

The first thing you notice about this Island are "No Cars", pedestrians only. Most of this pretty Island is covered by pines. As you aproach the Island you are drawn towards the steep white houses, and the harbour full of waterside cafes/bars. If you fancy a two hour steep walk, try walking towards the monastery of Profitis Ilias and the nunnery of Agia Evpraxia they both face each other, on a 500m mountain slope.

AEGINA

This island is great as it is so close to Athens, only 40 minutes away by Flying Dolphin. So worth bearing in mind as a stop over for returning back to Athens when you have finished your trip. Very scenic waterfront, with lots of Cafe/bars. Check out the Church at the other end of the harbour! At weekends this island seems to suffer from noisy mopeds all through the night, especially in Aegina town. (nearly drove me mad) You have to remember a lot of people from Athens come over for the day or weekend. The island can be mostly covered in one day, main places to visit Perdika, Ag. Marina, Souvala, Aegina Town. (This was my first Greek Island I ever visited)

SERIFOS
Livadi is the main port with a very nice beach and great harbour. The capital being Chora, this is a place not to be missed. With its ridge of windmills, and hills topped with white washed buildings. Breathtaking! The place is split into two, the older section running along the hill, the newer town runs down the south slope.

Backpacking in Greece (Part II)

Athens is the ideal, and probably the obvious place to start your trip. Everyone always asks me how long to stay in Athens, "Is a day long enough?" Well my answer to that would be no, ok Athens is busy, and the traffic is chaos, but within a five minute walk you can be somewhere away from all the noise of the traffic. I would say 2-3 days perhaps your first visit, there are lots of great things to visit, from Museums, street markets, National Gardens, the list is endless. (I mention a few of the places worth visiting further down the page.)

On arrival at Athens Airport, immediately outside the Terminal Building you will find a taxi rank, the taxi queue will start from Door 4 of the Arrivals Level, you will also find a bus stop. I always use a taxi to get to the Plaka District of Athens, expect to pay around 17.60 Euro...The meter should be turned on as soon as you are in the taxi, but i prefer to agree the rate beforehand, (i have been told this is illegal) lately there have been a few reports of meter fixing. I feel i have been lucky with taxis as i have never had any problems with the fares or drivers. In most cases i have found them very helpful. I have received a few e-mails from others who have had problems, but i suppose this can happen in any country.

The Plaka, which is close to the Acropolis in the centre of Athens, should normally take about 60 minutes if the traffic is not to bad . . . which it can be . . . especially during the rush hour!

The new airport is located 27km northeast of Athens, away from the city and it's located near Spata. (see my link page) Athens International Airport is accessable via Attiki Odos, a six-lane motorway constituting the Athens City Ring Road. Public transport is provided by express airport buses, which have connections with Athens centre and the port of Piraeus on a 24hr basis. There are three bus itineraries dedicated to carry passengers to and from the airport.

LINE E94 connects the Ethniki Amina Metro Station with the airport. Passengers can transfer from the Metro line to the airport bus at this departure point.

LINE E95 Syntagma Square - Airport Express has it's departure point at the centre of Athens and via Vas. Sofias Ave, Mesogian Ave and Attiki Odos terminates at the airport.

LINE E96 Pireaus - Airport Express starts from the centre of Pireaus (Karaiskaki Square) and via Posidonos Ave, Varis-Varkiza, and Koropiou Roads terminates at the airport.

For Express Lines E94-E95-E96, the ticket costs 2.93 Euro and is valid for 24 hours on all public transport.

I always stay at The Plaka because its a good base from which to visit the city's many sights. The Acropolis and much more is within easy walking distance, and in the evenings the Plaka is quite lively. There are plenty of Taverna's some with live music, bars and late opening shops, all within a few hundred yards of THE ADAMS HOTEL. It has a great atmosphere whatever time of the year you decide to visit . . . even in January! As I found out this year.

The Acropolis and it's museum are of course a must for any visitor to Athens, and just below can be found Ancient Agora where there is also a good museum. Hadrian's Arch is at the corner of Amalias Street and the Roman Market at the beginning of Aiolou Street. I would strongly advise that you purchase a tourist map, which is readily available from the many small kiosks dotted around the city. A "Sky Map" of Plaka, should cost you around 1.46 Euro.

Take a walk to Syntagma Square, about 15 minutes, where traditionally dressed ceremonial guards are on duty at the Parliament Buildings, (the former residence of the Greek Monarchy). The changing of the guard ceremony is very popular with tourists from all over the world, but don't stand to close! they will not go around you!

Kolonaki is also worthy of a visit, a great place to relax on a hot Athens day, chill out with a "frappe" (iced coffee). Omonia Square and Monastiraki are other areas you might like to visit.

Recently opened is the underground railway, "The Metro", this might sound crazy amongst all this ancient history, but it is something you should see. You will find a Metro entrance in Syntagma Square. It is a cheap way to travel but can get very busy, as can all of Athens. Whilst building the station the completion date was delayed due to the discovery of ancient ruins, these can be seen from a viewing balcony, displayed behind glass panels.

The main port of Athens is Piraeus, this takes about 30 minutes from the city, from where most of the Greek Islands can be reached by ferry. At first I was a bit worried about just turning up at the harbour and attempting to purchase ferry tickets, but it's not a problem. Just check the sales kiosks in the port for the Island or group you intend to visit, and purchase your tickets . . "No Problem", as the Greeks say!

It is a large port, so make sure you find the right ferry company and boat, then check departure times at the boat. Destinations and departure times are displayed on the boats. (This being Greece however they might not leave on time!)

A lot of visitors head for the island of Paros (not to be confused with Poros) a good starting point as it's only 4 hours by ferry, and is central to the islands of The Cyclades.

Backpacking in Greece (Part I)

Some people visit Greece in search of medieval temples, castles and fortresses. Others look for peaceful harbors, hilltop villages or secluded bays and beaches. Millions of tourists are simply looking for a good time in busy and bustling holiday resorts with sandy beaches and lots of bars. I try to stay away from all the big holiday resorts, prefer a more relaxed place mixing with the locals, Whatever you are after i am sure you will find it in Greece!

Island life seems to be more of a slower pace than life in the streets of Athens and other mainland cities, as much as i like the hustle and bustle of Athens it is nice to move on to a quiet island. There is no better way to spend an afternoon than sitting at a waterside taverna/cafe on a hot day with a glass of cold beer or a frappe (cold coffee), staring at the sea.

Most of the people living in Greece are ethnic Greeks, Other smaller minorities include people from Slavic, Albania, Romani (Gypsy) also Armenian, as well as Vlachs.

Modern Greek is the official language spoken.You will find English very well understood, reason is, English is taught in schools from an early age. Small groups of people also speak Arvanitika (which comes from Albania)

Most Greeks living here are members of the Greek Orthodox Church. You will find that religion is taken very seriously.

The older generation of family members are very much respected and have a lot of authority. Children are raised firmly, and told to respect others, parents will spend a lot of their earnings on clothes, food and making sure their children get an education. The average age for marriage is between 20 and 26 for women and 25 and 35 for men.

Meats mostly eaten are beef, pork, lamb and chicken. Fish and seafood dishes are also very popular. Olives are grown all through Greece, whereever you look you will probably see them, usually with black netting around the bottom of the trees. This is used to catch them when harvesting. Olive oil is used in most cooking, and of course the Greek salad, which can be purchased in any taverna. Deserts are popular and mainly include fruit, also try the "baklava" or "kataifi" i could eat hundreds of these. On Easter Sunday you will find lamb dishes being served at most tavernas, as this is tradition. Most Greeks will now have their main meal around 9pm in the evening, and will spend a lot of time at the table once their food is served.
Eating in a taverna is a Greek pastime.

Ancient Greeks beleived that when you meet a stranger, always be polite as he/she could be a God in disguise. Even today this politeness has been carried forward. You will find most Greeks to be friendly.

A very important day in the Greek calender is 25th March, Independance Day, 1821 was the date that Greece begun its revolution against 400 years of the Ottamans ruling. After 8 long years of war they reached autonomy, the day now is celebrated by speeches and parades.

There are about 1,400 Greek Islands, but only 166 of them are actually inhabited with human life. There are 78 islands which you can travel to by ferry or high speed boat. The Greek islands fall into six groups. The most popular being The Cyclades, these have 26 islands which are easily accessable by ferry.

Next are the Dodecanese islands which have 17 islands. The Saronic Gulf islands follow, then The Eastern & Northern Aegean islands. Lastly The Ionian islands.

The islands mostly get crowded in July and August, this seems to be the busiest. To avoid all the crowds and the heat, you may find it better from end of April to mid June, or try in September. May seems to bring out all the wild flowers, and in September you will still find the sea very warm. Whatever time you visit, I am sure you will enjoy.

Getting there from the United Kingdom

Greece is about 1800 miles from London to most places, so flying to the Greek islands is the best way. There are direct flights to a variety of Greek destinations from all the major British airports. Flying time varies from three hours to almost four and a half hours. The cost of charter flights are fairly reasonable, but this depends on what time of the year you are flying. Easter and Christmas are classed as high season, so will be very expensive, January to May should be quite cheap, then June to early September will be more pricy as this is in the main tourist season.

If you are thinking about flying direct to Athens, either to stay or to move on to backpacking round the islands. Then "easyJet" will probably be your cheapest option for leaving the United Kingdom.
To see my link page click here

Getting there from Ireland

A high season charter from Dublin to Athens should cost around 200 Irish pounds return. Year round scheduled flights with Air Lingus and British Airways operate from both Dublin & Belfast via Heathrow to Athens. Another option is to fly to London first, you can pick up budget flights with British Midland, Air Lingus and Ryan Air.

Perhaps one day I will have visited all the Greek islands. In the meantime here is a list of the ones that I have visited, and some re-visited.

Aegina, Poros, Hydra, Crete, Corfu, Paros, Naxos, Sifnos, Mykonos, Santorini, Syros, Tinos, Ios, Kythnos, Zakynthos, Serifos.

And not forgetting all the places i have visited on the mainland. Which includes, Parga, Sivota, Nafplion, Argos, Corinth, Mycenae, Plataria, Preveza, and of course many times Athens.

Museums of Athens, Great and Small

THE GREAT MUSEUMS OF ATHENS

All of the museums of Athens have one or more excellent guides to their collections, which visitors are urged to purchase for their pleasure both while visiting Athens and, equally important, to remember their visit.

Still, a few words are in order on the principal collections which many will visit.

The Akropolis Museum: As its name suggests the Akropolis Museum contains finds, from the Akropolis; the glory of the collection lies in its sculpture, particularly the archaic sculpture. Visitors should be sure to see the Ramping Horseman, and the series of figures of korai, or young girls. The girls look as they would have done when taking part in the Panathenaic Procession. Also on display are those bits of sculpture from the Parthenon frieze which Lord Elgin did not take to England, as well as The Caryatides from the Erechtheum.

The Agora Museum: The Agora Museum has finds from the Agora, dating from the Neolithic to the Turkish periods. The museum's collection of pottery is superb; unfortunately, relatively little is on display, as this is a working collection for scholars. Visitors should be sure: to see the ancient Athenian working machine, or form of ballot box, known as the Kleroterion. In addition, the museum has many inscriptions on display, and numerous items from daily life through the centuries.

The Benaki Museum:
HaIf the fun of visiting the Benaki Museum on Leoforos Vasilissis, Sofias is seeing the lovely view of Athens from the Museum's rooftop cafe. The collection was begun by a wealthy Athenian, A. Benakis, and highlights the Greek War of Independence, the Monarchy, the PhilheIlenes and the early travellers in Greece. The museum's collection of Greek costumes is the finest in the country, as is its collection of islamic pottery. The museum is always cool and delightful in summer.

The Byzantine Museum: The Byzantine Museum is in the large home of the 19th century Duchess de Plaisance; astonishingly, the palace was in the open country when it was built little more than 140 years ago. The Museum is an excellent place to visit before touring the Byzantine churches of Athens, as exhibits set forth the development of church architecture in Greece. The museum's collection of icons is superb, and some what overwhelming for any not accustomed to this art form.

The Folk Art Museum: The Museum of Folk Art on Kidathineon Street is easy to miss, as only a small plaque on the door of number 17 announces its presence. It would be a shame to miss this delightful museum of Greek life throughout Greece; any who are not able to travel outside Athens should make a particular point to visit this superb collection of costumes and items of daily life (spinning wheels, agricultural tools, metal work, embroidery). The museum also contains an entire room painted by the famous modern Greek primitive painter Theophilos Hadjimichael(1868-1934)

The Kanellopoulos Collection: The Kanellopoulos Collection is in an elegant neoclassical house on the upper reaches of the Plaka, at the intersection of Theorias and Panou Streets. One passes the museum as one walks down from the Akropolis into the Plaka, and it makes a pleasant stop for a half-hour.
The collection is that of one family, and ranges through Greek art from Neolithic to modern times. The house is at least as interesting as the collection itself.

The Museum of the Kerameikos: As one would except from a museum in the potters's quarter, the Kerameikos Museum has a superb collection of ancient pottery. In addition, many of the funeral stele from the Kerameikos cemetery are on display here, as well as some of the sculptured figures which decorated the more ornate tombs.

The National Archaeological Museum: The National Museum on Patission Street deserves not one, but many visits. Especially in summer, the Museum is crowded, and it is difficult to see its riches at leisure. Good tours do exist which take one rapidly through the museum, past the highlights of the collection. Most will then wish to revisit the museum.

The Mycenaean Hall, just inside the Museum entrance, contains the famous gold of Mycenae, including the gold mask which Schliemann believed to be that of Agamemnon. Even if this was not the case, the regal splendor of the mask is haunting. The elegant gold Vaphio cups in the Mycenaean Hall are also irresistibly beautiful. In the Cycladic Hall are the Cycladic idols which many have compared to the work of Modigliani, so clean and modern are their lines. The Harp Player is particularly fine.

As one continues on through the museum, one proceeds chronologically from the Geometric (9th & 8th) to the Archaic (7th and 6th) to the Classical (5th and 4th) to the Hellenistic (3rd to 1st)periods. Monumental stone youths, or kouroi, give way to monumental bronze statues, such as the Zeus or Poseidon found off Cape Artemision. Funeral stele and portrait busts from throughout Greece, as well as architectural fragments and ornament fill the museum. On the upper floor are delightful frescoes from the island of Santorini (Thera), dating from the Minoan period, and various small collections. Quite simply, the National Museum of Archaeology has the finest collection of Greek antiquities in the world, and should be visited slowly, carefully, and often.

The National Gallery of Greece: This new picture gallery, across from the Hilton Hotel, has modern Greek painting of the 19th and 20th centuries. Often there are special exhibits of young artists on display. Anyone interested in modern art will find this a rewarding collection.

National Historical Museum: The Old Parliament Building on Stadiou Street is now the home of this collection which deals with Greek history in the 18th and 19th centuries, during the Greek struggle for Independence from the Turk. The museum has many fine etchings and paintings of heroes during that struggle, as well as stirring battle scenes.

THE SMALL MUSEUMS OF ATHENS

The Jewish Museum: The Jewish Museum at 5 Melidoni Street, beside the Athens synagogue, has a fascinating - and heartbreaking - collection of items illustrating life among Greek Jews before World War II. There were 80,000 Greek Jews before the war; only 8500 survived. Some of those who survived, notably Nikos Sravroulakis, organized this museum.

The Museum of the City of Athens: The Museum of the City of Athens is in the palace of King Otto on Klafmonos Square, and is one of the few remaining examples of the neo-classical style so popular under the new monarchy. Exhibits on the ground floor recreate the period of Otto, while the upstairs is arranged as it was when Otto and Queen Amalia lived here.

The Train Museum: The Train Museum, at 301 Liossion Street, preserves the memory of the Orient Express and other of the mighty steam trains which one made their way throughout Greece. Especially interesting are the royal coach of King George I and the smoking coach of the Sultan Abdul-Aziz.

Important: Museum Hours: It is vital to check for up-to-date information on all museums as close as possible to the time of one's visit. Museums are usually closed on Tuesdays and on 1 January, 25 March, Good Friday, Easter, and Christmas. Some museums are open all day, some mornings only, others afternoons only. Be sure to check for accurate, up-to-date information at the National Tourist Organization