HOOKED ON GREECE

Hooked on Greece

2009-02-02T17:52:00.000-08:00

Welcome! My name is Karen. My husband Shawn and I are hooked on Greece.

For our first trip to Greece we travelled to Athens, Naxos, Santorini and Rhodes. We had a wonderful trip and we would like to share some of our experiences with you. We hope you will enjoy this travelogue.

My husband Shawn and I enjoyed Greece so much that we are planning our next trip already. We will visit Lesvos and Chios.

Greece is not a place you will easily forget. Many people speak English, the food and drink is delicious. The scenery is amazing. We were there at the end of May and beginning of June.

The days were very warm, the sea was refreshingly cool and we had sunshine each and every day. The people were helpful and very friendly.

Since returning home I have gathered Greek recipes, bought Greek wine, and learned more Greek phrases. We even attended the Greek festival which Ottawa has each year.

We are truly hooked on Greece!

Hooked on Athens

2009-02-02T17:41:00.000-08:00

Well we were here at last after several months of research and planning. The ten hour flight from Canada was long and tiring but the excitement of finally being in Greece quickly eliminated any desire to sleep.

After a long wait for luggage, we turned to see our taxi transfer holding up our name on a sign. He grabbed our bags and we jumped into his awaiting taxi. As we sped out of the airport (and I mean sped!) the first thing I noticed was how mountainous it was compared to home in Ottawa, Canada.

The second thing we noticed was that all drivers honk and yell at each other (in greeting?). Anyway, we were very lucky to have a wonderful driver who spoke English quite well and was pleasant indeed.

Parthenon and view from the Acropolis

We arrived at our hotel, checked-in, dropped our bags and headed out to explore. It was a beautiful day. Since I had forgotten the city map we decided not to go too far from the hotel. We got some cash, dodged several scooters and cars and made our way to Omonia Square.

We found a small taverna. A wonderful aroma was coming from a roasting spit. Suddenly starving, we had our first taverna snack of gyros on pita. To drink, we tried our first Greek beer - Mythos.

Stuffed and now tired, we headed back to the hotel to organize ourselves for the next day's outing.

Up early, we had a quick breakfast at the hotel. Greek yogurt is smooth, thick and creamy, unlike anything I have ever tasted in Canada. Mixed with fresh fruit, it quickly became my favourite breakfast.

We packed a small bag and were on our way towards the Plaka and the Acropolis.

Since we were closer to Omonia Square, our first stop en route was Syntagma Square. The buildings are so interesting with their iron balconies and engravings.

At this point we found ourselves continually looking upwards for our first glimpse of the ancient Acropolis. Having not yet seen it, we decided to stop for a freshly-squeezed orange juice and coffee in the Plaka.

Ancient Theater and National Gardens

It was time for the map. After much walking, we discovered that we were so busy looking up and around that we found ourselves at the opposite end of the entrance to the Acropolis.

We found our way and finally - there it was - the Acropolis! The pictures had not done it justice. When you live in Canada, anything over one hundred years old is considered heritage!

We toured the Acropolis with our new friend Saara from Finland. Hot and thirsty, we proceeded back down to a wonderful taverna for some cool refreshments.

Exploring Athens and making new friends

On our way back to the hotel we found the National Gardens and watched children feeding ducks. The gardens are cool and welcoming after such a day.

Syntagma Square and areas of Athens

This time when we passed Syntagma square we saw an Evzone guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. His pom-pom shoes were so cute! Finally, exhausted, we reached our hotel.

Tomorrow we were heading to Pireaus port for our first ferry ride. We were going to Naxos.

Hooked on Naxos

2009-02-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

Our taxi transfer arrived at the Athens hotel right on time the next morning. It was another beautiful day. He dropped us off directly in front of the ferry entrance and we boarded. It would be a six hour trip to Naxos with a stop in Paros on the way.

First order was a tour of the boat. The ferry was much bigger than we had expected - more like a ship in fact.

There were many indoor seats in different rooms and on different levels. There was a bar area serving snacks and drinks and a huge cafeteria-style dining room which served lunch.

We grabbed some coffee and chose to sit outside and enjoy the view. We passed other ferries and many islands. Nothing, however, prepared me for the sight as we pulled into our first port at Paros. The water was so green! The whitewashed houses and small hotels lined the port. It was breath-taking and I kept running from one end of the ferry to another so that I wouldn't miss any of it.

For the rest of the trip, we ate snacks, drank Mythos and enjoyed the sunshine.

Our hotel in Naxos was at the southern most end of St. George's beach. It was a fabulous courtyard complex of rooms, in typical white-washed style with archways and flower gardens. The courtyard surrounded a beautiful swimming pool with pool-bar and taverna. Our room had patio doors which opened to our own individual shaded patio with table and chairs. I loved it!

We could hear the waves slowly rolling to shore from our room. Only ten minutes away from the main town (Hora), we could follow a boardwalk along the white sand of St. George's beach, right to town. The beach had umbrellas and sunbeds for rent. This was the Greece I had dreamed of. It was postcard perfect.

We spent our first day getting familiar with the town. For dinner we had chicken souvlaki and tried a local citron liqueur with Sprite. I was hooked!

The next day we toured Hora and the amazing areas of Bourgos and Kastro. The winding maze of white-washed alleyways and stairways was a most amazing sight. Getting lost was the easy part. Finding our way back to the port area was by pure chance.

At the north end of St. George's beach there is a wonderful restaurant jutting out on a small peninsula. For the best view of the beach, eat there. We tried the meatballs, little spinach pies and a mushroom and sauce dish which was excellent. We washed this down with some Greek wine. I have to say that the wine in Greece is better than any I have tried at home.

We spent the next day "beach bumming". So far we have had beautiful weather. My tan was progressing wonderfully.

On our last day in Naxos, we took the city bus to Agio Prokopios and Agia Anna beaches. These beaches are less crowded and beautiful as well. I have heard that the rest of Naxos island is well worth the visit.

Naxos is one of the larger Cyclades islands and we hope to see the rest of it another time.

Hooked on Santorini

2009-02-02T17:16:00.001-08:00

We had read alot about the famous Santorini island. It is a three hour ferry trip from Naxos to Santorini.

There is one stop at Ios along the way. As the ferry enters the caldera, our first view is of the infamous Oia.

On first glance, it looks as though the top of the caldera is lined with snow. As the ferry moves further into the caldera, it is then that you realize that what you thought was snow perched up so high is actually many many white-washed buildings, literally dangling from 1000 feet up.

I had read that the best way to arrive in Santorini is by ferry and during the day. They were right! It is an experience that can not be missed.

There are actually two ports on this island. The old port is used by cruise ships and other chartered boats. The only way up the cliff from this port is by walking or donkey-ride up the many many stairs, or by cable-car.

The ferries however use another port which is larger and there is a regular road up the cliff. On second thought, I should not call this road "regular". It winds, winds and winds some more up to the top of the caldera. We took a tour bus and sometimes I wondered what would have happened had we met another bus on it's way down.

Once at the top, the caldera disappears from view as we head to other parts of the island. The other side of Santorini slowly rolls it's way downwards past the grape orchards to the black sand beaches.

The bus took us to the east side of the island first to drop people off at various points along the way. This was a good way to see some of the island's interior.

Finally it was our turn. We were let off along the main road and greeted by one of our hotel's staff. It was a good thing that he met us because we would never have found the way ourselves.

We went down steps, around bends, up steps and down more steps. Suddenly there was the caldera. I nearly stumbled and fell trying to walk and look at the same time.

Our "traditional cave house" accommodation was in the town of Imerovigli. The caldera view was one I will never forget. If there is only one time you can splurge on accommodation, do it here on Santorini. Get a caldera view.

Imerovigli is a short walk from the main road to the town of Fira. If you take the cliff paths, the view is spectacular all the way to town. You might get lost once or twice or find yourself at another hotel entrance but that is half the fun. Be sure to wear good walking shoes for the paths. There are many steps up, then down, then up again.

The local bus service in Santorini is excellent. From the main town it is easy to catch a bus to all ends of the island. The streets are very narrow and the roads very curvy.

If two buses meet on a narrow street, one bus has to back up until there is room to pass. People ride motorbikes and scooters everywhere also and it is quite an experience when the bus is honking at bikes mere inches in front of it.

You don't have to purchase bus tickets in advance-just get on the bus. Money is collected on the way.

We took one bus to the excavations at Akrotiri. Unfortunately, there was work being done on the roof and all the ruins were covered up for protection. It should still not be missed however.

We went back to Fira town and took another bus which goes to the other side of the island. The eastern side of the island has beaches with black volcanic sand. Be careful, this sand gets very hot.

The tavernas at Kamari Beach run along the beach and are a great spot to stop for a refreshing vodka-lemon. This beach was very busy and I understand there is alot of action here after nightfall.

We had lunch. Shawn became addicted to the shrimp in Santorini. My new favourite became moussaka. We tried the local wine directly from the barrels. This turned out to be the Retsina we had read about. It took about two glasses each for the acquired taste. From then on, we drank it with every meal.

Our next bus trip was to the romantic town of Oia in the northern part of the island. Oia is famous for it's spectacular sunsets. It is a very picturesque spot and much more colorful than the traditional white-wash of the rest of the island.

For our last night in Santorini, there was a "Greek BBQ" party for everyone at the hotel. There was Greek music, and a table full of food. We started our meal with pasta and sauces, tradititional Greek salad, rolls, and Santorini sausages.

There was white or red local wine as well. We totally stuffed ourselves only to find that this was just the first course.

We still had to try Greece's most famous roasted potatoes and grilled chops. I asked the hotel manager the name of the music so that we could buy the CD. He told us it was called "tourist music". Regardless, we bought a CD anyway.

At night the caldera view is really amazing from Imerovigli. The town of Fira off to the left looks like diamonds sparkling on a velvet blanket. Santorini is truly an island like no other.

Alas, tomorrow we fly to Rhodes, the last island of our trip.

Hooked on Rhodes

2009-02-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

Our flight to Rhodes was uneventful. The first thing we noticed about this island was that there were actual multi-lane paved roads.

We had chosen to vist Old Town and Lindos with the limited time we had left.

For convenience sake, we chose to stay at Faliraki beach. Our hotel was a ten minute walk from the town of Faliraki.

It was the least traditional and thus my least favourite hotel so far. It was a highrise and reminded me of a hotel in Miami (Nothing against Miami but if I wanted Miami, I could have gone to Miami). It had however, really good bus service to the places we had chosen to visit.

We hopped the local bus in front of the hotel and it took us right to downtown Rhodes. The harbour is a wonderful spot full of boats. People are everywhere. We walked to the famous "Old Town" first. As you walk through the entrance of this walled town, you are taken back to very ancient times.

The streets are narrow cobblestone. You can imagine the knights of old riding on horseback to their destination. There is much to see. We spent several hours within the walls wandering around and I really don't think we saw everything.

A better map would have helped. The Palace of the Knights is quite impressive. My favourite, though, were the long narrow passages with archways, stone and flowers.

The next day, we caught a boat outside our hotel which takes guests to the town of Lindos. It travels along the south-eastern shore from Faliraki beach right to Lindos port. The ride is about an hour or so and it is very picturesque.

When the boat lets you off at the small port, you can see the huge acropolis within walking distance. If you follow the signs, there is a lovely village square where the buses stop. There are tavernas and shops everywhere. There are also donkeys which you can rent for the journey up to the top.

As you start climbing the hill there are kiosks along the way and there is overhead shading. Further along as it becomes more steep, there are many Greek ladies with their beautiful hand crafted linens laying out for sale. It is difficult to stop and look when there are many people in front and behind you.

We were there at mid-day and it was very crowded. By this time the terrain becomes much more steep and there are more steps. I believe I read that there are about 280 steps to climb. There are no railings to hold on to and the steps can be a bit slippery. I advise caution that the climb may not be for everyone.

When we finally reached the top, I was most impressed with the spectacular view of the town and harbour below. If you plan to visit the Acropolis of Lindos, I highly recommend doing so very early in the day or in the off-season. Good walking shoes and a hat are a must.

Exhausted, we decided to take a taxi back to the hotel. The next day we were flying back to Athens for one night and then heading back home to Canada.

-------------------

I hope you have enjoyed our travelogue. My husband Shawn and I enjoyed Greece so much that we are planning our next trip. We will visit Lesvos and Chios. Greece is not a place you will easily forget. Many people speak English, the food and drink is delicious. The scenery is amazing.

We were there at the end of May and beginning of June. The days were very warm, the sea was refreshingly cool and we had sunshine each and every day. The people were helpful and very friendly.

Since returning home I have gathered Greek recipes, bought Greek wine, and learned more Greek phrases. We even attended the Greek festival which Ottawa has each year. We are truly hooked on Greece!

Adio for now.