Life on the Greek Islands

A week spent on the Greek Islands is to experience a truly magical part of the world. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to add my footsteps to the countless thousands who preceded me which gives me the chance, dear reader, to post this journal from the iconic Santorini Island. Being in the middle of a northern hemisphere winter means the ferries have been problematic, so aside from the overnight ferry trip from the port of Piraeus to Rhodes town, I’ve had no choice but to use island hoppers of the aerial variety to keep moving as time continues to march on during this trip. So let’s get to it…

You haven’t lived until you’ve been shouted at in Greece! I may have felt like the Colossus of Rhodes when I stepped off the ferry after arriving in Rhodes town, but a Greek shop owner quickly cut me down to size. Although the language is all Greek to me the local population definitely seem prone to the odd bout of shouting in this country. My initiation came when I dared to set foot inside a lady’s restaurant during a passing hail storm. She rounded on me with a high volume tirade within an instant of opening the door and sent me packing, all I could manage was a meek “OK, no!” as I quickly scurried off. But for all I know she may have just been wishing me a rather robust good morning! Anyway, I slinked into another restaurant nearby and the couple were happy to serve what turned out to be an excellent lunch.

Then it was time to explore Rhodes town, the ancient sea faring capital of the island of Rhodes, and the former home of the Colossus of Rhodes which towered over the entrance to the harbour in ancient times. The Old Town is a comprehensive medieval walled town and two days exploring on foot barely scratched the surface. The main attractions are very spread out and I actually found the going a little bit tough compared to the Old City of Carcassonne in southern France, but a general approach to sightseeing in a spread out attraction (for me at least) is to put the maps aside and discover things at random. Later on you can compare your experiences to what is on offer on the maps, you probably won’t see everything but it’s great fun to just get out and explore. I stayed in a quality hotel in the New Town as budget accommodation in general on the Greek Islands is scarce.

I then organised a flight on a propeller plane to Iraklion, the capital of Crete. This was without a doubt the most unusual flight I’ve experienced in my years of travelling. The short commute went without incident, and everything proceeded as normal with baggage checks, announcements, gates etc as you would expect. However there was one small difference, there were only six passengers on board the flight. Perhaps the airline just needed the plane back to meet a schedule, but can you imagine checking in with five other people. We all looked at each other and it felt like we were sharing a taxi. Anyway, we got to Iraklion and I ended up sharing a taxi into town with a girl from the flight in the pouring rain. “Great weather, huh?” the taxi driver ventured in a casual manner. "Brilliant!” came the reply.

I arrived pretty late and checked into another somewhat pricey hotel. A bed is a bed I always say, and why spend fifty Euros a night when travelling. Next morning I went to explore other accommodation options although the guy told me the previous night with hand on heart there weren’t any, and quickly found a room nearby for twenty Euros, so I grabbed my stuff and was outta there in a flash! Iraklion is a bustling city that has a great vibe of energy when walking around the centre. I really enjoyed spending a couple of days in the capital of Crete. A short bus journey out of the capital is the world famous Temple of Knossos and I was pleased to discover free entry on a sunday. This major archaeological find from a little over a century ago depicts the culture of the Minoans at around 1900-1700BC. They were a very advanced civilization and the site has excellent pottery on display as well as frescoes painted by the Minoans. It was a great experience to walk around the excavated site and imagine life in an earlier epoch. Nobody knows what happened to this ancient culture but it's believed they may have been wiped out during the cataclysmic volcanic eruption in Santorini, which was the biggest in recorded history.

Speaking of which, my next flight with an enforced stopover in Athens is the legendary island itself. Some of the most extraordinary sunset photos I ‘ve ever seen are from this magnificent island from atop the caldera. Santorini is an iconic travel destination with a catastrophic volcanic history which all adds to the mystique, and I’m glad to be spending three days here without the madness of the summer travel season. It’s winter alright and I’m rugged up, but the crowds are missing and the hotel prices are very reasonable at thirty Euros. I’m actually typing this in a very flash hotel room, probably the best of the three I’ve stayed in while visiting the Greek Islands.

Although the views from town suggest your arrival in paradise, Fira is a bustling little capital and Greek drivers are much the same as elsewhere. They tear around town with some degree of abandon, and if a tourist were to step out on to the road without concentrating it could easily end up in a very nasty holiday experience. I wouldn’t be surprised if some tourists come a cropper the way the locals drive around town that’s for sure! Who knows, maybe the drivers slow down in summer but I doubt it somehow. Nevertheless the sunset views from the white buildings on top of the caldera are absolutely gorgeous. Accommodation with views of the caldera are double what you pay in the rest of town, so I chose a very nice hotel with a hundred metre walk to the summit for sunset views. You can still enjoy a coffee at one of the restaurants in time for sunset. I’ve often dreamed of visiting Santorini after seeing those amazing photos, and it’s a thrilling experience to finally be here in person.

This week travelling has proven to be a wonderful introduction to the Greek Islands. Of course spending just a week here is barely scratching the surface of what’s on offer in this beautiful part of the world, but it’s a start and something to build on. The number of island options is almost overwhelming but I’m pleased to have briefly visited Rhodes, Crete and Santorini on this trip. The Greek people are brilliant hosts no matter where you are, and I’m becoming addicted to the yeeros shops serving up the national dish for around two Euros. Life is good in a Greek democracy and,………… basically all of you should be here now!

"It's not true that the personal goodness revealed by the speaker contributes nothing to the power of his persuasion. On the contrary, his character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion he possesses." Aristotle

Top 3 Hotels/Restaurants
Hotel Lydia - New Town, Rhodes
Hotel Castello - Iraklion, Crete
Hotel Antonia - Fira, Santorini

Top 3 Sights/Activities
Strolling the Old Town - Rhodes town
The Palace of Knossos - Outside Iraklion, Crete
Sunset views over the caldera - Fira, Santorini

Book of the month
Clan of the Cave Bear - Jean M. Auel

As I continue my travels, until next time it’s signing off for now

Tom

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