Blogs from Athens, Attica, Greece, Europe - page 7

All of you know by now that since Sheri and Mike are not traveling these days, I have embarked on my own. I have reached a point in life where the solo trip is now equal to or perhaps superior to traveling with someone. This is not to diminish the joys of traveling with an adventurous, and energetic foodie and wine connoisseur like Mike. But when I travel solo, it seems I make more friends, talk to more strangers, and try some activities I would not otherwise partake. Trip Savvy lists seven ways to make friends while traveling solo. Take them for face value. Stay in a hostelMy hostel days are pretty much over, but I enjoyed my fair share when I was younger. How else would I make it to the famous Milky Way kasbah ... read more

Slow travel has been buzzy for a few years now, but the pandemic has travelers leisurely strolling in droves. Slow travel is, of course, traveling with the intention to connect with, learn about, and appreciate a destination and culture. Slow travel url=https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.guidepoint.com%2Fovertourism-after-the-covid-19-pandemic%2F&data=04%7C01%7C%7C4a77c885d455455760ee08d9d6f45abd%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637777167308366073%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=URO7UuNYSL49P9BTxaPx6FLJ1FXgC7FeCjkgv6azlHY%3D&reserved=0asks travelers questions about sustainability and environmental considerations regarding the destinations visited, as well as traveler impact on the local economy and communities while there. Slow travel offers the opportunity to sta... read more

Due to Covid restrictions, I had not seen my sister and her family in two years. They had moved to Sweden in the middle of the pandemic and I had planned to spend much more time with them, but Americans and UAE residents were not allowed in until late October, after we had already made plans to meet up in Greece. So, I planned a week to spend with them, a week to myself on the islands, and a week with them in Sweden. Greece is now my 50th country, so I was glad it was extra special! I arrived via First Class on Emirates (god I am spoiled) a few hours before they arrived. So I found my hotel, checked in, took a short nap, and enjoyed the day time view of the Acropolis from ... read more

Not really, unless you consider a bicycle a "beast" of sorts. When I was here in May, it was too darn hot to go on any bike tour, morning, afternoon or night. But I think October, now, is going to work out. Here is what I am going to do. First, take a bike tour and get the "lay of the land" for two wheels. With the plethora of cobbled streets, I plan to be extra careful, ride slowly, and try to stop as often as possible.Here is my general itinerary. You will see many famous places along the way.Like most tours, everything starts at the Acropolis Museum. In fact, I spent most of my time last May in the shadows of the Acropolis Museum, my hotel was less than ... read more

From Culinary Backstreets website: Fall marks the start of the olive picking season throughout Greece. From Thrace to Crete, from Corfu to Lesvos, and even in the suburbs of Athens, landowners lucky enough to have olive trees will start harvesting their fruit. In fact, Greeks universally prefer the oil from their own region if not their own trees and tend to buy it “loose,” direct from the press rather than the supermarket.Much like back home in the states, late October is olive picking season. It is a well-known facts that Greeks prefer olive oil from their own region. And furthermore, as I learned on my last visit here in May, most Greeks can tell which region the olive oil comes from. And they don't seem to care about awards and quality control. Here, ... read more