Advertisement
Published: April 15th 2023
To love is nothing. To be loved is something. To love and be loved is everything… ~ Greek Proverb
HE SAID... I travelled to Greece with a few misconceptions about what I was going to experience in the four-week adventure we had planned. I thought I was going to connect, in some idealistic fashion, with the birthplace of modern philosophy and democracy. I thought I was going to meet people who wanted to share their critically important philosophical and political heritage. After all, their forefathers had turned away from mythology and devised what we now refer to as Western Philosophy. Rather than continuing the tradition of reciting fanciful stories with no basis in reality, Plato and Aristotle (in particular) urged people to think critically about everything, and not simply ‘believe’ the old folktales of yore.
However, my experience was far more enriching. We met people who embraced us. We met people who were proud to share their extraordinary food and family recipes. We met people who were happy to help us in any way they could. We met people who had been ruined – financially and emotionally – by the financial crisis that rocked the country. One man’s voice broke when he told us he had degrees in archaeology and history, but can now only find work
as a tour guide. He told us how his wife had built up a successful small business over years of hard work, only to lose everything overnight. The day came where she could no longer access her savings from the bank. He looked away when he told us she now struggles to find work. It was hard to witness his tears.
We met people who were furious with the government for letting this happen to their country. Why on earth did I think they would have the time – or the inclination – to discuss the impact of Plato and Aristotle on the world in general, and on my world in particular? If I had broached the topic, I would probably have been directed to one of the countless depictions of Greek philosophers in the tourist paraphernalia that pervade the country – from ceramic busts to cheesy t-shirts to chocolate biscuits. Tourism operators are exploiting visual representations of the ancient Greek philosophers to make a living. They have no choice.
In the entire month that we travelled through Greece, I only saw one instance where ancient Greek philosophy appeared to be enduring in modern Greek life – the
phrase
Always seek knowledge graffitied on a shop door in Thessaloniki. A key teaching of Plato, spray-painted in the most public of places. I didn’t think to photograph it as I strode past. It’s the small things we regret when we travel.
Anyway, enough about my misconceptions. This journey was one of the most extraordinary trips we have experienced. On the flight home, I managed to scribble down a selection of highlights (of which there were many) and lowlights (of which there were few) that were still vivid within my thoughts.
The highlights The following is a brief summary of the highlights of our adventure. In reality there were many more, but these were the ones I felt compelled to jot down on our return flight to Australia.
Psyrri, Athens We both felt immediately at home in this grungy urban neighbourhood of Athens, where we discovered amazing restaurants – old and new – and incredible street art.
Attalos Hotel, Psyrri, Athens We also felt immediately at home in this friendly and welcoming hotel in Athens, which was located on the eastern edge of Psyrri. From the bottomless glass container of complimentary
mastika (a liqueur seasoned with
resin from the mastic tree) on the reception counter, to the exquisite rooftop bar with its breathtaking view of the Acropolis, Hotel Attalos had it all. In spades. The hotel’s motto
Your home away from home in the heart of Athens was so incredibly apt. We loved the place!
The Acropolis, Athens It’s an iconic site for the Greek people, and we had seen it oodles of times in movies and on Greece-based tourism brochures – but it is something else entirely when you stand before it.
Shrine of the Unknown God, Athens Areopagus Hill, an exposed rocky outcrop just below the Acropolis, once housed a dedicated shrine to worship unknown gods. I found the notion of such a shrine very progressive and inclusive, but my interpretation of its purpose may not be accurate. The shrine no longer exists, but the rocky outcrop affords amazing views of Athens. It was hot on top, but well worth the short climb.
Monastiraki Flea Markets, Athens The tiny back streets of Monastiraki are ripe for exploring. We fossicked for knicks-knacks with a handful of locals. We picked up a set of stone worry beads from an antique shop. We stopped
for a relaxing meal at a traditional family-run restaurant on the side of a quiet sheltered courtyard. All the while, the tourist hordes were only twenty or so metres away on the ever-manic Ermou.
The food OMG! The food in Greece! No matter where we travelled, the food was amazing. In small tavernas, fancy restaurants, hole-in-the-wall eateries. On the Peloponnese peninsula, the Greek mainland, the Saronic Islands, the Cyclades islands. It’s so hard to pick standouts, because everything was a standout. What to do? I decided to make a short list. A very, very short list of dishes I know I’ll never forget. It goes as follows: Grilled octopus, octopus carpaccio, octopus cooked in wine, spanakopita, meat balls, Greek salad, fava beans with anchovies, fava beans with salted herring, chick peas, fried sardines, fried calamari, bougatsa, olives, thick creamy Greek yoghurt, moussaka, stuffed peppers and tomatoes, mastika, half litre carafes of wine. OMG! The food in Greece!
Old-world underground tavernas There is a place in Athens. Below street level, with narrow stairs descending from the street. Your eyes adjust to the dim light as you wait for a table. The décor is basic and butchers’ paper is used
as a table covering. There is no menu and nobody orders. You simply get what appears (often thrown) on your table – typically bread, a legume dish and some fried fish, along with a jug of rough white wine that arrives in a container of ice to keep it cold. The cook is brash and the waiter rarely talks. They are both run off their feet. The place is called Diporto Agoras, and food is beyond amazing. It is one of the most memorable meals I’ve ever experienced.
Aegina We didn’t stay long enough on this amazing island in the heart of the Saronic Gulf, but riding a tandem bike along the coastline as the sun slowly disappeared behind the Peloponnese mountains in the western sky was sublime.
Nafplio This atmospheric city on the Argolic Gulf is an amazing place, and we immediately fell under its spell. We were mesmerised by Bourtzi (the small island fortress in the middle of Nafplio Harbour) and Palamidi Fortress (the imposing castle that overlooks the city from a 200+ metre high ridge). We captured some picture postcard images of Greece in the old city area, and along the fortified walls of Akronafplia
Fortress (the city’s oldest castle). We also encountered several abandoned construction sites. Half-finished buildings, crumbling into the earth and covered in graffiti, stand silently as cold reminders of the financial crisis that rocked the country.
The outskirts of Nafplio As much as I loved the coastal city of Nafplio, I was equally captivated by its surrounding countryside. The parched and arid landscape; the stark mountains lining the horizon; the windswept hills of Mycenae with its panoramic valley views; the Theatre of Epidavros with its pristine acoustics; the rich syrah wine from a small boutique winery in nearby Argos. There’s so much to love about this coastal valley on the Peloponnese peninsula! I could return in a heartbeat.
Kardamyli I loved the warmth and friendliness of this peaceful seaside hideaway on the shores of the Messinian Gulf. I can see why Patrick Leigh Fermor, one of my favourite travel writers, decided to settle in this part of the world – the southernmost promontory of Greece.
Thessaloniki Thessaloniki was the northernmost point we travelled to in Greece, and it was well worth the five-and-a-half-hour train trip from Athens – which I thoroughly enjoyed. The highlight of our short time
in Thessaloniki was walking to and exploring the city’s Upper Town area. The panoramic vista of the shimmering Gulf of Thessaloniki from the Upper Town’s narrow-paved streets was stunning. What has lingered most in my thoughts, however, was a chance encounter with a friendly local woman. She walked with us to the Portara (Large Gate) that allows traffic through the fortified walls of the old city, then took us inside the fortified walls and showed us her favourite taverna. She suggested we relax there – which we did! She was so welcoming, and so happy to share aspects of her life in Thessaloniki. It is spontaneous experiences such as these that make travel so utterly absorbing and enjoyable.
I was also taken with the stark architecture of Thessaloniki. The endless rows of multi-storey square box apartments had a Communist Bloc feel and ambience, which for some unknown reason appeals to me. It must be my growing fondness for functional objects with minimal design.
Meteora After visiting the iconic Meteora monasteries, we decided to walk back to our hotel in Kalambaka via a beautiful and peaceful walking track that flowed naturally through the towering rock formations. It was an
incredibly picturesque and meditative trek, and one of the highlights of our time in Greece.
Delphi While our time in Delphi was transitory, two things remain especially vivid in my thoughts.
1) The Pleistos River valley and Gulf of Itea can be seen from almost anywhere in the small town, and my eyes were continually drawn to the striking vista. The valley carves through the rugged landscape with such power and authority. It’s as if the mountains have respectfully stepped back at some point in time to let the river flow freely to the sea. Whenever I think of Delphi, I will always imagine a river valley stretching to a distant gulf…
2) Making the most of our final hours in Delphi, we walked to the iconic Sanctuary of Athena Pronaia in the early morning and had the place to ourselves. It was so calm and peaceful, and the view of the Pleistos River valley was sublime – as it always was. I quickly warmed to this rugged region in Central Greece, where ancient ruins are shrouded by hazy mountains and blue-sky horizons.
Syros I loved everything about Syros – the main town centre (Ermoupoli), the
two main hills of Ermoupoli (Ano Syros and Vrondado), the rural villages, the arid landscape, the hilltop taverna (Plakostroto) in a remote town on a high northern point of the island. We relaxed outside in the warm evening at Plakostroto and enjoyed an extraordinary selection of dishes as the sun slowly set over the Aegean Sea below us. It was one of those travel experiences I know I’ll never forget – a truly local and truly amazing meal. Of all the places we visited in Greece, Syros is the one that frequently returns to my thoughts… and refuses to leave. I could so easily live there.
Santorini The four-hour / 12-kilometre hike from Fira to Oia along the rim of Santorini’s
caldera (a large volcanic crater) was the absolute highlight of our entire Greece adventure, and it just happened to coincide with Ren’s 50th birthday. What an incredible way to celebrate her milestone!
Sustainability Greece appears to have embraced sustainable energy options with a passion, especially wind and solar power. Giant wind turbines populate the mountain peaks, while small banks of solar panels dot the parched landscape. I couldn’t help but smile whenever I saw them.
The lowlights
There weren’t many lowlights to our adventure, and I certainly don’t want to dwell on them here. The following experiences are the ones I felt compelled to jot down on the plane as we returned to Australia.
Right wing nationalism It exists, and we saw it first-hand. Far-right political parties have attracted an alarming percentage of the popular vote in recent government elections in Greece. The parties – such as Greek Solution and Golden Dawn – advocate strong nationalism and traditional lifestyles. They also openly stand against multiculturalism. Far-right politics is clearly experiencing a revival in Greece, and we observed one of the party faithful up close and personal. On our guided tour of the Acropolis, an old bloke clambered to the top of Parthenon (via the scaffolding) and draped far-right protest banners from its metopes. I heard whispers he was calling for the immediate expulsion of Macedonians from Greece, along with all other ‘non-Greek’ people who had too much influence in ‘his’ country. He was also threatening to jump, which would certainly have resulted in his death.
The resurgence of far-right allegiances, especially among younger generations, is always concerning. Patriotism can so quickly descend into nationalism,
and nationalism can so easily descend into insular racism. The catchcry of the nationalistic racist is all too common:
We only like people who look like us; we only like people who sound like us; we only like people who think like us.
Unscrupulous tourism operators They exist everywhere, and they exist in Greece. They have an inherent disdain for tourists – the very source of their income. Fortunately, we only experienced a handful of rogues throughout our Greek adventure. The worst? A contemptuous souvenir salesman in Delphi. The less said the better!
Tourist hordes OMG! The tourists in Greece! I understand the irony of my complaint here, so there’s not a lot I can say. I was among them. I was one of them. I was a tourist in Greece. I was travelling in a small group. There was only ten of us. Sometimes less. Not that it makes any difference. The size of a travel group is inconsequential in the broader scheme of things.
However, I was dismayed by the cruise ship invasion of Mykonos and Santorini, and I was shocked by the boarding and disembarkation process of the island ferries – especially on the
islands of Mykonos and Santorini. The sheer volume of invading tourists was beyond words.
SHE SAID... It’s no secret that our trip to Greece exceeded my wildest expectations! The 30-day journey went by far too quickly… in a blur of scenic olive groves, beautiful friendly felines, lively family tavernas, lazy meze lunches, charming cobblestone streets, crowded marble streets, enlightening ancient ruins, chaotic passenger ferries, pristine seaside cliffs and idyllic little villages.
We are now back home and it’s time for my favourite post-holiday activity – thinking about the trip and writing my reflections.
But let me start at the start. Why Greece for my 50th birthday trip?
As far back as I can remember, I’ve had a kind of existential longing for the Mediterranean region. I blame my Dad’s National Geographic magazines from the 1970s and ‘80s. Those seductive photos of shiny sunshine and sparkling seas drew me into the page. I’ve been lucky enough to appreciate the Mediterranean in Spain, Italy, Turkey and Morocco… and I wanted to experience Greece’s take on it.
And then there was the European factor too. I think all my first ‘Wow!’ travel moments as a child
were in Europe; and I still have a wistful love for it. Even the sound of a European city is unique and endearing. Layers upon layers of conversations echoing off narrow lanes, the very distinct European emergency vehicle sirens, footsteps on cobblestones, church bells ringing, and clicking of coffee cups and wine glasses. I love it! The last time we were in Europe was in 2019, and I have missed it.
Greece wasn’t on my parent’s travel radar, and it wasn’t a country I’d paid much attention to until we moved to Melbourne in the late 1980s. Melbourne was said to have the second biggest population of Greeks outside Athens back then, and it showed in the large Greek influence in the city and the northern suburbs we lived in. I absorbed bits and pieces of Greek culture through friends, neighbours and colleagues of Greek heritage, and through representation in TV shows by first generation Greek-Australians. It made me curious to experience all that Greece has to offer.
Before the Trip The lead up to this trip had its fair share of ‘should we / shouldn’t we’ angst. We were understandably worried about travel in a post-COVID world.
I’m so pleased we made the decision to dust off our passports and get back out there. These are some thoughts / reflections from that time:
> Andrew’s passport expired at the end of 2021 while our borders were still locked down. But even back then, reports began to surface that our Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (which issues Australian passports) was expecting a mountain of applications and significant delays when our borders opened. We made the decision to renew Andrew’s passport and risk wasting a year of validity over not being able to travel whenever the borders opened in 2022.
> We heard so many horror stories of ‘travel gone wrong’ in the lead up to our trip. Subsequently, we had low expectations of everything going smoothly. We decided that if things went well, it would be excellent; but if things stuffed up, we wouldn’t stress and would try to enjoy the trip as best we could.
> A whole section of both our packs was taken up with about 20 masks (a combination of surgical and very bulky N95s), as well as five rapid antigen tests each. We wondered if we were overthinking things… but decided that
it was better to be safe than sorry. We used masks for airports, flights, trains and public ferries; but even then, they were only required when inside the ferry cabins. In the end, we’d hugely overpacked masks – we didn’t wear nearly as many as we thought we would, plus they were freely available everywhere we went! And very very thankfully, we didn’t need to use any of the rapid antigen tests.
> In earlyish July 2022 (just under two months before we started our trip), we both tested COVID-positive for the first time. Even though it was a pain in the proverbial at the time, it actually gave us a sense of protection and put us at ease during our travels.
> Apart from a few trips at home in Tassie, I hadn’t really used my Sony mirrorless camera since our trip to Thailand and Laos in January 2020. It was interesting – but also frustrating – reacquainting myself with it. I was amazed how many favourite settings and functions I’d forgotten!
The Trip When planning any trip, we try to identify what we feel are the main aspects of that country and culture. The aim is to
garner at least some semblance of understanding how the country works, and have a sense of things that are essential to the local people.
Where We Travelled > The vast majority of this trip was spent in Greece, but it also involved a brief stop in Dubai to visit family on our way to Athens. We hope to return for a longer stay and explore this fascinating country.
> In Greece we split our time between the central mainland of Greece, the Peloponnese peninsula and eight islands in the Saronic Gulf and the Cyclades group.
> We explored Athens on our own, but the rest of our time was spent between three Intrepid trips.
> The first Intrepid trip took us on a western loop from Athens to the Peloponnese peninsula and the Saronic Gulf islands. This trip had a focus on food, and it was an absolutely outstanding trip.
> The second Intrepid trip was a northern loop north from Athens into the north and central mainland. This had more of a historical focus and gave me a better understanding of ancient Greece.
> The final trip took us from Athens into the heart of the Cyclades islands.
This gave us a further taste of Greek island life, and it confirmed how vast and diverse the Greek islands are. I had a few negative preconceived ideas about this part of the trip, but I’m so happy to report that it was a brilliant trip.
How We Travelled > Our modes of transport were a combination of international and domestic planes, private minibuses, a bicycle, all manner of slow ferries, high-speed catamarans, the city Metro (in Athens), a high-speed intercity train, a public bus, and taxis (both the four wheeled as well as water variety). This exposed us to a good cross section of the land and sea of Greece.
> Boats are such a large part of the Greek way of life, and as chaotic as they were, I loved experiencing the public ferries.
> Unusually for us, our accommodation on this trip was all in hotels. But not all hotels and rooms are created equal, are they? They ranged from functional, good, bad, ugly to absolutely gorgeous. My least favourite hotel was in Poros and my least favourite hotel room was in Thessaloniki; and my most favourite hotel and room was in Nafplio. Generally speaking though,
I’m splitting hairs here, because even the hotels and rooms that weren’t great had redeeming features.
The Groups We Travelled With > We were very lucky on this trip. We met some amazingly good travellers and lovely humans on the three trips.
> Travelling in a small group means that you get to know people quite well, and at the key points of the first group meeting, the first shared meal, the first minibus trip etc., we all get a sense of who shares our values and who we can relate to most.
> Obviously we aren’t going to bond with everyone on every trip, but largely, the majority of people we met in Greece were easy going, helpful, generous, caring, and had a fabulous sense of humour.
> Regardless of whether the friendship is merely for the duration of the trip or whether it continues in some form into real life… I appreciate meeting good people who we would not likely meet in any other way.
> Our first Intrepid Travel group leader was great in lots of ways – especially on the Food trip – but caused us a few disappointments along the way. I believe this
was solely due to her lack of experience, and I’m sure had we got her a year or two into her career, she would have been excellent.
> Our second Intrepid Travel group leader had all the qualities we value and hope to get in a group leader! His local knowledge, ability to make everyone comfortable, and commitment to showing us the best of his country was beyond brilliant. It’s for local group leaders like this that we keep travelling with Intrepid.
General Thoughts on Travelling in Greece > We found that the Alpha Bank was the best ATM for our Australian cards.
> While a couple of the places we visited were the typical tourist magnets, we also spent time in local places where the interactions with the locals were far more genuine and ‘normal’. I don’t mean that there weren’t lovely locals in the touristy places too – but when a place relies on tourism as its main source of income, there is an element of performance in the interaction with tourists, and I’m never entirely sure how I’m being perceived.
> The peak tourism summer season was over, and at the start of our trip in
early September we saw lots of local tourists (the new school term hadn’t yet started). However, in the very touristy areas, the time of month didn’t matter, and most of the tourists were from overseas.
> The early autumn weather was perfect for us – still lots of sun, with very hot to warm days and balmy nights. However, by the end of the trip in late September, there was a distinct chill in the air at night, and the clouds had started to gather.
> Athens doesn’t have a glorious reputation, especially compared to other European capitals. I can see that it’s not to everyone’s taste, but its historical significance alone is rave-worthy… let alone that it’s a living, breathing, vibrant city that has so much to offer. We absolutely loved it!
> Greece (and especially Athens) has more ancient sites than you can poke a stick at, so before the trip Andrew and I had to discuss which ones we really wanted to see… in order to avoid ‘ruin-fatigue’ in our time there.
> It’s easy to get swept up in the tourist frenzy and indulge in all the ancient sites in Greece, but apart from the above-mentioned
ruin-fatigue, I felt this would have been at the cost of spending time getting a taste of other contemporary aspects of Greek life.
> Local guides at ancient sites like intermingling mythological legends with historical details, so when listening to their stories it was sometimes hard to separate fact from fiction.
> There doesn’t seem to be a standardised translation of words from the Greek alphabet to the Roman one. As a result, there tend to be many variations of place names on English language maps. It was sometimes confusing, so we have followed the Lonely Planet Guide’s spelling of place and street names in this blog.
> Knowing the most commonly used letters of the Greek alphabet – which I thankfully still remembered from years of studying maths and science – was very helpful when we came upon street signs or restaurant names in Greek.
> Greece claims to have the largest coast in the Mediterranean basin, with over 13,000 kilometres of coastline. That’s a lot of coastline for a relatively small country! But considering it also has around 6000 islands (!), that claim isn’t hard to believe. Only 200 or so of these islands are inhabited, and we
visited six of these (plus two uninhabited ones).
> I found it incredible that regardless of where we were in the country, even on mainland Greece, we were never far from the sea!
> The complete uniqueness of each island we visited was pretty remarkable. I had read this before we travelled, but I was sceptical, because it sounded like marketing speak! It wasn’t. Every island really did have its own geographical and architectural distinctiveness, its cultural individuality, and a special ambiance honed from the different histories, social nuances and even weather conditions of each place.
> Sunsets on the Saronic Gulf islands are as good as, if not better than, those on the Cyclades islands! Given the Cyclades islands have cultivated a whole tourist industry around their ‘legendary’ sunsets, I know this is probably going to be a point of great dispute for many… but I stand by my opinion. 😊
The Food in Greece It’s hard to live in Australia and not be familiar with the mainstays of Greek cuisine. Not surprisingly, I’ve had a long-standing love of Greek food… mostly through iconic Greek restaurants in Melbourne like Jim’s Tavern, Stalactites and Hellenic Republic. But if I’m
being very honest, I have to admit that my biggest connection with Greek food was through souvlakis… typically of the dubious post-clubbing 4am ‘I need carbs’ stop on the way home. 😉
The Greek food culture is thousands of years old, and Greece is credited with sprinkling their ancient culinary traditions around the world. And in turn, its cuisine reflects an array of influences in its flavours, particularly from the time of Ottoman and Venetian rulers, but also through migration from surrounding countries. The traditional Greek food seems deceptively simple and unashamedly rustic, but it’s also soul warming and comforting. It’s no wonder I love it so much.
In our month in Greece, we experienced many dishes… some were new to us, and others we were very familiar with. From all our experiences, there are two that stand higher than others in my esteem:
> I’m now a massive
bougatsa devotee… custard and pastry are a match made in heaven, so there’s no surprise that it was love at first bite for me! I had a
bougatsa at every opportunity I got. But I’m sad to report that
bougatsas don’t seem to be very popular in Greek bakeries
in Australia, but I will keep looking.
> I would say (with tongue firmly in cheek) that we became ‘Greek salad’ connoisseurs on this trip. We had at least one or two Greek salads a day… so it was easy enough to start noticing even the smallest of faults. We would snobbishly rate each salad on the flavour and juiciness of the tomatoes, the freshness of the cucumber, the pepperiness of the olive oil and the creaminess of the slab of feta! 😊
This trip was a true food odyssey for us! Each meal in Greece was an event spread out over hours, filled with lots of happy smiles, and contained more olive oil and feta than I’d usually consume in a year at home.
I don’t think we had any meals that I thoroughly hated. The worst I can say is that there were occasional elements of a meal that I didn’t like. The experience has no doubt changed us and our palates… we find ourselves saying wanky things like ‘everything is better with feta’, or olive oil, or both! 😉
A Few Culinary Surprises > The genuine hospitality in restaurants. They were times that I
felt they’d forgotten we were customers and treated us like their personal guests.
> The countless varieties of delicious cheeses in Greece. While feta is justifiably the most well-known, I tasted some fabulous cheeses that would rival all the other famous cheese producing countries in Europe and the world.
> Greek wine. They produce wine! Who knew! I knew nothing about Greek wines until this trip, but I will definitely look out for Assyrtiko on wine lists from now on.
> Caper bushes grow wild on the Cyclades islands, and the caper leaves are a common addition to salads. However, I was amazed to learn that the edible ‘berry’ is in fact its flower bud!
> Usually, when looking for eateries while travelling, we are most drawn to places with the largest crowd of locals. In Greece, however, even the restaurants aimed at tourists had seriously amazing food! We would normally avoid restaurants close to iconic tourist sites and with chairs in the large squares etc. like the plague … but we had some great dishes in these types of restaurants!
The Not-So-Great Bits of the Greece Trip > The history of Greece is complex and fraught with long
standing resentments and fixations that span millennia. I won’t pretend to understand what another country and its people has experienced, but I found it awkward that most Greeks we met didn’t wish to openly admit that they have absorbed foreign influences and ideas over time.
> There wouldn’t be many people or cultures in the world that haven’t at some point been influenced by invading empires and/or migration and/or trade. I think the richest cultures are those that are a fusion of different religions, races, societies and schools of thought. Whether they wish to admit it or not, I think it makes Greece’s unique culture even more interesting.
> In a way that anyone addicted to travel will recognise – we encounter the best and worst of humans and their habits when we travel. I think rudeness and self-interest are two hideous human conditions, and we encountered these aplenty with the shore excursions from cruise ships.
> Devastatingly, we found ourselves on the forefront of the global struggle with over-tourism. Everyone wants to see the beautiful places in the world, ourselves included. And the resulting strain on these places is huge… not just the physical strain on infrastructure, but the
cultural whitewashing too – where precious old towns only seem to exist to host bars, hotels and spas.
> A related evil of mass-tourism is the displacement of local families from sort-after property areas. Meeting the incessant demand for luxury holidays seems to be a powerful steamroller. I’m not the target market for all-inclusive luxury resort holidays, so I probably have far less tolerance for it. I will never see the point of travelling somewhere and staying in a sterile cookie cutter environment that only engages with the local culture in the most superficial and insincere of ways. At best this is disrespectful to the local culture; and at worst it’s a form of neo-colonialism. Governments around the world seem to forget their primary responsibility is to their people and lands. The power and seduction of the big tourism players is very real.
Clearly though, even given the above points, I found it impossible not to fall deeply in love with Greece! 😊
The Greatest Bits of the Greece Trip > We stayed up late and woke up early. Our levels of energy on a trip are directly proportional to how much we love a place… and they
were through the roof in Greece!
> My skin absolutely loved baking in the Mediterranean sun, and my short hair had a permanent ‘sun dried/sea spray’ look coveted by stylists. 😄
> My legs ached from non-stop walking, and my face hurt from non-stop smiling. Smiling at the people, smiling at being in such a gorgeous country, but most of all smiling because we had the most magical time in Greece. My heart was, and still is, overflowing with happiness.
> I suspect the fact that we intentionally set out with low expectations may have had a lot to do with the high levels of happiness and gratitude we experienced on this trip.
> Not being able to travel for two years made us appreciate how much we loved and missed travelling. I think this contributed to our levels of happiness and gratitude too.
> I could literally write pages and pages for this Greatest Bits section, but instead, I’ve decided to list my ‘favourites’:
1. Favourite ‘Wow!’ moment: Seeing the Parthenon for the first time
2. Favourite Athens neighbourhoods: Psyrri and Plaka
3. Favourite city/town/village: Nafplio
4. Favourite islands: Syros and Aegina
5. Favourite churches: Church of Panagia Gorgoepikoos
Athens; Agios Nikolakis Church Mykonos
6. Favourite archaeological sites: Mycenae ruins and the Acropolis
7. Favourite museum: Acropolis Museum
8. Favourite activities: Fira to Oia hike in Santorini, and the cooking class in Poros
9. Favourite restaurant experiences: Laoutari Kafreneio, Syros; and Dusko’s Taverna, Hydra
10. Favourite dish: Octopus carpaccio in Poseidon Restaurant, Poros
11. Favourite Greek salad: from Aspro Alogo, Athens
12. Favourite souvlaki: from Kostas (on Agia Irini Square), Athens
13. Favourite moussaka: from Ta Rolla Taverna, Kalamata
14. Favourite olives: Prune olives from Sparta
15. Favourite cheeses: Apart from feta… anthotyros (fresh white cheese) and San Michali cheese (hard cheese)
16. Favourite pie (sweet): Bougasta
17. Favourite pie (savoury): Spanakopita
18. Favourite dips: Tzatziki and Fava beans
19. Favourite chip flavour: Lays Oregano
20. Favourite ice creams: Salted pistachio (from Aiakeion, Aegina); and Raw almond and tonka bean (from Kokkion, Athens).
Memories of Greece Since our return, and while writing this Epilogue, Andrew and I have constantly reminisced about all our experiences. I’ve started noticing that my memories have taken on a sort of dreamlike photographic quality, or perhaps it’s more like a short video reel. And very fascinatingly, I seem to have catalogued these vignettes
of our visit by moods and colours! This may sound peculiar… but it’s understandable given my love of compiling and categorising things. 😄
Sometimes my memories are blueish… and big and wide as the open sea and vast sky. A sea mist hovers where the sea meets the sky, blending the two blues into an idealistic painting. Masts of yachts rattle and waves clap against sea walls as we walk past a harbour, with a lightly salted breeze blowing about us.
At other times my memories are stark white and bright like a laundry detergent advertisement. Shading my eyes against the glare bouncing off the old whitewashed buildings, my memories lead me squeezing through small winding lanes edged with neon pink bougainvillea and lemon trees in large pots. I’m torn between tiptoeing past the sleeping felines on the shiny cobblestone paths or waking them up for a pat.
Some memories are draped with a veil of greens. Neat rows of earthy green olive trees or bright green grape vines march towards the horizon. I’m pulled towards an outdoor table under a pretty trellis that’s covered in greenery and blossoms… that’s in turn under a big shady oak.
The double protection from the sun is welcome. The clinking of chilled white wine glasses and the aroma of cooking food heralds the beginning of another delicious Greek feast.
Then there are memories that look like a study of brown. Of driving through hillsides of dark earth studded with small wooded fir forests; of walking through ancient sepia ruins that had crumbled into their dusty surrounds; and of climbing sandy hills in small villages to reach a stone church that melded into the mountain it sat on. The sprawling parched earth of Greece is as humble and unassuming as it is solid and resolute. Much like the colour brown itself.
But I have saved my favourite memory for last. Its hues are of a dramatic but calm and contemplative colour palette. A moody inky blue sea shimmers below us and a dense dark chocolate volcanic road stretches ahead… while implausible pops of sage green break through the hard ground at our feet. This quiet walk with barely another soul in sight was one of my favourite experiences in Greece, and the one I think I will relive the most in years to come. 😊
This is not Goodbye; it’s Until We Meet Again
Let’s face it, we have a massive crush on Greece. Actually, it’s more than a crush – it’s a raging lusty affair. The people, the food, the sunshine, the landscapes, the seascapes, the architecture, the history, the quirky mythology... who could resist that? Talk about having the whole package!
One day, Greece. One day we’ll be back to get to know you a lot better.
Adio people, and may your adventures in travel, love and life bring you lots of happiness! 😊
Flying ships on this trip... Qantas Airways (Hobart – Melbourne);
Emirates Airlines (Melbourne – Dubai);
Emirates Airlines (Dubai – Athens);
Aegean Air (Santorini – Athens);
Emirates Airlines (Athens – Dubai – Melbourne);
Qantas Airways (Melbourne– Hobart).
Advertisement
Tot: 0.275s; Tpl: 0.026s; cc: 11; qc: 34; dbt: 0.0606s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.3mb
Jasmin Baker
non-member comment
Greece
I LOVE this. So many epic photos. I want to go to Greece for an eating holiday! LOL 😆