Greece 2022

The Greece visit was on the heels of our Italy trip and included the southern Greece mainland and three of the Islands.  Like Italy, we were there early in the tourist season and among the first Americans touring Greece since the pandemic started.  The Greeks are friendly and courteous people who treated us wonderfully. We had no real communication problems even in the off-the-beaten-track places.  It was easy to get around by car on the mainland.   

The ancient history, sights, and artifacts were extraordinary – so many well-preserved things from centuries BC.  It is astounding how such sophisticated art, pottery, and utensils were created when the tools to make them were so embryonic.  Yet, the Greeks only flourished until about 150 BC, when they were conquered by Alexander the Great.  They were then dominated by the Roman and Ottoman empires for nearly 2000 years. They really weren’t an independent country until the early 1800’s.  

The Islands are just gorgeous – mountainous islands in beautiful blue waters.  Many towns consist of whitewashed cliff-hanging, cave-like apartments with stone streets and stunning views.  Today, they are homes to a lively tourist and vacation trade.

As you would expect, the food and wine are important to the Greeks and was generally quite good.  However, with the exception of a few of classic Greek dishes, such as Moussaka, the menus and the food were surprisingly similar to that in Southern Italy.   

Athens – The “birthplace of civilization” is an amazing place.  You could spend an entire week just seeing the Acropolis Museum and the National Archeological Museum.  They provide insight to the distant past through real, tangible, detailed, and visual artifacts.  Whether you stare at a mural depicting a hunt or the translation of a stone tablet of a building construction contract you start to understand how people lived and worked 3 centuries before Christ was born. And that just the start of the wonders of Athens.

Nafplio – Considered a playground for the wealthy, it’s a picturesque ancient city with a stunning port and an imposing fortress.  It’s also close to the ruins of Mycenae, one of the major centers of Greek civilization in the 2^nd century BC. 

Meteora Monasteries – Perhaps the most amazing thing we saw during the entire trip.  The area is home to huge vertical rock pillars that rise 100’s of feet above the landscape.  In the 1300’s to the 1500’s Eastern Orthodox monks scaled them and built monasteries on top of them.  The brought building materials up the pillars stone-by-stone.  It is a tribute to what mankind is capable of.

Crete – The largest and most populous of the Greek Island is 160 miles long.  We stayed in Chania, a striking waterfront town which is now a major tourist attraction.  It features outstanding restaurants and shops.  The first cruise ships of the year arrived while we were there. 

Mykonos – Reputed to be the “party capital of the Greek Islands”.  The reputation is well deserved as there is a happening harbor waterfront.  The Island is ringed with excellent beaches and is jammed with moored yachts in the prime season.  There are scores of mansions for rent to host major parties all over the island.

Santorini – The “romance capital of the Greek Islands” is just dazzling with fabulous views everywhere you look.  It is also the “selfie capital of Greece”.  You can hire photographers to take a portfolio of pictures of you in a variety of glamourous outfits with the wind blowing ‘just right’.  There are a number of nice wineries on the island that specialize in wind-resistant white grapes.