We, my wife and i watched the movie Mamma Mia and were immediately attracted to Greece. So, after doing a tour of Italy, we quite naturally extended our holiday into neighbouring Greece. We made some memories there and are happy to share the same with you.
Greece- birthplace of Western Civilization. The land of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle
Greece offers sunshine, seafood, whitewashed houses with bright-blue shutters, and a relaxed, Zorba-the-Greek lifestyle. As the cradle of Western civilization, it has some of the world’s greatest ancient monuments. While it’s a late bloomer in the modern age and retains echoes of a simpler, time-passed world, contemporary Greece has one of Europe’s fastest-changing cultural landscapes. With its classical past, hang-loose present, and edgy future, you can travel through time as your travel through Greece!
We arrived at the Greek port of Patras by cruiser from Italy and started our Greek odyssey from Olympia.
The ancient 8th century BC Olympic Stadium still exists at Olympia.
Temple of Zeus, Olympia
Though only a few columns remain of the Temple of Olympia Zeus it does not take much imagination to realize that this was one monster of a building. … Originally there were 104 Corinthian columns of which only 15 remain standing Most columns withstood earthquakes but were brought down by heavy storms.
Nafplio - the first capital of Greece.
This is indeed a very small pretty town which used to be the first capital of Greece. Popular tourist resort. You may relax, drink Greek wine Ouzo and watch the world pass by in the backdrop of beautiful seascapes and landscapes.
Tolon
This again is a very pretty sea side resort. We met a batch of retired Americans who have permanently settled here and enjoying life.
Mycenae
This is a place existing since the Bronze Age. There’s a museum where you can see war weapons and exquisite gold jewelry of that age. Mycenae was once a major center of Greek civilization - just a couple of centuries later than the Indus Valley Civilization of India.
The Corinth Canal
It is just 4 miles long and 80 feet wide. It saves small ships a 500 mile detour and over 10,000 ships use it every year. It took several decades to build. Many companies went bust trying to build it. It is truly an engineering marvel.
Athens
Athens is the capital of Greece. It was also at the heart of Ancient Greece, a powerful civilization and empire. The city is still dominated by 5th-century BC landmarks, including the Acropolis, a hilltop citadel topped with ancient buildings like the colonnaded Parthenon temple. The Acropolis Museum, along with the National Archaeological Museum, preserves sculptures, vases, jewelry and more from Ancient Greece.
Acropolis
Ancient Medical Research Center, Athens
Plaka
At the foot of The Acropolis, the Plaka is a tourist hot spot.
Loitering on the Waterfront of Athens
Dubbed “The Bride of the Thermaic Gulf,” Thessaloniki has the privilege of a long seafront. The part between the iconic 15th century White Tower and the port, or the Old Waterfront, is where city folk congregate.
Athens Nightlife
There is no word for hangover in Greek which says a lot about the culture and how Greeks like to enjoy a drink; slowly, with a few nibbles or meze to share over several hours. Athens nightlife, much like the food scene, has evolved into a world class affair
Piraeus
- this is the gateway port to sailing off to many of the enchanting islands like Santorini, Mykonos or Rhodes
Mykonos
The enchanting island that puts you in the mood of the Spanish hit The Ketchup Song
Iconic Windmills of Mykonos- can be seen from far and wide
Little Venice in Mykonos
Little Venice evolved from the picturesque Alevkantra beach and extends right into the peripheral areas of Kastro, as it is popularly referred to. Visitors stay in one of the quaint houses that dot the Mykonos shoreline for the sheer pleasure that they afford. You can sit down with a peg or two of your favorite tipple in the quintessential wooden stairways even as the surging waves crash underneath. A truly magical aura indeed.
Mykonos Nightlife
There are usually two types of people who go to Mykonos. One type is well aware of its party island reputation and often that’s why they’re going. The other type goes to Mykonos, drawn by its enchanting beauty, and discovers the vibrant party life there and are dismayed. They don’t have to be. Don’t get me wrong, Mykonos does offer a popping party scene, but when the sun sets, there is a vibrant mature nightlife for others. So, whether you want to party with your hands in the air or a wine glass in hand you’ll be right at home in Mykonos.
Santorini - most popular Greek island. The beast of burden on this island is the donkey.
-has risen like a phoenix from the ashes. Was destroyed by a volcano centuries ago.
Oia
Oia is a coastal town on the northwestern tip of Santorini, a Greek Aegean island. The town has whitewashed houses carved into the rugged clifftops, and overlooks a vast caldera filled with water. In a 19th-century mansion, the Naval Maritime Museum has exhibits on local seafaring history, including old figureheads, sailors’ chests and models of old ships. Nearby is the ruined Oia Castle, known for its sunset views.
Churches of Oia
The churches of Oia are devoted to various Saints and on the name day of each Saint a feast takes place at the church related to him/ her.
The Hot Springs of Santorini:
The island of Nea Kameni, also known as the Santorini volcano, is a volcanic island at the center of the impressive Santorini caldera. Nea Kameni was formed around 1570 after a series of volcanic eruptions.
Santorini - Sayonara!
Thousands of years before the idea of tourism — in the Bronze Age, a time that was ancient even to the Greeks we now call “ancient” — Santorini was already bustling. It was the era of the Minoans, the earliest documented civilization in the Aegean, and Santorini was the largest city outside their home base of Crete. But in around 1630 BC, the “Minoan Eruption” — one of the biggest in human history — blew out 24 cubic miles of volcanic material, at least four times the amount ejected by the 1883 explosion of Krakatoa in today’s Indonesia. That’s when the island took on the sunken crater shape that visitors see today.
That’s it - our trip to Greece. Hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.
Thank you for reading this post.
In case you wish to see the route map of our tour, please click here: Time Travel Through Greece
This is in response to the #ConnectWritingChallenge initiated by @AdrianLunsong whose tutorials have been immensely helpful to me in writing posts.
