Final Greek post

We're back in Austin and missing ouzo, olive oil, yogurt & feta! It was an incredible 31 days!  We highly recommend going. Greece has so much to see & do, yet very relaxing. & low stress. Most of the country is not highly populated, so you're always seeing big expanses of open land covered with olive trees. And, then, the incredible turquise ocean is never far off.

For the record: we walked 88 miles, took 209,000 steps, climbed 403 flights of stairs, drove 3,000 kilometers, drank 3 liters of ouzo, ate 12 Kilos of feta and lots of lamb & goat AND only gained a combined 4 pounds!

Our itinerary is available to anyone who's interested in going. We highly recommend it!

Gia sas!

Our last meal in Athens

May 5-6, Santorini/Athens

We had a great, although at times harrowing, drive on the north side of Santorini far from the tourist hordes & the Asian brides. It was a different world! The driving is difficult because there are VERY few road signs. The Santorinians keep saying "There's only one road"--which is true until you get to a fork or cutoff to a smaller road! We survived & managed to get to our destinations, but shrieking was involved--in Greek, of course. We tried to swim in the Aegen, but managed only to wade--it is gorgeous, crystal clear & ice cold! We had a great dinner at a restaurant owned by a Frenchman who, 25 years ago, fell in love with Santorini & a girl who lived there from Cyprus. Very nice guy. We learned that S. is only 'open' from April to October. Then it's too cold and wet (and very slippery) & everything shuts down & many of the workers go home. Our car rental guy (who came to Austin for Formula 1) lives in Athens the rest of the year. I guess they make a lot of money from the tourists, hordes & brides.

We caught our flight to Athens at 2:30 & found out that the Metro wasn't running from the airport. It was either a $75 cab ride or riding the bus.  Everyone else, including our flight crew, seemed to be riding the bus, so we did too! An hour & a half later the cab ride was looking good! We made it to our hotel & couldn't believe how Athens looked--much less traffic (it wasn't Easter weekend) & tons of street side cafe tables (the temp is in the 80's rather than the low 60's. Tonight we walked to our restaurant & everyone was out walking & eating. So vibrant & fun!

We've packed our bags & are ready for our 7:30am wake up call we'll be back in Austin tomorrow, Thursday , at 10:30pm. Looking forward to seeing everyone. It's been a fantastic, interesting, relaxing & fun trip. We love Greece and can't wait to tell you why!  See you soon. . .

F

May 3-4, Santorini

we got up in the wee hours on May 3 to drive 2 hours from Hania to Iraklion & catch a 9:30am ferry from Crete to Santorini.  We were sad to leave Crete. We had a great time there. Learned a lot about the Mineon culture, ate fabulous food & met some friendly, interesting Greeks. It was a huge ferry to Santorini & a nice smooth ride. As we began to see islands in the distance, we could see white on top of some islands. At first we thought it was snow, but as we got closer we realized it was clusters of tiny white houses clinging to the top & sides of the island!  We, unfortunately, arrived not only with a lot of people on our ferry, but also along with a cruise liner that disgorged hordes--and we mean hordes--of tourists. We're staying in Oia (pronounced Ia) on the farthest tip of the island. You'd think there would be fewer of the cruise hordes, but No!  This is where they all want to come because it's the most iconic town of Santorini. The tiny, twisty lanes of the town were so packed you had to just become part of the camera-clicking river of tourists. It was not a good way to arrive! We were feeling that we'd made a mistake in coming to such a touristy place. But, thank Zeus, they all leave around 6pm. Our hotel is one of the clinging-to-the-side of the island places. Everything is painted white-just like all the images you've seen. The ocean is beautiful & the view is spectacular.  Another interesting thing is that there are hundreds of Asian tourists like we've never seen anywhere else in Greece. Many come to get married here & it's quite a production. Some, we think, are on their honeymoons & renacting wedding pictures with long white dresses & tuxedos. Very odd to see when everyone else is in bathing suits & touristy shorts. The 2nd day was much better. The morning was beautiful. It's finally in the mid 70's, sunny & no wind. We walked around Oia & there was almost no one around! Without the hordes, it's easy to appreciate the beauty of the stark white villages & the vibrant sea. Still, this island makes all its money on tourism & there

Views from our hotel patio

are endless shops--some nice, but the majority not. Today we've rented a car to explore the non-tourist side of the island. There are supposed to be some beautiful beaches & we've vowed to swim in the Aegan, even if it's cold! We'll provide documentation! More to follow . . .

Observations on Greece, May 2

- everyone talks about the 'Crisis', but we don't see that's it's affecting anyone. Locals are out everywhere--eating, drinking, shopping. We've heard that taxes keep going up & that there's no business. Tourism seems good & all of our hotels have been full.
-  No woman under 88 years of age has gray hair. Every other color, but not gray.
-  Greek people all seem to be extroverts! Lots of fun, big (& loud) talkers & friendly.
-  everyone wears blue jeans & looks exactly like anyone in the US wearing jeans. Jeans are the new equalizers. The exception are the Northern European men who all wear Capri pants.
-  Everyone has an iPhone & stands around looking down. Hundreds of years from now, anthologists will wonder what caused the human neck to elongate & curve down.
-  there are very few Americans--lots of Brits, French, Germans & Dutch. They can fly to Greece for about $150 round trip
-  Greeks adore cats. They are everywhere including a small museum we visited where a mama cat & her babies were in a box right by the entrance inside the museum! Plus side: we have seen no rats!
-  dogs are popular, too. Especially in small villages where they like to sleep in the middle of the only narrow road through town.
-  goats & sheep are everywhere in the countryside. It's great to wake up to sheep bells ringing. . . Or come around a country road to find a sheep herder taking his flock across the road to another pasture.
-  the food is as good as everyone says. Very simple, lots of delicious olive oil.

We love this country!

April 29-30, May 1. Hania

The 29th we sadly left Eleonas in Zaros. See Vassilis & Manoles below. We really enjoyed Eleonas & this central/south central part of Crete. We drove north to Heraklion, the biggest city & stopped to see the Knossos ruins. (We took pictures this time!)This palace was occupied by the Minoans & was by far the biggest compound we've seen. It had more than 1,000 rooms occupied by King Minos & believed to be the basis of the myth of the labyrinth of the Minotaur. We went to the museum first which was fantastic with hundreds of artifacts found during the excavations. Gorgeous jewelry, sophicated design & decorations on their pottery--just amazing when you realize that it's 4000 years old. Then we drove 2 hours on the one & only highway on Crete. At one point, we turned a curve & came across a huge boulder that had apparently fallen into the road earlier. Most of the time the road skirts the coast & the fabulous turquoise water. Our hotel is so great, right on the beach & owned by a VERY outgoing Nikos, who loves LA! It's a very fun, hip minimalistic design with bright colors. It's very popular with young families--so far we've counted 16 little ones! It's located 15 minutes from the #2 city in Crete, Hania--a picturesque old Venetian (& later Turkish) town built around a harbor. In the Old Town it's a maze of narrow, twisty lanes with lots of restaurants, shops & hotels. Last night we went back in to Hania to hear traditional Greek music at a small restaurant venue. It was packed when we arrived at 9:45 & , as the manager explained, we're having a small difficulty--the musicians hadn't arrived!  We had to wait outside for someone to leave & guard our position in the line from crafty locals who weaseled their way in leveraging their mastery of the language & giving the manager big pats on the back! We finally got a place to sit, ordered not great food & listened to a 4 piece band--drum, guitar, 2 manliness-type instruments. It sounded very middle eastern. We left a midnight & it was still going strong! It's been very breezy/windy the last 2 days & the ocean is still a little cold. Today We went to a small town, Vamos, for a walk thru the countryside finishing up for lunch at a local taverna: excellent grilled sardines and beans with artichokes. Today is May 1 which is celebrated as the beginning of spring. People hang bouquets of flowers over their front doors. Apparently they celebrate too-- the taverna was packed with people. Fortunately we got there before the onslaught! A Greek family was there before us with piles of plates & wine & were

Vassilis & Manoles

At Knossos Palace (the paint is new) everything else 4000 years old

View from our balcony

A country lane in Vamos built around 1700 during Ottoman occupation

still eating & chatting it up when we left. It's been great being on the beach. We're hoping for a wind-free day tomorrow. We're down to our last 7 days!!! Can't believe it! More to follow. . .

April 27-28 still in Zaros

After breakfast, we decided to take a hike around a nearby lake, but it was farther than we wanted to hike, so decided to drive to lake & hike around the lake. We somehow ended up on a small road that went from asphalt, to gravel, to dirt. It might possibly have been the original Minoan trail to the lake! We finally made it to the lake, but since it had taken so long, we had no time to hike! So ,on to a real road & the Enthnology Museum in Vori-- a small, but comprehensive museum showing farm implements, cooking utensils, clothing & jewelry from the Minoan age (2000 BC) to the 1900's. Everything presented in a very basic & unpretentious manner. Then, we walked over to Alekos Taverna for a delightful Cretan lunch with Alekos & wife. We got back to out hotel just in time for a cooking class with the owner's mother. We now know how to make dolmas, stuffed vegetables & vegetable soup! Got back to our cottage & later took a short hike up to a monastery where a very old nun gave us homemade cookies. The next day we headed out to The Phaestos Palace ruins inhabited in 2000BC

Lunch at Taverna Alekos

Cooking class with Mama Cula

Agia Paulos, Old Roman shrine converted to a Christian church in 400AD

by the Minoans. It's located on a hill with a beautiful view of the valley & coast below. We have to admit that we kind of reached the tipping point on ruins--we forgot to take even one photo! But imagine a bunch of beautiful old rocks! We went on to nearby Agia Triada, also from the Minoan period, that is thought to be the villa of some very wealthy person. Again beautiful old rocks in a great location! Took a long drive, by Crete standards, through a beautiful valley & hills on back roads that led back to our hotel. Had a lively game of table tennis before dinner. Tomorrow we leave Zaros for the coast & will be on the beach. More to follow. . .

April 25-26 Zaros, Crete

We flew in to Crete at 5pm. It was very windy but, fortunately, no bumps during the 40 minute flight. We picked up our rental car & started our 1 hour drive to Zaros, a small village in the central part of Crete. First impression: Crete is not a sleepy little island! Heraklion, where the airport is located, is a major town with a major national road & very major traffic! Ana's illusions were shattered! After the Peloponese, this was little LA! Fortunately, as we got farther from Heraklion, we were driving through quiet little villages, olive trees & goats. Hurray--back to the Greece we love! We're staying at a wonderful small Eco-resort made up of small stone cottages overlooking a beautiful valley. There are hiking paths everywhere & lots of people from all over Europe, many with families. At first we were worried that we'd we in the middle of nowhere--but it's just perfect. Quiet, hiking, swimming pool, ping pong, archery & cooking classes--which we are taking tomorrow. The story behind
the hotel is interesting--2 brothers born & raised in Zaros, decided to start the hotel instead of leaving in search of a job. This is a big problem in Greece--as kids get more educated, there are no jobs to keep them in their villages--so they leave for Athens or Europe. So, Manolos & his brother have developed a whole industry & jobs. They've done a great job & they are so nice!

There are lots of short drives to archeological ruins & beautiful beaches--and lots of tiny tavernas with yummy food.  The food at our hotel is excellent & we've had not only raki, but also rakimelo (raki with honey & cinnamon). Yummy! I think we can do the same with mezcal! We plan to combine beach, ruins & walking and, of course,eating. We'll be here 4 days &, then, move to a more western part of the island near Hania, where we'll be on the beach.

We made it to the beach today on the southwest coast. Bill continued to work on his tan. He is now brown as a berry. Unfortunately, the variety is the albino berry. Greetings to all. More to follow. . .

 View from our cottage. The neat rows are olive trees.

View from Komos beach on the southern shore. Notice: there is still snow on the biggest mountains. BTW, the water in rivers is crystal clear. There are public fountains everywhere that you can drink from!

April 23-24 Nafplio

We left Monemvasia on the coast to cut thru the mountains to another coast further east. A meandering 3.5 hour drive stopping at beautiful lookouts, tiny churches & one monastery built into the rocky mountainside--where the lonely monk invited us to a cup of Greek coffee & lots of conversation.  We felt inspired to buy (more) soap made by the nuns & a bottle of white wine made by the monks. Reached Nafplio (which looked like any mid-size city on the way in) in the late afternoon & couldn't find our way to our motel--the old town is tricky & often without strret numbers. We finally called the hotel & Panos, one of 3 brothers, said Wait there & I'll come to show you the way on my motorcycle! The old city turned out to be

 Drive thru mountains

 Another beautiful little bay

Walkway to our hotel

Mycaenae doorway ( not the 120 ton lintel)

The Nafplio bay

wonderful.  Friday we visited Mycaenae, another ruin of a fortified city from 1400 BC. It's located strategically on a beautiful hill. One of the lintels weighs 120 tons-- 4 times the weight of one stone in the Egyptian pyramids! Nafplio is a much bigger town than we'd been in except for Athens. The old town area has lots of  very old Venetian & Turkish architecture & lots of twisty narrow streets. Saturday we cross the Isthmus of Corinth, drive to the Athens airport & fly to Crete. More to follow . . .

Monembasia, April 21-22

Tues, April 21 we finally & sadly left Kardamyli on our drive to Monemvasia. It was a beautiful drive over hills & through valleys covered with olive trees and, as we came down down the hills to valleys, orange trees for miles --all in bloom. The scent was wonderful. As we approached Monemvasia on the coast, it was the same stunning turquoise sea. The town is actually located on a huge rock that was a fort in the 1200's. It was Byzantine, then Ottoman, then Venetian until the early 1700's. A lot is still intact, as far as ruins go.  Some people still live on the Rock or The Castle, as the locals call it. Mostly it's a tiny village on twisty walkways filled with tourists, hotels, restaurants & shops. We stayed on the Rock which was fun & the views were wonderful. The little town across from Monemvasia is Gefyra & is built around the tiny bay. We had another fabulous meal at Scorpio's sitting on the waterfront gazing at The Rock and a beautiful schooner anchored in the bay for a few hours.

Wed, April 22 we drove an hour north to Mystras, the ruins of one of the best preserved Byzantine cities. The churches are amazing with incredible frescos. The Byzantine art style is mesmerizing.  It was a great day. We walked up & down about a million steps. Even the WCs required steps! Got back to Monemvasia for another late (and large) lunch - again at Scorpio's.  It's a good thing for all those steps! Tomorrow we leave for Nafplio, our last stop in the Pelopenese.  More to follow. . .
(Still having photo issues--last photo is view from our hotel terrace to the ruins below )

 Byzantine church at Mystras

 Lunch at Scorpio's--fried anchovies & grilled eggplant , tomatoes & feta

Sunday & Monday, April 19-20

Today was our lucky day! We started out sad to be leaving Kardamyli & our wonderful hotel. Then, when we went to check out, the owner said 'No, you don't leave until tomorrow!' And, she was right !  So we took a hike up to an old church in the hills & had a leisurely day just enjoying the town. Had another great lunch on the beach (see picture). Yesterday we drove around the lower half of the Mani Penisula & saw the Aegen Sea for the first time.This is a very unpopulated area & we stopped in a lot of tiny villages & inlets. The color of the water continues to amaze us! At the very tip of the Penisula is the spot the Greeks believed was the end of the Earth &, therefore, the gateway to Hades. (See Bill below) we entered several old churches--they're all tiny with amazing Byzantine icons. Many are locked & many just have a key in the lock, so anyone can enter. Tomorrow we leave (for real) further to the east along the Pelopenese & the Aegen Sea.  More to follow . . .

Sat, April 18 Kardamyli

Another beautiful day, perfect weather. Drove the twisty coastal road down the coast to a farmers market &, then, on to the Caves/Caverns of Pyrgos. You ride tiny boats into the cave  (fortunately wearing life vests) with a local who didn't speak English & apparently had no type of safety training. You see lots of stalactites/mites & ride  thru crystal clear water. Bill loved it --I almost did! We traveled back up the coast, stopping on a tiny beach at a fish taverna for grilled octopus & fried sardines. Not quite as good as yesterday, but the gorgeous bay made up for it! The views are exploding with wild flowers of every color, the ubiquitous olive trees & the incredible turquoise waters. They can live up to 1000 years!  Tomorrow we'll travel all the way around the Mani Penisula. This area is not on the main tourist track, so there's not a lot of traffic & no tour buses. More to follow . . .

at a fish taverna for grilled octopus & fried sardines. Not as good as yesterday, but the bay made up for it! The roadside is exploding with wild flowers of every color--contrasted with the bright turquoise waters-- it's just breathtaking. This area is off the main tourist track, so not a lot of traffic.  We're back on our balcony for the sunset. Tomorrow another drive all the  way down & around the Mani Penisula. We love this village. Our hotel is a dream & has a heavenly mattress & a comfy duvet. It's still cool at night--in the high 60's during the day.  More to follow. . .

Photos from April 17

 Lunch on the bay in Kalamata

 View from Hotel Bacchus outside of Olympia

 Our first glimpse of the Ionion Sea

A  simple map of our Trip 

Friday, April 17 drive to Kardamyli

 Today was a beautiful drive from Olympia to Katdamyli on the Mani Penisula. We drove thru beautiful  valleys & , then, climbed mountains on twisty roads. (BTW, the driving has been great w good roads & friendly drivers) The temp is in the high 60's, so we drove with the windows down. There are wild flowers & olive trees everywhere. There's a wonderful perfume in the air that we haven't been able to identify. After a couple of hours we came over the ridge of mountains & saw the Ionion Sea before us--absolutely beautiful. We stopped in Kalamata for lunch right on the bay. Then on to Kardamyli, our destination. It's a very small town, right on the Sea with tiny cafes & restaurants--some old, some new. It's really a cool little town. We bought several bottles of wine from the region--delicious & under $5 each! Our little hotel is on a hill above the town--a great vantage point for our first Greek sunset. We're staying 3 days for exploring along the Penisula which is off the tourist track. We've included a simple map of our travels. Not on the map, is a week on Crete & 3 days on Santorini. More to follow . . .

Having technical problems with photo downloads, will try later

WEd/Thurs April 15/16

April 14, Meteora

Other worldly is a good way to describe Meteora & its towering sandstone formations. But,then, you see the monasteries built on the tops of these peaks starting in the  1350's and you are astounded! We're staying in the tiny village of Kastraki which literally is built next to the rocks. The views from our balcony is fabulous. There is a road that goes up to the 6 remaining monasteries (at one time there were 25). The views are even more spectacular. Then you climb approximately 190 steps to reach each monAstery. Before the steps were cut into the rock in the 1920's, baskets were brought up with a pulley system. There are only an average of 10 monks (or nuns) left in each.  It's just beautiful. The food is simple, fresh & delicious-- especially the grilled lamb.

Just as the Inuit have 16 words for snow, the Greeks must have multiple words to describe the hardness of mattresses. Basically it's : hard, harder or harder still. I would say hardest but we have only been here a week. Maybe the Pelopponese will shift toward the soft side.  Tomorrow we head to Delphi. I can ask the oracle.

 View from our guesthouse

Agatha is vindicated

First things first.  Bill confesses error. He doubted Agatha's GPS directives yesterday and tried to follow his own way. Resistance Is Futile!  An agreement with Agatha has been reached and Bill will not do that again.

Today we drove around the west side of Lake  Plastira down to the dam. Beautiful snow-capped mountains, about 5500 feet.  A beautiful sunny spring day in the low 60's. Ventured off the road several times to see smaller villages.  Had a delicious lunch of goat and wild greens at another tiny tavern thanks to our new friends Theddore, Maria, Georgios & Roman (pictured below) The taverna owner spoke no English. Ana exhausted her 11 words of Greek & lunch was nowhere closer. Then, Maria, who speaks at least 4 languages came to the rescue. We know the goat was fresh because I almost drove into a flock of them on the road--in fact they are everywhere. This afternoon late, we watched 2 dogs brings a flock down from an upper pastures, cross a main road & get them all tucked away for the night! Rivers and several streams coming off the mountains.  The place has a real Colorado feel. We leave tomorrow for a short drives to Meteora & the famous monasteries. More to follow . . .

 View from our guesthouse

 Lake Plastira

Athen's photos

Mask of Agamemnon

Cafe  in Pssyri neighborhood 

 Parthenon view

Another Parthenon view