Can I ever stop going here? Not in the near future….
For more on Greece visit the page Greece with AIS Students
I am not sure what keeps dragging me back to Greece over and over again. It is not my favorite country in Europe, but definitely is right up there. I would of never known that going to Athens my first time in 2005 which i detested it. But I have grown to like it. I have been there 6 times in total-4 on vacation and 2 with students which is far from vacation. I will break this down into five parts which is from the six times-Athens, Corfu, Meteora, Island Cruises, and Mykonos. I guarantee I’ll return here like I always do. It is not a matter of if but when….
The first time I visited Athens, I was not overly impressed with it at all. I found it dirty and disgusting, but after trips there on the next few times I fell in love with it. There is so much to do there and in the vicinity-Acropolis, Archaeology Museum, New Acropolis Museum, Plaka etc. You will literally never run out of things to do here at all as it is an exciting city….Pictures speak louder than words….
What can I say about Corfu? I misplaced my camera, so I just got the Toga Party Pictures which was a wild night. I like the houses on that side of Greece as they are more Croatian/Italianesque looking. It was a fantastic little island with good food and toga parties…
Mykonos is an island I have been to on the Greek Island Cruise, but also this time was for a few days of staying in a disgusting campsite. Good news is that we were near to paradise beach, so no hauling around the island. If you like good parties, this is the place to go and hang out as it gets wild. If you like nude beaches, then also go here, however nude beaches are not my kind of thing, especially when you wake up on the beach after a nap and you are surrounded by naked people everywhere!!!!
Meteora is a place that has always fascinated me, so I thought, why not take a trip there. It is ways away from Athens in north central Greece and his one of the most important Greek Orthodox Monasteries. Many of them are high up in the cliffs and the hike up there can be a bit daunting. It is very picturesque and I had a blast climbing around up there and seeing how the monks coped with life there. If you are a James Bond fan, then a part of the movie For Your Eyes Only was filmed here. I just wish I had a better camera:
For some reason I have decided to do the same Greek Island Cruise two times in my life about 9 years apart. The only difference was that the later time I was a lot more calm and got to see many of the sites that I didn’t see last time on the excursions. The cruise line I travel with and love so much is Louis Hellenic Cruises. We went to the following Greek Islands (also including Kusadasi, Turkey):
Mykonos-Love the way this town is set up with the windmills and the little windy streets. You are sure to find good food here and a nice walk along the water.
Patmos- St. John was said to have written the Book of Revelations from the Bible here. It is a quiet little town and island with not really much to do except relax.
Rhodes- Made famous by the Colossus of Rhodes. This walled city is great to walk around and the archeology museums are great. You can also take a trip to the country side which is very nice.
Crete- The first official European Civilization with the famous bull jumpers is seen here. The archaeology site is not much to see and was rather disappointed, but I have heard the museum is great with all of the artifacts.
Santorini-probably one of the most popular items with the picturesque view of the white cliffs. You can literally go anywhere on this island and there is a picture. A point to note is there is a nice hike around a volcanic crater across the bay as well as a thermal pool.
Some nice pictures of the time on the cruise:
