A Grecian Overview

Yiasas and Kalimera! (Hello and Good Day!)  

Well, I'm home now.  My trip to Greece has ended, as all good things must, but it was one of the most amazing weeks of my life. I know there were a lot of factors aiding in that being true, but it was phenomenal and inspiring.

For those of you who have not yet visited Greece, make sure to make it a part of your "must see" lists.  

My friend and I did the Athens and four-day Greek Island cruise and booked through a travel company called Friendly Planet. Originally when I heard that it was a "group tour" thing, I was skeptical because I didn't want to be toted around in group formation for a week, but it wasn't like that at all and, in fact, our group was so wonderful that they only enhanced my entire experience. Also, if you do decide to book with them and you have the ability to request your guide, request Ioannis A. He is spectacular, really knows what he's talking about, can give you all the great inside scoops and information bytes, and has a great sense of humor!

Our stops? Mykonos, Turkey, Padmos, Rhodes, Crete, Santorini, and, of course, Athens. I will explain more as I upload photos and narrow the breadth of future posts to more specific experiences, but this is the basic overview.  

The weather was sunny and 85-95 every day, there was so much to see, and the food was beyond mind-blowing. My favorite places were Rhodes and Athens. I sadly didn't get to spend much time in Santorini so I can't comment on the island itself much, and Mykonos was breathtaking but is a quieter island during the day and a party-central area at night (but we were only there for the evening, not an entire night). But I will definitely be going back to Athens and Rhodes someday. That's a must!

Here are some photos of places we saw. Like I said, much more to come!  

Some cool facts about Greece: It is part of the EU; it does not have the "crisis" that most news articles have led us to believe for the reasons they have led us to believe; its main exports are olive oil (and its subsequent products), food, wine and tourism; it built a new airport and public transportation system when it held the Olympics in 2004; it has fallen under the rule of ancient Greece, Rome, and the Ottomans but has come away with its own chosen religion (not one mandated by imperialism or mandated conversion); and it has 2,500 islands, of which 700 are inhabited.