Let’s travel to Greece, a land where your childhood fantasies of Greek legend come to life. I know that your kidney can’t take any more German Beer in Germany, your stomach might have been overstuffed with tiramisu in Italy, you have grown up taller than the Eiffel tower in France already, your heart could no longer stand the super duper excitement of tomato fighting in Spain, and the pixels in your digital cam have been utterly burnt up by the vast and magical natural quilt of Swiss alps in Switzerland.
Let’s cut it short as it’s time to see how miracle happens in that magical land seek by worldwide travelers like how pirates of the Caribbean seek the hidden treasure at the end of the world. Immersing yourself in the ancient Greek mythology will be too magic for you to pull yourself back to reality, but the experience is just so mesmerizing that you don’t even want to come back to life!
Are you ready?
The Magic of Greece
Have you ever come across with something like “the mountain is very Japan” or “the sea is veryPortugal”? You have not, at least not from the most senseless literature or poems that only summon the interest of the illiterate. However, there is a famous line from a notable Chinese writer that says “Tonight, the starry sky is very Greece”. What? It is a noun! No, it has no grammatical error here as it totally makes sense to the readers who have been to Greece, that the impressive sky scene must have been etched in their souls. Yes, this country is not only renowned for its art, culture and literature but also the whitewashed homes and charming blue-domed churches in the Cyclades Islands. Travelers are often dumbfounded by Greece’s scenery which has the most blue and white from the world. What’s more it is over and over again cited as the birthplace of European civilization, offering an invigorating mélange of ancient archaeological sites, chic design hotels, countryside tavernas (small restaurants serving Greek cuisine), family-orientated seashore resorts and hedonistic dance clubs. Indeed, most of the travelers are here specifically to see the sights of the ancient wonders from the Delphi Temple of Apollo in Athens to the ruins of the Minoan city of Knossos on Crete.
Traveling around Greece would certainly bump into panoply of experiences, panorama and activities. It’s heaven it’s hell. One time you find yourself standing in the pinnacle of acropolis savoring the feelings of triumph, the other you might be falling into the unfathomable abyss of a breakdown surrounding by nothing but blue feelings. Aiks, what am I talking about? I am supposed to recommend terrific things about this country but I seem to be writing horrific fiction to scare away potential travelers. Alright, let’s reshuffle words. Life is like a gargantuan destiny wheel; sometimes you’re on top and sometimes you’re at the bottom. If you believe in that concept, you are ready to embrace the beauty of Greece as yet another embodiment of that magical wheel. It’s all about the modern bubbly nightclubs of Mykonos contrast with the ancient exquisiteness of Delos; the splendor of Delphi contrast with the earthiness of Ioannina and the jagged hillsides of Crete contrast with the verdant wildflowers of spring. From the blinding beam of the Mykonos sun to the melancholy beat of Thessaloniki’s rembetika (blues songs), the aroma of home-made tzatziki to the tittle-tattle in the kafeneia (coffee shops), the energy transforms itself into another form from place to place so subtly that you could only gasp over the exhilarating mind roller-coaster tour. And then, your breath stops when you see the Parthenon, solitary and pristine, looming over the misty sprawl of Athens.
Greece was once a conservative land popular with its olive oil, coups, islands and beaches. In the carefree ‘70s, though de rigueur, sleeping on beaches was once the irreplaceable delight for travelers. Today, middle to upper-end markets has been the target of tourism and sleeping rough is already considered as unfashionable. Do that if you don’t mind others would say that you are coming from Elvis Presley decade. And if you really are, you should be able tell them how romantic the slow boat voyages to rock-strewn islets was, how hearty the home-cooked food was, how homey the boxlike rooms that woke you up with a radiant beam was. Now that island tour is replaced with quicker and safer sea travel, no more homey food but surplus stir-fried lamb, tacos or sushi, and boxes are eliminated by well-ventilated, air-conned self-catering apartments and what welcomes your morning is the warm kalimera (good morning) by a Greek face whose smile tends to split his face into halves. All these “enhancements” without doubt come with higher bill. Thus, it’s 20-20 hindsight and mixed blessings for those who have experienced both faces of Greek beach hopping and island tour. Greece is after all an angel in disguise, that’s why it keeps enjoying a steady influx of international visitors each year. Now, just pack your stuff and brace yourself to explore the multi-facets Greece.
Travel To Greece - Top 10 Best Places
There are simply too many world-renowned travel destinations in this magical world that conjures up images from the ancient world. However, too imbued with the romantic ideal of the Greece of Parthenon and the Pericles could mean blithe ignorance as Greece today is a effervescent modern European country. Hence, it’s better to decide which particular Greece you want to experience before taking your flight. To experience the most out of it, here are the top 10 destinations that if you don’t visit, you better go somewhere else.
- Athens - The capital city well-known for the Acropolis, major museums and many nearby sites
- Olympia - Home of the Ancient Olympic Games; a must see for anyone interested in this world event
- Delphi - Navel of the gods and home to the famous oracle that influenced so many historical events
- Santorini - Terrific natural wonder and Greece’s main honeymoon destination
- Crete - Island with a myriad of attractions that rock
- Rhodes - Island with countless ancient monuments and gorgeous beaches
- Sparta - Explore Greek history in this city-state of ancient Greece devoted to military training
- Hydra - Car-less Hydra boasts a stone captains’ mansion nestled on a pretty yacht harbor
- Mykonos - World famous sophisticated vacation center full of kaleidoscopic scenes
- Ithaca - Renowned mythological home of Odysseus and the Greek gods
Outside looking in..
- Corfu - A little piece of Venice transplanted onto a verdant green island floating on the dreamy waters of the Ionian Sea
- Thessaloniki - the country’s second largest city known for its melancholy throb of rembetika (blues songs)
- Meteora - Monasteries atop sheer rock make for one of Greece’s most stunning sites
3 Reasons Why I Love Greece
The main reason it incurs an increasing number of tourists by leaps and bounds is that each and every facet of this beautiful gem gives different perspective and experiences to travelers. I got some other freak reasons to add up to this one.
- If you ask me which Japanese manga series I love most in my childhood days, I would blurt out Saint Seiya (Knights of the Zodiac) without doubt. The main character took his training in Athens to become a superb knight after that and a series of unexpected events pop up then with formidable enemies surge up in each chapter. Becoming a superhero was my childhood dream and Athens was always where I dreamt of going to. Okay, it’s childish but everyone has childhood dream. Remember how Detective Conan beckons me to Osaka, Japan? Aiks, it seems like Japanese manga gives a lot of impact to my young age and even my travel destinations after growing up.
- The Greek people always bring their welcome mat out. I really wish to meet the unconquerable bonhomie of the Greeks as without their gusto for life, their curiosity and their absolute hospitality to the guests, Greece would all in all be a different place to explore. I wonder also how these people maintain their joie de vivre, spontaneity and optimism in the midst of a sacred past and an at-times chaotic present.
- Moussaka, stifado, pastitsio, saganaki, paidakia and spetzofai are all that make my saliva overflowing even just look at the photos. What are they? These are all the Greek popular local delights besides the world famous Greek salad (horiatiki (village) salata) that you are familiar with. I not only want to eat them but want to eat them at the countryside tavernas. As I always say over and over again in this site, atmosphere is of utmost important while traveling across various points in the atlas. I love Greece!
Greece
Greece flag
map of Greece
map of Greece - attractions
Parthenon is what defines Athens, Greece
Parthenon and Acropolis hill at night.
Horat town, Naxo's capital, seen from Palatia Islet.
Knossos a.k.a the Knossos Palace is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and probably the ceremonial and political center of the Minoan civilization and culture
Lykavittos Hill and Athens urban sprawl viewed from the Acropolis.
The 5th century BC Doric Temple of Apollo at the site of Ancient Corinth.
Overhead of open-air theatre of Lykavittos hill, each summer hosts musical, theatrical performances in evenings, Greece
Overhead of Rhodes Main Beach, Greece
Southern Aegean village of Oia perched on Santorini crater rim.
White-washed houses and blue domes on cliff top are just so typically Greek
Time out of the rat race on the black sands of Perissa beach on the east coast of Santorini island, Greece
Visit a taverna for an authentic Greek dining experience
Greek salad (horiatiki (village) salata) is a local dish that you must not miss!
Moussaka is a lip-smacking Greek food that travelers can't help but drool over it.
Jennifer Aniston is an American actress of Greek heritage and hence is legitimate to represent gorgeous greek girls
Greek girls hot for bid! The first will be Maria Kanellis
Mara Darmousli is one of the sexiest greek models
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