Back from Greece - A quicky Trip Report!
Oct 3rd, 2011, 04:58 PM
#1
Original Poster
Back from Greece - A quicky Trip Report!
Back from Crete, Santorini, Naxos and Athens – the abbreviated version
Just back last night – loved the trip, but the traveling back almost wiped out the fun. But I’ll save that for another time. For now, a brief rundown of the notable experiences and other points that are of some significance to me. A more detailed report to come.
Hubby (M) and I are in our late 50s, early 60s, and in relatively decent shape, although M has had heel spurs and other foot problems over the last several months, which has impacted our plans for this trip. M was quite the trooper, though, and managed to walk quite a bit despite the aches. We are both finding that, youthful though our minds may see ourselves, our energy is not what it used to be! I planned several possible itineraries so that we had options to choose, depending how we were both feeling on a given day. This worked out very well, as we did make adjustments as the trip went along.
We visited Crete (6 nights), Santorini (3 nights), Naxos (4 nights), Athens (3 nights).
Memorable Experiences & other notables:
CRETE:
-Loved Hotel Palazzo in Chania. I highly recommend it: Irini and her daughter Anastasia run this small hotel with warmth and care. The rooms are spacious, airy and very comfortable in an old-fashioned, traditional way, but has an updated bathroom. We had a small balcony overlooking Theotokopoulou St, which I loved to sit on and watch the parade below. We were there mid-September, and it was never very noisy or too crowded for us.
-Loved being on Crete and getting a better feeling for Minoan culture.
-Wandering the streets of Chania
-Discovering the archeological site up on the hill
-Elafonissi Beach – A beautiful, glorious beach and I loved walking across the short “lagoon” to get to the actual beach – M liked the beach, although in retrospect, he found the long trip there and back to Chania a bit much for one day.
-Akrotiri Peninsula – enjoyed this day immensely. We did this drive the day after Elafonissi, which we substituted for another longer day drive. The description of the pensinusla never sounded especially exciting when I read about it, but we both loved it and were pleasantly surprised. We drove throughout the peninsula, went to Agia Triada monastery, and spent a long time leisurely afternoon at the lovely Stavros bay.
-Visiting both Phaistos and Knossos (different days). We both felt very glad that we saw both palaces. I can’t imagine seeing just one or the other. Phaistos is beautifully sited and is remarkable to see because the excavation is unrestored. However, sometimes it is hard to grasp what exactly one is seeing because of the condition. I have a purist streak, though, and appreciate seeing a site unrestored. Yet seeing Knossos was fun, too, and helped us both to imagine the possibilities of what the palace might be like.
-The National Archeological museum in Iraklion, though that description is pushing it. Rather, we saw a one room temporary display – but the artifacts on display were truly choice, Phaistos disk included.
SANTORINI (the WOW island):
-Loved staying in Delfini Hotel and relaxing on our hotel balcony overlooking the caldera – we had the junior suite in Complex A.
-LOVED the views from everywhere
-The walk between Oia and Fira – beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I thank M for doing this despite some discomfort, but we both enjoyed the walk tremendously
- Going down to and swimming in Amoudi Bay. Can't say enough about this beautiful spot , whether or not you go swimming
-Participating in the SUNSET Experience. I can’t say that we saw a stellar sunset, but I LOVED being amongst the many others who gathered at every available spot to watch it. Sheer communal fun.
NAXOS
A note here: as others have said, it took some adjustment and getting used to Naxos , especially after the intense & stunning beauty of Santorini. But after a day or so, it seemed to take on a deeper feeling for us both, and somehow, I felt a stronger connection to Naxos than to either of the other islands we visited. Naxos is definitely more “real” – it doesn’t depend solely on tourism, and perhaps it feels a little more relaxed because of that. We also found we were able to connect to some local folks, which added to the richness.
So, experiences and moments enjoyed here include:
-Studio Kalergis – took getting used to having a self-catering place rather than a hotel with always available staff, but really enjoyed the location and the spacious room.
-Getting lost in the maze of the old town streets in Chora
-Slowing down and strolling through the town
-The wonderful drives through Naxos
Drive 1) From the Temple of Demeter – a beautiful temple in a wonderful setting; to Chalki (loved the Citron Museum and its product!); through Filoti; to Apeiranthos (loved the town. We ended up following a man with a donkey up, up, up through a maze of marble steps what I later find out is the backside of town), finally stopping to see the Kouros near Melanes.
Drive 2) Seeing the Apollon Kouros and driving long & twisty road waaay up into the mountains, driving to Koronida to look for a Mycenean tomb. We never actually find the tomb, but we find warm & helpful locals, trying to direct us toward the site; we are given freshly picked grapes by one man and another points out ripe fig trees; we find grazing goats; and raucous roosters. This was not a tourist town - no one spoke any English at all, but we found the welcome genuine.
-Sipping Kitron (or Citron) on my hotel balcony overlooking the beach
-Hanging out with Irini of Naxos Vision car rental – good car agency and we became friendly with the charming rental agent
-------
More to come tomorrow....jet lag setting in and abbreviated sentences are becoming shorter still!
--Paule
Just back last night – loved the trip, but the traveling back almost wiped out the fun. But I’ll save that for another time. For now, a brief rundown of the notable experiences and other points that are of some significance to me. A more detailed report to come.
Hubby (M) and I are in our late 50s, early 60s, and in relatively decent shape, although M has had heel spurs and other foot problems over the last several months, which has impacted our plans for this trip. M was quite the trooper, though, and managed to walk quite a bit despite the aches. We are both finding that, youthful though our minds may see ourselves, our energy is not what it used to be! I planned several possible itineraries so that we had options to choose, depending how we were both feeling on a given day. This worked out very well, as we did make adjustments as the trip went along.
We visited Crete (6 nights), Santorini (3 nights), Naxos (4 nights), Athens (3 nights).
Memorable Experiences & other notables:
CRETE:
-Loved Hotel Palazzo in Chania. I highly recommend it: Irini and her daughter Anastasia run this small hotel with warmth and care. The rooms are spacious, airy and very comfortable in an old-fashioned, traditional way, but has an updated bathroom. We had a small balcony overlooking Theotokopoulou St, which I loved to sit on and watch the parade below. We were there mid-September, and it was never very noisy or too crowded for us.
-Loved being on Crete and getting a better feeling for Minoan culture.
-Wandering the streets of Chania
-Discovering the archeological site up on the hill
-Elafonissi Beach – A beautiful, glorious beach and I loved walking across the short “lagoon” to get to the actual beach – M liked the beach, although in retrospect, he found the long trip there and back to Chania a bit much for one day.
-Akrotiri Peninsula – enjoyed this day immensely. We did this drive the day after Elafonissi, which we substituted for another longer day drive. The description of the pensinusla never sounded especially exciting when I read about it, but we both loved it and were pleasantly surprised. We drove throughout the peninsula, went to Agia Triada monastery, and spent a long time leisurely afternoon at the lovely Stavros bay.
-Visiting both Phaistos and Knossos (different days). We both felt very glad that we saw both palaces. I can’t imagine seeing just one or the other. Phaistos is beautifully sited and is remarkable to see because the excavation is unrestored. However, sometimes it is hard to grasp what exactly one is seeing because of the condition. I have a purist streak, though, and appreciate seeing a site unrestored. Yet seeing Knossos was fun, too, and helped us both to imagine the possibilities of what the palace might be like.
-The National Archeological museum in Iraklion, though that description is pushing it. Rather, we saw a one room temporary display – but the artifacts on display were truly choice, Phaistos disk included.
SANTORINI (the WOW island):
-Loved staying in Delfini Hotel and relaxing on our hotel balcony overlooking the caldera – we had the junior suite in Complex A.
-LOVED the views from everywhere
-The walk between Oia and Fira – beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I thank M for doing this despite some discomfort, but we both enjoyed the walk tremendously
- Going down to and swimming in Amoudi Bay. Can't say enough about this beautiful spot , whether or not you go swimming
-Participating in the SUNSET Experience. I can’t say that we saw a stellar sunset, but I LOVED being amongst the many others who gathered at every available spot to watch it. Sheer communal fun.
NAXOS
A note here: as others have said, it took some adjustment and getting used to Naxos , especially after the intense & stunning beauty of Santorini. But after a day or so, it seemed to take on a deeper feeling for us both, and somehow, I felt a stronger connection to Naxos than to either of the other islands we visited. Naxos is definitely more “real” – it doesn’t depend solely on tourism, and perhaps it feels a little more relaxed because of that. We also found we were able to connect to some local folks, which added to the richness.
So, experiences and moments enjoyed here include:
-Studio Kalergis – took getting used to having a self-catering place rather than a hotel with always available staff, but really enjoyed the location and the spacious room.
-Getting lost in the maze of the old town streets in Chora
-Slowing down and strolling through the town
-The wonderful drives through Naxos
Drive 1) From the Temple of Demeter – a beautiful temple in a wonderful setting; to Chalki (loved the Citron Museum and its product!); through Filoti; to Apeiranthos (loved the town. We ended up following a man with a donkey up, up, up through a maze of marble steps what I later find out is the backside of town), finally stopping to see the Kouros near Melanes.
Drive 2) Seeing the Apollon Kouros and driving long & twisty road waaay up into the mountains, driving to Koronida to look for a Mycenean tomb. We never actually find the tomb, but we find warm & helpful locals, trying to direct us toward the site; we are given freshly picked grapes by one man and another points out ripe fig trees; we find grazing goats; and raucous roosters. This was not a tourist town - no one spoke any English at all, but we found the welcome genuine.
-Sipping Kitron (or Citron) on my hotel balcony overlooking the beach
-Hanging out with Irini of Naxos Vision car rental – good car agency and we became friendly with the charming rental agent
-------
More to come tomorrow....jet lag setting in and abbreviated sentences are becoming shorter still!
--Paule
Oct 4th, 2011, 07:23 AM
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Hey Paule thanks for your report. It is so great when people share their experiences. I am looking forward to reading the comprehensive report.
There is certainly something about Naxos that is so real and down to earth and when you get up into those mountians you begin to see the Greece where time if it hasn't stopped, it has just moved very slowly.
THe Mycenian tomb is quite hard to find as it is all uphill and around numerous corners. We did find it a few years ago but wiht a sore foot the energy required to go all that way probably was not worth it. I would suggest meeting the people of the village was the real memory of that experience.
There is certainly something about Naxos that is so real and down to earth and when you get up into those mountians you begin to see the Greece where time if it hasn't stopped, it has just moved very slowly.
THe Mycenian tomb is quite hard to find as it is all uphill and around numerous corners. We did find it a few years ago but wiht a sore foot the energy required to go all that way probably was not worth it. I would suggest meeting the people of the village was the real memory of that experience.
Oct 4th, 2011, 11:09 AM
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"I heard it is kind of bad over there now, I mean I know you were on the islands, but did u witness any traumatic events?"
Nothing has changed in Greece, everything is exactly as it was 2 years ago...... what you heard, might not correspond to reality.....
Of course everyday's life of Greeks is affected by the changes that are taking place in the country, but as a tourist you won't notice anything.
Traumatic events? what do you have in mind ?
There is no such thing....the only thing one might see is people protestig and demonstrating in Athens and Thessaloniki... but same thing is going on in most european cities such as Rome, Madrid etc, all Europeans are feeling the crisis, with Greece being in the worst situation.
Nothing has changed in Greece, everything is exactly as it was 2 years ago...... what you heard, might not correspond to reality.....
Of course everyday's life of Greeks is affected by the changes that are taking place in the country, but as a tourist you won't notice anything.
Traumatic events? what do you have in mind ?
There is no such thing....the only thing one might see is people protestig and demonstrating in Athens and Thessaloniki... but same thing is going on in most european cities such as Rome, Madrid etc, all Europeans are feeling the crisis, with Greece being in the worst situation.
Oct 4th, 2011, 11:14 AM
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We just got back from Greece as well and loved it!! As for traumatic events, my dad was very nervous that we would be killed in riots (over dramatizing of course) but we didnt notice anything was going on at all. We were in Naxos, Nafplio and Athens and just found everything normal, people friendly and everyone going about their business.
Oct 5th, 2011, 01:50 AM
#8
Original Poster
Many thanks everyone for the kind comments - I so enjoy writing up the report and sharing my experiences, although I'm afraid getting back to the RW (real world) may slow my good intentions down.
Jamikins, I love your report, too, and was so enjoying reading it when I was in Naxos!
travels, to paraphrase Clausar, what traumatic events are you talking about? While we were in Athens, there were some demonstrations at Syntagma square, but we were not affected by them at all. The most immediate impact of the strikes on us was on our arrival in Athens, and the cab drivers were on strike. This resulted in our taking the metro from the airport -- a great and easy trip in, saving us a chunk of money. When we returned home on Sunday, there was apparently a work slowdown at the airport, because we sat on the runway for 1 1/2 hours before we took off. But we didn't even see any demonstrations (and we walked through Syntagma Square several times).
Jamikins, I love your report, too, and was so enjoying reading it when I was in Naxos!
travels, to paraphrase Clausar, what traumatic events are you talking about? While we were in Athens, there were some demonstrations at Syntagma square, but we were not affected by them at all. The most immediate impact of the strikes on us was on our arrival in Athens, and the cab drivers were on strike. This resulted in our taking the metro from the airport -- a great and easy trip in, saving us a chunk of money. When we returned home on Sunday, there was apparently a work slowdown at the airport, because we sat on the runway for 1 1/2 hours before we took off. But we didn't even see any demonstrations (and we walked through Syntagma Square several times).
Oct 5th, 2011, 02:07 AM
#9
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Stanbr,
I had to smile when I read your response:
"I would suggest meeting the people of the village was the real memory of that experience"
because that is exactly what my husband and I said to each other. That experience was priceless, and gave us a feeling of the Greece that is distinct from the tourist world. Our mantra became "it's the journey that's important" after the many times we got lost, trying to follow signs to some destination.
We did find that signage was often hard to follow, with arrows pointing in directions that frequently resulted in our scratching our heads and saying "Huh?" The other most-quoted line on our trip was Yogi Berra's "When you come to a fork in the road, take it", which pretty much sums up our experience with road signs.
Now THAT could've been traumatic, although this, too, became part of the experience, too, and we just laughed it off.
I had to smile when I read your response:
"I would suggest meeting the people of the village was the real memory of that experience"
because that is exactly what my husband and I said to each other. That experience was priceless, and gave us a feeling of the Greece that is distinct from the tourist world. Our mantra became "it's the journey that's important" after the many times we got lost, trying to follow signs to some destination.
We did find that signage was often hard to follow, with arrows pointing in directions that frequently resulted in our scratching our heads and saying "Huh?" The other most-quoted line on our trip was Yogi Berra's "When you come to a fork in the road, take it", which pretty much sums up our experience with road signs.
Now THAT could've been traumatic, although this, too, became part of the experience, too, and we just laughed it off.
Oct 5th, 2011, 06:38 AM
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Hey Progol
Your mantra "When you come to a fork in the road, take it", sounds much like ours when in a rented car and that is, "go in the direction the car is heading."
Since we really don't know where we are going you can't really get lost. That way we have discoved places we never would have found if we had been looking for them. Every time we go back to Naxos we keep finding new things.
Your mantra "When you come to a fork in the road, take it", sounds much like ours when in a rented car and that is, "go in the direction the car is heading."
Since we really don't know where we are going you can't really get lost. That way we have discoved places we never would have found if we had been looking for them. Every time we go back to Naxos we keep finding new things.
Oct 10th, 2011, 10:49 PM
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Hi progol --great report! My husband & I are planning to travel to Santorini on Oct 14th until 20th 2011. However, with the uncertainty of the airline strikes, we are wondering if we should cancel the trip to avoid possible airline strikes. Or uphold we not worry about this? Thanks!
Jan 8th, 2012, 06:11 AM
#14
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Hi, everyone,
I can't believe it's been 3 months since I've been back! I feel terribly guilty because I really do want to finish my trip report -- but life has been so busy since I returned, I'm not even able to get on the boards very much. So please forgive me - at some point in the near future, I promise to finish it.
For the moment, a very belated thank you to the many who spent so much time helping and guiding me -- if I leave anyone out, it's only because my brain is fried and I'm rushing to do this-- but thanks to Clausar, Brotherleelove, Stanbr, Heimdall, Mariha, and another thank you to Travelerjan, whose help was also invaluable. Many thanks to others who shared their recent and upcoming trips -- your questions and trips were also extremely helpful.
So, as my career is now exploding in my youthful late-50s, I need to attend to that right now...when there is a break, I will return
best,
Paule
I can't believe it's been 3 months since I've been back! I feel terribly guilty because I really do want to finish my trip report -- but life has been so busy since I returned, I'm not even able to get on the boards very much. So please forgive me - at some point in the near future, I promise to finish it.
For the moment, a very belated thank you to the many who spent so much time helping and guiding me -- if I leave anyone out, it's only because my brain is fried and I'm rushing to do this-- but thanks to Clausar, Brotherleelove, Stanbr, Heimdall, Mariha, and another thank you to Travelerjan, whose help was also invaluable. Many thanks to others who shared their recent and upcoming trips -- your questions and trips were also extremely helpful.
So, as my career is now exploding in my youthful late-50s, I need to attend to that right now...when there is a break, I will return
best,
Paule
Jan 8th, 2012, 07:42 AM
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Good to hear from you Paule. Thought you had forgotten us. We will look forward to hearing the rest of you report later.
I havn't even started our report for May June last year. I will get to it sometime.
I havn't even started our report for May June last year. I will get to it sometime.
Jan 8th, 2012, 01:44 PM
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I love the report too, I want more!
It sounds as if you enjoyed it so much because you had the right approach, no rigid plan, flexibility, the unexpected & going with whatever comes along is the way to enjoy & get a real feel for Greece!
It sounds as if you enjoyed it so much because you had the right approach, no rigid plan, flexibility, the unexpected & going with whatever comes along is the way to enjoy & get a real feel for Greece!
Jan 8th, 2012, 02:14 PM
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I would love to read more please !!!!
stanbr ..... would like to see your TR as well
Paule i am glad you enjoyed your trip to Greece and i am happy that we were able to help with our advice where we could.
Nice to read back from you
stanbr ..... would like to see your TR as well
Paule i am glad you enjoyed your trip to Greece and i am happy that we were able to help with our advice where we could.
Nice to read back from you
