brotherleelove: If you are considering Chios then I highly recommend it. It's a beautiful Greek Island filled with history that's heartbreaking but also inspirational. The Mastic Villages in the central and south of the island are a must. There is spectacular mountain scenery, beaches, secluded or easy to get to, and the abandoned mountain top village of Anavatos is a must. The Neo Moni Monastery is one of the most beautiful I've been to and it's location is outstanding, however it's history is an emotional roller coaster. There are other abandoned villages worth exploring in out-of-the-way and secluded areas.

I was there in early October and the tourist presence was minimal, especially the further your get to more rural areas of the island. Even Chios Town was mostly locals out and about. Off season is perfect for travel to Greece.

I stayed inside the Kastro Walls of Chios Town and found it a great place to base myself for exploring the rest of the island. It's more of a Greek Village than anything else, has a very "lived-in" character with a lovely town square with numerous shops, markets and tavernas. It's only a short walk to Chios Town filled with numerous options for everything and it was great to get back to my studio inside the Kastro Walls for a quiet and peaceful night of sleep.

I can highly recommend Frouri Apartments in the Old Town (http://www.chiosfrourio.gr/). It was one of the best accommoadtions I had anywhere in Greece in a lovely restored and updated building and even had a washing machine!

Chios is truly one of Greece's nicest islands and worthy of a stay especially if you have a number of days to explore the entire island.

Check out my Chios photos here:
https://tinyurl.com/ycgkrqza

and my Chios Trip Report here:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...n_Islands.html

Thanks, Crazyh! Booked my flights today for September. Couldn't believe how low the fares were this time!

If you do make it to Chios go to the village of Mesta and try to find the liquor called Souma. It's made from figs and it can only be found in the village. Since' it's not "legal" the locals put it in any liquor bottle they have. I stopped at a taverna and asked if they had any. They brought a sample for me try and it was delicious but definitely high octane! I bought a small bottle and saved it till I got home.

Mesta is one of the best preserved of the Mastic Villages. If there were no utility lines or outdoor lighting you wouldn't know if it was the 21st century or the 15th century!

Thanks, I'll try it. I'll be there from Sept. 4-14.

Yes! Definitely!

Dear Bill, this must have been some kind of misunderstanding, as there are no Myconians of Russian origin.. The first name you are referring to could have been a Greek name... many Russians have Greek religious names that are part of the common Orthodox religion.

Dear Clausar, very nice to hear from you. Do you remember I asked for your help finding Brazita coffee? The Athens shop is making it again, my nephew visits the city monthly due to his work and I have now have a freezer full of it!

In all the years I’d travelled to Mykonos I’d never heard about the Russian connection. The daughter of the elderly lady explained it to me and I got confirmation at the island museum years ago. They told me that during the Turko-Russian war 1768–74, Mykonians strongly supported the Russian cause. By that time, the Russian forces, moving against the Ottoman Empire, had already occupied Mykonos and the surrounding islands of the Aegean. They thought that is the reason many Russian names were introduced to the island.

BUT, the lady in the bookshop on Matogianni whom I have known for many years told me when she was at school they were all taught that the reason for many Russian female names on the island was much earlier than 1768-74. She said that when Greek men returned to Mykonos after being made to fight for Hayreddin Barbarossa they found their women and children had died from plague. Barbarossa's generals arranged for Russian and Turkish women to be brought to the island.

The woman's daughter told me that using Russian forenames on the island stopped around the time of the Cuban-missile crisis when the islanders felt it was not a good idea. In fact, her first name starts Russian and ends 'oula'!

Thanks so much! My friend has a bit of a break in her schedule so I've pointed her over here for all of your great suggestions. In the next few months, we'll have to decide whether to ferry over to Naxos (or other) for the last two days or go back to Athens and the mainland to see Delphi and maybe Meteroa. I'm fine with whatever and since I chose the Santorini location I'm hoping she'll make the decision for the third segment of the trip. I'll be happy just to be there! We do have a reservation near the Athens airport for the last night. Thanks again for so many great ideas!

To put the taste of tzatziki on your tongue. It only ever takes 5 seconds of the following, or any of its ilk, for me to sense the taste.
This song, now more than ever.


I am done. The end.

For everyone visiting Greece an Ancient Drama performance will be one of the best experiences. Oedipus Rex or other scripts of Sophocles aged 2500 years old is a life time experience everyone should have

this is a great one...any chance on something like that happening these days? Have not had this kind of luck in a very long time.

Lois2, if you have any plans to visit Santorini there's a restaurant on the south end of Fira called Santorini Mou. The owner plays music and sings for his guests. Sometimes other musicians join in and sometimes there's spontaneos dancing. It's a great place to go for dinner because of this. Call ahead and get an outdoor table to join in the festivities.

Thanks for that tip!

brotherleelove...thanks for that tip...those places are hard to find as a tourist.

My friend really wants to visit Patmos for exactly that reason. But is concerned about the logistics getting there in such a short time frame.

So right now, we are considering the 2 "extra" days on the mainland. Delphi is at the top of my list, based on Fodorite recommendations.

That would mean -
2 nights in Athens
Fly to Santorini
2 nights in Santorini
Ferry back to Athens
2 nights on the mainland = would love recommendations
Night before flight near the airport

Would you recommend day trip to Delphi from a base location - taking a tour or on our own via bus or car? Depending the night IN Delphi and moving on to next location?

I need to get out my guidebooks to read, but wanted to ask for your ideas first!

We spent 4 nights on Santorini a couple of years ago and LOVED it. Stayed at Kirini Suites, right on the caldera, classic whitewashed buildings. Gorgeous. Make sure to walk down (and up!) the steps to Amoudi Beach, there's a great restaurant down there we went for lunch, Ammoudi Fish Tavern--it was delicious, right on the water, beautiful. Also liked Meltini, smaller mezze type dishes (like Greek tapas) also very good. We did the walk from Fira to Oia one day (bus there, walked back), right along edge of caldera, loved that. Also, one of the favorite things we did was a catamaran with Santorini Sailing--five hours, from 10-3. Picked us up, had the trip, drove us back. Loved our time on the water, stopped in a few great swimming places and we all jumped off the boat for a dip in the water, and served us a great lunch on the boat. Not sure if that will be an option as you are going in October (we were there in September so was a bit warmer) but highly recommend if weather permits. Enjoy!

This sounds perfect!
I will check on that!