DaveJJ

My wife and I recently returned from our third tour (Grecian Dreams, April 20 - May 2, 2009) with Insight Vacations. Once again we had a marvelous time with no problems.

We left home a day early so we could spend time at the National Archeology Museum before the tour started. We flew direct from Ottawa to Frankfurt arriving at 6:30 am. The flight to Athens left at 9:15 which only required a very short wait, enough time for a coffee and light breakfast.

Upon our arrival (at 1:00 pm) we got a little turned around in the airport. Before we knew it we were at the luggage carousel without having gone through passport control or customs. We were met by the Insight Representative and quickly joined other travelers for our transfer to the Metropolitan Hotel. By 3:00 pm we had arrived at the hotel, checked-in and started exploring dinner options. We ate a great meal that night at Le Trocadero the hotel’s main restaurant.

The next morning we took the hotel shuttle to Syntagma (Constitution) Square, probably 15 minutes away (5EU by taxi). Rather than taking the subway we decided to take the bus so we could view Athens as we proceeded to the museum. We bought trolley tickets (1 Euro) at the yellow kiosk just in front of where the bus let us off. We caught the trolley just off to the right from the Parliament Buildings. Note: When you get on you must remember to authorize your ticket in the silver box. Your ticket is good for 1.5 hours from the time it was authorized. If you are confronted by the tram police and you have not authorized your ticket you may be subject to a rather hefty fine.

The museum is amazing with it’s sculptures collection, artifacts from the Mycenae civilization, and the Egyptian art collection. Even though this week most Greeks are on holiday (week following Easter) the museum was not too crowded however it was still quite hot. I am sure glad we were not there during the heat of the summer...it would have been stifling.

Upon leaving the museum we jumped in a taxi (4EU) and headed off to Kerameikos the ancient cemetery of Athens. http://www.athensguide.com/kerameikos.html It was a bit off the normal path but was well worth the visit. After traipsing through the site and museum we headed back (taxi, 5EU) to the Metropolitan Hotel to rest up before the ‘meet and greet’.

Athens Insight Representative: Anna Meyers

At the ‘meet and greet’ Anna provided a summary of our itinerary, the three optional mainland excursions (Cape Sounion, Greek dinner show, Greek traverna) and general information on the handling of luggage and departure times.

Throughout our stay Anna was a perfect ‘host’, very helpful and informative. More important she was always readily available for any assistance that may have been required.

Tour Director - Land Portion: Joanna Kaitazi

Joanna is a wonderful young lady, quite knowledgeable and very personable. She used a ‘whisper’, an audio devise that enabled us to listen to her presentation from a distance of 300 feet while we wandered away amongst the myriad of ancient structures. We really liked this idea and were disappointed when it was not available during the cruise portion of the tour.

Athens Sightseeing The next morning we headed straight to the Acropolis along the way passing many ancient sites (Hadrian’s Arch, Temple of Zeus, Tower of the Winds, Temple of Hephaestus). It was good we arrived early as only 2 or 3 other groups where there. By the time we left at 11:00 is was getting crowded. The climb to the Parthenon was steep but not as bad as I had thought. There were marble steps interrupted by short distances of cobblestone. Thankfully the steps were no longer wet from the early morning rain as I am sure that the marble could be quite slippery.

After we left the Acropolis we stopped for a photos at the Stadium of the modern Olympics and then headed to the Plaka. You can stay there for lunch or stay on the bus and go back to hotel. As we were going that night on the optional trip we returned to the hotel to rest.

We left at 3:45 for Cape Sounion and the Temple of Poseidon. We had a lovely hour drive down the coast and then spent at least an hour at the temple site. The tour included a great seafood dinner in a nearby village. We were brought appetizer size plates (and they just kept bring them as long as you wanted) of squid, calamari, fried zucchini, and french fries. For my main course I tried ‘Sea Bream’ (a white fish) for the first time. It was great. The meal was accompanied by a beer or glass of wine. This was a wonderful opportunity to get to know our fellow travelers better. We were back at the hotel around 9 pm.

Athens to Olympia We left the hotel in a heavy rain but that didn’t dissuade us from the days itinerary. There was only a slight drizzle as we stopped at the Corinth Canal and then proceeded on to Mycenae, deemed to be the oldest civilization in Europe. We walked up-hill, through the Lion Gate to the ruins. The walkway was quite slippery but the vista from the top was the reward. We had lunch at the King Menolaus restaurant in Mycenae, a small nearby village. We filled up on fried eggplant and a new item, saganaki. It was quite good and would recommend you try it.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,171,...254206,00.html.

The rest of the day was spent crossing the Peloponnese Peninsula. The peninsula has two connections to mainland Greece, a natural one at the Isthmus of Corinth and an artificial one (Rio-Antirio suspension bridge) at Patras. While technically it is considered an island since the construction of the Corinth Canal severed the peninsula from the mainland it is rarely referred to as such.

We arrived at the Antonius Hotel in Olympia around 6:00. Following our welcome drink we got together for the buffet dinner at 7:30. The dinner was fine, the breakfast buffet was lacking the variety of dishes to which we had become accustomed. This hotel is somewhat dated and was the least favourable.

Olympia to Delphi. The site of the original Olympics is quite vast and contains much more than the ‘just’ the temples of Zeus, Opollo and Hera. There still exists remnants of the training facilities and stadium area. We spent at least 2 hours touring the site before going to the nearby museum containing many artifacts (pottery, weapons, helmets) from the site. After spending close to an hour touring the museum we headed off to Olympia for lunch. There was plenty of time to walk around the quaint little town looking for that special souvenir. Afterwards we started our journey to Delphi. On the way we went through a number of interesting villages and of course more expansive olive groves and vineyards. At Patros we crossed back to the mainland. We continued on toward Delphi driving along a winding coastal road through some wonderful scenery finally arriving at the Amelia Hotel around 6:00. The hotel is fairly nice and has an outdoor pool. The hotel is situated about 600 meters above sea level which provided wonderful vistas from our 4th floor room. To the northwest the mountains were snow-capped. Before dinner we walked in to the village for a little shopping. Delphi is a lovely little place and you should take the time to explore.

Delphi to Kalambaka After first enjoying a 1 hour guided tour of the museum we headed for the site itself. The walk from the museum and outdoor café to the entrance of the site is about 300 feet on a cobblestone walkway. By the time we got to the entrance my leg was giving me some difficulty so I chose not to continue any further to ensure I would be able to make it up the stairways the next day at the monasteries. From all reports there was lot of up-hill climbing on slippery marble. My wife turned around after making it up to the Temple of Apollo as only the stadium was at the very top. Others continued to the top and were glad they did.

We had lunch at the restaurant Scala in village of Itea. We were offered a complimentary glass of ouzo while we awaited our meals. We had fresh fish, more fried eggplant and now the requisite cheese pie. During the drive to Kalambaka we passed through the plains around Lamia where cotton is still grown for export. We arrived at the Divani Meteora Hotel ( a fairly nice hotel) around 6:00.

Kalambaka to Athens After a 30-45 minute drive from the hotel we visited the monasteries of Meteora. The first was St. Stephen’s now occupied/run by nuns. It was a easy walk from the parking area to the entrance. We spent at least an hour here viewing the church/chapel and its amazing icons. We next visited the Varlaam monastery. You had to climb at least 40 steps to get to the entrance but even those with difficulty walking made to the top. We spent at least an hour on the guided tour and then had free time to take some of the most amazing photos of this and other hanging monasteries. This was one of our real highlights of Greece. Note: You are not allowed to where shorts and women’s shirt/blouses must have sleeves. They will provide skirts/wraps if needed that were easy to put on and clean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEvGEVyycJ4&NR=1

http://www.greecetravel.com/meteora/monasteries.html

We began the drive back to Athens late morning, arriving at the Metropolitan Hotel around 6:00. A short while later we had a meeting with Anna to find out the whys and wherefores of the cruise portion of our tour. Afterwards, those of us not going on the optional traverna dinner that night went to Lazarus, a local restaurant. The meal was quite good and not very expensive.

Life on the bus: There were 27 people in our group comprised of a majority of Canadians followed by numerous Australians, a few Brits and two Americans. It was a good group and we had a lot of fun together. Everyone was punctual and there were no interpersonal difficulties. The seats on the bus were quite comfortable and provided sufficient leg room for us taller people. The bus only sits 44 rather than the 50+ tour companies often try to squeeze in. Everyone gets a chance to sit towards the front as each day you rotate ‘back’ fours seats on the right side of the bus and ‘up’ four seats on the left side. One women did experience motion sickness during the drive through the mountainous Peloponnese Peninsula due to the winding road and tight curves but my wife and I didn’t have any such problems. There is less difficulty if sitting closer to the front.

You visited the sites in the morning, had lunch around 1:00 and then spent the rest of the day driving to your next destination. We normally arrived at the next hotel by 5:30-6 o’clock.

Upon arrival at your hotel you simply enter the lobby and get your room key from the tour director. Your luggage is brought to your room shortly thereafter. The following morning you simply leave your luggage in the hall while you head for breakfast. It is picked up and brought to the bus for loading. It’s like having a personal assistant with you on holiday! Great stuff.

Tour Director - Cruise Portion: Anne Spirakis

Anne is from Ireland but has lived in Greece for some 30 years. She is extremely knowledgeable and articulate. Her vast experience and eidetic memory certainly added interest to each of our excursions. In addition to organizing our schedule and leading us through disembarkation Anne also acted as our guide on Mykonos and Patmos.

As an aside.....in August 2007 Anne was leading a tour when the Sea Diamond sank off the cliffs of Santorini. She ensured that all her ‘charges’ were safely evacuated during the emergency. When informed of this incident none on our tour were surprised at Anne’s professionalism and assured actions in times of crisis. She is a wonderful guide. We should all be so lucky.

Cruising to Mykonos The drive from the hotel to the port of Piraeus takes about a half hour. We were through security/boarding procedures quickly and were in our room by 10:00. The Aquamarine was pleasant, comfortable and well run but don’t expect the grandeur of ships used by Princess or Holland America. The Aquamarine holds around 900 passengers and is probably half the size of cruise ships. We left port around 11:00 and arrived at Mykonos by 6:00.

We boarded a bus that brought us to Little Venice, a trendy district with numerous art galleries, bars and discos. There were no optional tours offered here so Anne led us on a walk along the waterfront to below the famous windmills. Along the way she provided an overview of the island, it customs, and its nightlife. She led us through a maze of narrow cobblestoned streets lined with whitewashed cubic shaped houses trimmed in every shade of blue. We stopped to view a number of small churches/chapels containing many beautiful icons. We then had some free time for shopping or simply relaxing with a nice hot coffee at one of the outdoor cafes.

Cruising to Kusadasi and Patmos After a short drive from Kusadasi we arrived at Ephesus, an amazing place with lots to see especially Hadrian’s Temple, the Library and the Theatre (where St. Paul preached). Our guide walked us through the site and provided an informative description of the various ‘ruins’. As she did not use the ‘whisper’ you had to stay in close proximity in order to here her. Most of us felt that the tour was way to fast with no time left to explore on our own. My wife and I were extremely disappointed that we did not at least have a photo stop at the Temple of Artemis one of the 7 wonders of the world that we could see was only a 5 minute bus ride away. I did provide written comments on this on the itinerary feedback we provided towards the end of the cruise. After leaving Ephesus we returned to Kusadasi for a stop at carpet factory where we were given a glass of hot apple tea (tasty) while we awaited a ‘sales’ presentation on how the carpets were made. Having been to carpet factories before it reminded me of the pun about the twin brothers ‘if you’ve seen Juan you’ve seen Amal’. I suggest that Insight drop this from the itinerary thereby allowing more free time at Ephesus.

After arriving in Patmos around 3:00 we were tendered to shore for our optional tour of the island and the Sacred Grotto. To get to St. John’s cave you had to go down a number of stairs. While not steep they were difficult due to the inconsistency in the height of the steps. It is said that when St. John was banished to Patmos he‘heard a great voice, as of a trumpet’ commanding that he write a book. According to lore St. John wrote the Book of Revelation in the Sacred Grotto. Within the cave you will see the table-stand on which Revelations was written, the stone on which St. John lay his head, the crack in the ceiling from which God’s voice was last heard on earth and many, many icons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSqLBy5fw-A

Cruising to Rhodes Our local guide for the tour of Rhodes and Lindos was Demetri. What a charming individual. He provided a very informative tour including explanations of the Greek family unit and the naming of children, Greek weddings, daughters dowries and the obligations of a groom’s best man. The drive to Lindos took about 1 hour. Once there you walked about 1000 feet down into the old village. The climb to the Lindos acropolis involved some 300 steps. From all accounts it was well worth the effort but going back down along the outer edge of steep unguarded walkway was a little treacherous but there was enough time here that they didn’t have to rush.. A few of us decided not to try the climb. Instead we scoured the alleyways of the village.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGl1S0blpow

To get back up to the bus you could either walk, take the yellow shuttle bus or take a taxi. By the time we were ready to go back to the bus there was at least 75 people waiting for the shuttle so we took a taxi. The taxi costs 4EU whether you are 1 or 4 passengers, well worth it.

We boarded the bus for our return to Rhodes stopping along way at the Bonis family pottery factory. The patriarch developed the special glazing on terra cotta which is the family’s signature style. This was very interesting and worth seeing. We made a few small purchases as did most others in our group.

We then went to the old section of the city of Rhodes, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the oldest continuously inhabited medieval town of Europe. A massive wall built by Knights of St. John encircles it. We entered through Milon Gate and walked down the Avenue of Knights first passing the palace of the Grand Master then a number of different ancient residence and courtyards. After the tour you could either return to the boat for lunch or stay in old town. We decided to stay and found a wonderful café for lunch just inside Amboise Gate. The owner prepared us one of the best salads we have ever shared using secrets ingredients and of course olive oil he had made from the few trees he keeps in the country. I ordered a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. It was complimented with the owner’s own cheese/butter spread and grilled to perfection. I don’t know if was the time of day or my time of life but this was absolutely delicious. He was an engaging fellow and we enjoyed the hour or so we spent in his company.

Cruising to Crete and Santorini We arrived at Crete (Heraklion) in the early morning. You need to take a shuttle from the boat to the port terminal rather than wandering aimlessly across an industrial looking dockyard. From there it was still a 20 minute walk to town. We chose not to go on one of the optional tours but go to the museum. Unfortunately it was closed so we headed back to the boat.

As we approached Santorini you could see the white houses hanging on the cliff. We anchored in the caldera and were tendered to shore where we boarded a bus to take us to the villages of Oia and Fira. At Oia we took many pictures of the buildings and patios hanging out over the water as well as the famous blue and white church you see in just about every promotional picture of Greece. The village is beautiful. At Fira we walked through town and then caught 2.5 minute cable car ride down to the wharf for tendering back to the boat. Now we could have walked down or rode a donkey but I really wasn’t much interested in descending a zig-zagging route involving some 500 steps, shared with donkeys. The boat left just as the sun started to set which enabled us to get some wonderful photos of the reddish cliff-face and the golden white-washed buildings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XCPw...eature=related

Athens at Leisure It was a very early wake-up call this morning as we had to be out of our cabins by 7:00. We arrived at the Metropolitan Hotel by 9:00 and were able to get into our room right away. It was our intention to return to the foot of the Acropolis, Temple of Zeus and Hadrian’s Arch. However, this was May 1 (Labour Day) and there were demonstrations going on downtown. While the demonstrations were peaceful the hotel shuttle would not be going to Syntagma Square due to the traffic congestion. Taxies were readily available but buses wouldn’t be running till afternoon, the subway not till later. Consequently we just stayed around the hotel, joined a few others for drinks in the Atrium and then headed out to the Athena restaurant (around the corner from Lazarus) for an early dinner. The calamari was at least as wide and half as long as a strip of bacon, lightly breaded, fresh lemon.....oh my oh my, to die for.

Life on the Aquamarine: The boat is about have the size of a Princess or Holland America cruise ship. We had Grade B accommodation on the main deck. The room was small with two single beds. While a little tight we spent very little time there. I found the shower quite small.

The boat can accommodate 800-900 passengers. You could either have buffet breakfast/dinners or eat a-la-carte in the separate restaurant. Food was also available on the pool deck at the Sunshine Bar. We thought the food choices were fine but some thought there should have been more variety. There were lounge shows during the day and every night. The Greek dinner was held on the second night (casual dress, blue and white), the Captain’s dinner on the third (elegant yet men did not need to dress in suits). We had the first seating (7:00 rather than 9:15) for these two sit-down meals.

Other General Information

Wake-up Calls/Departure Times: For the land portion most days wake-up calls were for 6:30. This allowed plenty of time for morning ablutions and a quick breakfast. Most departures were between 8:00 and 8:30 which made for a nice relaxing start to the day. For the cruise portion wake-up calls were much earlier as most departure were at 7:00/7:30. Now if you chose not to do any of the optional tours on the islands then the early hours were of little concern as you could not disembark till after the organized tours anyway.

Meals: The breakfast and dinner at the hotels were all buffet style. Breakfast consisted of bacon, sausage (actually they were hotdogs/weiners not good old fashion Maple Leaf beef sausages), eggs, potatoes, different breads, cheeses and fruit along with a few choices of cereal. Most dinners consisted of chicken, fish, and/or beef, potato or rice, salads, breads and such. You could always choose to go to a café in one the villages. Note: Morning coffee was not available until the restaurant (whether at the hotel or on the boat) opened at 6/6:30. So if you get up at the crack of dawn like me then I would suggest you bring some kind of a coffee maker. We have a smart little gadget that you put in a mug of water and it boils great for a single coffee.

Water: It has been our experience that you most often suffer ‘travelers tummy’ from drinking the local water. Consequently we avoid it and only drink (and brush our teeth with) bottled water. While the water in Athens is supposed to be perfectly fine there are cautions about drinking tap water in the villages or on the boat. Bottled water can be purchased just about everywhere and costs about 1EU for a one litre bottle.

Comfort Stations/Coffee Breaks: During the land portion the driver usually stopped every 1.5-2 hours for a short 20 minute comfort stop. You could pick up a coffee, water or whatever and perhaps have time for a quick look around for souvenirs. The washroom facilities were clean but of course the women always seemed to have line-ups. Each site you visit have facilities close at hand they just vary in their grandeur (if that is the right word). Note: The monasteries only have squat toilets (hole in the floor) so be forewarned. While it was target practice for men I am sure women would have a little more difficulty. The tour director did arrange for us to stop at the Divani Hotel (35 - 40 minutes away) on our way back through Kalambaka for those that were unable or unwilling to use the squats.

Internet Availability: The Metropolitan Hotel has a ‘business center’ with access. It costs 5E for a half-hour. All the other hotels had access some more expensive that the Metro. There was access on the Aquamarine but with only 3 terminals it was difficult to get a spot given that there was close to 900 passengers.

Taxies: I had read horror stories about the taxi drivers in Athens. However we did not have any problems. If you are hailing a taxi, the driver will pull over and you tell him where you want to go. If he is heading that way great, if not you will have to hail another. Be sure the driver puts the meter on when you get in cab. Tariff 1 is for daytime, 2 for night. Sometimes the driver will pick up other clients along the way, each of you paying your own complete fare. We didn’t have this happen to us as we were already 3 people in the cab. If you have a dispute, have them drop you off at doorman who can assist in resolving the problem.

Weather: It rained a little on the first morning of our tour but the stairs at the Acropolis were dry by the time we got there. The next day it rained most of the day however it was only a slight drizzle when we made our stops at Corinth and Mycenae. The mornings and evenings were cool especially when we got up to Delphi and Kalambaka. It was quite cold the evening we walked along the harbour in Mykonos. While the Aquamarine did have a pool it was much to cool on the pool deck for swimming. I do recall one afternoon 4 young ladies were sprawled out on the pool deck chairs in their best bikinis trying to get that perfect tan. Well I am sure that the shadow cast by their goose-bumps prevented the even tan that they sought.

Getting there and back: We flew direct from Ottawa to Frankfurt arriving at 6:30 am. Thankfully we were able to get a few hours sleep on the overnight flight. The flight to Athens left at 9:15 am, a very short wait, enough time for a coffee and light breakfast. The flight home was quite different. We had to get up by 2:00 am as we were being picked up at the hotel at 3:00 for the 1 hour drive to the airport. Our flight left Athens at 6:15 and we arrived in Frankfurt at 8:15. Unfortunately our flight to Ottawa did not leave till almost 2:00 pm. So for the next few hours we sat around, drank coffee, shopped, sat around, drank coffee. By the time we boarded our flight we were ‘wired’. Consequently we could not sleep on the plane. After having consumed a few more coffee before and after dinner we were ‘electric’ by the time we landed in Ottawa (4:00 pm), some 21 hours from the time we left the hotel. We unpacked our luggage, got a load of laundry going, went through all of the mail, wrote checks, and ate the pizza we ordered (I know it was satisfying but I can’t remember what it tasted like). I went to alphabetize the spices on the lazy-susan but my wife had already done that (just kidding). We learned an important lesson. In the future if we are going to be hopscotching between flights on our way home we will stop after the first leg and overnight before proceeding onward.

BowenLinda

Nice report, Dave, sounds like you had a good time.

I'm planning my first trip to Greece in October and am wondering about Olympia. Several of my guide books describe it as a must-see but I'm in a bit of a yawn about it. Would you recommend it?

Thanks,
Linda

PS You might want to consider posting this to the Greece forum on TA for more feedback.

DaveJJ

Yes I would recommend seeing Olympia if only for the fact that it is a site containing one of the seven ancient wonders of the world (Temple/Statue of Zeus). There are many others remnants to view including the stadium and the start line for the original olympics.

HappyTrvlr

We didn't have high expectations for Olympia and ended up enjoying it tremendously. We arrived mid-day as the tour buses were leaving and found it almost empty. The ancient sstadium site and the museums are well worth the trip there.

worldinabag

Hi Dave

Thanks for your report. In particular your info on the Insight tour. We used Insight for our Turkey vacation and they were fantastic. Our tour director was nothing short of amazing. We used Cosmos for our Greek excursion and were very satisfied with them. The only problem was our tour director was named Mauro too (and like me, he shaved his head just to add to the confusion) and anytime someone called out to him I would turn around as well

Marsh

Thanks for a great trip report! My husband and I are doing Greece including a few islands on our own, and it helps to read reports from folks who have recently been there. We have been pleased with traveling with tour companies in the past.