Greetings everyone!

We returned at the end of April after 10 days in Greece. I will start a trip report this morning while my memories are still vivid, and am happy to answer any questions I can. We were a 3-generation party of five, one fluent in Greek, who spent 3 nights in each of the following: Athens, Crete, Santorini. It was the second trip to Greece for the adults, and first trip for the two teen-agers. Greek Easter was spent on Crete, which was one of the singular best memories of my life. It was an incredible family vacation, and a most memorable experience.

We left Boston on April 17th, flew British Air via Heathrow, and arrived at the new airport in Athens Tuesday afternoon, April 18th. We took two cabs to our hotel; one cost 25EU, the other 20EU, although we traveled side by side. (The first of many discrepencies.)

Our hotel in Athens was the Electra Palace on Nikodimou St. near the Plaka; I believe it was previously called the "Golden Tulip." We loved this hotel. The lobby is lovely, breakfast fantastic, and rooms comfortable. We were on a non-smoking floor (Level Two - third floor American) . The odd thing is that all bathroom doors, even in public areas, are a mix of frosted and clear etched glass. Yes, you can see the person on the potty! And the shower door only reaches halfway along the length of the tub. So Americans who have not mastered the art of the hand-shower had better put some towels down on the floor. Our "triple" room was actually a a king made of two twins, and a couch. The staff was friendly, accommodating, and very helpful.

The location was excellent, and we did a lot of exploring around the area. There were some beautiful Byzantine churches in the neighborhood, and we could easily reach Hadrians Arch or Syntagma Square, the Plaka, Manastiraki, and even the Acropolis by foot. Orange blossons were in bloom everywhere. And even though we were told the oranges are inedible due to polution, the sweet scent wafted through the city, lending a surreal atmosphere to even the simplest errand.

The weather was perfect for touring, although it became cooler as the week went on and our locations changed. Athens was warm and sunny each day. We would start out each morning in a light jacket that wouldn't be needed by mid-day. Three of us wore shorts daily. The wind picked up on Crete, and Santorini nights were actually freezing, with high winds rattling the windows on our villas all night... but more about that later!

We ate at several places in Athens, including Spondi, Papadakis, Dionysus, and O Thanasis in the Plaka for Souvlaki. The roof top at Grand Bretagne was not open yet for the season.

Yes, Dionysus is a tourist trap. But the atmosphere was lovely, especially with the Acropolis lit in full view. We also enjoyed the sampler platter, which had plenty to be shared by two (or 3!) for an appetizer; don't take the waiters recommendation of one per person. And I will also say that all three preparations of lamb ordered were most tender and flavorful. Don't, however, believe the waiters that tip is not included! As most of you know, it is included all over Greece (well Europe, for that matter), although it is nice to leave a little extra. We spent about 250 EU for five people.

I had made reservations at Spondi by email before we left. It was just amazing. No, it's not "Greek." But it is a wonderful experience for "special occasion" gourmet dining. (We were celebrating a 70th birthday and a high school graduation.) The atmosphere, service, and food are all A+. Brick and stone archways, candlelight, modern, elegantly curved china, lovely complementary courses, wonderful wine list, and helpful, attentive service. The only thing missing was music, as the owner feels music is distracting to the culinary experience! Which was truly exceptional. The bill was about 500 EU for five people.

Our favorite was Papadakis. This is in the Kolonaki district, but not too near the popular shopping streets. It is small and chic, with clean lines and excellent food. Very traditional, and the menu is all in Greek. The chef/owner came out to explain everything to us. It was Holy Thursday, so most selections were of the fasting variety, but of such wonderful quality and talented preparation. This was under 200 EU for lunch for five people.

O Thanasis was SO delicious. We could have ordered the same thing over again and eaten it all up right then! Of course, very reasonable, too.

As for a decent restaurant in the Plaka, our travel agent had recommended O Platanos, but we ran out of time.

We arranged two tours the month before we left. On Wednesday, four of us took to the Argolis region by bus. There were only about a dozen people on this group tour. We stopped to see the Corinthian Canal, toured Mycenae and the Theatre of Epidaurus, and drove through Napfplion. We had an "included" lunch at an empty hotel that was truly mediocre. Our guide was knowledgable, but had a very heavy Greek accent, which made him difficult to understand. Fortunately, he repeated information several times, so we were able to "get the gist." I wish it had been a bit more dynamic. Unfortunately, I have lost the name of the tour company, but can tell you it cost $111 per person for comparison purposes.

On Thursday we booked a private tour of Athens and Sounion for 400 EU through Spiros. As it turned out, we could have walked to many of the places in Athens, but I did not realize this when I booked the van. However, our tour guide was wonderful, and this day turned out to be a highlight of our trip. Our driver was Petros Mazarakis who can be reached at [email protected], and he was sub-contracted by Spiros since he could accommodate a party of five in one vehicle. Actually, his van could probably comfortably hold up to 10 or 12 people comfortably. I highly recommend him for any group. He was accommodating, articulate, and knowledgable about Greece's past and current culture. We toured the Parthenon, visited old and new Olympic game sites, took the cable car up to Lykavittos, had lunch and shopped a bit in the Kolonaki area, and then drove out to Sounion to see the sun set over the Temple of Poseidon.

I had planned the trip so that we would be traveling on Good Friday and Easter Monday. The nice thing about Holy Week in Athens is that it got quieter and quieter in the city as the week progressed. We hit virtually no traffic during our tour on Thursday. Easter is the biggest holiday for Greeks - more important than Christmas - and people are traveling to their families like Thanksgiving in America. It is very important to have firm reservations. On Friday we flew to Crete.

Details regarding the Elounda Bay resort, Good Friday at the Holy Trinity church in Agios Nikolous, Easter festivities at the resort, and Heraklion and the Palace of Knossos will follow! This was my favorite part of our trip. The last leg will be details on our stay in beautiful Oia, Santorini.

Great report! Thank you!

On to Crete!

Our flight on Agean Air was on time and comfortable. We had arranged for transfers from the airport in Heraklion to (and from) the hotel in Elounda, which was just under an hour away. A cab would have run over $100 (times two for our party). I think the transfers were about 60EU per car (plus a tip).

The Elounda Bay Palace was just beautiful. They had just opened for the season, and there were probably only about 20 other families there, so service was impeccable. "Maria," the guest services rep, was enthusiastic and exuberant always. We had two rooms (I believe 101 and 103) on the second level with a wall of glass sliders overlooking the beautifully landscaped grounds, bay and mountains. A huge patio connected the two. The triple was a king and a roll-away with a foam mattress. Although it was still smallish for our 6'2" 200 lb son, at least it was very comfortable. The rooms were incredibly spacious with living area at one end (dining set and couch), and the bathrooms were huge with double sinks, jacuzzi, multi-head showers, and separate toilet area. The included breakfast buffet was spectacular, and included champagne!

The outdoor pool and the beach were too cold for swimming, but it was a lovely place for sun. The indoor pool was heated and we did use it. We also used the gym which was a pretty good size and very clean.

Upon arrival, we immediately went for a late lunch to the Ariande Taverna on-site. It was one of the best meals of our trip. It was Good Friday, and although we weren't fasting, we did want to avoid meat. We felt a bit guilty with the incredible feast we ended up with. Pan fried kaseti cheese (saganaki), fried squid, grilled octopus, pasta with red sauce, and amazing Greek salads filled the table. Then the chef brought over a vegetable medley from his garden at home, topped with a dollop of amazing cheese the texture of cream cheese, and the taste of mild feta. He also gave us each a complementary shot of ouzo. We ate by the water warmed by the sun and sustenance.

That evening we went into Agios Nikolous for the Good Friday service. We arrived at 8:15 pm, during the Orthos, and it was already standing room only. What a beautiful, colorful church. The service began at 9:00 pm and the choir was exceptional. Truly, the beauty brought tears to my eyes. During the next couple hours, faithful continued to arrive, keeping the line to venerate the Epitaphio right down the center aisle to the doors. We even saw someone gesture for the priest to move over while he was in the middle of prayers in front of the Epitaphio! (A couple women still sent their young children under and back, but a couple children balked and wouldn't do it.) Around 11:00 pm, the bearers carried the Epitaphio out the front doors and into the street to promenade through the town. We were awestruck at the thick throng when we exited. We continued down the hill to the water, turned the corner, and started up the coast. Then we spotted a pizza joint. Since we hadn't eaten since our feast at 3:00 pm, our souls and stomachs waged war, but in the end the sense of smell won. We tore off from the masses, and pealed into the pizza joint. We sat by the harbor, shared a cheese and veggie and a carafe of wine, paid our bill, and started up the hill back to the taxi stand. Lo and behold, here comes the procession from the opposite direction! The epitaphio was returned to the church, and we returned to the hotel.

to be continued...
Knossos, Fireworks, and Easter festivities at Elounda Bay.

great report, makes me think of my own truip there last year; we did alot of the same things.

We also stayed at Electra Palace and loved our Acropolis view view. We also ate at o'Thannis and agree, fabulous.

We stayed in Chania however in Crete and we did also stay in Oia at Katikies Suites ( now kirini), so will look forward to your Santorini section.

It's all divine , isn't it!!!!

Glad you had a great time!

Dreamer2,
I am so enjoying your trip report.
My husband and I are just beginning to plan a trip to Greece and we're still debating between going in April or late July (our only 2 choices) so I'm particularly interested in the weather!
We're thinking of visiting Athens and Santorini. Please continue your report.
Thanks.

Great report - can't wait to read the rest!!

Enjoying your report and looking forward to more as I'm going to Athens, Crete and Santorini in Sept.

Thanks so much - we are anxiously awaiting your Santorini leg.

We leave May 29 for 1 night in Athens (Electra Palace), 3 nights in Santorini (Alexander's Boutique Hotel) and 4 nights in Crete (Elounda Beach). We are considering a booking with Fanatsy Travel that includes a 1/2 day tour of Athens and transfers back & forth to airports and hotels. The tour & transfer part seemed expensive until I read your actual prices. In hindsight would you take a tour or walk/cab yourself from the Electra Palace?

Also, we plan to rent a car in Santorini (staying in Oia) did you?

DB: We did rent a car for the day from Elounda and from Oia. It was very easy to do, and very reasonable. Driving out of Oia is easy; driving in along the cliffs is a nail biter! If you are familiar at all with Athens, you probably won't need a city tour. If you've never been, the bus overview might be nice, but I don't think you actually get out to tour any sites - maybe just a photo op. You can really walk to so many places from the Electra Palace, it might not be necessary.

Bettina: I think it might be easy to make that choice. Do you mind heat and crowds? Do you want to lay on a beach, or tour the "rocks" ? If warm weather and swimming are important to you, high season, or July, is a better choice. If you like it cool, quiet, and less crowded, definitely choose April, but realize some sites, hotels, or restaurants may be closed.

*****

Upon arrival to Elounda Bay Palace, we arranged for a rental car for Saturday and drove to Heraklion to see the Palace of Knossos. We found the city and parking lot easily, but missed the faded, foliage-covered, spray-painted arrow that pointed left upon exiting, and walked about a half mile in the wrong direction looking for the site! Once we made it to the entrance, we joined a small tour group led by Evagelia Moudatsou (10 EU pp) and enjoyed probably the best guided tour of our travels. She was extremely sensitive to all ages and languages in her group, and gave fascinating, eloquent, and engaging lectures. What a wonderful place!

Then we drove on to the city for a quick visit to the archaeological museum, some souvenir shopping, and a late afternoon lunch at a cafe. We were really trying to "beat the clock" because places were closing like they do here Christmas Eve.

We decided to celebrate midnight mass at the resort chapel. We walked the foot path over to Elounda Beach Resort, and crowded into the tiny chapel. Again, arriving at 11:10 about 10 minutes into the Orthos it was SRO. At midnight the bells pealed and we all sang the prayer "Christ has risen! " as we followed the priest outside the chapel. Then there was a glorious explosion of fireworks as the service continued outside. It was really just spectacular. The resort had a Margaritza celebration that evening, but we decided to return to our rooms. There we found beautiful plates of Greek pastries, red eggs, and chocolate bunnies wrapped in purple cellophane complements of the hotel waiting for us! (The Easter bunny had come! )

The next morning we slept late, and enjoyed swimming in the indoor heated pool, and laying in the sun. Then we went to the Easter Feast back at the Elounda Beach Resort. This is catered by their Dionysus restaurant, and is set up outside on the lawn. Yellow trims accented white tableclothes and umbrellas in the beautiful sunshine and gorgeous grounds. The buffet was amazing. Similar to elaborate cruiseship displays, there were towers of jumbo shrimp and prosciutto, bowls of lobster salad, Greek salads, and eggplant salads, pastas, rices, grilled chicken and beef, and several different preparations of lamb. Then all the Greek pastries and cakes and custards. It was the most elaborate and beautiful buffet I have ever seen. Once the Greek music started I was reduced to tears over our good fortune to be there as a family. There was entertainment all through dinner: instrumental, vocal, and professional traditional dancers. After dinner the dancers were getting everyone up to participate in the Greek line dancing. This was one of the most memorable days of my life, truly Heaven on earth.

We noticed that most of the people attending were Greek, and many we had seen at church the night before. I would think this is probably a very popular event and place for family reunions.

On Monday, we took our transfers early in the morning to the pier. The weather had turned cold, and it was incredibly windy. We took the high speed hydrofoil to Santorini. We had a reservation, but no ticket in hand. Be sure to tell the driver if you need to pick up tickets, as that is at a different part of the pier than the boats. My bad! I was amazed at how smoothly the hydrofoil handled the rough seas, and within two hours, we approached Santorini!

It sounds as tho' you had a ball. Great trip report

Thanks Dreamer2
Looking forward to hearing more of your trip report!

By the way... Just wanted to mention that the Easter Feast described above ran 60 EU per person, excluding wine. It is open to the public, so if anyone ever is searching for a fabulous Easter dinner on Crete, I highly recommend checking it out.

Ahhh... Santorini. This was the one place out of three we visited that I had not been to 21 years ago. It was the part of the trip I was looking forward to most. I have to say, it did not end up living up to my hopes. I think perhaps the weather had a lot to do with it, but also our hotel a bit disappointing. However, I have to cut it some slack, as we had just left paradise - which is a tough act to follow.

So - the negatives first, so I can end on a positive note. Some sort of front came in on Monday that whipped the wind and churned the seas. It became very cold, with partly cloudy afternoons. Basically, we froze. This was complicated by the fact that our hotel had no heat. Or so we thought. The temps fell to around the freezing point the first two nights we were there, the wind rattled the windows all night long, and we could hear cats howling for shelter. Plus, our hotel had just opened for the season, and it became clear that they were not yet ready to recieve guests. Although there was an electric appliance on our wall, the thermostat control on the wall was covered by a permanent plexiglass fixture preventing access. We assumed it must be for air conditioning only. When we realized we needed heat in the middle of the night, we tried to call the front desk, but "0" didn't work, and there were no phone instructions in the room. The room also had no extra blanket or pillows, no kleenex, only the one roll of toilet paper, no notepad or pencil, just two TV stations, and a lukewarm trickle from the hose in the two foot square shower. I had to put on sweats, a long sleeve shirt, and socks, and I was still shivering. We felt like we were camping - and this was the most expensive hotel of the three!

We stayed the three nights at Nikos Villas in Oia. It has a great location, half way between the thick of the shopping street, and Santorini Mou. It is not built into the crowded cliff, but at the beginning of the penninsula overlooking the caldera. It has beautiful gardens and a lovely outdoor (unheated) pool area. If you are in Oia, you will recognize it by the color of the doors and window trim: vibrant red. The owner was very nice, but was always very busy making repairs (such at drilling and hammering at 8:am). The front door clerk was very nice, but did not understand or speak Greek or English very well (she was from Finland). We ended up buying our own TP and Kleenex, and the cable came on the last night we were there, but we couldn't even get a glass of wine or cup of coffee in the afternoon as they weren't ready to open their bar!

I feel our travel agent made a big mistake booking us here so early in the season, as for almost the same price, we could have stayed at a lower tiered room at Kantikies or Canavas.

We complained the next morning about the lack of hot water and heat, but were told that this is the way it is in Greece, and that Americans are used to hotter water. Huh??? Evidently, other non-American guests must have complained about the water as well, as the next night we did indeed have hot water to shower. Around 8m the second night, I bundled up and went out to the front desk one more time, and said something like: I just want to confirm that I understand. Your hotel has no heat?" Finally, she said, "Oh yes, each room has heat. But I need to have my manager turn it on." That's all I needed to hear. I went back to our rooms, and jimmied the covers off the thermostats with a nail file, and got that thing blasting. Beleive it or not, it was still darn cold in those rooms with the wind wipping around the windows.

On a plus side - my son finally hit pay dirt with his triple accommodations. He had a double bed in the loft all to himself. Yiayia and girl-teen shared a double on the first floor.

The only other negative thing about Oia is that it is overrun with packs of dogs. They are fine during the day, but must get hungry and aggresive by night. We saw many dog fights, and a pack followed us back to the hotel each night.

The cheapest meal of our trip was one of our best. Do not miss Santorini Mou if you are staying in Oia. Owner/operator Mikhaelos was a seafaring engineer until a brush with death 18 years ago. Since his recovery, he has been celebrating nightly at his Taverna, and sharing the celebration with his patrons. Upon being seated, we were given photo albums to browse instead of menus. These are photos of every customer he has entertained over the years. He took one of himself with us to add to his collection. We had all great taverna style food: lamb chops, mousaka, more saganaki, and the famous Santorini chick pea tahini. Around 10:30 he pulled out his guitar and entertained the restaurant, serenading different tables at different times. He gave the kids souvenirs when we were leaving, including a CD of his original music.

We also ate at the Anemomilos (Windmill) taverna right across the street from our hotel, and the Thalami (Octopus) taverna in the thick of the shopping "downtown." Both were fine, but couldn't hold a candle to Santorini Mou. We did have a lovely lunch at the Melenia bakery, which someone from this site had recommended. The special quiche type omelette pie was out of this world! Also, right across the street from Melenia was one of our favorite gift shops.

Our last meal in Greece was at Ambrosia and Necter. This had lovely atmosphere, and great appetizers (especially the feta fried in filo and drizzled in honey! ), but the dinners were all quite disappointing. We ordered 2 roasted lamb with eggplant puree that were dry, 1 Napolean of chicken, beef, pork that was tough, 1 duck with mango sauce that was also tough and extremely fatty, and one mousaka with hard potatoes! Too bad. But to top it all off, when reviewing the bill when we got home, we saw an extra 30 EU charge with no item attached. Tip? Unfortunately, the bill came to about 300 EU. I know others from this site have had good luck here, but I could not recommend it from personal experience. FYI, 1800 does not open until mid-May.

We rented a car one day (easy and reasonable) and drove to Kamari to see the black sand volcanic beaches. It was really neat. The town was mostly closed for the season, but a few cafes and shops were open along the boardwalk. I can imagine that this is quite the hopping place in-season! There were a group of teenagers from Vermont on the beach, enjoying a day off after 10 days of intensive touring. I met one of their chaperones by chance as I retreated from the mountain trail leading up to Ancient Thira. We had left teen daughter and grandmother on the boardwalk, and husband, teen son, and I planned to drive up. After the first hairpin turn, I disembarked. I still thought I might hike up, but at the next turn, knew for sure I was out of my element. Instead, I hiked back downhill and straight to the cafe where I found the other two members of my family. The Enios waterfront cafe was very lovely: scenic view, good food, and friendly staff.

Once we were joined by the men - who said it was a simply terrifying drive - we departed for Fira. On the way, we found Canavas Roussos, and stopped for a wine tasting. This was also delightful. They have a beautfully decorated terrace, and delicious wines. On site, they sold the famous Santorini wine in the orangey packaging for 35 EU instead of the 50 EU I saw in the gift shops. However, I bought it without the fancy packaging, just the bottle, at the winery for 20 EU. Can't wait to share it with friends soon!

Fira was fun, but very busy and commercial. I found my favorite "souvenirs" there: silver egg-shaped icons. They are really unique. Then we took the "scary road" back to Oia. It's not bad leaving Oia, since you can hug the mountain. But on the way in, you travel the edge. The locals take it with such speed and disregard. We found that traveling in lanes in Greece was just a suggestion. If you want to pass, you just pull into the middle of the road, honk your horn, and wait for the driver in front of you to drive on the shoulder - all the while hoping no oncoming traffic appears.

Oh - I almost forgot! Every night there is a pilgrimage to the northern tip of Oia to see the sunset. Very beautiful! Be sure to take in the experience if you are there.

Ten days after we had arrived in Greece, we departed for the long travel home. All the flights and connections moved along smoothly, and the trip finished as perfectly as it began.

Before I end, I'd like to make a couple observations and thank-you's. So many people on this board helped me make this trip as great as it was. I really want to thank all of you, and tell you how much I appreciated your input. Especially thanks to Brotherly Love, who is always there with a prompt reply! If I can answer any questions that might help others, please ask.

Other random bits:

Don't pay full price for anything. At least ask for a better price. We found that most things in the Plaka can be bought for a third of the asking price. Even the mainstream gift shops will usually offer anywhere from 10% to 20% off an item if you make the smallest murmur.

Everything is bilingual. The Greeks don't seem worried about any sort of loss of identity due bilingualism. Tourism is huge business, and almost everything is written in both Greek and English - including street signs, menus, travel guides, etc. Most people English quite well.

Toilets have vastly improved in 20 years. We only saw two pits in our travels. There are now, however, little sanitary boxes by each toilet. You are supposed to put all dirty toilet tissue in these, and not flush them down the toilet.

Children who appear 16 and older will be served wine unless you specify otherwise. We do allow our teens to have a glass of wine at home on special occasions, so we did not object. But I thought other parents would want to know.

Okay - long-winded, but I think I'm done! For now...

Oh no, based on your weather experience in April, July is looking better!
Thanks so much for a great report.
I took some notes for my trip!

Thank you SO much for your report. My husband was stationed on Crete and we are considering going there and Santorini for our 25th wedding anniversary.

We're not all that interested in spending a lot of time in Athens (just our personal choice), but are really excited about Crete and Santorini. Did you find that 3 nights were enough time on both?

Thank you for this great report. I'm printing the info on Crete as we're hoping to go there on a future trip.

I'm sorry Santorini was a disappointment! We were there in July and stayed at Oia Mare and had the time of our lives. Perhaps April really is just too early for Santorini.

Great trip report Dreamer2. I'd love to spend a couple of weeks as you did. We've never been to Athens or Santorini but will be in each for a day on our Med cruise in about 3 weeks. We've arranged a full-day tour of Athens but thought we'd be on our own on Santorini. Based on comments on CruiseCritic bulletin board, I thought we'd rent a car for the day to travel between Fira and Oia and explore other parts of the island. After reading your report I'm a bit reluctant. I drove in Umbria last summer and had no problem, but I also didn't encounter that many wild drivers or tight driving environs there.

What's your advice? Would it be better to simply take the bus or hire a cab?

Thanks,

KC

400 EU for a tour to Sounio!??? You were stolen!!!!

Enjoyed reading your trip experience. We are going to Athens/Crete/ Santorini in August '06 with 3 teenagers & 2 grandmas (1 Greek speaking)...should be interesting. Planning on Creta Maris in Crete but may switch to Elounda Bay Palace..any recommendations? Thanks for any help.

Hi again,
Just wanted to follow up with some of your questions.

SSARW - What sort of recommendations did you mean? I really only have experience with the ones I visited, but you could also read reviews on TripAdvisor.com. I've found them "on the mark!" Also, the nice thing about Nikos Villas in Oia with grandmothers (or little kids) is that it is very level. There is not a lot of uneven terrain, or stairs to climb every time you walk out your door. I would think the service would be better in August when things are in full swing. As you know, we loved Elounda Bay Palace on Crete. We thought the location was great, being an hour from Heraklion and next door to Agious Nikolos. I'm not familiar with Creta Maris, so I can't compare. Check out the websites, too.

Panoulis - Yes, it seems very expensive, doesn't it? I did get three quotes, all over 400 EU. I counter-offered two with 400 EU, and one accepted. Don't forget, the trip was 10 hours (10:00 am to 8:00 pm) for 5 people. That's actually $8 per person, per hour for a guided tour. As I said earlier, it turned out we didn't actually need transportation to most of our sites in Athens since our hotel was so central, but I didn't know that when I booked. We actually felt it was well worth it, but to each his own.

Knoxville Couple - Definitely rent a car on Santorini! It's such a small island and easy to hop around. I wouldn't say Greek drivers are reckless, just used to narrow winding roads. Busses are reasonable and easy to use, but will hold you up waiting for connections. You could use taxis, but you'll still be taking the "scary road" in Oia at some point (don't miss Oia! ) - so you're probably better off with the flexibility of driving yourselves. I'd compare it to driving Highway 1 along the California coast. Are you familiar with that? It's still not as bad as some of the glacier passes through the Alps!

Liz - I hope I didn't give the wrong impression. We really liked Santorini, especially Oia and the black sand beach of Kamari. It was just that compared to the paradise of Easter on Crete, and because it was the leg I was most looking forward to... it fell a bit short of my expectations. I'm sure you'll agree that nobody could spend time on Santorini and actually call it a "disappointment." Sometimes it's the crazy things that go wrong that make a trip most memorable!

ChaseChow - I think 3 nights is perfect on Santorini. I think 3 nights is a minimum on Crete. It's a much larger island, and we did not even attempt to explore the rugged western half on this trip. Depending on where you stay, and where you want to visit, you may want to extend your stay there.

Bettina - The weather was cold and windy on Santorini, but from what I understand, this was very unusual, even for April. I will say it was nice for touring and exploring. The last time we were in Greece it was July, and it was very HOT and very crowded touring the rocks. I knew my family would be more uncomfortable with heat than cool, so it worked well for us. I would guess the ideal time would be early June or September, but I remember you have to decide between July and April. It's a shame we can't count on weather! But I'm from New England, so we're used to that. I suppose, though, you can count on July being hot in Greece, so if you like beaching, that would be better.

Thanks, all for your replies. Hope this post helps others in the future. This site has helped me countless times with such great info, it's nice to offer some help back.