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Trip Report: Fabulous time in Athens, Santorini and Crete

Trip Report: Fabulous time in Athens, Santorini and Crete

Old May 20th, 2005, 08:15 AM
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Trip Report: Fabulous time in Athens, Santorini and Crete

Hi all! Back from a fab trip to Athens, Santorini and Crete. Got back Sunday night at midnight. First, thank you to all postings which helped me alot; europhile, eleni, brotherleelove2004, and more.

I am going topost in catergories rather than a day by day blow of events, so you can peruse easily what you may be interested in.

GENERAL COMMENTS;

First off, this trip is my annual trip that I take with my friends each yr. My husband and I live in a development in Old Town Alexandria that is very small and firendly and about 5 yrs ago, I started planning trips of us. So I do all the work and my friends and hubbie just board the plane.
This trip there were 14 of us. One of our friends got too ill to travel at the last moment.

After 9/11 I started using an agent for some assistance only because with a group I cannot take the chances of somehting going amiss and then I have to deal with all myself. Having an agent in this case, has helped tremendously. My agent for this trip has now become my dear friend and she worked well with me to plan. and i say WITH me , as I brought her my knowledge gleaned from Fodors and more. I did not just take her word for everything and we worked well together to plan a personalized trip.

Also as I go through this report, I will be unable to share with you guides names, some places we visited by name as these were all private contractors that you cannot call directly yourself. Sorry about this, but I will let you know all about the time we had.

Ok, ready... Here we go!

AIRLINES:

All pretty uneventful rides, thank you very much! We flew BA from Dulles to London and made a quick connection to Athens. arrrived Athens at 2pm May 6th. Met by our private driver and guide, who was just darling! Had nice trip into the city and brought directly to Electra Palace Hotel in the Plaka.

All other flights were fine:
Aegean Airways from Athens to Santorini. Aegean Airways from Santorini back to Athens and then onto Chania Crete. Aegean was a lovely ride, Greek music plays, flight attedants pleasant, planes nice and clean. Short rides.

Olympic Airways from Chania to Athens was the only flight I was not crazy about. The plane looked liketi was WW1. And what a racket! Luckily the ride was short.

All connections on BA home were fine, just a very , very long day. Arrived back Dulles May 15th at 11pm, home by 12 midnight.

No one lost any luggage and all flights were on time.

next installment: HOTELS

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Old May 20th, 2005, 09:00 AM
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HOTELS:

Athens: May 6-9th: Electra Palace. Wonderful 5 star hotel in the Plaka. Convenient for the sights. Lobby is beautiful. Spacious and the two Cleopatra looking lounge beds you must have your picture taken on! The public spces are beautiful. Check in was swift and staff are nice, not overly friendly, but nice enough. My husband and I had an Acropolis view room. I will tell you that throughout the the entire trip I did always get the upgrade, as the trip leader. My agent does take of hubbie and I! My friends also had nice rooms. The rooms here are small,even ours with the view but what do you expect from a city hotel. The bathrooms are nice all marble and the shower is great. the tub is high enough so no water to leak out. We were not in the room too much. The hotel is quiet, with little street noise heard. Some of our friends took advantage of the indoor pool and whirlpool; I did not, but they said it was welcomed after our days of sightseeing!

The breakfast was very good and varied; honey and yogurt and a sesame ring for me every morning! The breakfast room is spacious. My hubbie used the gym and he liked it.

The only place where treatment was aloof was in the bar; the bartender was a bit aloof and when my husband changed his mind about adding more sugarto his frappe, he got annoyed that he did not order it with sugar in the first place. Oh well! But the bar area is pleasant and the side garden is very nice.

Overall I would recommend it as a first class hotel and if you cannot afford Grand Bretagne or King George. We did have drinks over the Grand Bretagne and I can see why you would stay there; it is pretty awesome.

Santorini: May 9-12th: Katikies Suites; AWESOME, FABULOUS, A MUST STAY PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I'm getting a little carried away here; but it was just that good!!!!

First off, we were picked up again by a private driver and guide, she was French and just wild and crazy, but so charming!! The approach to Oia is so awesome from the airport. As you ocme arund the road bends and see Oia perhed high on the island, your heart races. Yuo know this is going to be special. As soon as we got there, the managment of the hotel was waiting for us at the side of the road. Our luggage just dissapeared into their capable hands and we were led down into the property. For those of you who know Santorini, it is all steps and more steps. For those going soon, get in shape! Anyway, we were led down numerous steep stairs, but the view just takes your breathe away, so you almost ignore that your foot is being pushed into positions it never experienced before. Once all 14 of us were down on the property we were led to the pool area and breakfast area. Champagne was waiting for us and a introduction to Katikies was given by the manager Lefty ( his Greek name is too long, so he just goes by Lefty!). He was formerly on the managment team at Katikies hotel and now he is the full day manager at the Suites. Also the general manager introducred herself. We were each given indivudual forms to fill out and also asked which papers we wanted delivered each morning. Then one by one we were led to our tooms.

Each room given was different than the next. My group had a combination of suites and superior rooms. The smallest room was #5 but it was just precious. We had room #9 right off the pool with a tremendous patio and i mean tremendous. Hubbie and I hosted an hour of drinks for our group before we left for dinner on the first night, May 9th so the large patio was just perfect for that. the view was just magic.

Our room, #9 was a suite with two rooms and decorated in blue and yellow. The bed was large and comfy. Slippers and robes, CD player, wine and fruit are all provided. The bathroom was very small though and the shower did leak out. But the property has just literally been renovated having taken over from Atlantis Villas and so a few minor things still need tweaking. Also our door was hard to open and the sink stopper malfunctioned.

However, these were a blessing in diguise. Because the engineer Dimitris, was to rescue and boy oh boy; if I was not married and was 15 yrs younger!!! Hot, hot, hot!! A Greeek JFK, Jr. and so pleasant and that smile! I was thinking of more things more him to fix!!!

The room gets cool, so if visiting other than summer, learn to use the temp control provided. I can see in the summer the cave like rooms provide much needed coolness. We need to turn it up as I cannot stand cold, but it was just fine. also the floors are not carperted, so do wear the slippers provided so your tootsies stay warm as the floor does get cold.

All our friends loved their rooms. Some of our friends were given indoor jacuzzis, others had fantastic artwork, each was different. All rooms faced the caldera and had sandbeds on each private terrace, except two of our friends, but they did not care since they used the sandbeds at the pool mostly.

Again, please note, there are lots of stairs. Uneven and large. Room 5 occupied by one of our couples is the closest to the exit for the property, so they had the least amount of stair climbing, but they also came all the way down to the pool so even they had lots to climb.

The sandbeds are like a posturpedic bed and I could just stayed on them the entire trip. None of this typical lounge chair stuff, just big, comfy and fab!

The staff won't let you lift a finger. They put down your towel, brought you drinks and brought you my favorite part of this stay: frozen hand towels infused with green tea extract. WOW!!! It felt so good to place over your face, neck and arms. The weather was not burning hot, but hot enough to make these towels so welcomed!!! Every little move you make is anticipated by the staff, so just plan on accepting that you will be pampered. We could not even open a soda can, without one of them seeing we were reaching for it and they open it for you!

We know this all came at a price; but who cares!!! We're on vacation!!!!

The pool is great too, water too cold for me, but many of our group went in and felt it was refreshing.

Breakfast is served to you by the pool and you order off a menu, no buffet and that was nice. Again, yogurt, fruit and honey for me, but lots of choices including eggs, bacon, omelettes, etc. Enough to choose from.

You can also order breakfast to your room.

We did not dine for dinner at the hotel as we had reservations elsewhere, but it looked justlovely. Same area as breakfast, but the atmosphere changes at night. All candlelit and the staff changes form casual all white wardobe to fancy white outfits with gold accents. Next time, I might do a dinner there.

They also give you a cellphone to carry with you. You can just dialup 4999 and it reaches reception from anywhere on the island. Call them if you need assistance. We never needed it, but what a nice touch. They will come and pick you up from wherever you are and if god forbid you are in some sort of trouble, they will be there to help.

We were their first group under the Katkies name and one of the first guests for the season. Given they were still finishing up parts of hte pro[erty, their attention to our group was outstanding and there were other guests as well who received equal lovely attentive service.

I have to eat lunch now, but I'll be back after lunch to do more. Taking the day off to do stuff!






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Old May 20th, 2005, 09:47 AM
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Ok.. I'm back from eating NOT a Greek lunch; so sad!!!

Anyway, more hotel stuff.

Sorry to leave Katikies on May 12th. the beautiful men staff of Katikies ably threw our luggage on top of the he-man shoulders and carried all the luggage to our private transport waiting to take us to the airport ( the hydrofoil to Crete was not running that day). The staff lined up as the same as the day we arrived and waved us goodbye. So sad to leave!!!

May 12-15th: Chania, Crete: Casa Delfino: With memories of Katikies in us, we all had to refrain from comparing CD to Katikies; they are so different as is Crete from Santorini and from Athens.

CD was lovely. If you know about Chania, it was ruled by the Venetians and the Turks hence the architecture and general feel is more Turkish and Italian. CD is a 17th century Venetian mansion. First off, I will say it is the nicest place to stay in Chania. I looked around at other places while we were there and while I am sure they are nice and friendly; if you need more upscale, then CD is for you.

The courtyard greets you first and it is truly lovely. A tall cactus tree adorns a side wall and it is a wonder to look at. Breakfast was served in the courtyard area and is very, very nice.

The rooms here vary so widely in their size and decor. If booking, I would ask for a large room. Just a few of our couples did end up with a standard room since they had the largest suites at Katikies as I only felt it was fair to let some other couples have a big room. However, the stardard rooms are just ok, nothing special and the big rooms are like WOW ,so inquire heavily.

Hubbie and I actually were given the honeymoon suite! This I did not know was going to happen to us and everyone in our group was happy for us!
( 14yrs of marriage? I suppose we can count it as another honeymoon!)

The room was huge! the bed was a king the floor was marble and lots of storage. There was a living room area and the bathroom was huge complete with jacuzzi. Other couples also had huge rooms, one of our friends who had the smallest in Katikies was given the largest here, split level , two bedrooms, huge beds, etc.

The only complaint ( at least they only our friends told me) was that inthe standard rooms , the bathroom as hard to manuever and the shower drain, did not drain well.

The staff was nice, but slightly chilled. Again, after Katikies it is just human nature to compare and so sorry, but nothing could come close to the service we received at Katikies.

The breakfast was fine, but my least favorite of all three locations; although many of my group loved the apple cake!

Location is A+ and it truly is a lovely place. just be savvy when booking. Also even in a huge room, be aware that the bathroom can be downstairs from the bedroom or far away down a hall as our was.

At night, it is nice to sit inthe courtyard and have a drink from the bar. From the street, it looks so romanatic as they light the tables with votives. In fact,people kept coming into the courtyard to check out the place and it looked like they really wanted to stay there.

All in all we were happy with all three accommodations and Katikies; what more can I say, if you can afford it DO IT!

next installment: DINING



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Old May 20th, 2005, 10:23 AM
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Hi trip girl,

Great report, really enjoying it. So detailed! Can't wait for the rest, but will say so far:

1) Glad the WW1 flight was short and got your there!

2) Thrilled you could find a 'silver' or should I say 'greek' lining with your repair work that was needed. I was lol.

Keep going! Best wishes, T.
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Old May 20th, 2005, 10:27 AM
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I'm really enjoying your trip report. We were in Santorini for a week (home May 6) staying at Esperas, and we're already thinking about heading back to Greece next spring. We were thinking of Crete/Rhodes next time, but part of me wouldn't mind going back to Santorini. Aside from the obvious difference in accommodations, how would you compare Crete vs Santorini (beauty, things to do, views, etc)?

Looking forward to your next installment - food is my favorite subject!
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Old May 20th, 2005, 10:48 AM
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DINING

Athens: Our first real meal was dinner and we dined at O Platanos. Half the group was tired so they declined going out but the rest of went and it was great. We sat outside on a nice balmy night and the food was fab. We had a table full of lamb with green beans, moussaka, calamari, greek salads, etc. The service was excellent, the atmosphere was great and it was a nice start to our vacation. O Platanos is located on a quiet street in the Plaka, but removed from the stores. Highly recommend. We watched the family yell at each other in the kitchen; it was a riot!

Lunch the next day after our half day tour was free time for my group, so hubbie and I walked over to O Thanasis near the flea market. Busy, busy! But great gyros. Fun to watch all the people.

Dinner for the group that night was at Psarras and we dined again outdoor and the food was a pre-set meal for us that was very good. Lots of meze and main course was chicken. Delicious desserts of traditional pastries. One of our guides Maria, joined us that night and regaled us all with tales of greek life.


Lunch the next day was on our way back from Delphi we stopped in a local restaurant, I forgot the name, but excellent. Fabulous chicken, great meze and delicious desserts. It was outside of Delphi.

That night, my group was on their own and hubbie and I went alone to Daphne's. It is located at the end of Andrianou Street, on the nicer end of Andrianou. The front room with the frescoes on the wall was occupied fully with three giant tables of French tourists. They had a trio of musicians to play for them. You never had something strike you so funny as when you are eating your dinner and in the other room you could hear " Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard being played by three Greek musicians; it was a riot!

Anyway, we were led to another room behind the main room that was very nice and romantic. The dinner was good, but I liked the ouzo flavored meatballs we had as meze better than my entree.

But the best part of the evening is this: Here we are having a nice romantic dinner and then the music seems to be drifting our way. The musicians moved into our room bringing in the French tourists who promptly began dancing right in front us in the small space between tables. Well it was just a scream. They were having the times of their lives. Although one could say the mayhem disrupted our meal, we figured why not join them. So hubbie and I got up and danced too! These tourists, many of whom were 65+ just danced and danced and whooped it up. So fun! They were from Normandy.

When we left we looked at a placard that indicated who has dined at Daphne's. The list included Angelina Jolie, Hillary Clinton and Mayor Anthony Williams from my neck of the woods: DC.

The food was good, but not great. But it is a nice place and service is good.

Next time, I will also seek out some restaurants in districts further from the Plaka, such as in Gazi. For this trip all places were just fine and glad we went.

Santorini: Like the hotel, the food was outstanding here!

Lunch on arrival day, several of us walked the trek down all the stairs, about 300 of them to Ammoundi and had lunch at Katinas. Just head straight down the pedestrian street and you will see the stairs at the end. Fab! Two of us had grilled squid, one had fried, one had octopus and my hubbie had grilled mussels of which he commented they were the best he has ever had! Salads all around. Service was great the location on the fishing port was fun. The trek up was actually easier than on the way down. I figured I burned enough calories to enjoy a really good dinner too! Several of our group just stayed at Katikies and ate lunch there; expensive, but they did not care, the service was just divine.

Dinner that night was at Ambrosia. Thanks brotherleelove2004 for that suggestion. Superb! Interesting food!
we all enjoyed lamb, swordfish, salads, etc. The room they put us in was cave like and it was fun. A funny thing also happened here.

We occupied most of the room, but there room enough for a three person table near us. The room is very small. So all of us piled onto one long table except four of the group sat next to us at their own four person table. We really were having seperate converations; ours and theirs. At the end of the meal and getting ready to leave, one of our group members who speaks fluent French and was part of the four person table was having an arguement with one of the ladies at this three person table. They were French. Evidently what happened was that these three people spoke among themselves in French commenting that our four person table of friends were having a most boring conversation and why did they have to listen to it and in general making some comments that were not too flattering. Since our friend completely understood what they were saying, she confronted them afterwards letting them know it was none of their business what kind of conversation they were having! Anyway, words were exchanged. Aaah! The wonderful world of international travel!

Ambrosia: highly recommend. staff most accommodating and food is well beyond taverna fare; nice contrast.

Next day for lunch we had after our half day tour of the island and private wine tasting. Hubbie and I just took off for taverna fare at one of the restarants with caldera veiw. Nice meal of salad and moussaka.
Others in the group went to Katinas or other places.

Dinner that night was also on our own. Hubbie and I made way for Fira for the night. Started out at Francs for sunset watching and champagne. Moved onto Selene for dinner. Almost empty restaurant except a wedding party of 5, which is another good story! Lovely couple from Atlanta, GA got married and were still in full wedding attire. At the end of their meal, she plucked roses from her big arrangment she had at her wedding and walked around the restaurant and gave one to each of the ladies! There were abour 5 women including myself. she was just precious. Long life to them!

The food was fantastic. I had pidgeon for my main meal and it was great.
Beautiful restaurant, but too cold to enjoy an outdoor meal. Service, excellent. Wine great.

Lunch on the third and final day in Santorini was at Skala right on the caldera. Very nice meal.

Dinner was with the group at 1800. A preset meal of pastry purses filled with Santorini chrolo cheeses, salad with caper berries,seared tuna and then choice of roasted fish with fennel or lamb. We had an interesting dessert of ice cream with candied fennel. Very nice staff anf interesting place; a Captains house with the articles found from his possesions such as his bed and treasure chest.

Crete: Late arrival so really no lunch. First meal was dinner at Tamam, an old turkish bath. Excellent food. We had salads with avocados and nuts, lamb, zucchini pie, etc. the beginning of a Turkish feel to the trip. Started off the Crete part with raki; it was good! Drink it fast and all at once!

Next day was a full day trip to the Palace of Knossos. We had lunch on our way back from the palace in Iraklion. Hubbie and I just chose a local taverna. Our group could go wherever they wished. The place was a riot. the family that owned it were champion multi-taskers! They could 1700 things at once.

Dinner that night was also apart from the group and hubbie and I went to Ela. Very neat building. A mansion with the roof missing! I had lamb ( again!) with wild greens and hubbie had veal with orzo. nice music played, good service.

Our last and final day in Crete and of the vacation was completely free until dinner for the group. Lunch was at a harbour side taverna. Dinner for the group was excellent was at a restaurant called Apostolis all the way to the end of the harbour where there are not as many tourists. A preset meal for the group where we had in my opinion the best tzatziki of the trip: good and garlicky! We had whole grilled snapper, fried eggplant and zucchini, octopus, salad and a wonderful dessert of yogurt with rose jam and pistachio jam. Different and unique. A wonderful way to end our entire stay in Greece. One ofour guides, Eleni, joined us and it was nice to have her there.

She actually was only in Crete for 2 yrs, having come over from Canada. She is greek, but raised in Canada as her parent moved from Chania 45 years ago to go to Canada. She met her fiance in Canada who is from Greece and together they came back to Chania and she is getting married next month. So she told us what life is like for her as a Greek woman raised outside the country. She was a really neat young woman and she shared with us all about life in greece everything from the salaries people make to that raki rubbed all over her body by her fiance cured a recent very bad flu she had!

Next up: SIGHTSEEING



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Old May 20th, 2005, 10:56 AM
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beanweb24

Crete is so different than Santorini. It is more rugged but the history you can't get away from. Just think of the one of the first civilizations; the Minoans and learning all about them! Our guide for Knossos was so outstanding she made it all come alive.

I think the contrast on our trip: Athens, Santtorini and Crete; was so vast so that it made for a nice intro to the country.

you really can't compare them and you know Crete is huge ( we only had time for Chania and Iraklion) and you really can see all of Santorini in one trip.

I think you should see Crete and you will have more of an understanding of the beginning of Greek history.

There is no arguing that Santorini however is very very special place that I could spends weeks and weeks there!!

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Old May 20th, 2005, 11:26 AM
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SIGHTSEEING

Before I go into our sightseeing time, I do want to let you know something abou the guides in Greece. Our guides like I mentioned above, cannot be contacted directly. However, know that all guides in Greece should be licensed guides. When they are licensed they go through a rigorous 3 year program something akin to college for art, history, architecture, etc, etc; lots of tests, etc. So whomever you may ask for if you are interested in guiding services, make sure they are licensed. Our guides told us that Greece has really cracked down on guides who are not licensed and they even told us that one could be arrested for guiding without a license. Don't know if that is true or not, but I will say all three of our guides were so outstanding; some of the best I've had in Europe.

Athens; With our guide Marilena, we started out the second day of our trip by a short bus ride through the major sites. We visited the Panhellenic Stadium, learned all about its construction from the special marble and was in general awe of its size. We moved onto the Presidents home and caught the changing of the Evzones. What a neat little ceremony. This one takes place in front of the house and only if you knew it was happening you would line up to see it. It was neat that we just caught it. It was far and away better than the entire pomp and circumstance surrounding the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. At one point the evzones balance one foot on each other and stand like that what seemed like ages. You can also catch the changing at the Parliament building.

We saw Temple of Zeus and a few more sites and then ended up at the Acropolis. We left the bus and walked up to the hill. Marilena did an outstanding job with every detail of the place and she guided us through the museum as well. I know you can do this all wihtout a guide; but i'm telling you if are at all interested in history, a guide is invaluable. She explained all about the "11 surgeries" of the Parthanon and how the structure is an optical illusion. My favorite part was the Caryatids or the pillars in the form of women on the Erechtheum.

She explained all about the ancient Agora below and how the crowds would gather there for gossip and other assorted activities. We spent most of the tour time up on the Acropolis and it was fascinating!

The other touring we did while in Athens was a day trip to Delphi. Here I really feel you need a guide. The trip is nice ride from Athens passing several villages on the way. The site almost looks like nothing upon approach so you worry a bit "what am I going to see?" But Marilena did a great job explaining all that went on here; how the people would come from the ends of the earth to hear the priestesses give predictions. We all even had our picture taken on the spot that was declared the navel of the world. When Zeus released two eagles and they crossed at Delphi, this spot was declared the center of the universe. A really neat day!

We stopped in Arahova, a small skiing resort village on the way back and you can see my next installment on shopping for what we did there.

I will continue with sighseeing over the weekend. Hand, back and neck are started to hurt!!! Ouch! Hope you enjoy the installments so far and I'll be back over the weekend!

Ciao!
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Old May 20th, 2005, 01:35 PM
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Great report, Tripgirl! Glad you had a wonderful trip. I really can't wait to get there (although there's so much work to do at the office before I can leave in good conscience). I'm so glad we are staying at Katikies Suites!!
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Old May 21st, 2005, 06:34 AM
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I'm back for a short time this morning before I have to head out to some clients.

Anyway...

Other sightseeing on our own in Athens included just riding the metro to see what it was like, we rode it to Pireaus, took a peek there and got back on the metro. We actually had no purposeful place to to be, just wanted to ride the metro. It was fun!

We poked around Kolanaki just a bit, had drinks at the Grand Bretagne lobby lounge( a destination all in of itself) and spent the night in Psirri which was a hoot, I'll tell you more in NIGHTLIFE when I post that installment.

Did not get to go to Lycabettus Hill and wished we did, so that was missed. Walked all over the Plaka and Monastriraki, went to Central Market, but did not go north to Omonia or to the far west to Gazi and Rouf areas.

We did a good general survey of Athens highlights and next time would do more exploring in the other neighborhoods. Loved going to Delphi and would recommend it highly if you are interested in history.

Santorini: We had a terrific guide named Kali. We had a half day tour of the island on our second day in Santorini to include the Museum in Fira which housed the artifacts from Akrotiri, Akrotiri itself, a private wine tour and a visit to Kamari beach.

We startedout first with the museum. Logically arranged housing hte artifacts found at Akrotiri, Kail very ably explained all the pieces and so it would make alot of sense when we actually visited the site. The frescoes alone were worth viewing. In doing this on your own, go to the museum first and then head for the site.

Then we were off to Akrotiri. Kali's husband joined us just as a participant as well. Turns out they are the owners of Perivolas Hotel! He is a big strapping long haired blond man who was just so nice!

The site of Akrotiri is amazing. I would highly recommend you get yourself a guide for this, otherwise unless you've studied aboutthe site, it might just look like big piles of stones to you. Kali toook us all through the site explaining every detail. To think this was a city of common folk who had indoor toilets with a pipeage system. This is going back 2000 BC!!! Then as little as 400 years ago in Europe they are throwing waste products from windows into the streets! Wonder what got lost in the translation!!

The site has reopened now and will be closed on Mondays. Once you see the artifacts in the museum, then you can envision them in the site. A new roof is being put on as well.

Kali told us what we saw was only 3% of the site unearthed. It will take another 400 yrs to complete the digs!!

After Akrotiri we made our way to a private wine tasting. Now I want to share with you our experience however, you will not be able to have this experience as this winery is not open to the public. Each yr for our trips, I seek out wineries that are not commercial so we can have a unique experience. One yr in Tuscany our guide who happens to be friend of mine has a friend who owns a castle and winery and he opened his place for us. Last yr in Barcelona we went to a private cava maker who also was a friend of our guide. There is absolutely no evidence of any groups or individuals going through these places.

So.. I wanted the same for this trip. My agent found a small organic winery and had a conversation with them to see if they would let us in. She explained we are only interested in meeting with the wine grower, not the house that produces it. So instead of going to a place like Boutari( which, I do understnad is very nice) we went to a winery called Hatzidakis. The reason why I am sharing the name with you is that their wines are on Santorini menus and you can purchase their wines in the shops. But really, please realize that this place is not open to the public.

The owner was just as lovely as she could be. I was told the tour would not be organized, so I figured ok, but it will probably be fine. But she was more than organized, I think this was our favorite winery tour of all of our trips! Her husband and her started this winery about 6 yrs ago. They were former employees at Boutari. Her husband was not there that day as he was tending to his ailing father in Athens. They have three small children and on top of all this , she had 14 strangers visit her winery as her very first visitors. She prepared fried Santorini tomatoes( yummy!, do order these whenever you see them on menus in Santorini, delicious!!!)), had the small Santorini cherry tomatoes(unbelievable!) in a bowl, olives, sesame rings and all their wines. She explained their entire business beautifully; you could see the passion in her eyes!
One of the best stories was about one of the wines and its very special label. One of her daughters was doodling on a piece of paper one day and Constantina thoght it would make a great wine label! Her husband balked and thought it was a silly idea. However, she pressed him to do it and now its their best selling wine; the label and its story is too hard to resist.

Kali said it was the best winery tour she ever had as she too had never met them before, but drinks their wines almost exclusively.

I know that it was probably unfair for me to share this info with you, but do try their wines, I agree with Kali, the wines are superb! And they also produce a Vin Santo that I found I liked much better than the few Vin Santos I have had in Tuscany ( don't get me wrong, they are delicious there too, but I liked the Santorini one better!)

We then headed to Kamari beach for some photo ops. I could see that in full season this would be a fun beach to come to. I found a perfectly round smooth black rock I took home with me; hey free souvenir!!

The half day tour was pretty much the extent of our formal sightseeing in Santorini. Most of the time, we made excellent use of our infinity pool, and taking in the breathtaking scenery ( including the men!)

One of our couples did go to the volcano on the third and final day in Santorini. They loved it; they went into the hot springs, felt the steam of the volcano, had a cheap and nice lunch and generally enjoyed themselves. I think they told me it cost about 20E and they were on a boat with about 9 other people. The hotel made the arrangements for them. They like to hike, snorkle, etc, so that activity was perfect for them. The rest of us just pretended we were on the cover of Conde Nast Magazine ready for our photo shoot!!!

I'll be back tomorrow with more sightseeing...Ciao!

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Old May 21st, 2005, 07:04 AM
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Wow- what a fantastic tour experience in Santorini. Can my husband and I join your travel group? Really, I am very interested in your Tuscany itinerary as well- we will be there before we get to Santorini (next week!) and we are trying to narrow down winery visits. If you want, you can email me at [email protected].

Is it possible to book the half-day tour with Kali that you described (but substituting another winery perhaps)? Did your travel agent do this for you? I'd love to do the same thing for us.
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Old May 21st, 2005, 08:13 AM
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europhile,

sure, you sound like fun, but it's only for our neighbors!!!!!!

Anyhow, I would not know about arranging for Kali as she is independent and contracted through a wholesale land operator. But why don't you copy the itinerary and ask for a top notch guide.

Here is my agents name: Ronnie Liadis at [email protected]. ( my real name is Robyn Webb). Perhaps Ronnie can arrange something for you, but be aware, she's terrific but really works with clients booking everything with her ( hotels, tours, etc). But she is lovely and perhaps can steer you in the right direction.

In so far as a winery in Tuscany this also was a private visit, no groups come here. It was a private castle and winery. There are lots of wineries to choose from in Tuscany, perhaps i can do a bit of research for you.

Let me know if you have more ?


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Old May 22nd, 2005, 08:09 AM
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ok, back with more...

Crete: The highlight in sightseeing here is of course Knossos. We started out from Chania for a scenic drive, about 2 21/2 hours, to Knossos. Our guide for this one was our favorite. In addition to her 3 yrs of "college" for guides, she was also an archaelogy major and has gone on excavations.

Although Knossos has undergone much controversy and criticism,
I think Sir Arthur Evans did a good job in the reproductions. Also as I said many times throughout my report, I really thnk you also need a guide here to bring this all to life. The site was not crowded the day we came and we were guided through the whole palace. The frescoes again were my favorties and learning that the palace was not just for the royalty but the center of the towns activities. We stood on the oldest road in Europe at the end of the tour that leads to a sort of ampitheatre, and that was very cool. We spent a good deal of time at Knossos and I was grateful for all the details we learned.

On the way back from Knossos we stopped in Iraklion for a bite to eat which I described in DINING. The little we saw of the town of Iraklion was fine, but I am so glad we stayed in Chania instead.

For a special treat, I purchased loukamades ( the greek donut, drenched in honey and sprinkled in cinnamon) for all of us and on the way back heading to Chania we stopped in the town of Lappa where there are springs. We found a cafe and enjoyed the donuts and frappes and were kept company by some geese who would not shut up! Fun! It was delightful to cool off under the springs and enjoy a peaceful and relaxing moment.( despite the yapping geese!)

The day was so fabulous and I highly recommend you get yourself to Knossos. In order to fully understand the history and mythlogy of the Minoans, visiting the site is critical.

We of course thoroughly explored our home base of Chania. I loved Chania because of its resemblance to Italy and the winding small streets with one of a kind shops are just irrestible. The harbour front is lovely, clean and lively. On the third and final day in Crete we all had time to whatever we wanted. Hubbie and I shopped and I had a ball at the market, which I will cover in the next installement: SHOPPING. The two fo us also went to the town beach, Nea Hora and it was just fine for a beach. Ut's an easy 10 minute walk from the center of Chania. You can rent a lounge chair or there are also chairs for free without umbrellas and little tables as the ones you have to pay for. I know there are better beaches in crete, but without a car and frankly too lazy to board a bus, the town beach was just fine. the sun was pleasantly hot and we sat among mostly local Greeks.

If I were to visit Crete again, we would probably rent a car and do some driving on our own to see much more of the island. But for what we did and saw for a first trip, it was a nice introduction to Crete.

The way I designed the trip for all of us allowed us to explore the highlights with a knowledgeable guide and then to venture out on our own to do whatever pleased us. Everyone said this worked well and we got to see alot in the short time we were in Greece. Overall I am pleased with what we saw and most of the time, Imy jaw was dropped in awe of many of the sites.


SHOPPING: A favorite topic for many! Luckily for me, hubbie was in a generous mood, so I took full advantage! ( but I paid for the entire vacation, so I think the guilt set in!!)

Athens: Everyone inthe group did not buy much here as we were all waiting to for Santorini and Crete a bit more, but Athens has much to choose from. I know alot of posters here love the Plaka for shopping. It was indeed fun to look, but I personally did not find many things that really stood out for me. There are plenty of souvenirs to be had and ues, there are some nice jewelry, pottery, etc. But overall we aited.

But one of our group members met with Stavros the sandalmaker. She traced all of her grandchildrens feet before we left and had him make them all sandals. I thought this was pretty neat. She said he was a most delightful man and the grandchildren I hear are very happy!

I did vist the Center for Hellenic Traditon, a shop not too far form the flea market. Exquisite pottery and handicrafts, but pricy. I did buy some unique looking blank note cards. the woman who runs the shop was very gracious to show us some of the pieces. oh well.. maybe next time.

Delphi: About 4 months ago, Hubbie and I had a flood in our house. Ruined was a custom made lambswool rug. Heartbroken because the company I dealt with went of business and I had not found anythig to may liking to replace it, I thought maybe I would find something in Greece. Knwing that a flokati woudl work, I found oen in Arahova, the town outside of Delphi. We stopped just briefly and only went into one shop. Some of my firends went in before me and they found the rug. They all know I was on the hunt for a rug and there it was. It looks pretty good inmy home now.

the shop was filled wiht rugs, clothes, tablecloths etc. The town itself is known for its rugs and homemade cheeses. it is a ski resort during the winter, so the shop owner offered us discounts since it was his off season.

Santorini: Here, we went a little nuts. Adorning my neck and wrist now are two beautiful pieces: a lapis necklace surrounded by the Greek key and a matching bracelet. We bought these in Fira. Each time I look at them I think of the deep blue Aegean and who couldn't use eternal life as the Greek symbolizes!

We also bought some oil paintings ( not framed) from a brand new shop in Oia and could not tell you the name of it as I don't think there was even a sign up yet. We also purchased a vase that looks very old with red figures.

One of my best acquistions though believe it or not was a key chain from Katikies. Several of us bought them. The key chain is made of light blue clear worry beads with the Katikies logo. It is really nice! I will always think of Katikies each day. If you going there, you just ask Lefty that you want one. These were nicer than any other worry bead key chains we saw in Athens or in the stores on Santorini.

There are plenty of stores for pottery, jewelry, paintings, food, souvenirs throughtout Santorini. the prices can behigh, but I thinkthe craftsmanship of many of the items sold is wonderful.

Crete: my husband bought a Greek style tunic shirt ( looks great on him), we bought some reproductions of the frescoes at Knossos we will frame and i bought a summer dress and pants.

the food market here was fun and its where I bought all my gifts for friends and family. I bought a ton of honey, the dark rich meli produced form a small town in Crete, olive oil soap, olive oil, a new pepper mill, raki, and some more wine. The market is fun. It is comprised of mostly booths selling packaged goods, but for your viewing pleasure if you are into it, you can see all the fresh seafood and meats. Since I am in the food business none of it makes me squemish, but it might if you are used to the sanitized versions of meat markets here in the states.

My husband also had some belts made for him on Skirdlof St ( leather street). Ths street does have some quality leather goods, you just need to sift through all the stores. Look beyond the 3E belts to seek a better quality if you want something a bit nicer.

All of our friends also bought things throughout the trip, mostly pottery.

What I loved about shopping mostly in Santorini and Crete was the absence of tons of Gaps, Disney Stores, etc. Yes, you can find stores you might have at home( there were more commerical stores in Athens and in Iraklion in Crete for the little I saw), but so there are so many unique stores and I appreciated not being "malled" to death!

NIGHTLIFE: Since only my husband and I go out ( what can I say, the rest of our group are bit of party poopers!) this sectoin will only be limited to only our experiences.


In Athens we experienced the nightlife of Psirri. What a hoot. We did not actually spend time in any one club, but rather we sat oudie on Plateia Iroon and just watched the parade. It was jammed packed with people. We just sat the night and had some drinks at a cafe. I did feel a little "old" amnd I'm not by any stretch of the imagination. But young people are the same all over the world; they were all having a fabulous time dressing up and being seen.

Santorini: We went out in Fira to a club called Enigma. Unfortunately since it was not season, we were the only two in there. We stayed until after midnight, but still noone came and so we packed it in. But what a club: 4 bar areas and an outdoor bar, fabulous acoustics, great music, intriguing decor. The waitresses told us that when season hits, the place is packed. I could see it would be a happening club in season.

Crete: All we did in Crete at night was to sit at a cafe on the harbourfront and watch the world go by.

This section as you can seeis short. I think we were still too early inthe season for the all out party scene. But I had a good glimpse of what could be and it looked fun!

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS AND FINAL THOUGHTS

I'm ready to board the next plane back to Greece. WE LOVED IT! I think we got a good sampling of what Greece has to offer and there is so much more to see. I thought the Greeks were nice, hospitable and accommodating. I loved listening to them speak Greek to each other, and was impressed with their command of English.( not everyone, but a good majority) It was a place I felt very comfortable and can easily see myself returning to Greece many times.

We all always felt safe, even walking down narrow streets at night.

Regarding the dogs and cats people have some concerns about. Yes, there are alot of loose dogs and cats. But for the most part they don't bother you and some are even cute. I did not get close to any of them, but just let them be. They will walk right into restaurants and cats may curl around your leg; don't be surprised. If it is really bothersome, I am sure if you ask the restaurant owner to alleviate the discomfort, they probably will.

Some of the animals did look thin and scraggly and some were better kept them.
But there should be no reason for fear.

We went at a perfect time of year; not crowded, great weather: 70's no humidity, preseason store prices and a tourist industry fresh from the end of off season.

We were treated with respect and made to feel welcomed at each location.

Feel free to ask any questions and I hope I was thorough enough in my report.

Thanks all!

Ciao!

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Old May 22nd, 2005, 11:42 AM
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A great trip report tripgirl. I am going to Athens and Santorini in Sept and can't wait to read your installment on dining or any other advice you can give on Greece.

Thanks again
Denise
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Old May 22nd, 2005, 11:56 AM
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Great report, we did Greek islands and Croatia a while back and they were marvelous, there is certainly nothing quite like Santorini!
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Old May 22nd, 2005, 02:12 PM
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very interesting report. lucky neighbors. i can see why they would sign up to go anywhere with you! well planned.
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Old May 22nd, 2005, 02:23 PM
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lincasanova,

That was very gracious of you, thank you.

I do take great pride in designing the trips for all of us, but its alot of hard work. All on top of owning my own business, managing my family and living a hectic life.
But I saw the opportunity to do all of the research as a way of getting to know a place and believe me, it is probably the greatest gift I have given myself and then hopefully in turn my friends will feel I've given them a gift as well.

Would never want to be a travel agent; it would take the fun out of all of it!!!

Happy travels!
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Old May 22nd, 2005, 04:09 PM
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Hi tripgirl,
Thank you for your report. I have been to Greece serveal times and it is one of my favorite places to visit. Your report made me want to board a plane and go now. Thank you.
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Old May 27th, 2005, 09:57 AM
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Wow! You just provided all the research for my trip to Athens and Santorini in June 2006! Katikies looks so amazing but I'm wondering if you saw the Ikies Traditional Houses while you were there? I haven't found as many reviews about it. Thanks for the fantastic report!
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Old May 27th, 2005, 10:28 AM
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CJA

So glad to be of help. Just holler if you need more info.

I did not see the property to which you are referring to.

Have a ball and remember to feel free to ask any more ?

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