Because ruins don't usually look like this

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/v...html?gallery=4

Sorry, I stand corrected, my daughter says the Acropolis does.

I don't think this is a stupid question at all. I say this because I was just telling someone I felt the ruins in Greece were just that, ruins. I am glad I went and went after seeing the ruins in Rome so felt a bit cheated. I've also seen standing stones and wondered why did I hike in mud pits, sheep poop and blowing rain to see stones shorter than myself and not impressive? I went to see for myself. I like to come to my own conclusions. We all don't like the same things and that is what makes life so wonderful. So the next time I'm in Greece, it will free up my time to see and do something else.

This thread calls into question why do people travel? I can never understand going to France and going to Disneyland. Or go bunge jumping or to spend countless hours shopping. I can't understand seeing 14 cities in three hours? What is the point? What do you see, learn, and understand? Why do people travel and then look for food and other familiar things from home?

Why do people decide to visit a country and then ask what to see?
How come so many people now plan their trip as if it was a business meeting and their trip reports sound like it will reviewed by an anal retentive accountant? Did they actual enjoy what they saw?

We have only been to one Greek Island but our trip to Sicily with its extraordinary Greek antiquities has become one of our favorite trips, as has scaling the Mayan temples in Tikal, Guatemala.

I happen to enjoy ruins, and sipping cocktails at sunset or earlier. But what is a ruin? Does it have to be old? Big? Made out of stone?
Is this a ruin or just somebody's broken dreams? In some cases perhaps they evoke similar introspection.

I like the new name, loacker, it adds a certain something to your attempts at humor.

I like ruins because you can climb around them, see remains of architectural details still in their place, and see the evolution of a building.

but really, you can ask the same question about anything. I like churches too. Not all churches- sacre coeur was the most boring one I’ve been too, yet it’s in all the guidebooks. But some churches have an element about them that makes it amazing. Sometimes it’s art, or relic or a window, or a well. But you don’t know until you go inside. Ruins are the same. Stupid to skip when you don’t know if it could be the next one that captures your imagination.

Personally I wonder the same about people whose Greece itinerary looks like this (Athens, Korinthos, Delphi, Olympia, Mycenae) Did they enjoy what they saw? Was their itinerary planned by an uptight librarian with no sense of fun? More importantly, did they actually see Greece?

Greece is not only about ruins. That's ancient Greece. Modern Greece is about taking things slow and sampling meze in a local tavern. It's about experience village life in Halki and learning about Orthodox Christianity in Meteora.
Santorini, Hydra, Naxos, as touristy as they are, and even downtown Athens, are more reflective of modern Greek culture than Olympia or Delphi.

People always ask how do I live like a local?

Go the supermarket and buy toilet paper and make an appointment with the dentist.
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There are many ways to visit a country and only one includes living like one segment of the current population. How I spend my day, is very different than my neighbors spend theirs. Many waste their time by working and taking care of their children.

I find that the ruins of African Greece and Greece Major are far more impressive that those in the home country, but that is partially because there are fewer earthquackes and partially because Italy fascists havn't been there to rebuild them. Still I like to stretch my childhood memory of learning about the subject, working out where the the baths were and why they moved/changed, I also like to see if the repairs have worked, often you find the repairers put the stone back upside down or on its side. I guess once the engineer always the engineer.

Personally I wonder the same about people whose Greece itinerary looks like this (Athens, Korinthos, Delphi, Olympia, Mycenae) Did they enjoy what they saw? Was their itinerary planned by an uptight librarian with no sense of fun? More importantly, did they actually see Greece?>

Of course all those places are in or near lovely small towns except Athens - they do not spend the whole time traipsing around ruins.

"Why would someone walk miles in scorching heat to see a pile or rocks when they can be sipping a cocktail on their balcony in Santorini and admiring the caldera views?"
You could always visit off season you know. The best time to see the Greek ruins is during Autumn and Spring.

The site of the oracle of Delphi is really astonishing. I was there during March, felt as if I traveled in time. The museum has done a great job in helping you understand how magnificent this site was on its greatest moments. The energy of this place is really interesting as well. Same goes for the Acropolis, Olympia and Poseidon's Temple (Sounio). If you cannot conceive that, then such destinations should be left off your bucket list. Just pick the best islands and go and have fun. Some find history boring, I don't. Just a matter of taste. People who like culture and ruins don't think that they are better than others who would rather unwind by the seaside. They simply appreciate older civilizations. The good thing about Greece is that you can combine it all Great places for that are Naxos, Santorini, Tinos, Crete, Rhodes, Hydra, Aegina, Paros, Samos, Kos,Spetses, Lesvos and more...

FYI
Santorini was the cradle of the Neolithic civilisation in the area of the Cyclades, which has been destroyed by the eruption of the volcano around 1,650 B.C. In Fira, there are two main museums, the Prehistoric Thera Museum, which presents the most significant murals found at the prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri, and the Archaeological Museum of Thera, which hosts statues and discoveries from the Archaic, Geometric, Hellenistic and Roman Periods. The archaeological site at Akrotiri is definitely worth a visit as it was constructed around 4,500 B.C. and was covered by ashes and lava due to the enormous volcanic eruption around 1,650 B.C., and thus, it was preserved intact through time.

Naxos is a Cycladic island that has a long history and can offer to its visitors important archaeological sites to discover. Portara is the symbol of Naxos and the first thing you will see on the cliff above the port as the boat approaches the island. Portara is a gate, which is the only remain of the ancient Temple of Apollo that was constructed on the island in the 6th century B.C. In the 6th century B.C., it was also constructed the ancient Temple of Demeter, the goddess of grain and agriculture. It is located in a short walking distance from the village of Ano Sangri, and it is an ideal place to explore the history and ancient culture of Naxos. Outside the village of Melanes, in the countryside of Naxos, can be seen the remarkable statue of Kouros. It lies on the ground, at the exact position, where it was found by the archaeologists. It is 6 meters long and dates back to the 7th century B.C. Historians believe that this huge statues represents either a god or a local hero. Another Kouros statue is located 200 m from the first, and there is also a third statue in the village of Apollonas.

The island of Delos is unique for the lovers of history. You can visit it with a day-trip from Mykonos. Delos is uninhabited. According to mythology, Delos was the birthplace of God Apollo, and the ancient Greeks considered it a sacred place, building the Temple of Apollo and a theatre for performances. In the archaeological site of Delos, you can also see the Street of the Lions to the way to the temple and admire the findings of the excavations in the Archaeological Museum.

Culture island hopping can also be done in the Dodecanese and specifically on the islands of Kos and Rhodes. Rhodes is worldwide famous for its Medieval Town. The Medieval Town of Rhodes is one of the best-preserved medieval cities, and thereat, Unesco inscribed it on its World Heritage List. During the Byzantine Period, Rhodes was an important trading post between Alexandria and Istanbul. In the 7th century A.D., the Arabs captured Rhodes, and the Knights Period started in the 14th and continued until the 16th century. Walking around the Old Town of Rhodes is a unique experience of medieval beauty and multicultural character between the East and West. In Rhodes,you can also admire ancient sites, such as the Acropolis of Lindos, where you will see the Doric temple of Athena Lindia, the Propylaea of the Sanctuary, the Hellenistic Stoa, or ancient Kamiros.

Kos is the hometown of Hippocrates and ancient medicine. In the front of the Castle of the Knights, in the centre of Kos Town, there is a plane tree, under which, according to the myth, Hippocrates, the father of Medicine, used to teach his students, while you can also visit Asklepieion. In the antiquity, Asklepieion was a medical centre, and it was built to honour the God of Medicine and Health, Asklepios. It was built during the 5th century B.C., and Hippokrates had taught also there his students, the doctors of the antiquity.

I love them because we do not have anything like them in Australia, assembly are such a young country. I can look at them for hours and try and try and visualise what it looked like it it’s original form, how people lived and went about their daily lives. I can stare at them for hours, but can also stare at the landscape for hours as well, and after just getting up close and personal with some Monet’s and a Van Gough I will at that to my list. So much to see in the world and so little time.

anniesweetiepie...thank you for that wonderful post.... brought back a lot of memories.

I happen to live near two extraordinary ancient monuments, a complete circuit of 1st century Roman walls in Lugo and the world’s only still working Roman lighthouse in La Coruña, which the architect dedicated to Mars. It may be encased in a baroque sheath but 38 metres of the original structure remain. It’s not about rubble, you know.

What makes ruins special is their direct connection to history. It's not so much the imagination required to visualize what they might have looked like, but rather what happened there. Historical knowledge allows you to understand the significance of literally standing on the spot where historical things happened. If that doesn't move you, then I'd say you lack imagination.

For some reason many of the posts logged into this thread have been deleted.

Anyway . . . some people's junk is another person's treasure.

It's all in the eye of the beholder.

Some people see rocks . . . others see history.

I like to fill a flask with good booze then go to enjoy the ruins.It makes for a better trip...Why do people sit around and stare at the water?.No big thing since the earth is primarily covered with the stuff.

You're welcome Gwendolynn! I'm glad you liked it. That is exactly why I like sharing travel tips: I get to relieve the moment
Summer is almost here... Can't wait to get back to the islands!!!

Anniesweetiepie, what an evocative description! IMO the sense of history which pervades these ancient sites is indescribable...I had goosebumps while visiting Olympia, the Acropolis. Sounion, Ephesus and countless other "ruins" and found the whole experience thrilling, to say the very least. Delphi is on the agenda for our trip to Greece next may, also Knossos and Akrotiri.

For the most part DH is also interested and happy to go traipsing around historical sites with me, except for the time he refused to go to Aspendos after two weeks in Turkey, claiming "one amphitheatre is just like the other"! Needless to say I've never let him forget it, lol

As a fellow Non-Ruins person, I thank loackerwafer for starting this thread. I've always been a bit embarrassed by my lack of feeling for ruins so it's been nice to learn that there are others out there of education and intelligence who share my lack of interest in this aspect of travel. It's also been very interesting to hear others explain why they are so interested in ruins, and to hear so many opinions expressed resolutely while not denigrating those of others who don't share theirs. Thank you all. Now I return to my own interest in bread and circuses without apologies.

There were plenty of denigrating remarks. They have vanished.