The capital of Greece, Athens, has always been known for its combination of historical, yet edgy beauty. In the past, few people have visited the city due to political woes making it less appealing to tourists. However, in recent years, tourists are now able to see beyond the economic and political low that the city once experienced and instead, see the strong culture within the city. If you’re thinking of booking a trip to Athens, here’s a few reasons to do it. Read more
© Ran Berkovich @berko, UnsplashGreece may not be the first place in the world that comes to mind when you think about coffee, but the Greeks love their coffee. Coffee is an integral part of Greek culture, and I can’t think of many other better places in the world to sit and enjoy coffee than in a taverna in Greece. Read more
In northwestern Greece, hidden behind successive mountain lines and the dense forests of Epirus, lies one of the most well-kept secrets of the country—Zagori. This magical region is composed of 46 small villages which being in the most isolated part of Greece, convey the outsider an “out of this world” feeling. Read more
Lesvos has a long tradition in the ouzo production and the village of Plomari is considered to be the homeland of ouzo. Production started in the 19th century and continues until today. The island is endowed with fertile land and a big variety of plants and herbs. This, combined with the geographical position of Lesvos, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, helped the local producers to produce and market ouzo of excellent quality. The population of Plomari, consisting of cosmopolitan seamen and traders, were a wealthy class who enjoyed the pleasures of life. The scented drink matched perfectly with their adventurous character and helped them travel with their minds to faraway places even when their ships were anchored. They were the ones who started the trade and exports of ouzo. Read more
The sea or mountain?
We didn’t have to choose. Pelion is a place where we have found everything: pine-tree forests with waterfalls and water springs, long sandy beaches, villages with traditional architecture and beautiful squares in shade of thousand years old plane trees. Pelion is rich in myths and history, so this is the place where gods of Olympus resided in the summer and Jason and the Argonauts went in search of the Golden Fleece. We had no ambition to find fleece, we were happy to find great food and peace.
What can you say about Athens that has not already been said? We have been everywhere, from museums to squares, beautiful parks and botanical gardens, churches, and all the other historic buildings. The local police station as well. While I was wandering around with my head in the clouds, someone skilful took my wallet (with 180 euros and almost all my documents inside), so that was my opportunity to visit the local police which, fortunately, was not far from the Acropolis. Obviously, my first piece of advice before you go and explore the cradle of European civilization is: Be careful with your stuff, because pickpocketing has become a popular job in Athens. Of course, they never found my wallet, but it didn’t break our spirit. Straight from the police station, we climbed the Acropolis. Read more
Hydra is a small Greek island just 2 hours away from Athens and is an ideal weekend getaway or a one-day destination. When I say that it is an ‘ideal one-day destination’ it doesn’t mean that it is boring, it just means that it is pretty expensive. Actually, it is an ideal ‘lifelong destination’. Leonard Cohen, Mick Jagger, Henry Miller and many other rich and famous fell in love with Hydra and bought houses here. Hydra is not just an island for the rich, but for all the artists who find peace and inspiration there and yes, it is also great for depressed people. Leonard Cohen, my favourite songwriter, moved to Hydra, wrote a book of poetry and two novels and most importantly, overcame depression that bothered him for a long time. Read more
We visited the most popular Greek oracle in Delphi to find out who will win the world cup. In the ancient world, prophecies were very popular. The most prominent prophecy happened in Delphi at the Temple of the God Apollo, located on the slopes of the Parnassos Mountains in Central Greece. It was worth the 2.5-hour drive from Athens, not only to see the ruins but to get some important answers.
Greece is a fantastic location for hiking and trekking, with many locations little known to travellers. There are hiking routes that go through luscious forests, ending up to amazing blue water beaches, along with paradise-like routes through waterfalls, rivers, and canyons. There is actually a huge range of options and locations, suitable both for the avid hiker and the novice one. Read more