TRAVELING IN GREECE:
I have now been to Greece twice. Overall, I have to say, Greece does not impress me as much as I would have thought. However, there are certainly some good things to see. Many Greeks are not very friendly or very helpful, though I found many exceptions to this on the islands. Throughout Greece, but especially in Athens, people seem way too pushy and often give the impression that they are trying to cheat you even when they aren’t. Of course, sometimes they ARE trying to cheat you. The most unpleasant manifestation of this is when someone comes up to you (if you are a single man) asking if you want to have sex with their daughter/sister/etc. for a "cheap" price. I can only assume this is a ploy to lure people into alleys and rob them. Another scam is to try and get you to go alone into a bar where they vastly overcharge you for a whole string of drinks that you didn’t even ask for. By the end of my first stay in Athens, I never wanted to go back. But I DID go back and had a better time when I traveled with Joy, my girlfriend, now fiancee. Perhaps the best advice I can give is to be suspicious of everyone who comes up to you trying to get your business.
But what I have just described is only one side of the coin. If you plan to go to Greece, be prepared for the pushiness, and for the cheating and sleazy proposals. But if you manage to avoid these, or at least tolerate them, there is a lot that is good to see and do. The following describes some of the places I went to, but is by no means an exhaustive description of what Greece has to offer. Remember, Greece was the cultural center of the Western world for centuries, so it’s got a lot of great stuff saved up from that time.
ATHENS:
In Greece, all roads…and planes…and boats…lead to Athens. Although you can get around Greece without spending much time in Athens, it is easier to use Athens as your staging area. It really is hard for me to say much good about Athens. It is dirty, smoggy and the people are, in general, the worst of those I encountered in Greece. Both times I visited Athens, I was happy to leave. But, no trip to Greece would be complete without a look at the Parthenon, so here are some suggestions for making the most of your stay.
I’ve stayed in three hotels in Athens. The Esperia Palace Hotel (22 Stadiou St) is nice with spacious rooms. It is probably a 3, maybe 4 star hotel (it is my experience that most 4 star hotels are the same as 3 star but with fancier lobbies). The Esperia is located in the heart of the most crowded shopping area in Athens. This area is too busy for my tastes, but for people who love shopping, this might be a good place to stay. The Divani Palace Acropolis Hotel is not as comfortable, though the people at the front desk act as if the hotel is 4 star. Below the lobby, though, is an archaeological site with one of the defensive walls that once protected Athens. It is in a quieter, more convenient area right next to the Acropolis. My travel agent got me a double here for $108/night, though the regular price is probably closer to $120-130. For a real bargain, though still in a very convenient area in relation to the Acropolis, try the Hermes hotel. It is about $100/night regular price (a travel agent should be able to get it for you in the $70-80 range). It is probably a 2 star hotel—a bit primitive, but good for the price. The front desk staff at the Hermes is very helpful and very friendly, in contrast to the staff at the Esperia and Divani.
In terms of places to eat, don’t expect much. I found that most restaurants in Athens were pretty mediocre. You can get better Greek food at cheaper prices in America. However, for some good, cheap Greek pies (greasy but quite tasty) try Ariston (#10 Voulis St., 2 blocks from Syntagma Square). You’ll find artichoke pies, feta cheese pies, ham and cheese pies, leek pies, etc. This is a take out place, so you’ll have to look around for a nice spot to eat your pies. The best sit-down place we found was Byzantino (also spelled Vyzantino, or some such) on Kydateneon St in the Plaka region. Byzantino is one of several restaurants in a nice square on one of the more traveled streets near the Acropolis. It is a bit pricey but worth it. The moussaka was probably the best I have had anywhere. Good saganaki as well, though they don’t light it in on fire front of you like most Greek restaurants in America will.
There was really only one thing I found worth seeing in Athens. And that is the Agora-Acropolis area. The Agora is interesting, with a very well-preserved, beautiful Temple of Hephastos and a small, but nice museum. Beware, though. They close early—around 3 PM. The Acropolis is right above the Agora and is the real reason to come to Athens. It is one of the most famous places in the world and deservedly so. In some ways, this, more than any other single place, is where Western civilization got going. In general, a Greek Acropolis was probably originally the defensive citadel of the city perched on a steep hill for defense. But, as Greek culture developed, the cities expanded and often an acropolis took on religious, nationalistic and social significance. This is especially true of the Athenian Acropolis which was rebuilt after it had been burned by the invading Persians. The Greeks, mainly Athenians and Spartans, drove off the Persians, and in honor of their victory the Acropolis was rebuilt at great cost and splendor. The buildings of the Acropolis do not combine well into a satisfying whole, but each building by itself is a gem. The view would be fabulous except the only thing to see is dirty, smoggy Athens. Don’t be surprised if the Parthenon is partly obscured by scaffolding. They do almost constant preservation work on it. You come here mainly to see some of the best architecture in history, but there is also a fine museum on the Acropolis where they display some beautiful Greek sculpture.
For more information, see my article on the Athenian Acropolis.
MYKONOS:
Mykonos is a wonderful, charming little island. There is very little to do there, though, except visit the neighboring island of Delos if weather permits. If you want a nice place to sit and relax or to walk around and admire beautiful scenery, this is a fine place to do it. The island is covered in white-washed, blue-roofed buildings, mostly churches, that blend in well with the scenery and contrast dramatically with the blue Aegean Sea. The only hotel I stayed in was the Iliomares and it was nice. The owner was a rude asshole, but the person who worked for him at the front desk and the bar was very nice. The room was pleasant with a patio overlooking the beach.
Next door is the island of Delos. This is supposed to be a fabulously rich island in terms of historical and archaeological sites. It was a religious center for the ancient Greeks and has more temples per acre than anywhere else…or so it seems from the maps. Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to visit. The weather (which seemed perfect to me) was bad according to the people who run the ferry, so they weren’t taking people across when I was there. I was there in April, which is kind of the off season. In general, I like the off season—it’s cheaper, less crowded and not as hot. But this was the one thing that was a disadvantage in the off season: ferries did not always run from island to island.
SANTORINI:
I have already written about this island in two other articles: Traveling to Thira and the Origin of Atlantis pages. But, since it is, in my mind, the best place to visit in all of Greece, and is one of the most interesting places I have been in the world, I will write about it yet again. The people on the island are also the nicest I encountered in Greece. A nice contrast to the Athens personality. Without reservation, I can recommend this place to almost anyone, because there is something for everyone.
I have only stayed in one hotel here, the IRA hotel. It is very quaint with a spectacular view and is run by a very nice, if a bit disorganized, woman. The rooms are nice and spacious, but primitive. No hot water or AC. The hotel also makes its coffee from the local water, which is brackish and sulfurous. However, the hotel is charming and I do recommend it. It is about $70/night through a travel agent. If, however, primitive is not your style, there are many other places to stay.
Santorini, also called Thira (or Thera), has a lot to offer. Many people go there for the beaches, which are nice. But, to me, this is the least it has to offer. Santorini is an active volcano and you can take boat tours to the volcano and to some hot springs. The whole island is dominated by the volcano and you can well believe that this was the scene of the biggest known volcanic eruption (ca. 1500 BC--see my article on Atlantis). Santorini is definitely one of the most dramatic places I have ever seen with dark, black cliffs around a circular bay of blue-green water. In addition to being interesting in itself, the volcano also gave the island another unique place. When the volcano erupted around 1500 BC, it buried a thriving Bronze Age town, preserving it almost intact much as Pompeii was preserved in Italy by the eruption of Vesuvius. This town is the archaeological site known as Akrotiri. You can walk through part of the site and see almost intact buildings, storage jars, streets, staircases, etc and you can practically imagine it as it was before the eruption. At the small convention center in the main town of Fira they display murals from Akrotiri. These are, in my opinion, the most beautiful works of art of the ancient world and are well worth seeing. This period of Greek history (Middle Bronze Age) is often called Minoan after the mythical king Minos (i.e. the Minotaur, etc.) and Minoan art combines a naturalistic feeling with a charming simplification of form. Birds, sea life, people and ships are common motifs. Colors are vivid and the animals seem very much in motion. Human figures are a bit stiff, but are still elegant.
There is yet another archaeological site on Santorini, called Ancient Thira. This is a Hellenistic site, as opposed to Akrotiri which is Bronze Age. More than 1000 years separate these two sites. Ancient Thira is a more conventional archaeological site—what you see are the foundations of the buildings, not intact buildings with walls and roofs and even a flowerpot in a window like at Akrotiri. But Ancient Thira is perched on top of a windy hill with dramatic views, and the site is fairly extensive, so it is well worth a look. But beware—it closes early (about 2 or 3 PM). Also be prepared for a sometimes very powerful wind—my girlfriend was nearly blown over by it several times and it actually lifted my glasses off my face, blowing them a few yards away…beyond the locked gate.
Santorini also has several wonderful restaurants. The best we tried was Vanilia, where we had almost perfect appetizer crepes. Everything we tried was delicious and the atmosphere was extremely pleasant. Nearby is Zephora, closer to the center of Fira. This is another very good restaurant with friendly waiters and an attached gift shop. The feeling of the town at night is surprisingly cosmopolitan. You will hear a half a dozen different languages being spoken by tourists at any given time. Santorini is also one of the parts of Greece known for its wine, though don’t expect any Greek wine to compare with Italian, French or Californian wine. But if you like wine, give the local ones a try. I also found it interesting that the vines in the local vineyards trailed along the ground rather than being trained on poles.
On a personal note, on my latest trip to Santorini, I was put in a sufficiently romantic mood by the place that I almost spontaneously proposed to my girlfriend. Fortunately for me, the place also put her in a good enough mood to accept my proposal.
CRETE:
Crete is a large island, and I have only been to one city there—Iraklion (also called Heraklion). Crete, like Santorini, is also known for its wines (among the Greeks, anyway). Also like Santorini, Crete was a major center of Bronze Age, Minoan culture. Since Crete was not destroyed in the eruption that destroyed Akrotiri, though, Crete was important during both the Minoan (Middle Bronze Age) and Mycaenean (Late Bronze Age, possibly including the Greeks of the Trojan War) ages. Of all Bronze Age sites other than Troy, the most famous is without a doubt the palace of Knossos near Iraklion. It was discovered by Arthur Evans who proceeded to reconstruct it along rather fanciful lines. The result may not be strictly accurate, but it is very impressive. You can spend a whole afternoon exploring Knossos. It has attractive architecture and beautiful murals (dolphins, bulls, people, etc.) representing some of the best of Minoan art and culture. The Minoan culture, despite the fact that it thrived before 1400 BC, was rather a high point for civilization for the time. Possibly not until Rome did anything quite match it for sophistication. Knossos seems to have been the center of a trading (as well pirate?) nation that was sufficiently secure in its sea power that its cities had no defensive walls. It also had indoor plumbing of a fairly sophisticated nature. Other palaces on Crete, which I have not had the chance to visit, but are supposed to be worth seeing, are Mohlos, Malia and Phastos. The last is the site where the famous Phastos disc was found. This small baked clay disc from about 1700 BC is an example of an otherwise completely unknown writing system unlike any other known. It also is the first known example of printing in history. The script is not incised in the clay but was punched in with carved stamps. No other known example of printing is known for millennia after this disc was made.
The Phastos disc can be seen in the Archaeological museum just off Eleftherios Square in Iraklion. This museum is well worth seeing and contains a very impressive collection of Bronze Age artifacts including swords, jewelry, pottery and double-headed axes. Many Minoan items I studied about in Art History classes were here.
I’ve stayed at two hotels in Iraklion. The Irini hotel is stuck away on a side street from the main tourist area (El Greco square and Avgoustou road where you can pick up a bus out to Knossos). It is not very memorable, but it is in a convenient area. I remember the restaurant/bar attached to the hotel was somewhat dimly lit and atmospheric with friendly service. Unlike most hotel restaurants, it had a real local flavor. The Hotel Astoria might be a bit nicer, but, as with all the hotels I stayed at in Athens except for the Hermes, the staff acts like the hotel is far nicer than it really is. The service is mediocre. But the Astoria is also convenient, right next door to the Archaeological museum. Restaurants I tried in Crete were not memorable. They all more or less seemed the same and the food was not great.
Those are the places I have been in Greece. Again, there is much to see, but the hassle sometimes makes it seem too much of a bother. Santorini is the only place in Greece I recommend without any hesitation. Otherwise, expect an interesting time, but one filled with a bit more mediocrity than one would expect from a place that was once able to build something as spectacular as the Acropolis.
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