Greece
Greece
Greece has the
wonders of some of best beaches, its beautiful islands with crystal clear blue waters plus the history and culture that abounds, especially in Athens. Yet Greece is more than what the tour boats and packages provide. You have to spend some time in
Athens, and you can book a hotel that looks out onto the Acropolis and the Parthenon. The Acropolis and its museum can be packed. In addition to monuments, sculptures and mythology, it's easy to walk to markets, restaurants, shops, museums as well as access to other areas and neighborhoods via taxi or subway. Go up the west coast and visit some of their islands on the Ionian Sea, especially
Corfu, with a history of being ruled by many European countries that are reflected in their architecture and food, e.g. Italian, French, and English.
Greece also has many reminders of all the civilizations that have conquered her - Roman Agoras and bridges, the Byzantine Empire, Ottoman churches, mosques as well as churches of the Greek Orthodox Church. Beautiful Byzantine icons. The Western coast with its many islands and clear warm waters for swimming, snorkeling or scuba diving is worth the trip. Temples and theaters and remains of city-states - Dodoni, Delphi, Philippi and more - are well worth visiting and bring back thoughts of Greek theater both drama and comedy, oracles, Philip the Second, his son, Alexander the Great, who was tutored by Aristotle.
A great trip is in north central Greece - the Zagori region in
Epirus - with a huge national park for hiking and kayaking in season. Mountainous with rivers and lakes worth exploring and one of the deepest gorges in the world. The tourist crowd is lower. The Greeks there are very welcoming and Europeans of all nationalities are exploring the area more. Greek food was terrific wherever you go with each region serving up its traditional foods. Tipping is not traditional and many places will serve you multiple courses, so meals are more leisurely and you may fill up quickly if not eating wisely.
Thessaloniki on their eastern coast and nearby Kavala is a return to a small modern metropolis with an active commercial sector. Paul preached in eastern Greece. Thessaloniki is also very walkable and has an atmosphere and population that reflects a recognized university. (Greek students per their constitution can protest in their squares - and often may.)
The vast majority of Greeks, despite their troubles, are very friendly, proud of their country and convey a warmth to the visitor. Serial tax increases to pay off the national debt which grew after the recession as well as the Olympic debt have eaten into retirees' incomes as well as business owners' profits. (One small bed and breakfast owner in Zagori measured his success by the fact he could now pay off his taxes and have a profit.) Thirty percent of Greek children are hungry with food challenges, and suffering malnutrition. The Greek wealthy have avoided paying taxes for a long time, with the current government reviewing documents and recovering a good portion of the amount evaded. Much of foreign business has left Greece with many abandoned buildings since the average Greek has little disposable income. University students on graduation often will work abroad in other European Union countries since the job market for their degrees is poor. Then there is the burden of immigrants and refugees, while many millionaires and billionaires now think of relocating. Yet the Greeks overall feel that providing some services and places immigrants can live is an expression of their values despite the drain on the cost of the services provided. With all the success the current government has had in bringing in more tourist dollars, in meeting debt financing goals, in recovering tax evasion monies while not increasing taxes, the current political mood is turning to a conservative view.
But Greece is a great place to visit. Spend at least one week traveling, preferably two, and you will be well rewarded.
The Greek Reporter (News)