I have just returned from an amazing 7 months traveling around Asia. I've worked in sales and retail...
I have just returned from an amazing 7 months traveling around Asia. I've worked in sales and retail in the past and I have a passion for DVDs. Thank you to anyone who leaves feedback to my reviews
Member since:08.06.2007
Reviews:9
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I've recently completed an Ancient History degree and as part of this course we had to spend a fortnight in a foreign country researching an aspect of our course. Immediately, me and a few friends chose Greece, hoping for a great experience. Our focus was Greek mythology in the built environment (ie-how myth was shown on buildings). The two weeks spent here saw us travelling across the country on a hectic schedule, absorbing the culture and spending time walking around the numerous well-preserved ruins
Our itinerary saw us visiting Athens, Corinth, Olympia, Delphi, Tiryns, Mycenae and Eleusis. This review concerns Greece in general however, so I will not focus much on specifics.
One of the first things you notice about Greece is how beautiful it is. Olympia and Delphi in particular had
lush green landscapes and heart-stopping views. You could comfortably spend a whole day per site just sitting down and taking it all in. The blazing sun acted as the perfect compliment to these views.
Another thing about Greece is its vegetables. Seems like a pretty trivial thing to bring up in a review about the whole country, but the climate has given birth to some sort of 'super-veg'. The tomatos are the size of a human head (I'm exagerating of course, but they are huge) and taste like nothing I've ever eaten before. The Greek salads were delicious. In fact, all the food in Greece was fantastic. In Athens there was a medieval themed restaurant where I ate a delicious goat leg (tastes a bit like lamb crossed with beef). Near Tiryns I had the best fresh calamari I've ever tasted at a cafe resting on the coast. Greek food has to be tried as there is nothing else like it. Even months after I was still trawling supermarkets in search of Greek-esque food. I came in slightly drunk one night and ate almost a whole jar of feta cheese in olive oil (which was a huge mistake). The fact that I was still eating Greek foods so long after visiting the country is a testament to how much of an impact it had on me.
The Greek people were amazing as well. Never have I seen such a passionate country - it must be that fiery Mediterranean temperament. You will see people having huge arguments on the street only to be laughing and hugging seconds later. People will talk to you randomly out of genuine friendliness. It is useful that most Greeks know English, and those that do will be more than happy to teach you a few words of Greek. I look back on the Greek people I met with great affection.
In a country as hot as Greece, people need to rest. Passion cannot get you through a day, so people take occasional siestas and rests. When walking through Mycenae I saw a couple of men playing chess in the shade outside their restaurant, having shut up shop as it was too hot to work. This casual, laid back attitude to life is so refreshing. It is the Greeks more than anything that make Greece great.
So how about the actual ruins? So much of the country's identity is strongly linked to the past. At Olympia the arena where the first Olympic games took place remains cut out and well preserved. In Delphi the holy walkway winds up a hill boasting a small theatre and the Temple of Apollo on the way. In Athens the magnificent huge temple columns remain alongside a busy road contrasting past and present. For those seeking a cultural experience, there are few more appropriate places than Greece. For buildings thousands of years old, many of the ruins have been well preserved with much of the better statuary being kept inside on-site museums. Student access to these is free, but otherwise you have to pay a small fee.
To get to these fascinating sites you will probably be making use of the excellent public transport. Busses and trains run often and on time and there is usually an English-speaking operator to help guide you to the right platform. I was very impressed with the state of transport - it was cheap and effective. One word of advice though: bus tickets are purchased from newsagent-like shops, not on the busses. If you don't have a ticket you will probably be fined.
There was little night life in the places I went, with cafes being the best choice to enjoy a quick drink during the day or early evening. Obviously the Greek islands are a better choice for a clubbing holiday.
I feel like I've named about 50 things that were the best aspect of Greece. It is so difficult to choose just one so I will leave you to do that. The culture that is there to be absorbed is phenomenal, the food is delcious, the transport is efficient, the weather is beautiful, the people are friendly and the sights and views are jaw-dropping.
The bad thing about Greece...you have to go home eventually.
I just got back from Greece, a week eating, drinking, chilling and swimming in the Aegean. I agree wholeheartedly with your description. The downside? usually after a week I am using a few words of a local language but Greek is fiendishly difficult as there are few common roots with other European languages. The people? fantastic! Food? Mmmm!
nickyturnill 11.06.2007 15:04
We are going for two weeks in September!
sifair 10.06.2007 18:24
Great review, never been to Greece but I want to sometime
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Jun 10th, 2007
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