Greek Adventure

Greece may possibly be one of the most perfect places on the face of this earth. Yes...the politics can be a bit messy and trying to find a parking place in downtown Athens during any month other than August (when everyone is in the Islands or the Horio...or village) may cause a difficult situation...but these things are minor when weighing them against the fantastic food, incredible people, awe-inspiring ancient ruins and the overall visual beauty of the experience. Honestly...Greece is a vacation which no one should miss and no one will want to forget.

Carrie and I stayed with her family in Melissia, a suburb of Athens near Kifisia, where we spent the time planning our sightseeing and also recovering from eating too much, drinking just enough and staying out too late. As it turns out, Carrie's family is closely affiliated with the ION chocolate company in Greece....somewhat like the Hershey's of Greece. Not a bad connection to have.

Her family urged us to visit the sights in Athens and then head to the Islands for awhile. We didn't resist their suggestions. We found two islands in particular to be well worth visiting time and time again. They are as follows:

Ios - This island rocks. We stayed at Markos Beach Hotel on Mylopotas Beach which is just a small trail away from the sand. The stay was great...the hotel poolside bar was nice...and the staff was incredibly friendly. I can't wait for our next visit.

Santorini - Poli Orea....or very nice. That's putting it lightly though. This island has a red beach, black beach and white beaches...great wine, great food and plenty of places to watch the sun set in Oia. We stayed in Imerovigli, finding a great little cave apartment which was carved into the side of the cliffs as is traditionally done in Santorini.

Also, be sure to visit the local churches...famous from the pictures printed of them around the world, such as St. George, which was located just above our apartment. The icons found in these churches are covered in gold, silver and jewels...incredibly beautiful and full of deeply moving history of the religion. We found that these icons were a part of the culture in general..in every home, every business...simply part of being Greek. The best part about enjoying these icons was that we fortunately found a way to have a beautiful piece of Greece in our home and now own several icons purchased from Religious Icons From Greece. Now each day I leave the house for work...I remember that Greece is calling me back...and I'm just one ticket away from leaving.