Traveling to Greece

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I found 2 excellent books on Greece and Rome a few years ago. I will post the names when I get home. They are full of excellent photos.

[DanM]

Ok I'm wanting to go to greece more and more everyday! I'm even having dreams about visiting greece! Last night, I had a dream when I was at the parthenon, and I was going inside of it. I doubt I'll go inside it in real life, though. Isn't there a fence at the edge? ANd I think that it's unstable too.

[Jona Lendering]

I had a dream when I was at the parthenon, and I was going inside of it. I doubt I'll go inside it in real life, though. Isn't there a fence at the edge? ANd I think that it's unstable too.

For at least a quarter of a century, the Acropolis has been under restoration: there's always something hidden behind scaffolds. At this moment, they are busy with the anastylosis of the northern façade of the Parthenon. As a consequence, you will indeed find a big fence. Once they have finished it all, they may reopen it.

[DanM]

I ate at a greek resturant last night. I had really good rotisserie roasted chicken. It was during taste of greece in chicago. In a grocery store I was watching the news from greece.

[Senovara]

I ate at a greek resturant last night. I had really good rotisserie roasted chicken. It was during taste of greece in chicago.

Sounds delicious! Were you in Greektown? I'm from Chicago (though I live in Canada now), and I remember that there were many good restaurants in that area, and interesting little shops too!

Oh, I really miss Chicago now. *sigh*

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Greektown? :lol: Sorry, but I have heard of chinatowns all my life, but never Greektown..... 8)

[Anonymous]

There's a chap from England running "Sparta Fitness Holidays" on the Island of Euboea. If you're going to Greece and a fitness freak, you might like to check it out. I had a meeting with the man, Mark Osborne. Apparently there's nothing military about the programme, and no Pankration, but there is some serious fitness training. Anyone who can make the next week, starting at the end of September, can get a 33% discount, from £1500 down to £1000 (exclusive of travel). Yes, I know it's a long shot, but just thought I'd mention it. www.sparta-fitness-holidays.co.uk . If you want to go in the longer term, I may be able to negotiate (smaller!) discounts for RAT members.

Bonnie, if you're going to Greece, make it next year, when several of us plan to meet in Thermopylae for the 4th of August. I'll even wear my bronze thorax, in your honour! :wink:

[Jona Lendering]

Greektown? :lol: Sorry, but I have heard of chinatowns all my life, but never Greektown..... 8)

Yes, there is a Greektown in Chicago; at least twenty restaurants in one long street. :wink:

There's a chap from England running "Sparta Fitness Holidays" on the Island of Euboea.

Hey, hey, hey! I'm on a holiday! 8)

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

I guess that would be along side little italy and all the other '......towns.
The melting pots of N. America! Seems strange to me, not having lived there most of my life! How time can erase memories.

Anyway, Greek food is excellent, and would encourage you to try the wide variety in Athens once you go, Dan. Hopefully things will be back to normal by then.

[Idomeneas]

Geia!
I noticed you wanna come to Greece
Let me give you some advices-hints
First of all you have a very tight schedule. Believe me you havent calculated everything. Train/bus delays, time to get where you want. There is absolutely no chance to get from Rio to olympia without a car in a day and be able to see stuff and not drop dead in a corner with shadow.
Aegina can be reached with a fast ferry but after that you have to take a taxi or bus to sights, possibly eat and be on time back to port.

You havent calculated traffic jams on national highway and traffic till you reach national highway. There is no standard in this but if you are there in summer high season or weekend you will discover that just getting to Athens-Lamia highway its an adventure by itself Having a car will make things easier but costly also.

Now that i mention cost. Your badget seems pretty low to me if you intend to see all those places. If you mean to pass by and wave its ok but to really stay im afraid it wont do. Offcourse it depends from the kind of vacations you want to have. But anyway you havent calculated the factor ''eating''. Also Greece is notorious for the nightlife. Believe me we may not have other things but that we have. And ALOT lol: . The problem is that nightlife is expensive. People are so addicted to it that they may save money from other needs just to be able to go out in clubs and offcourse Bouzoukia, where tourists get cultural shock when they see girls dancing on tables and everybody throw flowers around. A bottle of whisky or any other spirit can cost up to 150 euros there and its for 4 people. Meanning 7 or 8 people 2 bottles if you want to have a table.
About eating you will have no problem. Do yourself a favor and dont eat those plastic american stuff you are used to. They will kill you and you will be hungry again in few hours. Try a nice tavern. Even if you are hard with food i dont know anybody hating a nice steak or lampchops D D

Make sure to get rooms with a/c or else during the summer you will boil in your sweat. In athens you can go around with taxi, since its cheap. BUT take care cause the yellow tribe (as we call the taxi drivers) is a sneaky one. There are certain snakes taking advantage the fact that tourists are used to pay more abroad to charge more. Always look the meter. To give you an example i live in a suburb of Peiraias about 8 km away. For this distance+ traffic i pay 3-3,5 euros. In amsterdam for 1/3 of the distance i payed 15.
Generally most people speak english and are helpfull. Signs are in english too so dont worry about language. Count in also the hordes of tourists in Athens and you will never feel alone.

This year i made the round of pelloponessos with a buddy. We started from Katakolo and ended up in Loutra Oraias Elenis where i have a house (near loutraki on the way to epidauros) It costed us 800 per person and we where invited in friend for a couple of days plus 3 days we stayed in my house. You should see if you can visit Monemvasia alsi cause the place is just magical. A castle town built on a small island connected with land by a long bridge. Its like going back in time and its ideal for romantic weekends :twisted: .

I would suggest to pick a region and really get in to it. There are so many places that you can go. BTW Nauplion is a very beautifull city and has many medieval sites like the castle of the city. Unfortunatelly the region around Olympia is destroyed by fire and i dont know how long it will take to be restored to some point. It would be great to swim in Zaharo a 35km long beach with golden sand and a forest.

I would suggest to keep in mind Crete also but that is a whole different chapter and needs an entire expedition of its own.

(a pic from the top walls of monemvasia)

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Was Zaharo untouched by the fires? My cousins have moved to there I think.

[DanM]

Greektown? :lol: Sorry, but I have heard of chinatowns all my life, but never Greektown..... 8)

that's what all my friends said.

[DanM]

I don't know where I'll get the money, I'll probably shovel snow, and rake leaves. But I'll jusst fill up all my money containers to the brim, then I'll count it all, until I've gotten enough. I wish I could get a job. Oh well.

[DanM]

I ate at a greek resturant last night. I had really good rotisserie roasted chicken. It was during taste of greece in chicago.

Sounds delicious! Were you in Greektown? I'm from Chicago (though I live in Canada now), and I remember that there were many good restaurants in that area, and interesting little shops too!

Oh, I really miss Chicago now. *sigh*

Yeah, I was in greektown.

[DanM]

Ok, another update. I'm picking up greek rather quickly throught rosetta stone. I reccomend that software for anyone who wants/needs to learn another language. After I finish rosetaa stone levels 1&2, I'll get an english-greek dictionary, then practice by reading and writing in greek.