Kastraki

Near the end of our time in Northern Greece, we arrived in Kastraki, the town at the foot of the world famous monasteries of Meteora. I was so excited to be there, to be able to visit this amazing landscape. We checked into a guesthouse nearby - run by a 60 year old Greek woman who had spent many years living in Australia - with fabulous views. Again, we were virtually the only travellers in town, which was kind of pleasant. We had the town to ourselves. While we were in Kastraki, unfortunately the weather was quite wet, forcing us to relax in the hotel for a couple of hours before walking down to the town for a wonder. We stopped at a small restaurant and had our lunch, the owner of which showed his upset face for no reason. May be he had an argument with his wife before we showed up. Anyway, we ordered a few dishes, tried to get a smile out of him and enjoyed his food despite it all.

Back at the hotel we started hearing music and the owner told us that the next day would be a special anniversay of a famous Greek victory over the Germans. We drove up there to have a look at the preparations, the music and the kids dancing. At the window of the town ouzerie, we saw the owner singing and dancing to Greek music as he served a single customer dinner. We immediately decided that this was the place for us. He was totally pissed and hilarious but he had a very nice voice and also he cooked brilliantly. We ordered some grilled sausages, Greek salad of course and Ouzo. He served the longest sausage I've ever had in my entire life, too big for the dish and it tasted amazing.

We started our monastery visiting the next day a bit earlier than usual as we wanted to visit as many as possible. Unfortunately some are closed on certain days. Anyway, we visited as many as we could and they were all amazing. I wondered at how the people could build so many monasteries that looked like they were hanging on the side of the rocky mountains. The walking paths up to them were beautiful both because of the view and the workmanship. After one visit, while I was waiting for my friends to come down, I talked to the ticket seller and he was so funny. He asked me where I was from and I responded. He tried to express that he knew Vietnam by acting out the shooting of a gun and said America and something else in Greek but I think he wanted to mention the Vietnam War. I'm so happy to know that at least someone in such a remote place knows about my country and he must know that we won the war. Thanks for that mate, I very much appreciated that. We had a brilliant day and yes, I can't believe I've been there.

To be continued....

North Greece

During my second trip to Greece we headed to the northern part of Greece, famous for its beautiful mountains and monasteries. I had heard a little about those amazing monasteries located on the side or top of the rocky hills and I couldn't wait to be there and enjoy the great views and the ambience. But before reaching there, we passed quite a few amazing places in the Zagorahoria area north of Ioannina.

We visited Vradeto to walk up the renowned Vikos Gorge to view the beautiful scenery. We arrived a bit late in the tiny town after a long drive through the region. We parked our car at a small hotel and tried to work out when was the best time to do the hiking. We met the restaurant owner inside the place and a few of his regular customers eating and drinking wine. After a long chat, we realized that people only spent their summer time in the town to serve tourists and now being Autumn, there are only a few people staying in to take care of their houses. These regular customers were helping their relatives to build a house nearby. One of the young guy came over to our table and talk to us. He spoke very good English and we had a nice conversation. He explained a bit about the culture of the local area, the food and travel around this area. We decided to stay overnight and do the hiking the next morning. Unfortunately, there was no heater during the night (the temperature was only 3 to 5 degrees). We were the only people in the restaurant and the owner gave us extra blankets and it wasn't too bad. I went down stairs in the morning to ask for hot water to clean my face and the owner was already in the kitchen preparing our breakfast. He's a really funny man and a really good cook and we enjoyed his food very much.

It took us 45 minutes to walk up to the Vikos Gorge, truly beautiful even along the walk. There are quite a few different animals accompanied by their keepers walking up the mountain with us as well, cows with bells, deers, dogs... Very nice and peaceful atmosphere. We stood up there for a while enjoying the cool fresh air, the view and took some photos. Absolutely love this place heaps!!!! We walked back to the restaurant and headed further north to Kastoria, on the edge of western Macedonia. After checking into a B&B, we drove outside of this pretty town on Lake Orestiada. We wanted to visit the Prespe Lakes region, which sits right on the border of Greece, Macedonia and Albania. We reached a small village where we saw a man selling different pickles in jars and they tasted so nice. We walked toward the end and we found a restaurant for our lunch. We had to admit that we had the best meal for a long long time. Thank god we found this town for our great experience with totally traditional great northern Greek dishes.

Greek Experiences

During my second trip to Greece late last year, I went to the north to visit the mountainous parts and the monasteries. For some of the time, we were lucky with the weather while on other days it was rainy and actually quite chilly. But when the country is Greece and everything is new, it doesn't really matter what the weather is like.

The highlight of this part of the trip was the amazing monasteries of Meteora. I couldn't visit all of them mostly due to the fact that they keep differing hours and many of the ones we stopped at were closed. But being on the top of them, looking over the landscape, I felt so great - like I was on top of the world. Beautiful!!! I would recommend this place in greece for anyone travelling there.

The food and wine in the north of Greece was also a highlight. I love to try all different kinds of wine and food as do most people when they travel. I remember we went to have dinner at a local restaurant and the owner was quite a character, singing and dancing traditional music with his other local customers. That was so nice to be there and enjoy the atmosphere. They were so friendly to us and also served delicious local specialties.

He was actually quite drunk and his wife seemed to be rolling her eyes as he danced around singing and taking orders. We ate the longest sausage I've ever seen, along with fantastic lamb and pork chops, rich and delicious dips and bread and the usual Greek salad, which I love.

This night we actually were drinking ouzo and raki instead of wine. It was a really fun two nights in the monastery village of Kastraki.

Hospitality and Service In Greece

In Greece, I was really surprised that most of the people working restaurants are middle-aged or old men. In Asia and maybe in many other countries, waiters and waitresses are recuited young to attract customers but not in Greece. Most people I talked to said that these men have been working in restaurants since then were very young and love that job and don't bother to try different jobs.

Of course they are very familiar with everything about their restaurants. They know exactly what to do and where things are. Some of them were very funny. I loved talking to them as they always have different stories to tell you even though some times, I didn't really understand at all.

Unfortunately, we experienced some misunderstanding with Greece's tourist information offices, too. The problem was that because we were travelling in the season just after high season, many of the timetables had changed but the office staff were still giving out outdated information. As a result, a few times we missed ferries or buses and this also meant we had to pay for extra accommodation. Oh well, that's something we need to learn and part of the experience for the next trip.

In the shops in Greece, the shop assistants were all interested in Western people but not so interested in me. It was really funny as I was shopping a lot when I was there. A western man or woman would walk past a shop and receive very special greetings but when I walked past these sellers didn't say a thing. Some of them were quite rude but I responded by simply walking out of the shop. They lost my interest but I hope they change their attitude for their future business as Asian people shop alot when they travel as their culture is shopping for souvenirs for their family and friends.

Anyway, been there, done that, bought the T-shirt.

Greece, Adio

Five weeks is definitely not enough time to discover all of Greece, a country with hundreds of beautiful islands surrounded by amazing beaches. I have so many fond memories of my time in Greece and really feel as if I've broadened my horizons. It was my first time in Europe and I really got a feeling for ancient history and the different lifestyle and culture there.

Apart from discovering new places in Greece, here are the things I'd go back for:

1. I'd love to go back to Santorini again to have a glass of local wine and see the sunset and the light against the Cycladic architecture.

2. Corfu's Old Town is definitely worth another wander around, having a pita gyros and looking around the beautiful shops.

3. I would love to return to Ithaki's clear waters and stony beaches to have a nap in the sun after eating a Greek salad and drinking a carafe of the local wine.

4. The view of Athens from the Acropolis.

5. Crete's old capital, Hania, with its restaurants and beautiful artisans shops.

Santorini

Santorini – in Greece’s Cyclades islands – is one of those places that everyone should see before they die. I know there is a book and TV series which lists such places. I haven’t read it nor seen the show. But I’ve seen this astoundingly beautiful landscape and my jaw dropped.

Also known as Thira, most travellers reach the island by taking a 10 hour ferry trip from Athen’s port of Piraeus. If time is limited, Santorini has a small international airport, reachable from Athens and other cities in Europe. The arrival by boat, however, rewards visitors with some of the most breathtaking scenes of spectacular volcanic landscapes rising out of aqua seas. From a distance, the white Cycladic houses on the island’s cliffs look, at one moment, like snow on a huge plateau and, at another moment, like white icing on a gigantic misshapen chocolate cake.

Formed after the world’s biggest and most destructive volcanic eruption in 1650 BC, Santorini and its smaller islets are largely barren of the olive and pine trees which thrive on other islands and over much of mainland Greece. Vines crawl along the ground but the landscape is mostly rock…of all colours. With a rental car, my friends and I visited Red Beach, Black Beach and White Beach. The geographic history of the cliff faces is also revealed in rich veins of colour. One sobering thought, which entered my mind once, is the fact that even though the volcano is considered at rest now, an earthquake in 1956 practically destroyed the main settlements and killed many residents.

The magnetic beauty of the caldera settlements of Oia and Fira quickly dispelled that thought. White washed cottages, many of which have been converted into very expensive accommodation for tourists, are seemingly carved into the cliff faces. The postcard scenes of blue domed chapels and church bells are even more pleasing to the naked eye. The cobbled lanes are vehicle free except for the occasional donkey. One highlight of many was a donkey ride down the 600 odd steps to Fira’s old port.

The highlight of each evening, except for one which was overcast, is the dramatic sunset witnessed from the caldera rim at Oia, a town of sights and scenes that words cannot describe. Hordes of travelers do gather for this ritual, lining the narrow paths of the town for a place to rest their camera. The sunlight against the town’s rustic houses and ruins together with the descending sun into the sea is well worth all of the hype.

There is a mythical and aesthetic magic about Santorini, even a bit of fear. I really think it’s a place I’d better see twice before I die.

Iraklio, Capital of Crete

Most people wouldn't know of Iraklio on the Greek island of Crete, even though it is Greece's six largest city. The reason people know this city is because it is the gateway to the Palace of Knossos, an ancient Minoan ruin site.

But I actually like Iraklio not because it's modern and busy. I just like the look of it and there are lots of things to discover around the town. I loved walking down to the port taking photos in the afternoon then walking back to the city centre where so many people were shopping with full bags of clothes and shoes.

To get to Iraklio, we had driven from Hania further along the coast to the east. Of all the places in Greece, Iraklio was the most difficult to find accommodation. The one way traffic system didn't help as we couldn't actually stop to check out the few hotels in town. We ended up driving out the coast to the local beach at Gournes to find a hotel.

Knossos is a pretty amazing site, though I was more impressed by the Acropolis in Athens and the Sanctuary of Apollo in Delphi. Unfortunately, there were too many tour groups at such a small place and they all arrived at the same time and were of different nationalities. I felt like I was in the middle of the market as I couldn't relax. The tour groups took over with their tour guides explaining the site and standing in front of the ruin sites. In fact, some of the rooms required us to queue in the hot sun to get in. Like some other places in the world, including Vietnam, tourism needs to regulated in Knossos. I've never seen so many busloads of package tourists in my life.

Corfu Town

To reach beautiful Corfu town, we travelled on 2 ferries, 4 buses and a taxi at the end to reach my friend’s house. It’s truly a beautiful house with a private beach right at the back gate. We were so happy to be there and it was worth all of our traveling trouble.

Corfu town is such an amazing place, the streets lined with beautiful old Venetian buildings, of different colors and designs. Of all the places we visited in Greece, the world heritage protected town of Old Corfu is one of the highlights. Apart from the architecture, the main activities in the town are shopping and eating. The cobbled streets are lined with jewellery and leather shops but you really need to know something about gold and the price because its confusing - so many choices.

60% of thepopulation in Corfu is of British origin. In fact, Queen Elizabeth's husband, Prince Phillip, was born on the island. Much of the tourism her caters for them - they even have their own shop, called The English Corner Shop. Of course, there are tons of English tourists around. Even though a lot of English is spoken around Greece, I felt that I could communicate and be understood best in Corfu.

Wandering around the old town of Corfu is great as it’s close to museums and historic places but the beaches on this island didn’t impress me much as they are busy and crowded all the time. I can’t really relax when the beach is so crowded.

For the old town alone, I would recommend Corfu, though. I hope to get back there some time.

A Viet Corner in Iraklio

While in Crete, I was wandering around Iraklio port and the shopping areas in the afternoon, the day before we left. I thought I saw something familiar from the corner of my eye and I turned my head to see an Asian restaurant called Lee's Asian Fast Food. Having been away from home almost 5 weeks, even though I was adapting quite well to feta cheese and other Greek food, what I missed the most was Asian food. I walked over toward the restaurant and sat down to order fried rice which looked really good in the photo.

The waiter was Greek and I thought this would be a Chinese restaurant, which didn't bother me because I love Chinese food as much as Vietnamese food. While waiting, I heard someone speaking in Vietnamese behind me and I turned around. It was a little girl talking to her parents. I couldn't believe that I would meet a Vietnamese family in a place like Iraklio, so far from our homeland. I'd hardly seen any other Asians in some parts of Greece. I started up a conversation with them and it turned out they're from Tra Vinh, a southern city of Vietnam. They moved from there to Holland about 10 years ago but had moved over to Greece in the last 3 years.

Following what they told me, life in Holland was getting more expensive and hard for them, so they decided to move to Greece hoping for an easier life and they're happy with it now. Lee's is the only Asian restaurant in town(I think) so they don't really have much competition. I also noticed that most of the other customers were western people so I gathered that there are not many Asians in Iraklio. They also said that they have to buy lots of their ingredients from Germany as they don't have lots of choices in Iraklio. They had to serve fusion Vietnamese - Chinese food as not many people are familiar with Viet Nam and its food.

The food itself, fried rice and spring rolls, was actually pretty good.

Ps: I can't upload any photos from Lee's restaurant as I lost them all due to virus attack on my hard drive.

Hania - Crete

Talking about Hania brings back memories of a beautiful old town with lots of amazingly gorgeous old restaurants, shops and cafes. We only stayed in Hania for a day to wonder as we had arrived early in the morning but we couldn't find a hotel or guesthouse as they only open from 8 or 9 am. I was disappointed about that but that's the way it is.

We had such a lovely day in Hania, wandering around the old Venetian town, enjoying the cobbled streets, great shops and the atmosphere. We met some interesting people, including restaurant touts, Chinese salesmen with toy parrots that repeat everything you say and some very smooth talking jewellery shop proprietors. All different people with different stories and they seemed to know about everything around us. As I was travelling with 2 Australian friends originally from Melbourne, we met lots of the locals with connections there. Melbourne has a large Greek population due to large amounts of post-WWII migration. Most of the people we talked to have some relatives or friends who are living in Melbourne. Some even lived there themselves before returning to Greece to retire.

Hania city looks like a multi-coloured painting. In every corner, you can see and find something different and you actually can learn from it. Most of their restaurants are located in the ruins of old venetian buildings with open roofs and amazing decor. Of course the prices were pretty amazing, too!

I think, I would comeback here if I have a chance as Hania is such a gorgeous place.

Ps: I can't upload any photos from Hania as I lost them all due to virus attack on my hard drive.

Delphi

We took a local bus and it took us around 4 hours to arrive in Delphi. This town in the mountains next to Athens has stunning views of the Gulf of Patras. Walking up and down the town only takes 30 minutes but every corner and every alley has something to look at and wonder about. Luckily we are travelling in low season so things are cheaper here, especially hotels. We checked in at the Olympic Hotel, a really friendly family run hotel with an absolutely great view down the mountain from our balcony. Loved it. We could see most of Delphi and the sun came in the window to say hello, waking us up at 7 am. Nik, the owner gave us helpful information about this town and its history.

We started our walking down to the ruins after breakfast. The ruins here consist of Ancient Delphi and the Sanctuary of Apollo, which are located on the hillside. There is also a great museum which I passed and now regret as my friends told me it was a beautiful museum. We spent about 2 hours there before heading to the Sanctuary of Athena, which is a 7 minute walk. We had a good talk to an old man named Christopher. He was really funny. We talked about everything, about Greece and about Delphi as he was born here and lived most his life here.

We continued our venture to the next town after we walked back to Delphi, had some souvlaki for lunch then took a bus to Avahora. It's another pretty small town, which is actually a ski resort in winter, with lots of small shops selling most types of Greek souvenirs. It's great and the people around here are very friendly. We returned to our hotel after our long walk around town, for dinner, which included another Greek salad with lots of cheese and olives which is my favorite.

More soon....

Athens, Kalimera

My dream has came true and I am now in Athens, Greece. A country with history and holy stories. Athens nowadays is such a modern city with a great public transportation system. There are so many options for tourists to choose from local bus to MRT.... Every single day I found a new thing in this city and I have learned alot.

One of the funniest things was that my first breakfast in Athens was vanilla ice cream. Do you believe that? I couldn't believe that I ate ice cream either.

It's a bit like our trip in general, actually. We didn't make any plans for it, we have just been going with the flow and everyday is a surprise. Athens...the ruins...the lifestyle....it's all a surprise for someone from Vietnam.

Anyway, on our first night we stayed at Marble House, a small pension hotel close to the public transport system and a short walk to Athen's main attraction, the Acropolis. It was in a really quiet neighbourhood. The lady who welcomed us was a Greek American and she told us all the information about Athens and what we needed to do. After checking in, we walked up to the amazing Acropolis but the weather was a bit stormy and wet so we decided to come back the next day. We also arranged to meet Angeliki, my friend's friend from Athens.

I think I'm in love this city. There are so many things to check out and the food is so good but one thing that I need to be concerned about is things are expensive here and they use Euro, not Dong like in Vietnam:) I need to calm down to everything because I have 4 and a half weeks to go. I hope I can check out everything and show everyone about it

Tobe continued