Greece 2018
- In 2018 we took a six week trip to Greece from early June to mid July.
- Flew into Athens and overnighted at the airport hotel then picked up a hire car and drove north. We were heading to see the monasteries of Meteora and decided to stay in the nearby city of Trikala.
- On to Veria where our aim was to see the royal tombs at Vergina and site of Ancient Pella. Veria is a great base, and a charming place.
- Then to Thessaloniki where we dropped off the car and settled in for five days. Greece’s ‘second city’ has a fascinating mix of ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman influences. With excellent museums and restaurants as well, we found it a great destination.
- From Thessaloniki we flew to Crete for 11 days. Picked up a hire car from Heraklion airport and drove east to Agios Nikolaos then via Matala to Plakias on the south coast. Headed north to Rethymno before finishing up in Heraklion.
- Caught a ferry to Santorini where we stayed at Perissa Beach on the east coast, away from the hurly burly of the caldera.
- Then caught a ferry to Milos where we planted for a week. The island has amazing geology which makes for great beaches and boat trips. It also has lovely villages with excellent tavernas.
- Ferried back to Athens for four nights before flying home. We really enjoyed the city on this visit. It had a gritty, can-do energy.
Trikala and Meteora
We recovered well from the long flight and picked up the hire car mid-morning. It's a four hour drive to Trikala and we broke it in half. Stopped at Karmena Vourla on the Gulf of Evia for a swim and lunch. The tavernas have seating along the waterfront with their kitchens and other...
Veria and Vergina
Left Trikala and drove east towards the Gulf of Thessaloniki. Passed through a narrow gorge called the Vale of Tempe, between Mt Olympus and Mt Ossa. Historically it was of great strategic importance and is quite spectacular. Visited the crusader castle of Platamonas finished in...
Thessaloniki
We spent four very enjoyable days in Thessaloniki. It's a city of substance that has a deep, rich history. It doesn't feel the need to put on any airs and graces, and we really liked that. One day we explored its Roman heritage and visited the Archaeological Museum. Another day we...
Central Crete
Flew from Thessaloniki to Heraklion on a Monday evening then picked up a hire car and drove to Agios Nikolaos as our first stop. The internal flight worked really well as a way to transition from northern Greece to the start of our island phase. We'd travelled to Western Crete in...
Santorini 2018
Caught a 9am ferry from Heralkion to Santorini (Thira). It's a one and a three quarter hour journey under normal conditions, but there was a bit of a swell about and we got in 50 minutes late. Quite a lot of people on the ferry were sick along the way. I was OK (though had to stop...
Milos
We had the luxury of extra time on this trip, taking a six week holiday rather than the usual four. Decided to spend a full week on a Greek island and chose Milos in the Cyclades. Most people would only know of Milos because of the famous statue in the Louvre in Paris, the Venus de...
Athens 2018
We caught an 11am ferry from Milos arriving in Piraeus about 14:30. Headed to our hotel in Athens city. We were staying in the Makrygianni district, just south of the Acropolis. It has good restaurants, cafes, bars and bakeries, some happily filling more than one role to keep the...