A flight bought us from Cyprus to Athens (A), from where we headed west to Corinth (B) before abandoning plans to move deeper into the Peloponnese and instead going to Delphi (C) and onwards to Kalambaka (D) and the island of Corfu (E) before taking a cross-border ferry to Sarandë in Albania (F).
Cyprus may technically be EU, but it wasn’t until touching done in Greece that we felt the rush of excitement that entering a new continent unmistakably brings. Our Euro-trip as a duo was to last a month, as we already had a flight to the States for Mack from Sarajevo (she’d be returning home for a wedding), meaning we had four weeks to make it from ancient Athens to the Bosnian capital. Two weeks were allocated to Greece!
Athens
Landing in Athens is magical. Home to perhaps the greatest civilization in history and still brimming with its ancient ruins while also boasting a vibrant youth culture and delicious food, Athens really has something for everyone.
For me, Athens is the first international city I’ve ever returned to, and I was excited to see what had changed. For Mack, it would be her introduction to Greece and she was ready to dig in. (For anyone interested in a blast from the past, I wrote all about my first Greece trip here.)
Not only was I returning to the city, but after recognizing the neighborhood of our hostel and consulting old photos, I realized I was returning to the very same hostel! Both photos taken by me, from my hostel room, only six years apart. Yes, I stayed in the same dorm at 26 years old as I did at 20 - maybe it’s time to up my standards.
We spent three days in the city, giving us plenty of time to explore its major sites and sip coffee through its charming neighborhoods.
The Tower of the Winds in the Roman Agora, surrounded by the neighborhoods of modern Athens.
Of course, a visit to the Acropolis and its world-famous Parthenon was a must, and we explored it on our third morning in town amongst hordes of other tourists who, like us, had been holed up for the past couple days waiting out gloomy weather.
2017 vs. 2023. I was shocked at how many tourists were at the Acropolis for my second visit. Despite arriving amid stormy skies and first thing in the morning in April (decidedly shoulder season), the number of tourists was many times what I’d experienced on a June afternoon six years prior. This was our first and most stark encounter with the reality that tourism in Europe has absolutely exploded.
With some strategic placement and a lot of patience, we still managed to get some deceivingly crowd-less shots!
Even with the crowds, the Acropolis and its ancient ruins cannot disappoint. It is truly a wonder of the world.
Beyond the Acropolis, we also visited countless sites scattered around town, with memorable favorites being the Temple of Hephaestus and Hadrian’s Library.
View from the Areopagus (more famously known as Mars Hill under the Romans), where Greek courts on important matters such as homicide and religious crimes were held. The Apostle Paul gave a famous sermon here. For us, it provided a wonderful view back to the Acropolis and down over the Greek Agora.
The Temple of Hephaestus in the Greek Agora is one of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world. It’s only fitting that it’s dedicated to the Greek god of engineering!
Views over the Greek Agora and back to the Acropolis during a break in the clouds.
Hadrian’s Library was one of the few great ruins from the Roman period of the city (Rome conquered ancient Greece in 146 BC).
In between the endless ancient ruins, the popular Monastiraki and Plaka neighborhoods sitting at the base of the Acropolis saw us stroll through their streets many times amidst pastel walls and shops selling mini Parthenons and ouzo-ready shot glasses.
More exploring brought us to slightly more far-flung neighborhoods, many of which were new to me, and we enjoyed spots like still-central but slightly-less-busy Psiri, creative Kypseli, and edgy Exarcheia.
Most of Athens’ central area around the Acropolis is quite touristy, so it made us happy to find small local scenes, like these men playing backgammon in Psiri.
The micro-neighborhood of Anafiotika, situated on the slopes of the Acropolis and centered on a narrow staircased alleyway lined with cute eateries, is a family favorite (my parents both being Greece lovers). It’s a treat both to visit its quiet lanes during the day and to take in the lively tavernas after dark.
Along the way we began our exploration in Greek cuisine, chowing into many-a-gyro, frequenting cafés as rain kept us indoors, and dipping into more classic plates as well.
Gyros and souvlaki pitas were, by far, our meal of choice, but more sit-down plates like moussaka (eggplant- and potato-based lasagna) and keftedes (meatballs) were also winners. Oregano, thyme, lemon, and, of course, olive oil were the dominant players in most Greek meals.
Café visits also meant sampling Greece’s supreme offerings of baked goods, and coffees were frequently accompanied by galaktoboureko (custard pie) and spanakopita (spinach pie).
After a few days, with rain continuing, we scrapped plans to visit some islands and instead hopped on a bus towards the Peloponnese to the ancient city of Corinth.
Corinth
Despite intentions to explore much of the historic region, a combination of bad weather, a sickly Mackenzie, and awful bus options squashed our Peloponnesian plans.
Clear skies on our one day in Corinth, but Mack had caught a cold and was stuck in bed while I strolled around the quiet center. The town itself is located a short bus ride from the ruins of the historic Greek city-state, but we didn’t visit.
We spent a long evening trying to dream up ways to get to iconic spots like Olympia and Mycenae on the limited buses and while it seemed possible with lots of hitching, that’s no fun in the rain and when sick, so we quickly realized that leaving the Peloponnese for now was the most pragmatic step. We will experience it to the max on a future trip with a rental car!
At least we got to see the famous Corinth canal from the bus! Originally proposed in the 7th century BC, this feat of engineering did not become a reality until about 2,500 years later when it was completed in 1893.
An awesome sunset looking out into the Gulf of Corinth.
Delphi
After a day of travel, we arrived at ancient Delphi. A small town now surrounds the ancient home of the famed Oracle of Delphi, who changed the course of the world for around 1,500 years.
Beyond the historical significance of Delphi, the town is also set in a shockingly beautiful location. A river of olive trees rushes down to the Gulf of Corinth while craggy mountains climb up beyond the site. On our second day, a clear morning allowed us to look across the water to the snow-covered peaks of the Peloponnese.
It was to here that prominent leaders from across ancient Greece would trek to consult the oracle, asking her if they should go to war, whether they should marry, or to whom they should bequeath their throne.
The Greeks considered Delphi to be the center of the world, marked by a stone monument located here known as the omphalos (navel). The real omphalos is found in the Delphi Museum.
A massive amphitheater, as can be found in all ancient Greek sites of importance, topped out the Delphi slopes.
The oracle offered cryptic responses in return, which priests would translate into hexameter for the leaders to interpret and decide how to act. It is no exaggeration to say that the oracle, who was typically a young girl and was believed to be speaking for Apollo, made significant impacts on the course of Greek history.
The ruins of the Temple of Apollo. It is exactly here that for a millennium and a half a lineage of young women sat on a three-legged stool over a rift in the earth and interceded between emperors and gods. Certainly few such isolated points on Earth have ever held such significance.
The Sybil rock stands proud on the way up to the Temple of Apollo, and is believed to be where prehistoric prophetesses predating the Oracle of Delphi would stand to deliver prophecies. Clearly, this site has been holy for a long, long time.
We visited the site first thing in the morning and spent a few hours walking up its temple-lined slopes. Not only would leaders consult the oracle with their imperial questions, but a 10% “tax” of sorts became customary if the oracle’s responses proved prescient. If the oracle told the Athenians to invade Persia and the campaign was fruitful, 10% of the riches of war would go to Delphi. As a result, the way leading up to the sanctuary is covered with treasures from across the ancient world.
We can only imagine the glory of the site in its hey-day.
A painting in the entry to the Delphi Museum helped us to imagine Delphi at its apex. Massive temples and statues reflecting the various design styles and materials from across the world line the switchbacked path up to the Temple of Apollo. A truly remarkable site.
A visit to the Delphi Museum followed, where many of the treasures of the site are housed for protection.
Leaving the incredible site, we continued north, taking a series of buses to get to Kalambaka in central Greece.
The bus station in Lamia, Greece, where we waited a few hours for our connection while making our way to Meteora. We were shocked at how poor the public transport was in Greece! It took a full day of travel with four different buses to get between two very popular tourist stops. With a car, it’s a three hour drive! It is certainly a country built for tour groups or self-driving.
Meteora
We spent a couple days cooped up inside our homey hostel in Kalambaka as rains hung over the town, but eventually a break gave us the opportunity to take a bus to the nearby monasteries of Meteora.
Rainy days meant time for writing the newsletter, chatting with family, and enjoying our hostel.
The six accessible monasteries famously sit atop dramatic rock monoliths that make for a natural setting fitting of the monastic grandeur.
It’s hard to find anywhere in the world that combines jaw-dropping nature with remarkable history as well as Meteora. Here stands the Monastery of the Holy Trinity, now accessed by a rock-hewn staircase winding up the back.
Back in the day, access was made difficult as a means of self-defense, requiring either ladders or nets, and the pulley systems previously used to haul up the nets filled with monks are still operational today, now being used to bring up construction supplies. About 100 years ago, efforts were made to better provide access to the monasteries by cutting staircases into the rocks.
Monks started coming to these rocky towers in the 8th century to live in ascetic isolation, and around the 14th century began to group up and build monasteries on the peaks to seek refuge from Turkish invaders who were becoming an increasing threat to the Christian Byzantine Empire.
The Great Meteoron Monastery is the largest and oldest of the region, being founded by St. Athanasios in 1344. Two centuries later, Meteora was at its peak, with 24 monasteries operating and a monastic community numbering in the thousands.
Looking down the monolith-lined hills of Meteora to Kalambaka in the valley with two of the six monasteries within view.
If you squint, strewn about the rocks can also be found the age-old remains of cave-dwelling hermitages and other ascetic spaces for monks who have called these rocks home for over a millennia.
Hiking between the monasteries and visiting the interiors of half of them was incredible.
The inner parts of the monasteries had central courtyards with access to the refectories, sleeping quarters, a hospital, and a church. Inside the churches were frescoes and icons for various saints of Orthodox Christianity.
From Kalambaka we continued via bus to the west coast of Greece, where we took a short boat to the island of Corfu.
No luck hitching in Greece - too many small villages and tiny roads plus a cultural aversion to it makes it infamously difficult. After over an hour with our thumb out in the light drizzle with no success, we hauled our defeated selves to the bus station to avoid missing the last bus of the day.
All aboard the Agios Spiridon! Named after St. Spiridon, the patron saint of potters and - more relevant here - the island of Corfu, this ferry brought us 30 comfortable minutes from Igoumenitsa to Corfu. Traveling by boat is always awesome!
Corfu
We spent a full week on Corfu, giving us plenty of time to plan for the coming months, recharge our batteries, and enjoy the first multi-day streak of good weather in months.
Welcome to Corfu! For nearly 500 years, from the Middle Ages to the end of the 19th century, the island was part of the Republic of Venice, and the marks of this Italian heritage are still exceedingly present in its simple, pastel homes. During these centuries, the Ottoman Empire tried time and again to conquer the heavily fortified island, but never succeeded, and Corfu and the other smaller Ionian islands are the only part of Greece that were never under Ottoman rule.
We originally intended three days on the island, but our generous Couchsurfing host convinced us to extend to a week in order to stay for the famous Easter celebrations, which are the best across all Greece.
Free and comfortable accommodation for a week and festivities to look forward to was too much to turn down, so we settled into our new home.
Our week saw many trips from our apartment in Gouvia to Corfu town to explore its unique streets and admire its mighty fortifications and turquoise seafronts.
None of the white-and-blue buildings of the famous Cyclades can be found here. Instead, the simple, pastel facades that one might find along the Italian Riviera or the alleys of Venice will greet you.
We loved walking its photogenic streets, sipping coffee from its endless cafes, and enjoying open green plazas and seaside strolls along the Ionian Sea.
The Old Fortress of Corfu, which successfully expelled Ottoman attacks for centuries.
In the middle of our stay, a day trip brought us to the far side of the island to Palaiokastritsa, where we relaxed by its famous beach and hiked to a monastery with dramatic views down the rocky coastline.
Turquoise waters of Palaiokastritsa
As Easter neared, festivities ramped up and we watched as the eateries filled more and more with domestic tourists coming from the big cities of Greece to experience the famous Corfian Easter.
Vendors took to the streets, setting up countless stalls selling red-painted terracotta pots of all sizes. These would come to be the secret ingredient in what makes Corfu the most famous spot in Greece to celebrate Easter!
By Friday the festivities were in full swing, and we spent the whole day in town as philharmonic orchestras from across the island processed from the many churches and played mournful melodies to commemorate the time Jesus spent on the cross.
Each of the bands making their way through town was joined by dramatic epitaphs depicting the death of Christ, often carried by the leaders of the church. Music and processing didn’t end from midday to midnight.
The bands grew in splendor as the day progressed. Even without searching for the action, we’d be working our way through town when we’d suddenly hear cymbals clanging and tubas blowing from around a corner and have to navigate through the labyrinthine streets until the bursting crowds indicated we’d found our way to the band’s route. We’d stay and follow the band around as they played their melodies until we felt we’d seen enough for now. The day continued like this - punctuated only by brief stints at gyro stands and cafes - until midnight, when the largest band ended their parade.
The next morning we were back in the center for the main event: the famous pot throwing. Around 9 AM we found ourselves squeezed in with tens of thousands of other (overwhelmingly Greek) tourists with our eyes pointed up at the red-flagged balconies of the town center.
Many of the locals stood proudly on their porches, clay pots at the ready, while we watchers waited patiently for the cacophony of church bells that would ring from every belfry in town at 10 AM sharp.
Women stand proud on their balconies in traditional Corfian garb while cameras pan to the action below. On the right, a woman shoos back the crowd moments before the action begins.
As soon as the ecclesiastical alarm sounded, the locals began their rain of terracotta, and all around us the pots crashed down from the balconies. Hundreds of them cascaded down as we threw our necks from left to right to keep up with them.
Small pots fall as we struggle to capture the action on camera.
The pots grew in size as the minutes passed, and before long the torrent of small pots was replaced by a stream of massive ones, each one drawing a Greek countdown (tessera… tria… thio… ena!!) from the crowd.
Increasingly large pots tumble from the balconies. Every time we thought the show was over, the locals would produce an even larger pot from behind the walls!
We felt like children as the pots crashed down into the areas cleared of spectators by the police and shattered into a million pieces. A simple tradition with no clear origin - just locals throwing increasingly large pots to celebrate the resurrection - but incredibly fun to witness. After 15 minutes, the magic was over and the crowds dispersed.
The aftermath was indicative of how widespread the event was. While our Couchsurfing host told us the best spot in town, the terracotta shards covering the streets evidenced that the pots fall from seemingly every balcony in Corfu. Many, many city blocks were covered in the chalky red remains.
Naturally, more bands - now playing triumphant music to laud the resurrection- followed and we returned to the previous day’s programming of moving from band to band while whittling away the hours.
The day culminated in a midnight fireworks show to officially welcome Easter Sunday.
A perfect ending to Greece! Happy Easter!
We slept well that night, happy having experienced a truly unique event and feeling that we’ve done Greece justice, though knowing that a happy return is inevitable. The next morning on actual Easter - which has a surprising lack of special events - we took a boat across the thin stretch of sea separating Corfu from Albania, a new country!
Goodbye Greece and onwards to the next. Time to begin our Balkan adventure!
So interesting. I, too, loved Greece!
Love
Aunt Peggy