Thessaloniki Mou

Most visitors to Greece make Athens their base before leaving for the islands. If you are someone who travels to Greece regularly and have never been to Northern Greece, there is no question a stay in Thessaloniki will surprise and delight you. Give yourself a treat and “go north.” Traffic is slower here, life is more relaxed, and some Greeks consider this sister to Athens to be rather “chic.”

Thessaloniki is Greece’s second largest City, and while it matches Athens in sophistication, it excels in providing outstanding venues for people watching. Unlike Athens, Thessaloniki’s main squares, Platia Elefterias and Platia Aristotelous, are by the seaside. The squares have wide avenues and are vibrant and bustling venues with ouzeries, tavernas, top-notch restaurants, elegant, fashionable shops, and “bouzouki halls” where haunting Rembetika music is played by world-class musicians.

Skiing…in Greece!

It is not widely known, but it is a fact that skiing holidays in Greece are much less expensive than in other areas of Europe.  Perhaps the more famous European ski resorts attract more celebrities, but the mountains of Greece offer stunning, idyllic scenery, their own particular charm, and proximity to other attractions, historical sites, and at some locations, thermal springs.

Greece offers exhilarating adventures against the stunning beauty of the alpine landscape.

Two websites have the most comprehensive information on ski resorts in or near central Greece: www.visitgreece.com, the official site of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and www.greektravel.com, Matt Barrett’s popular guide. Slopes in Central Greece closest to Athens are on Mount Parnassus, a two hour drive from Athens and close to Delphi; and the Pelion Mountain (Agriolefkes), and Mount Velouchi, (Karpenisi), both approximately four hours from Athens by car.

Mount Parnassus has fifteen slopes and Agriolefkes and Karpenisi have three. All have accommodations, cafeterias, and restaurants. Highly recommended, also, is the modern ski lodge on Kalavrita in the Peloponessos, the second largest ski resort in Greece. Some ski enthusiasts consider Kalavrita to be among the best in Europe.

On the island of Crete, Alpine Travel will plan ski holidays for you and your group. Tourists come from all over the world for the cross-country adventures on the White Mountains and Mount Psiloritis. For information about a unique and exciting new package called “Heliskiing” that Alpine is offering this season contact George Antonakakis, founder, at www.alpinetravel.gr. Mr. Antonakakis is a pilot rated AR (Aerobatics) by the British Aerobatic Academy under the European Aviation Safety Agency.

Weather permitting, groups are taken by helicopter to the top of slopes on The White Mountains for cross-country skiing. It has become very popular and you are encouraged to book as soon as possible. Please visit the website to see photos of activity during a seven-day “Heliskiing” trips. Alpine Travel is well-known for its “adventure” travel all year round at various locations on the island and for popular active holidays for families. Summer travel packages range from trekking, hiking gorges, and kayaking to bungee jumping.

TELOS

Published in The National Herald, January 2014

Schinias Beach – Shhh, it’s a Secret!

There are not many places in Greece where you can enjoy a walk in a forest and a stroll on a beach, but most Athenians know of such a place, even though it has been called “a best-kept secret.” It is Schinias Beach, near Marathon, about 45 kilometers from Athens on the east coast of the Attica Peninsula.

Schinias has been called “one of the most beautiful beaches in Greece” and in comments posted on the Trip Advisor website, one reviewer called it “the best beach in the world for families with small children.” On the same site, another said “it is Greece’s best kept secret.”

Known for its natural beauty, crystalline waters, and very long beach with very fine sand, Schinias is on the edge of a serene pine forest that reaches the water’s edge. The coastal resort has been called “picture perfect” by some travel writers and is a favorite weekend destination for Athenians. It features comfortable facilities, including a water sports center and rental equipment, and is ideal for families with children. Because the sand is so fine, it is perfect for children who want to build sand castles. Windsurfers discovered this beach years ago and find it ideal for their sport.

Protected by the Schinias Peninsula, there are no currents or large waves and toddlers can wade a hundred or more meters out to sea and not be in water over their heads. Because there are no waves, adults can swim long distances at a leisurely pace without tiring. Others prefer to simply float and soak up the sun while chatting with friends.

Schinias is an easy drive – less than an hour – from Athens. There is plenty of space for parking and it is free. It can be reached, also, by the local bus that leaves from Mavromateon Street at the Pedion Areos Park. The nearest metro station is Victoria. Once there, you will find a nice variety of tavernas and seafood restaurants and, if you are a tourist who wants to spend a few days in the area, hotels are just a few kilometers from Schinias, and also in Marathon.

Published in The National Herald, June 2014

Messolonghi – Chasing Lord Byron

If you would like to spend some time exploring interesting and historical places on mainland Greece, consider Messolonghi. Not only will you be visiting a town declared “sacred” by the Greek government in 1937, but you will be following in the footsteps of the English poet, Lord Byron.

In central Greece, Messolonghi rests sleepily in the arms of the rivers Acheloos and Evinos at the northern end of the entrance to the Gulf of Patras, much as it did in ancient times.

 When the town stirs, the shallow waters languishing by its alluvial islets flow gently against the shore. The islets form lagoons circled by lush growth and crowned by flocks of exotic seabirds. In the waters below, species of perhaps some of the best fish in the world share an aquatic sanctuary, a habitat so rare it is protected by a treaty.

Greece’s Healing Hot Springs

Since antiquity, persons suffering from muscular discomforts have sought comfort provided by the healing waters of nature’s hot springs. Fortunately, Greece not only has an abundance of these natural, thermal springs, but is taking the lead in the tourism industry by offering extraordinary “Thermal Travel” packages to tourists. A company called “Thermal Greece” has very enticing, year-round choices, including five resorts where services are offered year round.

The company is not a travel agency, but a dedicated physical therapy service. It is the brainchild of two men: one is a medical doctor specializing in rheumatology and the other is a tourism specialist. They combined their skills to offer physical healing services in carefully selected, modern Greek hydrotherapy centers. This differs from traditional travel agencies promoting spa destinations as part of a holiday. Those who enroll in a “Thermal Greece” program receive personalized, holistic healing treatments utilizing the benefits of baths in the most outstanding natural hot springs of Greece.

The founders of this service released the following statement: “In contemporary medicine, it is widely accepted that including hot baths in a natural, thermal springs setting, helps patients suffering from musculo-skeletal problems, due either to medical disorders or physical and mental stress. These problems are much more effectively addressed and cured and healing is more thoroughly pronounced and lasting.”

They added that while spa treatment centers have proliferated internationally, the hot baths and curative spas of Greece are among the best because they are rich in trace elements, salts, and other compounds beneficial to the mind and body. “At our unique thermal treatment centers, we understand and employ the ancient knowledge of the benefits of natural hot springs to our bodies. We understand their important role in revitalization, rejuvenation, pain relief and alleviation of chronic fatigue, in addition to bringing about deep relaxation and euphoria.”

To choose a stay at one of five thermal centers, please visit the website of Thermal Greece at www.thermalgreece.com. The centers are open all year round, are in settings of outstanding natural beauty, and offer excellent accommodations. You may choose from spas in Edipsos, Northern Evia; Agistron, Macedonia; Apollonia, near Thessaloniki; Kamena Vourla, 160 km north of Athens, or Loutraki, 80 km west of Athens. Plans are underway to offer thermal bath facilities in Ikaria and Pozar.

TO TELOS (THE END)

Published in The National Herald, February 2014 and on Hellenic Lifestyle ..Celebrating Greek Spirit

Photos by Thermal Greece

In the Mountainous Village of Tsintzina, Doing Nothing is Really Something!

I experienced Greece in an entirely new way when I went to a mountain village because I was told there was absolutely nothing to do there but walk in the woods during the day and sit at a taverna at night. To get there I had to start from Sparti and convince a taxi driver to transport me up the 1,900 meter, precarious road.

Many taxis were parked in front of my hotel but I could not get a driver. A young female drove up, wearing jeans and boots and walked with a sense of purpose through the phalanx of men, asking, “Are you the woman who wants to go to Tsintzina?” When I said yes, she motioned to her cab, made some sort of signal to the men (!!), and off we went.

Kardamili: An Ancient Love Nest

I went deep into Mani to Kardamili and my senses were alive. I smelled the salty sea, thyme-covered mountains, grapes, and currants. I tasted wine called “Hercules Blood,” touched the mystic caverns of the awesome Diros Caves, and heard the shrill sounds of the cicadas. What I wanted most of all, however, was to see the ancient love nest of Helen of Troy and Paris, the young Prince and son of Priam, the Trojan King. I was in Peloponnese making my way toward it.

Kardamili was the home of Patrick Leigh Fermor, the great Philhellene travel writer and English commando in Crete during World War II, and rumors were that he was seen at times in a local pub. Driving deep into the rugged paths of Mani, the scents of thyme, rosemary, grapes, and currants were in the air. Towers appeared on the torn, barren land then disappeared just as suddenly. The town was wild and naked, night was falling, and there was not a pub in sight.

Airport-Side Luxury: the Sofitel in Athens

The Sofitel Hotel at Athens Airport is the perfect respite for travelers who need relaxation and pampering after a stimulating holiday in Greece, and before boarding the airplane for the long trip home. If you were on the mainland or the islands for two weeks or two months, you owe yourself the convenience of unwinding in an outstanding oasis of tranquility, literally steps from the airport.

It is a luxurious five-star facility with French art de recevoir and overlooks the lovely Mesoghaia (middle earth) Valley. If you are staying for a few days, a Concierge can arrange a guided tour of Athens or, if your desire is to visit the Greek islands, private transportation to Piraeus can be arranged. Do your travel plans allow you to stay for one night only? The Sofitel is your best choice, especially if you have an early morning flight. You are 50 meters from the entrance to the airport; there is no need to awaken earlier than necessary to board a shuttle bus.

In the Footsteps of Lord Byron

In central Greece, Messolonghi rests sleepily in the arms of the rivers Acheloos and Evinos at the northern end of the entrance to the Gulf of Patras, much as it did in ancient times. When the town stirs, the shallow waters languishing by its alluvial islets flow gently against the shore. The islets form lagoons circled by lush growth and crowned by flocks of exotic seabirds. In the waters below, species of perhaps some of the best fish in the world share an aquatic sanctuary, a habitat so rare it is protected by a treaty.

Messolonghi is moody and mysterious, a serenely placid place where the summer skies are as quiet and as still as the water. It is a town where one is struck by the unruffled repose and dignity of the more mature residents and the budding pride in the young.