Tag Archives: featured

I remember hearing about Chania and Crete as a child in Brazil. At our family reunions, my uncle Christos – who was born there and became part of the family when he married my aunt Maria – would tell us about Crete and Greece, and we children were always fascinated by his stories. Everything aboutContinue reading “Chania, Crete, a beauty in Greece”

Crete is the largest of the Greek islands, and – according to people who know the country well – the finest. Crete has history, culture, traditions, a rich cuisine and some of the most beautiful beaches in Greece. A land of myth and imagination – where mythology and history are so intertwined it’s hard toContinue reading “Knossos palace, Crete – the first Europeans”

One of the world’s greatest sights and a favorite destination for romantic couples, the iconic Greek island of Santorini is an easy 45-minute flight from Athens. Direct flights from other European cities are also available, but I opted for a three-hour boat ride from Mykonos instead, to continue my Greek-island hopping. It was a goodContinue reading “Santorini, Greece – honeymoon paradise”

There’s no denying that the Greek islands Mykonos and Santorini attract international jet-setters like honey attracts flies. But these days they seem to attract everybody else, too. Are they crowded? You bet. Part of the Cyclades group of islands in the Aegean Sea, on the eastern corner of the Mediterranean, both islands are endowed withContinue reading “Mykonos, Greece – the party island”

What’s most impressive about the Meteora Orthodox Monasteries – a UNESCO World Heritage site in a remote corner of Greece – is the site where they were built. Sitting atop impossibly high stone pinnacles, erected at a time when all work was manual, some people even attribute their very existence to divine intervention. But whateverContinue reading “Meteora Monasteries, Greece – on earth, close to heaven”

To some people, the word oracle probably brings to mind the giant software company of Silicon Valley. But the inspiration for the name – the Oracle of Delphi, in Greece – is much older than that. Delphi and the Temple of Apollo – the former being the most important oracle in all antiquity, the latterContinue reading “The Oracle of Delphi – how intoxicated priestesses ruled the Greeks”

I’ve often heard people say that ‘Athens is an ugly city, don’t bother with it, go straight to the Greek islands’. I’m glad I didn’t listen – I found Athens beautiful, exciting, culturally rich and full of layers.  Of course there’s no account for taste – different people seek out different things while traveling. But how couldContinue reading “Athens, Greece – where it all started”

I was introduced to Greece not long ago, but once we two met, it was love at first sight. One look at the 5th-century BC Acropolis in Athens – one of the remnants of the greatest civilization the West ever produced – is enough to remind us of how very few things actually matter, andContinue reading “Greece – reasons to go”

It’s not the typical way to see France, but a trip on a barge on one of its river canals is for sure the best way to explore the heart of the country and avoid crowds of tourists. That’s what I had in mind when I booked a one-week trip on Barge Luciole, which cruisesContinue reading “Barge cruises in France – the way to see the heartland”

Spain’s Costa Brava isn’t on the radar for many Americans tourists yet. However, its stunning Mediterranean coast and quaint white-washed coastal towns, combined with rich culture and traditions, are great reasons to cross the Atlantic. I had visited places nearby Costa Brava many times, while living in London. But as familiar as I was withContinue reading “Costa Brava – the stunning wild coast of Spain”