Greece

*Temple to the Goddess Athena (one of many) next to Delphi*

Greece was a fantastic place to land and re-group after a year and a half in Africa and the Middle East. We felt a huge sense of comfort in the European familiarity and how easy everything was for us. For the first time in ages we didn’t feel like we stuck out for miles, walking around with a big imagined TOURIST sign floating above our heads. We could (somewhat) blend in to the crowds, we understood the food, the customs, the rules. The similarity of the culture to our own backgrounds was a temporary reprieve. We love pushing ourselves to learn and explore, but sometimes it is a relief to have everything just be simple for a bit. Although we are fortunate and happy to be on this journey to drive around the world, it does take a toll. Every day is different, an unfamiliar assault on the senses, and every day can be a challenge in finding basic resources.

But aside from being a great place for us to feel a sense of ease and relaxation, Greece is just straight up a terrific place to travel. We loved the beaches, the mountains, the food (some of the best in the world!) and, of course, the iconic cultural and historical sites and engaging people.

*Our route driving through Greece with a flight to and from Crete and a few island ferries along the way*

At first, we were without the truck, waiting for it to arrive on a ship from Israel, so we booked into a hotel in Athens for a few nights then flew over to Crete to explore the island (like a regular tourist not an overland traveler, it was a little disconcerting for us).

*View over Athens - immense and dense, with almost no public parks or open space for miles and miles.*

Athens felt like a thriving city, alive with art and history, even outside of the old town areas and the Acropolis. During our time in Greece we learned to appreciate and admire the incorporation of art and whimsy into everyday life that seemed to come so easy to the Greek people - probably due to centuries of practice.

*Contemporary murals were common in downtown Athens*

*Alongside architecture incorporating ancient styles*

*Old Greek Orthodox church surrounded by modern shops*

*Endless narrow streets with awesome cafes and bars*

*Making our way through old town up to the Acropolis in the distance*

We are convinced that we visited Greece at the very best time - March and April. We enjoyed cool mornings, sunny afternoons and a lack of crowds. As a caveat, we were not laying out on the beach or diving into the ocean to swim, but then that is not usually our favorite pastime anyway.

*The Acropolis (name of the hill which towers over Athens with 5th century ruins, including the Parthenon)*

*It was such a major site, we booked a tour with a guide (Constantine, with the hat and the pointing finger) who was terrific and gave a lot of interesting context*

We would put the Acropolis up there with the very best archeological sites we have visited in the world, along with Petra in Jordan, Ephesus in Turkey and Great Zimbabwe. We were so inspired by the sense of history that we could not stop snapping pictures.

*And then jumping forward in artistic time . . .*

*Whimsical alley way we wandered into in Athens*

*Even the vehicles expressed their owner’s personalities*

After three days exploring, and resting it up in Athens, we flew to Crete. Still without the truck, we rented a small car to get around the island.

*Clay wine urns on display at Palace of Minos at Knossos, outside Heraklion*

Although commonly referred to as Crete’s pre-eminent historical site. the Palace at Minos was a disappointment for us. It had been heavily restored. We learned that a lot of the “restoration” was actually completed by British archeologist Sir Arthur Evans who made a lot of questionable choices in his early 1900’s restoration - using modern building materials, repainting frescos without much care for historical accuracy and choosing to paint some of the buildings’ columns a bright red. As a contrast to the Acropolis, we did not feel steeped in ancient history.

But luckily for us, the beautiful island of Crete was not really about archeological sites, but about gorgeous coastline, stunning harbor towns, and craggy (still snowy!) mountains and gorges.

*Leaving Heraklion to explore the northern coast*

We continued our history lessons on Crete - more of the European and Ottoman power plays through time. Crete came under control of Venice in the early 13th century and continued under their ownership until it became their last overseas possession in the 17th century. In 1669 the Venetian Kingdom finally fell to the Ottomans and Crete became part of the Ottoman Empire.

*Wandering the enchanting side streets of Chania*

After being charmed by the architecture in Chania, we continued to the west to the remote coastal area of Elafonissi - beautiful deserted beaches perfect for a spring walk.

*Our favorite Greek picnic lunch - fresh bread, olive paste and feta cheese.*

Traveling with a rental car and staying in hotels was very different for us. It had been a long time since we had to deal with hauling luggage in and out of hotels and we missed endless supplies of cold water and snacks from our fridge. But on the upside, we were able to stretch out in big climate controlled rooms every night and explore the local cuisine in restaurants more than we normally would. Since we were early in the season, hotels were a reasonable $40 USD a night for mid range accommodations. Budget meals were easy to find at $5-9 a person. It also helped that hotels commonly served a huge and filling breakfast which jump started our daily calorie count at no additional cost.

*The charming harbor at Chania with a mountainous backdrop*

*Our favorite Greek fast food - gyros (falafal for Dawn, beef for Andy, with Dawn’s wine cheaper than Andy’s Pepsi)*

We had intended to hike the famous Samaria Gorge but unfortunately it was not open yet due to weather. No worries, instead we drove south and hiked Imbros Gorge - a lovely day hike.

*View down to the southern coast of Crete*

After hiking the gorge, we ended up enjoying the views on the southern coast of Crete and decided it was time to explore the inner mountains and agrarian plateaus as we wound our way back north.

*Remote road through interior Crete - beautiful mountains all around*

Crete was a surprise to us with the variety of experiences it provided - we had not expected the vast expanses of mountains alongside the captivating villages.

The island provided a lovely blend of remote hiking and culinary and artistic sites. We loved wandering the old towns and walking the beaches in equal parts.

*The pastel color schemes were lovely and soothing*

Of course a visit to Crete requires visiting some ancient religious sites - the Cretans staunchly held onto their Greek Orthodox roots despite being occupied by both the Venetians (Catholic) and Ottomans (Muslim).

We found our exploring rhythm, mixing it up with coastal harbor towns and interior cultural sites and remote roads. But as Google took us on some navigational adventures (love those “short cuts”) we definitely missed our capable 4x4 a few times.

*Ancient City of Lato - built in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC*

The huge benefit of visiting in April, we were often on our own to explore ancient sites which always adds to the mystery.

*Visiting these ancient sites we could always understand why people settled where they did - usually with a magnificent, defensible view and natural resources nearby*

*A Google “shortcul” Andy pre-walking the road to see if our little rental car is going to make it*

*Mountain road - most of the roads in Crete were easily driveable with any vehicle*

Dawn requested a side trip to Matala Beach - site where notable 60’s artists (Joni Mitchell!) lived and created music in their hippy years.

*Caves at Matala Beach - former home to 60’s musicians*

*Not the most descriptive museum sign we have seen . . .*

*Our last gorge hike before we leave Crete*

Our time in Crete was up and it was time to be re-united with our home on wheels. A short flight took us back from Heraklion to Athens, then a taxi ride to the port of Lavrio dropped us off feeling a little anxious and lost.

*A little searching and we found the shipping office*

*And then, the truck!! (We still don’t have a catchy name for it like most overlanders do)*

Fully rested after our ten days of hotels and restaurants we set off on what felt like, to us, our “real” exploration of Greece - overlander style. Our first stop was the Peloponnese Peninsula.

The Corinth Canal, splitting the land bridge which connects the Peloponnese Peninsula to mainland Greece, boats have been navigating the canal since 600BC, although most of the excavation was done in the 18th and 20th centuries.

In general, maybe because it was still early in the season, we found Greece to be an easy place to overland. Wild camping was readily available in most areas. An easy going “live and let live” culture meant that people did not mind us overnighting in remote places. We used the iOverlander app to find places to sleep and avoided being in sight of any houses or roads when possible.

*Ruins of Ancient Olympia - birthplace of the Olympics*

For our Audible books selection in Greece, as we drove we listened to Greek mythology and hero stories. It was amazing how the stories connected the dots with the places we were visiting. (We listened to Stephen Fry’s Mythos and then Heroes, very comprehensive). Listening to the labors of Hercules and then visiting the site where he supposedly started the Olympics definitely brought it all home.

*Andy doing his Herculean pose at the entrance to the first Olympic Field*

*On our way along the beach to find a remote spot*

*Got ourselves into trouble - its always at the beach! Maxtrax to the rescue (again)*

*Settled in for the night on the hard packed sand*

The next place on our itinerary (Andy’s very organized spreadsheet which Dawn loves to mess with) was the enchanting village of Monemvasia. A castle town built on the side of a cliff so that it was hidden from the mainland, it was one of our favorite towns to visit in Greece.

*One of the most aesthetically charming places we visited in Greece*

*Finding the trail to circumnavigate the small island*

*Coastal camp in view of the Monemvasia (almost) island - technically a “tied” island as it has a small land bridge*

*We are just happy to be back in the truck and in our own bed*

Our next stop on the Peloponnese Peninsula was an equally magical place, the Byzantine ruins at Mystras - a well deserved World Heritage Unesco site.

*Ruins of Mystras - center of Byzantine culture in the 14th and 15th centuries*

*Some of the buildings partially restored*

*Google maps “shortcut” cutting through an olive grove - a familiar site in Greece*

*Camp for the night, beautiful view oceanside*

*Vast ruins across the hillside - at its peak the military stronghold for the Greeks had a population of 30,000*

We felt like we couldn’t visit Greece without experiencing some idyllic island life. Andy did some careful research and chose four for us: Hydra, Mykonos, Naxos and Tinos. We wanted to visit one iconic tourist one (and chose Mykonos over Santorini, just slightly less upscale which felt like a better fit for us) plus some smaller lesser known ones.

First up was Hydra, which appealed to us as it was vehicle free (although it did mean ditching the truck again). Luckily there was plenty of free, safe parking at the dock.

*Waiting dockside for our ferry to Hydra*

*Walking the hills and enjoying the views on Hydra*

*Classic boxy white architecture we found across the Greek islands*

Hydra was our favorite of the islands we visited. It had tourism infrastructure but was not crowded. It was easy to walk on trails away from the center. With no cars, pedestrian life was easy, although the hills were steep! It was beautiful and serene, people were welcoming but there was no pressure to engage in tourist activities.

*Lots of steps! Also royal blue commonly used as the design accent color throughout the islands*

*Main harbor at Hydra, lined with cafes and bars*

*Donkeys and horses lined up to transport people and goods on an island with no cars (at least on the populated side, we did see some trucks helping with construction on the non touristed side)*

We spent a night in Hydra then returned to the mainland where our truck was safely waiting for us.

*What excites us these days! The first self service laundromat we had seen in 18 months. Luxury.*

*Truck packed away in the corner of the ferry to Mykonos*

Our next island visit was Mykonos. For us the name evoked celebrity, glamor, and luxury. Luckily it was also a place we could take our truck by ferry. But we quickly found out it was not really a place for self-camping. Highly developed, there was very little open space with roads. Steep empty mountainsides were inaccessible. Coast lines were covered in freshly painted white hotels, homes, pensions and resorts. But the island was stunning with its white and blue architecture and we were glad to have gone - even briefly.

*Iconic blue and white architecture with grey stone walkways - all freshly painted for the season.*

*Finding a place for a walk - on the opposite side of the island from the main tourist center*

*One of two places we found to camp on the island - it looks remote in this photo, and for Mykonos it definitely was*

*But it was actually the parking lot of a church*

*Looking down on a beautiful remote beach*

*Greek independence day parade on Mykonos - March 25 -celebration of the successful revolution against the Ottoman empire*

*The second place we found to camp on Mykonos - in sight of resorts but they were still closed and no one cared that we were there*

The third island we visited was an overnight trip from Mykonos to Naxos. To save on expenses, we left the truck and took the passenger ferry. Although ferry schedules were fairly easy to navigate and book online, they were not cheap. All together for our four island visits (one with the truck) we spent over $600 in ferry tickets.

*Walking to the Portara - giant marble arch still standing from an old temple to Apollo*

*Beautiful beach of Naxos with the classis white Greek island architecture*

*Wandering the old streets of Naxos - finding art everywhere*

Our final island was another overnight without the truck - to Tinos. Each island had its own culture and Tinos felt a little older, less prosperous and less touristy than the other islands we went to.

*Church of Panagia Megalochari in Chora, Tinos, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, it is the most popular pilgrimage site in Greece*

*Carpet to protect the pilgrim’s knees as they approach the church walking on their knees*

*Colorful side streets of Tinos - not all white and blue!*

*And then once again the truck is tucked into the back of a ferry, our island days are over and we are returning to the main land*

We started our central Greece explorations at ancient Delphi - commonly referred to in the Greek myths were were listening to as the site of the famous oracle.

*Ancient Greek stone tablets sitting along the walkways*

*Then back on the road - snow capped mountains in the distance*

Our next stop was Iti National Park with its beautiful rugged mountain vistas and rivers. Local villages had created various art installations along scenic hiking trails - you never knew what you were going to find on the next hilltop.

*And in addition to art - lots of swings.*

*All over the world Andy has stopped to save tortoises slowly crossing busy roads*

*With an easy walk to a castle on a hill*

*It is extraordinary to be the only ones clambering over ancient rocks*

*Another mountain wild site - Andy escaping to the shade to read*

*Charming mountain village of Makrinitsa*

*Admiring the stone architecture of Makrinitsa*

*Hiking along the coast - Pelion Peninsula*

Our last stop in central Greece was a highlight for us - the monasteries of Meteora. The monks built with the intention of avoiding capture by centuries of hostile invaders and occupiers. Initially only accessed by secret tunnels or scaling cliffs, the monasteries now have secure steps, walking paths and rudimentary cable cars used to supply the monks still on site.

*Monasteries of Meteora - built atop rock pinnacles.*

*One of the cable cars bringing supplies*

*Winding our way up the cliff - grateful for the tourist-friendly safety wall*

*It was one of those places that we could just not stop taking photos, in awe of the monks who conceived of and built in these locations*

Across the valley from the monasteries we found one of our favorite camping spots.

*Andy pre-walking the road into what we think will be an epic camping spot*

*View from camp across to the monasteries*

*And then slowly working our way back out to continue our journey*

*Wild spot heading to hike at Vikos Gorge*

*Went for a walk and ran into some Greek vintners having a picnic. We were welcomed to join for wine and gladly did.*

*Mount Olympus - also featured in much of the Greek mythology we were listening to. But we did not have any encounters with Zeus or any of his 11 mischievous cohort of gods.*

*Time for new tires (again!) Last time was Slovenia, now in Thessaloniki*

Not much tread left in these BF Goodrich KO2s. They served us well, lasting 52,000 miles. Unfortunately we had to switch to Yokahama Geolander AT as the BFGs weren’t available. So far we like them

*Walking the waterfront promenade in Thessaloniki*

Our final stop in Greece was the old town of Xanthi. Of course we found river side art, beautiful old architecture and more lively cafes.

And that is a wrap for Greece! Next stop Turkey. Thank you for reading and any questions or comments are welcome. Safe travels out there.

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