I have traveled to many destinations in the last 30 years, but never to a European country. I had so many tropical destinations to explore, I just never got around to Europe until 2006.  That was the year of the Solar Eclipse in the Libyan Sahara that was hosted by the Toronto Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society. We observed the eclipse from deep in the Sahara Desert and spent a week in Libya.

The group itinerary also included a week in Italy, where we saw both astronomical and the regular sights in Rome, Florence, Venice, and Milan. The group then returned to Toronto, however I added an extra week to the trip by traveling onward to Athens, Greece.  This gives me time to kick back and relax…and see a few of the sights on the Greek mainland.

I really found the European portion of the itinerary fascinating. So JoeTourist^® finally made it to Europe!

The Itinerary

Although I would suggest you start with Athens, if you are only interested in certain parts of Greece, by all means click on the specific links below:

Please click on the Athens link to get started. You can click on the "Next" links at the bottom of each page and find your way through the whole trip beginning to end.  Of course, the text link navigation bar to be found at the top of each page is also an excellent way to explore the JoeTourist^® website, especially if you want to jump around.

Thoughts on Greece

So, what did I like best about Greece? The people are friendly and helpful, although not too many speak English.  I didn't try to speak Greek - I just don't have any talent for learning languages, and find a smile and some pointing or gesturing gets the job done.  I liked Greece very much. 

My JoeTourist Blog has several entries for Greece.  I found online access was very inexpensive, however when using Internet Cafes, be prepared to sit among all the smokers!

Where to next in Greece? This first trip to Greece was limited mainly because I only had a week to explore.  I chose to stay on the mainland close to Athens, which was the correct choice for this visit.  Although the Acropolis and other world famous and very impressive mainland sites are must-see, my plan for a return trip to Greece would be to travel to the islands.

Other than the language, North Americans should experience very little culture shock when visiting Greece.  The country is very modern, and has efficient and plentiful transportation and accommodation.

Links to Greece

Normally I include some links to websites which highlight the country appearing on the JoeTourist^® website, however there are so many excellent websites which describe Greece in detail, I will only include a few generic links here, as well as my favorites.  As you progress through the locales I visited, you will notice I've included some specific links to websites that relate directly to the particular page.

Next >>> Athens