From a miserable, dark, grey sky to a bright yellow blue
sky, this is how the city of the Gods, Athens, welcomed us. Greece had always
been on my mind and landing on the land, for real, was an ethereal experience
for me. The land of Alexander the great, the land of Apollo the Sun God, the
land of Aphrodite the Goddess of love, beauty! A forbidden mystical world for
me had suddenly become more realistic and I was in complete awe of it! Greece
is a country which is made up of 7000 islands but only 300 of them are
inhabited. It is a country which is patriarchal in nature. It has about 24 monasteries
which are followers of Orthodox Christianity. Except for the all women monasteries,
these Orthodox monasteries are forbidden for women.
Day 1: Delphi
If you love the mountains and its hair pin country roads, then
you are in for a treat here. I loved everything about the journey from the
hotel to the site of Delphi. The vast stretches of Olive trees, the deep
plunging gorges, the array of similar looking houses on the mountain slopes,
the archaeological remains of past grandeur here and there, the sound of the
falling and crashing of the water from the mountain streams, the daunting
mountains rising above our heads! I have been to a collection of mountainous
places, but the thought of scaling the heights of Alexander the great and the
like, made this place and Greece on a whole relatively more special. I am not a
history buff, but you don’t have to be a history geek to appreciate the beauty
of this place. Standing on the remains of the ‘Temple of Apollo’ gave me a
sense of euphoria and ecstasy. A mortal among the immortals! A sanctuary in the
arms of nature’s breadth taking beauty, surrounded by the tall Parnassus
mountains, almost 600 ft. above sea level, with rocky bald patches and a
seamless green Olive trees horizon, complete with a small stream which promises
of a legendary ‘water of youth’, Delphi is definitely a place to be. And if you
want to have a traditional Greek meal after the enchanting visit, then ‘Gala
Delphi’, a small traditional looking yet inviting restaurant is the place.
Day 2: Thessaloniki
Our day started with an early morning flight to Thessaloniki.
We were greeted by a charming Macedonian lady, Dimitra. Yes we booked a private
taxi as we made this trip in a not so tourist season. Infact, tourism in Greece
picks up from May onwards and continues till August. So soon we were on our way
to Vergina. Set in the foothills of Mount Pieria, Vergina is the home of tombs for
the Greek Kings something similar to the pyramids of the Egyptians. It is said
that it contains the tomb of King Phillip II, father of Alexander the great. It
is said that Alexander’s mother, Olympias wanted her son to become the emperor.
It was a formidable wish which could only be realised through the death of the
present king. So she conspired, the murder of the king and her husband by
recruiting one of the king’s bodyguards, on the day of her daughter,
Cleopatra’s wedding. The grandeur of the Greek Royalty can be seen here in the
tombs turned museums. The site is located beneath the earth with a Doric style
entrance. It was planned by the Greeks in a way to preserve the remains of
their Kings, Queens and their descendants in order to preserve the legacy.
Unlike the Egyptians where they mummified the bodies, the Ancient Greeks always
cremated the bodies of their Royals. Then they used to find the remaining
bones, wash them with red wine, put them inside urns and then build tombs. Even
today the tradition of digging out the remains of the bodies after burial and
washing them with red wine and then reburying them is a Greek tradition. Also like
the Egyptians, ancient Greeks used to bury food, jewellery, and four live
horses along with the bodies for service through the after live. It was
fascinating to see the level of intricate décor the headboards of the bed had.
From gold leaves and flowers to chryselephantine designs. The enchanting
display in the museum to the engaging narration of Dimitra, this trip to Vergina
was not only riveting but also enriching. The gold wreaths, the gold urns, the
remains of the objects buried for afterlife, the fragments of the tapestry
used, the terracotta toys, the armoury of the kings, the bewitching frescos on
the façade of the tombs and the feeling and emotions of the Greek Archeologist,
Manolis Andronikos, Vergina had it all,
especially for my husband who is a part time history buff commonly mistaken as
a history professor.
We then moved on to Pella
which was the capital of the ancient Macedon. The road to Pella from Vergina is
another treat for the eyes. The rising snow-capped peaks of Mount Olympus in the
horizon to pink cherry blossoms on either sides of the roads, from unending stretches of
Olive trees to the bright blue sky, it was a journey well made. Pella was a port in
ancient times and was well connected with the Thermaic Gulf. It was the Royal
residence. The level of aristocracy enthralled us with the amount of area each
room covered completed with white and grey pebble mosaics depicting different
themes. The Greek baths also donned this archaeological site. The Greek baths
were a bit different from the Roman baths. Roman baths have a common place of
bath which is a circular bath tub with everyone sitting inside communally.
However, Greek baths had separate rectangular soaking areas with a small
cylindrical plunging hole at the end of each for dunking in the feet. There was
also an underground system for purifying drinking water in the site. With the
outlet a little raised than the inlet for the sedimentations to settle down. As we headed towards the airport to catch a flight back to Athens, we caught a glimpse of the throne of Zeus in the distant horizon. An arc shaped peak amid two high rising triangles.
Day 3:
Rhodes
The day started with an early morning flight to the island
of Rhodes. Situated in yet another picturesque location, Rhodes is house to one
of the country’s biggest butterfly parks. A small water fall cuts through the
entire perimeter of the park with a wooden bridge here and there. Set in the
midst of a lovely green forest, this butterfly park is swarmed with millions of
butterflies in the summer months. Since we were a bit early for these tiny
visitors, yet we could imagine the veracity of the flurry population that would
inhabit this place in a month’s time. It is said if you come to this place with
a white t-shirt on, then by the end of the day it would be a colour wash. The spectacularity
of this idea made us think of a revisit to this place soon! Anyway, Rhodes is
famous historically for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the
World. A giant statue which once donned the gateway to the harbour can be seen
in the museum nearby. It also houses the Palace of the Grand Master of Rhodes. ‘Rhoda’
a typical pink flower inhabits this island. Whether the Acropolis in Lindos, or
the site of ancient Kamiros, the island of Rhodes is a must visit place if you
want to see more of the medieval times in Greece. The walk to the Acropolis in
Lindos is absolutely stunning. A bit of a trekking in the periphery of the simmering
blend of the blue and sea green water of the Aegean Sea is the most fascinating
experience I can remember. A view of the white walls of the houses on the
fringe of the volcanic mountains commemorating with the blue sky in the horizon
is enticing ad infinitum.
Day 4 and 5:
Athens
There is more to Athens than the mammoth Parthenon. The lively
street life, the small cafes spilled across the streets, the flea markets in
every corner, the shops swarming with colourful souvenirs, stores with dangling
leather bags and shoes. Everywhere you turn is life what you see. It was very
unlikely given the current condition of the economy. But tourism is what is
sustaining the country as a whole. So everywhere you see are people who want to
make ends meet hence, genuine welcomes is what you see in their eyes. Freshly coated white walls, to decked up yachts in the harbour, I loved
everything about Greece. The capital was no different. Half of the
country’s population squatters this capital city with an addition of all the visiting tourists.
Hence, the streets are a bit crowded. But we did not mind the crowd because we
crave to see people in the place where we live. Athens has been the capital of
Greece since 1834 and is surrounded by four mountains. Multinational cuisines
daunt the capital city along with the traditional Greek cuisines. The change of
guards in front of the Syntagma or the Parliament square is another thing to
watch for. It is not very elaborate like you might find in the Buckingham Palace
in London; however, the costume of the guards to the leg and foot movements is
what makes this a class apart. It is said that there are approximately 400 pleats
on the dresses that these guards wear. The Archaeological sites in Athens are
situated quite closely, hence, a walking tour is the best way to explore the
lanes and the by lanes of the city.
Day 6:
Mykonos
The island of Mykonos can be reached by a 4 hours ferry
ride. It is a lovely journey to be made among the islands. Mykonos is also
called as the ‘Ibiza of Greece’ given the vibrant night life, the beach front
swarming with little cafes and eateries serving traditional Greek delicacies.
The view of surreal sun gently disappearing in the prodigious Aegean Sea from
the windmills is a feast for the eyes. One can also have a panoramic view of
the town or ‘Chora’ after sunset with the lights illustrating an out of the
world experience. The neighboring island of Dalos is just 2 kms away and is
also a good place to visit. Mykonos is said to be the ‘Jerusalem of the Pagans’.
We had rented a place here for a day to get a feel of the prominent night life
in Mykonos. Set amongst the many white washed walls with blue windows, our
apartment opened up to the striking view of the blue waters of the Aegean Sea
with an occasional view of the white sails of a faraway yacht drifting idly in
the middle of nowhere. Probably what we were savouring from the coast, it was
emancipating from the sea.
Day 7:
Santorini
Even at first glance, Santorini was an island which stood
apart with aloof dignity. Although the whole of Greece is marked with nonpareil
beauty, yet this island eliminated an ethereal power of mesmerizing anyone. Set
on top of a volcanic isle, home to the world famous 300m high Caldera cliffs
that plummet into the Aegean Sea, this classic Greek white walls with a blue
dome island emits more colours than meets the eyes. A bit of exploring around
and you will notice the burnt orange and
blood red, royal purple and butter yellow, electric green and pastel pink.
Santorini’s porous volcanic soil provides a sanctuary for vineyards. It also
helps in providing the island with a kaleidoscope of colourful flowers, bushes
and grasses. A local bus ride from the town of Fira to the town of Oia will give
you a vantage point in catching a glimpse of these wildflowers dotted landscape.
The winding roads along the coastline of the Aegean Sea with stunning patches
of the landscape are not only serene but also unbelievably magnetizing.
Day 8 and 9:
Crete
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