Island hopping in Greece

“Island” and “hopping” are two words that conjure up images of sleek, white boats and crystal, turquoise waters. Designer bathing suits. Jackie O-sunglasses. Add a third word, Greece, and opa; suddenly you’re in jet-set heaven!

I’m booked on the Island Delight, the aptly-named 11-day / 9-night tour of Athens and three incredible islands in the Cyclades: Crete, Santorini and Mykonos.

Shortly after arriving in Athens, I had my first cultural experience: an exhibit of photographs taken by Greek photographers, in collaboration with National Geographic.

I’m staying in Plaka, one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Athens, which is already, in and of itself, the cradle of western civilization! I walked out of my hotel, the Electra Palace, to pedestrian-only walkways that act like a labyrinth framing so many historical and archaeological sites.

I was more than ready for my half-day of touring that included the Acropolis, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Houses of Parliament and the Presidential Palace.

The Sacred Rock, or the Acropolis, dominates Athens—everywhere you look, there it is! A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is a universal symbol of antiquity as well as one of the greatest architectural accomplishments ever.

Another neighbourhood I absolutely loved getting lost in is the Gazi district. Like all great, up and coming neighbourhoods, it used to be an industrial area— for the city’s gasworks. It was also home to a couple of notorious brothels. Sounds intriguing, right?

Full of restaurants, cafés, bars and art, Gazi is actually the ideal area to appreciate ancient Greece, away from the crowds. I really enjoyed meeting up with an old friend at Nixon (I am not a crook!), a bar-restaurant-cinema located in a converted warehouse.

Before island hopping I decided to taxi-hop, to Balux, De Lux and Villa Mercedes, three lux places to party with the beautiful people of Athens. I better not party too late though—I’ve got a ferry to catch…

I’ve got some pretty “Crete Expectations” about Crete, where I’m staying at the Astoria Capsis, next door to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum, one of the most important museums in Europe.

Nude beaches abound here, actually, all kinds of beaches abound here but the nude ones are more interesting! What’s a girl to do??

Like Athens and much of the rest of Greece, time really does seem to stand still in Crete. At the Agia Triada Monastery, the ruins of a Minoan palace believed to be a summer retreat, history literally comes alive. One can imagine life as it was during the Bronze Age thanks to the remaining columns, narrow passageways and cellar door. History can be so overwhelming!!

Next is Knossos, a complex of ruins from the Bronze Age excavated in the early 1900s by Sir Arthur Evans, a British archaeologist. According to legend, King Aegeus kept a Minotaur (part-man, part-bull) in an underground maze here and every year he would unleash 14 victims (7 men and 7 women) in the labyrinth, much to the Minotaur’s delight.

Not surprisingly, archaeologists haven’t found any evidence that a monstrous half-man, half-bull creature ever existed at Knossos but they have found a labyrinth that is now believed to have been the palace itself. Mysterious bunch, those Minoans!

What’s most striking about Greece is how cultural it is; how antiquity, art and architecture are literally a part of everyday life. It’s incredible!

What’s even more incredible is the delicious meal I had at I Sterna tou Bloumosifis, a traditional taverna in Vamos. Specialities include a variety of Cretan cheeses, fennel pie, stuffed courgette blossoms, risotto and, of course, wine. For dessert, try the kaltsounia (crispy cheese pie with mint and honey), some slices of melon and a shot of tsikoudia (raki). Raki is an anise-flavoured milky, white drink that is sometimes referred to as lion’s milk. Guess why.

I leave for Santorini tomorrow; what do you recommend I see there first?