A relaxed pace in Greece

We roamed the islands for our two week stay in Greece. It was generally a more laid back pace compared to our average travelling days. When it was time to leave, I noted in my journal “It’s sad to leave the islands. We’re going back to the hustle and bustle of travelling.”

Even at a relaxed pace, Sarah and I tended to explore as we were not “beach people”. Our touring included a good dose of greek mythology, getting acquainted with each island and plenty of tasty Greek food.

I felt a sense of awe walking up the smooth worn marble steps of the Acropolis to the Parthenon. The rocky outcrop high above Athens was impressive. In Crete, we took a tour of the palace of Knossos (the photo below with the wall artwork) and learned about the Minoan civilization, one of the earliest in Europe. A day trip from Mykonos took us to the Island of Delos, where the greek god Apollo (son of Zeus) was born under a palm tree with his twin brother Artemis. No births or deaths have been allowed since on the island. It was eerie, walking among the ruins on the barren land.

I enjoyed meandering through the maze of tiny streets in the white washed towns of Santorini, Ios and Mykonos. Each of the islands had its own appeal. In Santorini, we whizzed around the island on mopeds and explored the adjacent little volcanic islands by boat. Ios was about the nightlife as we celebrated our two month anniversary of backpacking. Lovely Mykonos was full of rickety windmills and majestic pelicans.

The food was really good and reasonable so we ate out most of the time. I had my first gyros in Greece (and countless more). Gyros was my go-to snack. I was amazed at the big slab of feta on greek salads. Other delicious eats included hearty moussaka and grilled souvlaki. These delights were generally accompanied by a local beer, which was cheaper than a bottle of water.

We spent a lot of time on ferries in Greece. But the slow train from Patras to Athens is the voyage I remember fondly. The unhurried trundle was a fitting prelude for our journey through Greece.

“I have never felt so content sitting on the train watching the scenery go by along the water with lemon groves, music playing softly in the background.”

Excerpt from my journal entry for Athens

This is one entry from my 1992 European backpacking trip with my friend Sarah. If you want to start at the beginning, please check out The journey starts in Nice.