Greece Favorite Tips by SirRichard Top 5 Page for this destination

Greek temples

Favorite thing: The image that comes to our mind when we think of Greek Temples is a bunch of marble ruins, half destroyed, in light yellow colors and with no roof... but that's only what's left of it after the years. The original temples were painted in bright colors, with tiled roofs and closed to the people.

The closest idea you can have of it is the classical style new buildings you can find in some cities, like the Zappeion in Athens.

Ionian Sea

Favorite thing: The Ionian Sea is the part of Greece located westernmost, at the left of the Peloponessos peninsula, already close to Italy and Albania.
The islands here are greener, bigger and less crowded than the more famous islands of the Aegean.
There are no direct ferries from Piraeus, the easiest way to get there is to take a bus to Patras and there take a ferry to any of the islands.

The best known islands are:
- Corfu
- Kefallonia
- Zakynthos
- Ithaca
- Lefkada

Ionic architecture

Favorite thing: On the ionic islands (those at the left of Pelopponese) you won't find many typical white Greek villages, but mostly houses made of stone and painted in "earthy" colors, ochre, yellow, salmon...

White washed spots

Favorite thing: I love those hidden white washed spots in most of the greek islands. Specially in the Aegean area, where almost 90% of the towns are that white, but also in the Ionic area, where the houses are normally more "brown" or yellowish, geberally built in stone...

Clear waters

Favorite thing: Greece is world famous for its crystal clear waters and creeks. Well, is tru, I must admit. You can find this transparent waters in most of the islands, and the best way to find them is by private boats with which you can stop where you want. But you can also discover some in regular boat trips, hiring the boats to local fishermen or so. Go find them!

Ionian Islands

Favorite thing: The islands located in the west side of Greece (Ionian sea) are rather different from those in the Aegean Sea.
These islands (Corfu, Zakinthos, Kefallonia, Ithaka...) are greener, with more sandy beaches and the architecture is different too. Houses are not so white, they are rather painted in colors as yellow, camel...

Though U mighy go to some directly from Athens, to go to others you will have to go to Patras first and from there take a ferry

Homeric routes

Favorite thing: If U R fond of Homer and its books, there are some places that will remind you in Greece some parts of his work. PLaces that appear in the texts, mainly in the Ionian Sea:
- The Nymphs Cave (see pic) in Ithaka: here is where Ulisses left his treasuries when he returned, before going home as an old beggar.
- Dexa Bay (Ithaka): where Ulisses was diembarked by the phaecians.
- The fields where Eumeo, the man in charge of the pigs, lived and met Ulisses after he returned (Ithaka).
- Corfu, the island of the phaecians.
- Pilos, where King Nestor lived. There went Telemachus to ask for help.
- Mycenae, where king Agamennon lived.
- Sparta (not much left there, just a modern town) where King Menelaos lived.

Cycladic streets

Favorite thing: One of the things I like more of the Cyclades Islands are those white narrow alleys that remind me so much to "my" Andalusian villages, the place where I am from.
Get lost in the Hora of the little islands, where (unlike Mykonos) you won't find a disco or a burger ruining down the atmosphere...

National Archeological Museum (Athens)

Favorite thing: If there is a MUST in Athens (after the Acropolis) it is THE Museum. Here you can find in a same building most of the Greek Art and Culture, from the Mycenic pieces to those wonderful statues that seem to be ready to come alive.

Reserve a half day minimum to enjoy it!

Homer and the classicals

Favorite thing: And all the great greek classical authors have created a mythology and stories that are part of our civilization and an unbeatable way to know the greek soul.

If you wanna read The Odyssey online go to the link below:
http://www.greekmythology.com/Books/Odyssey/odyssey.html