"Where Gods live" Athens by shirez

The island is the second largest in Greece, after Crete. Long and narrow, it stretches over the Aegean Sea very close alongside the shores of Mainland Greece, separated from it by the Gulf of Euboea and the famous Evripos Straits.
A main highway and ferry-boats from several terminals form the links with this island space which is a centre of attraction for those seeking natural beauty and scenic variety. There is something of interest to be seen at every turn in Euboea. Towns brisk with tourist traffic or peaceful villages, apparently forgotten by time. There are large fertile valleys and wooded mountainsides where mountain climbers can enjoy themselves as much as those opting, instead, for the attractions of the seashores with their excellent sandy beaches, organized bathing facilities and charming secluded coves. Modern life thrives alongside splendidly preserved tradition. There are picturesque country fairs where genuine local customs survive. Euboea can promise and indeed offer its guests all this.

Some useful information:
Greece - country code 30
For help and information, the Greek Tourist Police provide an excellent Service 171
Police emergency service - Flying Squad 100
Ambulance Service - Athens 166
Fire Brigade 199
Auto road assistance - ELPA 104
Auto road assistance - Express Service 154
Telegrams - Domestic 155
Telegrams - International 165
International Dialing Instructions in English, French & German 169
Directory Enquiries 131
Wake-up call 182

Keftedes (Meat balls) Made from mincemeat, onions and bread, fried in oil
Oktapodi (Octopus) Usually barbequed and seved with vinegar
Garides (Shrimps) Usually served fried or with sauce
Kalamaraki (Squid) Fried and served with lemon
Feta (White goat cheese) Usually served with Greek salad
Dolmadakia (Stuffed wine leaves) Made from rice and wine leaves sprinkled with oil and lemon
Taramosalata (Fish roe) Made from smoked fish roe blended into a pate
Melitzanosalata (Eggplant dip) Made from fresh eggplant blended with onion and garlic
Loukanika (Small sausages) Usually barbequed and served with lemon
Tiropitakia (Small cheese pies) Made from feta, eggs, flour, milk, and rolled with pastry
Bourekakia (Small meat pies) A delicacy from Crete
Spanakopita (Spinach pie) Made from spinach and cheese, rolled with pastry
Gigantes (Fasolia) (Broad white beans) Baked with tomato sauce in the oven
Saganaki (Saganaki) Fried cheese served with lemon or fried shrimps with tomato sauce and cheese

Horiatiki (Greek Salad) Made with tomatos, cucumber, olives, feta, onions
Maroulosalata (Lettuce salad) Cut into thin slices and served with oil and lemon
Lahano (Cabbage) Cut into thin slices and served with oil and lemon

Mousakas (Moussaka) Layers of egg-plant, minced meat and potatoes topped with cheese sauce and baked
Youvetsi (Veal casserole) Baked veal with pasta and tomato sauce
Pastitsio (Type of makaroni) Made with minced meat and bechamel, baked in the oven
Gemista (Stuffed tomatoes or peppers) Filled with rice or minced meat, baked in the oven
Souzoukakia (Meat balls) Made with tomato sauce and garlic
Fassolada (Bean soup) Boiled with tomatoes, onions, carrots and celery
Melitsanes (Fried aubergines/courgettes) Fried with batter
Kokinisto (Veal casserole) Veal boiled with tomato sauce and served with pasta or potatoes
Frikase (Lamb casserole) Boiled with celery and herbs
Kokoretsi (Kokoretsi) Served on a skewer made from liver and kidneys

Baklavas (Baklava) Syrup cake made from pastry and walnuts
Loukoumades (Fritters) Made from flour, yeast and salt, with honey or syrup
Kataifi (Kataifi) Shredded wheat soaked in honey
Galaktoboureko (Custard-filled pastry) Made from pastry, cream and syrup

The area surrounding Athens, known as Attica, is characterised by calm beaches, and the pinewoods and thyme-covered slopes of Mount Parnes, Hymettus and Pentelico. As one travels northwest, towards the interior, the landscape combines fertile plains planted with tobacco and cotton, and rugged mountains with unspoilt villages and winter ski resorts.

CAPE SOUNIO: 69km (43 miles) east of Athens, crowning Cape Sounio is a towering promontory which dominates the landscape for miles around. Here stand the superb ruins of the Temple of Poseidon, built in the 4th century BC, commanding spectacular views over the sea and islands. The Apollo Coast, a highly developed tourist area stretching from Piraeus to Cape Sounio, is dotted with exclusive resorts such as Glifada (17km/11 miles from Athens) and Vouliagmeni (24km/15 miles from Athens), offering marinas, well-kept beaches, modern hotel complexes, seafood tavernas and luxury-class restaurants and nightclubs. North of Cape Sounio lies Rafina, Athens’ second port, with ferry connections to Euboea and some of the Greek Islands.

OSSIOS LOUKAS: Northwest of Athens, close to the town of Livadia, stands the magnificent monastery of Ossios Loukas. Within the monastery complex one can visit the 11th-century Church of St Luke, noted for its marvellous Byzantine mosaics, and the 13th-century Church of the Virgin, built by Cistercian monks who occupied the monastery during the Middle Ages. Livadia, built into the foothills of Mount Helikon, was famous in ancient times for the Oracle of Trophonios Zeus and the Springs of Forgetfulness (Lethe) and Memory (Mnemosyne) to the north of the town.

DELPHI: Lying 176km (109 miles) northwest of Athens, Delphi can be reached by road via Livadia and Arahova. This is the site of the famous Oracle, where rulers of ancient Greece came for many centuries for political and moral guidance. The complex of treasury buildings, plinths and the foundations for the 4th-century BC Temple of Apollo are set on the steep rocky hillside, overlooking olive groves and the Sanctuary of Athena, known as the Marmaria (marbles). A steep uphill climb from the Temple brings one to the theatre, offering stunning views over the entire site, and further uphill still lies the ancient stadium. The Delphi Museum contains a superb collection of finds from the site.

Many visitors to Delphi stay overnight in nearby Arahova, a pretty hillside town renowned for its cheese, formaela. Alternatively, a short distance southwest of Delfi, on the northern coast of the Gulf of Corinthia, lie the seaside towns of Itea and Galaxidi, offering hotels, restaurants and beaches. A regular bus connects Athens and Itea, passing through Arahova and Delphi enroute.

MOUNT PARNASSUS: Close to Arahova, on the main road from Athens to Delphi, lie the southern slopes of Mount Parnassus, which towers 2457m (8061ft) over the Gulf of Corinth. Through winter (December to April) the mountain hosts a number of well-equipped ski resorts, and the area is popular with hikers during spring and autumn.

EUBOEA: The island of Euboea is the second largest in Greece after Crete. A major bridge (road and rail) spans the narrow Evripos Strait that separates the island from the mainland, to arrive in the main town, Halkida, a well-developed tourist resort. Euboea is an island of great natural beauty and scenic variety, with sandy beaches and secluded coves, wooded mountainsides ideal for climbing, and many peaceful and unspoilt villages. Regular train and bus services run between Halkida and Athens, and there is a ferry from Rafina.