For many travelers, a voyage on a cruise is all about enjoying the on-board food, drink and entertainment. But a cruise in the Greek Islands with the luxury operator, Abercrombie and Kent, offers plenty of lessons in everything from art history to oenology to archeology. Find out what you’ll learn on excursions to six Greek islands in my latest article for ForbesLife.
Santorini has such a distinctive, dramatic profile as whitewashed buildings hover over an expansive caldera, and a narrow road zig-zags from the shore to the cliff top.
Patmos is one of my favorite Greek islands. It’s small (just about 7 miles long), scenic, only accessible by boat, and hardly thronged with tourists.
It’s so lovely wandering around the streets — many lined with marble — and exploring the neoclassical architecture on the island of Syros.
It seemed like I was the only one checking out the nooks and crannies on the Greek isles. This is an image from my wanderings in the Vaporia neighborhood on Syros, where I found numerous neoclassical mansions.
On Mykonos, this church (Panagia Paraportiani) — one of the island’s signature sights — is an amalgam of five chapels that were each developed during a different time period.
Mykonos is noted for its luxe shopping venues. But, I scoped out other sights, including some lovely bars perched on the waterfront.
I managed to wander around Mykonos early in the morning before the narrow lanes were thronged with people. This is the scenic Little Venice neighborhood that’s noted for its proximity to the seafront.
Meandering around the relatively quiet streets of Mykonos, I found plenty of scenes that defy the obvious photos often taken of this Greek island.
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| Comino Island - Photo by Bill Kasman, Flickr |
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The terrain that dipped and rose dramatically a multitude number of times each day revealed a land of contrasts. Riding from Glifada to Sounio, I was overpowered by the pungent scent of eucalyptus trees one moment. The next, a warm salt breeze brushed against my face. Narrow mountain roads zigzagging through the olive tree-coated valleys then wandered through scented dense pine forests. Riding through a lush valley towards the coastal town of Nafplio, I took a high road that was very reminiscent to many a road I biked in the Colorado Rockies, complete with jagged, snow dappled peaks.
The generosity of the locals set the tone for the trip right from the beginning. As I took a breather on the side of the road, a man selling fresh figs, sensing my parched state, gave me a handful. The plump, moist fruits were better than any snack I would've carried.
Grapevine-lined roads to Epidauros sliced through fertile plains that were crowded with pomegranate, orange, fig and walnut trees. Riding through this cornucopia, I often encountered farmers who'd offer me a bunch of grapes they were loading into a small open bed truck.
Even when the usually bright weather turned grim with a blustery downpour on my ride to Livadia, my spirits soared when I pulled into a garage for shelter and a young man, seeing my muddy gear, ran out to hose down my bike. Then, a shopkeeper brought me a chair to sit on as I dried off outside his shop once the rain stopped. A woman next door even offered to dry my soggy clothes.
Later in the trip, on the long road to
Every day provided a wealth of surprises, as long as you were ever mindful of your surroundings. Outside the town of Arahova, luckily I was very attentive and spied a clutch of brightly painted houses perched high on stone outcrops. Zipping down a steep section after Kalavrita, I kept my eyes on the sheep in the middle of the road and almost missed an ancient monastery hugging the side of a windswept mountain.
Near many mountain villages, I shared the road with a menagerie. Sheep, mules and even chickens forced me to slow down as they crowded the road ahead. On other narrow winding roads, it wasn't unusual to see a black clad old woman ambling down the road aside a mule.
A three-mile side trip from Sparta led to one of the most striking sites: Mystra, a deserted Byzantine city set amongst the mountains. Numerous footpaths weave through this stone city whose fortress dominates the 2,000-foot summit. Meandering through this monumental town, I explored the octagonal domed church of St. Theodori, numerous other churches and fresco-laden chapels and lingered at the summit for the views of the snow-capped peaks and pine forests.
Every morning, in even the smallest villages, I followed the aroma of fresh baked bread, almonds and cinnamon to a zaharoplastio or pastry shop. And it certainly was not all about baklava, though honey, nuts and phyllo dough were major players. Among the dozens of sweet treats, I found small chocolate or vanilla iced cakes stuffed with rich custard, shredded pastries with nuts, and honey puffs and honey biscuits.
In the seaside communities like Nafpaktos, fresh squid was a real treat. I passed fishermen who were slamming them on the coastal rocks as a tenderizing technique. In the nearby tavernas, these freshly-caught squid were served fried and drizzled with lemon juice. No need for fancy dipping sauces.
My next trip to Greece will surely be to check out the dozens of islands that pepper the Aegean Sea. But there's something to be said for getting away from it all by cycling through Greece's many mountain villages.
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