Greece: As this Odyssey comes to an End

By the time many of you read this our time in Greece will have come to an end. We fly to Istanbul Friday afternoon.

As I write this, though, we are still on Tinos, one of the most picturesque of the Cycladic Islands, awaiting the high speed ferry that will zip us to Athens’ port of Piraeus; a trip of  less than three hours.

Windmill on Mykonos Island

My writing is interrupted though by the distraction of watching one of the several large vehicle-carrying ferries that regularly serves this island pulling away; our harbor front room providing us a perfect vantage point for watching the transportation activities. Tinos doesn’t have an airport – the only way to get here is by water. This ferry is bound for Mykonos, the island where we spent three nights prior  to arriving on this, our last island of our five-week-long Greece Odyssey.

Porto Kaglio - Peloponnese

Cretan Countryside

Our late March arrival coincided with that of spring. A fickle spring it seems as our weather has been a mix of warm, sunny days and others that had us wearing our silk long johns (or using those Seattle umbrellas we luckily had with us.) Spring flowers have carpeted our route through the Peloponnese, Crete and the  Cyclades.  

We have eaten some of the most fabulous food imaginable. . . wild greens from the mountains, or grown on the family farm, fresh made cheese, breads just out of the oven, olive oil that was pressed ‘just down the road’. . .you get the idea.

Pavlos Restaurant - Loutro, Crete

Each meal holds a special memory but one we won't soon forget was eaten in the kitchen at Pavlos’ Restaurant in Loutro, on the south coast of Crete. This was one of those ‘long johns’ nights – it was far too cold to sit outside in this open air restaurant so Tonya (the chef) and Pavlos, the owner, set us up in the kitchen. That is a chopping block to The Scout’s  right. (We told them that in the U.S. people pay big bucks for such private dining – and that absurdity made them laugh!)

Goats and historic ruins - a favorite scene, this is one in Crete

The Greek countryside and its islands are among some of the most beautiful lands on earth, to our way of thinking.

 

We’ve covered a lot of kilometers on this trip and seen some of the best of the best – yet have barely touched the surface of all that Greece has to offer. It surely calls out for a return. . .

  And the warmth and welcome we’ve received in Greece is so fabulous that you must experience it to understand that statement.

It isn’t often that I hug and kiss hotel owners upon leaving their establishments back home in the States - let alone tear up as we drive away. On this trip I’ve done it so many times, that I’ve lost count. 

Approaching Athens Airport from Istanbul in March

Our next report will be from Istanbul, or Constantinople, as it is still referred to in Greece.  Hope you’ll still be with us as we bring this trip to a close there. 

We’ve tales and tips to tell you about the people and places in Greece – hopefully, we’ll convince some of you to try some of the out-of-the-way (charming and inexpensive) places we’ve discovered along the way. . .
. . .as always thanks for the time you spent with us today. And a special welcome to our new followers of the blog and those following TravelnWrite on FB ~ many of you we've been lucky enough to meet on this trip!

Linking up with Travel Photo Thursday at Budget Travelers Sandbox.