With Travel, Never Say Never

 When it comes to travel, we should 'never say never'.  We know that now.

In fact, I reminded myself of that a couple weeks ago in Santorini while having our photo taken by seat mates in a cable car that was dangling above a cliffside whisking us down - way down - to our cruise ship.

Santorini cable car to cruise ship port

'We'd never take a cruise through the Greek islands,' we've adamantly proclaimed for years, usually adding, 'and certainly never in summer!' 

Yet there we were on Santorini, our first port of call on a weeklong cruise through Greece - in summer! Never say never!

In a cable car off a sheer cliff in Santorini.

While we love cruising, we have long maintained that in order to get the real flavor of Greece -- nightlife in a village, driving those narrow winding roads that lead through small hamlets, or waiting for sheep or goats who have roadway priority -- you need more time than afforded on a cruise ship tour. You need to spend days and nights exploring this adopted country of ours.  

As for traveling in Greece in summer: no matter the mode of transport, it can bring on heat stroke and/or agoraphobia, a fear of crowds.

But sometimes reality and circumstances can challenge one's mantras about travel, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.  

Blue and white of Greece's Santorini

Travel reality for us right now is limited to Greece. As expats who've reapplied for residency permit renewal, we can no longer travel in most of Europe without risk of fines and/or deportation for overstaying our time in the Schengen Zone. 

So, we'll be 'Doin' Greece' for a while. The good news is, that there is plenty of Greece remaining for us 'to do'. 

The Scout had been working on some travel options for June, and it didn't take long to conclude that a cruise would cover more territory and be as cost-effective and more time-efficient than traveling by ferry, staying in hotels, and eating out. 

Our room with a view - Celebrity Infinity

That's why we found ourselves setting sail on the Celebrity Infinity two weeks ago. The trip began with an overnight stay in Athens. It is good to get a taste of the big city after months of living in the rural Peloponnese, where we make our expat home.  

[Travel tip: We used an app, Free Now, to nab a taxi to the port the next morning - it worked like a charm -- establishing the rate and route upfront while bringing a driver within minutes. We recommend it highly.]

Athens' nightlife is vibrant

The ship would visit Santorini and Mykonos islands, as well as cities Thessaloniki and Kavala on the country's northeastern coast. One day was spent in Turkey, (Kusadasi, gateway to Ephesus). Turkey is not a Schengen country so we could travel there. Another day was a sea day - a mesmerizing way to spend a day.

Cruising in Greece

Access to and from the ship, cable car (on the left) or trail

Our first port of call was the Cyclades Island of Santorini, the postcard perfect poster child for Greek tourism. It has become such a popular destination that officials in 2018 began limiting the daily numbers of cruise ship visitors to 8,000. On the day we visited four cruise ships brought 7,000 visitors. Even with that number we can attest to the need for limits!

A single bus load of cruise passengers heading to Oia.

The cruise ship port offers three ways to access the island:  take a ship's tour so you can tender to the larger ferry port with vehicle access, or you go up that aforementioned cliff on foot or use the cable car. Donkeys were available, but thankfully, were not being hired often. We were warned in advance that cable car waits could reach a couple of hours in both directions.  

We opted for a ship's tour that left early and got us back before the brunt of cruisers came ashore.  We had no wait coming back in the cable car, but by early afternoon the lines were already endlessly long waiting to go up.  Temperatures in the high 80's discouraged many from tackling the cliffside stairway, which is shared with the donkeys and their poo. 

Waiting to get near that blue domed church in the distance

It has been more than a decade since we visited this island with a year-round population of about 15,500 residents and 40 taxis. Yet, it hosts about two million visitors a year.  It might be another decade before we go back but it was interesting to see it again, if even for a few hours.

Whitewashed, brightly trimmed home in Mykonos

Mykonos another insanely popular island in the Cyclades group, was our last port of call. While Santorini draws hordes of tourists, Mykonos is a magnet for the world's rich and famous. We were there a week before the Princess of Morocco arrived. Media report that a huge motorcade transported her and her son from the island's airport to the villa they'd rented. Ten of the vehicles carried their luggage.  She reportedly didn't like the way the villa was furnished, so she had furnishings, and decor flown in from Morocco - it took three trucks to deliver those items later.  

Street scene Mykonos Town

In comparison our island arrival was pretty incognito.  Only two ships were in port -- a new port has been built outside Mykonos Town since we were last there. A shuttle bus transported those going ashore independently as we were to the old port. From there, we walked into town following its labyrinth of streets - originally designed to confuse 18th century pirates and still does a good job confusing day-tripping tourists.

Meeting up with friends is a plus of travel

Our stop here included a visit with fellow Americans Jeffrey Siger and his wife Barbara Zilly. I've mentioned him before on TravelnWrite: he left his law practice in New York and came to Mykonos to write whodunnits set in various Greek locales.  His books - there are 15 now - are as much a travel guide as they are crime fiction. In fact, we met on a Greek travel social media site more than a decade ago when he offered us some travel suggestions for the Peloponnese as he'd just written a book (Sons of Sparta) set there.

Port of Thessaloniki as the sun sets

Our stops in Thessaloniki and Kavala were the destination highpoints of the cruise for us. We've vowed to return to both cities, and I'll tell you more about them in a future post.  

Thessalonik's main square opens to the sea

Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, is about an hour's flight from Kalamata, the airport serving our area of Greece. It was great fun arriving and departing by ship as it is located on the Thermaic Gulf tucked away in a corner of the Aegean Sea. Our ship docked at its port, so close to the city center that we got around without need of tours or taxis.  It is a vibrant city known for its festivals, events, culture and cutting-edge culinary arts.

City Hall Kavala

Kavala, just to its east, on the Bay of Kavala, is the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia. A city of some 70,000 that is filled with picturesque neighborhoods and historic sites.

Kusadasi, Turkey 

Kusadasi, Turkey will long be remembered for its heat - high 90F's/30C's - and its gauntlet of shopkeepers all wanting to sell me a leather coat. "Hey, lady, come try on. You want a leather coat from my shop." (It made me sweat just typing that memory.) And no, I didn't try on nor buy a leather coat!

Were we right or wrong?

Captivating sea scenes a favorite part of cruising

By week's end, we were in agreement that it had been an enjoyable cruise filled with pleasant moments and destinations that call out for a return visit.  We still think Greece needs to be experienced with longer stays than a cruise stop affords.  

The weather was indeed hot - record breaking hot in June - and impacted our experience. Summer is not the time to visit Greece. The heat and high winds in a couple of ports prompted us and many fellow passengers to cut shore exploration short. It simply wasn't pleasant to be outside. Spring and fall are beautiful times to explore Greece for those who can schedule travel then.

The tourist numbers were high, but not as bad as we had expected them to be. The worst congestion was on Santorini. We may have to visit it again on some November getaway.

Heading back to the cruise ship 

It was a good reminder that saying 'never' to something we've never tried, could cost us some great travel moments.  So, with a lot of Greece left to explore, we can only wonder what is up next!  Have you ever said 'never' to a travel experience then tried it? Tell us about it in the comments below or shoot us an email.

We thank you for the time you spent with us today and say welcome to our new subscribers!  We will be back with tales of expat life soon. In the meantime, safe travels to you and yours~  

Greece ~ A Big City Christmas

I was in need of a big city Christmas. While I love my Greek village life and its laid-back approach to the holidays, sometimes I just need that shot of holiday hype that only a big city can provide.

Our village decoration 

The Scout -- who doesn't share my Christmas-hype fervor -- is always up for an outing.

And that is why we headed to Thessaloniki the weekend before Christmas.

One of hundreds of streetlights Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki, (thess-ah-lo-nee-kee) Greece's second largest city, with a population of just under 814,000 people, is an hour's flight away from Kalamata. It is an hour's drive from our house to Kalamata, so a trip to this wonderful seaport city in northeastern Greece, takes about the same amount of time as driving to Athens.  It is a vibrant place with museums and historical sites, high end retail, and culinary delights. The best part is that it is a most walkable city.

Plateia (plaza) Aristotelous

There are limited flights between the two cities this time of year, Ours, a tiny ATR aircraft stuffed with 72 passengers, arrived on a late Saturday afternoon.  Traffic was gridlocked as we entered the city. As the taxi driver eased us through narrow back streets to reach our hotel, he would cross himself as we passed churches and then roll down his window and shout a favorite Greek obscenity to anyone blocking his route.  

That congestion reminded us that we were certainly in the big city, a far cry from our village where traffic jams are caused by goat or sheep herds sauntering from one feeding area to another. The next clue that we'd left our rural world behind was when we set out seeking food and drink. You remember I said it was the Saturday before Christmas and the town was pulsating with people.  

Not in Kansas Anymore

To paraphrase Dorothy's comments in Oz, it didn't take long to realize we weren't in Kansas anymore. We've forgotten what a Saturday night, especially the one before Christmas, and the one following two years of Covid curtailments, could mean in the big city.  

In the village this time of year, when we dine out the questions we ask is if the taverna, cafe or restaurant is open. We don't even consider making a reservation. . .because sometimes we are one of two occupied tables wherever we end up.

So having settled into our room we set out for drinks and dinner in the big city, without reservations. We did call a restaurant, recommended by friends who'd lived in this city for a time, asking if we could dine there in a few hours. Not that Saturday, they were booked solid. 

Sidewalk seating worked fine - the pours were generous

So, we headed to our favorite bar at the side of Aristotelous Plateia and was again turned away - it was full, reservations required even in its massive patio area.  The waitress took pity on us and found two chairs on the sidewalk near a bar table so that we could enjoy the sights and sounds of that vibrant part of town. 

We decided that we'd eat in the hotel, at the bar, something casual.  Our hotel bar was also busy but luckily two seats, literally at the bar, were empty. As we approached them, the waitress stopped us with what was becoming a familiar question, 'Do you have reservations?'  We didn't and the bar seating required them.  Staff finally set up heat lamps at a courtyard table where we had a delightful pub grub dinner. The phrase 'country bumpkins do the city' came to mind.

A Big City Christmas

The famed White Tower bathed in sunlight

We were last in Thessaloniki three years ago for my mid-summer birthday. It had been hot, very hot. We'd not visited in winter so were prepared for the worst of weather scenarios - it can, and does, get cold in Greece in winter. However, the weather gods were with us. Only one of our three days was windy, rainy and cold.

A restaurant entry

We had visited several museums on our last trip, so this trip's purpose was for experiencing those city sidewalks dressed in holiday style. The city didn't disappoint. We explored Greece's multi-storied department store, Attica, and the newly opened Municipal Market (more on that in a future post).

Aristotelous Plateia 

Our subsequent two nights, Sunday and Monday, were far easier to get into restaurants and bars.

Stunning Aristotelous Plateia stretched for blocks

The streets were crowded but easy to navigate.  We have not worn masks for many months now and the majority of people were not wearing any - inside buildings or out.  Employees and servers were in most cases masked up.

Flower and plant stores were among my favorites

Thessaloniki isn't known - for that matter, nowhere in Greece is known -- for those cute seasonal Christmas markets like those that spring up in cities in more northern European countries.  We did find a small one just opening up on the rainiest afternoon of our visit. The weather didn't deter little ones from riding the merry-go-round though! (And yes, I was tempted.)

Christmas Merry Go Round in Thessaloniki

I think that my favorite Christmas decoration was the lobby tree in our hotel.  Made of simple bare branches and illuminated with white lights, small glass crowns and apples, the thing was stunning.  It drew me over to it each time we came into the hotel.

The hotel tree in Thessaloniki

But the tree wasn't the only remarkable thing about this hotel - the whole hotel concept was pretty remarkable.  It was inspired by the monastery next door.  And that is worthy of a whole article which will be coming your way soon!

Boarding our plane in Kalamata

Our long weekend went quickly, and we were soon back on that small plane flying to Kalamata. Long-time readers know I am a white knuckler so you can imagine me as I buckled up, on our flight out of Kalamata and realized the only exit doors were two at the back of the plane. We were seated in row two in the front where small windows were clearly marked as our means of emergency exit. So, when I write that I love Thessaloniki so much I would get back on that plane again, you know I am seriously enamored with that place! 

Time for New Year's wishes

The time has come, with only a couple days left in this year, to wish you all a healthy, happy New Year. May your travels be safe and the memories you make, warm and wonderful. We thank you for joining in on our adventures and appreciate the time you spend with us.  Your comments, emails, suggestions and tips are simply what makes TravelnWrite so much fun to produce!  See you next year ~

Rhodes Less Traveled

The plan was to be at the palace when it opened. That way, we reasoned, we'd avoid the lines of tourists waiting to enter.

However, we found that aside from a few staff members keeping an eye on visitors, we were alone in the Palace of the Grand Master, the crowning structure within the walled medieval city of Rhodes on a Friday morning in May.

As we made our way up the enormous empty stairway it really became clear that we were traveling in a Rhodes less traveled.

Alone in a Palace

The last time we visited the Palace, nearly a decade ago, the crush of tourists was so dense I let The Scout blaze us a trail and we walked single file at times as we made our way through the hordes filling this edifice that dates back to the 7th Century.

Empty Courtyard Palace of the Grand Master - Rhodes, Greece 

By the time we completed this recent visit to this massive palace we had encountered fewer than a dozen other tourists. 

Tourists were few in the ancient city

In pre-pandemic years it was normal to have this and other ancient sites within the walled city teeming with tourists. But this year, like last, is turning out to be not quite 'normal' in terms of tourism. Admittedly, our visit here came within a week of Greece re-opening the country to tourism. It will take some time for tourists to return.

Greek Island Hopping

Arriving Kastellorizo - island-hopping in Greece

Rhodes was part of a week-long island hopping adventure that kicked off our travel season in Greece. The ease of travel within Greece is among the many benefits of being expats living in the Peloponnese. We simply drove to Athens' port city, Piraeus, and boarded a ferry. Traveling by ferry is one of our favorite means of exploring Greece.

The far-flung island of Kastellorizo, also known as Megisti, located far south of Rhodes, off the coast of Turkey was our first destination. After three nights there we caught the local ferry that runs between it and Rhodes to finish our week on the larger island. The massive ship carried us between the two islands in 4.5 hours at a cost of 1.5 euros, roughly $1.80  per ticket. 

We had the better part of three days in which to reacquaint ourselves with Rhodes, or Rodos, as it is known here; the largest of the Aegean Sea's Dodecanese islands.

Rhodes/Rodos

Our focus was within the walled ancient city

Rhodes has a bit of something for every visitor:  the new Rhodes city (begun a mere 500 years ago) offers modern, sleek high-rise resort accommodations, a casino, dozens of dining venues and a plethora of shopping opportunities like found in any large city. Traveling outside the Rhodes metropolitan area one can find beaches and resorts and several small towns offering accommodations and endless dining opportunities.

Our room - Nikos Takis Hotel Rhodes

With only two nights we were content to focus on the history found within Rhodes ancient walled city. The Scout found us a stunning hotel, the Nikos Takis Fashion Boutique Hotel, which put us footsteps between two landmarks representing different periods of island rule: that of the Knights of St. John and the Ottomans.   

Nikos Takis Hotel patio with views to the harbor

Our room, one of eight in the small boutique hotel, opened onto the hotel patio from where we had views of the harbor. The nightly rate also included a full breakfast served in the patio.

Street of the Knights not crowded at all

We wandered about on foot, following narrow streets back and forth, up hill and down. We remembered these streets as being congested on our last visit, The reduced number of tourists rendered them delightfully easy to maneuver. A number of tourist shops and restaurants hadn't yet opened for the season but there were plenty of shopping, eating and drinking opportunities to keep us satiated during our stay. 

It is interesting to note, that while we think of the old walled city, surrounded by a moat, as a tourist destination, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a very real and active neighborhood in the city - home to some 6,000 residents. 

Knights of St. John 

Entry Palace of the Grand Master

While the island's history, like many in the Dodecanese, is a checkerboard with periods of  Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman, and Italian occupation, it seems the fortifications built, modernized and expanded by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem during their occupation dominate the tourists' top 10 favorite places.

Archaeological museum in Knight's hospital

It was in 1309 when the city was sold to the Knights. The Order had been founded in the 12th century to provide care for the poor, sick or injured pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land and the Crusaders.  It soon became a military unit, acquiring large amounts of land. It founded its headquarters in Rhodes. 

Church of Panagia Tou Kastrou

The Knights' hospital houses the Archaeological Museum. It was difficult to decide if the displays or the building itself was 'the best part' of that stop.  The nearby Church of the Panagia Tou Kastrou, with its towering nave, is a performing arts venue. 

We visited the hospital, church and the Palace as part of a package admissions ticket that got us into the three sites for 10 euros each. 

Ottoman Influence 

Mosque of Suleiman the Great from Sissito Restaurant

Our hotel was a short walk from the Palace of the Grand Master to our right and the Mosque of Suleiman the Great to our left.  We also were lucky to have our hotel recommend Sissito, a restaurant serving amazing food in its courtyard at the side of the Mosque. Suleiman the Great had founded a public kitchen in the area where the restaurant now operates and many of the buildings surrounding the restaurant in the complex host cultural activities and art exhibits. 

An Island Escape Artist

Patricia Wilson, and her latest book, Summer in Greece

One of the highpoints of our stay was meeting one of the best 'island escape artists' I know. British expat Patricia Wilson, author of several novels set on Greek islands, lives with her husband on Rhodes. Each of her books, set on a different island, is an entertaining historical novel that highlights a segment of the featured island's history, while providing a bit of contemporary romance and a very good Greek getaway. 

Over a long leisurely lunch, the Wilsons and we talked of expat life in Greece, writing and Greek island adventures. I am trying to convince her the next novel should be based in The Mani!  BTW, the novel in the photo above, Summer in Greece, was just released this spring. I won't give away the plot but if you want a great armchair getaway to Greece this year - this is the book to read.

Rhodes, Greece

I will sign off for this week with a thank you to all of you who took the time to write and let me know that you had received last week's post. The  new email system is working! And a welcome to all the new subscribers as well - several who've reported how easy it was to sign up.

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However you joined us, we are glad you are here and hope to see you back again!  Stay safe ~

Linking soon with the following:

Through My Lens
Travel Tuesday
Our World Tuesday
My Corner of the World Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday

Writing A Greek Ferry Tale

Greece opened its doors to tourism (testing and/or vaccination requirements are still in place) on Saturday, May 15th.  And within hours of reopening, we were on the road again!  A week's adventure, a modern day 'ferry tale' was in the making.

Time to write a ferry tale!

The Scout put his months of lockdown to good use and had plotted out a trip that began with a luxurious night in Athens at the Grand Bretagne, (we used Bonvoy points), and then took us to the island of Kastelorizo, or by its Greek name, Megisti, a charming place only a stone's throw from the Turkish coast. We spent three nights there, then two on the island of Rhodes and then returned to Athens. All travel to and from Athens was by overnight ferry.

Our route to adventure

The ferry on which we traveled, the Blue Star Patmos, a newer vessel built in 2012, has a 2,000 passenger and 430 car capacity.  A small gift shop carried high end clothing and accessories, books and toiletries. The popular Greek Flocafe operated several coffee/snack/wine bars throughout the ship. A buffet dining room offered good selections of hot and cold food. 

Coffee, snacks and wine bar on board

As I've written before, Greek ferries, such as this one are much like cruise ships - large and luxurious.  

Our regular cabin outbound

Because our journey took 22 hours we had booked a regular cabin so we could stow our luggage and bags and also get a good night's sleep. The beds were comfortable, the linen of good quality and pressed, the cabin decor basic, as was the ensuite shower, toilet and sink. It had a flat screen television. If you look closely at the photo you will note four people could sleep in the room as two bunk beds are folded against the wall. As it was, two people made it crowded.

Our deluxe double topped any cruise room we've had.

So we chose on our return trip to upgrade to a deluxe double room which simply boggled the mind! It was more spacious than any cruise cabin we've experienced. The bed was one of the best we've found in our travels, the room also had a flat screen television. Slippers and a toiletry kit were provided as was a welcome fruit plate, and soft drinks and water in a small refrigerator. 

The ferry was pet-friendly with indoor kennels provided 

We loved that the ferry was pet-friendly, offering kennels in a protected room on the ship's 8th and top floor. There were a number of four-footed travelers with us in both directions.

The cost of the ferry journey isn't inexpensive and varies by destination and class of travel.  Our deluxe cost more than the regular room but the regular room cost more than just buying a seat.  I should note, many bought seats and chose to 'slump and sleep' on two chairs, booths or the tables as the journey progressed.

A Journey of Discovery

Arrivals and departures our favorite part of the journey

We've let far too many years slip past since we last explored by Greek ferry. When we first visited Greece - now more than a decade ago- we traveled by ferry. We were reminded again of one of our favorite things about ferry travel and that is the island hopping/sightseeing that comes along with the price of the ferry ticket.  

Many of our stops on this trip to and from the Dodecanese islands were at islands we've never heard of before. We now have a couple more 'must visits' on our list as a result of the quick look and subsequent research we have done.  For example, on our return from Rhodes our itinerary included:

Symi  

Symi from the ship

We visited Symi many years ago and so our stop was a nostalgic one. A new ferry dock outside the harbor eases the loading and off-loading, but it used to be fun to go into the heart of the village to disembark. The harbor is bordered by colorful neoclassic buildings. A return visit will be in order one day.

Tilos

Arriving Tilos

Beaches are predominant in the list of Top 10 things to do on this small island with a population of less than 1,000 persons. Located mid-way between Kos and Rhodes, it looked a bit too small for us as we aren't 'beach people'. BTW, that beautiful dog, pictured above, got off here and was wagging his tail as he accompanied his human out of sight.

Nisyros

Nisyros calls out for a visit

Nisyros has the youngest and still-active volcano in Greece. A population of just more than 1,000 people live on this circular-shaped island with a diameter of 8 kilometers. It offers a couple of picturesque villages, Mandraki and Nikia, both with traditional architecture and spectacular views.  This one may need a longer visit than a ferry stop.

Kos

Kos, another that calls out for a return

This island was the busiest with dozens of foot passengers embarking and disembarking. It is rich in Greek and Roman landmarks and also boasts a 15th century castle. Another one on our ' must return' list.

Kalymnos and Lipsi (Leipsoi) were two islands we missed as our stops were in the middle of the night.  It is difficult to think of catching a ferry sometime between midnight and 5 a.m. but I guess it is not much different than flying a 'red-eye'. You'd get used to it, if you lived on these islands.

We arrived in Athens Sunday morning about 8:30, ending this Greek ferry tale and ready for another one!  I will tell you about the enchanting Kastelorizo in the next post -- it is a little place with a huge history! Hope to see you back again.

For those wondering about travel in a time of COVID: we carried our U.S. CDC vaccination cards, as well as a medical certification written by our Greek doctor that said we had been vaccinated. We were required, as were all travelers, to fill out a health declaration and contact tracing type form which had to be submitted at time of boarding.  On it we declared we had been vaccinated.  We boarded three times during our week's travels and no one ever asked to see the vaccination cards.  As you can tell from the photos, masks were required when moving about on board and distancing was maintained.

So how about you? Are you traveling yet? Still in lockdown? Let us know in the comments or send us an email. We loved to hear from you!!

Linking up soon with:

Through My Lens
Travel Tuesday
Our World Tuesday
My Corner of the World Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday