Athena Pappas

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  • Category: Greece

    • Adventures in Greece: Part VIII

      Posted at 10:02 am by athenapappas, on April 24, 2019

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      After spending about a week island hopping (from Santorini to Ios to Naxos and Paros), I headed up to the northern region of Greece known as Epirus to visit family. This rugged mountainous region is located near Albania and is where my grandparents were both from. The landscape here is breathtaking.

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      One of the stops I made was to the church of my great-grandfather. In the Orthodox faith, priest can be married as long as they are married before they are ordained. In fact, the Pap prefix in a Greek last name means that you had a priest in your family.

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      Inside the church, the iconography is faded, but you can still see the craftsmanship that went into even this simple village church. img_6467

      A common traffic jam in the village…sheep crossing!

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      Although my grandparents both came from very tiny villages, I also have relatives in the coastal town of Preveza. This area is notable for being near the site of the Battle of Actium in which Mark Anthony was defeated. This Venetian clocktower has been the emblem of the city since the 1700s.

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      Walking along the quiet streets, there are plenty of cafes and small stores to stop in. Because Preveza is a coastal town, there is also great seafood!

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      After a few days up north, I headed back to Athens for one last night before flying home. I still had a few souvenirs to find, so back to the Plaka. The Tower of the Winds, above, is a really fascinating building. Each motif represents a different wind direction and the temperament the ancient Greeks gave it.  img_6530

      As night started to fall, my time in Greece was coming to a close. Here is the view of the Acropolis from Monastraki Square.

      img_6448Final sunset on my Greece trip.

      Posted in Adventures, Greece, Travel | 0 Comments | Tagged Greece, Travel
    • Adventures in Greece: Part VII

      Posted at 9:00 am by athenapappas, on April 10, 2019
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      From the island of Ios, we set sail for Naxos, the largest of the Cyclades islands. Once a cultural center, the island is now a popular tourist destination. Although not as well known as the party-island Mykonos or the geographically unique Santorini, Naxos is beautiful in its own right. The streets of Naxos town are picturesque as they wined their way up to the Venetian Castro at the center of the old town.

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      The (slight) hike to the castle is well worth it. Take time to explore the shops, everything from touristy knickknacks to antiques, along the way. There is also a small archaeology resume at the castle, but you can also explore around the outside.

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      The symbol of Naxos is the remains of the never completed Temple of Apollo. The landmark you see standing is the Portara, or the lintel of the temple.

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      Welcoming visitors as they arrive on the island, the Temple is prime for sunset viewing. The temple itself was never completed but the framed lintel stands as a reminder of Naxos’ power in the region.

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      After watching the sunset, we wandered down the streets to Taverna Apostolis. This restaurant has a beautiful courtyard for warm weather dining. We started the meal wtih fresh baked bread and olive oil. This was followed by a Greek salad was served in a fresh bread bowl!

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      It wouldn’t be a Greek island adventure without a plethora of sea creatures. We also had the grilled octopus appetizer, soft and succulent. For my main course, I had the pasta with prawns, which did not disappoint. A delicious meal al fresco.

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      The final stop on our island tour was Paros. One of the sites central on the island is the church of the Panagia Ekatontapiliani, dating back to the Byzantine era. Lemon trees dot the courtyard.

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      The streets of the quiet island can only be described as picture-perfect (photo credit: Theresa Lloyd).

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      Along the main streets of Paros, you can find plenty of cafes and beach areas for relaxing. img_6441

      Sail boats bring in the fresh catch for the evening’s meal.

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      There are plenty of places along the coast to watch the sunset.

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      The island of Paros is a great stop while visiting the Cycladic island. From there, we set sail back to Athens!

      Posted in Greece, Review, Travel | 1 Comment | Tagged Greece, island, Naxos, Travel
    • Adventures in Greece: Part VI

      Posted at 9:00 am by athenapappas, on March 27, 2019

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      From Santorini, we traveled by ferry to the island of Ios. As we approached the island, the cliff-side landscape came into view.

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      The ferry boat arrives into the port, but the Chora, main town, ascends up the slope of the island. The Liostasi Hotel, where we stayed, was an absolute dream in terms of amenities. While our room was modest, it was very affordable.

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      Between the views and the pool, I would highly recommend the Liostasi Hotel.

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      Although we really took our time on Ios as a day to relax after the whirlwind that was Santorini, we did walk through the main island town. Typical of the Greek islands, there was a white-washed church with blue domes. Overall, I found Ios pretty underwhelming. It’s main draw really is the nightlife…which doesn’t even get going until June…and after midnight. A college student might find it appealing to party all night followed by laying on the beach all day, but that isn’t what we were looking for this trip.

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      Despite the fact that the island itself didn’t have a lot to do, it was nice to take a break and relax by the pool for a day.

      And what would an island day be without a drink at sunset? The Blue Island is the Greek version of a Corona, light and refreshing.

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      The hotel also boasted one of the best restaurants on the island, Grandma’s. The restaurant space itself is outside by the pool, but this was hardly a poolside snack bar. The seafood was fresh and delicious and the service was impeccable. It was well worth the splurge for dinner.

       

      Posted in Adventures, Greece, Travel | 1 Comment | Tagged Greece, Ios, island, Pool, spring, Vacation
    • Adventures in Greece: Part V

      Posted at 9:00 am by athenapappas, on March 13, 2019

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      Santorini isn’t just home to beautiful whitewashed houses and volcanic landscapes, it is also the home of the Santorini Brewing Company! The brewery can be visited daily during the summer, and they are a short bus ride away from the central bus station in Thira.

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      At the brewery, the staff are happy to explain the brewing process and history of the company. They can also serve samples of the beers, sell bottles to go, and sell official brewery merchandise. Be aware that it isn’t a bar that will serve beer.

      The first beer that we tried is the classic Crazy Donkey, which was Greece’s first IPA. I really enjoyed the Crazy Donkey as it was hoppy with an aromatic bitterness cut with a island twist.

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      Next up was the Yellow Donkey, a lagered ale. It tasted like a light citrus beer. I would recommend it for sipping on a warm summer beach day.

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      The final beer we sampled at the brewery was the Red Donkey, which was closer to a red ale. This was a full-bodied, malty rich beer.

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      A small operation, you can see the different parts of the brewing process from the ingredients to the machine that machine that puts the labels on the bottle. They also have a small gift shop with souvenirs such as t-shirts (I got  mine!), glassware, and bottle openers all emblazoned with the adorable donkey logo.

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      The beers that are too small batch to open for sample are available for purchase. This includes the Slow Donkey.  Barrel aged for 5-6 month, the Slow Donkey is a complex, dark, and rich.

      Waiting for our bus to the beach, we both cracked open our bottles on the front stairs of the brewery. With no posted bus schedule, it could be awhile before the next bus to the beach arrived. A few sips in, we see the bus rounding the corner and spring up to flag it down. Many of the island buses are large charter buses, and the middle door opened up to let us in. Open bottles in our purses, we hopped aboard the bus that had barely slowed to a stop. Before the doors could even close, the bus was heading down the road! The man collecting the tickets grabbed my arm and flew me forward safely into a seat.

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      Wild bus ride aside, it was a beautiful but breezy day at Kamari beach. On the opposite side of the island from Oia, the flatter terrain is home to many of Santorini’s beaches. Renting a beach chair with an umbrella is well worth the small fee as it includes beach-side drink service and wifi.

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      Our afternoon at the beach was followed by one of the most impressive sunsets in the world from the town of Oia. There are plenty of nooks and crannies along the streets to stake out for the sunset, but a restaurant or bar near the tip of the island provides a space to watch in style.

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      A day of exploring and beach going works up quite the appetite. In Oia, we found the lovely Roka Restaurant. Carved out of an old sea captain’s home, the decor and food were just as whimisical. The evening was temporate enough for us to sit outside, but they had plenty of indoor seating, too.

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      Using fresh and local ingreditents, the dishes at Roka did not dissapoint. The Skioufikta, or Greek pasta, was devine. Cherry tomatoes, garlic, onions, olives, basil, and goat cheese all came together on fresh pasta to create a very memorable meal.

      Posted in Greece, Review, Travel | 0 Comments | Tagged brewery, Greece, island, Santorini, Travel
    • Adventures in Greece: Part IV

      Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on March 6, 2019

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      One of the perks of our quiet lovely hotel was breakfast included, overlooking the pool area. A traditional Greek breakfast is simple with yogurt, fruit, and coffee. With a view like this, what more do you need?

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      Thira is the main town on the island of Santorini. You might recognize the Three Bells Of Fira church as it is one of the most photographed places in Greece. The white wash of the church and the blue dome stand strong against the choppy May sea.

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      Here’s your intrepid blogger in front of the church!

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      From the peaks of Thira, you can clearly see the volcano island at the middle of the crescent-shaped island. Boat tours depart daily around the waterways. You might notice all of the different ways the same Greek city can be spelled. It all depends on how you translate from the Greek alphabet into English. The classic way of translation was into Latin then into English, but more modern spellings closer approximate the Greek directly to English.

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      And that was our plan for the afternoon, a sunset cruise of the island.

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      The catamaran followed the coast of the island, providing spectacular views as the cool breeze pushed us along. It was too windy to stop at the red sand beach, red from the volcanic eruptions, but we were able to get plenty of pictures.

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      Another point of interest was the island’s lighthouse. We also stopped along with several other ships along side the volcano island. There, the sulfur springs create hot water coves. However, we couldn’t dock right in the warm water. To get to the sulfur spring, we would have to swim through the freezing cold early spring sea to get to the warm water. No one on our boat seemed eager to go. But, I braced myself for the cold and jumped in. It was so cold that I felt my whole body tense. It was not an easy swim to the warm water, but it was totally worth it. There was an abandoned beach bar, that is probably a happening spot in the warmer summer months. Closed, it was underwhelming.

      It was hard to leave the warm (but smelly) waters, but it was time to swim back to the boat. Luckily, the ships crew had prepared a hearty Greek meal for us with plenty of white wine for all.

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      The natural formations of the island were quite a sight to behold.

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      Our afternoon cruise drew to an end as the sun set against the horizon. When visiting the island of Santorini, I would highly recommend a sunset cruise to see as much of the island as possible and enjoy the beauty of the sunset on the water.

      Posted in Adventures, Greece, Travel | 1 Comment | Tagged Boat, Greece, island, Santorini, Travel
    • Adventures in Greece: Part III

      Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on February 20, 2019

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      From Athens, our Greece adventures continued to the Cycladic islands. Although there are plenty of ferry boats, both fast and slow, to Santorini, we decided to fly in order to maximize our time there. Another strategic planning choice was staying outside the smaller town of Oia, at the Ambelia Villas, instead of staying in the larger town of Fira. Not only was the price right, but we were a short distance from all Santorini had to offer.

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      Even on a cloudy day, Oia is spectacular. The island of Santorini as we know it now with its breathtakingly unique geography was formed by the collapse of the center of the volcano that originally formed the island. This is how the crescent caldera was formed. The architecture is informed by this cliff-like landscape with white painted houses to reflect the hot Mediterranean sun.

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      No island adventure would be complete without seafood! Fried calamari and the Greek beer Mythos make for a delicious lunch alfresco.

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      Wandering the twisty streets of Oia, there is plenty to explore. Small shops, cafes, and bars are everywhere along with plenty of curious sights. The donkey is a symbol of Santorini, they were (and still are) used to carry things from the old port up to the towns atop the caldera.

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      As you can see, the landscape of Santorini is fascinating! Check back for more exploration of the island.

       

      Posted in Adventures, Greece, Restaurants, Travel | 1 Comment | Tagged Europe, Greece, island, Oia, Santorini, spring, Travel
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