by Troy Herrick

Almost two thousand years ago the world was changed forever by the teachings of Jesus and his death and resurrection. Very special people were later entrusted with spreading the message of salvation and eternal life. One of these was the charismatic Paul of Tarsus who worked tirelessly as a missionary to spread the Gospel. He possibly became the most important person after Jesus in the history of the church but how do you summarize his life in just a few words? He was a devout Jew, Roman citizen, prosecutor of Christians, witness of Christ, evangelist, Equal-to-the-Apostles, Apostle of the Nations and martyr. He was also the first Christian missionary to spread the Gospel into Europe by way of Greece as detailed in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

The route of Paul’s second missionary journey through Greece is inspirational for both pilgrims and history buffs alike. It all began with a dream in which a Macedonian man invites Paul to visit Macedonia to help them (Acts 16:9). With this, Paul set sail for Neapolis (present-day Kavala) in the winter of 49 CE. He quickly passed through the city, exiting by way of the Via Egnatia, the main road through Macedonia at the time. His destination was Philippi, the most important Roman settlement in the region (Acts 16:11).

Paul spread the good news in Philippi and baptised his first convert, a business woman named Lydia, in the Gangites River just outside the city (Acts 16:14-15). The Baptistry of St. Lydia, located near the river, commemorates the event. Inside, I was overwhelmed by the colourful icons and mosaics on the walls, arches and ceiling depicting scenes from the life of St. Paul. At the center of the octagonal interior, right under the dome, is a whitish gray baptismal font used for infant baptisms (adults are baptised in the river).

Paul became Lydia’s houseguest during his eventful stay in Philippi. While preaching in the city, he cast out a demon from a slave-soothsayer (Acts 16:18). Her owners then had Paul dragged in front of the city officials after having lost their primary source of revenue. Paul faced the city officials in the marketplace (Acts 16:19-20), likely at the bema. The bema is a raised platform on which officials stood or sat as they listened to charges and passed sentence. The bema of Philippi is now a poorly defined pile of rocks with some grassy overgrowth. If you follow the Via Egnatia, which runs along the length of the Roman agora, you will pass right beside the bema.

The Book of Acts may be inaccurate when it indicates that Paul’s sentencing occurred in the marketplace and therefore should not be accepted as Gospel. The agora of Philippi was the political, administrative and religious area of the city but it was not the commercial marketplace. The commercial marketplace is now largely buried beneath the ruins of the 6th century CE structure known as Basilica B. You will find the ruins of several retail shops on the north side of this basilica, but none have been dated to the time of Paul.

Paul and his companions were beaten and sent to the inner prison (Acts 16:23-24). The traditional site of Paul’s prison cell is the arched Roman cistern set under the atrium of the late 5th century CE structure known as Basilica A. Looking down inside you find a small column section and several stone blocks. The right side-wall may have been decorated with a fresco at one time.

A great earthquake damaged the prison and allowed Paul to escape (Acts 16:26). After baptising the jailer and his family, he traveled on to Thessaloniki by way of the Via Egnatia. Paul passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia without stopping in either city.

The Via Egnatia would have brought Paul into Thessaloniki near the present-day Arch of Galerius (constructed between 298-305 CE). The only sites that he visited in Thessaloniki were the house of Jason, of whom nothing is known, and the synagogue (Acts 17:1-6) where he roused the anger of the local Jewish community. He then moved on to the synagogue in Berea (present-day Veria) with the Jews of Thessaloniki in pursuit shortly after (Acts 17:13). Paul managed to escape to Athens by boat.

Paul’s first impression of Athens was revulsion of the idolatry (Acts 17:16). Imagine him walking around through the Ancient Agora and seeing the Temple of Hephaestos, now the best-preserved temple in Greece, or looking up at the Acropolis toward the Parthenon. He limited his exposure to pagan practices by spending his time debating in the synagogue and in the marketplace (Acts 17:17).

The commercial marketplace had been situated in the Roman Agora since the reign of Augustus (27 BCE-14 CE). You will find the ruins of several shops on the east side of the Roman Agora near the octagonal “Tower of the Winds”, but it is not clear if these date to the time of Paul.

Various philosophers heard Paul’s message and wished to know more, so they invited him to address the High Court at its meeting place known as the Areopagus. Here Paul succeeded in turning Dionysios the Areopagite into a believer (Acts 17:18-34).

The Areopagus is a rocky outcropping, 115 meters high, located below the west side of the Acropolis. I climbed the craggy, slippery rocks to the summit as Paul would have done, but there is also a modern stairway if you feel it is safer. The Areopagus is also the only indisputable present-day site connected with Paul’s second journey.

Paul departed Athens for Corinth (Acts 18:1). Once in the city, he set up a tentmaking shop with two Jewish exiles from Rome (Acts 18:2-4). Operating a shop in commercial marketplace would have provided Paul with many opportunities to speak with customers and passersby about Jesus. On the north side of the ancient agora, near the Temple of Apollo, are the remnants of sixteen shops dating to the mid 1st century CE. The shop with the vaulted arch was a church at one time. Could this have been the traditional site of Paul’s tent shop? This is only speculation but, as in Philippi, houses of worship are sometimes constructed over sacred sites. Coincidentally, a priest was saying mass under a tree just a short distance away from this site as I passed by.

Paul taught in the synagogue on each sabbath and again aroused the anger of the local Jewish community. They brought him before the Roman Proconsul Gallio at the place of judgement (Acts 18:12-16), the bema, charged with subversive teaching. Gallio dismissed the charges.

The bema consists of a raised rectangular stone platform with six layers of finished stone and a stone slab on its eastern side which features a quote from Second Corinthians 4:17. I climbed the stairs to the top and found four pieces of marble that were once part of the lower section of a doorway (propylon).

After spending 18 months in Corinth, Paul departed for Ephesus by way of the nearby port of Cenchreae (modern-day Kechries). The South Stoa, which dates to the time of Paul, touches the road to Cenchreae, just to the left of the bouleuterion or council chamber.

Paul would eventually return to Corinth and Philippi in the years to come. The seeds that he sowed on his second missionary journey would grow into the official religion of the Roman Empire in 313 CE.

 If You Go:

Philippi:

The Archeological Site of Philippi is approximately 15 kilometers inland from Kavala. Admission (including the museum) is 6 Euros.

The town of Lydia is just outside the archeological site of Philippi. Admission the Baptistry of St. Lydia is free. The location of Lydia’s house is not known.

Day Tour of Philippi, Amphipolis, and Kavala

Thessaloniki:

The Arch of Galerius is located near the intersection of Egnatia and Dimitriou.

The locations of the synagogue and Jason’s house are not known.

Veria:

The location of the synagogue is not known.

Athens:

The Temple of Hephaestos is located within the Ancient Agora.

The location of the synagogue is not known.

You can purchase a combination ticket for 30 Euros that allows you to visit a number of sites in Athens including the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora and the Roman Agora.

Admission to the Areopagus is free.

Private Tour: Ancient Agora of Athens Walking Tour

Corinth:

The Corinth of Paul’s time is approximately 7 kilometers away from the modern city of Corinth. Admission to the site of Ancient Corinth is 8 Euros.

The location of the synagogue is not known.

Ancient Corinth, Corinth Canal, Mycenae, Epidaurus, Nafplio: Private day Tour

About the author:

Troy Herrick, a freelance travel writer, has traveled extensively in North America, the Caribbean, Europe and parts of South America. His articles have appeared in Live Life Travel, International Living, Offbeat Travel and Travels Thru History Magazines.

 Photographs:

Diane Gagnon, a freelance photographer, has traveled extensively in North America, the Caribbean, Europe and parts of South America. Her photographs have accompanied Troy Herrick’s articles in Live Life Travel, Offbeat Travel and Travels Thru History Magazines.

by W. Ruth Kozak

If you are visiting Athens, Greece and want a change from the bustling areas of Plaka and Monastiraki or browsing archaeological sites, hop a trolley or bus and head out to the coast to spend a relaxing afternoon at the stunning new Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center.

Designed by architect Renzo Piano and funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the €566 million project, completed in 2016, was donated to the Greek state in 2017. The Center includes the Greek National Library, the National Opera House, and an expansive park, built on the former site of an old racetrack.

Stavros Niarchos was a multi-billionaire Greek shipping tycoon who was also noted as a thoroughbred horse breeder. When he died in 1996 in Zurich, his fortune was estimated to be worth in excess of $22 billion. Half was left to a charitable trust to be established in his name, and it was from this trust that the Stavros Niarchos Center was built for the enjoyment of the people of Athens.

My friend and I spent a pleasant day at the Center exploring the many amenities, enjoying the lovely views from the rooftop garden/restaurant and browsing the gardens.

We took the tram from Athens and walked to the main entrance across a bridgeway. A canal runs beside the centre where small sailboats drift lazily and kayakers paddle along its length. The 400 meter sea-water canal creates a refreshing place where people can relax or learn to sail and kayak. At night it’s a venue for live jazz and sometimes tango classes.

The architect used rubble to create a slope that doubles as a green roof for the Greek National Library and Opera House. At the top of the roof is a glass observatory with a solar canopy that powers the building below. The building covers nearly 24,000 sq m (235-000 sq ft) and combines traditional with technological innovation.

The Greek National Opera launched its new era at the Center last year premiering its first production with Richard Strauss’ one act opera Elektra. The new facilities provide state-of-the-art acoustics and consist of two auditoriums, a large Main Stage (1400 seats) which hosts operas, concert and ballet and a smaller Alternative Stage (450 seats) that will be used for stage productions, in particular musical theater.

At the entrance of the main building there is a display of photos and exhibits from Greece’s first modern Olympics, held in 1896, when Spyros Louis, a 21-year old water-carrier from Marousi won the first marathon run in modern times. The marathon is now held yearly in remembrance of the first runner in 490 BC who ran from Marathon to Athens to announce the Greek’s victory over the invading Persian fleet. The silver goblet presented to Louis is among the displays. The goblet, financed by French philhellene Michael Brael, is adorned with birds and aquatic plants, a reminder of those that once flourished in the Marathon marshland. The cup was purchased from the Louis’ family heirs in 2012 by the Spyros Niarchos Foundation for €600,000.

Upon entering the Center there are a number of open areas to explore including a coffee shop, lounge areas with comfortable settees and chairs and a large computer room as well as a vast library. The area creates a hospitable environment so it’s a good place for relaxing and enjoying the amenities.

The library shelves were empty the day we visited but have recently been stocked with books. Its new location, the National Library of Greece, founded in 1832, includes an exclusive research facility and an all-inclusive public resource enter. The library supports patrons of all ages and education from academics to children and young adults.

The entrance to the library’s new premises leads to a large open lobby. The public library section has a significant book collection as well as other media and includes separate areas for adults, teenagers and children offering a wide range of educational and cultural programs. The natural light creates a pleasant environment and the new design of the library meets the needs of the digital age. Research collections are housed in a central location with convenient access for researchers and scholars. Over 4,500 manuscripts from the 9th to the 19th century and a variety of important historical documents and archives are housed in the library. It will also function as a venue for exhibits, and a Business Center will provide the public with a resource for research, offering computer workstations, laptops and wireless connections. Events and seminars are hosted for both children and adults and classes will incorporate natural learning opportunities which will include programs outdoors at the Stavros Niarchos Park as well.

The roof of the library is actually part of a garden and on the upper patio there is a restaurant. From there you can enjoy the views of the picturesque surrounding area. The Center is built on an incline facing Athens, so to view the Bay of Faliron and the sea we took the elevator to the top of the opera house rather than walk up the hill to the small observation area.

After visiting inside the Center we went out to explore the grounds and enjoy a picnic lunch under the shade of an olive tree. The park is a labyrinth of foot paths and roadways that lead past olive groves, orchards, plots of flowers as well as herb and vegetable gardens. A large green space playing field provides an area for sports or leisure. On the day we visited, groups of Syrian refugees and their children were playing on the grass and enjoying the cool spray of the fountains. There are bikes for rent, an outdoor theatre and lots of places for children to enjoy themselves while their parents relax in the shade.

Except for opera tickets and bike rentals, everything is free at the Centre including tours and activities such as crafts, chess, computer instructions and gardening lessons.

We walked the length of the gardens to the back entrance of the park where we caught a bus back into the city. Our visit to the Stavros Niarchos Center was an interesting change from the busy cacophony of the city and a relaxing way to spend the afternoon.

If You Go:

Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center

Starvos Niarchos

Olympic Games Athens 1896

Private Tour: Ancient and Contemporary Athens Walking Tour

HOW TO GET THERE:

By Bus:

From Athens Center: Lines B2 550 pass through the metro station Sygrou. Get off at the Onasseio stop on Sygrou ave, head south in the direction of the sea up to Evripidou St.

From Kiffissia: Lines B2, 550. Get off at Eugenidio stop on Sygrou Ave northbound and pass through the underground pedestrian pass toward Kallithea.

From Pireaus: Lines A1, B1: get off at the Tzitzifies stop on Ethnarchou Makrariou Ave. walk down toward Glyfada the left onto Epaninontas st and right onto Peisistraotu St.

4-Night Athens Private Grand Tour

By Tram:

From downtown get off at Tzitzifies stop, walk toward Navarou Votsi St. and turn right at Peistitstratou and Sahtouri St for the entrance through parking lot.

By Trolley:

No. 10 from Halandri Sqaure to the Epaminonda stop. Walk towards Peisistratou and Sahtouris St to entrance through parking lot.

By Car:

You can drive to the Niarchos Centre. There are signs on Sygrou and Poseidonas Ave. and there is a large parking area.

Athens Half-Day Private Minivan Tour

About the author:

W. Ruth Kozak is an avid traveler to Greece and likes to explore new places each time she goes there. This visit to the Stavros Niarchos Cultural Centre was one of the highlights of a recent trip.

All photos by W. Ruth Kozak

by Karen B. Phillips

When you think about magnificent ancient Greek temples, the Parthenon, the Erechtheum, and the other structures on the Acropolis in Athens always come to mind. Perhaps less known to many, but very well-preserved and impressive in its own right, is the Temple of Aphaia, located on a hilltop in a pine grove on the northeast point of the Greek island of Aegina, in the Saronic Gulf. Aegina is approximately 19 miles (30 km) southwest of the Port of Piraeus near Athens.

The Temple of Aphaia forms part of what has been called the “Sacred Triangle of Temples,” along with the Parthenon in Athens and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion. The equilateral triangle formed by these three ancient temples also has been termed “Antiquity’s Perfect Triangle.”

The temple was dedicated to the goddess Aphaia, a mountain and hunting goddess who also protected shipping, which was important on Aegina given the significance of shipping to the island’s prosperity. There are variations of the legend about Aphaia, but all seem to agree that as she was attempting to escape from a man who had fallen in love with her (perhaps King Minos of Crete), she threw herself into the sea off the coast of Aegina.

Unfortunately, she became entangled in fishing nets and was hauled aboard a boat. When a sailor on the boat fell in love with her, she fled again, jumping overboard and swimming ashore on Aegina. As she made her way up the hill to the pine forests, she disappeared and was never seen again. The name Aphaia comes from the Greek word afandos, which means one who has vanished.

 Aegina was a major sea power after the seventh century B.C. because of its strategic position and its commerce with other countries, such as Egypt and Phoenicia. The Temple of Aphaia, which is the only known site of worship of the goddess Aphaia, was constructed during this period of dominance. The current temple, erected around 500 B.C., was built over the remains of an earlier temple that had been destroyed by fire in 510 B.C. Experts believe there may be been an even earlier temple on the site, and figurines have also been found on the site from the 14th century B.C. from the Minoan civilization.

The temple was constructed of local grey limestone, and it was covered with stucco that was painted with pigments. The temple is in the Doric style of architecture, with six columns on the ends and 12 columns on the flanks resting on a roughly 50 by 100 foot (15.5 by 30.5 meter) platform; of the temple’s original 32 columns, 25 remain standing today. The temple’s 1:2 proportional relationship was different from other temples of this era, and the temple also incorporated some architectural refinements, with more slender columns that are spaced farther apart than typically seen in Doric temples.

The temple’s east and west pediments featured painted sculptures depicting scenes of battles fought by heroes from Aegina during the Trojan War. These were removed from the site in 1811 during the initial excavations of the temple. Purchased in 1813 by Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria, the pediment sculptures now are displayed in the Glyptothek Museum in Munich. Several smaller sculptures from the complex are exhibited on Aegina and at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

In ancient times, the Temple of Aphaia was situated in the center of a stone enclosure wall. In addition to the temple, the sanctuary complex included an altar and a series of buildings that served the needs of the temple, including the priests’ residence. On the northern side, a cistern collected rain water from the roof of the temple and near the cistern was a large column topped by a sphinx, which was believed to have been built around 600 B.C. Experts also believe that a wooden statue of Aphaia may have stood at a distance from the temple, but only its base remains today.

The importance of the temple declined rapidly from the middle of the fifth century B.C. as Athens became more dominant and Aegina’s power began to wane. Experts believe some repairs to the temple were made in the fourth century B.C., but by the end of the second century B.C., the area was abandoned.

On the sunny summer afternoon that I walked up a small hill beyond the entrance to the sanctuary complex to the Temple of Aphaia, I couldn’t help but feel as if I had stepped back in time. My husband and I had arrived at a fortuitous time: there were no tour groups at the site, so it was very quiet and the perfect opportunity to experience the majestic ruins and to contemplate how the sanctuary complex must have looked in ancient times. In fact, other than my husband and myself, we saw only one other tourist at the site, so we were free to explore the temple at our leisure and take in the beautiful vistas. The temple complex is located on a hill about 525 feet (160 meters) high, which provides magnificent views of the Saronic Gulf and the surrounding wooded hills. In fact, you can see the Acropolis across the water to the northeast from the Temple of Aphaia on a clear day.

The temple has remained visible and imposing for the many centuries after its abandonment. Artists, including the British painter J.M.W. Turner, have been inspired by the Temple of Aphaia to create beautiful works. The temple truly is an architectural wonder of ancient Greece and well worth a visit. Perhaps you, too, will find inspiration at this fascinating site!

If You Go:

Aegina is roughly 19 miles (30 km) from Athens and makes an excellent day trip, but if you have more time, there is plenty to do on the island for a few days. Boat service from the Port of Piraeus to Aegina Town is frequent; the ferries take about an hour for the journey, while the smaller hydrofoil boats take about 40 minutes. Buses and taxicabs to the Temple of Aphaia are available from the plaza outside the ferry dock in Aegina Town. The Temple is approximately 7 miles (12 km) from Aegina Town, and admission to the site is €6.

About the author:
After a professional career in the government and the corporate sector, Karen B. Phillips has turned her writing focus to travel and fiction and also is an avid photographer.

All photographs by Karen B. Phillips

1.  Temple of Aphaia
2. The Temple of Aphaia from the east
3. The Temple of Aphaia, from the west
4. Statues from the east pediment of the Temple of Aphaia, displayed at the Glyptothek Museum in Munich, Germany
5. A model of the Temple of Aphaia sanctuary complex, displayed at the Glyptothek Museum
6. View of the surrounding area from the Temple of Aphaia complex

by Ruth Kozak

I’m standing in a beautiful courtyard overlooking a panoramic view of flowering gardens, a green forested hillside and far below, the sparkling blue Ionian Sea. Surrounding me stand the Muses: all nine of them. I’m next Erato, the Muse of poetry. Beside her Terpsichore holds her harp and Melpomine smiles silently. This is the magnificent peristyle of the Achilleion Palace, once the home of Elisabeth, Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary. The peristyle is dominated by the nine marble Muses together with states of Apollo and the three Graces.

Elisabeth, known fondly as “Sisi” was the daughter of Duke Max of Bavaria and his wife Ludovika. As a child she was shy and not considered pretty but she grew to be a vibrant, attractive young woman who shared a love of the ‘lower classes’ with her father, and enjoyed long walks and horseback riding. At the age of sixteen she became the wife of the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and was named Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. However, Franz Joseph, it seems, was a ‘mama’s boy’ and clung to his own mother, who took over the care of the couples two daughters, Sophie and Gisela, who were kept in a nursery near the grandmother’s apartments and raised by attendants chosen by their grandmother.

Sisi had little part in their upbringing and almost no contact with the little girls, but during a state visit to Hungary she insisted that the children accompany her. Unfortunately, they became ill and little Sophie died. This misfortune was used by Sisi’s mother-in-law as proof that the young Empress was unfit to be a mother. Her eagerly awaited son, the Crown Prince Rudolf was born a year later but he was also taken into to the care of his grandmother. A third daughter, Marie Valerie was born in 1868 and unlike with the first three children, Elisabeth insisted on raising Mari Valerie herself.

Her only son, Crown Prince Rudolf, was never close to her when he was growing up although he shared her liberal, anti aristocracy, republican beliefs. He was a precocious, delicate young man who feared military training. He’d had an even worse relationship with his father who had refused to allow him to attend university Despondent and rejected, he and his 17-year-old mistress had committed suicide in his hunting lodge. Elisabeth blamed herself because she had not shown him more support. From the time of his death, she wore mourning clothes for the rest of her life.

After the wedding of her youngest daughter in 1890, Elisabeth started spending more time away from Vienna. Following a visit to Corfu she decided that this was a perfect location for her to build a palace. The design was meant to represent an ancient Phaecian palace. It was designed by Italian architect Raffaele Caritto and built on a 200,000-square metre area that Elisabeth’s husband had owned. Ernst Herter, a famous German sculptor was commissioned to create works inspired from Greek mythology such as his famous sculpture, Dying Achilles, that forms the centrepiece of the Achilleion Gardens. She also had a cenotaph in memory of her son placed in the Achillean garden which she was able to see from the peristyle.

From the courtyard of the Muses I walk down the marble steps into the lush garden. In front of me is the magnificent life-sized sculpture of the dying Achilles, his eyes gazing skyward as if supplicating help of from Olympus. Around me are flowering bushes and palm trees, the solitude broken by the chirring of birds. At the foot of the garden there’s an imposing bronze statue of Achilles standing guard surrounded by palm trees. He’s wearing full hoplite armour and brandishing a sword. This statue was commissioned after the Achilleion passed to the ownership of Kaiser Wilhelm in 1907. He also placed a life-size statue of Elisabeth in the garden in her memory.

That morning I spent browsing the ornately decorated rooms of the palace. Empress Elisabeth loved Greece, its language and culture and the palace was designed with the legendary hero Achilles as its central theme. She admired the Troy hero and said: “I want a palace pillared with colonnades and hanging gardens, protected from prying glances – a palace worthy of Achilles who despised all mortals and did not fear even the gods.”

The palace abounds with Classic Greek statues and paintings honoring Achilles. As you enter, there is a staircase with statues of Zeus and Hera. On the right is a portrait of Empress Elisabeth was regarded as one of the most beautiful women in Europe. The ceiling is decorated with a beautiful fresco depicting the “Four Seasons” The upper level of the Main Hall is dominated by a famous painting “The Triumph of Achilles” by Franz von Matsch. In it Achilles is seen dragging Hector’s lifeless body in front of the Gates of Troy.

The Empress’s Catholic chapel is one of the most impressive rooms with its dome-shaped ceiling depicting the Trial of Jesus. In another room known as the “Arcade of the Wise Men’ there are thirteen busts of ancient philosophers and one of Shakespeare.

I wandered into Elisabeth’s room where there is memorabilia and paintings of the Empress and her husband together with records from her assassination. After the wedding of her third daughter, Maria Valerie, the Empress had started to travel, usually under an assumed name. Tragically, during an overnight stay in Geneva, 1898, her presence in the city was announced in the newspaper. As she was walking from her hotel to her ship on which she was to leave for France, she was accosted by an Italian anarchist, Luigi Lucheni, who had come to Geneva with the intention of assassinating the Prince of Orleans. When the Prince failed to arrive, Lucheni chose her as his victim, in spite of knowing, nor caring that she shared his opinions on aristocracy. He stabbed her with a sharp file puncturing a tiny hole in her heart that went un-noticed until she later fainted from loss of blood and it was too late for the doctors to save her life. Luchini was sentenced to life in prison but hanged himself in 1910. After Elisabeth’s death the Achilleion stayed closed for nine years until it was sold by her daughter who had inherited it, to the German Emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II.

As I stand in front of the marble statue of Achilles, dying of the mortal wound to his heel inflicted by Paris, I think of this brave, beautiful woman who had such a zest for life and a love of nature and art who so tragically died by an assassin’s hand. I have been inspired by the beauty she created here at the Achilleon and feel privileged to have been a ‘guest’ in her sanctuary with the Muses and her hero, Achilles.

If You Go:

About the Achilleion:
The palace became a centre of European diplomacy until the outbreak of World War I when it was used as a military hospital by the French and Serbian troops. After the war ended, it came into the possession of the Greek State as part of the war reparations in 1919. From 1921 to 1924 the palace housed the Save the Children Fund orphanage. During the years 1941-1944 the palace was used by the Italian and German occupation forces as a military headquarters, but at the end of the war was returned to the Greek State. In 1962 the Achilleion was leased out, and the upper floors were turned into a casino. The casino scene in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only was filmed at the Achilleion. By 1983 the palace came under the management of the Greek Tourism Organisation and was restored to a museum and used for the European Union Summit. Ever since, the Achilleion has been used as a museum and a venue for various events.

How to get to the Achillion, Corfu

Biography of Elisabeth

About the author:
W. Ruth Kozak is a travel journalist and historical fiction writer and the former editor/publisher of Travel Thru History. She loves to visit Greece and enjoys writing about the history of that beautiful country. Ruth’s historical novel about the fall of Alexander the Great’s dynasty SHADOW OF THE LION, is available in two volumes on Amazon.com –  SHADOW OF THE LION: THE FIELDS OF HADES and in its entirety as a Kindle ebook.

All photos by W. Ruth Kozak

by W. Ruth Kozak

It’s as though I have entered a vast underground cathedral, perhaps one created by Gaudi, because of the way the vaulted ceilings drip with wax-like stalactites. Everything is diffused with colour, as if light has filtered through stained glass windows. The only sound is the soft dipping of the boatman’s paddle and the hollow echo of voices.

I am inside the Diros Caves located in the Bay of Diros on the western coast of the Lakonian peninsula of the Mani in the southern Peloponnese of Greece. The twenty-five minute tour is 1500 metres underground, the first part by punt on an underwater lake, and later by foot. The Caves are among of the largest in the world, an underground wonderland.

The cave was formed thousands of years ago. The stalactites and stalagmites now beneath the water were formed when the sea level was much lower. The cave has been known to locals since about 1900 but was not opened to visitors until 1967. Explorations continue including cave diving to explore under water.

Temperatures inside the caves range from 16C to 20C and it’s a refreshing respite from the heat of the July morning. I have entered through the narrow passageway to the underground lake and got fitted with a life jacket before boarding the little punt that takes me and other tourists on our magical journey.

The first cave is known as the Glifada Cave, one of the most beautiful lakes caves in the world. Brilliant white stalactites and stalagmites glitter from the ceiling and rise from the water like crystal drapes. Water seeps into the cracks of limestone and drips into the underground lake, making a pleasant trickling sound. The passages are sometimes so low and narrow we have to duck our heads as the punt slides underneath and we enter another breathtaking cavern. The boatman tells us to keep our hands inside and not to touch anything in the caves.

Significant anthropological findings from the Neolithic age have been discovered here including pottery, providing evidence of prehistoric men. Fossilized bones of panthers, hyenas, lions, deer, ferrets and the largest collection of hippopotamus bones in Europe have also been found in the caves.

At the end of the boat ride, we enter the vast cavern of the Aleopotripa Cave. I can’t help but gasp at the sight as it is like a vaulted Gothic apse and evokes a feeling of awe. As I walk through with the other tourists, we are warned not to break off any of the stalactites. This is the cave where the evidence of prehistoric men was found and at the exit there is a small Stone Age museum containing the artifacts, which date back 6000 years.

The Diros Caves are protected by the Greek National Tourist Organization and are an integral and significant part of the Greek cultural heritage. They are among the most important natural sites in Greece. I hadn’t expected to visit them when I traveled to the Mani so that day was a special bonus and one that I’ll never forget!

If You Go:

You can take a bus, or drive via Sparti from Gythion in the south Peloponnese. The Caves are an hour drive from Gythion.

The Caves are open to visitors 8.30 am to 4.30 pm from June to September, 8.30 am to 3.00 pm October to May.

http://www.thegreektravel.com/lakonia/diros.html

About the author:
Ruth is a travel journalist and historical writer who spends most of her vacations in Greece. She instructs workshops on travel writing and encourages new writings to submit to the travel ‘zine TRAVEL THRU HISTORY. Ruth has a travel guide to Athens available on Kindle, Athens & Beyond and two volumes of a published historical novel about the fall of Alexander the Great’s dynasty: SHADOW OF THE LION: BLOOD ON THE MOON and SHADOW OF THE LION: THE FIELDS OF HADES available from Amazon.com or the Book Depository.

Photo credits:
First photo by George Fournaris / CC BY-SA
All other photos by W. Ruth Kozak

by W. Ruth Kozak

I stand on the deserted beach of Marathon, Greece, a long crescent of stones and sand. Surf spills over the pebbles, spray bursts like a shower of gold-dust reflecting the dazzling Greek sun. On this beach, with the surf hissing over pebbles red as blood and white as bone, I hear the wind moaning like the voices of the ancient dead, as though the spirits still linger in the shade of the pine groves. Here, in the stillness of the autumn afternoon, I remember the story of the young men of ancient Attica.

It is 490 BC. The Persian fleet is anchored offshore. Hopelessly outnumbered, the 9,000 Athenian and 1,000 Plataeans face the formidable army of 25,000 Persians. According to the legend, as the invasion begins, the shepherd god, Pan, miraculously intervenes. Black clouds obscure the sun as the Athenians launch their attack causing the Persians to “panic”, from which the term is derived. Confused by the commotion and the swift retaliation of the Attic warriors, the Persians hastily retreat and are defeated. This is Greece’s first battle for democracy. The second was to follow in 480 BC when the Persian fleet was defeated at Salamis, one of the most significant battles in history.

A short walk from the beach, in a pastoral setting surrounded by a grove of trees, 190 young men of Attica are buried where they fell, heaped in a common grave mound, guarded by a marble relief of the Warrior of Marathon. The tumulus is located five kms from Marathon village. The high mound is blanketed with a carpet of grass, surrounded by what was once the battlefield that covered the swampy ground between the beach and Mt. Pentilikon. Several miles inland there is an archaeological museum devoted to artifacts found in the area. Nearby is the grave mound of the eleven Plataeans who died in the battle, including that of a ten year old boy, the youngest fatality of that fateful day

I first visited Marathon, Greece back in 1984. The tomb was covered with a blanket of red poppies. I climbed to the top of it. Now there is a winding path surrounding it where visitors can stroll under the shade of the trees. A sign says: ‘No climbing allowed!’

The name “Marathon” comes from the herb fennel. It is believed that the town was named this because of the abundance of fennel plants in the area. The name of the long-distance endurance race comes from the legend of Pheidippides, a young Greek soldier and runner who was sent from the battle-field to Athens to announce the Greek’s victory.

Shortly before the battle took place, the Athenians knowing they were vastly outnumbered, had sent Pheidippides, a soldier and experienced runner, to Sparta to ask for help. The 140 mile course from Athens to Sparta was rugged and mountainous. Pheidippides ran the course in only 36 hours, but the Spartans agreed to help only once the moon was full, due to religious laws. So Pheidippides ran back to Athens to deliver the disappointing news and immediately afterwards join the small Athenian army to march to the plains of Marathon.

By the end of that day the Persians were defeated. Pheidippides was again summoned to run the 26 miles back to Athens to deliver news of the victory. In spite of fatigue after his recent run to Sparta and having fought all morning in heavy armour, the brave young soldier took the challenge. Pushing himself beyond the limits of human endurance, he ran back to Athens to deliver the message. After shouting “Nike!” (“Victory!”) he collapsed and died of exhaustion. In his honour, to this day the Athenian “marathon” begins from the ancient battle site.

The starting point of the Athens marathon is up a long, tree-lined road, clearly marked. The new “Preservation of the Marathon” museum is located here and across the road is the Olympic stadium entrance with the starting gate for all marathons run in Greece. The new museum is mainly a record in photos and writing of all the marathons since the first modern Olympics in 1896 when a Greek shepherd, Louis Spiridon, who was known for his powers of endurance, won his first marathon. In a show of indescribable enthusiasm, 60,000 spectators and the King of Greece welcomed him in the Panathenaic Stadium as if he was the new Pheidippides.

There is a gallery of women runners too. The first woman to run a marathon was from Syros. She was known as “Melpomene” and she ran 40 kilometres of the 1896 marathon the day after it was officially run. She had been denied permission to run in the official race so she decided to run alone. She asked a priest to pray for her protection but he refused, saying he would only bless official athletes. Her finishing time was 5.30 hrs. Today hundreds of women participate in marathons which are held not only in Greece but world-wide.

The first modern Olympic Games in 1896 introduced the marathon race of 40,000 meters (24.85 miles) Later the distance was changed to 26.2 miles. To this day the Athens marathon follows the approximate route that Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens finishing at the Panathanaic Olympic Stadium. The first twelve kilometres are flat. The next nineteen kilometres are more demanding, some of it uphill. Then there is a final eleven kilometres downhill towards the finish line. The Athens Marathon is held every year in November.

Back at the grove, as I stand below the grave mound, I think of the young warriors of Attica and admire their bravery. I hear the voices of the dead, as though their spirits still linger in the shadows. The ghosts of Marathon are here, their victory paean rising from the sea and carried by the wind through the pine trees just as it did centuries ago.

If You Go:

Marathon is 42 kilometers north of Athens, an hour’s bus trip. Buses leave hourly from Station 29, Mavromateon St near the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Check bus info for the locations such as Tymvos (the tomb) which is 5 kms from Marathon village and other sites in the Marathon area.

About the author:
Ruth is a travel journalist and historical fiction writer who spends much of her time in Greece where she has lived full and part-time. Ruth’s two volume historical novel SHADOW OF THE LION is available on Amazon.com and the Book Depository. Volume One: BLOOD ON THE MOON and Volume Two SHADOW OF THE LION: THE FIELDS OF HADES tell the story of the fall of Alexander the Great’s dynasty. In Alexander’s Footsteps.

Photo Credits:
Re-creation of Battle of Marathon by Phokion / CC BY-SA
All other photos by W. Ruth Kozak

Spain, Italy & Greece

by Matthew Adams 

The Mediterranean has a variety of intriguing historic destinations in Spain, Italy and Greece. One way you can visit some of those fascinating historical sites is via a cruise. Cruise ships usually stop at ports in Italy, Spain, France and Greece from which you visit some of the world’s greatest museums and historical architecture. This is a Crown Princess cruise I did to see some of the finest historic destinations.

Barcelona

Barcelona, in Catalonia, was the first stopping port. This is a historically significant city in its own right that includes some astonishing architecture. Its most notable architectural landmark is the Sagrada Familia, designed by Gaudi, that includes eight spires which will increase to 18 when construction of the church is complete.

I never went in the Sagrada Familia on my trip, but instead went to the Montserrat Monastery. This is a Benedictine abbey at the summit of the Montserrat mountain. As the mountain rises about 1,200 meters, it’s worth a trip just for the magnificent views alone. There you can also hike the Montserrat nature park that includes numerous hiking trails.

Pisa and Florence

On another stop I visited Pisa with a coach excursion. There I visited the Cathedral Square, a UNESCO heritage site, that is one of the greatest architectural complexes in Europe. That is largely due to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is a 183 foot tower with a slight lean of about four degrees. I briefly went in the Duomo cathedral, a masterpiece of Romesque architecture, before returning to the coach. However, the tour gave me little more than 30 minutes in Pisa.

Florence was the next stop on the tour. The historical significance of Florence lies in the Renaissance era, otherwise a cultural rebirth, that inspired a new breed of art and architecture in the city. So it’s not surprising that the Historic Center of Florence is another UNESCO heritage site.

I got a little more time in Florence than Pisa. So I went inside Florence Cathedral that is an effective blend of Italian Gothic, Renaissance and Gothic Revival architecture. The most striking aspect of this cathedral is its huge dome, which is the largest masonry dome ever constructed. I also visited the Ponte Vecchio bridge across the River Arno, which is another of Florence’s landmarks. The bridge retains some of its towers originally built as defensive structures.

Rome

As the capital of an empire that once dominated Europe, Rome has obvious historical significance. The city has preserved some of the finest buildings from the former empire. I took some snapshots of the Colosseum on my trip. I also went to the Pantheon, a remarkably preserved temple that has intriguing architecture. The temple has a coffered concrete dome with an oculus, or central opening, at its summit through which sunlight beams through. With that the Pantheon might have effectively been one giant sundial.

The next stop for the coach was the Vatican. The Vatican has been a separate city-state since fascist Italy established the Lateran Treaty. The Vatican Museums are among the largest in the world, and they include some of the most priceless Renaissance art. The museums showcase a multitude of sculptures, paintings, stone tablets and archeological relics dug up from excavations. Furthermore, visitors can also check out the St. Peter’s Basilica church at St Peter’s Square that also has fabulous Renaissance architecture.

I had a ticket specifically for the Sistine Chapel. That is another masterpiece of Renaissance art with its finely painted ceiling and numerous frescoes that decorate the interior. Finding the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Museums is not easy, and you can get lost within the maze of corridors. A day at the Vatican would never be enough to effectively explore the immense museum collections. Nevertheless, I eventually found the chapel that was something to behold.

Gibraltar

Finally, the Crown Princess stopped at Gibraltar. This U.K. overseas territory is most notable for the Rock of Gibraltar, which is a limestone rock that rises about 1,398 feet. As the gateway to the Mediterranean, Gibraltar was a strategically vital outpost of the British Empire. Consequently, the British army dug a series of tunnels through the rock where it could store armaments and munitions. The tunnels also protected troops from coastal and aerial bombardments. Britain dug the most extensive Gibraltar tunnels during the 1940s that were expansive enough to accommodate a garrison of 16,000 troops.

I made the trip up the rock for the terrific Mediterranean views. I also entered the entrance of the tunnels of Gibraltar, which are otherwise the Great Siege Tunnels. In addition, I stopped at St. Michael’s Cave, which is a network of limestone caves. There I went inside the Cathedral Cave that includes an auditorium for concerts and drama productions.

Thereafter, I returned to Blighty. What better way to ‘travel through history’ than a European cruise? You can visit many of Europe’s finest historic venues in Italy, Spain or Greece with coach excursions from cruise ports. The only disadvantage is that some coach trips might only give you a very limited time period at a destination.

If You Go:

Pantheon
Vatican Museums
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Great Siege Tunnels
St. Michael’s Cave
Montserrat

Pisa and Florence Private Day Trip from Livorno

About the author:
Matthew is a freelancer who has produced a variety of articles for various publications and websites such as Swing Golf Magazine, TripAdvisor, Naval History, Artilleryman, dotTech, Bright Hub, Coed Magazine the Washington Post and Vagabundo Travel. Matthew is also the author of Battles of the Pacific War 1941 – 1945. Check out the book’s blog at battlesofthepacificwar.blogspot.co.uk.

All photos are by Matthew Adams:
The Benedictine abbey at Montserrat
The Duomo and Leaning Tower of Pisa at Pisa
The Pantheon in Rome
A snapshot of the Rock of Gibraltar at Gibraltar

Athens, Greece

by Sierra Goldberg 

It was freezing, midnight, and getting through passport control had been unnecessarily nerve-wracking. The bus flew along the motorway and bounced down more residential roads. White concrete buildings lined the streets, their windows were dark but the neon signs were still glowing. I shivered in the empty, rattling cold. Then the bus pulled round a corner and the Acropolis of Athens appeared above the city. Wrought in dramatic lights, the cream stone columns rose warm against a velvet navy sky, shot with pinpricks of stars. I gasped.

At this point, I wasn’t worried about the other passengers’ thoughts. Dignity, respect, pretending not to be a tourist – all out the window having tried very unsuccessfully to validate my 5 Euro ticket for a solid ten minutes of the bus ride. I could stare and gawp all I wanted; and so I did, drinking in that immense sight. I had read the myths since I was a kid, studied the history in school, and poured over the art for project after project in undergrad. Thrill raced through me faster than the cold had, as I discovered for the first time something I thought I already knew. Here it all was in 3D.

The bus dropped us off at midnight in Syntagma Square. Everything was quiet and empty, but the lights looked out inquisitively from their lamppost housings in case something did transpire. My breath froze in little clouds as I looked for a taxi.

“16 Sarri Street?” I asked the taxi driver, trying not to get distracted by the stunning Parliament Building, lit up in white and blue.

“… Sarri Street?” He looked confused.

“It’s in… Psirri?” I botched the pronunciation abysmally, forced a grin, and shrugged. Then, I pulled out a photo of a map on my phone.

“Oh! Sarri St! Yes, yes. Come on, I cannot drive you there.”

Thankfully, what he actually meant was that he couldn’t get me to the front door along the one-way pedestrian street. But he could get me close and, after a nice little chat about whether it was more expensive to live in the UK, he did. In hindsight, it was quite beneficial to have a little tour of the city. But on a pitch black evening in February, hindsight wasn’t on my mind. What I was actually thinking about was snow – snow in the Mediterranean. For the first time in five years, it was forecast to snow in Athens and as we drove, big white flakes melted on the windscreen. Not enough to stick in town, but there was plenty to pile up in the higher altitudes. From the Acropolis and the top of Lycabettus Hill, I spun circles the next day, looking round at the mountains that ringed the basin where the city lived. The big, slow flakes from last night had left them white-capped under cracks of blue sky between stacked layers of grey and white cloud. The sun, when it did decide to join the day, was cold and sharp and my ears froze. I had forgotten to pack a hat.

I found the lower gardens on the hill around the Acropolis full of temples and remains of buildings, statues, column capitals, and broken bits of foundations. The museums and Acropolis grounds felt more like walking into the pictures from the books I had read, studied, photocopied, and researched for the past six years. With an almost reverence, my eyes traced the draping folds of the stone garments that were so much softer and more alive than the drawings and photographs had shown me. Poseidon and Athena had to come to life and watched me carefully as I revelled in the neatly arranged Corinthian column caps I had modelled my own exhibition project on.

I returned to Syntagma Square and browsed the national gardens and old Olympics centre next to the stately Parliament building. The gardens rolled gently down the hill to Zeus’ temple, winding gravel walks lined with palm trees and tropical shrubs. As I walked, it snowed. I snuck quietly through the pillared entrance to the Zappeion Megaron Hall and stood just under the edge of the corridor as the atrium opened to the sky. The ceiling boasted a gorgeous floral, circular design in reds, greens, pale blues, and golds. Snow swirled in the atrium against a backdrop of deep red walls and white marble columns. It was so quiet that I could hear the snow brush against the marble and settle onto the floor. I revelled in my solitude, eating up this sight that no one but me could see.

After that, I walked and walked and walked the streets, looking for more awe-inspiring moments whatever the weather. Psirri turned out to be a fascinating district. I had booked myself into a lovely little hostel called City Circus for the week, where thankfully everything was warm and cozy with bountiful breakfast and friendly staff. Around the corner was a little spiders’ web of streets and five-point star intersections filled with shops and food. There were bars and music and fried filo dough and cheese concoctions in any shape I fancied. Lamp light and candle light poured through colored glass in the windows to join the colorful plaster walls. The music burst from inside the restaurants and the stones smacked hard under my new shoes. I didn’t want to stay long. I just wanted to see all of it, drink in this new, vivacious, loud place that breathed under my feet.

Athens’ graffiti was most unexpected. It was everywhere, unabashedly adorning abandoned houses, old government buildings, and ramshackle metal fences. My walk into town was a burst of color, screaming ideas at me that I could not understand. But still I knew they were trying to say something, trying to be heard amidst the throng of twelve-story concrete apartment complexes and canvas canopies. After a brisk souvenir search through the bustling side streets around Monastirkai Square, I grabbed a latte in a fourth-story coffee bar. It had huge windows looking out over the red tile roofs, all uneven height and helter-skelter pitch before stopping abruptly for the Hill to rise behind them. Buzzing with voices, the room was warm and curls of smoke caressed the windows. Out of the the top of the hill, the Acropolis rose overlooking the city, ever listening as the centuries marched past under its watchful gaze. How many stories had it seen unfold? What tales could it tell if only I could ask – what stories not found in any of my books? I would never know. My own stories would have to be enough for my curiosity.

On my last day, I took a little ferry to the island of Aegina. I joined up with two American brothers and we kicked little scooters into high gear, revving along the coast. Looking back at the photos, they are very odd – it looked a gloriously sunny day, but we were all wrapped up to our noses in scarves and hats. We rode up to highest point of the island to see the Temple of Aphaia. The three of us wandering around from faded placard to faded placard and gasping at the view and calling back and forth to each other to break the silence. Athens sat white across the blue, blue sea. We could pick out the Acropolis and took guesses at where Olympus was, though we really had no idea whatsoever.

On the way back, we scootered through a seaside town and grabbed coffee. After the hustle of the city and the very present feeling of history at Aphaia, it was odd how quiet the coasts were. Big, abandoned holiday homes half-built lingered just off the shore, silent concrete skeletons that didn’t tell stories like the ancient ruins. I thought it was only the island, but as I sat in a restaurant on Athen’s shore, I was as the sole customer. It was full of chairs placed upside down on tables – a hundred inside and maybe more than a hundred outside. The place felt expectant but mournful, waiting for the summer visitors to come and fill it with vibrance. As I stared silently down the coast, I felt out of place for the first time on my trip. In walking in the footsteps of the ancient past, I had created my own stories. But each story I created was filled with the stories that had come before me. In walking the recently built-up coastline, I felt disconnected from the past, though it surely had no shortage of stories to tell. Perhaps I’m far too picky about architecture.

On the ride back to the airport, I watched out the metro window as the city flew past me, each building ticking seconds away between me and take off. Before I had arrived, I had been worried about taking a solo holiday, but had found it rather exhilarating. I got to live every moment exactly as I chose. There was no one else to determine if I had “done a good job” with my holiday, if I “should have done less and relaxed more,” or even if I “shouldn’t get so excited about old rocks.” This was a very good thing because Athens was so much more alive than I could have imagined it would be. I unreservedly added my stories to the streets, each one full of the millions of stories that had come before mine.

I returned to a drizzly Great Britain and my heap of library books.

3-Night Athens Experience Including City Tour and Delphi Day Trip

If You Go:

♦ Accommodation: I Would definitely recommend the City Circus Hostel to anyone looking for good, clean accommodation without the price tag. www.citycircus.gr
♦ Eating: A bit out of the way, but definitely worth the view, head up to the 360 Cocktail Bar. Be prepared for indoor smoking but on a cold day, it’s a great place to have a coffee. www.three-sixty.gr
♦ Tickets: Admission to all the sites was free for me as a student with an EU student visa, but there is a all-access pass you can purchase for all the sites in Athens if you must pay.
♦ Language: People do speak English, helpfully, but you will have to stick to the larger shops and coffee houses if you want to be sure. However, everyone was very, very helpful.
♦ Transportation: The Metro is an extremely easy and cheap to get around town and to the coast. It also runs to the airport during the day and a night bus will get you into town after hours.

Full Day Private Tour: Essential Athens Highlights plus Cape Sounion and Temple of Poseidon

About the author:
Sierra Goldberg began traveling in high school with trips to the Ukraine and Cambodia. In 2013, she moved to Wales for her master’s degree and never looked back. Currently living and working in Germany, she enjoys traveling to less well-known areas and enjoying the outdoors in between museum trips.
Instagram: sierratraveller
Blog: sierratraveller.tumblr.com

All photos are by Sierra Goldberg:
The Theatre at the Acropolis
The Acropolis
Rooftops
Blue Door
The Acropolis from below
Snow in the Zappeion Megaron Hall
Streets of Athens

by J. Kathleen Thompson

It was the quintessential night on a Greek island: a vine-laden terrace bestrewn with blue and white checkered tablecloths, platters of calamari and retsina issuing from the kitchen, waiters nimbly negotiating the narrow pathways between tables and the air seared with the sensuality of a warm night and the sounds of a single bouzouki. On this night, a lyra, a female vocalist and the dulcimer tones of a Persian sandhu join the bouzouki. The music is full-throated and distinctly Eastern in flavour.

We are celebrating the conclusion of a Rebetiko Music Festival on the island and are among the grateful throngs standing retsina-less at the side. Grateful that the sell-out concert is able to accommodate the late-comers, and happy that we are part of the audience who are standing ‘in ovation’ for the musicians who had given us such a wonderful weekend of this once outlawed music.

Rebetiko music had not been on our radar when we stopped in Hydra during our month-long meander through the Greek Islands. Rather we had aimed for Hydra because we were on a quest for 1) great walks, and 2) the Canadian songwriter laureate, Leonard Cohen (or at least, a glimpse into the reason he had chosen Hydra as a writer’s haven).

We arrived via ferry and were greeted by that archetypal Greek island scene: a pier thrumming with people and activity, faces alight with anticipation, voices calling out greetings, cafes jumping to attention, and ferry crews bent on maintaining control in the confusion. And in Hydra, donkeys. Perfectly poised teams of donkeys waiting for the stevedores’ commands. Motorized transport is prohibited on the island, except for emergency and sanitation vehicles, so donkeys are ubiquitous. The new refrigerator and month’s supply of water bound for the hill-top monastery? They get loaded on a donkey. We credit the donkeys as well for the blissful soundscape that greeted us on Hydra, where the church bells, the roosters, the laughter, the sounds of the ricocheting soccer ball, the children’s’ calls and the donkey’s hooves on the cobblestones seem to blend seamlessly with the silence. What a pleasure it was to walk through the narrow winding streets and to follow well-marked signs which led to the less explored regions of the island. Twenty minutes into the hills, we were surrounded by the pine forests, the island’s wild horses, and as always in Greece, the remote hill-top monasteries and the vast blue of the Mediterranean.

A particular joy on Hydra was ferreting out the fabled Cohen home on the island – the one he had lived in during the 60s with his Norwegian muse, Marianne Jensen. The years in Hydra had been seminal for Cohen, allowing him to immerse himself in his writing and imagine a future as a poet and songwriter. His house lies snug smongst others on a hill overlooking the harbour and is predictably modest unmarked and shuttered. We trace his probable route down to a favourite swimming platform at the entrance to the harbour. I plunge in, revelling in the clarity of the Mediterranean so close to town, imagining the heat of those summer days that would have coaxed Cohen down to the sea each afternoon. What manna for my imagination and memories still flush with the sound and vision of 60s song writing to relive this magical time for Cohen so many years later! I was not the only one seduced by this ‘oracle of my youth’, but the Cohen legend is thankfully carefully guarded on Hydra – no line-ups, and apart from the occasional furtive photographer outside his house, you can pay your respects in peace.

The nostalgia for the bohemian 60s didn’t end with Cohen. Posters around town advertising the upcoming Rebetiko Muisc Festival – a music that had also flourished during the 60s in Greece – suggested that we linger a little while longer on Hydra. It proved to be a wise and exhilarating decision!

Rebetiko music, with roots in Anatolia, was fashioned in the ghettos of Piraeus and Athens after the population exchange between Turkey and Greece in the 1920s. It is the folk music of the displaced, the political outsider, the social pariah, and wonderfully marries the modalities familiar to musicians all along the Silk Road. A synthesis of Turkish, Greek, Arab, Persian and Jewish musical traditions, rebitiko gave expression to the experience of the exiled. Themes of love, loss, work, war, poverty, death, violence are embedded in the soul and sound of rebetiko music. Rhythms and melodies are drawn from the cross-cultural traditions and instruments in a rebetiko ensemble are likewise diverse: lyra, santur, guitar, clarinet, oud, tsimbalo, violin, double bass, piano and accordion. The instrument that is emblematic of rebetiko – the bouzouki – became more prominent as the musical form develops in Greece. Commonly associated with the ouzeri and hashish dens, and considered by both Turkish and Greek governments to be either too degenerate or ‘Oriental’ in nature, rebetiko music was forced underground in the 1930s. ‘Cleaned-up’ versions of rebetiko music began to re-emerge in the 1960s and with the growing worldwide popularity of the bouzouki, the rebetiko revival had begun.

Today, rebetiko’s storied past and distinctive musical idiom attract both the scholarly and musical community, the intersection of which we were privileged to witness on that October weekend in Hydra. While some of the academic presentations were specially aimed at “the insider,” (algorhthms of Persian music, anyone?) others – like learning that a dominant scale used in rebetiko music is shared by Jewish Klezmer, Iranian, South Arabic and Flamenco music – help us understand rebetiko’s close relationship with the Middle East. The presentations are interspersed with performances – some held in the famed Melina Mercouri auditorium (named after the Greek actress and a former Minister of Culture) and others in appropriately ‘shady’ cafes. One concert features a Greek singer and a Scottish bouzouki player who balance their Greek rebetiko repertoire with explorations into Celtic music. Suspended in this glorious web of sounds, ideas and cultures, we didn’t seem to mind that we had lost the trail on Hydra, and walked past the monasteries and Marianne right into rebetiko!

The Perfect Mix: 3-Day Private Tour of Culture, Mountain Villages & Hydra Island

If You Go:

♦ Ferries and hydrofoils between Hydra and Piraeus run 2-4 times daily. Book on-line or in Piraeus with Hellenic Seaways. Allow 2 hours for trip each way by hydrofoil.

♦ Accommodation is available for every budget in Hydra. Book early during high season as Hydra is popular with Athenians. Highly recommended is Hydra Icons (with themed rooms of world famous artists, including Leonard Cohen!), steps away from the harbour and cafe-bars. About $90.00/night.

♦ Popular activities on Hydra are hiking (ask for the app of island trails!), shopping (great high-end clothing stores, specialty food/confectionary shops), and watching the yacht and donkey traffic port-side in Hydra Town.

About the author:
J. Kathleen is a lover of adventure, books, music, epic people and journeys and liberal amounts of Greek sunshine and yogurt. When not on a bike, bus or boat in and around the Mediterranean, she can be found waterside in Vancouver or Christina Lake, B.C. Her writings can be found on her blogsite: www.justgojo.com.

Photo credits:
First Hydra, Greece photo by Dominik Gawlik on Unsplash
All other photos are by J. Kathleen Thompson or Ken Flagel.

by Millie Slavidou

Every country has its traditions and its history, and we all have different approaches to entertainment. Music, however, seems to be universal. All peoples have some form of music, and it has been called the language of the soul. And where there is music, there is often dance. People of all social classes dance, although the styles may differ, and these days what was once regarded as the province of peasants has come to be regarded as an important national treasure.

Folk dancing, or the traditional dances of the ordinary people, is something that can be seen all over Greece, and is a very significant part of local tradition. Each region has its own dances, although there are some dances that are common to all, such as the 12-step syrtos kalamatianos. Some of them may appear slow and staid, while others are faster, with intricate steps, and even jumps and very particular moves, such as touching the floor, bending the knee and swaying; there is a great deal of variety. If you travel to Crete and get the opportunity to watch the very impressive Pentozali dance, with its leaps and twirls, this is not to be missed.

But we are going to concentrate here on the province of Evros. A place where each village is steeped in tradition, and the local costumes reflect that, with different colours, embroidery styles and other details revealing the locations.

During the Carnival season, generally in February, starting 8 or 9 weeks before Easter, many villages organize dances outside in public squares. These may be the gaitanaki, a dance involving ribbons that are twirled around a pole, or the syrtos, a classic Greek folk dance based on twelve steps, with some local variation in whether hands go up or down, and whether you should step forwards or backwards in the final steps. You may recognize this one from film or TV.

In Pentalofos, a village high up in the hills of northern Evros, close to the border with Bulgaria, I attended a dance at Easter. Local musicians, often playing traditional folk instruments such as the gaida, a local version of the bagpipes, come out into the central square of the village. The first year that I went, they were accompanied by a group of people wearing traditional costumes, but it seems that this is not always the case, as there were no costumes the following year. These people, whether dressed up or not, are dancers, and they begin the dance, to a great deal of applause and cheering from the crowds gathered there. After the first two dances, everyone else starts to join in. It is great fun, and the atmosphere is one of celebration and joy.

One local dance that I particularly enjoyed was dendritsi, a dance with skipping steps and some very slight kicks, or raising the foot. Everyone joins hands in an enormous chain or circle to dance and there is a great sense of community, with people of all ages taking part. All are welcome. And not to worry if you don’t know the steps; the locals are happy to show you the ropes and no one minds if you put a foot wrong.

A major event in the folk dancing calendar is the festival that takes place in Alexandroupoli, the largest town in Evros, every summer, generally towards the end of June. A show is put on by local dancing clubs in the open-air theatre, which is close to the sea and surrounded by pine trees. In such a setting, the atmosphere is amazing. All the participants wear impressive traditional costumes, all different to reflect the places where their dances originated. Last year, over 250 dancers took part, including children as young as 5 years old. Live music fills the incredibly crowded theatre, with people sitting on the steps and standing all the way around the stage, tightly packed. Only those who come early will have a seat; the show is extremely popular.

The dancers parade in across the stage, in time with a popular, well-known song. Members of the audience join in with the singing; everywhere people are smiling. Then the individual dances begin. These range from the relatively simple performances by the youngest children – who are cheered and clapped tremendously – to complicated, intricate steps and jumps. Each dance is announced before it begins, so the audience knows what they are all called. There are two singers, each keeping to a particular style and alternating to give each other a rest, as the performances go on for well over three hours. It is a truly incredible experience.

Folk dancing is firmly rooted in Greece’s cultural heritage, and it is hard to imagine the country without it. I see it as part of the colour and patchwork of life in Greece: celebrations mean dancing, and public places are for dancing in. And what is life for if not to be enjoyed and celebrated?

If You Go:

Greek Folk Dances:
Greek Dances
Portrait of the Greek dance

Travel: Evros, Greece
Greek Travel – Evros
Visit Greece – Evros River

About the author:
Millie Slavidou is a writer and a translator. As well as being a frequent contributor to Jump Mag, she is the author of the InstaExplorer series for pre-teens, which takes young readers on a journey round the world, experiencing local cultures, traditions and languages along the way. jumpbooks.co.uk/category/millie-slavidou

All photos are by Millie Slavidou.