Greece
A tour to the southern European country of Greece is a tour that is a
reminiscent meander down the winding streets of the past and through the
crumbling remnants of not one, but rather of several ancient cultures. Following
centuries of occupation by Romans, Arabs, Turks, the Byzantines and Latin invaders
to name but a few, the landscape came to bear evidence of foreign influence, as
each civilization that crossed the borders into Greece left its mark on Grecian
society and countryside.
Mirroring the resolute strength of its people in managing
to cling to their sense of identity and culture through the ages of foreign
incursion, magnificent Grecian monuments stand proud amid the relics of foreign
structures and speak to the enduring nature of the country, its people and their
way of life. While it is remarkable in itself that the Grecian civilization
retained any semblance of identity in the face of so many influential and diverse
forces, what is even more so is that today, Greece is considered the cradle of
Western civilization--as the birthplace of democracy, mainstay of philosophy and
origin of the Olympic games--and as one of the most influential societies that has
ever existed.
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One of the most popular and arguably the most spectacular Grecian tour sites is
the Acropolis at Athens. Constructed in the 5th century BC, the structures atop
the Acropolis hill are a series of ancient temples, the most impressive of which
is the towering marvel of masterpiece design known as the Parthenon: no visit to
Greece would be complete without a tour of this pinnacle of Grecian architecture.
Other sites worth seeing while touring Greece include the Temple of Poseidon, the
Minoan Palace of Knossos, the island of Delos and, on a smaller scale but no less
fascinating, are the selection of antiquities on display at the National
Architecture Museum in Athens, not to mention the plethora of Byzantine churches
and monasteries, and Venetian, Turkish and Frankish castles. Like its man-made
scenery, so too is the natural Greece landscape a sight to behold: at 2,917 metres,
Mount Olympus is the highest peak in Greece and with its awe-inspiring majesty,
it is understandable that is was once considered the throne of the gods, and the
Vikos Gorge in the northwest of Greece is claimed to be the second largest gorge
in the world, the largest being the Grand Canyon.
Bordering the Aegean, Ionian and Mediterranean Seas, Greece is a prime location
for travellers looking to spend time on a beach or get their feet wet. With its
15,000kms of coastline, beach-goers and watersport enthusiasts alike will be
reluctant to leave Greece at the end of a tour; where one may find blissful
contentment basking on one of the many stunning white sand Greece beaches, the
other will be hard pushed deciding which activity to indulge in-jet-skiing, sea
kayaking, parasailing, surfing, windsurfing, yachting and fishing are but a few
of the multitude on offer in Greece.
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Rarely in Western Europe can one still find the rugged isolation of Greece. Cut
off from the rest of the continent by its geography, Greece retains a character
long ago lost in other locales in the Mediterranean basin. The venerable olive
still forms the basis of village economic and social life. Residents still travel
by donkey, recipes are passed from one generation to the next, unwritten stories
and songs still enliven sultry summer evenings. Whether it is the wooded valleys
of the north, the craggy coast of the Peloponnese, or the sun drenched pocket
beaches of the islands, the timeless appeal of this mythical land has attracted
visitors for centuries. Urgency is unknown in this culture and time means little
in a place where fellowship counts more than something so menial as work. A land
so blessed and hence so plundered throughout antiquity gives of itself grudgingly;
to spend time here is to get to know the people and the land that forms the heart
and soul of this special place. Our Classical and Isles series continue to be one
of our most popular offerings. We attribute this to a tremendous number of
referrals from past participants, and the fact that this is not a cruise--we
travel by bus and scheduled ferry and spend three nights on each island with a
perfect balance of organized activities and free time to soak it all up. And of
course romantic, sun-drenched, and timeless Greece always does a very good job of
just selling itself. Tours range from 9 to 20 days; departures in spring, summer
and fall.
Travel to Greece and stand at an incredible crossroads of cultures and civilizations.
Feel the strength of history and the warmth of being in the southernmost part of
Europe, and discover an evolutionary process of thought, influence and experience.
Discover a country that is, though statistically small, huge in its diversity.
Find a landscape that has given us thousands of postcard images but whose essence
remains intriguingly impossible to capture. Greece is a country of beautiful
contradictions, a constant journey in time from the present to the past and back
again. Move to clusters of sparsely inhabited islands; roam from beach to mountain
peak; walk through olive groves and ancient sites. In Greece the fusion of such
images transcends mere imagery and becomes reality. Our Classical and Isles tours
continue to be some of our most popular offerings anywhere. We attribute this to
a tremendous number of referrals from past participants and the fact that our tours are
not cruises--we travel by scheduled ferry and spend three nights on each
island with a perfect balance of organized activities and free time to soak it all up.
And of course romantic, sun-drenched, timeless Greece always does a very good job
of just selling itself. Cultural, family and hiking tours from nine to 20 days;
departures in spring, summer, and fall.
Few other civilisations have played so fundamental a role in the shaping of the modern world as has Greece. The birthplace of democracy, mainstay of philosophy and home to some of the most notable pieces of art, literature and architecture in history, Greece is a tour destination oozing with fascinating historic sites and artifacts, cultural attractions and natural beauty. As one of the cradles of Western civilisation, Greece has been in the thick of European affairs right from the start, a fact illustrated by the myriad of foreign-influenced architecture and relics found within its borders. Indeed, as though it were not enough that its people managed to preserve any semblance of identity over the centuries of invasion and pressure from a host of foreign aggressors, Greece managed to eclipse this feat by making a name for itself as one of the most influential societies ever to have existed.