The Hippocrates Tree in Kos, Greece

October 29, 2009 · 1 Comment 

I spend several months each year in my small home in Didim, Turkey, a lovely fishing village half way between the more well-known Bodrum and the city of Izmir. It’s an ideal starting point for extensive travel in Turkey, but also for day trips by boat to several nearby Greek islands. Yesterday, I decided to go and visit Kos.

During the summer months, a hydrofoil runs twice a week from Altinkum (5 minutes from Didim) to Kos, which is convenient. The crossing takes only 1 1/2 hours and for about 4 hours to... [Read more]

Underground Samos, Greece

July 29, 2009 · Leave a Comment 

I’m at present traveling in Turkey, a country which all by itself has a lot of attractions. However, an added bonus is the proximity of many Greek Islands which can be easily reached by ferry. One of them, which I decided to visit yesterday, is Samos, home to Pythagoras, Aesop and Epicur. A ferry leaves the port town of Kusadasi on a daily basis at 9.00 am and the crossing only takes 1 1/2 hours. Return trip is at 5.00PM which leaves about six hours to get a glimpse and taste of a different world, steeped in history.... [Read more]

Food and Wine in Thessaly, Greece

December 1, 2008 · Leave a Comment 

When I arrived at the coastal village of New Anhialos in the Greek province of Thessaly, I was enveloped by my aunt’s strong arms. My uncle stuffed the luggage into the trunk, and drove the few blocks to their home. Before the last suitcase was unloaded, Aunt Voula had endowed the table with a feast—traditional cucumber and tomato salad, olives and apricots from their orchards, feta cheese packed in freshwater, stewed lamb meat, and a rice-like pasta called manestra. My mouth watered in savory anticipation, but... [Read more]

Five Fabulous Foods in Greece

November 17, 2008 · Leave a Comment 

As the pine-green tour bus wound its way through the tree-laden mountains of central Greece, I had to bite my lip and focus on deep, cleansing breaths. No, I was not hyperventilating from the height, and our driver was a model of road decorum. I was attempting to restrain myself from inquiring of my seat mate what on earth had possessed her to travel all the way to Greece—the land of olive oil and antiquities—to order the duck.

I mean—under other circumstances—duck has remained a favorite of mine. Peking... [Read more]

Monemvasia: The Medieval Treasure of Greece

July 20, 2008 · Leave a Comment 

The towering rock of Monemvasia topped by a fortress, rises from the sea on the south eastern coast of the Peloponnese. Known as “Rosemary of the East“, or “the Gibraltar of Greece,” it has been a fortified settlement since ancient times. It got its name which means “Sole Entrance” from the 6th century AD because the only entry is through a fortified tunnel. In the words of the poet, Yannis Ritso, “This scenery is as harsh as silence“ He was born and lived for many years in this small medieval... [Read more]