Athens Tips, Suggestions, Examples to Enjoy!

[TLCOhio]

From the London/UK Daily Mail and MSN News in the past week, they had this headline: “Glamorous Greece: Inside the Athenian Riviera, which is rediscovering its seductive past” with these highlights by author Nigel Tisdall: “The 40-mile strip of land stretches south from Piraeus to Cape Sounion,  It offers a 'different but equally enticing proposition' to Greece's islands.”

 

Here is more background:  "While many of us are drawn to Greece’s myriad islands, this 40-mile strip of pines and sand – stretching south from Piraeus to Cape Sounion – offers a different but equally enticing proposition.   These shores are no stranger to glamour. In the early 1960s, what was then known as Asteria, the Greek word for 'star', attracted another local shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis, who would come here with American-born Greek soprano Maria Callas.  Today, the Athenian Riviera is having a renaissance that was ignited four years ago with the debut of the Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel."

 

Full story at:

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/travel/tripideas/glamorous-greece-inside-the-athenian-riviera-which-is-rediscovering-its-seductive-past-with-the-help-of-some-incredible-but-pricey-hotels/ar-BB1nbzU2?ocid=BingNewsSearch

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit.  Now at 35,511 views.  Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

[TLCOhio]

Is it good news that Greece is getting more and more popular for tourists?  

 

From Bloomberg News and this travel news website yesterday, they had this headline: “Greece to Limit Cruise Ships Visiting Popular Islands Next Year” by Vedat Özgür Töre with these highlights: “Greece plans to reduce the number of cruise ships visiting its popular tourist destinations. the country’s prime minister, announced that he will place caps on how many cruises can travel to Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.  Islands like Mykonos and Santorini are popular tourist destinations. Since the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic boosted tourism overall, more visitors than ever before have been seeking out the islands.”

 

In 2006 when we did our first cruise and visited Mykonos, we super loved it.  BUT, we were lucky on that day as we were the only ship in port that day.  I cannot image the impacts and crowding if six to eight ships had arrived there on just one day.  

 

Full story at:

https://ftnnews.com/travel-news/cruise-travel/greece-to-limit-cruise-ships-visiting-popular-islands-next-year/#google_vignette

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal.  Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 33,425 views.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

[TLCOhio]

Here's an aggressive headline and more details from Greece as they consider the impacts of cruising and those visitors.  

 

From the London/UK Telegraph two days ago, they had this headline by Heidi Fuller-Love: “How Greece is going to war on cruise ships" with this sub-headline:  "The country’s PM has vowed to put a cap on cruise ships – though some believe they’ve become a scapegoat for wider overtourism problems.”

 

Here are some of their reporting highlights by writer Heidi Fuller-Love: “Lured by glorious beaches, world-class archaeological sites and comforting cuisine, some 33 million people visited Greece in 2023, around five million more than in 2022. According to the Greek National TourisM Organisation (GNTO), 2023 was also a landmark year for cruising in Greece, with seven million passengers visiting the country aboard 5,230 cruise ships, compared to 4.38 million passengers and 4,614 cruise ships in 2022.  With approximately 1.5m passengers in 2023, Piraeus, the port for Athens, tops the list of popular cruise destinations in Greece, followed by Santorini with 1.3m and Mykonos with almost 1.2m.”

 

Cruise ship "economics" are a part of the question and rub based on this and other comments in the story:  "Business owners on the island are angry at the lack of revenue that cruise tourism brings. 'They have everything on board – even souvenir shops – so they come here and just walk around and then go back to their boat without buying anything,' says Maria Dimitirou, who owns a gift shop in Oia."

 

Another aspect of the backlash is too much of cruise ship tourism is focused on a just a few islands.  Also a travel experts was quoted saying: "Unfortunately, many of the ports of call in Greece have become tourist enclaves with nothing left for the locals."

 

Good and interesting questions?  Fair or unfair?  Reactions and comments?

 

Full story at:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/greece/greece-cruise-tourism-cap/

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

India to Singapore 2024: Live/Blog with many visuals, including “Golden Triangle”, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2992045-live-terryohio-india-to-signapore-silver-moon-rising-pix’s/

[TLCOhio]

From the Lonely Planet travel source just posted, they had a detailed profile for the “Acropolis” with these historic highlights for what they call: “the most important ancient site in the Western world."

 

They detail: "Crowned by the Parthenon, it stands sentinel over Athens, visible from almost everywhere within the city. Its monuments and sanctuaries of white Pentelic marble gleam in the midday sun and gradually take on a honey hue as the sun sinks, while at night they stand brilliantly illuminated above the city. Inspiring as these monuments are, they are but faded remnants of the city of Pericles, who spared no expense. It was a showcase of lavishly coloured buildings and gargantuan statues, some of bronze, others of marble plated with gold and encrusted with precious stones.  The Acropolis was first inhabited in Neolithic times (4000–3000 BC). People lived on the Acropolis until the late 6th century BC, but in 510 BC the Delphic oracle declared it the sole province of the gods.  After all the buildings on the Acropolis were reduced to ashes by the Persians on the eve of the Battle of Salamis (480 BC), Pericles set about his ambitious rebuilding program. He transformed the Acropolis into a city of temples, which has come to be regarded as the zenith of Classical Greece.”

 

More interesting background is offered with this profile.  Did not know its history went back that far in time.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/athens/acropolis-area/attractions/acropolis/a/poi-sig/1153952/1342281?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_10571368&utm_usr=f541a9e649534cc2931bd57d58d8c2cac2bb8c5d298f722bad5b05cc8ad5ece2

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc.  Many visuals, Our firsts in these scenic areas!  Now at 22,558 views. Live/blog: 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

[TLCOhio]

From the French AFP newswire this morning, they had this headline: “Greece's marble mountain burns in wildfires” with these highlights: “Thick grey smoke engulfed Mount Pentelicus that dominates Athens on Monday as the Greek capital battled the infernal fallout from what promises to be its hottest summer on record.   A 30-kilometre (20-mile) long line of fires was moving towards Athens, reports said, and one has already engulfed the mountain, also known as Mount Pentelikon, famed for the marble used in the Acropolis and other ancient buildings in Athens.  The nearby historic town of Marathon has also been ordered evacuated.”

 

Here, sadly, is an example where a "hot time in the old town" is not a good or positive situation.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240812-greek-wildfires-engulf-mountain-as-they-approach-greek-capital

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Early 2020, many visuals and details from New Zealand/South Pacific in going from Auckland to French Polynesia.  This includes Bora Bora, Fiji, NZ experiences, etc:  Live/blog:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2735732-live-terryohio-“new”-regatta-south-pacificnz-pix’s/

[TLCOhio]

From the Wall Street Journal for their weekend edition, they had this headline: “Athens Just Might Be the Most Underrated Capital City in Europe"  with this sub-headline:  "The Greek capital was the cradle of Western civilization, but it has far more to offer today than its famed ancient ruins.”

 

Here are some of the reporting highlights by author Tony Perrottet: “When I first visited over two decades ago, I found it a sprawling, gridlocked and gritty eyesore with graffiti-covered streets. Back then, most travelers allocated a day to visit the Acropolis, then fled to the glittering beaches and seafood tavernas.  Energetic Greek expats returned during the pandemic had opened restaurants, galleries, cafes and boutiques, and were joined by European bohemians flooding south in search of cheap rents and sunshine.  All of this has turned the Greek capital into one of the most livable and entertaining cities in Europe.”

 

Many specifics and details are offered, including for "underground dining" including at Diporto’s naturally cool cellar lined with wine barrels, doing post-Acropolis therapy such at the sandwich store Guarantee using local ingredients, rocking the Odeon of Herodes Atticus amphitheater with summer theater and concerts, art in the red-light district for contemporary-art centers at the Breeder, options at rooftops bar-restaurants such as at  the gilt-and-marble Hotel Grand Bretagne and the new Metro stop Dimotiko Theatro in the port district of Piraeus, where the Athenian fleet was constructed in the era of Pericles.  Lots of history and aspects to explore in Athens.  

 

Here is an interesting, different option cited: Benaki Museum of Islamic Art, considered one of the finest in Europe. People forget that ancient Athens was the trade gateway to Egypt and the Middle East and what one historian called “the first truly global city” as for more than 350 years, Athens was a key outpost of the Ottoman Empire. 

 

This WSJ article is behind a tight paywall, but might be obtained from a local library source.  Good to check it out if Athens is on your future to-do list.  

 

Full story at:

https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/travel/athens-greece-visitors-guide-e0050af2?mod=lifestyle_feat1_travel_pos3

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island).  Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City.    Visual/Info Summaries:

www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums

[RummyB]

We will be visiting Athens next May.  Looking for restaurant recommendations and perhaps a recommendation for a tour guide for a few days.  Thanks!

[irvington]

3 hours ago, RummyB said:

We will be visiting Athens next May.  Looking for restaurant recommendations and perhaps a recommendation for a tour guide for a few days.  Thanks!

I am going to be there next May as well on a business trip. When I was there about five years ago, there were a lot of good restaurants just available wandering around. But I’d be very interested in anybody’s recent recommendations on good restaurants. I’d also love the idea of a tour guide.