I Am A Celebrity!

Sunday, April 26, 2026

2017 - Athens Again

The Acropolis - Athens, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2015 - All Rights Reserved

OUR LAST trip to Athens in 2015 was the final stop of our cruise, and we spent the day, overnighted and then flew out of the Athens airport. This time, it was just a "day stop." Having seen the Acropolis (2x for us), and most of the other historic sites, we decided we wanted to change it up. We found a walking, food tour of the city, which lasted nearly a full day.

Port of Piraeus, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 - All Rights Reserved

ARRIVING AT Piraeus, the port for Athens, we found a taxi ride into the center of the city, where we met our guide for the day. This one was lots of fun, though by the time we finished, I am not sure I could have eaten another thing for at least a day!

Roman Columns - The Acropolis - Athens, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2013 All Rights Reserved

WE STARTED with a traditional morning "breakfast" for the Athenians. It was a kind of pretzel - like crusty pastry, and traditional "Greek" coffee. Although they would cringe at my suggestion, I find the Greeks and Turks food cultures to be very similar. Indeed, we hear them "bicker" about who invented what and whose is best, between some staple items like yogurt, coffee, pastries, and certain meat dishes all the time. As much as they are similar, though, I know they certainly have their differences. Some nuanced. Some more broad. On the coffee, I tried Turkish coffee in Istanbul in 2013. This was the first time I had had authentic Greek coffee. I couldn't tell the difference at the time (which was probably a function of the 4 years between tasting 😀). Perhaps a better test would be to try them side - by - side (or at least closer to each other). Perhaps we will have that opportunity on our future booked cruise to Turkey and Greece in 2027. A quick internet search tells us a few (perhaps?) interesting facts. Originally called Turkish coffee, Greek coffee as changed to "Greek Coffee," when independence from Turkey was achieved in the 1800's. Prior to that time, the Ottoman Turks had conquered what it now Greece and ruled for 400 years. Greek coffee is said to be less sweet than Turkish coffee. Turkish coffee is is sweeter and is made from darker roasted beans. Both are prepared the same way, boiling finely ground coffee in a special pot. Both are served with a (Turkish or Greek?) jelled, mastic-based candy (mastiha) that they again bicker over the origin of: Turkish/Greek delight.

Mastiha confectionary shop selling mostly Greek Delight candy
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

WE FINISHED our Greek breakfast with Greek delights. We then visited a confectionary store where they sold them.

Selection of Olives - Downtown Athens Fresh Food Market
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

ALONG OUR way, we tasted some Greek Olive Oil, and walked through the huge downtown fresh food market. I was impressed by the selection of olives. I love olives and I find that they are a staple for appetizers throughout Meditarranean Europe, and that olive oil is the prevailing oil to be used for cooking and served with bread tableside.

Street Art - Athens, Greece
Image Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

AT LUNCH time, we stopped at an outdoor stand for some souvlaki; a Greek lunch staple. Translating into English as "little skewer," for those who didn't already know, souvlaki is a skewer of meat (generally chicken or pork), often served with a pita, onions, and tzatziki sauce. "Street food," it was delicious. The downtown is kind of an eclectic mixture of modern and traditional architecture, with narrow streets and decorated buildings in most parts, though there is a wide, ultra-modern area with the high-end department and brand name stores right in the middle of everything.

Athens, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

STREET ART, like in many of the European cities we have visited, is also common. Some of it is pretty impressive. To finish out our food tour, we stopped in a traditional, family restaurant to sample their Moussaka. The portions were large, but I felt compelled to eat it. 😊 Again, for those who didn't already know this, Moussaka is a layered casserole (some might compare it to Lasagna) with slices of eggplant (and/or) potatoes, and a layer of ground meat (traditionally lamb) in a bolgnese type sauce, topped with Bechamel sauce and baked to perfection. I know a few folks who say they don't like eggplant. I love it, and I think Moussaka is pure heaven. But after our day, I didn't really need to go back to an all-you-can-eat, cruise ship atmosphere, for sure. As they all unfortunately eventually do, the day eventually ended and we found our way back to the Reflection. We would have a day or two at sea, before we made our next and penultimate port stop: Naples - for the Amalfi Coast.

Sunday, April 19, 2026

2017 - Santorini

Santorini's Villages at the top of the caldera; as viewed from our cruise ship far below, as we sailed into the harbor early in the morning
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

WHENEVER IN my lifetime I have conjured "The Greek Isles," Santorini (without me even knowing its name) has come to mind. Whitewashed, domed churches and buildings with rounded and curved roof lines. Blue painted roofs, with other bright accent colors on the building. High up above the deep blue Mediterranean. When I saw the "brochure" for our cruise this time and the pictures of Santorini, I knew this was the Greek photographic "paradise" I had always wanted to photograph If I had my way I would likely visit there for a few days - in the off season - and try to take advantage of the "good light." I may still do that some day. But this time, it would be for one day, during our cruise. We hoped and prayed for good weather (Santorini is a tender - only port and one of those that is frequently cancelled because of rough weather.

The "iconic" Blue Domed Greek Church and Bell Tower on Santorini
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

OUR PRAYERS would be answered this time. We arrived early on a completely clear, calm morning. This post will be mostly about the gorgeous "Greek Isles" sights and views, and my photography of them. I did a fair amount of reading and research before the trip for this one, with a couple specific spots I wanted to find for "iconic" shots. The primary shot is one of the blue domed, whitewashed church from above, with the ocean below and the mountains in the far background. My research revealed that this shot was not an easy spot to find, and several photographers expressed frustration at not finding it. I had directions and was confident that I was in the right spot in the village, I would find it.

Another spot where I think the image is every bit as stunning as the popular iconic shot
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

WE GOT lucky with our guide for the day. He met us at the top of the funicular, and I shortly learned that in addition to being a guide, he is also a professional photographer. My wife needed to go to an ATM machine, and while we waited for her, I showed him my sheet of paper with the directions to the "iconic shot." He said, "oh, I am going to take you right there. And then I will show you some other, equally great shots." Because he was a photographer, and knew it was important to me, he planned our circuit around being in the spots when the light was best. I was in for a good day!

Because of our Guide's prescience, we found spot after spot that had not yet been discovered by the crowds
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

ONE OF the challenges of a visit to Santorini - at least in season - is that it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. This means way more people than the relatively small island communities can accomodate. Our guide did two things that morning. First, he took us ina direction that was backward to the route that most guides use. Partly, this was because of the light. But it was also because he knew some of the best stuff was at the end of the usual track - but would come first for us, getting us there before the large crowds (for the first half of our day). Eventually, we did run into crowds in the middle of the village of Oiua. Then they were shoulder to shoulder. But we had really already seen most of the best views. Our next move was going to be to get into his vehicle and take a drive to the east, down the backside of the calderra, and onto the flats, where the airport is. But on the way, we drove through olive plantations. It was cool.

One of the most impressive feats is how the Greeks built these buildings up the steep faces of the calderra!
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

THE SECOND thing he did (and this has happened to us 2 or 3 times over the years) was to ask us how rigid we were about our meals. If we weren't stuck on a noon lunch, he could get us through the tour and then would take us to a local restaurant that was out of the way, and did not cater to the tourist crowds. If we were rigid, he could get us somewhere for lunch, but he promised it would be a tourist trap and the food would be unremarkable. We - of course - chose not to be rigid and were very glad we did.

So much color!
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

WHILE THE whitewashed stucco with brightly painted rooftops (especially blue) was the rule, there was a lot of additional color, some of it by the buildings and trim, and some by the colorful flowers so well supported by the temperate Mediterranean climate.

When not being stormed by the throngs of people, the small villages of Oia and Fira are full of pretty, quiet streets.
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

THERE WAS so much color and charm, it was hard not to just keep pointing my camera and shooting. So I did just that!

Santorini, Greece
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

SOMETIMES THE world is a very small place. I can think of nearly a half dozen occasions where we ran into people we had a connection with elsewhere. It is also not unusual when traveling the world, to "bump into" famous people. Id didn't really register it at the time, but the gentleman in the above image is none other than one of the world's foremost travel experts: Rick Steves.

Famous Travel expert, Rick Steves
Copyright Andy Richards 2017 - All Rights Reserved

SANTORINI PROVIDED another one of those humorous anecdotes that arise from time to time on this blg. Our guide was a pretty blunt guy. With a good sense of humor. I have always loved his t-shirt, which he work with no reservations.

WE WALKED part of the hill on the way back to the cruise ship. It was a long, full day, but one of the most memorable of all of my travel!

Friday, April 10, 2026

2017 - The Isle of Rhodes

RHODES IS another of the approximately 6,000 Greek islands in the parts of the Mediterranean known Agean and Ionian Seas. This time, a part of a chain known as the Dodecanese Islands, Rhodes once served as its historical capital. A somewhat more dusty and certainly more undeveloped island, it was nonetheless another of the beautiful vistas that are provided by these island archipelagos all over the Mediterranean. The city is mostly a medieval town, highlighted by the majestic old castle that nestles up close to the port.

WE DID walk through the castle grounds on our return the the town, but we first embarked on an excursion called "Bumpy Rhodes." The proprietor used a couple old, repurposed military transport vehicles to take us on an excursion up to the summit of the island, and along some pretty - well - bumpy backroads. They definitely called for an off road type vehicle. Our ride included some spectacular views, as well as a stop at a food processing type center up in the mountains, where we tasted honey. It was an interesting experience. As we drove around, our guide pointed out numerous areas where beekeepers had set up small clusters of hives. Each of them were in a different plan habitat, and created different honey flavors. In 2017, honey was a fairly large export product for Rhodes.

RHODES IS another Greek island that we are scheduled to revisit in 2027. I hope to do some research to see if there are other things, but my current thought is there are only a couple different things to do there. You can walk the medieval city and the castle/fort the sits right on the harbor. Not shockingly, as you exit the fort along the old main entrance way, there are about 100 tourist shops lining the road out. So there is always (always) shopping. You can do a nature type tour, as we did. I do hear that there are some good food opportunities, and Rhodes is known for it food. We stopped during our tour, and our guide had prepared sandwiches, water and soft drinks for us. That worked.

AND THERE are beaches. The beaches, here, though are a bit different than the white, sandy beaches of the Caribbean (and Florida). The water is clear and pure, but the beaches are often more like little micro-pebbles. That doesn't deter beach goers however. Nor does it seem to stop the influx of pleasure yachts that visit these islands from all around the Mediterranean.

OVER OUR years of cruising, we have had one or two close calls making the all-aboard time. This was our first time. Paul and I were "people watching" near the entrance of the castle (about a half a block from the ship), waiting for our wives who were doing some souvenier and gift shopping for friends and family back home. They lost track of the time and we ultimately had to go drag them out of the shop with only minutes left to the time. When we got back to the port, the gate we had come out of was closed, and though we could see the ship, we had no idea how we were going to get to it. Ultimately, we followed the fence down the block to a gatehouse and got access to the ship from there. I am certain we were one of the last groups to board, and I will readily admit that it had my hear racing. Since then we have had a couple others and looking back this one wasn't even close to a "close" call. 😓