
The Parthenon © Nathan Hughes Hamilton
Ancient Greece developed many of the Western world's cultural
building blocks, as the Olympic Games, democracy, mathematics and
philosophy all began there. Today the country is known as a great
holiday destination rather than a centre of culture and learning,
and attracts visitors by the thousands. Most of them come for the
simple pleasures of its delicious food, wine, beautiful beaches,
sunshine and quaint villages, with beach lovers in particular
relishing the seemingly endless lacework of coastline and small
islands stocked with ancient sites and scenic surprises.
Greece exudes traditional charm, especially on its ever-popular
islands, which cling to their traditional ways despite the influx
of tourists. Black-clad women still deliver vegetables to island
tavernas on panniered donkeys, while bronzed, weather-beaten
fishermen sit in the sun, drink thick coffee and play dominoes or
backgammon. The tourist infrastructure has intruded in many
respects, but the timeless aspect of whitewashed buildings
clustered on hillsides has been retained. The myriad islands in the
Aegean Sea are easily accessible from Piraeus, Athens' historic
harbour, and many of the larger ones have airports with connections
to Athens or major European cities.
On the mainland, the capital Athens is sprawling, polluted and
overcrowded, but nevertheless enthralls visitors. It's dominated by
its major landmark, the Parthenon, though the remains of other
Classical Greek wonders are found mainly on the Peloponnese
Peninsula. Thessaloniki lies in the north and is modern and vibrant
with a Byzantine flavour.
Visitors are sure to love this ancient and sun-filled
country.