It’s all GReek to me

Ever since our only daughter moved to Spain, my wife and I would travel to Europe yearly to visit her and take the opportunity to tour the continent together. Every time we start planning our trip, we’d make a list of countries we’d like to go to — preferably those that all three of us haven’t been to yet. And every year, Greece would always qualify for consideration. What usually happens next is kinda like the playoffs. Sometimes it would advance to the next round but only to be eliminated in the end. However, on our last and most recent trip, I’m glad that Greece finally emerged as one of the champions.

Our chosen destination was Athens, the nation’s capital and largest city, and it was quite a revelation! One of the world’s oldest cities — and whilst now also a bustling cosmopolitan metropolis — it has pretty much kept its heritage intact. Magnificent ancient structures that date from 2,500-3,000 years ago still survive to this day, and it’s not uncommon to see millennia-old temples and open-air theaters, Grecian stadiums and gymnasiums along with the occasional agora (market) interspersed with more modern establishments. Most famous of which is the Acropolis of Athens which features the ruins of the iconic Parthenon, a former temple situated on a flattish-topped rocky hill that’s dedicated to the goddess Athena, after whom this ancient city is named. It’s rather surreal to be where powerful gods and goddesses, heroes and monsters once supposedly interacted with mortals.

While the abundance of street cats (the native Aegean cat is considered a national treasure and serves as the symbol of the country) reflects how Greece loves its felines, equally apparent is the Greeks’ love for their food, so much so that there is a delightfully surprising absence of most popular fast-food chains here. And upon taking our first bites of the local cuisine, it’s easy to see why: Mediterranean food uses only the highest quality ingredients like the best olives and olive oil, honey that’s globally renowned for its exceptional standards and benefits, as well as the freshest meat, produce, herbs and vegetables. There’s the souvlaki, grilled marinated meat on skewers; then the gyros, typically pork or chicken shaved from a vertical rotisserie, wrapped in a pita bread and served with toppings; and the spanakopita, flaky pastry filled with spinach and feta cheese among many delicious others. Plus honey-based dessert options like the baklava, layers of phyllo with chopped nuts and honey and Loukoumades, crispy yet fluffy old-fashioned Greek doughnuts slathered in honey. All truly food for the gods! I salivate now thinking of the loaded gyros I wolfed down shortly before we flew out.

Overall, Greece is a traveler’s dream destination that’s as epic as the stories of Greek mythology. More than just being the venue of the first modern Olympic Games, it definitely has a lot more to offer: historical sites, beautiful architecture, splendid restaurants and food options, fairly efficient mass transit system, mindfully- and well-stocked grocery stores abound, even their souvenir shops are filled with an extensive variety of good quality items unlike those usual cheap and overpriced trinkets you’d find elsewhere. Indeed, Greece merits a revisit which I do hope will happen sooner than later. Next year again, perhaps?