"Lets go to Greece, but lets not partake of its wealth of history".
That was the paradoxical "brief" for this trip. Imagine going to a country with a 5000 year old heritage, the stuff of legend and myth, the fables of gods and heroes, and NOT focussing on all that !
This contorted view evolved however with some true logic. After an action packed and sightseeing heavy trip to Japan earlier in the year, we were in the market for some serious down time. We needed a holiday that spelt "food and rest", and the idyllic greek island lifestyle fit the bill perfectly.
The decision to go island hopping in Greece came about as we debated destinations that would give us that much needed R&R that we were looking for. Given where we are, in Hong Kong, normally the logical choice is to visit one of the beach resorts of Asia. In all fairness, we have only been to Bali, which meant that we jolly well could have opted for one of the other perennial favourites such as Koh Samui or Phuket, or even some of the new kids on the block such as Sania in China or Krabi.
But being in Asia also brings about an ennui with all things Asian. The food, the culture, the people - would we really feel like we had got away ? The simple answer was NO. Which is when we cast a wider net, and settled on the Greek Islands. We could have our break, and at the same time, interact with a different culture and people, so as to foster that feeling of being somewhere else.
And the Islands came through for us in a spectacular fashion. Never before for us had doing nothing felt so good and so right. Of course there was interaction with their glorious and unmatched history, how could there not be, but for most days it was endless moments on the beach, lazing in pools that redefined the term "infinity", wining and dining al fresco in quaint little tavernas, walking through narrow cobble stoned lanes and gazing upon the famous "blue and white" architecture that is the calling card of a Greek village.
Of course, I have to admit, that the R&R brief also meant that the down time be staged in the requisite fashion, which meant another departure from the norm for us. For the first time, we consciously chose to go "luxe" - great accomodation and fine dining. The Euro ensured that we did look at our bills when with returned with chagrin, but the memories that we created were totally worth it.
I have to shout out a big thank you to Murat and Pinar from Travel Atelier in Turkey. After a flawless execution last year with Turkey, they once again excelled in their usual professional fashion with our bookings for Greece this year. I can't praise them enough.
So yes, there is still Delphi, and Monemvasia, and Napflio, and Olympia, and all the other great sites to be seen. But for now, Paradise is this wonderful, unmatched shade of blue - Aegean Blue.
