The netpaper about Elftowners, by Elftowners, for Elftowners.
Once Upon a Time…Greece
The sound of the waves is the music you will hear every day if you travel through the islands of wonderful Greece. The warm sun darkens your skin while the cool ocean breeze keeps you comfortable as you visit this magical country. Greece is a land of discovery, whatever your interests are. Whether you like to lie down in the sun for hours, only turning over to avoid sunburns and marks, or you prefer to be on the move day after day and learn as much as possible about the past, present and possible future of the numerous civilizations and peoples that have dwelled in this country, you will be served by visiting the Greek islands.
Living History
As most people know, the Greeks lived in that part of the world at least three thousand years ago. However, some other civilizations occupied some islands a millennium before that. When you set foot on the island of Crete, you plunge into the history of the Minoan civilization, where people lived four thousand years ago. From them, we still keep some legends, such as the stories of Icare, who wanted to fly away from the island where he was trapped but lost his wings in the heat of the sun, or the Minotaur, half human, half Taurus, who was trapped in a labyrinth and ate all humans sent there as sacrifices. The labyrinth, or more accurately the palace of King Minos, father of the Minotaur, still exists in today’s Crete and you can visit it in Knossos for less than ten euros. It has been partly rebuilt based on the imagination of Sir Arthur Evans, the archaeologist who first started working on that palace in the 1930's. If you are fonder of true archaeology, you can also visit another palace situated in Phaistos, which hasn’t been touched to this day except to bring it back to the surface.
No matter how much you’ve heard about those stories, the most prestigious legend connected to ancient Greece undoubtedly concerns the lost island of Atlantis. Not much is truly known about this island, but much is supposed. It is truthfully called legendary because we yet have to prove its existence. However, some specialists claim it was inhabited by a nation familiar to the Greeks and the Minoans, but much more advanced on both technological and cultural points of view. What is truth and tangible, though is the number of frescoes, jewellery, potteries, and other works of science and art found in the museums of Crete or other Greek islands. The museum of History in Herakleon definitely deserves a visit, as well as the acropolis museum in Athens. If you can’t get enough of beauty and awe before ancient knowledge, those are a must see.
Natural Beauties
Greece is a wild country where you can stumble on all kinds of sceneries, from the classic golden sand beach to the rocky coastline, the snowy mountain peaks or the olive tree plantation. Nature is often rough, the vegetation being used to sometimes cold and often strong winds coming from the sea. However, if you take up your courage and choose to go on a hike on a beautiful sunny day you will be rewarded by sometimes magical encounters, such as an old orthodox abbey a few kilometres from Athens or a sight of the furious sea from the top of a small hill. That’s without talking about the majestic Meteors, many hundred meters high rocky boulders, stretched towards the sky and on top of which temples were built hundreds of years ago. For those who enjoy some leisure, the island of Santorini offers a great number of colourful beaches. The red one is made of powdered lava, the black ones, of volcanic stones and the white ones, of silica. The choice is yours!
Festive Times
After a long day of discoveries, you may want to enjoy the party spirit of the islanders. During the high season, which stretches from the end of May to the beginning of October, night clubs and bars are full of explosive energy. Some islands, such as Mykonos, consist of one huge party area. The Greeks are a very joyous people who enjoy dancing all night long and eating good food at every meal. The traditional cuisine is based on fresh fruits and vegetables, olive oil, feta cheese, seafood and lamb meat, but you can find a great variety of food wherever you go.
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