deTraci's Greece Travel Blog

Almost all travelers to Greece find themselves with a day or more in Athens. Here are some of the must-see attractions in Athens. Many of these can be reached easily by walking, by regular, public transportation or by one of my faves, the 5-euro Athens Tourist Bus, but you can also leave it to the pros and pre-book tours and day trips around Athens.

While I naturally prefer Greek cruises that start and end in Greece, the low price on this one makes it enticing, and if it makes your Italy-only trip into a multinational adventure, so much the better!

Want to see Italy, Greece, Croatia, and Turkey in one packed 7-day Mediterranean Cruise? Then you may want to check out smaller-ship line Costa Cruises. They're offering two options for the Mediterranean starting at $499 per person plus up to $126 in additional fees, surcharges, and so on. The discount code is DB/BO; call Costa Cruises directly at 1-800-GO-COSTA (800-462-6782) or visit their website.

Note: These rates are for inside staterooms; they note that "free upgrades may be available". The most Greece-friendly itinerary is the "7-Night Italy, Greek Islands Croatia" option on the Costa Fortuna, skipping Turkey. It includes stops at Katakolon to visit Olympia, and at Mykonos, Santorini and Rhodes.

Don't assume anything is open on the festival date of August 15th, when the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Feast of the Dormition is observed. This is a major holiday for the Greeks, and they return home in droves. Expect flights and even ferries to be sold out during the days preceding the 15th.

On the day itself, archaeological sites and museums will be closed along with support businesses such as banks, many shops, and post offices and other government offices.

Need to send greetings to someone in Greece for the holiday? Check out these e-Icon cards, courtesy of the Greek Orthodox Church of America.

Today the About.com Travel Channel is throwing a Blog Carnival of our best Travel Photos - and you can join in the fun! My contribution is from the Cretan town of Chania.

Santorini fans will find plenty to love about "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2". While it isn't as giddy and guilty a pleasure as Skopelos-shot "Mamma Mia!", it offers some beautiful scenes of Greece. And here's hoping Greece got extra pay to appear - the "Turkey" scenes of an archaeological dig are also shot on Santorini.

Greece in the Movies

I monitor the dollar-euro exchange rate daily, because I like to torture myself with fantasies of back when 95 US cents would buy you 100 Euro cents. So it was quite a thrill today to see a "4" in the exchange rate, even if it still leaves it at US 1.49 to a mere 1.00 Euro.

More:

Currency Converters

The Ikarus Rock Festival is a new free music festival at the village of Avdou outside of Heraklion on the Greek island of Crete. It's featuring a dozen international groups, a picturesque location, and one more reason to travel to Crete, one of my favorite Greek islands.

Ikarus Rock Festival on Crete
Sunday, August 10th 2008
Avdou, Crete

The BBC reports that on Sunday a Greek man in the quiet village of Vourvoulos on the Greek island of Santorini beheaded his girlfriend and then went into the streets carrying her head as frightened residents cringed behind closed doors. He stabbed a policeman, was shot by the police, and then stole a police vehicle and rammed a scooter carrying two female doctors, injuring them both. One bystander was caught in the crossfire resulting in serious injuries; all victims have been transported to Athens for treatment. The man is now in custody.

I asked Anna Vafeiadou of Santorini Web to tell me more. "As for the victim and the killer, they were not from Santorini but from other parts of Greece and they had a love relation that ended in a drama. The doctors informed us that the killer is mentally disturbed."

Anna also can't believe this happened on Santorini and wants to emphasize that this is not typical of the island. "It is the first time that something like this ever happened in our peaceful Santorini! Imagine that we still sleep with our windows open and our children play in the neighborhoods while grandmas are trying to feed them their fruits! It is a busy island but people are not hostile or aggressive - it's the opposite, they are like kids that never grow up with pure hearts!"

It is not known if he may have been "inspired" by the decapitation murder of a sleeping bus passenger in Canada last Wednesday.

More:
BBC: Gruesome Crime Shocks Greek Isle
AP: Man Beheads Girlfriend, is Caught After Chase
The Myth of Perseus and Medusa

Save money and freeze the exchange rate by booking day trips for yourself before you go. Choose from a wide variety of sightseeing tours on Crete, from hiking the Samaria Gorge to visiting the eerily preserved island village that was once a leper colony at Spinalonga.

Day Trips and Tours of Crete

If you're an archaeology buff, you'll love Greece. There's no end of ancient temple sites to visit - here's a selection of the best ones to see on your trip to Greece.

Celebrity Homes of the Greek Gods and Goddesses