Greece (Reprise)

Well, here we are at the end of the trip. Thank you all for joining us on our journey - we have appreciated your visits as well as your comments. Greece proved to be a wonderful destination. There were some culture shocks to get used to : primarily with the Greek sewer system unable to cope with its load one has to place toilet paper in a bin next to the toilet rather than in the toilet itself. But once you get used to it it wasn't a big deal, and all locations make sure that the bins are changed frequently. The Greek people were overall very friendly and helpful, and we had no problems with taxi fares or theft or anything. We were probably a little bit handicapped at times not having a car, but we made do with country bus travel and our single train ride. The public transport system is not geared for tourists, but it got us there in the end with only some minor discomforts. Not having the car did save us some serious parking hassles as well as avoiding much stress - to drive in Greece you need the reflexes of a cat, the hide of a rhino and nerves of steel. We had a lot of opportunities to explore walking trails and take in some breathtaking scenery that we otherwise would have missed. The food was magnificent - daily we tried something new and were rarely disappointed. The local beer was enjoyable, all the house wines we drank were very palatable, and the premium wines on Santorini were great. We learned that a quality ouzo on ice is refreshing, and that retsina is not as bad as the guide books would have you believe. An average meal, including wine, usually came to under 25 euro for both of us, which was a pleasant surprise. We also had other bargains - the best being 10 euros to have a laundry bag full of dirty washing done in Santorini, and received back the same day! The history / temples / museums were fascinating, and the scenery unforgettable. The Dubai stopover was also a pleasant surprise, and full of interest. So we had a wonderful time, and thanks again for joining us. We hope to see you again for another trip sometime in the future.