Tag Archives: greece

Travel Flashback: Kardamyli

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For awhile last year, I was posting a look back at past travels every Wednesday. Life got in the way and I stopped doing it, but I figured I’d start back up again. Today’s post is from my graduation trip to Greece in the summer of 2008. You can find the rest of my Greece posts here.

Kardamyli, a tiny seaside town in Greece’s Mani region, will go down as one of the most delightful travel surprises of my life. I went there knowing absolutely nothing about the place, with zero expectations, and left with some of my most wonderful memories of Greece.

What I remember most about Kardamyli was how beautiful it was, especially since the town is just bursting with flowers. They were everywhere – from little gardens accompanying every home to bushes and trees filled with blooms to window boxes with flowers spilling over the sides. We arrived there in the late afternoon, and as my mom and I walked around the town, I stopped a million times to take flower photos. Everything was so gorgeous, and I simply couldn’t help myself:

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(The Esperides Hotel was where we stayed in Kardamyli…and yes, it too prominently featured flowers everywhere)

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On our first night, we had dinner at Lela’s Taverna, a wonderful little gem of a restaurant. It’s tucked right against the shore, so the views from every table are stunning. Particularly if you time your dinner so the sun sets when you’re there, you are in for a real treat.

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The “menu” at Lela’s is no more than a tiny chalkboard with that day’s options scribbled on it. That’s how I think you know this place is good – the menu changes based on what’s fresh that day, and there’s no mass-produced chain restaurant food nonsense going on.

kardamyli8And before the servers at Lela’s can get to clearing the tables, the friendly neighborhood cats are there to swoop in and lend a hand paw:

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On our second day in Kardamyli, we spent the morning hiking. We were headed to a church at the top of the path, but midway up we also found these lovely ruins:

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The views from the top were gorgeous, and well worth the climb:

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kardamyli15kardamyli16And on our way back down, we ran into this cow (oddly enough, I don’t recall running into any other humans on the trail!):

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After our hike, we headed back down into town for lunch at another restaurant located by the sea.

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While there, I took my all-time favorite food photograph which, considering the volume of food photographs I’ve taken over the years, is really saying something. But to me, this picture was all my favorite parts of Greek cuisine in a nutshell, particularly the delicious salads featuring gigantic slabs of the most wonderful feta you’ve ever tasted.

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In the afternoon, we took another walk around town (stopping for more flower photographs along the way, naturally):

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And that brought our time in fantastic Kardamyli to a close, as we left town the next morning. Like I mentioned before, Kardamyli was truly one of the unexpected highlights of Greece for me, and whenever I think back on our trip, it’s usually the place that comes to mind first.

(For more on Greece, be sure to check out my posts on Athens, Delphi, Kalavrita & Dimitsana, and Olympia)

Travel Notes: Olympia

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Every Wednesday, I plan to post a look back at a place I’ve traveled, including some favorite photographs and memories. Today’s post is from my graduation trip to Greece in summer 2008.

After Dimitsana, we headed to Olympia. We didn’t stay overnight there, but we did spend the day wandering around the museum and ruins. I’m a huge Olympics nerd, so I was pretty pumped to see the spot where it all began. Here are some favorite photos:

The Museum at Olympia had an awesome collection, but my favorite pieces – by far – were the remains of the Temple of Zeus. Amazing:

I also loved all the tiny knickknacks that have been recovered from the site:

We also spent some time wandering around the ruins outdoors:

Heading into the stadium via the ancient archway. Incredible:

The starting line:

And me creeping among the ruins:

Next up next week: relaxing in the seaside town of Kardamyli.

Travel Notes: Kalavrita and Dmitsana

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Every Wednesday, I plan to post a look back at a place I’ve traveled, including some favorite photographs and memories. Today’s post is from my graduation trip to Greece in summer 2008.

After Delphi, we headed out into the countryside, stopping by two very tiny towns – Kalavrita and Dimitsana. We were in a part of Greece that I really knew nothing about, and that I never would’ve put on my “must visit” list – but it was cool to see such a different side of Greece after visiting chaotic Athens. Here are some of my favorite photos.

The next few pictures were taken at a roadside truck stop. I don’t know about you, but I generally think of truck stops as kind of gross and shady – not in Greece. They were very well-cared for and had the most amazing, drool-worthy collection of baked goods:

After fortifying ourselves with baked goods, we made it to the town of Kalavrita. There, we learned about the town’s sad history – the Massacre of Kalavrita during WW2. It was very sad, but the town seems to have recovered since then, and it was cool to poke around all its little shops.

On the road from Kalavrita, we ran into what would become a common sight – herds of goats wandering across the road at a rather leisurely pace. And that’s how you know you’re in the Greek countryside.

We stopped out in the country for lunch – I’m not even sure if we were in a real town; we just had lunch at a little restaurant sitting next to a stream. But, it was amazing – we were served a feast, including two gigantic fish per person. Deliciousness:

And finally, in the afternoon, we pulled into the town of Dimitsana. There weren’t any restaurants in town, so for dinner, my mom and I went to the local grocery store and bakery and stocked up on fruit, cheese, and bread for our meal. This might sound strange, but I love shopping at grocery stores when I travel – it gives you such a neat sense of “real” life there, and it’s cool to see how different some of their staples are from ours.

Next up next week: visiting Olympia and standing at the starting line in the original Olympic Stadium.

Travel Notes: Delphi

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Every Wednesday, I plan to post a look back at a place I’ve traveled, including some favorite photographs and memories. Today’s post is from my graduation trip to Greece in summer 2008.

After Athens, we headed to Delphi. The main attraction there, of course, is the ancient Oracle. In fact, there isn’t much more to this tiny hillside town, but it was fascinating to explore the ruins, and it was nice to be out in the quiet – and super beautiful – Greek countryside. Here are some favorite photos:

The views of the surrounding area from the ruins were spectacular:

It was rainy as we explored the ruins, and hiking up the hillside was semi-treacherous – but worth it.

I don’t think the rain and wind really agreed with my hair:

There was also a small museum – nothing fancy, but a few interesting pieces:

One thing we noticed all over Greece – little roadside shrines dotting the side of the road. I’ve read that these are not only to commemorate victims of traffic accidents, but also are used as offerings of thanks by survivors of car accidents. Either way, they were fascinating to take a peek at:

We hiked along the road out of Delphi for a bit, just enjoying the wonderful views:

Our hotel in Delphi was super cute:

And, finally, I found this while shopping in town. Uhhh, isn’t that an oxymoron?

Next up next week: more adventures in tiny Greek towns, as we head to Kalavrita and Dmitsana.

Travel Notes: Athens

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Every Wednesday, I plan to post a look back at a place I’ve traveled, including some favorite photographs and memories. Today’s post is from my graduation trip to Greece in summer 2008.

Visiting Athens, and Greece in general, was one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. Athens startled me a bit at first, because it had a very different feel than many of the places I have traveled to Europe – less cozy cobblestone streets and more chaos and grit. But it also had something I truly love – an amazing mixture of past and present. It amazes me that you can be walking through busy city streets and then suddenly stumble upon a roped off area – oh, look, it’s a super important ancient ruin! I love that the treasures aren’t cordoned off by themselves; they’re interwoven with the city, which feels like a living and breathing museum. So cool.

Here are a few of my favorite photos -

Stopping by Parliament:

Visiting the National Archaeological Museum:

We had lunch at a restaurant that was built atop ruins – when you went downstairs to use the restroom, the floor was made of glass, and you could see the ruins below (see the picture on the left). Very, very cool!

Touring the Agora (the center of civic and political life in ancient Athens):

The Church of Kapnikarea (which is a perfect example of the mixture of past and present I was talking about – this is an ancient monument smack dab in the middle of a modern shopping area):

Hadrian’s Arch and the Monument of Lysicrates:

Exploring Anafiotika, a neighborhood at the base of the Acropolis. It was so charming.

The Roman Agora and the Tower of the Winds:

I kept taking pictures of the graffiti around the city. I found it fascinating, and a yet another reflection of the city’s gritty, modern edges coexisting alongside all that history:

One night, we ate outside at a restaurant with a beautiful view of the Parthenon. It was unreal to me to see it in person!

And then we took a trip up to the Acropolis to see it during the daytime. First up, the Propylaea – the gateway to the Acropolis.

Next, the Parthenon itself. I had taken a class called “Athens: Past and Present” my last semester of college (right before going on this trip), and we literally spent a few weeks talking about the Acropolis in general and the Parthenon in particular. It was unbelievable cool to see it in person.

And finally, the Erechtheion, with its famous Porch of the Caryatids. The Erechtheion may not be the most famous building atop the Acropolis, but it was my favorite.

While we were atop the Acropolis, we were treated to wonderful views of the surrounding city.

And, on our very last night in Greece, we had dinner at a restaurant in the heart of the Plaka. It was a great way to end our time in a city I grew to love.

Next up next week: we visit the ancient Oracle at Delphi.