Travel Tales: Greece on my Mind

By Pam Walker

It has been years since I first visited the cradle of civilization. With the pandemic improving, I accepted wholeheartedly when a friend asked me to visit her in Greece.

Not only would I be able to check out hotels in Athens, Crete, and Santorini, but also Mykonos. Many things have changed over the twenty-seven months of the pandemic. Many hotels had closed, while others had renovated. Some companies used this time to rebuild or build new hotels in superb locations. I needed that for my business now that everyone wanted to travel again. The old has become new, and it is always good for travel professionals to update their knowledge.

In 2021, I had visited Madrid and Amsterdam and Brussels; but this was 2022 and now it was time to get back out there.

What I found is that many people in the world are also getting out there, too. Instead of the small crowds of 2021, I was finding tremendous crowds from all over the world. Everyone kept saying they didn’t know how they would keep up when the cruise ships started coming again in the summer. Hotels, restaurants, and tour operators were in total panic mode.

The crowds that I was seeing at the Acropolis and the Plaka in Athens were just a smattering of what was coming. European friends told me that it was not only in Greece, but also in France, the UK, Spain, and Germany. Planes are full, hotels are at capacity, and tour companies are singing a happy song. Europe is open and functioning.

Although you need a mask in public buildings, elsewhere it is not required. The only negative was the Antigen Test that one must have to return home. Hopefully by the time you read this, that heinous rule will have been suspended. It is not needed anywhere else, so why the USA?

My Greek travels were amazing. The famed old Grande Bretagne in Athens is still the old Grand Dame and the pandemic allowed time to freshen up everything. There is no doubt that the rooftop restaurant with views of the Acropolis at night is a winner. In Crete, there is a lot to do, and my favorite was Daios Cove, with a Michelin star restaurant and stunning rooms with plunge pools all overlooking the water.

Oia in Santorini wins hands down. Here the Canaves group has created a wonderful new hotel called Epitome, which is just that – a stunning place to watch the sunset on the Caldera. In Mykonos there is the new Kalesma, which also has amazing rooms with plunge pools and views of both sunset and sunrise. There is so much to see and do, and I did not have enough time to see it all. There are many smaller islands that are just as exceptional! Greece will require another visit. I thank my wonderful travel industry for so many friends all over the world.

Where to next? There are so many places yet to go!

Pam Walker is a Virtuoso Travel Advisor. More information at pam@walkeradventures.com

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