Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Where History And Culture Collide

By Wesley Mathews


You'll find perhaps as many aspects to the ancient and romantic country of Greece as there is Greeks. The civilization shares a lot with that of other Mediterranean nations, which should come as no astonishment, since Greeks founded many colonies around the Mediterranean that went on to be celebrated cities such as Naples (Neapolis), Syracuse and Marseilles (Massalia). The Greeks were such a gigantic weight over the Romans and other Mediterranean citizens that the whole civilization of the Classical period is called Hellenistic (after Ellatha, that is what the Greeks call their country).

Attempting to choose where to reserve a vacation rental in such a romantic country could take significant amounts of time by itself. Greece inns are scattered throughout a blinding array of historical ruins, some of which date back 5000 years. One could conceivably spend months only trying to make a decision which museums to go to.

Obviously, while Athens home of the Parthenon and the Acropolis including hundreds of cultural institutions is the center of it all, the actual attractions are located within the mountainous interior and valleys were ancient armies fought legendary battles, as well as the romantic islands of the Aegean, where Greece villa rentals are situated suitably next door or just on top of quaint kafeneos.

Nonetheless, you'll probably want to begin your tour of Greece in the nation's cultural and political center. Many of the country's most well-known points of interest are within several blocks of Greece romantic getaways located off the primary streets of this bustling city, and the Acropolis is just one of them. The National Archaeological Museum is another top attraction, that includes artifacts and artwork from the Bronze Age Mycenaean era and the unexplained and exotic Minoan civilization of Crete (who were not Greek, incidentally) through the Byzantine Period and into contemporary times. Other places worth visiting in Athens incorporate the Agora, the city's ancient marketplace, as well as Kallimarnaron, home of the initial Olympic Games.

Heading out to the islands, you'll come across historic Psara and Chios, just off the Turkish coast. Booking beach vacation rentals is quite simple on these remote islands (the vast majority of which didn't even have telephone service until the 1970s). These are the islands where the fifth Century BC poet Homer composed his Iliad and also the Odyssey, our source for the semi-legendary account of the Trojan War. On the other side of the Hellenic Peninsula in the Ionian Sea off of the country's west coast is the scenic island of Kefallonia, charming setting of the latest film Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

You'll find recurring ferries to most of Greece's islands, but you will need to check the schedules carefully. The top site we've found for this is found at http://www.ferries.gr/ , an English-language site where users can discover which ferries go where and also reserve passage. These islands are excellent jumping-off locations for side trips to exotic Istanbul as well as the Italian boot heel as well the historic island of Malta.




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