The Hidden Greece

Did you know that you can stand anywhere on Greek soil and be within 100 kilometers of the sea? Come cycling and hiking with CycleGreece this week on Let's Travel! and discover the hidden Greece. First we'll hear from guest Colleen McGuire, the Managing Director of Aegea Adventures, a New York and Athens based travel agency that offers exciting vacations to the land she knows best. Then after a day of adventure travel, learn about the "mystique" of Greek olive oil, including why it's so special.


To learn more, check out the official travel website of Greece






Where we'll be exploring this week

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Greece

Officially named the Hellenic Republic, Greece is a country in Southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula. It has borders with Albania, the (former Yugoslav) Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to the east. The Aegean Sea lies to the east and south of mainland Greece, while the Ionian Sea lies to the west. Both parts of the Eastern Mediterranean basin feature a vast number of islands.

Greece lies at the juncture of Europe, Asia and Africa. It is heir to the heritages of ancient Greece, the Roman and Byzantine Empire, and nearly four centuries of Ottoman rule. Greece has a particularly long and eventful history with a diverse cultural heritage that both shaped and has been shaped by cultures throughout the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. It is regarded as the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, the Olympic Games, Western literature, political science, major scientific and mathematic principles, and Western drama, including both tragedy and comedy.

Today, Greece is a developed country, a member of the European Union since 1981, a member of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union since 2001, NATO since 1952, the OECD since 1961, the WEU since 1995 and ESA since 2005. Athens is the capital; Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion, Volos and Larissa are some of the country's other major cities.





Guests

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Colleen McGuire, Managing Director
Aegea Adventures

Dividing her residence between New York and Greece comes natural to Colleen who is an adventurous world traveler.

Colleen has visited over 65 countries, accumulating such spectacular memories as cycling the Ho Chi Minh trail in Vietnam, stumbling on a circumcision ceremony in Timbuktu, chewing qat with women in Yemen, undergoing a spiritual journey with an Amazon shaman and sleeping in abandoned slave castles in Ghana. Greece is one of her top three favorite countries.

Colleen's second passion is cycling. In 1997, she bicycled by herself from New York City to San Francisco, 3,765 miles, carrying all her gear: tent, sleeping bag, camping stove, food, tools, the basics.

After graduating from law school in New Orleans, for sixteen years Colleen ran her own housing rights law firm in New York City. And then Greece called. She is now the Managing Director of Aegea Adventures, a New York and Athens based travel agency that offers exciting vacations to the land she knows best.



10 things I love about Greece
by Colleen McGuire


1. Ancient sites

Legendary antiquities galore --- from the geometrically elegant Acropolis to unheralded ruins I regularly stumble over (literally), including in my back yard in Athens.


2. Climate

As Europe's southern most country, Greece has ideal weather --- warm, dry, and temperate with cool sea breezes and little rain. Not that sweaty tropical humid heat.


3. Hospitality

Having traveled to 70 countries, I regard the Greeks as among the friendliest people I've encountered. Learn a few polite greetings and you instantly become a cherished guest.


4. Terrain

Stand anywhere on Greece soil and you are within 100 kilometers of the sea. I'm incapable of choosing a favorite island --- each one vies as a "honeymoon haven."


5. Light

Greece's sunlight is magical, intense, a photographer's fantasy. The novelist Lawrence Durrell described Greek light as "the naked eyeball of God."


6. Cycling

Greece isn't typically thought of as a cycling destination, but guess what – it's Europe's best kept secret. On road or off road, the routes are stupendous and have relatively few cars.


7. Food

If you're inclined towards a Mediterranean palate, you will adore Greek cuisine especially when eaten at an outdoor taverna with sea waves lapping at your feet.


8. Wine

Greece doesn't make enough wine to export to the U.S. --- and thankfully so --- the good stuff is for the locals and those lucky visitors who discover the authentic spots.


9. Pace of life

Greeks know how to relax. Don't call someone at 3:00 pm --- they're taking a daily nap. Mondays and Wednesdays are half-day work days. Café lounging is a national pastime.


10. History

Every American must come to Greece at least once in a lifetime. This sacred land is the Cradle of Western Civilization. No matter your family origin, Greece holds your roots.



Colleen has also contributed to a book called, Greece A Love Story (Seal Press, 2007). It is a collection of essays from 19 Americans about their experiences in Greece. Colleen's piece is titled "Siga Siga: Cycling in Greece."


To read Colleen's recommended list of books for "Grecophiles", click here




Notes

If you're in New York City and want a great Greek experience, go to Kellari Taverna at 19 W. 44th Street (www.kellari.us). Ask for Chef Gregory and tell him Susan and Michael from Let's Travel! sent you.