I resonate to the idea that all of us have a ' soul country' , which is often not our place of origin , and we are very fortunate if we find it during our lifetime. This concept of a soul country is not as simple as " I love the beaches, the food, the buildings " etc. It is rather a deep sense of belonging and a sense of knowledge on an inner level when you first travel to that place.
This happened to me at a young age when I first traveled to Greece in my twenties visiting Athens and Crete when Greece was emerging from the times of their dictatorship. I instantly felt an instant connection and rapport with the land, the culture, the history and the people. I studied ancient history and have always loved ancient Greek mythology but this feeling went way beyond an academic interest !
I have been so fortunate to travel back to Greece and the astonishing Greek islands countless times during my life ( well, lets say more than thirty times and I have explored twenty plus islands ) There is a very unique energy in Greece made up of the translucent quality of the light, the crystal sapphire seas, their ancient history, the simple Greek philosophy of enjoying and appreciating life, their attention to family, their open hearted attitude to tourists, travelers, foreigners, their traditional way of life on many islands, the Greek food which is very simple and fresh ( and their extra virgin olive oil which they use liberally is now known as a health food crucial to the long life " Mediterranean diet " ) and of course the beautiful sunshine which Apollo provides Greece with most generously all year long !
Ahhhh...the heavenly Greek islands ! Did you know that Greece has approximately 1,400 islands of which 227 are inhabited and has 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites. My life long passion has been to experience many of them......Chios, Rhodes, Crete, Astypalea, Corfu, Kefalonia, Karpathos, Naxos, Sifnos, Andros, Thassos, Aegina, Hydra and so many more !
My advice if you want to experience the Greek islands ( and perhaps this may be your only visit to Greece ) is to definitely see Santorini for its sheer geographical beauty, although it is the most heavily touristed with cruise ship visits and then one other island , perhaps Folegandros, which is close to Santorini and much more traditional.
If you are an independent traveler then I recommend island hopping as the thing to do on your first visit to get an overview !
Greece is a very safe country to travel around as the people are honest and genuinely friendly but of course take the usual precautions with your belongings. Personally I have never felt unsafe in all my years of traveling in Greece.
If you have any questions about traveling in Greece and around the islands please ask me in the comments section below. I love Greece and will be happy to help !
Carpe Diem * Sabrina
" The days in Greece are like golden coins which I spend slowly one by one..... - Sabrina
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