Greece Travel: My Love of Greece

Greece Travel: My Love of Greece & The Beautiful Places

Being raised by a pilot turned realtor, and an interior designer became a realtor. I was taught early on that it’s always about LOCATION!

TRAVELING is NO DIFFERENT!

I have had the privilege to travel to the most beautiful places in the world, the most famous, the most exotic, and the most inspiring.

I have not been ALL OVER the world… but from what I have seen. I already have my favorites.✓

Today’s location choice: GREECE.

My love of Greece was sparked early on… IN BOOKS… IN A CLASSROOM! Greek Mythology stole my heart pretty quickly, and then when I was in high school, I was able to visit Athens, Mikonos, and Santorini. It was a dream come true I can’t deny it, and I can’t wait for the day when I get to go back.

The thing I love about Greece is history! The mythology! The Mediterranean Diet! HELLO! When I travel, I go crazy for food! Good food! And boy did I find it while in Greece.

Let’s talk monumental.. whoops I meant monuments HA! My favorite of all the temples in Athens was the temple of Poseidon.. the god of the Sea. Why? It’s not just because I love the water. But the temple was intentionally built to oversee the SEA! At the top of a gorgeous hill.. this stone monument was made… and all you can see behind it is the beautiful open waters. The sight was breathtaking, which is why it was my favorite.

un Fact: Before this trip, we were reading about Lord Byron, a famous British Poet. And guess whose signature I found on one of the stones on POSEIDON’S TEMPLE? YES!! Lord Byron’s! I snapped a picture and everything! I was very excited. Nerd alert, I know.

I do that a lot, especially when traveling. That is why I love it! I get to be where these ancient philosophers, writers, musicians, politicians were. You can share a spot with history.. and it’s an incredible feeling.

But Athens was not my favorite CityCity in Greece though it may seem so. No… my favorite was and still is Santorini. Now, this is the place I would love to retire to one day. Buy my own white house with blue windows. I was overlooking the gorgeous blue ocean. Walk up and down the narrow steps, winding all around the City, eating delicious Olives and Mediterranean food.✓

My first experience in Santorini has been the root of A LOT of laughter in my family. We still talk about my particular experience up the mountain on a donkey.. all the way to the top where we were finally able to dismount this crazily hilarious animal, walk around the town.. meet lovely people and eat delicious food.

So what is this story? The story we tell as often as we remember it?

Picture it. I was about sixteen years old. First time in Greece. First time in Santorini. I was given a choice: “Should we go up on the lift or the donkey.” Adventurous young me (still brave older me) said: DONKEY! So there we were my parents and I each mounting our donkey. Our guide.. on foot, climbed the steps, directing the donkeys from the bottom to the top.✓

Let’s just say.. a person who is deathly afraid of heights like oh I don’t know.ME! Should probably not have chosen the one experience, that means looking over an abyss! Down a tall mountainside WITHOUT RAILINGS! On a donkey! Whose hoofs kept slipping and sliding on the muddy gravel ground.

At one point… the donkey got so close to the mountainside (the safe side) that it scratched my leg because it was made up of sharp, rough, and dirty stones. I instinctively raised my left leg as high as I could so high… that when my mom’s donkey (that was ahead of me) slipped on the gravel ground backed into my donkey and towards my toe… I inadvertently stuck my big toe under its tail and into its butt! And got it full of DONKEY POOP! Yea, yea, laugh it off! HILARIOUS! I did NOT think it was funny at the time.

My initial response was disgust and to scream, almost cry! My parents were dying of laughter. The donkey kept getting so close to the mountain that I got scrapes on my legs. I had donkey poop on my big toe, and if that was not bad enough.. we were NOT even halfway UP. Meaning, I had to keep this donkey poop on my big toe for the whole way up so I could clean up.

Then when I was finally beginning to get over the nastiness that I had on my foot (sort of). A considerable group of donkeys was descending the mountain beside our donkeys, who were ascending. Bless these not so smart animals.. but my donkey decided.. oh, its time to descend! So it made a U-turn and started slipping DOWN the mountain… on the side closest to the deathly abyss! I started freaking out! Screaming. Yelling.. my parents were half laughing, crying, half freaking out, worried sick (I know three halves doesn’t make sense.. you know what I mean).

The guide RAN DOWN grabbed my donkey and got it back in the ascending line.

My heart was racing! But I was okay! By the time we made it to the top of Santorini, the poop had dried and fallen off.. all I had now was poop ash on my toe, which I immediately cleaned off before we walked around the town.✓

My adventure UP the mountain to reach Santorini was one for the books and one I will never forget. One no one has forgotten.

So let’s get to the best part! The food! Now, I have talked about many kinds of diets but have yet to discuss what a Mediterranean diet is. The Mediterranean diet is very close to vegan. And you know the benefits of that one because I did a post.. 2 posts actually on the vegan diet. So check those out if you’re interested.

So what is the main difference between the vegan and the Mediterranean?

You can eat fish in the Mediterranean diet.
You should eat lots of fruits, veggies, EVOO (like Rachel Ray would say), OLIVES YAY! Legumes like beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
You still limit dairy, eggs, and chicken but can eat them moderately.
Rarely eat red meat
Avoid refined foods, added sugars, and processed foods.

The Mediterranean diet is said to be the most balanced. Hm, maybe I think I was Greek in my old life because this is a diet I can live off of for life! This is the kind of food I follow.. without intentionally doing so

So what are some of my favorite restaurants on Santorini? Well… the ones with an ocean view! Because the food ALL over is just delicious! But I promise that whenever I go back, I will go to every single restaurant and taste a dish! Take a pic and share the name!

I feel a travel vlog might eventually happen, but only time will tell!

But until the next time, I’m in Santorini… I will keep reliving these fantastic memories.✓

Should I do another post on Greece? Let me know in the comments or request it on my IG: @doctor.vero.

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