Travel Blue Book

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Our Visit to Mycenae: The Fortress City of Agamemnon

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The acropolis of Mycenae

When you think about Greece, visions of the Parthenon and Delphi probably jump to mind. It’s a land rich in its history of city states and great battles. As the “Cradle of Western Civilization,” Greece is the birthplace of Western art, culture, and thought.

But, in Greece, that’s all relatively new history.

It’s hard to imagine, but there was a civilization in Greece that was at the height of its power almost 1,000 years before what we think of as “Ancient Greece.” The people who lived in this bronze age settlement were as legendary to the Ancient Greeks as Plato, Socrates, and the Aristotle are to us now. And there’s one place where we can still see and imagine how these über ancients lived: Mycenae. [Read more…]

Visit the White and Blue of Santorini, Greece

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Come explore Santorini, Greece - where the brilliant blue waters of the Mediterranean stretch from the rocky cliffs and glimmering white buildings above.When you think of Greece, what comes to mind? Likely not the comforting ache of muscles that have worked hard to take you up and down the little streets that waltz up and down and back and forth across the hillsides. No.

You probably think of glimmering, pure white buildings, reflecting the bright sun to a point of blinding, generously sprinkled by the hundreds along the cliff-like coast. The coast, where the brilliant blue water stretches away from the red and green cliffs, providing a home for sailboats and ships of all colors.

That is Santorini, Greece. [Read more…]

Touring the Greek Islands on a Mediterranean Cruise

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Touring the Greek Islands is the stuff of traveler's dreams. Why not take a cruise and discover all the beautiful scenery and ouzo they have to offer?If you have always dreamed about traveling to Greece, you probably picture seeing the beautiful white and blue buildings dotting the side of a sea front cliff while sipping on a cool glass of ouzo. Luckily, touring the Greek Islands of Mykonos, Santorini, and Crete will give you that very picturesque view and a most memorable experience. There are many inclusive tours available today, making it easy for travelers with all kinds of budgets to touch, taste, and see the natural beauty of this Mediterranean gem. [Read more…]

Uncovering the Temple of Apollo at Delphi

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Uncovering the Temple of Apollo at Delphi

Photo Credit: By Kevin Gabbert (myself) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Ah, the Ancient Greeks….those wonderful, gnarly great-grandfathers of Western Culture. (Or is that great-great-great-great-great-grea-great-great grandfathers?) The Greeks built an enormous, complex civilization which became the basis for today’s Western art, architecture, theatre, and philosophy. While much of what they created has been lost or destroyed by zealots, the Greeks did leave behind some pretty bangin’ shiznit, including some fantastic ruins. Few of these ancient sites hold more importance than the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. [Read more…]