Greece Travel Tips and Guide

The gods of Greek mythology have fascinated people for centuries. The mythological beings are frequently the subject of much artwork and are often the focus for novels and poems. The oldest known Greek literary sources are the epic poems Iliad and Odyssey, both of which focus on events surrounding the Trojan War.

Greek mythology works to explain the nature of the world and the significance of existence. Through specific characters and stories there is an effort to understand the world, from the elements to people's vices or admirable qualities. Modern scholars refer to the myths and study them in an attempt to throw light on the religious and political institutions of Ancient Greece and on the Ancient Greek civilization, and to gain understanding of the nature of myth-making itself.

Greek mythology has it's own version of how the world began. According to myth there was initially Chaos, which meant a nothingness and the original state of existence from which the first gods appeared. Out of this void came Ge or Gaia, which means the planet Earth and a few other important Divine beings. These beings were Eros (Love), the Abyss (the Tartarus), and the Erebus. It is claimed that without male assistance Earth gave birth to Uranus (the Sky) who then fertilised her.

From the union between Earth and Uranus the Titans are said to have been born, including six males and six females (Oceanus, Coeus and Crius and Hyperion and Iapetus, Theia and Rhea, Themis and Mnemosyne, Phoebe and Tethys, and Cronus); then the one-eyed Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires or Hundred-Handers. Cronus, who legend has it was the most awful of Earth's children castrated his father and became the ruler of the gods with his sister-wife Rhea as his consort and the other Titans became his court.

There is quite a story associated with Cronus' rule. It is thought that the motif of father/son conflict was repeated when Cronus was confronted by his son, Zeus who rebelled against his father's actions. After Cronus betrayed his father, he feared that his children would do the same, and so each time Rhea gave birth, he ate the child. This action was extreme but Cronus was desperate to eliminate threat and maintain power. Rhea hated this and tricked him by hiding Zeus and wrapping a stone in a baby's blanket, which Cronus ate. When Zeus was grown, he fed his father a drugged drink which caused Cronus to throw up Zeus' brothers and sisters, and one stone, which had been sitting in Cronus' stomach all along. Then Zeus challenged Cronus to war for the kingship of the gods. At last, with the help of the Cyclopes, (whom Zeus freed from Tarturus), Zeus and his siblings were victorious, while Cronus and the Titans were hurled down to imprisonment in Tartarus.

According to Classical-era mythology, after the overthrow of the Titans, the new pantheon of gods and goddesses was confirmed and among the principal Greek deities were the Olympians who resided atop Mount Olympus under the eye of Zeus. Zeus became known as the ruler of the gods, as well as the ruler of the sky and the weather. His symbol became the thunderbolt. Zeus had a phenomenal amount of children due to his passion for the opposite sex. One of his most famous sons went by the name of Hercules, of whose numerous activities are regarded as the dawn of the age of heroes.

The Greek gods were seen as persons and not abstracts, they were not affected by disease, and could be wounded only under highly unusual circumstances. In other words they did not fall ill, or suffer from small injuries in the same way, as mere mortals. The Gods pursued differing interests, had a certain area of expertise, and were governed by a unique personality. Most gods were associated with specific aspects of life. For example, Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty, Ares was the god of war, Hades the god of the dead, and Athena the goddess of wisdom and courage. Some deities, such as Apollo and Dionysus, revealed complex personalities and mixtures of functions, while others, such as Hestia (literally "hearth") and Helios (literally "sun"), were little more than personifications.

Greek mythology is fascinating, especially when you start looking into all the individual gods and myths. There are so many different characters, yet somehow they often all connect to each other in some way, creating very fascinating stories. The gods and the myths attempt to help us understand the world in a colourful way.

There is no doubt that as human beings we are always striving to find ways to live longer, healthier lives. Statistics show that life expectancy has increased in various countries around the world, while showing drastic declines in some areas like parts of Africa. The term "life expectancy" refers to the number of years remaining in an individual's life at a particular age.

The standard for measuring life expectancy is associated with a number of factors related to the group in question. Culture, diets, social upheaval, war and health issues can all impact life expectancy. Not surprisingly, developed countries generally have a greater life expectancy than developing countries. Countries with an average life expectancy of 80 and over include Japan, Switzerland and Spain. The U.K., Finland, Germany and Cyprus all fall into the high 70s range, with the average life expectancy in Cyprus being 79. The countries with the lowest life expectancies include Sierra Leone, Namibia and Zambia.

While conditions in the EU seem to increase the possibility of longer life, Cyprus is a stand out. In 1955 life expectancy in Cyprus was measured at 67. The current figure is expected to rise to 82.2 by 2050. It should be noted that the average life expectancy for women in Cyprus is 80. So what is it that makes Cyprus so special? Well, like other countries in the EU, the diet has been shown to promote better health. The diet in Cyprus is very close to that of Greece. A lot of emphasis is placed on fruits, vegetables and healthy fats. Red meats, wine and poultry are consumed moderately, while fish is consumed regularly. Most of the fat in this diet comes from olive oil.

This diet is so popular, it has been used worldwide as a means of encouraging healthier lifestyles. An American doctor Ancel Keys first brought the diet to public attention, but it wasn't widely recognized until the 1990s. The diet is said to be heart healthy, possibly due to the amount of olive oil consumed. Cyprus is an island in the eastern Mediterranean. It is situated east of Greece and is the third largest Mediterranean island. The island draws as many as 2.4 million tourists every year. It has been a part of the EU since May 1, 2004.

Not surprisingly, the cuisine in Cyprus uses a lot of vegetables, in particular cucumber and tomato. Red Mullet and sea bass are very popular in seafood dishes. Traditional vegetable servings include pickled beets and cauliflower, and potatoes served in olive oil and parsley.

The diet in Cyprus also incorporates whole grains and nuts. Halloumi, a cheese made from goat and sheep milk, originated in Cyprus. Cuisine is clearly a major factor in the quality of the island's tourism product. But does this go far enough to explain the high life expectancy in the country? Studies on air quality in the EU have shown no marked difference between Cyprus and European cities. In fact Cyprus is plagued by many of the same problems. These include water pollution, preservation of wildlife and soil erosion. While it is said that 100 percent of the population has access to safe water, it is being threatened by pollution.

When looked at in this context, the diet consumed in Cyprus is clearly beneficial to the health. A study published in the British Medical Journal claimed that the Mediterranean diet reduced the risk of cancer and heart disease. It also lessened the risk of getting Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, but this is all dependent on following the diet strictly. Some segments of the weight loss industry have used the Mediterranean diet with great results. If you visit Cyprus, you can see firsthand what keeps their population so healthy. This is more than a fad diet: it is a way of life. Given that the life expectancy is expected to rise over the next few decades, more people can be expected to follow this healthy lifestyle.

Cyprus, an island paradise, has been hit a bad drought this summer. In fact, the drought is the worst the island has seen in a hundred years. Cyprus relies on rainfall to replenish its water supply, and its reservoirs are only seven percent full, according to recent estimates. Emergency drilling has been used to tap underground water supplies, but even that is not enough to stave off the thirst of the island's inhabitants.

Main water pipelines in Cyprus have only been turned on a few nights each week. Anyone living in a high-rise apartment is out of luck, since the water pressure isn't enough to bring water to the top stories of tall buildings. Residents of Cyprus have also been banned from washing their cars and watering their gardens, since this is an excess that the country currently can't support. Enter Greece. The neighbourly nation recently sent an emergency tanker full of drinking water to Cyprus. The tanker holds 40,000 cubic meters of water, which is more than double the amount held in Cyprus' reservoirs. The ship anchored off the southern coast of the island.

Enter a problem. The pipe built to take the water from the Greek ship to Cyprus was too short, and by the time the pipe was ready, the water wasn't fit for human consumption, and will now be used for agriculture alone. But a second shipment was fine, and it has been replenishing locals with much needed fresh water. Eight million cubic meters of refreshing water will be delivered to the island in the coming months.

Before the shipment of water, emergency household rationing was put in place to conserve water, and plans for desalinization units are underway. It was feared that the thriving tourist industry would be devastated by the drought, especially since the rationing wasn't put in effect until March. The drought began late in 2007. Barcelona was also hit with a recent drought and had to import water by ship, but not on this scale. The cost of the imported water is staggering, and many experts warn that bringing in water by ship isn't the answer to the country's water problems.

Plans are underway to build larger drilling facilities, capable of searching for ground water eight hundred meters below the surface of the earth. This is double the current depth achievable by the island's drilling units. A third desalinization plant is being constructed to assist the original two plants. Even this may not be enough to prevent future droughts.

Cyprus has long been known as an excellent destination for tourists. Its golf courses are renowned around the globe, and its beaches are legendary. The island sits between three continents, which gives it a unique and varied history. Its culture is filled with art, traditional folk music and great literature. The great poem of antiquity, "The Cypria," was written in Cyprus sometime around the seventh century BC.

While the drought is only a temporary problem for Cyprus, the residents are calling on their government to ensure that it doesn't occur again. Another drought like this could cause residents of Cyprus to flee for wetter countries. This happened some eighteen hundred years ago when Cyprus went without proper rainfall for twenty years, and the islanders had to move before returning to their island homes. With Greek help, the disaster has been held off for a little while longer, but in a tiny country so reliant upon rainfall, it's only a matter of time before the problem rears its head again.

There has probably never been a better time to work from home in Greece or any other country come to that. In fact because of the opportunities now available on the internet and the vast array of online tools to help promote your business, it has never been easier. But the first truth is that realistically there are no get rich quick solutions. If you seriously want to work from home, you should be looking for a business that will deliver for you now and more importantly, over the coming years. It must have the potential to be highly automated so that your input is reduced over time but your results (profits), are ever increasing

If you can speak English, you can have a global business. If you use a dot-com url website address, you could be based anywhere in the world and nobody would ever know or care. I am personally based in the UK right now but the idea of having an internet business is that so long as there is electricity and a means to get online, I can live almost anywhere I like. This is to me so much better than having to get up every day and go to the office or other place of work and be limited as to where I can live and what hours I have to work.

When I was a civil engineering student, I lived and worked in Greece for six months. I worked on a large power station project just outside a place called Megalopolis in the Peloponnesus. In those days was just a small quiet village but I just had a look at it on Google Earth and it is unrecognizable. Not sure that I should have expected anything else after nearly 40 years!

Work From Home
So getting back to the theme of this article, work from home in Greece. There are no obvious problems but you should choose a business that you know has plenty of demand and stability. In one sense, many things could be considered but choose carefully. You do not want to do too much setting up before you can get started with your marketing. Marketing will be the life blood of your business, especially if you choose to work online from home. You will not get the desired results without a solid marketing strategy and perseverance.

Marketing
Whatever business you choose, you will only be successful if you have either a product or service with little or no competition or you are prepared to become a master marketer. Marketing is the engine of any work from home online business. This cannot be stressed enough and is the reason why so many people fail. They do not understand the importance of marketing.

You will need to use paid advertising both on and perhaps off line to ensure some early results.

Keywords
There are also many free methods available online, with the goal of getting on the first page of Google. When someone does a search for your kind of product or service, they use specific keywords. This method takes a little while to master when you are new to it, but when done properly it will produce many free visitors to your site and will result in plenty of sales.

For example, I used the keywords work from home in Greece because there is little competition but a fair number of predicted searches per month for that particular long tail keyword. I used a program called Word Tracker to find the most searched for phrases people are using in the search engines based around the phrase - work at home.

If all this is all new to you, you can probably see there is quite a bit to learn about free marketing. Most marketers now include Web 2.0 methods such as videos and audio, and also articles and include images etc

Paid Advertising
There are plenty of paid forms of online advertising available, the most popular probably being pay per click (PPC). These small box advertisements appear on the right hand side of the page when you do a search in Google, for example. They are known as sponsored links. Various parameters determine how often your advert shows up including how much you are prepared to pay for a particular search term (keyword). You only pay out when someone clicks on your advert which has a hidden link to your web site or sales page where they can review or buy your product.

Which Business Should I Choose?
Of the thousands of businesses available to tap into online to enable you to work from home, there are few that really stand out. But there is what I call a new business model that rewards you much more than most traditional ones. In fact I can honestly say I believe we are now in a new era when it comes to working from home.

I personally know someone who made well over $100,000 (one hundred thousand dollars) in their first six months of this year (2008) just from one online business which is what convinced me that things have taken a bit of a quantum leap.

So many business opportunities make great promises but fail to deliver for all but the top people, who created the business anyway. The solution is something that will work for anyone who is prepared to put in some time and effort and treat their business as a business and not a hobby.

More Reward For Your Effort
One thing that is becoming obvious is that it does not require much more effort to make $1000 than it does a $100. And what if you could make $7,500 from just one sale?

My advice to anyone planning to work from home in Greece or anywhere else, is to only consider a business that is 99% ready to go. It should have a realistic potential (based on what has already been achieved by others) to make as much as $250k profit in the first year.

On that note, I will leave you to do your research and I wish you good fortune with whatever solution you may choose to work from home in Greece or anywhere else.

Family vacation can be one of the great moments of life. Traveling with kids can be a wonderful and sensual personal experience. We can explore once more again our emotions and needs and find again what the routine of daily life takes away from us. Thinking of finding a resort for family holidays we have to take under consideration not only our needs but our children needs as well and for sure we have to consider that there are many factors that can influence our decision.

Time along with the weather is the first factors where we have to choose between winter and summer resort destinations. Of course if we are not rich we have to take into consideration our money limitations. Family vacations could be very expensive depending the age of our children type of accommodation or distance from our place. If we are funds of a specific sport then our decision could be narrowed to resorts offering these specific sport activities.

There are two options when you plan your holidays. In depended travel and package holidays through a tour operator. Both options have good and bad points. Experienced travelers may choose to plan their vacations by them self and a great tool for helping them is Internet where you can find almost everything about the destination accommodation etc. If you are between these people that wants to plan their vacations alone without the help of a travel agency or tour operator, through internet a good way is to search and visit first big hotel chains that offer accommodation and lodging services.

These hotels describe in their websites all features of each hotel and resort and they give valuable information to travelers about the area weather and other factors. They can help you determine how your needs and your children needs fulfilled and where you can stay to enjoy what you dream of a holiday. So a good idea instead of first choosing a destination you may choose the hotel company you can trust for their services the type of accommodation, the resort activities and then you will see how the specific hotel can meet all your requirements.

As a Greek living and work in Greece for a Cypriot company I could recommend a Hotel chain presently having activities only in Cyprus and Greece but in the future on more destinations in Europe offering exceptional tourist facilities for any kind of traveler. Of course I would recommend as well Greece or Cyprus as a family vacation destination in Europe due to the nice weather all year long and the huge number of beaches and sport facilities. The type of the hotel that may fulfill almost all children need is the type that is called club Hotels. 

These hotels are designed for family vacations and they features animation programs all day long, pools, playgrounds, childrens TV channels, games, entertainers, dances, staff to keep your children safe and busy and many other. So ending this article I would say stay tuned with internet, search hotels of the country you are interested in as a destination and leave these hotel professionals guide you finding the vacation of your dream. Choose a company that has high standard of operation and excellent on all fields and has a good reputation in the tourist industry. Finally I wish you and I am sure if you follow these advices you will have incredible holidays for your self and your family.

My vote for the first Axis defeat would be the Italian attack into southern France. Some very outnumbered, and demoralized, second line troops managed to stop Mussolini's legions cold. In the vast scheme of things, it did not matter, but it showed what could be done.

The battle of Britain was an ongoing battle even after the Greeks beat the Italians. It was also not a land battle, I should have mentioned first land battle.

The successful defense of France against the Italians is very admirable and I have read about it. But there was no incursion and occupation of Italian possessions by the French. I would also like to add that the French actually had ceded territory to the Italians after that battle as well. So, in my book, that is in no way, shape or form a defeat inflicted on the axis. A 'victor' doesn't give up territory to a "beaten" force right after a battle.

The Greeks not only expelled the Italians from Greece proper, but initiated an invasion into southern Albania (at that time, Italian territory) and managed to expel the Italian army from one third of the portion of Albania, occupying it themselves and had inflicted tens of thousands of casualties/dead in addition to taking in thousands of prisoners. In essence, it is the first offensive victory over the axis powers.

Italy attacked Greece on October 28 1940 and suffered the first Axis defeat. Though Hitler had no plans for Greece at that time, he was forced to send troops to occupy Greece (since Greece's neutrality was broken) on April of 1941. This resulted in the delay of Operation Barbarossa and the loss of precious troops. I understand, human nature being what it is, that we all want to put our ancestors and heritage in the best possible light, but I think the best heading you can accurately put on this thread is "Early defeat of AN Axis Power".

I wasn't trying to denigrate either you or the Greek Army. I don't have "considerable heartburn", although I might be getting there. All I said was that your original thread title was inaccurate. You responded by changing the ground rules. My second post (with a "sigh") explained exactly why it was inaccurate. You then changed the thread title to include "(on land)". That's fine - one complaint down (although I tend to agree with Belisarius) - but it doesn't address my other complaint, which was that the Greeks defeated Italy, not "the Axis powers".

Well since you put it that way, and want to get technical, I can get technical as well. If you really want to split hairs, this war which was the first axis defeat on land probably cost them (yeah both of them)the whole war (The Russians and the Germans admitted as much anyway)since the Germans and Italians had to delay their plans for the invasion of Russia for a couple of months with this diversion ( time to invade Greece and time to prepare the invasion of Russia ). This caused the Axis to invade in the Russian winter. The Battle of Stalingrad ( a pivotal battle no?) would probably not happened as well.

I know it's not a widely held belief because of some odd reasons or another, that the Greeks could have "conceivably" been directly or indirectly responsible for this but the statements of the German generals alone is enough proof for me. If you have any doubts I can post links to them, they are statements which were made at the Nuremburg trials. However, the measure of resistance was paid considerable homage to by German officals.

Hitler's Chief of Staff, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel stated "The unbelievably strong resistance of the Greeks delayed by two or more vital months the German attack against Russia; if we did not have this long delay, the outcome of the war would have been different in the eastern front and in the war in general."

A speech Hitler made at the Reichstag in 1941 said of the campaign: "It must be said, for the sake of historical truth, that amongst all our opponents, only the Greeks fought with such endless courage and defiance of death." The diary of Joseph Goebbels 9 April 1941: "I forbid the Press to underestimate the Greeks, to defame them... The Fuehrer admires the bravery of Greeks."

One of the most precious and significant days of every couples life is the day they become one in marriage. Many couples are choosing Greece as a wedding destination because it offers some of the most magical and mystical views, with incredible festivals seemingly every month of the year and some of the world's most breathtaking sunsets all while being reasonably priced.

First, the legalities that must be met to marry in Greece.

EUROPEAN UNION CITIZENS:

Couples are required to present birth certificates that have been translated into Greek and that carry an apostille stamp. The apostille stamp is an authentication seal placed on any documents for use abroad. They are available at your local Foreign Ministry.

Letters of No Impediment, also sealed with an apostille stamp stating that both are free to legal marry. This serves as your marriage license. Copies of divorce decrees, if any and copies of passports, no translation needed for either.

With the serious formalities taken care of, we can get down to the interesting and pleasurable portion of planning the prefect wedding in Greece, selecting the location and planning the actual ceremony.

It is a good idea to hire a wedding consultant in Greece. There are many affordable services that handle all of the paperwork and offer packages for Civil Ceremonies, Catholic Ceremonies, Gay Ceremonies as well as Greek Orthodox.

There are some incredible locations to choose from, most of which include extraordinary ocean views. Mykonos, dubbed the jewel of the Aegean Sea, is perhaps the most famous of the Greek Islands and is a top pick among couples. Imagine a sunset ceremony beneath a deep blue sky and a deeper blue ocean with a backdrop of windmills and cubist whitewashed architecture. Few sights can compare.

Perhaps, a bit more adventurous locale will best suit your passions and Mount Olympus an the isle of Cyprus could just be the prefect selection. Cyprus is the third largest isle in the Mediterranean and each year more and more couples are exchanging vows stop the isle's highest peak, Mount Olympus. It is also the location of the of the annual festival to Aphrodite in the fall and one of the best times to mix festivals and merriment with your special day.

Another of the many Greek isle, Santorini is among the most popular venues for weddings. It is easy to comprehend why. What could be more mystical than exchanging vows in the shadow of a volcano overlooking the clear blue sea?

Many partners choose to have their wedding ceremony coincide with one the many Greek Festivals. There are far too many to name them all, but following are a few of the more important religious festivals.

January 1: New Year's Day: Known as the feast of Ayios Vassillios or Saint Basil is celebrated on this day with a church service and children exchange gifts.

January 6: Epiphany: This is the feast of Fota and celebrates the vanquishing evil spirits and the blessing of the waters.

April to May: Easter: The most celebrated time of the year in Greece is Easter, with easer Sunday being the most revered of all days and every village through out all of Greece.

December 25: Christmas: This is a time for celebrating the birth of Christ and Greeks enjoy numerous musical festivals and shopping festivals at this time.

There a few places on the planet that offer as exquisite a selection of wedding venues as Greece and wedding packages average between 1,950 and 4,390 Euro, with the cost coinciding with amenities chosen.

Greece has something special for everyone and promises to make your wedding ceremony a timeless memory that will for ever hold a magical place in your heart.

Alexander the Great (356-323 B.C.) began to be known as Great when as a youth he was the only one of the King, his father and others to ride the monster horse brought to trade. While it had bucked and went into a frenzy with his father and the others, Alexander watched and took in what they were all doing wrong. He had to plead with his father for peremission to give it an attempt. First of all Alexander approached the horse from the other side where Bucephalus was being frightened by his own shadow.

The men of King Philips had all approached the beast from the nearest side to them, which had the horses shadow on the ground, causing the horse to occasionally bolt. Approaching him, Alexander kept his hands down, he spoke gently and lovingly, and he was soon stroking the animal and rubbing himself against it. Soon, Alexander was up on the back of Bucephalis and they were trotting around pleasantly. King Philip said that Alexander would need a larger kingdom to hold him, Macedonia was too small for him.

Alexander had as his tutor Plata, and enjoyed his school years at a private school built by King Philip for Alexander and other princes of Greece and nearby a kingdoms. Always, however, Persia menaced across the Aegean Sea, constantly making attempts by land and sea to conquer Greece, which was only a small series of kingdoms in contrast to the vast Empire that Persia had placed together, from Turkey through Asia to India, which Alexander conquered all and more, taking in down to Baghdad to Cairo.

The epic great battle that began the Greece influence coming into Persia was at the great battle in which the ten thousand soldiers under Alexander defeated the one hundred thousand Persians. Alexander wanted to change history and have a Greece influence throughout the lands controlled by Persia, and he succeeded in this greatly. In the end, however, at the death of Alexander one of his generals, the first king Ptomly was created when Alexander willed Egypt to his general as his territory. Cleopatra was of this Greece blood two centuries later.

During his take over of Persia, however, after such a bloody battle in which his men slaughtered the Persians with their sharpened sixteen foot long poles. Alexander however treated the Persians with civility and dignity. He did bring Greek law and many aspects of daily life that persists, as do architectural relics. He gave support and security to the royal family, the wife and children of King Darius, whose own men turned on him and killed him as the Greeks were winning the battle.

Alexander married Roxanne, the beautiful daughter of Darius. Alexander urged his men to also mix the blood of Greece and Persia with marriages. Some thousands of Greece soldiers obliged. Today in Iran or Afghanistan and elsewhere the name Alexander is part of a male name. All citizens of Greece Persia were to be given all rights of freedom, and the Greek soldiers were to be friendly and helpful. Today in Iran, once Persia, one can see many Greek columns on building relics.

Alexander wanted it to be that this great sea change of fortunes would be permanent and exist for a thousand years. But unfortunately after his death the territories were all parceled out to his various generals, each of whom tended to go his own way in governing. Truly Great, Alexander achieved this in his lifetime, even thought after his death it did not last. In contrast Rome was not built in one lifetime and controlled areas west of Persia for a thousand years.

Greece is famous for hosting the Olympics, but they also have many other things to offer visitors, including science, drama, philosophy, and art. Fifteen million tourists take a Greece vacation every single year. When taking a holiday in Greece, you will find that most of the attractions are centered in Athens, but there are outside areas that offer you just as much to look at. Here are some things that you should be sure to see when you discover Greece.

1. Acropolis. This is the most famous attraction in Greece, so you will want to be sure to add it to your list first when you discover Greece. You will be in awe of the retelling of the Olympian legends and the stunning majesty of the Parthenon.

2. Ancient Agora. Below the Acropolis, you will find these ruins where philosophy greats Socrates and Plato taught and talked. On the western hill of the site, you will find the Temple of Hephaestos. There are even some trees and shrubs that are just as old as the ruins in this area.

3. Athens helicopter tour. On your holidays in Greece, you can board a helicopter and fly over the major spots. This can give you an unusual view of the attractions and it will only take about 30 minutes. This is a great way to get some unique pictures that you will enjoy.

4. Hellenic National League football game. This is called soccer in the United States, but it is football all over the rest of the world. This game is a fun and rowdy way to see how the locals cheer their favorite team on and is an activity that you do not want to miss.

5. Athens Marathon. If you happen to take a Greece vacation during the month of November, then you can sign up to run in the Athens Marathon. It follows the same path as the Olympic marathon that was run. What a fun and exciting activity for you to do!

6. Volunteer. Many organizations need your help to do projects all over Greece. These include the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Society. Look online and see if there are some opportunities to use your talents and skills on your vacation in Greece.

7. National Archaeological Museum. Schliemann’s Agamemnon is displayed here. It is thought to be the death mask of the king that dates back to the 16th century B.C. The controversy comes in due to the fact that the Trojan War did not start until the 20th century, which would mean that the mask is not Agamemnon’s at all. People still flock to this museum to see the ancient artifacts, however.

8. Hiking the Vindos Gorge. The Guinness Book of World Records has named this gorge as the deepest one in the world. You will find unique plants and trees on your hike down into the canyon. It may be hot and humid when you begin your hike, but it will get cooler when you begin to go down into the canyon, due to the fact that the cliffs shade you from the sun.

9. Crete beaches. The German and British people have long enjoyed the beaches in Crete. You will find that the nightlife in this country is very wild and exciting. The refreshing Mediterranean breeze will add to the relaxing feel of these beautiful beaches.

10. Rockwave Festival. This music festival lasts for three days and features many different artists and bands that perform. There are different stages for different musical genres, including blues, dance music, and more. This can be the perfect top off to the historical knowledge that you have learned.