Ready to experience the island life, I boarded an overnight ferry in Piraeus, the main port serving Athens. I had never taken a cruise before and didn't know what to expect. The boat, called the Knossos Palace, was enormous! After an escalator ride to the front desk, the concierge walked me through the labyrinth of stairs and hallways to my room. It was a shared cabin with 3 beds in total and a bathroom with a shower. I walked around the decks, amazed at the number of restaurants and lounges, took in the views from the top deck, and then settled in for the night. I was pleasantly surprised there was minimal rocking and got some rest.

We arrived in Heraklion, the largest city on Crete at around 7:00am. I fumbled my way down through the labyrinth of the ship and walked across town with my backpack and shoulder bag. I dropped my stuff at the hostel, thanks to another guest letting me in and pointing out the storage area. I waited for a few hours but the actual staff never showed up, so I left to see the town.

After a coffee and Wifi stop, I walked down to the harbor area. The water was so amazingly blue! There was a Venetian fort with good views and a mini museum that explained some of Crete's history. As a strategic location in the Mediterranean, it changed hands many times - Minoans, Byzantines, Arabs, Venetians, Ottomans, etc. This particular fort was a key stronghold when the Venetians were defending against a long Ottoman siege.

Lunch was fried gruyere and a traditional lamb pie, a bit like a giant empanada. Afterwards, they brought out a free dessert and small bottle of clear liquid. Known as raki, it's a strong liquor made from pressed grape skins - a cousin of grappa and pisco. It's often served after meals, and is the unofficial drink of the island! A great part of the Crete experience.

Even though Heraklion isn't a huge city, the traffic patterns were tricky. At some intersections, the green would be given to each feeder street, one at a time. Meaning that cars could turn in 3 different directions as they sped through the intersection. Not easy to figure out which way to look! The sidewalks weren't very wide either.

From downtown I took a public bus to the Palace of Knossos archaeological site, on the outskirts of Heraklion. It was the famous center of the Minoans, considered the oldest civilization in Europe. According to legend, the Minotaur and labyrinth were located under the palace! Though the intricate design of the palace itself may have been conflated. These days, it's a mix of original stone foundations and sections rebuilt in the 1900s by a foreign archaeologist, based on his interpretation. Given this problematic history, the site is an odd mix of weathered rock and gaudy red pillars. Not what I expected after the well preserved ruins in Athens and Mycenae!

Back at the hostel, I made friends with Curt and Hayden, a Canadian pharmacist and an Australian warehouse manager. We went out for dinner, excited at the chance to order and share a variety of dishes. Grilled sardines and octopus, dolma, eggplant, chicken, and more! It was a great feast, and the local kitties were very happy for a few sardine scraps. Of course, the meal ended with a little dessert and raki.

Curt recognized someone at a different restaurant across the street, so we pulled up a few chairs and got a round of Alpha beer. The restaurant, called Doukas Art, ended up being the quirky heart of my time in Heraklion. It was a small operation run by the humble Giorgios, who spoke enough English to communicate with us, but whose actions spoke louder. When attempting to pay for the Alphas, we were instead treated to fresh melon and raki. Besides food and drink, Doukas Art also offered rooms at a reasonable rate. The folks we met on the patio, Ben and Kuranda, were some of these guests, who had found a slice of paradise at the restaurant. They would hang out on the patio for hours at a time, reading books, making drawings, listening to music, and smoking cigarettes. The interior of the building contained a hodgepodge of artifacts, including a classical guitar that Giorgios let me play. I gave a whole concert, which was satisfying after a guitarless stretch. In return, Giorgios played some popular Greek music, accompanied with soulful vocals and commentary on the composers. It was such an unexpected and wholesome experience!

The next day, I slept in and had some traditional bougatsas for breakfast. They're a bit like crepes, with either cheese or custard filling sandwiched between layers of thin filo dough. Then I headed to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum for a range of exhibits on the Neolithic and Minoan eras. It was an amazing collection of artifacts. For some items, like vases or miniature bulls or drachma, they would have dozens of that item on display, instead of the one or two you'd see at another museum. I particularly liked an ancient board game, a bull-shaped libation vessel and a sarcophagus with an elaborate fresco on the side.

At the hostel, I made another new friend - Maude from Canada - who was also a guitar player. I mentioned that Doukas Art had a guitar, so we went there for a tasty dinner of stuffed pepper with rice, and later traded off playing songs. We had some beer and raki, and Giorgios offered up the guitar again, but it was too hard to play after a few drinks. I stayed up late hanging out with Kuranda and Ben, even after Giorgios closed up shop.

The bus from Heraklion to Chania was not very comfortable, on account of the meager AC. After a sweltering 3 hours of traveling west across Crete, I was glad to arrive in Chania and find my new hostel.

The evening's activity was a cooking class at a beautiful house in the mountains. There were about 15 people in the group, and our driver/host Andreas navigated the van through some challenging traffic and narrow mountain roads. But once there, everything was peaceful. We started with stuffing tomatoes, pepper, and zucchini with rice so those could start baking. We took a break to feed the sheep, have some appetizers, and taste a flight of Cretan wines. Then we made tzatziki, dakos (similar to bruschetta), and pies with cheese or spinach (like Greek empanadas). It was a pretty casual class, with more focus on the experience than the recipe itself. The head chef spoke in Greek and Andreas translated. While the chef did the frying and baking, Andreas explained the traditional way of making olive oil and raki, and gave a crash course in Cretan history. The feast was delicious, with the stuffed tomato being my favorite dish. It was a fun and international group, with folks from Norway, Australia, Canada, and the US. And as I should have expected by now, they sent us home with a small bottle of raki.

Enough of land - time to cruise the Mediterranean! I got on a bus to the port of Kissamos, in the northwestern tip of Crete. We switched over to a large boat with a lot of tourists speaking different languages, including something that sounded like Polish or Russian and sign language. Our first stop was Balos Beach, a unique and beautiful place. Imagine this: a mini island is connected to the mainland by a spit of sand. On one side of the spit, a closed lagoon with pale grey color. On other side, a crystal blue cove the connects with the sea. I started by hiking up the mainland for views overlooking both lagoons. Then I went down to the blue side for a swim! There were some small reefs with small fish, and I enjoyed being in the water.

Our cruise also stopped at Gramvousa Island, or at least the inhabited one with that name (there's also a "wild" Gramvousa). I had the chance to hike up the cliff to a Venetian fort with stunning views in every direction. It felt vast, but not so vast that it was incomprehensible. Looking down, you could see the bottom of the ocean through the clear shores, with swimmers and boats floating like miniature bath toys above the blue gradient. All around, the orange cliffs of Gramvousa and the mainland were a perfect color contrast. It was definitely my favorite spot on Crete.

Alas, the tour went on, returning to Kissamos and eventually to Chania. I sought out some groceries in the busy downtown walking area, and then settled into a quiet dinner at Kapari. A refreshing Cretan beer (Charma), my dose of veggies from a Greek salad, and a stellar grilled calamari with pesto. The entire squid was served, which was a unique experience! It took them a while to bring the card scanner, and I had an early morning, so against my instinct I declined the raki.

Waiting for the bus at 6:00am, and driving up into the mountains in the dark, I wondered what I was getting myself into. I had booked a spot on a day long Samaria Gorge adventure via the hostel front desk, but didn't know the day's itinerary. All was revealed in time - we were dropped at the park entrance at the highest elevation, and then did a self guided hike down through the gorge. There was a guide but they stayed with the slower end of the group to keep the minimum pace. The first few kilometers were the trickiest, with switchbacks consisting of slippery stones and denser groups. As the hike continued, the terrain became easier and the groups spread out. It was about 10 miles to the ocean, and it was incredibly scenic. The tall cliffs on both sides of the gorge towered like the walls of Yosemite Valley. The path crossed the stream several times, and there were natural spring fountains to refill water bottles along the way. About halfway through, I struck up a conversation with a fellow solo hiker, Vali, who was originally from Romania but had lived in Berkeley and was currently in Berlin. It was nice to have a hiking companion going at a similar pace, as we followed the trail through Calabrian pines and cypress.

We reached the bottom of the valley, and approached the narrowest section of the gorge. We felt very small going through this sliver of a canyon. The midday sun could barely reach into this crevice, and we were thankful for the shade as the temperature increased. After a few more stream crossings, we exited the park and arrived in the small fishing village. Even at a relaxed pace, Vali and I finished the route by 1:30pm, about 5.5 hours in total. Since the town was so remote, the only way out was by ferry at 5:30pm. So we passed the time at a beachside restaurant, along with another hiker named Julian from Germany. Even in the shade and with a few ice cold Alpha beers, it was hard to tolerate the "feels like 97 degree" temp. The conversation with Vali and Julian, plus a few shared appetizers, really got me through the afternoon. At some point, Julian disappeared to get some groceries. Vali and I boarded the ferry, unsure of where Julian ended up - we hope he boarded the right one!

It was a pretty ferry ride looking back at the convergence of the mountains and the ocean. Reaching the next port, we hopped off and got back on the bus. It was a difficult curvy road, and dark once again. I was glad to be back in Chania, where I had a gelato for a light dinner.

On my last morning in Chania, I explored the harbor and old city. It was packed with delivery trucks, jockeying as they made their morning deliveries, and almost running me off the road into the harbor at times. I found shelter on a pedestrian street and stopped for breakfast at a cafe with a pretty view towards the water. The famous Spanish painter El Greco was born on that street, according to the menu. I ordered the "Sweet Crete" breakfast, including a medley of walnuts, cheese, and golden raisins coated with honey, plus cheese and custard pies.

The bus to Heraklion was more modern than the first, and I had nice views of the Cretan coast. I dropped off my bags and caught up with the Doukas Art crew. Giorgios was busy running the restaurant (his competitor across the street was closed - good for business!) and Ben was recovering from heat stroke after a few beach days, so I met up with Kuranda who was at a communist cafe a few blocks away. We caught up over free dessert and raki, and admired a cute kitten we heard mewing nearby.

After a much needed afternoon nap, I headed back to Doukas Art for my last night on Crete. In addition to Kuranda and Ben, several other guests of Giorgios joined the hangout. Together, we ate, drank, and bantered the night away. Of course, being an incredible host, Giorgios left us some snacks and a bottle of raki before going to bed himself.

Crete was an amazing destination, and I definitely recommend a few days in Chania. My time in Heraklion was unexpectedly fun, thanks to the friends I made. Gotta love the backpacker "networking" that happens in hostels and over meals! But of course, the common thread was the raki - a great metaphor for Crete's distinct character, the generosity of the locals, and the island's appeal to fellow travelers.

The past few days, I've branched outside of Athens to explore more of mainland Greece.

Saturday, I took a half day journey to Meteora to see the famous cliffside monasteries. It was 5-6 hours of travel because the normal train route was affected by the recent flooding in central Greece. After a few hours on the train, we transferred to a bus and drove across the remaining mountains and plains. The only hint of flooding was the mud-line on the trees around the river. Evidently we did not drive through the worst hit areas. Something that I didn't appreciate until arriving: the cliffs appear suddenly at the edge of a unassuming plain, making them even more dramatic.

Kalambaka is the base town at the foot of the mountains, and I stayed there for one night. It was a classic small town where everyone knows everyone. The hostel managers also ran the bar/cafe next door, so my checkin orientation was briefly interrupted by a to-go coffee order from someone who pulled up on a motorcycle. The woman in charge effortlessly annotated a map with all the key landmarks, shortcuts, and the bus timetable (all from memory). Her recommendations turned out to be spot on!

Eager to stretch my legs after being confined all morning, I waited for the peak heat to pass, then hiked up to the top of the cliffs near the Agia Triada monastery. The hike was surprisingly doable, and very peaceful. The only disturbance was the occasional tortoise on the trail. The tortoises would quickly retreat into the safety of their shells as I approached. They were a fitting form of fauna for the secluded destination. When I arrived at Agia Triada, it was closed for the day, safe within the shell of its front gate. A friendly cat told me to try again tomorrow.

There are 6 monasteries remaining, out of the original 24. They are connected by a main road that runs along the ridge behind them, an artery for the onslaught of tour buses during visiting hours. However, in the early evening without a bus in sight, it was a tranquil and scenic walk to the Sunset Rocks. The distinctive cliff formations, the clever architecture, and the panoramic views of the valley were delightful. I waited for the sun to set with other eager tourists and a few cats. As the daylight faded, I decided to start the hike down. It was a little scary hiking on the curvy mountain road, as several stretches didn't have sidewalks and it was a longer distance than I realized. As I got closer to town, the warm light of the cozy tavernas helped light the way. I was very relieved to reach Kalambaka, and hungry too. I pigged out, ordering three dishes and wine. Feta with honey and sesame, zucchini balls with tzatziki, and a stew with farmer's sausage. Totally delicious! Across from me, a sly cat snuck a few leftovers from a freshly abandoned table.

The hostel's AC wasn't great, so I didn't get much sleep, but I was still eager for another big day of hiking. Learning from last night's mistake, I caught the bus through the town, hopping off close to the trailhead at the base of St. Nicholas. It felt like a medieval pilgrimage: I started at a wooden monk statue, crossed a stone footbridge, and passed the sparkling wisps of waterfalls. At the top was the Grand Meteora monastery, the first to be built, and the origin of the region's name. Back in the day, the monks would enter by riding in a net connected to a manually operated crane. I was glad for the staircase that now exists! The monastery was extremely beautiful on the inside. Photography wasn't allowed in the church, though I would have liked to take a few pics. Every inch was covered in striking, colorful paintings depicting biblical scenes. Each panel was bordered and captioned (in Greek of course) so it reminded me of a giant comic book. There were also religious relics on display in a small museum. The monastery was built during the Byzantine era in the 1300s, so it has a lot of history for a structure of its size.

From Grand Meteora, I hopped over the next one over, called Varlaam (these two are the largest of the six). It had more great views, though I'm a little uneasy with heights and probably spent less time on the balconies than I should have. Varlaam also had information about monastic life, including their daily routines. Not surprisingly, there are some early mornings and a lot of praying. But they also do miscellaneous tasks during the day, like gardening and beekeeping. Of course, the church artwork of Varlaam was similarly stunning. Those ascetics sure have aesthetics.

Getting a little tuckered out from the hiking, crowds, and heights, I only stopped at one more: St. Stephens, at the far end of the circuit. It is currently a nunnery, and the nuns were strict about the modest clothing requirement. Another female tourist with barely an inch of ankle showing was asked to put on one of their temporarily skirts. It was definitely worth visiting. St. Stephen's had amazing views of Kalambaka and beautiful flowers in the courtyards. I witnessed a nun emerge onto a balcony and hit a bell with a hammer to announce their mid afternoon closure, so I shuffled out and started hiking back to town. Same as the day before, I had an enormous meal, this time featuring sauteed local mushrooms, cheese croquettes, and a refreshing Greek salad. And after this python meal, plus two days of hiking, I napped the entire bus ride back.

The next morning I joined an organized tour group to explore the Peloponnesian Peninsula. The bus made an inefficient trip all around Athens to pick up people from individual hotels, and it appeared many other buses were doing the same. Apparently tourism is around 30% of Greece's GDP, and the mess of buses clogging up the commute hour was a great illustration. Along the way, we stopped at the cursed Corinth Canal, which faced many setbacks in funding and construction. It was started by Emperor Nero, and not finished until the 1890s! And it's too narrow for modern boats, so it doesn't get much usage.

For me, the main draw was the theater of Epidaurus. It's amazingly well-preserved, has world famous acoustics, and is still used for performances today. The thespian in me was ecstatic. What I didn't know until the guide explained, the theater was actually one part of a large healing sanctuary dedicated to the god Asklepios. It's a very isolated place in the mountains that served as a retreat from the bustle of Athens. People with illnesses would bring offerings to the god Asklepios, who would reveal the cure through dreams as they slept at the complex. Almost like an ancient form of telemedicine! Though even if Asklepios was the star, healing was looked at holistically, including mental stimulation - which is how the theater ties in. Fun fact, Asklepios is the guy with the snake staff, and was the origin of the symbol for paramedics and hospitals today.

We stopped for lunch in the port town of Nafplio. Within the tour group, I met a friendly Australian couple who was like-minded about avoiding the tourist trap restaurants. We had a nice lunch together, including a sea bream ceviche and roasted lamb. They travel to Greece every year to visit family, and I enjoyed hearing their stories.

The afternoon highlight was the fortress city of Mycenae. It's much older than the Golden Age of Greece, dating to 1500 BC. The ruins of the fortress had some impressive stone work, including the Lion Gate. The site also includes the tomb of King Agamemnon, hero of the Trojan War. His golden funeral mask was on the display at the museum.

We returned to Athens in the evening. I was staying in a different neighborhood this time, called Pysri, which has a lively restaurant and bar scene. I had a nice moussaka for dinner at one of the quieter places, and watched the cats go from table to table, looking up earnestly at the diners.

On my last day in Athens, I went for a morning run to the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first modern Olympics were hosted in 1896. They open the track for runners in the morning, and there were several other fellow tourist-athletes enjoying the unique setting! The track was partially closed due to an exposition tennis match that had just finished up, and they were packing up the court. But even just being there in a historical place, with giant Olympic rings hovering above, was fantastic. There was also a hidden but very cool museum with all of the Olympic torches and posters on display. Another great contribution of the Greeks to modern society.

I took it easy the rest of the day, starting with a delightful brunch of Greek yogurt and koulori (sesame covered bread rings, bit like a bagel). Then I meandered through the souvenir shops in the Plaka neighborhood and popped into a few archaeological sites that were included in my combo pass. I tried some beer from a local Athenian brewery called Noctua, with some crispy pita and hummus too.

Overall I really enjoyed my time in Athens and the surroundings. I definitely stayed within the touristy areas/sites, so I saw a very narrow slice. The big name sites - think the Acropolis, Meteora, and the Pelopenese - all exceeded my expectations. And the general fun was there: getting lost in the scenic city streets, turning a corner and catching a glimpse of the Acropolis, stumbling across ancient ruins in random pockets, staying cool with frappes and gelato, the joy of a fresh gyro, the street musicians, and of course the pervasiveness of cute cats.

From Amsterdam, I took an Aegean Air flight to Athens and started my ~2 weeks in Greece! It was a transportation heavy day, as both sides of the journey required a train to/from the airport.

The hostel in Athens had a great location right near the Acropolis and the Plaka neighborhood. However, it was a bit shocking emerging from the metro station into the crowded Monastiraki square, which I later learned is one of the social hubs of the city. An eclectic mix of locals and confused tourists. Walking with my backpack and messenger bag, I had to be careful not to bowl over the distracted shoppers stopping in the middle of the path. After all that complex navigation, I enjoyed the simplicity of a no-frills gyro plate.

The next day, I took to exploring Athens in earnest. I headed straight to the Acropolis, the city's signature site, lining up before it was open. When the floodgates opened at 8:00am, I made a beeline for the top, weaving through the clusters of guided tours. I was rewarded with light crowds around the Parthenon as it soaked up the morning light. I listened to the free Rick Steves audio guide for background on its history and construction. For example, some of the columns are slightly angled or tapered to compensate for an optical illusion that would otherwise make them look off. Also, the conservation efforts involve replacing some pieces with marble chunks that currently are a different shade of white, but over time they will fade and blend in with the existing marble (perhaps you could call them "editorial columns?") But the Acropolis had much more than just the Parthenon - there is a grand entrance, several temples, and a theater that's still used for events today. It's awe inspiring to walk around something that has been around for 2500 years! Especially one that only took 10 years to build originally.

Escaping through the viscous Acropolis crowds, I dispelled any agoraphobia and entered the Ancient Agora. It was once the political, commercial, and social heart of Athens but now is mostly a field of rubble. Once again, I turned to Rick Steves for a history lesson. The two most interesting sites were a reconstructed stoa (a long hall) and the well preserved Temple of Hephaestus, god of metallurgy. There was also a museum with neat artifacts, including coins, cooking tools, and a device for randomly selecting jurors. Apparently ancient Athens had jury duty!

I walked down to the Central Market, expecting a mix of shops, but quickly realized it was exclusively a meat market with many raw displays. I found a restaurant nearby and ordered a half rack of ribs, figuring they would be fresh. The ribs were served with a BBQ pomegranate sauce and crispy zucchini fries, quite a treat.

To beat the afternoon heat, I visited the Museum of Folk Instruments. I loved learning about the different types of drums, clarinets, violins, guitars, and bells used in traditional Greek music. Outside, a few street musicians were playing so I stopped and listened. I complimented their playing and told them I was a guitar player myself. To my surprise, they handed me one of their guitars and asked to hear a tune! I obliged, and made some brief but friendly conversation before heading on my way.

One downside of backpacking is building in time for laundry, but I used the downtime for a coffee and a baklava gelato. It also gave me time to stop and admire some cute street kitties - Athens is definitely a cat city.

For my final outing of the day, I stopped by the Temple of Zeus, or at least what's left of it. One of the columns was knocked over, and separated into its individual rings like a giant Lego set. Then I hiked up Philopappos Hill for sunset views. Athens is very pretty at night, especially near the illuminated ancient sites. I passed by multiple classical guitar players on my walk back towards the hostel. One was quite good, so I got a takeout falafel wrap for dinner, backtracked, and continued listening while I ate.

The hostel had a rooftop bar with nighttime views with the Acropolis and cheap beer. It was fun chatting with other travelers, and swapping travel stories. We all commented on how surreal it was to be there with the Parthenon as the backdrop! I thought back to my 6th grade history class, where we did a Greece simulation. My group represented the city-state of Athens and we built a replica of the very same Parthenon. How crazy to be in Athens and have the gift of an entire day revolving around it.

One of my main reasons for picking the Netherlands as my first destination was the chance to see my friend Israel from Brown. He's been studying at the Technical University of Delft for the last 4 years, and I hadn't seen him in 6 years! We met in the airport, and he was flying back from a conference on the same evening as my own arrival. He navigated us through the train system from the airport to Delft, which was a great relief after a long day of flying.

Israel was kind enough to let me crash on his couch. His apartment is in a traditional Dutch house with very steep stairs. The room itself is nestled under the apex of the roof and therefore is shaped like an "A" (with a ladder to access the bed at the very top).

On Friday, we meandered through the quiet streets of Delft, stopping for pastries at an excellent bakery. While Israel was in meetings, I walked around the TU Delft campus, admiring the modern library and dodging bike traffic. To honor Delft's claim to fame, I admired its signature blue pottery at a nearby museum/factory. Once Israel was free, he showed me around the impressive mechanical engineering building and introduced me to a few colleagues. It was special to see him in his new environment, and see how he's adapted.

Later, we visited the Vermeer museum. I became interested in Vermeer after watching some art history videos on YouTube, and the museum did a great job of showing the progression of his work and pointing out motifs. Although Vermeer lived his whole life in Delft, none of his works remain there, meaning the museum only had images of his paintings. It was still a great experience, and I enjoyed being introduced to his full collection of work.

Dutch food isn't inspiring to Israel, so instead we opted for some great Asian fusion for dinner (duck loaded fries - yum!) Knowing my sweet tooth, he also recommended a place with a towering apple tart. It arrived with an impressive sash of whipped cream.

Saturday we stopped by a farmer's market in Delft for some fresh produce and a very large stroopwaffle. Then we took a day trip to The Hague, where Israel used to live before moving closer to campus.

One highlight in The Hague was a museum dedicated to MC Escher, and his famous tessellations and optical illusions. We both really enjoyed the art, which has a graphic design aesthetic that feels very modern. Amazingly, he created them using wood block printing, meaning he first carved a negative image by hand (yes, including those repetitive patterns). It was also cool to see his earlier sketches of Italian landscapes and animals, both of which became motifs in his later work.

We also stopped at the whimsical Madurodam, a theme park celebrating all things Dutch. There were mini models of famous landmarks, selfie stations with well known paintings, a flight simulator with views of the country, giant tulips, clogs, and more. For such a light hearted place, it actually had a fairly dark backstory. The park is named after George Maduro, a war hero who resisted the Nazi invasion but was killed as a young general. The park can be considered the happiest war memorial ever created.

While in the Hague, we went to the beach and boy was it crowded! On an 85 degree Saturday, it was the place to be. We had dinner at a very modern food court along the coastal pathway. It was my first time trying Surinamese food (from Suriname, a Dutch colony in South America) which included curry chicken with noodles and veggies. After our meal, we walked on the shore, tiptoeing across shell fragments, dodged a coastal reclamation project that had closed a stretch of beach, and enjoyed the sunset with soft serve ice cream.

As I've bid farewell to friends and family, the suggestion of a travel blog has come up multiple times. I do like to journal when I travel, and I think it's a great way to stay connected asynchronously. Let's see if this old website is up for the job!