Introduction:
Greece is situated in the south of the Balkan Peninsula, and
borders with Albania, Bulgaria, Turkey and Skopia. The landmass
of Greece is just over 131,000 sq km. It has a huge coastline
of over 13,000 km and not a single area in Greece is over
100km from the sea. Greece consists of a Peninsula, and about
1400 islands, of which just over 160 are inhabited.
Most of Greece is mountainous and the majority of land is
at an altitude of 1500m above sea level. The highest mountain
in Greece is Mount Olympus, of which its peak is 2,917m.
Due to the mountainous environment and the dry climate in
Greece, agriculture is occupied by only a quarter of the land.
Only about 8% of land is used permanently for growing crops.
However, Greece has great natural resources in the forms of
oil, magnesite, petroleum, bauxite, lignite and marble. There
is also potential for hydropower.
The capital city of Athens is also plagued by problems of
air pollution. This is due to Athens being surrounded by three
mountains, and the pollution from cars and factories stays
in the air, due to the wind being unable to reach it and clean
up the atmosphere.
However, measures to combat the pollution have been put in
place and it is soon hoped that the problem will soon start
to improve.
When to Visit Greece:
CLIMATE OF GREECE
The climate in Greece is one that can be described as relatively
normal. Summers are usually very hot and dry, and the winters
can be quiet cold and wet. The upper part of Greece can be
very cold during the winter and snow is not uncommon. However,
for the south of Greece and the islands, the winters will
be milder.
During the wintermuch of Greece will have snow, and the high
mountains of Greece will see much snowfall. It is this that
makes Greece an ideal place for winter vacations as well as
summer vacations.
 There are several ski centres operating throughout Greece
and these attract thousands of visitors every year. In Athens
snow is less common, especially in the south, but there was
quite sufficient snowfall in the beginning of 2002 and in
February 2004.
Summers in Greece are usually very hot, and in July and August
temperatures can go over 40 degrees. It is recommended in
these temperatures to stay out of the sun from 11.00 to 14.00
when the sun it at its strongest. There is a strong northern
wind called the "Meltemi" which usually sweeps through the
east coast of Greece during July and August, and this offers
a welcome relief to the heat.
However, these winds can at times be very strong. This can
lead to the schedules of the ferryboats to the islands being
severely disrupted. If you are planning on using the ferryboats,
it is advisable to check with the operators if they are running
on time.
ANCIENT GREEK MYTHOLOGY GODS:
ZEUS:
Zeus was the King of All Gods and the ruler of the world,
residing on the top of Mount Olympia. Olympia and Dhodhoni
are the two places where he was predominantly worshipped.
APHRODITE:
Aphrodite,born from the sea was the Goddess of love and beauty.
The region of Corinth is where her most important temple was
built.
APOLLO:
God of male beauty and Patron of the Arts, Apollo's chief
sanctuary was at Delphi. However, he was also worshipped at
Corinth and Vassai.
ARTEMES:
Artemes the huntress, and twin sister of Apollo, is the Goddess
of chasity. Her most important temples were situated in Delphi
and Vravrona.
ATHENA:
Athena, the Patron Goddess of Athens was one of the most important
Gods, and the Parthenon temple, residing on the top of the
Acropolis in Athens, is her greatest temple. Athena was also
the divinity of art and crafts, wisdom and of course, victory.
ARES:
Ares was the God of war, and also the lover of Aphrodite.
POSEIDON:
The brother of Zeus, Poseidon is the God of the sea, storms
and earthquakes. Though he lost out to Athena for Athens,
he was built an equally impressive temple which resides at
Cape Sounion.
HERMES:
The God ofcommunication and commerce, Hermes was the Messenger
of the Gods.
DEMETER:
Worshipped mainly at Elevsis, Demeter was the Goddess of fertility.
HERA:
Wife of Zeus, Hera was the Goddess of marriage, with her main
temples being found at Olympia and Argos.
DIONYSOS:
The God of Wine and Celebrations, Dionysos was worshipped
in Athens as well on Mount Parnassos.
Attraction in Greece:
Athens - The Acropolis
Say what you like (or don't like!) about Athens, no one's
trip to Greece can be complete without a visit to its supreme
symbol, the outcropping of rock called the Acropolis, crowned
with the Athena's sacred temple, the Parthenon. It looks great
all day, but visit in the early morning or late afternoon
to avoid the crowds. Skip the Sound and Light show - cold
in temperature and corny in tone. New pedestrian pathways
make it easy to visit via the Athens Metro.
The National Archaeological
Museum - Athens
Even if you hate museums, grit your teeth and get cultured
here. It's a world-class display of seemingly endless artifacts.
Most dramatic are the tall, enigmatickouroi, archaic statues
of godlike young men or man -like young gods, displayed against
a rich red background that reminds us that the real temples,
statues, and walls of Ancient Greece weren't bleached white
by centuries of sun and rain. If you can bear to be (briefly)
unfaithful to Greece, the Egyptian antiquities collection
upstairs and in back is well worth a look. Note: The museum
is closed for renovations until June, 2004.
The Island of Santorini (Thira,
Fira)
Atlantis legends, missing Minoans, a living volcanic legacy,
swell sunsets, good local wine, fine restaurants, vampire
stories, oodles of tourists. There's nothing like it. But
rearrange your trip, cancel your tickets, do anything in your
power to be able to arrive by sea, slowly crawling up the
coast watching the banded cliffs of brown, black, and red
crowned by snow-white tufa, a light lava which still clings
to parts of the island like frosting on a cake. Signature
sight of the once-buried city of Akrotiri is under a tin roof,
gets extraordinarily hot - go early in the day. The hotels
carved into the cliffsides are not for those with vertigo.
Looking for activity, bustle, lots of restaurant choices?
Stay in Fira. Want more of a retreat but still with all the
amenities? Stay in Oia.
The Island of Mykonos
The most famous Greek island got that way for good reason.
It's charming, fun, beautiful, and now, renowned for sophisticated,
international goings-on. Vibrant nightlife, terrific shopping,
more nude and non-nude beaches per square mile than anywhere
else in Greece, loved by gays, straights, honeymoon couples,
Greeks, tourists...though half of all these groups will insist
that the island is passé or over-developed, they still
come in droves. Genuinely sick of the frenzy? Get over onto
the other side of the island for an entirely different Mykonos,
one which boasts a chapel for every day of the year. 
The Ancient Theater of Epidaurus
A relatively easy drive from Athens, the site of Epidaurus
on the Peloponnese Peninsula is worth a special trip. The
Theatre, functional enough for plays to be regularly presented
during the summer Epidaurus Festival, has unbelievable acoustics.
Enjoy the small, good onsite museum. On your way, there's
a great little village bakery/liquor store in Adami.
Mycenae
Combine this Peloponnesian stop with your trip to Epidaurus.
This Mycenean fortress disengorged much of the gold displayed
at the National Archaeological Museum, and is a fascinating
place, with gargantuan walls, cylindrical tomb shafts, and
the double-lion gate.
Wear good shoes and watch your step - the rampway leading
to the gate was made steep to permit easy defense of the palace
from marauders, and guess what, tourists still qualify. The
snack bar has been known to run out of water on hot days...bring
your own for this hot, dusty, but intriguing site. |
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