| In total,
the stadium can hold 60,000 spectators.The re-birth of the Olympic Games
in 1896 took place here, and it has recently been restored again for the
2004 events.
Mykonos
Most people
come to Greece for one reason – island hopping on the Aegean Sea. One
of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to do this is by cruise ship. A
variety of boats leave from Athens’ port on a regular basis. Some cruises
are short and visit only a few islands in three to four days. Others visit
more islands over a longer period of time. Although the ships only stop
at each port for several hours, it’s usually enough to get a feel for each
island and decide at which one you’d like to spend more time on your next
visit.
Almost every
ship docks at Mykonos, one of the most famous and most visited islands.
Small enough to walk from one end to the other, the streets are lined with
gorgeous white washed houses. Shutters, window and door frames, along with
doors and banisters are painted in bright colors, which emphasize the stark
whiteness of the houses even more. Blue is the most popular, but green
and red are also common.
In front
of a white church with a red domed roof stands Petros the Pelican.
The huge bird, perched on the edge of a white wall, cleans himself as tourists
timidly approach for a photo. His pink and blue beak is nearly the size
of my arm.
Near the sandy
beach sits a white washed church with a blue dome roof – the epitome of
Greece. A white cross crowns the blue dome. Farther along the beach at
the top of a gentle hill, a row of windmills form a straight line. Their
base is whitewashed, but the cones topping them are covered in straw. Thin
sticks of wood latched together comprise the wheels that spin slowly on
the light breeze coming off the sea.
Patmos
Another popular
cruise ship stop is the Holy Island of Patmos. The northernmost island
of the Dodecanese group, Patmos is a place of pilgrimage for many Christians
due to its religious history.
At the summit
of the small island lies the Monastery of St. John the Theologian. If
you have the time, climb up the steep road that coils its way up to the
monastery. It’s a fairly long hike, but worth the effort as you’re rewarded
with a spectacular view of Patmos and its numerous bays and coves. Buses
and taxis also make frequent runs to the top of the hill.
The monastery
itself is built within a fortress, and its gray buttressed walls retain
their strength even today. From the outside, it looks more like a castle
than a monastery. Built 900 years ago, the monastery is constructed
mainly out of gray stone. A cement pathway on the pebbled ground leads
inside to an open air courtyard. The rusting stone is stacked into arches
and the positioning of the monastery on the highest point of the island
means that all you can see when you look up is the clear blue sky.
One of the
covered archways is decorated with scenes of a religious nature. The frescoes
of saints and churches are precise to the smallest detail, and their color
endures. The monastery’s church is decorated with even more remarkable
frescoes. Gold embellishment and exquisite wood carvings throughout the
church emphasize the importance of this section of the monastery.
A small museum
on the site houses sacred treasures such as intricately decorated manuscripts.
It
is also possible to see aged embroidered religious garments, jewelry and
mosaics.
Another notably
sacred place on Patmos is the Grotto of the Apocalypse. Just down the hill
from the monastery lies the cave where it is believed St. John experienced
his divine revelation. Tourists packed the dark, damp cave, but no one
uttered the merest sound. A sort of revered silence fell over the crowd
as they entered the holy area.
Watch your
step here; the stairs are steep and the rock is slippery. Inside the cave,
a worn stone ledge comprises the desk where St. John wrote the Book of
Revelations. A smaller ledge served as his pillow. Three fractures in the
stone roof mark the spot where God’s voice reached through to St. John.
The
triple crack both symbolizes and honors the Holy Trinity.
Rhodes
Another of
Greece’s highlights, the island of Rhodes, has both incredible beauty and
interesting history to share with its visitors. The largest of the Dodecanese
island group, Rhodes has several beaches from which you can enjoy the
sea. One is covered with small pebbles in place of sand, but the magnificence
of the royal blue water is obvious regardless of the composition of the
beach. Rhodes receives over 300 days of sunshine a year, which makes you
appreciate the crisp coldness of the Aegean even more.
Pottery is
Rhodes’ craft, and tours of factories are available. You can see how the
pieces are created from start to finish, including the painting of the
finished product by talented artists. Pottery is for sale all over the
island, but the factories have the best selection. Some of the most
beautiful pieces have colored porcelain baked onto the clay in flowery
designs.
The city of
Lindos is built around an Acropolis. Square white houses set amidst abundant
greenery line the lower portion of the rock projection. Although the Acropolis
of Lindos is not as high as Athens, its grandeur is enhanced by its extraordinary
setting above the Aegean Sea. At the bottom, a white sandy bay greets the
blue water with a spattering of umbrellas. There isn’t an empty space on
the fine sand.
It’s quite
easy to walk to the top of the Acropolis, but there is also a more adventurous
way to ascend to the island’s highest point – by donkey. I assumed that
this would require a lot less effort in the blazing sunshine, but I think
I expended more energy praying for my life and gripping the makeshift saddle.
Donkeys are not the most graceful walkers and I was constantly bumped from
side to side. They also have a tendency to walk wherever they like,
and several of the animals, mine included, walked awfully close to the
precipitous edge. I was sure we were going to go tumbling off the Acropolis
into the clear water at any moment.
Whichever way
you get to the top, you’ll be astounded by the view. The color of the water
is mesmerizing. In one direction, a long beach stretches on for miles.
The water that meets the sand is almost white, and then abruptly changes
to a richer, dark blue as the depth of the sea increases. In another direction,
tiny pieces of land form mini islands in the turquoise water.
The ruins
on the Acropolis of Lindos easily rival that of Athens. Dating back to
2000 B.C., what remains is a mix of Byzantine, Turkish and Frankish
ruins. The majority of the summit’s floor is a mix of rock and dry grass.
Stone stairs lead to one of the Acropolis’ highest structures of which
only three tall columns still stand. The front two columns support two
stone blocks stacked on top of one another.
Farther along,
the ground has been paved and a concrete platform makes for easier walking.
Remains of another building stand here, the front and back each consisting
of four supported pillars. Stacked stones compose what is left of the walls,
although they are in the process of being restored. From here you can see
the Bay of Lindos and the water is so clear that you can easily make out
the bottom of the sea.
Santorini
When you’ve
had just about all the history and white marble you can take, along comes
one of Greece’s most breathtaking sights, the volcanic island of Santorini.
One of nature’s most incredible creations, this is the island that I plan
to revisit. One day here is definitely not enough to absorb the splendor
of what has been often referred to as Greece’s most beautiful island.
Santorini
is considered a caldera - a volcanic depression in the shape of a basin.
The caldera was created thousands of years ago when the Strongyli volcano
collapsed. Santorini is the portion of the submerged caldera that remains
above sea level.
Approaching
the crescent shaped island from the deep sea, I was astounded by its size.
The most southern of the Cyclades islands, Santorini looks like a massive,
snow capped mountain dropped into the middle of the sea. As you get closer,
you’ll see that the enormous island isn’t covered in snow at all – it’s
the thick spattering of typically Greek white washed houses that turns
its top layer completely white. The sides of the island are too steep to
bear any buildings, and the majority of the island’s structures are built
on its flat top.
Numerous
cruise ships anchor in the harbor, but the massive island dwarfs even
the biggest vessel. Small boats transport tourists from the cruise ship
to the shore, where buses wait to drive them up the skinny road that winds
its way up the side of the island. Their destination is Oia, a small village
set at the edge of the caldera’s steep slope.
Oia’s bars,
restaurants and homes sit along the perimeter of the island. Relaxing at
one of the cliffside restaurants provides you with an unbeatable vista
of the island and surrounding water. The blue sea glimmers in the bright
sun, and Santorini stretches on and on. Smaller islands, part of the
same volcanic group, are speckled throughout the sea. The east coast of
the island boasts the most beautiful beaches, but beware – the black volcanic
sand may look spectacular, but it’s extra hot on the feet.
When it’s time
to head back to the ship, you have two options. A set of stairs leads down
the rock face to the shore, but I’d recommend taking the cable car. Not
only is it a lot easier, but the final view of the island in its spectacular
setting is one you’ll savor forever.
The following
is a list of articles that Dawnelle has written for the magazine:
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