Stories & Articles > The Time to Go/The Way to See Greece

“Somehow, almost as if He were nodding, Greece still remains under the protection of the Creator…God’s magic is still at work.”

Henry Miller, The Colossus of Maroussi

The Time to Go/The Way to See Greece

The last time I had sailed around the Greek Isles was the end of the season—late October. This time I was joining a tour/cruise early in April, the beginning of the season. The end of October got cold; I remember freezing as the winds of Mykonos swirled around us. In early April the days were pleasant although one day we thought quite hot. It must have been in the ‘70s.

Fields of wild flowers, flowering fruit and red bud trees, red poppies, yellow fields of rape... That is the Greece we saw in the countryside of Macedonia, where we spent the first three days of our tour. Being early in the season—and before Greek Easter—also meant there weren’t many tourists, so it was easier to see and appreciate the sites we visited in this remarkable country.

Our cruise/tour was called “The World and Times of St. Paul” and it was led by professor of religion, Calvin Roetzel. Professor Roetzel is the Arnold Lowe Professor (Emeritus) of Religious Studies at Macalester College and currently is a visiting Professor at the University of Minnesota. He is a well-known authority on St. Paul.

The trip had the most specific focus of any on which I have ever been. At first I thought that I might not be knowledgeable enough about Christian history and St. Paul in particular to be a full-fledged member of the group. But it really didn’t matter. I was accepted into the group the first day and from then on could only become more knowledgeable.

Our guide/tour leader amazed me, as do many guides in Europe and Asia. Her knowledge covered all aspects of Roman history, Greek history and Christian history. She was even very well informed on Muslim history. (She was not allowed to give our tours in Turkey but did back up our Turkish guide.) Ana was a wonderful complement to Dr. Roestzel.

The cruise part of our trip was on the Callisto, a thoroughly delightful “MY” (motor yacht), which can accommodate up to 33 passengers. She is not sleek like some of the yachts we saw, but she has been delightfully refurbished in the interior. The public rooms are comfortable and welcoming. The cabins are very attractive and well appointed. My cabin was the best thought out one I’ve had since I sailed on one of the original small Renaissance ships.

Amenities in the cabins and bathrooms included Frette robes and Trussardi products.

It tells you something about Travel Dynamics, the owner and operator of the boat, with which the hotel manager has been with the company for 25 years and the waiters for a long while as well. They are obviously well treated, which is why they in turn take great care of the passengers.

The breakfasts and lunches were buffets and once for dinner we had a buffet as well. Dinners were three-courses with a choice of two items for the entrée. Naturally there were a number of Greek dishes. Some of us liked the bread salad at lunch so much that the crew provided it for us every day afterwards. That was the responsiveness of the staff.

Because of the focus of the trip, we visited some sites and had some experiences not normally on Greek itineraries—especially for Americans. First off, traveling to Macedonia was different and what we saw was very impressive. Outstanding were the Byzantine Museum; nearby Kavalla, where we had lunch at the dramatic Imaret Hotel; and the archaeological site of Phillipi. I realized that one of the great things about travel is when you experience places you don’t really know about and find how remarkable they are.

We visited Miletus near Kusadasi. Here we wandered through the Temple of Apollo, which was never completed. It wasa tremendously ambitious project as it was to have had 120 columns each 64 feet high. At the nearby partially excavated theatre, we were the only people-- except for a handful of tourists--exploring this nearly deserted site. It was hard to imagine that at one time the theatre held 15,000 spectators.

On Patmos, we had an hour-and-a-half “audience” with the abbot in the monastery. The dramatic, compelling face of the abbot held our attention even while he spoke in Greek, which was translated by our indefatigable guide. Breaking the spell, the abbot at one point responded to his cell phone.

For a top-flight trip to Greece, the Med and many other places I recommend traveling with Travel Dynamics. The company has various themed cruises in Greece and the Med such as Shakespeare in the Mediterranean and the Journey of Odysseus. One cruise now offered is the Ancient Lost Cities of Libya and Tunisia. (See letters from clients for recent reports from Libya with its incredible array of sites from Greco-Roman days.) The cruises have lecturers for universities or authorities in appropriate fields so the trips have real depth.
Shore excursions are included so there aren’t those terrible decisions to make about what to do ashore. Everything is taken care of for the traveler.