11.19.22

Since 2019 we have stayed at several places for more than 45 days at a time, including Valencia, Spain; Italy (two different places); Croatia (3 different places); Turkey (9 months), and of course, Puerto Moreles, Mexico, where we were in COVID lockdown for 15 months. But we just finished almost three months in Greece and got to know it better than the other places since we toured the northern section for 31 days, then spent six weeks in Athens. Along the way we hit four islands, Naxos, Santorini, Chios, and Lesbos, and found it to be an amazing country, full of as much history as anywhere we have been, along with wonderful food, scenery, and lovely people.

If you didn’t follow our two-wheeled bike trip this past summer, we visited 15 different regions and cities in partnership with the respective visitors bureaus and convention centers, and rode the bike about 1500 miles. You can visit some of our archives or my personal Facebook blog has almost day by day reports as well.

Now we are in Albania (country #41 for me) for 63 days, and we have been wanting to visit Sarande since 2019, but it never quite worked out. So far, first impressions are great and we have a wonderful waterfront location with a view of Corfu, and our plans/ hopes are to make this an annual destination. For Americans reading this, Albania offers us something very unique: a one-year visa for tourists. That is very lenient by EU standards of 90 days, which is the same for most other countries, too. As non-EU residents, we have to be mindful of Schengen limits, and our 87 days in Greece pushed right up against that wall. Now we must exit the EU for 90 days to “reset the clock,” but if you plan it properly, you can bounce back and forth for years. Which is exactly what we are planning.

Athens took me by surprise and I liked it more than I expected, but Kat REALLY liked it better, especially as she learned her way around the town, the metro, and all her favorite coffee shops and shopping places. And you cannot ignore the history of the country, and especially Athens, since it surrounds you in a very comfortable way. On our last night there we met a friend for dinner and right above us the Acropolis was bathed in their nighttime lighting scheme. After dinner we took the metro home and walked by the various sites we passed by throughout our time there, like Hadrian’s Library, the Agora, and many more. We have heard some say that Athens was not a favorite place, but I personally think it’s how you view it. It IS crowded, especially during the busy season, but just as we were leaving, the crowds we noticeably smaller. Yes, there is graffiti, but you find that in any major city, and some is junk, but much of it truly is “street art.”

We found the affordability very good; much less expensive than most Western European cities, but not as cheap as Turkey or Asia. The food was overall AMAZING, and generally the people spoke English and were very cordial. Greece does not have a big rail network, but Athens offers a few train options, including two destinations that we recommend: Thessaloniki and Meteora. Meanwhile, busses can take you from one end of the country to another, but let’s not forget ferries! With 227 inhabitable islands you have many choices, but realistically only three dozen or so are on anyone’s radar, and between all that, you have more than enough options to enjoy this amazing country.