Memories of a Greek Odyssey
November, 2005
By VS, with picture additions by GP

From November 4-13, twenty-six Objectivists and their friends joined together for a spectacular adventure in Greece.  It was fitting that this much-anticipated dream trip to the birthplace of democracy should have been in the company of such fun and interesting people. 

We started, as most visitors to Greece do, in Athens.  Our hotel, the Divani Palace Acropolis Hotel, was stunning.  I never got used to the Greek’s casual use of the most exquisite marble everywhere.

But of course, the best thing about our hotel was its location within walking distance of some of the most exciting sites in Athens.  Only that could have drawn me off our balcony where our view of the Parthenon was stupendous, especially at night when its lighting added to the drama.

The next morning, we got to get even closer.  After a bus tour of sites in Athens, we climbed the Acropolis and let Rebecca, our guide throughout much of the trip, show us the Parthenon and other Acropolis buildings.  Rebecca had an encyclopedic knowledge of the history (actual and mythological) of her country and imparted it entertainingly.

After a delicious lunch in the shadow of the Acropolis, we traveled through the countryside to the island of Poros, our base for the remainder of our stay.  We were lucky enough to be in Greece during the harvest time for olives, and it wasn’t uncommon to see a family with a tarp spread under one of their trees, raking the olives down.  I also enjoyed the pomegranate, pistachio and citrus trees, as well as the beautifully lush flowers everywhere.

At the Hotel New Aegli in Poros, we settled in before our welcome dinner and a demonstration of Greek dancing.  This was my first opportunity to sample ouzo, which had been my lifelong desire since reading Mary Stewart in high school.  So…I tried it, but decided to stick with the delicious Greek wines thereafter.

The next morning, after a fascinating talk about classic Greek history, we took the ferry to the island of Aegina and then the bus to the Temple of Aphea.  The ancient Greeks really knew how to site their temples – the view from them was always extraordinary, and the view of them must have been the same to pilgrims approaching from the sea.

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For a more modern version of a religious edifice, we stopped at an opulent cathedral which is not even finished yet.  Yes, they still do build them like they used to.  The contrast between ancient and modern religion was interesting.  For the rest of the evening, we explored the quaint town of Aegina.

The next morning we enjoyed the balmy breezes and beautiful sea view from the hotel balcony while we waited for the water taxi to take us into Poros.  It was almost too idyllic to be real.  In Poros, our AHI host, Pamela Rogers, took us on a walking tour of the picturesque town and we all used the film and digital storage space in our cameras with abandon.  We then gathered at a Greek Traverna where we were treated to traditional Greek appetizers and beverages, and our “Meet the People” hosts answered our questions about current-day life in Greece, and then entertained us with music. 

That afternoon we visited the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon and then the Monastery of Poros.  At the temple ruins, though we had been warned that olives are inedible until soaked for a long time in brine, several of us were compelled to try an olive fresh off the tree.  I now understand the brine idea completely!  That night we enjoyed a lecture on Greek history.

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Next day we journeyed to Mycenae where we climbed through the Lion’s Gate and up to the very defendable site of that early civilization.  No one was going to take them by surprise up there!  We then explored the beehive tomb of Agamemnon, which was structurally amazing.

From there, we traveled to Epidauros, site of the famous, well-preserved ancient theater where you can hear a coin drop on stage from the top row.  (Yes, of course we tried it!)  Several of our members gave us a rousing song from the center of this architectural marvel where entertainers have performed for centuries.

Our final excursion was to the town of Hydra; the most architecturally beautiful town of all, which is saying something!  (You may remember its fortress from the movie The Guns of Navarone.)   There are no cars allowed on this island, other than two maintenance vehicles owned by the government, so donkey and horse trains are everywhere.  It was incredibly picturesque, and a great place to explore.

A lecture on Greek art and a presentation on contemporary Greece, a free day to use as we wished, and a farewell dinner at which we were entertained by Vangelis and more Greek dancing, rounded out our stay on Poros.  It was hard to leave, but we were enticed away by the promise of more time in Athens and a delicious dinner in the Plaka.  It was altogether a perfect visit to this fascinating, beautiful and historical land.

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