Greek Travel Where The Journey Begins

It is day one of my Greek travel adventure.  Flying from Los Angeles via Munich with my wine writer friend Barbara Jean Barrielle, we arrived in Athens for our wine tour of Naoussa and Porto Carras. We decided to spend a couple of days in Athens to get over jet lag and see some of the sights before taking off for Thessaloniki and the wine regions beyond.

Flying to Greece

Although the flight was uneventful except for Lufthansa leaving Barbara’s checked bag in Los Angeles, I highly recommend flying in Premium Economy Class.  It is more spacious and roomy.  You arrive at your destination, feeling a bit more relaxed.   I do recommend you ticket yourself online prior to leaving for the airport.  Lufthansa often bumps seats from those who do not check-in the day before online. No one wants to arrive at the airport to find themselves moved to the back of the economy class.

Greek Travel Getting Euros

When planning a trip to Greece this summer, I highly recommended bringing Euros from the United States.  With the current state of affairs in Greece, the lines at ATM’s are long. Most importantly, you want to avoid problems exchanging money.

Greek Travel Accommodations

Our hotel, the Athens Ledra Hotel, is a pleasant European styled hotel.  Being exhausted, we decided to eat at the hotel our first night, and well worth it because of the magnificent views of the city of Athens and the Acropolis.

There is something magical about seeing the Acropolis lit up at night.  Perhaps it signifies the ancient history and mysteries of a bygone era.  Whatever it was, being able to view this majestic structure with its golden hues glowing in the night sky becomes a welcoming sight on one’s first day.

Greek Wine

Being a wine-themed adventure; in Greece, there exist 330 varietals of which only seventy-eight are imported. Many of these varietals are native to Greece, and many are ancient varietals that go back to very olden times. Most Greek wine is produced in the northern portion of the country, which is where I will be touring.

Finally, this article will be one of a series about my journeys in Greece. Follow along with fellow wine writers as we discover the wines and the ancient Greek varietals.  I welcome you to follow my excursion over the next several weeks.