Greece

Greece has a nostalgic appeal for Lisa and me since we went there on our honeymoon a lifetime ago. We had no reservations and took ferries from island to island, quickly learning that there were many gems in the Mediterranean that no one except wise Scandinavians knew about. We purchased a book called “Undiscovered Islands of the Mediterranean” and off we went. Our first stop, Folegandros, was arguably our favorite island on the entire trip. With a handful of travelers, we scrambled into a mini-bus and were dropped off at an incredibly authentic main square, where people dined on wooden tables under a string of electric light bulbs. Men with mustaches out of an 1880s barbershop photo grilled souvlaki on an open grill. Olden men drank coffee at a small café. All was framed by whitewashed buildings and churches. You knew instantly that this was no Disneyesque version of a Greek Isle overrun with drunken American and European backpackers, but the real thing. We would take long walks on paths through olive groves and hire fishermen to drop us off and pick us up at deserted beaches. Tilos is another island where the locals, still unaccustomed to tourists, greet you as if you lived there your whole life. A place where one picks fresh figs off the tree and finds deserted medieval castles that request no admission fee. If you want to find an authentic Greek isle away from the masses, ActiveTravels will point you in the right direction!