As these dishes were heavily Americanized, the food in Greek took these familiar flavors and dishes to a new level. With a focus on fresh, Greek cuisine is stereotypical Mediterranean in a lot of ways. There’s a lot of olive oil, eggplant, zucchini, bread, and fish to be found. Yogurt, honey, filo dough, and various meats are also essential to Greek food. Like in neighboring Turkey, mezze, groups of small dishes, is a popular Greek dining custom.

While the list below is in no way comprehensive, this Greek food guide is a good introduction to some of the most popular dishes (and some of my favorite) you’ll find in the country.

Moussaka

I like to think of moussaka as a Greek lasagna. There’s no pasta to be found, but there are layers of thinly sliced pieced eggplant, meat, and bechamel baked together in a similar fashion. There are a lot of variations of moussaka in modern Greek cuisine, my favorite being when thin slices of potatoes are added.

Gyros

Forget columns and philosophy, gyros are Greek’s greatest contribution to the world. A gyro is spit-roasted meat served in a pita with tomato, onion, and tzatziki. While this in and of itself would be delicious, most places also serve them with french fries inside. Yes, french fries. And it’s spectacular. Gyros shops are on a pretty much every street corner and a sandwich only costs a couple of euros making NOT becoming obsessed a pretty difficult challenge.

Saganaki

The word saganaki can actually refer to many dishes fried in the pan of the same name, but the most famous is fried cheese. Because fried cheese. While many types of cheese can be used to make saganaki, feta and halloumi seemed to be the most common.

Spanakopita

These spinach pies quickly became a favorite of mine. A combination of spinach, feta, scallions, and egg layered inside filo dough and baked, these were the perfect quick, tasty, and cheap lunch. Or mid-afternoon snack. Or dunk snack. They were pretty much just perfect.

Feta

If you think you like feta now, wait until your try it in Greece. Made from sheep’s milk and usually served in a block, this crumbly cheese is one of Greek’s most famous exports and is an ingredient in a lot of its cuisine. I’ve always been so-so with feta, it was something I liked but didn’t love. The feta in Greece, though, was so fresh and light that I found myself eating about half a block every night at dinner.

Horiatiki

Known outside of Greece as Greek salad, this was my favorite way to eat feta while keeping up the illusion of being healthy. Made with chopped tomatoes, sliced cucumber, red onion, and olives, it is then topped with salt, olive oil, oregano, and a lot of delicious feta. This was something I ate every single day while in Greece.

Fava

Not to be confused with fava beans, this is actually a dip made with yellow split peas that is ubiquitous on Santorini. After the split peas are cooked, olive oil, vinegar, and seasoning is added and blended to create a smooth puree that is perfect for dipping pita bread into.

Tzatziki

Made from strained yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, and a little lemon juice, mint, and parsley, tzatziki can be used as a sauce for grilled meat or as a dip. I’m not a fan of yogurt, but found myself slathering tzatziki on just about everything while in Santorini. Served cold, this was a perfect way to feel refreshed in summer.

Dolmadakia

I always associated grape leaves with the Middle East, but they are also very popular in Greece. In Greece dolma refers to the vine leaf stuffed with meat and spices and served with an egg and lemon sauce. Also in the same family of dishes are stuffed peppers, called gemista, which usually contain a meatless rice based filling.

Fresh seafood

With a large coastline and over 6,000 islands it should come as no surprise that seafood is extremely common in Greek cuisine. From whole grilled squid to tiny sardines eaten whole, Greece is a seafood lovers paradise. Not only is it fresh and plentiful, it’s also inexpensive.

What Greek dish sounds the best to you?

The Great Greek Food Guide is a post from: Farsickness

I was never completely sold, imagining towns full of cruising vacationers and the stereotypical ugly American middle aged traveler. While neither of these are entirely untrue, Santorini is much more than that.

Officially called Thira, Santorini is the largest island in a circular archipelago that is the remnants of an island that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption. With cliffside villages looking out over the sea-filled Caldera, Santorini is postcard pretty. I exclaimed numerous times in the almost week that I was there that it may just be the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.

There’s a lot you can do in Santorini, but there’s also a lot not to do. With beaches and pools and sunsets, Santorini is the perfect place to zone out for a week and forget the Master’s dissertation you should be writing.

Here’s a guide on what to do in Santorini for blissful, stress free actual vacation.

Hit the beach

Don’t expect soft white sand and turquoise waters in Santorini, this is a volcanic island after all. Instead you’ll find beaches of all colors (well, a few) with dramatics cliffs rising behind them and the deep blue waters of the Aegean Sea.

The aptly named Red Beach, located near Akrotiri, is famous because of its vivid red sand and boulders. There are also a few black sand beaches scattered around the island, with Perissa Beach being one of the most popular. This was where I spent most of my beach time, mostly due the proximity to the place I was staying. Deck chairs can be rented for a mere €4 and the beers are just as cheap. Just be careful you don’t burn your feet on the sand.

See the world famous sunsets

Santorini sunsets are famous for being some of the best in the world. As a perpetual sunset chaser, this was a huge selling point for me. The village of Oia, located on the northwest edge of the island, is the most famous place on Santorini to see the sun set. Here you can watch the sun dip down below the horizon as the sky turns all sorts of orange and yellow and pink behind the oh so Greek blue domed churches, whitewashed buildings, and infamous windmill. I got to Oia a few hours before sunset ready to get the infamous shot only to find that everyone else on Santorini had the same idea. I didn’t want to fight the crowd just to get a spot to stand and wait and ultimately decided it just wasn’t worth it.

Sunset not in Oia.

Don’t want to battle the crowds in Oia? Don’t worry there are plenty of other places to watch this beautiful nightly occurrence. The island’s capital, Fira, is another village perched high atop the caldera. While maybe not quite as picturesque as Oia, there are plenty of places to grab a drink while the sun goes down without having to elbow masses of camera wielding tourists out of the way.

My absolute favorite place to watch the sunset, though, was Santo Wines Winery. With a large terrace overlooking the caldera and bottles of wine for as cheap as €12, this was the perfect place to hunker down for a few hours as afternoon became evening and evening became night. Tara and I ordered a cheese platter, watched a wedding party down below, and marveled at our first Santorini sunset.

Watch a film outdoors

Open-air cinemas are a long standing Greek tradition. While the digital age and economic troubles have forced many cinemas to close, there’s still a place on Santorini where you can catch a a flick outside. Cine Kamari shows movies in English with Greek subtitles, with titles rotating every few days. Admission is €8 and there’s a variety of snacks and drinks (including alcoholic) for sale at reasonable prices. We saw what was quite possibly the worst movie made in the past decade, but still had a wonderful time kicking back and listening to sea breeze rustle through the trees during this unique experience.

Climb a volcanic crater

Situated in the middle of the caldera, Nea Kameni is a small, uninhabited island that is home to a 130 meter high volcanic crater. The volcano last erupted in 1950 and today it is possible to climb up to the top. The island is pretty much barren, with brown sand and rocks, but that makes it even more interesting.

The climb isn’t too hard, and the landscape makes you feel like you’re walking on the moon. Walking the moon while staring out at turquoise waters and Santoini, mind you.

Take a trip to Therasia

Every hotel, hostel, and travel agency on the island advertises some sort of trip to Therasia. This island is the second largest of the island group after Santorini and is home to nearly 300 people, making it a quiet alternative to the hustle and bustle of touristy Santorini. The main village, Manolas, is located up a steep cliff and instead of making the walk Tara and I decided to park it a taverna near the dock for some mezze and beers before a quick swim.

Village hop

This 35 square mile island is home to many villages, each with their own unique personality. While you might want to dedicate your days to more relaxing pursuits, hitting up a different village in the evening for dinner is a great way to bliss out AND get to know Santorini. There is a bus system on the island, and while rides are cheap it can often be slow, crowded, or confusing. Having your own transportation makes getting around easier, but definitely isn’t necessary.

The two main villages are Fira, the capital, and Oia, sunset heaven. Both are built into the side of the cliffs and are filled to the brim with tourists, though this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Oia is everything you imagine Santorini to be and you’ll find yourself stopping every few feet to snap another beautiful church or tiny alley.

Fira definitely feels the tourist hub of the island, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of charm. If you get off the main drag of tourist shops and ice cream stores, it still retains some of that classic Cycladic feel.

Perissa is the backpacker haven, with cheap fish barbecue restaurants and pizzerias lining a long, dry stretch of road. While you won’t find much to photograph here, it’s a good place to grab a cheap meal and some drinks.

If you want to visit a village that’s a little more low key, make a stop in Pyrgos. This little village has the beauty of Oia without the crowds. I forgot my camera the afternoon I was there, but Alex took some photos that will have you adding this to your Santorini itinerary stat. Santo Wines sits at the outskirts of Pyrgos, making it the perfect place for a wander before some sunset wine.

Relax

Sometimes you just need to do nothing at all. I spent two blissful days lounging around the pool at my guesthouse. I’d read until it got too hot, then take a dip in the pool. Then repeat. When I got hungry I walked to the nearest bakery for a €1.50 spinach pie and then returned poolside until it was time to get ready for dinner. It felt nice not to worry about taking photos, or catching the right bus, or dutifully write notes for a later blog post and completely unwind.

How would you like to spend your time on Santorini?

How To Bliss Out On Santorini is a post from: Farsickness

Because I feel in love with Athens sometime during the 30 minute taxi ride from the airport to my hotel in the center.

My visit to Greece’s capital city was brief and, to be honest, kind of an after thought, an after thought on a hastily planned trip.

Sometime in about mid-May I realized that British summer was probably never going to include high temps, endless sunny skies, or beach weather. While that was perfectly fine with me, I did want to come away from summer with a little bit of a tan and some time spent in a bikini. I was looking into booking a flight to southern Italy when Tara (the one from Korea and Southeast Asia) messaged me saying she had a week off at the end of July and wanted to take a little break from Asia. She suggested Greece, flights to Athens were relatively cheap from London, and a week later we had everything booked.

Because we both wanted more of a vacation where we could feel relaxed and she had limited time off from her hagwon job, we decided to spend most our time in one place. After reading about the sunsets on Santorini, I was sold. We booked ferry tickets to the island with a night in Athens on either end.

Turns out this was a massive mistake.

I could’ve spent the entire week in Athens alone.

My flight landed in Athens on a late July afternoon. After a long morning of delayed Tubes, missed busses, and flight delays I decided to forego public transportation and instead decided to take a taxi to my hotel. As soon as I stepped through the doors outside of the arrivals hall I knew I was no longer in England. The air was warm and smelled like combination of sea and big city, everyone was speaking a language that sounded to me like a strange mixture of Russian and Arabic, and there was that feeling of slightly disorganized confusion that is prevalent in southern European countries.

My taxi driver was friendly but quiet, and seemed intent on getting me to my destination as quickly as possible. The buildings we quickly passed were mostly white or tan in color, probably built in the 60s or 70s, and most had balconies decorated with drying laundry or flags proudly displaying the resident’s preferred soccer team.

It reminded me of Rome. I felt my hear flutter a little. The first signs of love.

After passing a car that was passing someone else, another reminder of my favorite country, the space between the buildings grew smaller and the amount of street art increased. Soon I was being dropped off at my hotel in Athen’s Exarcheia neighborhood. This area of Athens is known for being home to not only intellectuals and artists, but also to socialists, anarchist, and antifascist groups.  In 2008, after the murder of a 15 year old student by police, Exarcheia erupted into civil unrest. People took the streets protesting Greek corruption, economic decline, and a rising unemployment rate. Today it is a safe area to visit, with much of the political frustration now being expressed through street art. Another heart flutter.

I excitedly said hi to Tara, dropped my bag, and insisted we check out the left-leaning neighborhood immediately. We walked toward Exarcheia Square in search of street art and food, and happily found an abundance of both. After admiring some awesome pieces and snapping a few pictures we settled down outside a tavern for a few beers and a sampling of different Greek dishes.

By the time we’d finished dinner and catching up the sun had set and young Athenians had come out in droves, sitting around drinking beer and smoking on a Saturday night. With an early ferry to catch I begrudgingly decided to call it a night and say goodbye to city I could feel myself falling for.

A week later I arrived back in Athens, more tanned and relaxed than before. Although I would have been perfectly content with another night in Exarcheia, we decided to venture over to Mount Lycabettus, the highest point in the city, for a view and a sunset.

With the sun quickly approaching the horizon, we took the funicular up to the top, making it just in time to watch the entire city become blanketed in orange and red.

As the sun set on Athens and my time there, I was completely sure of one thing.

I was in love with Athens.

And it was a love affair that had to end much too soon.

With an exciting history, both ancient and modern, along with killer street art, proximity to the sea, a relaxed vibe, friendly people, and delicious food, Athens is a city that deserves to be a destination rather then just a stop to or from the Greek islands.

I know that next time I’m in Europe I will give Athens the time it deserves.

And if anyone asks, “Is Athens worth seeing?” I know my answer will be a firm hell yes.

Have you ever fallen in love with a place almost instantly? 

Falling in Love at First Sight with Athens is a post from: Farsickness