What does Greece look and feel like to you?
Every tourist has an idea about Greece and what it looks like. A piercing blue sky with classic pure white buildings, clean streets and respectful local people who are generous with their time. Am I right? Well I wouldn’t think you a bad person if you said yes as this is what most people think of when they think of Greece and its islands.
If you love picture perfect holidays and beautiful icons then I suggest not straying far from Santourini and Mykonos as these places are tourist heaven. Fun filled days and nights, where the streets are a buzz and the restaurants are always full, and the food is beautiful and the service is world class. So what’s what not to like, you may ask? These places are perfect if you want to be lifted up away from the everyday hustle and bustle of life. However there are a few of us that unfortunately (I can hear my kids groaning now) may want a little bit of authenticity in out travels. Let me be quick here to define what authenticity means. I am not talking about grit, but truth.
I feel that traveling to places that are swamped by day tourists can kill the feeling I am searching for. So sometimes its heartwarming to discover places and people who are just going about their lives in ways that aren’t always tied to chasing the tourist dollar that takes over their lives.
Around the world and back again.
I was quite surprised to find that many Greeks, who live in Greece are not shy about travelling the world. Many I found have traveled to the far ends of the world and chose to return to their villages and small towns. I found that many don’t loose their wonder lust but choose not to travel. These people seem to be able to tap into the soul of the place they live in, in ways that a tourist simple don’t feel or understand. These people are the people I search out when I am traveling. They seem to be tied to their world in a way that I think goes beyond explanation or reason. These are the people that make up the soul and character of a country. These people you will never see appear in a magazine or on any tv travel show. They are just getting on with their lives. This is why I think if you are looking to be a ‘tourist’ experience its ok to go to the Greek islands with all the hot spot resorts, trending bars and night clubs where the music and conversation will wash over you and bring you back to life.
However if you want to be a traveler, and not just a tourist, the Greek islands can also offer another world which you can discover too. You can discover the soul of Greece in its pure form. Simple in almost a monastic way. Clear in an unfashioned way. This to me is the Ancient soul of the country that you can still find if you go and look for it on the smaller islands.
