Our first trip joining a tour, "Journeys with Jeff" is not just some impersonal tour group. Jeff and his wife Ann joined us on our adventure. Jeff, a retired German teacher, for years organized trips to Germany to allow his students the opportunity to actually visit the countries whose language they were trying to master. Developing the skills necessary to organize overseas trips, jeff has since developed quite a following of participants who join him frequently on adventures to various countries.

This Journey began with a flight from our first part of this trip, Turkey, to Athens Greece. Upon arrival we drove to the city center to meet our guide who lead our group through Greece’s capital, including such sights as the 1896 Olympic Stadium (the first of the modern Olympic era), the Acropolis area with the Pathenon and other archeological sites, Syntagma Square (Constitution square, the heart of modern Athens), University Street, Hadrian’s Arch, and more.

The following morning we boarded an excursion boat that had us visiting three of the famous Greek Islands. We first visited the island of Hydra. It consists of a crescent-shaped harbor, around which is centered a strand of restaurants, shops, markets, and galleries that cater to tourists and locals alike. Steep stone streets lead up and outwards from the harbor area. The other two islands visited were Aegina and Poros. A full day trip ended in the late afternoon, so late that we got to our planned restaurant for our evening meal far after our reserved appointment. The staff seemed to struggle trying to accommodate our large group. Tired and exhausted from the long days adventure, we slept well that night.

Another day began with a nice drive north from Athens to the city of Delphi, considered in ancient Greece as the “navel of the earth” and known for its “all-knowing Oracle”. En route we stopped to explore Arachova, Greece’s trendy winter resort, also known for its local cheese (formaela), sold only in this village. We had lunch in Arachova and then continued our drive to Delphi. Here we visited the archeological site with the Temple of Apollo, the Treasury of the Athenians and more. After raoming around the area for a while longer, we returned to Athens to have our evening meal.

On our final day of sightseeing we headed westward for a half day excursion to Corinth. Corinth was a major city in ancient Greece (from which the term Corinthian columns derives). Here too we saw the Temple of Apollo, Acrocorinth, the Ancient Theater, and the Roman Odeum. On the way back to Athens we stopped for lunch at Perama. Back in Anthen, we found a little time for more exploration before dinner in the “Plakka” (or main square), a fitting end to our adventure in Turkay and then Greece.

Back home after a lengthy flight, Ramona and I found touring with others was a surprisingly fabulous experience. Good food, great accommodations, interesting sights and a wealth of new friends. What more could you ask for?