The Cat Dish
  • Musings
  • Food
  • #CatTravels
  • #BabyFox
  • #40trails
  • Videos
  • About Me
  • Contact

#CatTravels: My Top 10 Moments in Greece

By Catherine Toth Fox • May 19, 2014 • #CatTravels, Food

IMG_3651

My recent jaunt to Greece was easily one of the best trips I’ve ever taken.

Partly because it wasn’t, in any way, work-related. And mostly because I went with great girlfriends who really know how to relax and eat well.

There were so many great memories of Greece, from looking around the cute shops in Old Town to cramming all four of us on a queen-sized bed in our apartment in Athens. There were restaurants that served food I’ll always crave and beaches that rivaled any I’ve seen before.

Greece, you exceeded my expectations.

And it was just what I needed, too, a relaxing vacation halfway around the world with friends who loved to eat as much as I do.

It was hard to narrow down just 10 moments — and I was only there for a week! — but here goes:

1. The Acropolis

IMG_4353

You can’t visit Athens without making the trek to the Acropolis. This area holds a group of important — and Instagram-worthy — monuments situated on a 200-foot-high rock that overlooks all of Athens. There’s the famous Parthenon and Temple of Athena – and thousands of visitors who make the trek every month to see these historic sites. While these ruins are being restores — I find that to be a bit oxymoronic, but whatever — and there are usually throngs of people crowding the sites, cameras and iPhones in hand, it’s still a marvel to see. A must, for sure.

2. Old Town, Crete

IMG_4583

Old Town was, hands down, my favorite part of the trip. This charismatic and utterly charming village, complete with colorful Venetian-style buildings and cascading bougainvillea everywhere, was the perfect place for us to unwind. There are beaches within walking distance, the historic harbor to explore, and tons of shops and restaurants to frequent.

IMG_2257

Yeah, it’s a bit touristy — after all, this is one of the most beautiful urban districts in all of Crete, but it’s so picturesque and quaint, you almost forget you’re surrounded by visitors.

3. Balos Lagoon

IMG_3972

On our second day in Crete, we hopped on a bus, then a ferry, to check out this well-photographed lagoon in Cape Gramvousa. It’s spacious and gorgeous, with a shallow sandbar (with warmer water) for frolicking and a larger bay with turquoise water that’s impossible to describe. The pink sand, made from crushed seashells, was just the sweet topping on an already perfect beach.

4. The food

IMG_3798

Honestly, I could have devoted all 10 moments to the food in Greece. (And I seriously thought about it.) But I decided to cheat and say everything we ate in Greece made this list.

IMG_2362

IMG_3990

IMG_3681

We had spicy meatballs, savory spanakopita, cheap gyros filled with fries. We had freshly squeezed juices and Greek yogurt topped with fruits. We even had great sugar donuts from a street cart in Athens.

The food here is tasty, flavorful and unique to its location in the Mediterranean. We had fresh fish prepared simply with olive oil, garlic and butter. We had local cheeses made from goats and sheep. We had olives grown right in the area. If you love food, put Greece on your must-visit list.

5. The standout panna cotta

IMG_1896

I know, I know. I said food was its own category on this list. But I had to set aside the one dish that surpassed all others — and that was this panna cotta from Βυρίνης in Athens.

Yes, this is an Italian dish. Why not choose something Greek? Well, because this was easily the best panna cotta — and perhaps the best dish on the trip — I’ve ever eaten. That good.

Silky, smooth, light — it was the perfect dessert. We searched other places panna cotta and we never found one as good as this. (Maybe I’ll have to do more research — in Italy!)

6. Fish pedicure

IMG_2317

I had done this in Beppu City, Japan last year, but it was still a thrill to do it here in Crete. And it was even better doing it with my girlfriend, Grace, who had never experienced it before. (Her reaction to getting her food cleaned by fish was priceless. Video to come!) Not to mention, my feet never looked or felt better!

7. WiFi everywhere

IMG_2281

I didn’t know what to expect in terms of WiFi in Greece. I’ve had trouble finding free WiFi spots in Japan and other parts of Europe. Turns out, Greece is all about the free WiFi. We got access codes from every shop and restaurant we visited — and all of our hotel rooms came equipped with WiFi. Which was great for us. We were able to post our selfies in no time!

8. The hike up Gramvousa

IMG_2442

We didn’t expect to hike on our trip, but it happened. And though we were totally unprepared for a trek up this rocky mountain — we all were wearing some form of slippers — we all appreciated the bit of exercise and the views from the top.

IMG_2456

We landed at Gramvousa en route to Balos Lagoon, disembarked the ferry and climbed to the top of this hill, which had stunning views of the cape and the ocean. And it didn’t take long at all, about 10 or 15 minutes, to get to the top. Well worth the sweat.

9. Staka

IMG_2367

See that on the potatoes? That’s called staka (remember it), a type of roux used in Creta cuisine. It’s made from goat’s milk cream and, when it’s used as butter, tastes a lot like cheese. It is simply amazing. I will dream about this for the rest of my life.

10. Experiencing all this with my friends

IMG_3807

I didn’t know what to expect, not having traveled with this group before. But it was, by far, one of the best travel experiences I’ve have ever had. And it was because of this group.

They were easy to be around, game to do anything, and viewed eating as part of the tourist experience. (In fact, it was like it was our duty to eat as much as possible, like we were single-handedly trying to revive the country’s economy.) We all were on the same wavelength when it came to traveling: try everything but relax, too. Great philosophy — for travel and for life.

IMG_4093

Special thanks to Lan Chung, who planned the entire trip and even had handouts for us to read on the plane; Rona Bennett, for turning 40 and giving us a great excuse to travel all the way to Greece; and Grace Lo, who provided the right amount of support and enthusiasm that made every moment of this trip special. You guys rock!

AcropolisBalos LagoonCatTravelsCretefish pedicurefood in GreeceGrace LoGramvousaGreecegyrosHawaiiLan ChungOld Townpanna cottaRona Bennettstaketraveltraveling with girlfriendsΒυρίνης
Tweet
12
#CatTravels: Last day in Crete
#CatTravels: Helping out at Hakalau

About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

You Might Also Like

  • #CatBakes: Super Easy Coffee Cake

  • Go-at with the Flow

  • Why I Decided To Go Vegan — Sort Of

  • I Really Do Eat For a Living

12 Comments

  • Reply dbjack May 19, 2014 at 10:50 am

    Next time take me… think I could go for the fish pedicure.

    • Reply Catherine Toth May 20, 2014 at 12:53 am

      LOL, I didn’t see any guys in there…

      • Reply dbjack May 20, 2014 at 3:01 am

        BTW Cat, in the number two slot is hands down your favorite part of the trip 🙂 Got a good chuckle out of that one.

  • Reply Pinky May 19, 2014 at 11:12 am

    Oh so fun! Love it and the photos! Greece on my bucket list! 🙂

    • Reply Catherine Toth May 20, 2014 at 12:54 am

      Awesome! It wasn’t necessarily on mine at first, but now I want to go back. Gotta see the other islands!

  • Reply Dennis May 20, 2014 at 6:13 am

    Wonderful! What else can you say about this blog!!

    • Reply Catherine Toth May 20, 2014 at 1:26 pm

      Aw, thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hope I captured how much fun it was!

  • Reply M May 20, 2014 at 6:31 am

    Hello Cat!

    Thank you for sharing your trip with us! It’s on my bucket list.

  • Reply carolina May 20, 2014 at 9:40 am

    Yes, I love, Greece, too. Mykonos is a fun island, too. I also loved visiting for the food. Yummy fresh seafood. This post brought back many fond memories of my trip. *sigh* I need to go back.

    • Reply Catherine Toth May 20, 2014 at 1:26 pm

      I wish I got to see Mykonos. My girlfriends went on to Mykonos and Santorini — maybe next time!

  • Reply WildeOscar May 22, 2014 at 10:25 am

    You did go to Chania! I’ve been going there every few years since 1981, and it has changed so much. It’s funny what we remember and what we forget. The second time I went there, I was surprised to see all the mountains around the city and in that NW part of Crete. I’d completely forgotten from the first trip that there were mountains right there.

    Mykonos has excellent nightlife, but it is very crowded. In the Cyclades, I prefer Naxos and would recommend it over any of the other islands in that chain.

    Santorini is incredibly beautiful, but I didn’t like it. It had a programmed Disney-like feel to it, the available excursions and organized activities I mean. Most people who go there end up doing the exact same things, just in a different order. The buildings are also much newer than on the other islands, because of a devastating earthquake in the mid-1950s.

    If you get back to Crete, you could spend an entire vacation on the north coast of the island. Each town has its own unique character, feel, and very different food from one place to another.

  • Reply Lee August 21, 2014 at 10:36 am

    Hello Catherine, I came upon your blog during my Santorini/Greece online research. My husband and I were planning to do an impromptu belated honeymoon at the end of next month – last week of September to first week of October – and a Santorini, Athens, and Meteora (the area with the monastaries). The concerning thing which might prevent us from going is we’ve been reading so much about the mosquitoes in Greece during the warm months of June to October as being a huge problem – read stories about couples going to the doctor’s office because the bites got infected, impossible to sleep at night because of the pests, etc. etc. and also the increase in Malaria the last few years in Greece. Apparently the mosquitoes in Greece are unlike other places. And we don’t want to use toxic chemicals like DEET, so we’d be pretty limited in the prevention department. Did you encounter any issues with mosquitoes? Did you hear of any stories regarding this issue? Also, we heard the water is undrinkable and cleanliness of public restrooms is also an issue. Any comments or advice regarding these things. Thank you in advance!

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

Latest Posts

  • Anyone Else Feeling Like You’re Failing at This?

    March 8, 2022
  • It’s Hard To Say Goodbye—So I Won’t

    January 29, 2021
  • Was 2020 Really That Bad?

    December 31, 2020
  • Here’s What Happened To My Dog Indy

    December 10, 2020
  • I Did Noom For a Month and Here’s What Happened

    October 7, 2020
Follow me on Forbes Travel Guide

Visit Travel Blog Exchange

Made with in Seattle

© 2013 Solo Pine Designs, Inc. All rights reserved.