Greece is THE Place to Visit, Great Food and Wonderful People

Having traveled around the world for the last 30 years, I'm often asked where my favorite place is. Of course, it's HOME. However, next to that I'd have to say, "Greece" and the many islands and inlets. The people welcome you and the food is diverse and very well presented.

The article below has been selected from this weekend's new approved articles at LPR.

I've also included some information from AskVicki the top travel information web site

Travel to Thassos, Greece and Escape the Stress of Everyday Life

Thassos lies around 12 kilometres from the northern mainland of Greece and is a popular vacation destination for the residents from mainland Greece. It is however, not so popular that it becomes overrun during the high season like some of the more famous Greek Islands like Corfu and Crete.

The feeling of serenity and solitude is never far away and it is definitely a place for those who want to relax and get away from the stress of everyday life.

The scenery of the Island may not be dramatic but it is a very beautiful island, though the old nickname of the "Emerald isle" is sadly now not exactly true as common forest fires have taken away a lot of the greenery. But dont let this put you off this wonderful destination, as it has more than enough to keep visitors coming back with gorgeous sandy beaches and fascinating Hellenistic ruins.

The capital of the Island is Thassos Town which is on the northeast coast and is the main port for the Island. It was built on top of the ruins of the ancient City of Thassos, which at the height of its glory commanded lucrative trade links with as far away empires as that of Egypt and Persia. The ruins of this ancient City is scattered around the modern settlement and it is easy to spend a few hours strolling around gazing at these glimpses into a glorious past. If you would like to see more into the islands past history the Archaeological Museum has many exhibits and is well worth a few hours even if it is just to get away from the sun!

Most visitors to the Island leave Thassos Town fairly quickly to make their way to the coast and the transport network links the Town with pretty much every Village on the Island. The East coast of the Island has some lovely beaches and some attractive and traditional Aegean villages. Panagia and Potamia are favourites of visitors to Thassos and their hillside setting offer wonderful views over the Island and the coast.

The not so originally named Golden Beach is a long and sandy stretch and is easily the best on the Island. The road down from the two hillside Villages is pleasant and not too much of a strain, although there is a regular bus that does the route.

Paradise Beach is further south and while it is not as picturesque as Golden Beach it is a lot quieter and is a great place to relax and get away from the limited bustle of Thassos Town. The views from this little Islet and across from the easily accessible cliffs are magnificent and there is also a small archaeological site nearby too.

The Western coast of Thassos is probably busier than the Eastern coast with more package tours discovering the area every year. The Beaches along this coast are more exposed and consist mostly of pebbles rather than sandy as on the opposite side of the Island. There are a few splendid Villages along the coastline and all of them have wonderful stepped cobblestone streets and stone houses. A couple of these such as Skala Rahoniou and Skala

Marion have little beaches and are starting to attract the development of bigger resorts. Limenaria on the South coast is the second largest Town on the Island and is a popular resort with a narrow sandy beach which can get quite crowded in the summer. Around 15 kilometres from the town is the Village of Theologos which was the capital of the Island under the Turkish occupation and quite effortlessly the most beautiful on Thassos. Its whitewashed houses and narrow streets are still undiscovered by mass tourism and when you walk along the lanes you cannot help but feel you have found your own little piece of traditional Greek Island life!

There are a few hotels in each of the Beach settlements, but the more heavily developed area is on the Western coastline and it is here that most package deal holidaymakers will find themselves. More and more people are hiring holiday villas for their visit and with a hired car it is easy to explore the Island.

Ferries to the Island are regular from Kavala on the mainland. Kavala lies 100 kilometres East of Thessaloniki, where there is an International Airport. Buses to Kavala from Thessaloniki are fairly regular and this is the only way to reach the Island as there is no airport on Thassos itself.

The currency of Greece is the Euro which is divided up into 100 Cents.

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More Greek Stuff

With well over a hundred inhabited islands and a territory that stretches from the south Aegean to the Balkan countries, Greece offers enough to fill months of travel. The historic sites span four millennia, encompassing both the legendary and the obscure, where a visit can still seem like a personal discovery. Beaches are parcelled out along a convoluted coastline equal to France's in length, and islands range from backwaters where the boat calls twice a week to resorts as cosmopolitan as any in the Mediterranean.

Modern Greece is the result of extraordinarily diverse influences . Romans, Arabs, Latin Crusaders, Venetians, Slavs, Albanians, Turks, Italians, not to mention the Byzantine Empire, have been and gone since the time of Alexander the Great. All have left their mark: the Byzantines in countless churches and monasteries; the Venetians in impregnable fortifications in the Peloponnese; and other Latin powers, such as the Knights of Saint John and the Genoese, in imposing castles across the northeastern Aegean.

Most obvious is the heritage of four centuries of Ottoman Turkish rule which, while universally derided, contributed substantially to Greek music, cuisine, language and way of life. Significant, and still-existing, minorities - Vlachs, Muslims, Catholics, Jews, Gypsies - have also helped to forge the hard-to-define but resilient Hellenic identity , which has kept alive the people's sense of themselves throughout their turbulent history. With no local ruling class or formal Renaissance period to impose superior models of taste or patronize the arts, medieval Greek peasants, fishermen and shepherds created a vigorous and truly popular culture, which found expression in the songs and dances, costumes, embroidery, carved furniture and the white Cubist houses of popular imagination.

During the last few decades much of this has disappeared under the impact of Western consumer values, relegated to museums at best, but recently the country's architectural and musical heritage in particular have undergone a renaissance, with buildings rescued from dereliction and performers reviving, to varying degrees, half-forgotten musical traditions.
Of course there are formal cultural activities as well: museums that shouldn't be missed, magnificent medieval mansions and castles , as well as the great ancient sites dating from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, Minoan, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine eras. Greece hosts some excellent summer festivals too, bringing international theatre, dance and musical groups to perform in ancient theatres, as well as castle courtyards and more contemporary venues in coastal and island resorts.

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