TRAVEL THE WORLD - SIMI, GREECE

The houses in Simi's lower town share a distinctive Neo-Classical style and are all painted in pastel colours. After Greece joined the EU, most of Simi's dilapidated houses were renovated under the municipality's strict guidelines. We were told by a resident of Simi Town that much of this activity has been made possible by foreign investment. The result is lovely, making Simi one of the Greek islands we love most.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - LINDOS, RHODOS, GREECE

In 2006, when we looked up at the Lindos fortress from below, it was intimidating to think about the time and effort we would need for the climb. Taking it gradually, we frequently stopped on the way up to admire the views of the sea which were spectacular.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - SANTORINI, GREECE

Each day in 1998 when we visited Santorini, we would go for a swim at the end of the day. Karmari beach is a pebble beach, but nonetheless the swimming was wonderful. As well, restaurants along the beach sold wonderful Greek village salads.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - MYKONOS, GREECE

Mykonos, which we visited in 1998, was much nicer than we expected it to be. The white washed buildings, brilliant light, sparkling blue sea, and deep rose bougainvillea made it very attractive and picturesque.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - PHAESTOS, CRETE, GREECE

These three 2004 photos were taken at Phaestos, an ancient Minoan site on Crete. Not only were the excavations very interesting and very old, but the site itself was very beautiful with views of mountains and valleys from all sides.

TRAVEL THE WORLD, AKROTIRI, SANTORINI, GREECE

Akrotiri is what remains of a Bronze Age city which was at its prime from 3000 to 2000 BC. As you can see in this 1998 photo, two-storey houses have been excavated. We love to visit ancient ruins, and this was one of the oldest, most interesting we have seen.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - NEAR KATO ZAKROS, CRETE

This beach near Kato Zakros on the east coast of Crete, was photographed in 2004. It shows the barren but beautiful landscapes quite typical of the Aegean and Mediterranean. Kato Zakros is a small village that has a lovely taverna with tables under a trellis of vines.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - NAXOS, GREECE

These 1998 photos were taken on the Greek island of Naxos. The first photo features the Portera, the most noteworthy landmark of the island. The second photo, taken from the Portera, shows the island and the causeway.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - CHANIA, CRETE, GREECE

In 2004, we spent two weeks on Crete and loved it. These are photos of the harbour at Chania which is quite typical of the sea fronts in old Mediterranean towns and cities. You can see why walking beside the sea is so picturesque and interesting. And always there is the brilliant blue of the water and the intense blue of the sky! This can especially be seen if you right click on the image and open it in a new window so you can see the enlargement.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - OIA, SANTORINI, GREECE

One day, on our Greek vacation in 1998, we visited Oia, a town on the island of Santorini. The photo is not exaggerated. The sea really is a deep intense blue and the buildings a brilliant sun-drenched white. In the photo you can see how Oia is perched above the Caldera.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - SITIA, CRETE, GREECE

Crete, Thera (or Santorini) and Symi are our favourite Greek islands, and Sitia is one of the nicest things about Crete. We spent four days here, most of it on the beach, which was very good. It is easy to get around the island by bus, though we rented a car and drove to Kato Zakros in the east of the island. In 2004, when we were there, Crete had very good hotels and beaches, and to get away from hordes of tourists it was only necessary to leave the main cities. Sitia was the best place we found to do this, particularly if swimming is what you want to do. Everywhere on Crete, the people were great - very helpful and friendly.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - PHAESTOS, CRETE

We thoroughly enjoyed Phaestos, an ancient site on Crete, which we visited in 2004. Because there has been no reconstruction here as there has, for example, at Knossos, there were only the ruins themselves and the beauty of the site to work unimpeded upon the imagination. Phaestos sits on a hill with views overlooking the valley below. Another attraction is that these Minoan ruins are much older than the Greek and Roman sites we have visited, and yet they are relatively unknown, at least compared with Knossos.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - CHANIA, CRETE

We ate at this restaurant in Chania, Crete in 2004. The room was open to the sky and the tables were surrounded by old stones. There was also a band and singer of Greek songs - altogether a memorable experience.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - RHODOS TOWN, GREECE

Here we are in 2006 having a coke in Rhodostown on the island of Rhodos (or, in English, more commonly called Rhodes). Have you ever seen two people who looked happier or more relaxed?

TRAVEL THE WORLD - NAXOS, GREECE

In 1998 we stopped at this taverna while on a bus trip around the island of Naxos. In a small village perched on the side of a mountain, it is an example of how very charming a Greek taverna can be. The photo also shows the sparkling quality of the light common to all of the Greek islands.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - ATHENS

The Erechtheion is almost as beautiful as the Parthenon, especially its lovely caryatids. Somehow seeing the wonders of the Akropolis on a cloudy and stormy day like this one in 1998 made their beauty stand out even more than it does in the sun.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - KNOSSOS, CRETE

This fresco, photographed in 2004, is so lovely! When you think about how old it is, it seems unbelievable that it has survived for such a long time or that people so long ago could have made something so beautiful. Minoan civilization was at its height from approximately 2700 BC to 1450 BC when it is thought to have been severely damaged by a volcanic eruption on the island of Thera.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - PAROS, GREECE

The sea was wild this day in 1998 at Naoussa on Paros. We had looked forward to swimming so were disappointed in the weather on this trip. Still, it was fun to walk by the sea and hear the crashing waves. We had a day on the island of Antiparos. The sea was relatively calm in the morning, but on the return trip late in the afternoon, there was a very strong wind. We were frightened for our lives, certain that the small ferry would capsize as we entered the harbour at Paros Town. The danger was brought home to us later when we heard about the accident that occurred at the same location in 2000 when 82 people were drowned when the ferry ran onto the rocks.

TRAVEL THE WORLD, MYKONOS, GREECE

In 1998 we expected Mykonos, a popular tourist hot spot, to be lacking in charm or beauty, but we were wrong. Mykonos Town was clean and sparkling. The brilliant sun, intense blue sea, and white-washed buildings with their trellises of beautiful rose-coloured bougainvillea made it a pleasure for us to simply walk around and absorb the atmosphere, barely aware that we were sharing the experience with a large number of fellow tourists.

TRAVEL THE WORLD - NAXOS

We had a lovely time on the Greek island of Naxos in 1998. The lady from our hotel met our boat and led us through narrow streets and white-washed houses. At dinner that evening, we met interesting fellow guests: one was a reporter for a Toronto newspaper, and the others were a young man and woman who worked as freelance film-makers in Los Angeles. This made for fascinating dinner conversation.

The island of Naxos itself is beautiful and quite large. We had a harrowing time on a bus trip around the island. Although the views were spectacular, every time the bus sped around a sharp corner, we were afraid we would be hurled over the edge into the valley far below.