Go to Greece and fall in love

Features

Related Photos

Submitted Photo

October 24, 2009

By Joy Crutchfield The McAlester News-Capital Sat Oct 24, 2009, 01:23 PM CDT

I just returned from an incredible 12 day tour of Greece, accompanied by 24 people who began the trip as my clients and ended as my dear friends.

Our departure from Tulsa International Airport was without incident and unhurried. Several of us met for breakfast before arriving at the airport. We arrived in Atlanta for our connecting flight. After an overnight flight (the Alps were beautiful) we arrived in historic Athens. Both flights were completely full and pulled away from the gate on schedule.

Erik, our tour company representative, was waiting for us at the baggage claim area holding a sign with my company name on it. He assisted us with our luggage and joined us onboard our air conditioned motorcoach. During the 40 minute drive to our Athens hotel he gave us lots of do’s and a few don’t about Athens and Greece in general. We arrived at our hotel on time and amazingly our rooms were ready. (It was noon).

The Kaningos 21 Hotel is a solid property with extremely comfortable beds, all new surfaces including new white duvets. The BBC was the only English speaking channel on the TV. There’s a free safe in each closet, an ATM machine and a bank across the street, and a variety of delicious restaurants are a mere two blocks away. I couldn’t have asked for a better location.

We walked to the National Museum and were amazed at the priceless artifacts inside. While photographs are allowed, I found out the hard way there is no posing. That night we ate authentic Greek food (gyros and Greek salads) just blocks from our rooms, and slept soundly on very soft beds.

The next morning I was delighted to discover that our complimentary breakfast at the hotel was excellent. Fresh fruit, dried fruit, cold cuts, cereal, hot eggs and bacon, rolls and bread, and most delicious yogurt I have ever eaten. It’s the consistency of rich sour cream, drizzled with honey-it is amazing.

After our satisfying breakfast we climbed aboard our motorcoach for a tour of Ancient Athens. I promptly nicknamed our tour guide “Olga the Lion Tamer”. We took a quick tour around town then drove to the Acropolis.

We exited the bus and started to climb, stopping for great pictures of the Ancient Agora. We rested at the ticket booth where the guide purchased our entrance tickets. Note: our tickets were also good valid for the Ancient Agora, the Theater of Dionysios, and the Temple of Olympian Zeus, which saved us money on our free day. There is also a restroom, money exchange/post office and gift shop at the ticket booth area.

From this point we continued our climb. Once on top, the plateau is level and you can visit multiple buildings. There is a water fountain here. The Acropolis is magnificent and worth every step of the climb! Olga made sure we could hear every word she uttered, and there thousands. Olga knew the answer to any questions, and other visitors to the Acropolis tried in vain to horn in on our group.

After our amazing tour of the Acropolis we stopped at the Olympic Stadium from the 1920’s, made a stop to see the changing of the guard, and then got off at the Plaka where we enjoyed the remainder of the afternoon bargaining and eating.

We walked back to our hotel from the Plaka, a nice stretch of the legs, freshened up, and then walked about three blocks from the hotel and ate at an outdoor café, where I enjoyed yet another awesome Greek salad, and chicken on a stick. Of course we found a delicious ice cream/pastry shop for dessert after our meal.

That evening many of us ended our day on the rooftop of our hotel, enjoying a fine glass of wine and the view of the dramatically lit Acropolis. St. George’s church is also clearly visible from here, adding to the already wonderful atmosphere.

The journey continues next week with our free day in Athens.

Contact Joy Crutchfield, owner of The Joy of Travel www.thejoyoftravel.us or 918-339-4805.

Text Only

Features

Alexix Futisha is named Little Miss Choctaw
McAlester’s Alexis Futisha has been named Little Miss Choctaw for District 11.

May 28, 2012 1 Photo
10 Things to Know for Wednesday
2. FINANCIAL REGULATORS PROBING FACEBOOK IPO
They want to find out whether the bank that handled the sale, Morgan Stanley, selectively informed clients of an analyst’s negative report on the company before the stock started trading. Facebook stock has since dropped 18 percent.

May 23, 2012 4 Stories
10 Things to Know for Tuesday
3. JOPLIN, MO., MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF TORNADO THAT KILLED 161
Obama’s speech praising residents for their “bigness of spirit” precedes events today that include a community walk through the path of the twister and a moment of silence at 6:41 p.m., the precise time it hit.

May 22, 2012 3 Stories
What the dog said
May 19, 2012
10 Things to Know for Wednesday
1. NATION’S NUCLEAR REGULATORS SCALE BACK EMERGENCY READINESS
An overhaul of emergency planning near U.S. reactors requires fewer exercises for accidents and recommends fewer people be evacuated right away.

May 16, 2012 3 Stories
Poll: Half of Americans call Facebook a fad
Half of Americans think Facebook is a passing fad, according to the results of a new Associated Press-CNBC poll. And, in the run-up to the social network’s initial public offering of stock, half of Americans also say the social network’s expected asking price is too high.

May 15, 2012 2 Photos
Study: Phone co customer satisfaction evens out
Improvements in customer satisfaction at Sprint Nextel Corp. and AT&T Inc. have narrowed differences among the Big 4 wireless carriers to the point that they’re basically even in terms of pleasing their subscribers, according to a study released Tuesday.

May 15, 2012
10 Things to Know for Tuesday
1. U.S. ADOPTS STRATEGY FOR FIGHTING ALZHEIMER’S
The Obama administration today sets a 2025 deadline to find effective treatments and perhaps even a way to prevent the mind-destroying disease that afflicts 5.4 million Americans.

May 15, 2012
At the movies
Showing at McAlester's Cinema 69 Movie Theatre, according to www.mcalestercinema.readyhosting.com: "The Avengers," "The Pirates: Band of Misfits," "The Raven" and more.

May 9, 2012 3 Photos 1 Story
10 Things to Know for Wednesday
4. North Carolina voters approve amendment that slams door shut on gay marriage
More than 60 percent of voters approve the measure defining marriage solely as a union between a man and a woman.

May 9, 2012 4 Stories
More Features Headlines

A recent study of southern tornadoes has found that storm shelters did not protect them. Where do you take shelter when tornadoes threaten?

Features

Search Results

Related Photos

Go to Greece and fall in love

A recent study of southern tornadoes has found that storm shelters did not protect them. Where do you take shelter when tornadoes threaten?

Site Map

Contact Us