By: Luis M. Herrera, Certified Senior Travel Consultant
I recently returned from the Best of Greece with Trafalgar tour and can honestly admit that it provided more than I had expected and was the trip, tour, experience of a lifetime.
The accommodations on tour were perfect, especially the Nafsika Palace in Itea. Most of us had rooms with balconies overlooking the Corinthian Gulf which offered beautiful views. The Hotel Divani Palace Acropolis was located in a great part of the city within walking distance to the Acropolis, Temple of Zeus and the Plaka. It couldn’t have been any better.
I have fond memories of just about everything, from racing a fellow guest in the Stadium at Olympia, to having long conversations with shop owners and taxi drivers and of course… the Be My Guest dinner on an authentic olive farm in Olympia. We had a great dinner that evening but then the family (and their children) started dancing and we all joined in.
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The Greeks have got to be, in my opinion, one of the nicest, accepting groups of people (besides Cubans) that I’ve ever met in my life. The stories they share from Greek gods to the ancient times of Homer, Socrates and Plato up to now is well worth the trip itself. I can’t wait to go back and visit the islands.
Our Tour Director, Anne Spirakis, was an incredible leader and more of a friend guiding our little family of approximately 22 guests throughout the country. Her expertise of the region, the way she handled the daily activities and her interactions with our group made us all feel as if we had hit the jackpot. In regards to the experience on tour and we all had nothing but high praise for Anne.
Our Driver, Christos Bitmas, was a godsend. You know people are special when they can’t speak your language and it doesn’t even matter because you can still communicate with them in other ways. He would greet us all every day with a smile on his face. I remember there was one day in Patras where he had to assist another coach driver get through a tight spot because a car was blocking the road. He was extremely considerate and generous and I feel as if this team was just sent to us from the Greek gods. Honestly they were both that good.
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I am very grateful for having the opportunity to take this once in a lifetime Best Of Greece With Trafalgar trip and will never forget the new friends I’ve made along the way. This was also the very first trip in my life where I came to Europe with one luggage and one carry-on bag only to return home with 3 suitcases and a carry-on bag stuffed to the point where it looked as if it was getting ready to explode.
In closing, I have to say that as I was flying home, I heard on my IPod that one song from the movie Dirty Dancing, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life”. If possible, I feel that Trafalgar should try to obtain the rights to that song or title as it fits perfectly with what Trafalgar does. I did have the Time of My Life on this tour (as well as my travels in Spain and Ireland with Trafalgar) and the song captures exactly what Trafalgar sets out to do.
I can’t wait to see that beautiful country again sometime soon!
Luis M. Herrera
Certified Senior Travel Consultant
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