Greece

My travel notes and stories

Greece was discovered for me by my friend Kostas, who, unfortunately, has past away. Kostas not only loved his country himself very much, but also loved when Russians come to Greece and enjoy its nature.

Greece is a very special country. When you first visit Greece, you think that this is just a place with wonderful nature and fragments of ancient culture for historical immersion. Nature in Greece is amazing indeed, and exploring the remains of ancient cities perfectly complements the facts that we know well from history lessons in our childhood. The vast majority of visitors to Greece think exactly this way, especially if they come here 2-3 times, but no more. In addition some of them fairly come to the conclusion that people in Greece are quite cheerful and open, and you should definitely try Greek cuisine.

This opinion is true enough, but if you stay in Greece longer and visit places away from popular tourist routes, you will find that this is a rather special world that does not like to mix with anything outside. In Greece, you are able to stay alone with your thoughts for an unlimited amount of time and become able to believe in the existence of many things which existence you would never admit outside. Try reading the novel The Magus by John Fowles, which is set for some reason in Greece.

The final conclusion that you will eventually do in Greece is the understanding how important is simplicity of all things surrounding you and all things you do. In this sense, the Greeks are very similar to the Russians. Russian people also dislike complexity neither in the world around them, nor in their affairs, nor in their way of thinking. We also can call Italy or Switzerland special countries, they are truly beautiful as well, but these are countries where everything is constantly complicated. Greece, on the other hand, will require you to keep your thoughts strictly simple.

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