The scent of newly-gathered herbs, fresh fish on ice, and the steady buzz of neighbors greeting each other over crates of tomatoes, artichokes, lemons… visiting a market gives you a true glimpse into life in the Peloponnese. Twice a week, the Kalamata Open Market (Λαϊκή Αγορά Καλαμάτας) spills into the back lot around the permanent…
The seaside town of Kalamata is the central port of the region of Messinia in the Peloponnese, and one of my favorite stops in Greece. Despite being from Hawaii, I’m not much into beaches (I know!) but I do LOVE being near the water. Towns with mountains that slope down to the water, as the…
My first visit to Athens was in 2008 on our way to a cruise of the Greek islands – which also included my first ever stop in Turkey. That trip, we visited the Acropolis ruins in the middle of a sweltering summer day and I was too hot and weary of the crowds to truly…
When it comes to trying wines in another country, it can be intimidating to know where to start. Although I love wine and have gotten into native grapes in Turkey, I had very limited experience with Greek wines. The grape names are long and unfamiliar – I didn’t even know which were white grapes and…
