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By Emily Clott, Class of 2012

Azure skies bluer than blue seas, historic remnants of foundational civilizations, meaningful tours led by excellent guides, delicious meals and unparalleled hospitality…all of these greeted us on the trip of a lifetime to Greece. When my husband Chris was asked to give a paper at the International Association of Maritime Economists (IAME) conference in Athens in June, 2019, the question of where we might travel next was instantly answered.

The journey began in Athens at the Royal Olympic Hotel that is within walking distance of the major sites of historic Athens. Emerging from the hotel elevator for breakfast our first morning, we were stunned by the breathtaking views of the nearby Temple of Zeus and the Acropolis! We explored the ancient agora and the environs of the Parthenon on foot. The guided tour for conference attendees of the Museum of the Acropolis was followed by cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on the Museum’s terrace as the sun set and the lights illuminating the Parthenon came up around us.

As we traveled by bus to the port at Piraeus, we passed through sections of the city that were clearly in recovery from Greece’s recent fiscal problems. It was clear that hosting the 2004 Olympic games gave the city a needed shot in the arm, spurring construction of a new public transportation system, highways, and venues that continue to support the city’s economy. At the conference’s gala dinner, we were entertained by Greek folk dancers who coaxed many of us out to the dance floor to do our Zorba impressions. IAME is a great conference, in part because it is not dominated by Americans, or by any single country, as Maritime trade is truly a global industry. At the gala, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a prominent Norwegian logistics expert by the name of Siri. Yes, as you might have guessed, she has experienced smart speakers coming to life when people say her name…yikes!

As the conference ended, we flew to Heraklion Airport on Crete. We rode along winding, mountainous, seaside roads lined with fragrant pink and white oleander bushes to the site of our next hotel in Rethymno, Crete’s third-largest city. Crete was the biggest surprise of all to me! While gorgeous, it is not so well known, thus not as over-touristed as Santorini, our next destination. Rethymno has a beautiful old town of winding, picturesque streets that curve their way to the sea, where dozens of restaurants offer freshly caught fish and innumerable local delicacies, such as Greek yogurt, olives, honey, feta, souvlaki, and moussaka. Drivers, hotel and restaurant workers, and people in the streets were warm and welcoming, speaking good English, and eager to share stories about their island, the largest and southernmost of the Greek isles.

About an hour from Rethymno, we enjoyed a fascinating tour with an excellent guide through the streets of Chania, a walled town that had been occupied by successive maritime powers: the Mycenaeans, Romans, Venetians, Ottomans, Nazis, etc. due to Crete’s important position on the sea lanes needed to control the region. We visited ancient ruins and passed still-active churches, mosques, and synagogues of the various people who once held sway on Crete. It was fascinating to see how the various powers adapted the existing architecture to their styles and needs. For example, there were many ancient stone buildings expanded with wooden bump-outs and facades typical of Venetian architecture of more recent times. Old churches were re-purposed as mosques, then as music venues or museums after the Turks were defeated.

On another day trip, our guide, Elias, led us through the Knossos Palace in Heraklion and introduced us to King Minos and the Minoans who inhabited the world’s oldest city that dates back to 1700 BC. When British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans began excavating the site, he surmised that it was the setting of the mythological tale of the half-man, half-bull, the minotaur, who the king banished to an impenetrable labyrinth.

Our guide explained the myth to us: Queen Pasiphae slept with a bull sent by Zeus, and gave birth to Minotaur, a creature half man – half bull. While King Minos was embarrassed, h did not want to kill the Minotaur. So he hid the monster in the Labyrinth constructed by Daedalus at the Minoan Palace of Knossos. These were some totally human-like gods: oversexed, vindictive, cunning, and petty!

The ruins indicated that the Minoans were quite sophisticated: the Knossos Palace featured hot and cold running water, as well as a sophisticated system of solar heating and cooling. There are theories that these bronze-age people traveled to North America to obtain the copper needed to make the bronze required for tools and weapons, some even claiming that artifacts show that they got as far as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to mine for copper. Many scientists dispute this claim, but clearly the Minoans were a highly advanced civilization. Their demise, it is thought, was brought about by the effects of a huge volcanic eruption on neighboring Santorini in the 14th century BC.

We bade farewell to beautiful Crete and ferried to the next island north, Santorini. The harbor there is a nightmare, emblematic of the struggles faced by an impossibly beautiful place at risk of being destroyed by its own allure. Three or four giant cruise ships disgorge their 6000 or so passengers every day at the port of Fira on an island with a population of only 15,000 people. According to the locals, these tourists do not dine on the island since they have all-inclusive cruise packages. They tromp around, leave their trash, then go back to the ship the same evening with lots of photos to prove they had been there. Tourists 1, Santorini 0, if you’re keeping score.

Santorini’s roads are narrow, winding around impossible hairpin turns as they climb to the rim of the volcanic caldera. This island is shaped like a crescent because the volcano at its center erupted around 1400 BC, leaving a deep lagoon, or caldera, where the island had been. Theories that it is the legendary lost city of Atlantis abound.

High above the caldera, a crescent of cliffs is hung with resorts, and little towns perch above the impossibly blue water. Buildings are painted stark white, with blue and yellow accents that create an achingly beautiful palette of color and light. I cannot pretend that we pursued educational enlightenment in Santorini. Here, we decided to just relax into the laid-back vibe of a paradise on earth. Our most ambitious day included a cruise of the caldera, where we cooled off in its waters and enjoyed a meal prepared by the crew of our catamaran in the company of a lovely group of 10 or so fellow travelers.

We came back to Sweet Home Chicago refreshed, relaxed, and invigorated by our big fat Greek vacation. Efkaristó, Hellas! Greece, we thank you!