Greece Vacation Review: Naxos, Crete, Parthenon

Since this was our first trip to Greece, we felt that some things were mandatory, like visiting the Parthenon. But even this experience was made more enjoyable because we went early in the day to avoid the crowds and heat and we were furnished with interactive tablets that provided an excellent augmented reality, supplementing our guide's spoken words. Little things like that can make a big difference. Later, in Crete, we had a guide who walked us through her small hometown. We stopped at the grocery store where her sister was the proprietor and bought picnic supplies to take to the beach. As we walked the town's back streets, people would greet her and banter a bit. This helped us absorb meaningful impressions about the culture we were dropping in on. On Naxos, our trip advisor had encouraged us to rent a car and explore on our own, dispensing with guides and drivers. This turned out to be a wonderful part of the trip as we set our own pace and were able to simply enjoy the natural beauty of the island. A short swim off an incredibly beautiful beach in the clear blue-green Aegean waters, followed by a tasty lunch in the beach's single taverna has printed itself indelibly on my memory.