We all respond to the most fundamental elements in Greece. Not only those

symbols of the glorious past the Acropolis in Athens, the ruins scattered on the

mountaintops in every village and town but the sun and sky, the deep blue of the

Aegean, and the blinding white of cube-shaped houses stir the imagination. To be in

Greece is to be revived by the spiritual and physical pleasure of just being there. Even

after researching and writing, traipsing up and down harborfronts, exhaustively

looking at hotel after hotel, images remain of our most basic experiences: sitting un-

der a tree in a mountain village on Crete, eating a plate of freshly made yogurt and

honey; standing on a hill on a North Aegean island, watching the silvery green leaves

of a million olive trees shimmering in the breeze; the shock of jumping into the cool,

clear water from a rocky ledge on Hydra s north coast.

Aside from the elemental urge that attracts people to Greece, visitors come with

many different ideas of what to see and do. Some come on cruise ships and enjoy the

luxury of sailing on a fully outfitted cruise vessel. For them, relaxing on deck with an

occasional stopover at one of Greece s more popular ports is heavenly. Others arrive

by train and ferry, armed with EurailPass, backpack, and a keen instinct for hunting

down the best beach and the wildest party. Most bring suitcases, cameras don t

forget the guidebook and a desire to touch a little bit of Greek magic wherever it is

found: archeological sites, bouzouki clubs, tavernas, open-air markets, museums,

and beaches. It s for these people that our guide has been written.

WHAT HAPPENED TO TURKEY?

This edition of our guide to Greece no longer includes Istanbul and the Turkish

Aegean coast, a region that has become a standard stop on the southern European

itinerary. Turkey has become such a popular country for tourists that it is better

served by having its own book, and seasoned Turkey expert Tom Brosnahan has

written Turkey on $30 a Day for the Frommer series.

Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Chios, and Lesbos all provide frequent (sometimes sever-

al sailings per day) service to their Turkish counterparts and at the end of each sec-

tion about these islands, we briefly describe the procedure for getting to Turkey. For

a complete picture on what to expect once you arrive, we suggest consulting Tom s

guide.