Bill_Young-Greece

These images were taken on a 3-week tour organized by Ottawa-based stock photographer Garry Black. Garry had run this trip to Mykonos and Santorini twice previously, but added Delphi and Meteora to the itinerary this time. Late May/early June is a great time to visit; the weather is warming up though not yet hot, the hotels are getting prepared, but the main rush of tourists is yet to arrive. The group managed to sacrifice a few lambs, stuff ourselves with stuffed squid, tomatoes and peppers, drank a reasonable quantity of Mythos beer, and go healthy with regular doses of Greek salad. This type of trip is a 'must do' sometime in your life, whether for the photography, or just to relax and enjoy. Museums abound if you're not into photography, but our days were literally consumed with making images. After 3 weeks, we were ready to come home for a rest.

Athens	Athens was much as I expected, large and sprawling suburbs surrounding the old core with the Acropolis. We stayed only a few blocks from the Acropolis entrance, and were in Athens only a couple of days. This was enough to get comfortable with the routes around the Acropolis to the restaurants in the Plaka but not enough to fully explore the area photographically. If you go to the Acropolis, go early in the day, as the crowds build up quickly and by noon the area is awash in tourists.
Delphi	Delphi was a real treat, as I had no idea what to expect. The ruins are situated on the slopes of Mount Parnassos about a 1 km walk from the town. The site has a spectacular view up a valley and then down to the coast. Take the walk up to the stadium and imagine a crowd of people in the seats watching a sprint race 2500 years ago. In addition to Delphi, there was much to photograph along the way.
Meteora	The hilltop monasteries of Meteora are a unique gem. We only had time for an evening and morning shoot, but certainly worth more time. The effort that must have gone into building these monasteries in the spectacular geography is indeed impressive. Pack a lunch and hike up the trails from the village. Take the tour of Grand Meteora to catch just a glimpse of the life of the monks.
Mykonos & Delos	Mykonos was our first island stop, and we had our most luxurious accommodation of the trip at Hotel Kouros. We were an enjoyable walk outside the centre of the town of Hora, as there was much to photograph along the way, in addition to around the hotel and in the town itself. The town requires all residents to apply a coat of whitewash to their property every year, so it was bright and fresh for our arrival. The nearby island of Delos was once a thriving community and site of the treasury for many city-states, but now a parched, uninhabited archaeological site.
Santorini - Firostefani	The island of Santorini (or Thira) is the remnant of an ancient volcano. We arrived by high speed catamaran, cruising through a gap in the old caldera walls, into the central bay. Our jaws collectively dropped as we saw the villas built down the caldera walls. Firostefani was chosen as one of our locations since it allowed us to walk to Fira on one side or Imerovigli on the other. We took a tour to Ancient Akrotiri, the huge archaeological dig of the Minoan culture, and also visited another, regular town not on the caldera rim to enjoy a less tourist-ridden setting.
Santorini - Oia	Garry had promised to save the best for last, and he did. The town of Oia is at the end of the caldera arc, and is photogenic beyond belief. The location of the town allows a view back along to caldera to the other towns like Firostefani, as well as westward to the setting sun. A group of dogs befriend the early risers, looking for company. Our particular accommodation was over 100 steps below the main street, so we had plenty of exercise, and significant justification for yet another Mythos at lunch.