The cultural and historical background of Greece has sprinkled the landscapes with ruins that span six thousand years. The alternating invaders, the peacefull settlers, and the country's position at the crossroads between east and west, have all left their mark on the Greek cultural landscape.

Archaeological sites abound in the country side, and museums in cities protect priceless artifacts from antiquity. It would be an omission to visit Greece and leave without experiencing the ancient Greek culture; the culture that is credited with the birth of western civilization.

Many visitors have made it a point to return to Greece year after year to enjoy the sun, the culture, and to study the ancient monuments. For those, Greece has unlimited resources to offer. Thousands of ancient sites, large and small, await to be seen, and unknown numbers await for the archaeologists' brush to uncover them.

Acropolis of Athens - More than any other monument, the Acropolis of Athens represents Classical Greek culture at its zenith. While modern Athens is not on my top list of places to visit in Greece, a stay of a few days is imperative to experience its ancient monuments and rich museums

Delphi - As a place of influence in ancient east Mediterranean affairs Delphi has no rivals. The Delphic oracles were received by Persian kings and Athenian leaders and they indirectly helped shape history as we know it. The landscape is fantastic, the ruins well preserved, and the site's museum houses some of the most important art works from ancient Greece.

Olympia - The Olympic games have evolved over the years to become the most spectacular show business in the world, and they travel every four years from one host country to another, but in Ancient Greece, all "civilized" cities gathered in ancient Olympia to participate in athletic competitions and cultural festivals.

Crete - While most travel guides would pick another Minoan palace (Knossos) as the best destination in Crete, my personal visits to both places have placed Phaistos in a special place in my heart. Phaistos felt much more genuine of a place, while Knossos --spectacular as it is-- seemed a bit more contrived. If you do visit Crete, it is possible to visit both Knossos and Phaistos during one visit to Heraklion.

Akrotiri (in Santorini) - The "Pompeii" of Greece. Akrotiri is the tiny prehistoric cycladic settlement that was buried under ashes when the volcano of Thera erupted. The inhabitants seem to have had ample time to evacuate the island since no bodies were found during excavations.

Mycenae - While the ruins themselves at Mycenae require much imagination to appreciate and understand, a visit to the citadel that dominated Mycenaean Greece is a imperative for those who have read the Iliad and want to see the place from where Agamemnon ruled bronze age Greece.

Contemporary Greek cookery is typical of Mediterranean cuisine, making wide use of olive oil, grains and bread, wine, fish, and various meats, including poultry and rabbit. Typical ingredients in the Greek cuisine are the meat of the lamb or pork, kalamata olives, feta cheese, grape leaves, zucchini and yogurt. The desserts are dominated by nuts and honey. Some dishes use phyllo pastry.

The most characteristic and ancient element of Greek cuisine is olive oil, which is frequently used in the dishes of the Greek cuisine. It is produced from the olive trees prominent throughout the region, and adds to the distinctive taste of Greek food. The basic grain in Greece is wheat, though barley is also grown. Important vegetables include tomato, aubergine (eggplant), potato, green beans, okra, green peppers, and onions. Honey in Greece is mainly honey from the nectar of fruit trees and citrus trees: lemon, orange, bigarade (bitter orange) trees, thyme honey, and pine honey from conifer trees. Mastic (aromatic, ivory coloured resin) is grown on the Aegean island of Chios.

Greek cuisine uses some spices more often than other Mediterranean cuisines do: oregano, mint, garlic, onion, dill and bay laurel leaves. Other common herbs and spices include basil, thyme and fennel seed. Many Greek recipes, especially in the northern parts of the country, use "sweet" spices in combination with meat, for example cinnamon and cloves in stews. Greek flavouring is often characterised by the use of mint and nutmeg.

The terrain has tended to favour the breeding of goats and sheep over cattle, and thus beef dishes are more rare. Fish dishes are also common, especially in coastal regions and on the islands. A great variety of cheese types are used in Greek cuisine, including Feta, Kasseri, Kefalotyri, Graviera, Anthotyros, Manouri, Metsovone and Mizithra.

Too much refinement is generally considered to be against the hearty spirit of the Greek cuisine, though recent trends among Greek culinary circles tend to favour a somewhat more refined approach.

The average temperatures in Greece ranges between 14° and 20° C, and the country can be divided into three separate zones according to their climate.

The islands of the Aegean, Attica, and Crete experience extensive sunshine, very little rain, and strong "meltemia" winds during the summer. In the winter however rainstorms and low temperatures are common, with snow accumulating briefly in the mountains.

In the Greek mainland, (Peloponnese, Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia, and Thrace) the summers are just as hot, but the chance of the occasional rainstorm is greater. The winters are very cold with frequent thunder and snow storms, while fall and spring bring plenty of rain and occasional frosty conditions. In the tall mountain ranges of Pindos and Rhodope the sight of snow covered mountain tops is common for the duration of the season.