Greece is typically a destination you dream about as soon as you exit the womb. Those pastel blue houses dotting the shoreline, donkeys as a mode of transport and the iconic crystal clear waters have all ensured that Greece remains a worldwide hotspot for Island lovers.
My experience was slightly different. To be honest, I didn’t experience any of those typically Greek attractions. Instead, my experience involved sailing, traditional dancing, tzatziki and small towns with a very slow-paced life.
You see, I didn’t get the overly tourist experience. I got the traditional experience. During my first visit we went sailing around a couple of Greek Islands around Corfu. It was a very traditional part of Greece where things weren’t as glamorous as you’d imagine. Don’t get me wrong – it was absolutely insane. However, it was more rustic and traditionally Greek.
During the day we would spend a couple of hours out on the open waters sailing to our destination for the evening. Our journey involved good tunes blaring from speakers, tanning out on the deck, potently strong drinks for breakfast and multiple pit stops for swimming and galavanting around on our lilos. It felt like we had stopped time for a while and transported ourselves to paradise.
Once we arrived at our destination, we would dock our boats and get the party started. Evenings were spent swimming, dancing, eating and simply enjoying each other’s company on a Greek Island. Our group of 44+ got split into groups of 5/6 people and each group was allocated a sailing boat for the week. We would cook, clean, sleep and live on our boats and of course, we would sail it as a team (pretending we had a clue what we were doing) whilst praying we don’t capsize.
During the evenings we had the opportunity to feast on fresh seafood, mountains of tzatziki (my one true love), and got to know more of the culture by means of traditional dancing and music presented by the locals themselves. It was quite a special experience, to say the least. It is really important to me that one makes an effort to learn more about the cultures of a place. Admiring the beauty of the landscapes is wonderful, but it should go a little bit deeper than that too.
My second visit to Greece was entirely different. This was after my tour and so I went with a couple of gaps that I’ve met throughout the year. We found ourselves staying in the Pink Palace Party Hostel on the island of Corfu. Anyone who has ever found themselves at the Pink Palace knows that it is slightly insane. You eat, sleep and breathe party. For sanity it is wise to retreat to the ocean during the day.
Pink Palace offers a whole range of activities. During the day you can see a bit more of the island by going on the Booze cruise. It makes pit stops for some swimming and allows you to get to know other travelers also staying at the hostel. You can do a very similar trip, however this time it is by means of canoeing. Now for the more adventurous, there are 4×4 trips that take you to the highest peak of the island. They offer themed parties every night either hosted at the Beach Bar or at the hostel’s ‘club’. Themes include the very infamous Pink Toga party, Cross dress party, Traffic light party and more along those lines. It is a whole lot of fun and you’re constantly meeting new people.
One thing about Pink Palace that I really enjoyed was their family suppers. You have the option of having a three-course meal at the hostel every night (for a whopping deal of 6 euros!). You’re seated at tables of 8 that allow for fellow travelers to meet new people over a meal. It was a truly amazing way of meeting and getting to know new people.
Greece is a slow-paced country that puts a lot of emphasis on community and tradition. The landscapes are bare and unlike any other, the water is absolutely crystal clear and irresistible and their food is fresher than anything! There is something raw about Greece. Something traditionally rural, unpretentious. I absolutely loved traveling around Greece and I definitely want to head to Santorini, Ios, Mykanos in the future in order to experience the other, more extravagant, side of Greece.
Zahn Does Film 