We first arrived in Greece in July, 2005, our final year of traveling in Europe. Verna had briefly visited Greece in 1980 and has always wanted to return. For Jim, this was a new adventure altogether. Of course, we had hoped to visit earlier in the year rather than during the height of the tourist season (and heat!), but somehow the schedule didn’t work out that way.

The northern section of Greece is firmly attached to the European continent as the southern-most part of the Balkan Peninsula, while the large Peloponnese peninsula hangs on the southern edge. Around all this are numerous islands making up 2 major groups, the Ionian to the west and the Aegean to the east and south. Many of these islands were added in the early 1900’s from the disintegrating Ottoman Empire.

About 75% of the country is mountainous and Mount Olympus at 9,570 ft [2,917 m] is its highest point. Of the total land mass, only about 25% is arable. The major agricultural products are corn, wheat, barley, citrus fruits, olives and olive oil, tomatoes, sugar beets, grapes, currants, cotton, tobacco, and potatoes. Large numbers of sheep and goats are raised as well. Tourism plays a vital role in the economy and Greece is well known as a place to enjoy the sun and sea. In fact, Greece has more than 14,880 kilometres of coastline!

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