Thinking about keeping you informed for the Greece Tour in May 2011, I got to wondering, “Who is your favorite Greek god, or goddess? ”

I have a dear friend who has dubbed me Daria, the feminine form of Darius, translated as “possessing good.”  She had found some reference – somewhere – to the fact that Daria was deemed to be “The Wealthy One.” My research, however, finds that she was but a young Greek woman who was forced into marriage to an Egyptian Christian called Chrysanthus – both of whom were martyred under the emperor Numerian.

As the story goes… St. Daria, was a young Greek priestess of Athena, who was arranged to marry St. Chrysanthus in order to make him abandon Christianity. When Chrysanthus told her they would live in chastity as brother and sister, she agreed… pleased to retain her virginal status. Converting to Christianity, Daria eventually developed a large following of female monastics.  Unfortunately, the Roman emperor, Numerian felt her gathering a threat and sent her to a brothel in order to pollute her chastity.   Much to his surprise, she was defended by a valiant lion any time a man approached her. Not to be challenged, in the year AD 283, Numerian had the young bride tortured by stoning – only to find Pagans, seeing her endurance under torture, shouting, “Daria is a goddess! Daria is a goddess!” In spite of her endurance and being adored by her followers, both Daria and her chaste spouse were thrown into a large earthen pit, and covered with stones which slowly pressed them to death. Oddly enough, Daria is commemorated on my friend’s birthday – March 19^th!

Not to be stifled here with understanding this nickname given me, I rendered forth more research and finally found that the Russian form of Roman Latin Daria, means “possesses a lot; wealthy.”  I guess I can content myself then to understand that my wealth must be the possession of much good! 

Wanting to plant a few seeds of thoughts in your mind, I found that although the Greeks did not have a – what we would call “Top Ten” list – of deities, there was a list of twelve who were honored as living atop Mount Olympus.  So, of those twelve, which would YOU be – and why?

1. Aphrodite – Goddess of love, romance, and beauty. 
2. Apollo – Beautiful god of the sun, light, medicine, and music.
3. Ares – Dark god of war.
4. Artemis – Independent goddess of the hunt, the forest, wildlife, childbirth, and the moon.
5. Athena – Daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts.
6. Demeter – Goddess of agriculture
7. Hephaestus – Lame god of fire and the forge. 
8. Hera – Wife of Zeus, protector of marriage, familiar with magic.
9. Hermes – The speedy messenger of the gods, god of business.
10. Hestia – Calm goddess of home and home life, symbolized by the hearth which holds the continually-burning flame.
11. Poseidon – God of the sea, horses, and of earthquakes.
12. Zeus – Supreme lord of gods, god of the sky, symbolized by the thunderbolt.

Now that my mind is sated with these tidbits of knowledge… I will certainly look for signs of these most honored while on our Greek Tour and Cruise, and I am sure you will do the same.

Jan Vitale, making travel interesting at many levels!

Vital Enterprises, LLC

When cruising or touring another country, it would be expected that we would experience a significant number of vast cultural differences.  In my continuing study of Greece, I wonder if that will be the case, or if while there we should feel compelled to pay homage for the culture we currently embrace!

Instead of going through a long historical diatribe, let it suffice to say that I will be acutely aware of my surroundings while on my Greece Tour, seeking evidence of the ancients there establishing the foundation for literature, art, theater, and architecture – not to mention science, math and engineering.  Our textbooks, and those of the rest of the world, are replete with formulas and theorems given us by the Greeks, found in their written records that are foundational to all that followed in virtually every field of study.

It shouldn’t take returning to our social studies classes to be reminded that is it a misconception that the founding fathers of American first created democracy.  It is an easy task to agree that key democratic ideas may have been dormant until the 18^th Century, but we must acknowledge that the contributions of ancient Greece were carried forward in the formation of our own country.

One of the things I have always cherished about the United States is that “melting pot” mentality that encourages people of many cultures to live harmoniously together and to respect cultural and religious diversity.  Greece offers the same experience of having people from many different lands inhabiting the country – all sharing a common language, but holding allowance for being separate entities with individual beliefs and values relative to gods and goddesses, and even money and military matters.

These are just a few thoughts that evidence ancient Greece had a profound influence on the world in which I have lived and grown; while I travel, I will seek not the differences, but the similarities, and be appreciative of the ancient beginnings that influenced our founding father’s intentions regarding cultural diversity, and the foundational knowledge that ensured the great strides we as a nation have made in science, art, engineering, warfare and literature.

Will you be there with me, as I share a Greece Tour and Cruise in May, 2011?   Will your heart be opened to the richness our lives hold… in appreciation to the ancients of Greece?

Jan Vitale, making a difference… in understanding cultures through travel.

Vital Enterprises, LLC

I am in a rather playful mood today and wanted to toss out something that might engage you… a little “trivia” if you may, about Greece. And – to the person who first supplies all the correct answers, a complimentary download of all my current eBooks:

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1.   Disaster preparedness
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Now, for that Trivia!
1.   What is the official name of Greece?
2.   Was Greece considered to be the first “democracy” of the world?
3.   What are the three “eras” of Greece before the modern Greek state was established?
4.   What is the total area of Greece?
5.   Is Greece considered a Capitalist Economy?
6.   What is the name of the highest mountain in Greece?
7.   Approximately how many vessels are in the Greece maritime fleet?
8.   What countries border Greece?
9.   Does Greece have the tenth largest coastline in the world?
10. Greece lies at the juncture of what three countries?

May you have an absolutely great weekend… I am busying myself with tasks for the Greece Tour, May 2011!

Jan Vitale
Vital Enterprises, LLC

With all the places in the world to go on a cruise or tour, the question probably comes to mind, “Why Greece?”  When planning this custom designed cruise and tour, my prevailing thought was to define the primary purpose(s) for going there and then going through that laborious process of thinning out the options.   The following were a few of my considerations – see how they resonate with why YOU would want to visit this amazing place!

Greece has…

•         World famous archaeological sites
•         Plenty of opportunities to have fun in the sun
•         Expanding your understanding of Greek history and culture
•         Embrace the “foundation” of many aspects of music, dance and theater
•         Grasp the legacy of a Greek family history
•         Experience the most fabulous destination wedding and/or honeymoon
•         Enjoy sports or hobbies in a unique part of the world
•         Have your breath taken away seeing the seascapes and landscapes
•         Visit the locations of a number of famous movies shot in Greece
•         Include religious or spiritual pilgrimages
•         Mark off one more of the entries on your “bucket list” of destinations to visit

 At the end of my thinking process, I felt it important to include or combine at least three:  It is virtually impossible to visit Greece without engaging in massive site-seeing, frolicking in the sun, and embracing the amazing Greek culture of art, music, dance, theater… and food!

Weddings, honeymoons and family events would have to involve more specialized activities and in-depth planning and coordinating.   The same thinking and planning would apply to major theater and sports events, and I am somewhat afraid that too much history would be akin to extending one’s school curricula.

So, this trip for me is… engaging your senses about a magical country that will more than fulfill your expectations, especially since it has been custom designed to bring you the best of the best!

I am pleased to announce that the itinerary for the cruise is up on the site, and I am offering great discounts for early bird booking.   Check back in tomorrow as this travelogue of Greece continues….

Jan Vitale… making a difference in how travelers experience Greece.

Vital Enterprises, LLC.

Today I hope to enlighten you with responses to the two questions – in preparation for our Greece Tour, which I noted yesterday.  I LOVE the things I am finding in response to my queries… some of it is important to know and some of it downright entertaining!   

What do we have to be aware of relative to health issues with local restrooms, recreational drugs of which we might not be aware, and what vaccinations might be required, or at least prudent to have before departure?

About those local restrooms!

Information has it that you can expect much smaller bathroom facilities throughout the small villages, restaurants and hotels while on your Greece Tour.  You will also find frequent admonishments to use the covered waste bins to discard ALL paper products.  The tongue in cheek comment I found here noted something to the effect that the plumbing may be a problem if you put anything in the toilets unless you have first eaten it!  Made me giggle!  I also found some reference to the fact that it is not uncommon to find curtainless showers and a lack of electrical outlets in the bathrooms.  Hmmm… wondering how long an extension cord one should plan to bring along?

Recreational Drug Problems

I guess I claim this as a problem because it is not a part of my life, but you might find it more the “norm” than not while on your Greece Tour!  Apparently Greece only fines people found with small amounts of hashish and cannabis, but… the law does allow them to incarcerate those found with either.  Consider the potential trouble – and the amount of money which might be perceived available to a wealthy traveler!

Other “hard” drugs appear to be somewhat prevalent in Greece, as well, and heroine addiction is considered relatively unmanageable because of the numbers of those addicted.  Too many stories to recount showed up relative to the drug use in Greece – from kids high on drugs going on shooting sprees to drug dealers being charged with serious cocaine trafficking.  Frightening, to say the least, because this is not my world… but, I seem to read the same kind of headlines here in the U.S. so I think the topic becomes one more of awareness than fear-based.

Tied somewhat to the drug scene is the legalized prostitution in Greece, and it is not uncommon to see openly advertised “services” in local newspapers.   What was somewhat intriguing to me was that male prostitution IS illegal!  Also on red alert is the strip bars, where you can almost be guaranteed to be ripped off not only through drink prices, but the potential loss of any credit card you might think to use while there.   Maybe that’s why I am so inclined to customize tours with plenty of safe, healthy activities!  There were so many news stories about the sex trafficking in Greece my eyes popped!  I did see, however, that the current governing bodies are seeking to put an end to what their statistics revealed were over 50,000 visits daily – creating a shakeup in re-thinking what a culture has over time become immune to.

Vaccinations

Well, my tour-mates – this was a big plus!  No vaccinations are required prior to traveling in Greece.  If you consider yourself a high-risk for rabies infection, however, you are advised to consider at least this vaccination.

On to the next question – or as I am inclined to do – series of related questions:  Would it be good to know whether tap or bottled water is a better choice; what food and alcohol choices might be not so good?   What restaurant or tourist traps would it be good to know about?

When in Rome… appears to be the best travel advice on this topic.  The water is apparently safe to drink in most areas – especially the larger cities, but can be problematic in some of the outlying towns and smaller islands.  Although bottled water is very common – it does happen to be unregulated.  Nowhere did I find any evidence of problems having surfaced.  On the mountainous mainland travelers will find plenty of spring water and you will do best not to order bottled.  If you want to know… a little Greek language lesson here:  “is the water potable?” To Nero Peen-Eteh?

Imported or local seems to be the key to the safety of meat products, but just as here in our own country – there is only a minimal level of security in the validity of domestic versus imported meats.  Since the Greeks seem to have a long life-span, maybe the best idea is to eat where they eat!  I ran across several “suggestions” to be cautious about a locally distributed “moonshine” called Bomba, leaving me to put out a travel advisory to refuse any offer of it as a local drink!

And what about the food?

From everything I was able to read, unless you have an extremely reputable, expensive and competent restaurant guide, the best choice is to stay with the small local “tavernas.”  Not only do you get the opportunity to eat something you probably cannot easily find in your home town – you get to experience the cuisine and ambiance about which the Greeks are so passionate!  In many of my travel experiences, I have found much of the enhancement of my trip was the dining experience(s) and that resulted in eating the local food choices.

Of note… tipping is always included in the pricing in Greece, but it is customary for travelers to tip an additional 10-15% anyway.  And, many cautions were found indicating that fancy cloth tablecloths and fluted wine glasses were an indicator – not of better quality or service – just higher prices!

Oh, you might also want to head over to my website and sign up for the travel news… and receive your complimentary copy of Traveling Lite 101.