My name is Helena and I am a Czech girl living in Athens, Greece. I come to Greece just for one summer and I had no intention to make this hot and crazy country my permanent home. But things didn’t go according to the plan, I fell in love and 10 years later I’m still here and rooted deeper than I could ever imagine.
I come to Greece with the classic knowledge of the totally misinformed tourist. My imagination was influenced by a few postcards, movies and primary school mythology lessons. Greece in my mind was just a cluster of islands with beautiful beaches, whitewashed houses and ancient temples devoted to the Olympian gods.
To get the true picture of my ignorance, check out this photo of me from our first holidays in the Greek mountains, braving the wilderness of Valia Kalda National Park in ballerina shoes and with plastic supermarket bag as a substitute for a backpack!
But soon enough I realized how diverse, rich and remarkable this tiny country really is! Being a passionate hobby photographer and nature lover I soon started spamming my Facebook friends with an avalanche of photographs of the stunning Greek countryside.
On top of the obligatory compliments from my mom and dad I received many questions about the lesser-known places I’ve visited over the years, be it ancient sites off the beaten track, hidden beaches or hardly known hill walks. Together with the very little information, I could find online while planning my own trips it led me to the idea of starting this website.
Now, I know this is the time to use one of those bombastic statements like “I’m a renown expert on all things Greek with 10 years of expat life in Athens backing up my claims”. But the truth is, that even after 10 years of living in Greece I still confuse the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations, Imam with Briam and Rebetiko with…you know, the other traditional Greek music.
Every peak I climb and every beautiful beach I stumble upon makes me realize that there still are hundreds of places to be discovered and that I will never have enough time to see it all. But I’m eager to try and want to help you to do the same!
So let’s get started! Below are a few of my most popular posts, so there is a big chance you’ll enjoy them, too! What’s not to like about picture-perfect whitewashed villages, centuries-old monasteries, and beautiful beaches right outside Greece’s capital, right.
And here are three of my personal favorites, you know, those epic hikes or holidays so utterly romantic that just thinking about them still gives me some serious goosebumps. You may not find these destinations on any of those bombastic “Places to see before you die” lists but they are equally charming as those big guns if not more!
OK, that’s about it. If you want to connect you can find me on Socia Media or simply drop me an email below. Otherwise, happy exploring!