📝 Stories from GREECE: Athens and Crete 📖 🎥 📎

My first impression of Athens was quite "particular". As soon as I arrived at the accomodation I had booked, I sensed that something was off.

Climbing the stairs, I came across some rather peculiar people, and when I finally reached my room, after walking through a long, dimly lit corridor, I found only a bed and a sink... but no bathroom. The only restroom was outside, shared by everyone.

After chatting with other guests and the receptionist, I discovered that the building had, until not long before,been a real brothel, later converted into a hotel. Obvious traces of its past were still visible everywhere, as if the place hadn't yet forgotten its double life. Somehow, I always manage to find the most unusual places to sleep!

Greece, with its countless facets and contrasts, has given me some of the most curious and unexpected experiences of all my travels. I was lucky enough to visit two very different places: the timeless, fascinating Athens and the vast, wild Crete, both of which I've described in my dedicated articles. But here, I want to focus on the strangest, and most unusual moments that happened along the way.

In fact, in Athens brothels are perfectly legal and well integrated into local society. One evening, while  walking down a street not far from the main roads, I accidentally found myself in the red light district: the "special" houses are easy to recognize, open doors, bright lights and a constant coming and going of people.

When we asked a passerby if we were really where we thought we were, he not only confirmed it, but even gave us advice on where to go and how much it would cost! (For the record, we didn't take his advice)

Another thing that struck me deeply about Athens was the atmosphere in some "alternative" neighborhoods, especially Exarchia, the city's famous anarchist district. Here, the bars are decorated with all kinds of recycled objects, from rusty bicycles to poor art installations that make you feel like in a "museum" more than in a club.

Moving to Crete, I found myself immersed in an island where the boundary between humans and nature seems to blur.

One evening, while eating in a traditional village tavern, I noticed that I wasn't alone, not only were there people around me, but also a cat and a goat who, calmly decided to watch me eat from start to finish.  For the locals, this is completely normal: between a chat and a glass of raki, they happily share their space with free roaming animals wandering around the square, curious but never intrusive.

Here, it is these little oddities, these unusual details that make a trip to Greece truly unforgettable: stories that I will hardly forget and that I hope you can one day live too.

Crete is above all nature, beautiful beaches and unforgettable landscapes. Explorers from all over the world come here in search of isolated and unusual places to spend the night, take a walk, or swim.

It's not unusual to stumble upon naturist beaches, improvised works of art and taverns in the middle of nowhere. If you love nature and adventure Crete is definitely your place.

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