From Kinetta Beach to Athens, I just gave two weeks of my life to Greece.

In return, I have received a lifetime of wonderful holiday memories. This story could end here, but I do want to share our experiences for the benefit of other travellers. My review is long, but there's a lot to tell you about vacationing at Kinetta Beach Resort along with trips to nearby Athens.

Our adventure started when my wife Nancy and I booked an Air Transat, all-inclusive package through Travelworld Collingwood. That left us looking forward to a mid-May departure that would land us at Kinetta Beach Resort, west of Athens, after a 9 1/2-hour flight and a bus ride.

Reflecting now on what was an interesting two weeks, we can say that that the majority of this holiday was wonderful. There were some things that were excellent and there were some things that could use a tweak; or, an imaginative approach to add enjoyment to the tourism experience.

Then, there were some things that fall into the realm of excellent-bonus!

Let's start with those excellent-bonus things first. I applaud prompt, professional and excellent service anywhere we go.

It's important to note that our hearts go out to people in Greece. The country is in economic turmoil and unemployment is rampant at 25 per cent, or more. Life can be difficult when jobs are difficult to find and life, monetarily, is not as good as it once was. Such circumstances make tourism, as an industry and employment engine, more important to Greece. This industry can grow, especially when visitors are made welcome, get excellent service and enjoy memorable holidays.

It's often said that excellent employees are the backbone to make a business a success. We were so impressed by the staff at Kinetta Beach Resort that I shall start by writing about them.

At Kinetta Beach Resort, there are many employees who make a visitor feel extra-welcome. I say extra-welcome, because most of the employees do a fine job and that in itself is to be expected; after all, they get paid to do an excellent job.

But some do an extra-welcome job. By that I mean they truly make a visitor feel like family with their more-than-they-get-paid-for efforts, no matter who you are and no matter whether you speak Greek, or French, or not. I put those excellent employees into the excellent-bonus class!

At the top of my excellent-bonus list would be Air Transat representative, Yiannis Panou, without a doubt the best Air Transat rep that we have encountered in travels ranging from Mexico to Cuba and now to Greece. Yiannis Panou is a credit to the company and by virtue of his presence at a desk in the Kinetta Beach Resort he is an asset to that business too.

Upon landing in Athens, at their bright and modern airport, we easily cleared customs and were greeted in a hallway by Elina, an Air Transat representative. She turned us and others heading for Kinetta Beach Resort over to Yiannis Panou and we boarded a bus for the one-hour drive along the coastline to the resort.

Yiannis showed his caring and respect for his Air Transat charges as we rode the bus, making us welcome, but – most importantly – noting that we were all invited to a short orientation meeting at the resort that morning. He stressed that the session would be short and that was appreciated because most of us were keen to have a little rest after the long flight.

For the two weeks we were at Kinetta Beach Resort, it because clear that Mr. Panou wanted to make certain that Air Transat guests were looked after in every possible way. When one is in a foreign country, especially for one's first time, it's extremely helpful and much appreciated to have a company representative who is dedicated to serving customers. That dedication continued until the bus trip which returned us to Athens airport, where Mr. Panou bid us all goodbye. He was more like family than a large airline's employee. It's possible that he works for Tour Greece which, as I understand it, represents Air Transat in Greece. No matter, he was our exemplary Air Transat representative and Vassilis P. Sakellaris, president of Tour Greece can be proud that Mr. Panou is an asset to his company.

Our orientation meeting was short and helpful, as promised by Mr. Panou, and a resort employee, Nick, offered ouzo, or fruit juice, drinks.

Continuing on with resort employees who shine in service provision, I must mention Georgia, Dora and Stavrianna at Kinetta resort's front desk. They are among the first people guests meet and they did an excellent job.

The sparkle of superior service continued in the resort's dining areas. The Avra (some people called it Zen) dining room is open only for dinner. A second dining area, is the Taverna. It is a poolside, open-air (think patio) dining area. For either of these buffet-style restaurants, you should make a reservation because their popularity means available seating fills up quickly. Both Avra and Taverna are closed on Thursdays.

What makes these two restaurants extremely popular, in addition to the food, is the staff which works at both locations.

Kalimera! (Good morning!)

Kalispera! (Good evening!)

Those two greetings echoed cheerfully at either the Taverna, or Avra, every time we entered either one. The cheerful staff at Avra and Taverna included Maria, Sofia, Dimitri, Mira, Michael and sometimes Leta; always smiling and treating you as if you are family. Leta also works in the resort's third restaurant.

The third restaurant at Kinetta Beach Resort (KBR) is also the main dining area for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It is located in the resort's main building and about 20 metres from the sea with a pebble beach in between. This main restaurant is completely buffet-style. You serve yourself, which might be a bit of a surprise to those of us who are used to being served from start to finish, when we go to a restaurant.

The servers in KBR's restaurants will help you to find a seat at a table. One beauty of the third restaurant is that because of its facilities and close proximity to the sea, you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner, on the outdoor patio there; weather permitting.

Once you have a table and mark it as yours, it's up to you to fill a plate with whatever you would like to eat. That goes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and that covers whatever you want to drink. Coffee comes from coffee machines. Wine comes as red, white, or rose, picked up by you from one of the serving tables.

I have no complaint about the self-serve system at buffets, including at KBR. When in Greece, do as the Greeks do, I say.

A wonderful exception to the self-serve system comes at both Avra and Taverna. Once you are shown to a table at either of these restaurants you will be asked which wine, if any, you would like and it will be brought promptly to your table, where there will already be a bottle of water. Moments later, plates will arrive at your table with souvlaki and an appetizer such as calamari. The souvlaki are regular, evening offerings at the Avra. At Taverna, the appetizer dishes can include salads, or fish. After those appetizers, you go to pick up an entree (or entrees!) from a splendid selection.

I say splendid, because – no matter which restaurant at Kinetta Beach Resort – there will be something to satisfy your hunger and please your palate. The staff works very diligently to provide various dishes to its hungry patrons. If you can't find something you like to eat at KBR, I doubt you can be pleased anywhere else.

Desserts, some made with honey and nuts, are offered from food stations that offer variety and are constantly restocked by staff.

Judging by the many (hundreds) of diners we saw consuming large quantities of food at KBR, without complaint that I heard, the menu is quite satisfactory!

Yiannis Constantopoulos is KBR's restaurants manager. Daily, he cheerfully greets diners. Daily, all the while keeping a watchful eye on staff and how things are going, Mr. Constantopoulos, makes everybody welcome; as if they are family.

I never did ask Mr. Constatopoulos whether he knows another Greek, Jim Meridis, a friend of mine who now operates the Olde Red Hen restaurant in Collingwood, Ontario. Jim comes from Sparta, which is just north of Kinetta, Greece.

There were bartenders too, whose names flew by just like the drinks they served, seemingly non-stop to patrons. In housekeeping, Susan, who looked after our room, did an excellent job too.

Last, but not least, also doing a fine job was a lady called Cathy, originally from France, who did a splendid job at KBR's in-house souvenir shop, where you will also find Lefteris Repapis. He once lived in Canada. It seems, from many conversations we had, that many Greeks have a connection to Canada!

All in all, employees can make, or break, a business. Staff at Kinetta Beach Resort make this resort a happy place and that should be appreciated and come as good news for KBR's director-general, Georges Gidopoulos.

There were three other Greeks – outside the resort – whose acquaintance we made during our holiday and who served us well, going above and beyond in their job descriptions.

One such Greek was Jannis Antoniou, captain of the Anna II, aboard which we sailed twice on excursions.

A second was Ilias, a ticket seller at the Kinetta train station.

A third was Anastasia Roussis, who operates a taxi service in Korinth.

But back to Kinetta Beach Resort, which is located in a village area that has been popular with politicians, movie stars and wealthy people who have second homes dotting the area. When I mention second homes, think Wasaga Beach, Ontario, where there are many cottages (some of expensive proportion) which are used only on weekends, or for summer holidays.

Kinetta Beach is within easy driving distance of the three million people who live in Athens; a bit like the Collingwood-Wasaga Beach areas of Ontario are in relation to the large populations of Toronto and southern Ontario.

From Kinetta Beach Resort, which faces south toward the Saronikos Gulf, the pebbly beach stretches east and west and one can walk in either direction as far as one's energy will take you; only to be interrupted, occasionally, by outcrops of rock.

Looking at Kinetta Beach Resort from the sea, northward, one will see the resort at the shore and then behind it the massive landform of Mount Gerania which reaches 1,369 metres above sea level. As far as the eye can see across this mountain, there are small trees and open spaces. There are houses on small streets at the base of this mountain, but they only extend up the hillside a short distance. I would have loved to visit the top of the mountain; the view from there must be spectacular. However, I'm told that the only roads atop Mount Gerania are fire roads. A Google Earth browse confirmed that once I got home.

Between Kinetta Beach and the base of the mountain you will find the Suburban Railway line which runs west, through Korinth, to Kiato and east to Athens. I printed off a copy of a railway map, which shows station names in both Greek and English, before we went to Greece. That was immensely helpful because the only other places I found a map of railway lines, that I could have, was – first - at the tourist information centre at the Acropolis station in Athens. That map was for the Athens Transport System which includes underground and above-ground trains, but only partially for Suburban trains.

The second place at which I obtained a Suburban railway map was at the front desk of KBR, where a clerk printed off a page for me.

The transportation systems are excellent and affordable. (We were affected by a couple of days of strikes, but that's another story and left us enjoying a beach day.)

The Suburban Railway line runs parallel to the shoreline and the Kinetta station is about one kilometre away from Kinetta Beach Resort. I read that some people promoted it as a 10-minute walk, but that's not accurate unless you are a very brisk walker.

We walked to Kinetta railway station every other day and it took us (remember, we are reasonably-healthy senior citizens) about 20 minutes. To be safe, so as not to miss a train, we budgeted 30 minutes to walk to the station.

Tip: Walk facing the traffic. National Road 8 is the two-lane highway which parallels the shoreline and railway tracks. It's a local road. Also parallel to the shoreline and railway tracks is a toll highway which has three lanes carrying traffic in each direction.

At Kinetta station trains are punctual. The eastbound train, heading for Athens, arrives at five minutes to the hour. It pauses to pick up passengers and a few minutes later this high-speed train zooms away from the platform. We found the trains to be comfortable and always tried to get a seat which would allow us views of the coastline. One day, we saw a military helicopter dropping parachutists over a nearby military base.

A ticket to Athens is nine Euros, return, for a senior citizen and 10 Euros for everybody else. (I don't know if they have a children's rate.) It takes about an hour to get to Doukisis Plakentias station at which we switched to an underground train to the heart of Athens. In some cases you will have to purchase a separate ticket for underground trains. Check as you travel.

The westbound train arrives at Kinetta at about 10 minutes to the hour and heads off to Kiato, via Korinth. We went to Korinth (or Corinth, as some spell it) for a day-trip and it cost us four Euros return and took about 15 minutes to get to Korinth. The new train station, where you arrive in Korinth, is on the outskirts of town and you will need a taxi to get downtown. That's how we met Anastasia Roussis, taxi driver/operator, who used to work in a Greek bank until it collapsed. The fare for the distance between the station and downtown Korinth is about four Euros. For 20 Euros, you can arrange with Anastasia to drive you around a bit to see some sights such as the Corinth Canal. (Both spellings are used for this town's name.)

Some other things that are helpful to know when using the Suburban railway. If you go east to Athens and stop at the Neratziotissa station you will be a very short walk from the biggest shopping mall in Athens. It connects by a walkway to the train station.

On one rainy day, we took the train and spent part of the day at this mall. It's sparkling clean and covers four levels with an excellent food court on an upper level; as well as a couple of rooftop restaurants. There were familiar store names at this mall. For example, Mac cosmetics and Columbia clothing. They also do special events, just like malls do in North America. While we were at the Athens Mall, they featured a Lego festival. Had my grandchildren been with us, we might not have returned!

Also from the Neratziotissa station you can change to an underground train which will take you to the south end of that line to Piraeus. Piraeus is a very large port city and fun to wander the waterfront there, or take a cab to the Hellenic Maritime Museum. This museum is small, but it's an under-publicized gem if you enjoy ships and things maritime. Also, there are two historic boats within a short walking distance which are open to the public. For the museum and the boats, check their opening hours before you go.

Back to describe the Kinetta Beach Resort (KBR):

This resort sits on a rectangle of sea-front land and the main gate, usually manned by a security guard, is about 180 steps away from National Road 8. Access to the resort's main building is along a narrow lane on the west side of the resort. That lane passes in front of some two-storey buildings on the western edge of KBR. Our room was number 979 in one of those two-storey buildings. Buses arriving at KBR would stop in front of our building, which is just a short walk away from the main building. Once the buses discharged their passengers, the buses would have to reverse in a small parking lot and return to the highway via the same lane they used for access. Given KBR's popularity, there are buses coming and going on a regular basis, as well as buses which take people on day-time excursions. The noise from the buses was never a problem for us.

From our room's balcony we could look south to the sea, with the resort's quiet pool and the Taverna restaurant and poolside bar between our building and the sea. Looking east, we could look across the many bungalow-type units which cover the majority of the ground at KBR and also see the resort's main pool where daily an animation team motivates guests. To the north, past some other two-storey buildings, we could marvel at the rise of Mount Gerania at the base of which is Kinetta village.

The grounds of KBR, covered with palm trees and flowering plants and bushes, are immaculately kept by groundskeepers. One can wander narrow, paved walkways throughout the resort and one can't get lost. In fact, the resort's main building is withing easy – and flat – walking distance of all rooms. From ground-level rooms, the resort's main building is wheelchair accessible and indoors and outdoors there are ramps for wheelchair-users. However, the pebbled beach would present a challenge to wheelchair access.

From the main parking lot, which was below the balcony of our room, there is a main entrance on the north side of the resort's main building. It has some steps, but also a wheelchair ramp. That entrance leads to a main foyer on the south side of which is a wall-to-wall reception counter. On the right, is the Kinetta resort's reception counter where clerks will check you in, check you out and assist you during your stay. On the left-hand side of the reception counter is a car-rental business. There, you can find out details about renting a car, which would have been fun for us, except for one thing: an international driver's licence is required for one to drive in Greece.

The car-rental clerk was candid with us. She could have rented us a vehicle (about 63 Euros a day), but without us having an international licence she could not guarantee that we might not be penalized by police if we were stopped.We'll know for next time!

It's easy to get around inside the Kinetta Beach Resort. There are stairs alongside ramps wherever elevations change. To the left of the car-rental counter, there is a souvenir shop. It's small, but jam-packed with things you might need during you stay, as well as souvenirs.

We visited this store regularly because it's where you can purchase bottled water. Bottled water is not provided free of charge in KBR rooms. At this shop you can also purchase other drinks, nibblies, cosmetic goods, postcards with stamps and a large selection of other things, including souvenirs.

Ever-cheerful at this shop were clerk Cathy and Lefteris Repapis. I learned from him that counterfeit money is a major problem in Greece. So much so that his shop and others we visited have counterfeit-detection machines alongside cash registers. Everytime you make a purchase and provide payment in the form of paper money it is run through the detector.

From the in-resort souvenir shop it is just steps away to the main dining room, the one with the waterfront, outdoor patio. It's also just steps away from the main bar room, which is glass-walled on north and south sides so that you can see either the main swimming pool (which also has a poolside bar) or the beach and the sea which stretches off to the horizon in the south.

On the east end of KBR's main building there is a disco-theatre room upon which I can't report because I only saw it in daytime and heard it at night.

Back to the main reception area.

As one enters the resort, with the reception/rentals counter ahead to the south, the Air Transat desk will be prominent on one's right-hand side. Between the reception desk and where Air Transat representative Yiannis Panou sits, there are charts posted to show some details about excursions, train times and other things.

Here and there, in the main building, there are areas with arm chairs, small sofas and in one spot, a games area, there are chairs and green-topped tables flanked by a shelf on which are games and books one can use.

The Kinetta Beach Resort throughout, anywhere we went, is kept spotlessly clean.

I am guessing that the resort dates back to the 1960s. But for readers who are familiar with the Muskoka district of Ontario, where there are many resorts, one would compare Kinetta Beach Resort to an old Muskoka resort; aging, clean, comfortable and with its own brand of popular charm.

From a personal-taste standpoint, I wonder why the KBR owners would not decorate the blank (but painted) wall behind the reception desk? It's a long, open area which does lend itself to some sort of decoration. For example, something as simple as having a number of wall clocks showing the time at some other world destinations.

I wonder too why there were no musicians performing from time to time at KBR. Perhaps a mandolin player wandering around musically at lunch, or dinner, time? Or a small band playing Greek music in some of the bar, or patio areas, at KBR? Some Greek music would have added to the atmosphere and enjoyment. Perhaps we missed it?

I also wonder why the resort, or Air Transat, would not get imaginative for the benefit of guests and figure out a system of transporting guests to the train station (and back).

A taxi trip, one way, between KBR and Kinetta train station cost 12 Euros. If you can find another couple to share the cab and split the cost it is still six Euros each. Keep in mind that a one-way train fare, for the one-hour ride from Kinetta to Athens, is nine, or 10, Euros.

In a country where unemployment is endemic, perhaps a local can be found who could be helpful with his, or her, car. Perhaps, the company could offer rides to the station in something as simple as a battery-powered golf cart. It's only a kilometre to the station and riding, instead of walking, would be appreciated by guests who surely would be happy to pay a few Euros for the lift, especially in the heat of a hot day. Even a schedule of rides, some early in the morning and then again late in the afternoon, would be better than none.

We walked back and forth to the train station in mid-May when the temperatures were warm, but not hot; and we even walked there in drizzle. A ride would have made things a little easier.

We also walked on Kinetta Beach, both eastward and westward.

Eastward, along the beach, one passes many holiday properties, some full-time residences and some bars and restaurants. In the east, just past the Loubier restaurant/bar there are some cliffs which come to the water's edge. But by then, if you have walked the shoreline from KBR, you will feel like walking back!

Westward, for a lengthy part of a kilometre, or so, there is a flat concrete-like surface at the water's edge. I thought it is concrete slab, but speculate now that it is likely a lava outcrop. There were earthquakes in Greece years ago. Whatever it is, this seaside slab made it easier to walk along, compared to the pebbly beach. Warning! Don't step on the green-coloured, mossy-like stuff underwater on the slab. It's slippery!

West of KBR, by about a kilometre, is a waterfront tavern. If you take the street north from the tavern, you will come to National Road 8 and walking east from there you will come to KBR's big, white roadside sign and driveway back to the resort.

Walking west along National Road 8 from KBR's laneway, you will come to a road which runs north. At that corner there is Cafe Hausbrandt where we had a coffee and pastry one day. This restaurant has an open-sided, open-air feature so that one can see the world passing at that corner. The day we were there we saw two policeman operating a speedtrap.

North from Cafe Hausbrandt, it's only a hundred metres, or so, to a very nice bakery on one's left-hand side. At that bakery, one can also purchase drinks and ice-cream cones. We had chocolate-banana swirl cones on one of our visits.

From the bakery, just past the nearby house where they keep turkeys in their yard, one can see Kinetta railway station alongside the toll highway.

Across from the bakery was one of the prettiest houses we have seen, where the owner only comes on weekends. Next to that house is a small mall, newly-built and almost finished before the developer stopped further construction. Time and time again, in Kinetta and also in other parts of Greece we saw buildings which were either vacated and left empty, or were partially built and abandoned; casualties of the Greek-economy crisis.

But some businesses, including Kinetta Beach Resort, appear to be flourishing.

When we walked National Road 8 eastward from the resort we came across a number of businesses which appeared very healthy. Those included another bake shop, a restaurant, a pharmacy, a hardware store, a convenience-store type of kiosk with newspapers and magazines and a company which sells the solar-heated water systems which have rooftop tanks; you see those tanks on rooftops everywhere. In fact, the owner of the latter store gave me information about the systems.

Just when you think you have seen everything that might surprise you, I came across another surprise. It was when we walked from the east end of Kinetta along a street which led back to the beachfront. About halfway to the seashore, we passed a large lot – flanked by houses and half-built houses – which was being used as a garbage dump. I don't undertand that! Why dirty our residential nest? And so close to the spectacular seashore. I'm not saying we don't have unsightly things in Canada. But here, or in Greece, we should encourage people to protect our environment.

The holiday environment at Kinetta Beach Resort was fine for us as English-speaking Air Transat guests. But there is an aspect to this resort about which we did not know much before arriving there. It's the Lookea Club, which is an exclusive offering by Air Transat.

Lookea clubs are offered in a number of countries by Air Transat and they beckon to French-speaking guests whether they are from French-speaking parts of Canada, or from France.

During the weeks we were at KBR Club Lookea French-speaking guests occupied 195 of 253 rooms at this resort. As a result, we English-speaking guests were in the minority and one could strongly sense it as French dominated in conversations all around us.

Give them credit, KBR staff of Greek origin flipped back and forth between French and English with tremendous ease, maintaining a high level of excellent service. I looked on it as a positive because I was able to practise with the bit of French I know; but it wasn't necessary to speak French, anymore than it was necessary to speak Greek. But for some Anglophones, the dominance of French might be disconcerting. Personally, I don't see it as a off-putting, but some people might.....unfortunately!

But there was more in connection with the Lookea Club that potential guests to KBR should know.

There were many activities daily, led by energetic, French-speaking Lookea animation team members who were there to please guests. We checked and it would have been possible for us to join in the animation activities which ranged from Greek dancing to trivia contests.

But there was one component of the Lookea action at KBR in which we non-Lookea guests could not take part. This was the watersports component. The paddleboards, kayaks and such that were stored on the beach and unused for some of the time we were there, were not available for free use by non-Lookea guests. In fact, we could not even rent them to use.

To be fair, Air Transat's advertising of Kinetta Beach Resort did not mention use of watersports equipment. Perhaps we are so used to being offered watersports equipment, at no charge, that we expected it. But it was a bit of a downer not to be able to use watersports equipment that was there for Lookea Club guests, not being used and just stored on the beach.

I suggested, respectfully, to our Air Transat representative that this is something the company might want to change.

Air Transat did advertise tennis courts, a gymnasium and a state-of-the-art spa – all at KBR – but we were so busy doing other things and enjoying ourselves that we did not use any of the aforementioned.

We did go swimming in the pools at Kinetta Beach Resort. The water was cool, but the setting is lovely. We also went swimming briefly in the sea and that water was also cool. But remember, we were there in mid-May with outdoor temperatures between 22 and 25 degrees C., and seawater temperature around the 15 C., mark. I can only imagine what a holiday paradise KBR must be in the hot summer months when one can make comfortable use of either the pools, the sea, or both!

Throughout our stay at Kinetta Beach Resort and in the Athens area, we found Greek people to be helpful whether, or not, they spoke English. But there were contraditions. We found taxi drivers who over-charged us and at the other end of the fare-paying spectrum we found taxi drivers who probably undercharged us and were more than helpful.

We even found contradictions with train staff, although the system itself was excellent. Make a note that at many train stations, toilets are closed, or broken; or both. At other train stations, toilets are not marked as such, but are open for use by those people who know which door to open. At one train station, a staff member unlocked a toilet for us to use. At another station, a system employee tried repeatedly to unlock a toilet door only to learn from another employee that the toilet was broken and could not be used.

We got to know which stations had useable toilets. We also knew that at Athens Mall ( immediately next to Neratziotissa station) they have the cleanest washrooms and toilets I have ever seen.

Restaurants have W/Cs (water closets)...which are toilets for patrons....and not easy-access as one would find at McDonalds, or Tim Hortons, in Canada.

On the Suburban Train system, the high-speed train carriages have toilets, although I never used one.

Interestingly, along the toll highway – which is a fantastic piece of road engineering (through mountainside tunnels!) there are roadside rest stops for motorists to use. I never tested those either.

As handy as knowing where toilets are, is having a sheet of paper (or a book) with Greek-English language. I copied some commonly-used vocabulary onto sheets to have with me while travelling and that was very handy. I did try to learn and use a bit of Greek and I think it was appreciated. Going to Greece? I suggest that you copy some vocabulary sheets to try and use.

Or, you could visit Kiko.

Kiko is a souvenir shop that is adjacent to the laneway entrance of Kinetta Beach Resort. Kiko, the owner has had this shop for something like 20 years. We met Kiko's wife at the store and also his daughter Marina. They were helpful. However, also helpful was the promotional piece of paper on which they have printed a list of what they offer at their souvenir shop/cafe/bar and some commonly-used Greek words and their French equivalent. We know a bit of French, so that was helpful. Thanks!

Kiko's is at the south end of the KBR laneway. At the north end of the laneway, fronting on National Road 8, is another souvenir shop called “Deux Freres”. There you will meet Lia, whose late father was one of the two founders of this shop.

With three souvenir shops in close proximity to one another at Kinetta Beach, it's a bit like souvenir-store wars. I heartily recommend that you visit all three shops and chances are good that you will purchase something at each one of them. We did!

We also did day-trips from Kinetta Beach Resort.

Taking advantage of excursions offered by Air Transat meant that one did not need to rent a vehicle to go and see the sights. There were five different excursions offered, for a price, by Air Transat in each week we were at KBR. The bus, or boat, would pick you up at KBR and return you there later.

We found this very helpful and a lot of fun.

Excursions offered were: Athens (city tour) with Acropolis Museum for 78 Euros per adult; Delphi, with lunch included, 106 Euros per adult; A one-day cruise to three islands (Aigina, Poros and Agistri) with lunch included for 102 Euros per adult; A trip to Argolis with lunch included for 113 Euros per adult and a cruise to and through the Corinth canal – with ouzo, or orange, drink and sandwiches served aboard – for 57 Euros per adult. Tickets for children were about half the adult price.

We took the train from Kinetta station and made a day of it to see the Acropolis Museum on a rainy day. On another day, we took the train and went to the Acropolis where we marvelled at the history, the architecture and the spectacular views of the city.

But we did take advantage of two Air Transat excursions and in both cases the trips were excellent giving us value for the money spent.

Both trips, as it turned out, were cruises aboard the Anna II, a 31-metre boat captained by Jannis Antoniou. The Anna II is a safe and stable vessel, which carried about 90 guests on one of the excursions. She's part of a family business which involves Jannis' brother Dimitris and their father Kyriakos.

Our first sailing was to the Corinith canal which is a man-made wonder, connecting one gulf to another, west of Kinetta. We sailed through the canal, turned around and sailed back to Kinetta. It was amazing to see the work that was done to build the canal and to view the bridges high above from far below them. I also discovered that one of the bridges, used by traffic across the canal, is a submersible one! Its operator can make it go underwater so that marine traffic can sail over it. Amazing!

Days later, we took the Anna II again for a three-island tour that took all day and part of that evening. First, we sailed to Aigina where we had enough time ashore to explore the harbour and enjoy a coffee in a sidewalk restaurant. We had an English-speaking guide, Dora, with us – thanks to Air Transat – and that made our day even more memorable, since she told us a lot about where we were and about Greece.

Our second stop, where there were moored luxury yachts to see and large ferries sailing by, was at the island of Poros. There, we left Anna II to shop and had lunch at the Oasis Taverna, a sidewalk cafe/bar. The meal, with wine, was included in the price of the ticket and was most enjoyable. A wandering mandolin player added his music to the atmosphere. Sakis Metsopoulos is the owner of the Oasis Taverna and runs a fine establishment. We had a great time there with new friends, Canadians Anna and Ron.

Poros is also where I found an authentic Greek fisherman's cap. I had searched shops for one of those distinctive, front-brimmed caps. But it was on Poros that I found such a cap in the Elena Gift Shop and bought it.

The island of Agistri was smaller than islands of our other two stops, or so it seemed. The harbour there, complete with a small marina and flotilla of fishing boats, became our focus, strolling and taking photographs. Some people swam at the beach at Agistri, which was sheltered and adjacent to waterfront sidewalk cafes. There too we marvelled at the architecture of a small church. More photographs!

This three-island cruise and our cruise to the Corinth canal are highlights of our waterfront activity in this part of Greece. We highly recommend both cruises.

Our Air Transat representative, Yiannis Panou told us: In Greece, if you dig to plant a tree, you will find something historical. It certainly seemed that way, between the historical things that have been unearthed and developed as tourist attractions and the small excavations we saw in various places which reminded us that Greece has a very long and interesting history.

Our travels to view historical things first-hand ranged from taking the Sights of Athens' blue bus, hop-on, hop-off tour to visiting museums; first the new Acropolis Museum and later the National Archaeological Museum.

It's at the latter that we met two very honest taxi drivers. Having left the museum, after hours of rambling through it, we thought taking a cab to the Victoria underground station made sense. I approached one taxi driver. He told us to walk, noting that the station is close-by. A second taxi driver told us the same thing, refusing to take us as fares.

Both taxi drivers were correct. The station was, at most, 10 minutes' walk from the museum. We applaud their honesty!

The Sights of Athens is one of two (perhaps more?) such hop-on, hop-off tours serving visitors to this city. An offshoot of buying a ticket with this company is that they offer a second day of use at no extra charge and a small train (think Boca Sama train ride in Cuba) ride through Piraeus at no extra charge. We found the Sights of Athens' core route, from the Acropolis and around that city-centre area to be excellent. Taking the Piraeus leg of their route was less interesting until we got to the east side of the Piraeus waterfront and there we saw some spectacular views. The trolley could have been far better as a tourist ride had the driver been interested in his passengers and some explanations been offered. Basically, the trolley ride travelled congested Piraeus streets. We could have skipped the trolley part and, indeed, we returned on our own to find the Hellenic Maritime Museum and visit it.

The National Archaeological Museum and the new Acropolis Museum are both must-visit places.

When it came to on-land sightseeing, the aforementioned museums were wonderful. However, the showpiece of Athens, perhaps of all of Greece, is the Acropolis.

The Acropolis hill has to be climbed, after purchasing a ticket, moving along with hordes of visitors on one-way walkways. Eventually, one reaches the top, which is approximately seven acres of a plateau and one walks the perimeter. (Note: There is an elevator for use by anybody in a wheelchair.)

The views of Athens from anywhere atop the Acropolis are stunning. Adding, to make it awesome, are the ruins one sees; many of which are undergoing reconstruction. You will get taken back in time and left marvelling at what civilizations there, centuries ago, accomplished without the benefit of modern tools, or computer-aided technology.

Be prepared to spend at the very least half a day at the Acropolis.

To their credit, they have public toilets and a water fountain atop the Acropolis.

Close to where one purchases tickets, which is part way up the Acropolis hill, one can find toilets, a snacks and drinks store, professional guides (at your service!) and a post office.

I read Rick Steeves' guidebook to Athens before we went to Greece. I took it along for extra consultation and found it extremely helpful. However, while Rick Steeves mentions that one should beware of pickpockets (as in many other countries in our world), he did not mention that there are many people begging. You will find them on the streets in Athens and, unfortunately, on the train station platforms, as well as on the trains. While I felt tremendously sorry for people who appear to be far less fortunate than most of us, I soon learned to say “no”. It's quite possible that those people begging are not Greeks at all, but have arrived, gypsy-like, from other parts of Europe.

To be clear, the begging we discovered was only a tiny drop of a thing in comparison to the oceans of enjoyment we experienced in Greece. But it has to be mentioned along with a reminder about pickpockets. We never lost anything to theft, but we were always cautious, as we have been in Amsterdam, Holland, or in Mexico City.

Sidewalk cafes abound in Athens and in smaller places such as Corinth and Poros.

We enjoyed the food and the ambience of sidewalk cafes. Check when you are seated and before you order to find out if they take credit cards. Some restaurants do not, they deal only with cash.

Two sidewalk cafes which we enjoyed were actually close to each other on Makrygianni Street in Athens at the Acropolis (or Akropolis, as some spell it). One was Spezie Pasta Cafe and the other was Athina Bistrot. Owner Petros Pavlis made us welcome at the latter cafe and after we enjoyed our meal he gave us complimentary shots of Mastic, which has a taste like herbal medicine.

One of our day-trips, a self-guided expedition, took us to the town of Corinth (or Korinthos), west of Kinetta. We took the train there and a taxi from the station to the top of the Corinth canal. The vantage point from bridges which cross the top of the canal sides is spectacular and quite different from the water-level view on the Anna II.

Anastasia Roussis was our first taxi driver and for extra fare, by agreement, drove us to see the canal and also to some points in Corinth. We ended our journey with her in downtown Corinth, only steps away from the beautiful waterfront and in front of the Korinthia Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Vasilis Nanopoulos and I have something in common, although we have never met.

Mr. Nanopoulos is the president of the Korinthia Chamber of Commerce and I am a past-president of the Collingwood Chamber of Commerce in Ontario, Canada. We visited the Korinthia chamber office to acquire a map of Corinth. We were promptly and pleasantly assisted by a chamber employee, Penny.

Map in hand, we explored Corinth, taking photographs here and there and eventually sitting down for lunch at the City Food Stamp sidewalk cafe on a pedestrian mall.

At the Stamp cafe, we shared a sizeable crepe (a No. 6 on the menu, with gouda cheese) and bought two soft drinks. Total price was 6.60 Euros, very reasonable.

The Greeks are extremely friendly. We thought of connecting with one such person, a woman called Katerina with whom we had chatted on a train trip days previous. She works at a university in Corinth. However, time pressed and we continued our explorations which included Nancy shopping on that pedestrian mall.

The Corinth train station is on the outskirts of town and we hired a different taxi driver to take us there. Total cost: 3.72 Euros.

Given more time, we could have taken the Suburban train to Kiato and explored there. Or, a bus from Corinth to Loutraki. Ah, so much to see, so little time!

Back at the Kinetta Beach Resort, employees ( a shout-out to Ray!) of the Crazy Sharks Dive Company were offering SCUBA training and diving. What I did not know, until just before leaving, was that they also offer parasailing for a price.

Next time we go to Kinetta Beach Resort, I'll get up in the world, so to speak, with Crazy Sharks' help. I like parasailing!

In the meantime, we have fond memories and hundreds of photographs to share, with family and friends, of our enjoyable visit to Kinetta Beach Resort and nearby parts of Greece.

Efkaristo!

 George Czerny takes a selfie while on a bridge over the Corinth canal in Greece. Thanks to taxi driver Anastasia Roussis who took us from the train station to various spots atop the canal so that we could see the canal from that perspective. Earlier, we sailed back and forth through the canal aboard the cruiseship Anna II. That trip was enjoyable and worth every penny!

A view seaward across the quiet pool at the Kinetta Beach Resort, west of Athens, Greece. The beach in front of the resort is pebbly and one can walk east, or west, for kilometres. Very enjoyable!

 George Czerny alongside some boats on the Greek island of Agistri while on a Anna II boat cruise stop. The beach here was beautiful and some passengers took time to have a swim.

Maria, at left, and Sophia, at right, made guest Nancy feel very welcome at Kinetta Beach Resort. This was in Avra, one of three restaurants at this resort. Souvlaki here were a staple and delicious! Of course, one could enjoy other food items at a very well-stocked buffet!

 

Part of the harbor at Greek island Aigina, our first of three stops on a cruise aboard the Anna II. One of our first stops at this island was to a waterfront shop where they sell pistachio nuts. Then, we walked for a tour of this waterfront with an excellent Greek guide, Dora.

 

Our third stop aboard the Anna II cruiseship was at Poros where the waterway is busy. Not only was the waterfront interesting, with all kinds of yachts and other vessels, but also the stores were interesting. George, shown here, found his Greek fisherman's cap in a store at Poros. The cap is visible in another photo on this blog.

There are beautiful blooms everywhere in May and this added to our enjoyment of our first-time holiday in Greece. Shown here, Nancy and George.

 

Atop the Acroplolis in Athens, Greece, George is shown with his Rick Steeves' Athens guidebook. The book was a big help. The Acropolis is worth every step of walking uphill, says George. There, one could enjoy remarkable views of the city of Athens, as well as marvel at the historic buildings, such as the Parthenon.

 

 

A freighter, viewed through a porthole aboard the Anna II cruiseship. This was just one of the many freighters at the southern entrance to the Corinth canal in Greece.

 

 

This is just inside the entrance to the Hellenic Maritime Museum in Pireaus, Greece. Photos are not allowed to be taken inside the museum, but this is what one sees from the main entrance doorway. This museum has excellent exhibits and historical material about Greek marine matters through the centuries.

 

Our holiday in Greece was very interesting and we recommend going to Athens and Kinetta Beach Resort. The latter is about an hour's train ride west of Athens. This photo was taken aboard the Anna II cruiseship on which we enjoyed a three-island cruise on one day and a trip through the Corinth canal on another day.

 

 

This is at Pireaus train station, about a 20-minute ride from Athens. Pireaus is a major port and one can spend a day exploring the waterfront there, restaurants there and also the Hellenic Maritime Museum there.

 

Atop the Acropolis in Athens, the Parthenon reminds us of Greek history.

 

The Anna II with her stern to a dock in front of Kinetta Beach Resort in Greece.

 

 

The public can view this historic vessel which is moored just outside the Hellenic Maritime Museum in Pireaus. It is best to check opening hours for any attractions in Greece.