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As a child growing up in a small midwestern town, I had a long mental list of places I wanted to visit someday. Textbook photos of the impossibly blue seas, soaring mountains and abundant ruins — along with descriptions of its temperate climate — placed Greece on the top of that list for many years. A few weeks ago, with a group of more than 30 Pioneer Press readers, I got to live out my dream trip with a 14-day tour of Greece’s mainland and a few of its islands.

This southern European country’s stunning landscape, deep history, delicious food and warm, welcoming people exceeded my expectations — so much so that I’m already plotting my return. Here’s a day-by-day rundown of what we did during our Collette Vacations tour, led by our fantastic tour manager, Theodora Findou. After a long flight, we dropped our luggage at the hotel and went for a walk in this sprawling city — a sea of pale-colored structures erected in the shadow of the ancient Acropolis.



Findou gave us a short orientation before letting us wander on our own to find coffee, lunch and it turns out, stunning ruins hidden amidst the city streets. My husband, an archaeologist, and my 18-year-old son, who is his dad’s biggest fan, joined me on the trip, and those first few hours were special for all of us. Not only could we peep Athens’ most famous structure, the Parthenon, from where we were, but we also stumbled upon Hadrian’s Library, created by the Roman emperor in 132 A.

D. Gorgeous pillars r.

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