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| | | It's Greek Island Week at Travelscoop! While we're all stuck at home, we thought we'd bring the Greek Islands to you. Grab yourself an ice-cold Mythos (other varieties of beer work just as well), turn up the heat and transport yourself to your favourite Greek Island with some fab food and a good book or a favourite film. Please note that we are not promoting any travel deals at the moment. If you'd rather pause our emails until you can travel again, tap here.
Greece has over 1,200 diverse islands to choose from. I asked for your favourites on Facebook this week and the most popular islands were Kefalonia, Zante, Rhodes, Skiathos and Kos. Surprisingly, Paros and Thassos were also popular choices. Don't agree? Let me know on Facebook - and be sure to follow Travelscoop while you're there! ~ Stuart | | | | | | | In this issue | | What island's right for you? • What to read • What to drink • What to watch • What to eat • Travel competition round-up | | |
What island's right for you? | | With so many islands to choose from, picking the right one is no easy task. To help you narrow the search, here are our highlights of the most popular destinations, as well as some of the more obscure islands. | | | | | Skiathos | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Sandy beaches with a good book | |
| | | | | Lefkada | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Sailors, surfers, and superstar beaches | |
| | | | | Paxos | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Seclusion and sophistication | |
| | | | | Hydra | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: A long weekend with the art crowd | |
| | | | | Milos | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: A photogenic and dramatic coastline | |
| | | | | Serifos | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Naturists and purists | |
| | | | | Amorgos | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Deep-blue seas and wideopen spaces | |
| | | | | Mykonos | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Decadent parties and five-star hotels | |
| | | | | Santorini | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Honeymooners and first-timers | |
| | | | | Kefalonia | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Laidback family holidays | |
| | | | | Corfu | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Character and lush landscapes | |
| | | | | Ithaca | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: A mythical retreat for families | |
| | | | | Syros | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Culture and off-season cachet | |
| | | | | | | | | Crete | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Active adventures and sunshine all year round | |
| | | | | Rhodes | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Travelling back in time | |
| | | | | Symi | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Castaway coves and a picture-perfect port | |
| | | | | Naxos | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Endless sandy beaches | |
| | | | | Tinos | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Traditional villages and tavernas | |
| | | | | Patmos | | | Lonely Planet | | Best For: Stark mystique and show-stopping villas | |
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What to read | | From £49.99 | Kindle (you save: £20)Before we jump into our Greek Island book recommendations, I'd like you to take a few seconds to consider a Kindle. I'm a complete convert and think you should consider one as part of your #StayAtHome survival kit. You can download books instantly, so no waiting on delivery. The beautiful screen is a non-glare touchscreen display that reads like printed paper, completely unlike a tablet or phone. Plus, it has a front light so you can read indoors and outdoors and at any time of the day. |
| | | | | I've picked out my favourite travel books based in the Greek Islands below. If you've got any suggestions, let everyone know on our Facebook post here Chosen by Stuart |
| | | | | The Greek Escape | | £7.37 | | | Karen Swan | | Taking some time out after heartbreak to relax and find herself, Chloe Marston finds retreat in the Greek Islands, the perfect backdrop for love to blossom once more. But can she trust the man she's falling for? |
| | | | | Secrets of Santorini | | £6.55 | | | Patricia Wilson | | A mother and daughter come back together after years of separation. Perfectly transports the reader to the stunning paradise setting of Santorini |
| | | | | Skios | | £6.55 | | | Michael Frayn | | A story of mislaid identity, misdirected passion and miscalculated consequences set on the fictional Greek Island of Skios. A hilariously witty farce |
| | | | | The Durrells of Corfu | | £6.15 | | | Michael Haag | | An interesting, superbly written account of the lives of the family behind "My Family & Other Animals," how they came to Corfu in the first place - and what happened to them after they left |
| | | | | My Family & Other Animals | | £6.55 | | | Gerald Durrell | | A true story about ten-year-old Gerald living with his eccentric family in Corfu. Transports you to the Greek Island through its wonderful descriptions of nature, wildlife and landscape. Hilarious, inspiring and uplifting |
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What to drink | | Although the word frappé first appeared in the 19th century, this Greek coffee variety was invented in 1957. It is made by combining coffee with water and ice. The combination is usually prepared in a shaker or a hand mixer, so when the drink is poured in a glass, a frothy foam should appear on top. | | | | | | The variations may include milk or evaporated milk—when it is often referred to as frapógalo—and the drink can be sweetened according to taste. Traditionally, this coffee is served in a tall glass, and three degrees of sweetness are available.
These include glykós (classified as sweet and typically consisting of four teaspoons of sugar), métrios (semi-sweetness with approximately two teaspoons of sugar), or skétos (no sugar). Other speciality versions may also include creamy liqueurs or ice cream, while sometimes the combination can also be mixed with a spoon.
The invention of frappé coffee is usually associated with a former Nescafé employer Dimitris Vakondios. He created the drink by accident at the International Trade Fair in Thessaloniki when he wanted to make coffee, but hot water was not available.
Frappé coffee is a Greek staple, but it is also popular in Cyprus. The drink was initially promoted by Nescafé.
Other popular Greek beverages include:
Restina - an ancient Greek wine, flavoured with resin
Tsikaudia or Tsipouro - A Greek spirit distilled from fermented grape pomace
Metaxa - A popular Greek spirit made from Brandy, botanicals and Muscat wine from Samos
Ouzo - One of the best known Greek specialities, flavoured with aniseed and botanicals such as fennel, coriander, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon or ginger
Greek Coffee - Ok, so most of us will know this as Turkish coffee, but in Greece, following a conflict and the invasion of Cyprus in 1974, it started to be referred to as Greek or Cypriot Coffee, but the drink itself remains unchanged.
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What to watch | | With all this time on our hands, we've got the perfect excuse to get binging, so here are my favourite Greek-inspired TV shows and movies. Missed something or want to have your say? Hop over to our Facebook post to join the conversation. Chosen by Andy |
| | | | | Mamma Mia! | | | NowTV | | An all-singing, all-dancing star cast bring Abba's jukebox musical to the big screen. Meryl Streep is the Greek taverna owner whose daughter (Amanda Seyfried) has to work out who her real dad is. |
| | | | | The Trip to Greece | | | NowTV | | Foodies Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon lock horns over everything from myths to Michael Caine as they hit Greece in Michael Winterbottom's BAFTA-nominated comedy. |
| | | | | Greece with Simon Reeve | | | BBC | | Simon Reeve travels from the islands of the Aegean to Greece's capital, Athens before heading from the Peloponnese peninsula to the rugged and mountainous north of the country. |
| | | | | Shirley Valentine | | | Prime | | Bored housewife Shirley Valentine (Pauline Collins) jumps at the occasion to do something different when her girlfriend wins a holiday to a Greek Island and invites her along. Whilst there she meets a local man (Tom Conti) and has a quick fling with him. |
| | | | | My Big Fat Greek Wedding | | | Prime | | The Portokalos family is back as the original cast of the 2002 blockbuster hit reunite in this hilarious sequel for an even bigger fatter Greek wedding. |
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What to eat | | Classic Greek Salad from SeriousEats.com. Just like a Caprese salad, a good Greek salad should be enjoyed at the height of summer (we'll pretend!), when tomatoes are at their peak. To those tomatoes are added crisp and refreshing cucumbers, briny black olives, and just a bit of onion, quickly pickled to tame its pungency and add pops of acidity to each slice. Then the ultimate topper: slabs of feta instead of crumbles, which allows the diner to eat just as much or as little of the salty cheese as they want in each bite. It's that kind of detail that makes a Greek salad a true joy to eat, and not a chore to struggle through. | | | | | | Serves: 4 people
Prep & Cooking Time: 25 minutes
What you'll need:
Red Onion | Red Wine Vinegar | Mixed Ripe Tomatoes | Cucumber | Kalamata Olives | Extra-Virgin Olive Oil | Sea Salt | Oregano | Feta Cheese
Get the full ingredient list and method at SeriousEats here.
Fancy something more substantial? For a range of other recipes like Minted Lamb and Feta Burgers, Feta and Parsley Stuffed Tomatoes or Charred Halloumi Wraps. See a full Greek collection here from HelloFresh. | | | | |
Travel competitions | | The ultimate travel hack is to bag yourself a holiday without spending a penny, so we're bringing you our pick of the best contests launched this week. Fingers crossed Chosen by Stuart → View online |
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Stuart Lewis
Travel Editor
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