For the Gods

Ambassador George Nicolaidis invites one to revel in Greece’s history and perfect climate with his people’s relaxed approach to life.

Come to Greece. Our consular office is now offering visas,” Ambassador George Nicolaidis informs me with pride. This affable diplomat chose to be posted in Manila and opened the embassy a year ago with only a handful of employees and a ton of bureaucratic mishmash. With his wife Alkmini Nicolaidi, he spends his time decorating their apartment and visiting local beach destinations like Boracay and Palawan.

What is your most memorable travel experience?
I once went trekking with a group in the mountains of Greece and we saw a pack of wolves. They didn’t attack us; normally wolves don’t attack people. Before we got frightened, they got frightened! (Laughs)

What do you love most about Greece?
I think we have the best climate and the best landscape in the world. It’s not too cold, not too hot, and we have all these islands to see. We have a relaxed way of life. In Athens, people stay out during weekdays until 1am, then wake up at 6am to go to work.

Do you have a favorite vacation spot in Greece?
We have a lot of islands—and when I say islands, I’m including small rocks. I enjoy Greece in the summer, and we have a house on Kythnos island three hours from Piraeus.

Where would you recommend tourists go?
People say Boracay is the Mykonos of the Philippines. Mykonos is a very comfortable island and one of the first destinations to visit. It’s attractive and very cosmopolitan. There are other big islands like Corfu and Santorini, which is quite unique. There’s a big 200-meter-high cliff beside the beach with villas at the top, and many people go there to watch the sunset. I must also mention Athens with the Acropolis and the Parthenon, and other ancient sites like theaters and temples. Crete, the big island in the south, has many beaches and was the center of the Minoan civilization long ago. There are ruins of Knossos and
Phaistos and other monuments. There are also ruins in Mycenae, Peloponnese.

What about off-the-beaten-track options?
If you want something quieter, there are small islands, some with only 15 inhabitants. I had once been on an island near the Ionian Sea, and there were only five tourists! Such serenity, and you can find sandy or pebbled beaches. There are also nice mountains for trekking.

What about off-the-beaten-track options?
If you want something quieter, there are small islands, some with only 15 inhabitants. I had once been on an island near the Ionian Sea, and there were only five tourists! Such serenity, and you can find sandy or pebbled beaches. There are also nice mountains for trekking.
When I retire, I plan on spending time in Thessaloniki, Greek’s secondlargest city. My wife is actually from there. It’s near the sea, and there are a number of bars and cafés. There’s less stress there compared to Athens.

What else is there to do in Greece?
Most people cannot imagine—we have ski resorts. We have mountains and snow! We don’t attract tourists from Europe to ski, but many others come for it.

What food should first-time visitors try?
We have the famous moussaka— baked layers of meat, eggplant, and potatoes with cream on top. It’s very hearty. There is Greek salad with olive oil, olives, feta cheese, tomato, peppers, onions, greens—it’s a full meal. We have a lot of fruit, especially in the summer—melons, oranges, apples, watermelons, mangoes, peaches, and pears. So you can have a healthy diet.

When is the best time to visit?
From May until October. It’s spring from April to May and summer from June to August. From September on it’s autumn. But you can visit even in October and still go swimming. A lot of people visit in August, so the crowds are everywhere. I usually take my own holidays in July or September, never August.

What’s a nice souvenir to take back?
Reproductions of ancient artifacts and locations, like concrete heads from statues.