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  1. Wealth
April 16, 2009

Greece's charms, Heathrow's joy

By Spear's

I have just spent a few days in Greece and it is absolutely beautiful, at least as soon as you get away from the riots and strikes of dreadful Athens.

Two good things in one trip is so unheard of I thought I’d share! I have discovered a Greece I hadn’t really seen before.

I have just spent a few days there and it is absolutely beautiful, at least as soon as you get away from the riots and strikes of dreadful Athens. If ever you can see and smell the desperation and unrest the current economic client heralds, it is in Athens.

But that is for another blog. At this time of year, the drive to southern Peloponnese is a concert of bright green fields under beautifully tended olive groves up small valleys just inland from vertiginous cliffs dropping into the Aegean.

Stunning flowers are everywhere, particularly pigeon-blood deep red poppies that give an impression of red tides in the wind. None of the parched earth beauty we normally all rave about when remembering Greece.

Not the dusty ruins and craggy outcrops, but actually scenes reminiscent of 1970’s Greek mythological Hollywood movies, with beautiful scantly clad priestesses covered in flowers walking through shiny meadows surrounding their temples.

Greece is a must-see at this time of year, particularly around the Greek Orthodox Easter celebrations, with the best spit roasted spring lambs you will have ever eaten and ever improving local wines.

For next year, I definitely want to try to make it to Meteora in northern Greece and visit the gravity defying monasteries there, awe and 007 inspiring stuff I hear.

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As for the second good thing, however it may pain me to say it, I had a fabulous trip with British Airways and through Terminal 5. And they haven’t offered me any perks for this, far from it, they only offer perks to stars and the like.

But other than a slightly faulty screen, this was an enjoyable trip. From check-in through to security and boarding everything was seamless and one of the least stressful I have ever had, even with the whole family. I would say it was bordering on the enjoyable.

Yes, I know it sounds unbelievable, but I actually enjoyed having to get on a plane at Heathrow. Furthermore the flight was on time and the crew not even grumpy. You might have even thought they were happy to see us there. And the return trip was a repeat.

All handling at Athens airport was first class and once again arriving at T5 was a delight, no hassle, fast luggage delivery and all in all we were out in 20 minutes or so. Please oh please let this be an insight on the future of travel. Or maybe it was only a positive side-effect of the recession…

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