Good, Positive Athens News, Updating!

From the Conde Nast Traveler magazine earlier this month, they have this headline: "Best Places to Travel in 2017" with these very positive highlights about Athens and Greece: "Athens has always been known as an old city. What is new is its burgeoning status as a modern arts capital: Look no further than the recently opened, Renzo Piano-designed, $623 million Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, which houses the National Opera and the National Library of Greece. The National Museum of Contemporary Art also partially reopened in a renovated brewery after a 12-year closure, and in April, the city will co-host documenta, the exhibition of modern and contemporary art that takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany (it's the first time the hosting duties will be split between two cities). Book a room in the shadow of the Acropolis at the new-as-of-2015 AthensWas boutique hotel, and make time for a souvlaki (or three) at O Kostas, which serves the best in town. Though it’s long played second fiddle to other European capitals like Rome, and merely seen as a stopover point on the way to, say, Corfu, Athens has once again arrived."

Nice to see this "good news" coverage for Athens and these ratings for this historic town as a top place to visit in 2017. Best wishes for those visiting Athens and Greece during the new year ahead.

Full story at:

http://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/the-best-places-to-travel-in-2017

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 164,397 views for this posting.

Thank you for posting this!

Documenta 14 opens in April in Athens and we will be there overnight! Really looking forward to that.

Thank you for posting this! Documenta 14 opens in April in Athens and we will be there overnight! Really looking forward to that.

Appreciate this nice follow-up. After your visit there, let us know your impressions, loves, tips, ideas, etc. For those seeking interesting and different locations, this weekend's New York Times Travel Section will have this headline: "52 Places to Go in 2017" with many different ideas for adventures to be considered for the future.

Here is one story option and highlight of special interest to us: "Athens, Greece: A post-crisis art boom in an ancient capital. Prices have dropped, but the Greek debt crisis has not dampened Athens’s thriving arts scene. Recent years have seen a surge of galleries, collectives and nonprofit art organizations built for leaner times, like Radio Athènes, which hosts pop-up lectures and performances, and the immigration-focused Nomadic Architecture Network. In October, the renovated EMST National Museum of Contemporary Art opened in a former brewery, while the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, designed by Renzo Piano, opened in August. Athens will co-host the 2017 edition of documenta, the influential art exhibition held in Kassel, Germany, since it started in 1955. " We super loved our time in Athens and nearby. It is great to see this historic area getting the attention and praise it deserves.

Among other great places highlighted in this profile are: Botswana, Great Barrier Reef, Stockholm, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Sedona, Madrid, the Lofoten Island of Norway and Budapest. Some of these locations we have super enjoyed visiting, but there are lots more wonderful places meriting future attention. It's great doing this exploring and considering other interesting locations for the future. Love reading these various stories about nice options to consider!!

Full story at:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/travel/places-to-visit.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftravel&action=click&contentCollection=travel&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

AFRICA?!!?: Lots of interesting and dramatic pictures can be seen from my latest live/blog at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Now at 25.192 views for this reporting and visual sharing that includes Cape Town, all along the South Africa coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta area.