I spent last week exploring Greece. Obviously, it’s difficult to discuss Greece without mentioning the current situation. I flew home last Sunday, prior to the country’s vote of YES or NO to stay in the European Union, but from my experience, aside from long lines at the ATMs, it was nearly impossible to spot signs of strife. Stores and cafés were bustling, and as a tourist, I felt no impediments to anything I needed or wanted to do, and, above all, I felt safe and welcomed. Hotels, restaurants and shops have adequate supplies, and tourists can and should still travel with peace of mind to Greece. I visited Greece, just to Athens, in 2009. Last week, I explored different areas of the country, and I must admit, I enjoyed my most recent visit much more and was left with an overall better impression of the country and its people. Both times in Athens, I visited the incredible Acropolis Museum and Acropolis. I was all over the country, starting in Halkida, capital of the island of Evia, the second-largest island in Greece after Crete and close to the mainland and Athens. Other stops in Evia included Mesohoria, Limionas, Almiriki and Limni. In Edipsos, I enjoyed the therapeutic thermal waters at Hotel Spa Thermae Sylla. Back on the mainland I experienced a taste of seaside Kammena Vourla, the mountainous Karpenisi, the ancient site and town of Delphi and the naval town of Galaxidi. There’s seemingly no end to all there is to see and do in Greece, each village, town and city presenting its own unique landscape, view and personality. I look forward to sharing more about my visit in upcoming blogs and articles in the magazine and online, as well as on our sister web publication, trazeetravel.com. Check www.globaltravelerusa.com this weekend for a slideshow of images from my trip. For now, here are a few of my other favorite images from my visit to Greece. — Kim Krol, managing editor