"Sicily was amazing!!!!!! I loved everything about it...especially the food and the people."

"I enjoyed my Paris tour thoroughly!!! Sites were great and tour guide was helpful and informative. Great trip and worth every penny!!! I will take another EF Go Ahead Tour!! "

" Delightful fellow travelers, and a wonderful pair with our knowledgeable director Mansel and awesome driver Terry! So much fun! "

"Greece: Remnants of Antiquity in a Land of Beauty and Charm
Written By: Jerry Woodlief
Pictures By: Frances Woodlief
The anticipation grew as the flight captain signaled all to fasten seat belts for the final descent into Greece. Finally after more than ten hours and nearly five-thousand miles in the air we were about to get our first glimpses of the land known for ancient ruins and whitewashed buildings with blue trim.
As the airplane banked this way and that to line up with the runway we could see that this land would be a feast for the eyes. We were in for a two week tour of the land that has been called the cradle of Western civilization. It began in the capital city known as Athens and covered the islands of Mykonos, Santorini and Crete, each with its own special charm.
We were whisked from the airport in a motor coach to the heart of Athens. Our hotel restaurant afforded us a perfect view of the Acropolis in the distance. What a treat to sit and enjoy a postcard view of the 5th century Parthenon as we dined. It was here that we met the rest of our twenty-three tourists…our contribution to the sixteen plus million tourists that descend on Greece each year along with the eleven million permanent residents of Athens. Interestingly, Greece has been populated for over seven-thousand years and is currently the home of eighteen UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE sites.
The next morning we set out on the grand adventure of touring Athens, replete with its impressive list of antiquities, the most outstanding of which is the Acropolis and its world renowned Parthenon. This place is not only historic, it is massive even though one only sees the remnants of thousands of years of decay. I was left in awe of just being in the midst of such a grand collection of structures, not to mention the fact that it is worthy of being called the cradle of Western civilization. The ideas that made this possible were preserved since the Greek language has been in constant usage for over five-thousand years.
To confer the title of cradle of Western civilization on Greece is to acknowledge that those who lived here many centuries ago are the ones who created a structure for the development of many of the systems we hold dear and which guide us through life today. Most of the ideas they put into place were the direct result of their use of systematic thought. Systematic thought provides a roadmap for integrating proven solutions to everyday problems to attain a system of proven results. It reduces inconsistences and allows the user to build on what has come before to arrive at reasoned conclusions. Before systematic thought, solutions came as a result of scattered logic. In its many applications it influenced their progress in biology, mathematics, literature, science, philosophy and many other areas. They also developed the basis for equality under the law, jury trials and government by the people. In the 4th and 5th centuries, Greece developed the world’s most advanced economy. That’s quite a contribution to the many generations that have benefitted from their genius. The Greeks of today are very proud of their heritage, as they should be.
The next day we tourists all had a new, unexpected adventure. Emmie, our tour guide, prepared us for what was to come to get rid of the surprise factor. Thanks to her we completed our task of getting on and off the fast ferry to Mykonos, baggage in hand, without undue duress. We positioned ourselves strategically and carried out our mission without the loss of a single tourist. When the ferry lowered the terminal ramp and commenced the process of loading, we all ran for our lives up the ramp and into the boat. It was “damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead”. Why they do it that way…who knows, but it seems to work without too much carnage.
The payoff for our little adventure was a smooth, fast trek across the water in the remarkably efficient ferry to our next ocular feast. Our next destination was the island of Mykonos. Our tour director gave us a quick once-over of old Mykonos Town including the iconic windmills from the 16th century. These windmills were built to grind wheat, barley, etc. for food, but serve today as a reminder of just how ingenious the people of that time were in capturing the wind for the production of a staple food.
Mykonos is a beautiful island and a veritable mecca of tourist shopping opportunities. Each day as the sun sets, it creates a beautiful duel between the sky and the sea for dominance of this orange vista. The sea always seems to win as it swallows up the sun and leaves us hungry for the next celestial joust tomorrow.
For us, the tourists, tomorrow meant another mad dash onto a fast ferry bound for the island of Santorini. When we arrived, it immediately became clear why many travel companies rank Santorini as the world’s top island. Much of the unique beauty of the island is due to the fact that it is a caldera and was formed by the eruption of a volcano many years ago. The volcano created a rim and allowed the waters of the Aegean Sea to fill the crater left by the explosion. The result is enormous cliffs populated by whitewashed dwellings overlooking beautiful azure waters.
Santorini is lined with black-sand beaches, mouth-watering restaurants and quaint little cabanas. The island is a mecca for the whitewashed buildings, many with blue domed roofs. Our hotel was very opulent with pools, restaurants and a number of other amenities.
The technique of whitewashing buildings came about to keep these dwellings cooler during the hot summers. The white covering is actually not paint, rather it is a plaster mix made of limestone. Since 1974, all new houses have been required to be painted white. It has become the “trademark” of the Greek islands. Take a look at the Greek national flag…it is blue and white too.
A fellow tourist was looking back at the caldera rim at Oia in the far distance. He asked, “what is that white coloration on the mountain top? Is it snow?”. It was actually the whitewashed buildings that have been so meticulously integrated into their natural surroundings that they look like an integral part of the landscape.
To add another dimension to the Santorini adventure, a swimming excursion was offered with snorkeling, dancing and “a good time was had by all”.
Crete! The largest island among the Grecian chain is named Crete. One of the first things you notice when you get to Crete is the lack of white painted buildings. In fact, Old Town Crete is a typical old town of the period with loads of charm and brimming with history.
Crete is large by any standard and, therefore, is bursting with diversity of appearance. We traversed a large swath of the island in our pursuit of the city called Chania. It revealed spectacular mountains and flora including pink flowers which seemed to cling to the road’s edge for most of the distance there.
Crete produces most of the food used by the other Grecian islands making it strategically important to the well-being of the remainder of the country. We saw quite a bit of it at the Agora Marketplace in Chania. Laden with a little of everything, this gathering place is quite impressive.
We were provided a sumptuous meal at the end of the historic tour. The harbor setting made the culinary treats even more special.
I could write a book about this beautiful land, but I will end with some quick facts:
Greece is surrounded by three seas: the Mediterranean, the Aegean and the Ionian. It is also bordered by two continents: Asia and Africa. With all this water it is easy to believe that there are more than two-thousand islands with about one-hundred- seventy of these inhabited. Eighty per cent of the land surface is mountainous which gives it character and visual diversity, but also makes it harder to cultivate. Most plants don’t flourish here since the mild, wet winters are trumped by the dry, hot summers. Some varieties of grapes grow low and close to the ground and only require the moisture of the dew to survive. This allows for a small wine industry to prosper.
Greece is easy to enjoy since it averages about two-hundred fifty days of sunshine per year. If you don’t have a good attention span, don’t try to sing the Greek national anthem since it is comprised of one-hundred fifty eight different verses. And, finally, Greece is most noted for three things: olive oil, cuisine and hospitality. We can all attest to that assessment. Thank you Greece for a wonderful vacation…and thank you, Emmie, for keeping us on track from Athens to the islands and back again. A very good time was indeed had by all.
"

"Our Croatian and Slovenian tour was exceptional. Our guide Masa was perfect in every way and her first hand knowledge of her homeland helped our understanding of the region. The variety of terrain (gorgeous coastline, rolling valleys, beautiful waterfalls) was truly unexpected. So beautiful. We had a small group and everyone was so nice. Also, we always felt safe and in good hands. Thanks so much to everyone!!!"

"The trip of my and my mother’s DREAMS was FULFILLED and we owe it ALL to Go Ahead Tours and SPECIFICALLY Tamara Hauptmann!! She was the EPITOME of the PERFECT tour guide: a gracious, professional, knowledgeable, compassionate and capable host!! We are FOREVER grateful to her and recommend her and Go Ahead to EVERYONE we know!!!!! "

"We packed so much into this tour! Felt very well taken care of and delighted in everything we experienced! Can’t wait I go on another!"

"The sights, experiences, accommodations, food, people, weather ... just FABULOUS!!! Loved it all! One hint when packing however, you do have to drag all of your own bags frequently due to riding in ferry's from island to island. I would HIGHLY recommend this tour and would do it again."

"Saw a lot of places I never thought I would see. Great sightseeing and great weather to boot! Went too fast!"

"What a great experience we had on our Athens, Mykonos and Santorini trip. Our tour guide, Michael, was so fun, friendly and informative that we immediately felt like family. Our group of 15 got along superbly, with a variety of backgrounds, ages and hometowns. The mix of free time and scheduled time was perfect with lots of options and helpful hints from Michael. Of course everywhere we visited was beautiful and awe-inspiring--so many photo ops! I think our whole group agreed that the catamaran cruise on the caldera was the high point of the trip. Even those who didn't get in the water loved the experience. I would highly recommend this trip for the beauty, history and relaxation. "

"Wonderful castles and a knowledgeable tour guide.....recommended highly!"

"Provence was not new to me since I had been there several times while living in Germany for four years. What a surprise for me! I visited small towns I had not seen and this time with an experienced guide, Adoram. Yes he was adorable. And I returned to Cannes, Arles and Aix-en-Provence with new eyes thanks to Adoram who gave me more details about the life of Van Goh in Arles and Cézanne in Aix-en-Provence. It was really lovely to walk through the towns and cities but at a faster pace. La Camargue one of France's natural region, home to white horses, pink flamingos, black bulls, blue herons and more. There we did walk slowly throughout this large marsh. I had been there before but it just seemed different this time.
There is more to say but it is better to go and see for yourself. A great tour. Go Ahead just needs to slow the pace a bit because not all travelers are able to keep up. Try it you'll like it.
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"Of all the Go Ahead tours i've been on, this one was the best by a country mile, no kidding! There is NO comparison with the others at all! We got out to see small towns and tremendous countrysides and stayed far away from the maddening crowds. Exposure to hordes of people was minimal. The scenery was out of this world! Don't waste your time going to the big cities - this is where you want to be!"

"The tour gave us a very good overview of the middle and southern parts of Spain. We had a very good tour group and an excellent tour director (Leonor) and bus driver. The tour director really makes the tour!
Pros: We like the fact that (except for one stop) we got to stay in each city more than one night. The tour is well organized and the local guides were good. Using the whisperers was essential. We got to see a lot in a short time. The bus was comfortable, although it did not have a toilet. However, we did have frequent bathroom stops. Overall bus travel times were not long. The train ride from Madrid to Cordoba was very nice. The paella cooking class was one of the highlights and we can't recommend it enough.
Neutral: The hotels were generally good, although variable. We did not like the fact that the hotel in Madrid was not centrally located. On the other hand, the hotel in Barcelona was well located. The included meals were good to very good except for the one in Seville.
Warning: This tour potentially includes a lot of walking. We don't mind, but it could be a problem for some.
Cons: The first hotel room we had was a handicap room with two beds pushed together. The only window was a view of a stairwell. I was disappointed with the tour to Gibraltar, although this may be due more to my personal expectations. It was a shame we could not ride the cable cars. In general, we wish we had more free time for shopping and seeing things on our own, but this seems to be the case with all the organized tours we have been on."

"Beautiful. Great food. New friends. Will go on another tour."