Hello and Kalimera (Good morning) from Athens, Greece!
Today, I waved goodbye to a group of wonderful Wheelchair Travel readers from Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, who have spent the past ten days with me enjoying a unique tour itinerary through Greece — from the capital city of Athens to the northern port city of Thessaloniki and multiple stops in between. It was my first of three Wheelchair Travel Group Trips in Greece this year, and it was truly a trip to remember!
In this newsletter, I would like to reflect a bit on our journey, share some thoughts about a major world event and take a quick peek at what's on the horizon.
A Macedonian villa, English classes and the marvels of Ancient Greece
I first began writing this email from a beautiful wheelchair accessible hotel, located in an authentic Greek village where the owner, Mr. Fortis, tells me he wanted to create a place "where no one would be turned away." My group was the first English-speaking group to visit the hotel, a small villa with just 15 rooms, all of which have accessibility features like grab bars and a roll-in shower.
After reservations were made for my three groups last year, the hotel's managing director, Kula, set out to learn English in preparation for our arrival — she wanted to be more welcoming to our guests. Kula was a wonderful host, and the environment truly felt like home to me and, dare I say, for us all. More than one of my travelers left teary eyed after we said our goodbyes, and I was moved myself.
We each enjoyed a private balcony overlooking the Aegean Sea and Mount Olympus in the distance, and the hotel was a wonderful place to return after visiting the archaeological sites, museums and tourist attractions in the regions of Pella, Thessaloniki and Vergina, among others. The olive trees, poppies and beautiful vistas that surrounded us were rejuvenating!
I look forward to returning with groups of Wheelchair Travel readers in June and September, and I hope to bring more of you to Greece in 2026.
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I am traveling to Greece twice more this year and, since you will see a lot of Greek content, I will focus on just a couple of highlights from each trip.
One of the most incredible experiences was our tour of the museum and ancient ruins in Pella, a city founded in the 4th century BC. It was at one time the richest city in all of Macedonia. The birthplace of Philip II and Alexander the Great, Pella enjoyed high status for more than 200 years, until it was sacked by the Romans in the Third Macedonian War. Other cities took up the mantle thereafter, including Thessaloniki, which we also visited on this tour.
In Pella, we were able to roll amidst the ruins, seeing and touching the ancient walls and columns that have been preserved over millennia. Chrisa, an archaeologist and our expert guide, described the surroundings in such vivid detail so as to rebuild the city in our minds.
When I approached my local partners to build a Greek itinerary for the Wheelchair Travel Groups, I insisted that we think outside of the box. I sought to deliver a bespoke, wheelchair accessible group itinerary that no other company had offered before. That is how we found ourselves in the small village of Rachi in the foothills of Mount Olympus, population 371.
There we enjoyed a lunch of locally-sourced vegetables, meats and cheeses, paired with wines from the village winery. As we enjoyed our meal and each other's company, we heard the sounds of children playing in the streets, of nearby chickens and roosters, of birds chirping and, finally, a Spotify soundtrack of Greek music to complete the vibe.
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The American Pope
I have frequently shared my love for the Italian capital, the "Eternal City," as a premier destination for travelers visiting Europe, highlighting the long list of wheelchair accessible things to do in Rome and its proximity to Vatican City.
In my April 28 newsletter, I expressed sadness at the death of Pope Francis, who I was honored to meet in 2022. He left big shoes to fill and, on Thursday, the College of Cardinals elected a new man — an American, a dual citizen of the United States and Peru — to serve as the next Bishop of Rome.
There is a certain excitement in having someone from my country sit in the Chair of Saint Peter, to be sure, but as someone so interested in accessible travel and promoting Equal Access Everywhere, I can't help but think of Pope Leo XIV's election as an opportunity to advocate for expanded access in Vatican City. Advocate I shall!
There is so much work to be done, so many improvements in access that are possible — and perhaps, I hope and pray, it could be the American Pope who will hear the calls for greater accessibility in the Vatican city-state and in the wider Church. Wishful thinking, perhaps, but Pope Leo XIV comes from the land of the Americans with Disabilities Act, a law that continues to serve as a model for accessibility that other countries would do well to follow.
Looking ahead
As I wait to board my flight back to the United States, I am looking forward to giving Stevie and Robert a huge hug (we've been apart for more than two weeks!), but I am also eager to get caught up on email and make progress on some exciting new content. Here's what is on the agenda:
- A new travel guide: I mentioned my recent trip to Nuremberg, Germany in the last newsletter, and I'm working to put the finishing touches on a guide that will help you plan travel to this beautiful city that is full of history.
- Family Travel: In the next newsletter, I will focus on the second half of our family trip to Europe, where Stevie, Robert and I visited Innsbruck, Austria. It's an incredible destination with many wheelchair accessible things to do for people of all ages.
- Wheelchairs in the Airplane Cabin: I recently published three stories from a major aviation conference, but I'd like to dig deeper in my analysis of that products that would bring a wheelchair space to airplanes, while answering some of the questions you've sent me. Look out for that soon!
The wi-fi on today's flight from Athens to New York will be too slow for working, so I have downloaded an audiobook: A Brief History of Ancient Greece. Over these past ten days, I realized that I do not know nearly as much as I thought I knew about Greek history, so this book should get me up to speed before I return to Athens with another group in just three weeks!
Talk to you soon,
— John
