If you’ve ever Googled anything about travel in Greece, you’ve almost certainly read the words of Matt Barrett. Matt’s website, greecetravel.com, has been going for almost thirty years and always features highly in the search results. Whether you want to know about Music in Greece, Traveling with Children, or Archaeological Sites, Matt’s website has you covered. Maybe if we can keep going for thirty years, we too can become so comprehensive!
I emailed Matt to ask if he might be willing to answer a few questions for our newsletter, about his websites (oh yes, he’s got others), his love of Greece, and how it all came about. I assumed he would be far too busy to even get back to me, but he replied immediately, and answered the questions the same day. Well, you know what they say - if you want something doing, ask a busy person.
How did you first come to visit Greece?
My father got a job teaching at the University of Athens through a Fulbright Grant in 1963. We stayed a year and then after we moved back to the USA he got a job at the American Community Schools of Athens and we lived there from 1968 to 1974.
When did you start your first website about Greece, and why?
I started this current website at www.greecetravel.com in 1996. There may have been an earlier version on AOL for a couple of months. Some of my information I’d written in the 1980s when the University of North Carolina basketball team played in a tournament in Athens and I knew one of the coaches and he asked me to write everything I knew about Athens. A few years later that developed into my Athens Survival Guide. (www.athensguide.com)
Do you still divide your time between the USA and Greece?
Yes, usually 3 or 4 months in Greece
I read in an interview that you were a musician. Do you still play?
I don’t play live anymore but I have a website for my music that is somewhat active: www.mattbarrett.net/music.
Why did you decide to start a separate website devoted to the island of Lesvos? What’s special about Lesvos for you?
My wife’s family came from Lesvos and we spent a month there every summer and I had nothing to do but eat, drink ouzo, swim and write about it.
You also have websites now about Paris and Turkey. Why those two places?
Paris because I stop there sometimes on the way to and from Greece and assume other people do too.
Istanbul because I went a few times and loved it and lots of people were asking me about it so I made the website: www.greecetravel.com/turkey/istanbul.
Do you have any idea how many web pages you've written about Greece?
A thousand? I don’t know. I never counted them. [According to Google, his Greece site alone has over 5,000 pages. By way of comparison, Greece Travel Secrets has 453 pages!]
Where do you plan to visit this year?
I never know until I get there. I am not a good planner and I am not that good a traveler either.
Favourite Greek food...
Paidaikia, Provatina and Katsiki Lemonato
Favorite Greek drink...
Kidonitsa and Assyrtiko from Monemvasia by Tsimbides and Petrouliano by Vatista. All white wines from the Peloponnesos. Also Agios Augustos Assyrtiko from Art Space Winery in Santorini.
Favourite place...
Believe it or not Kypseli, Athens. But if you want me to choose a place that is more of a destination then Lesvos.
Favourite book about Greece..
Zorba or anything by Kazantzakis.
Our grateful thanks to Matt for sparing the time to tell us a bit more about himself and his websites.
Till next time.
Mike and Donna
So much good information here! I love that he’s so “I’m not a good planner or traveler” 🤣 Great interview!