To me, there is no place in the world that is more beautiful then Greece. Perhaps it is my fascination with the culture of one of the most advanced and prolific Ancient civilizations that draws me to Greece and the Greek Islands. Whatever it is, Acorn Media has done an exceptional job of capturing the spirit of Greece on this DVD, Visions of Greece.

The main program originally aired on public television. You will be guided from Athens through various regions of Greece and across brilliant blue waters that surround the Greek Islands. The narrator has a pleasant, European accented voice (I’m assuming she is Greek) as she rolls the complicated names of cities, towns, and ancient ruins off her tongue with ease and perfect pronunciation.

The main program travels through eight different sections, regions, and Island locations with multiple cities, towns and areas explored in each chapter of the Visions of Greece program. Some of the areas explored include Crete, Delos, Sifnos, Mycenae, the ruins of Olympia, Delphi, Thessaloniki, Athens, Santorini, the island of Lesbos, Ionina, Corinth Canal, Egina, Rhodes (where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood), and Kavala.

The picture quality of this documentary style film is superb. Taken from a helicopter mounted camera, the aerial view that is offered provides a panoramic view of each Greek location. The narrator not only discusses the history of the area and any special facts that pertain to the founding of the location, she also provides information on the current purpose or special present day facts that pertain to the area. This provides a thorough overview on each region as well as a portrait of what things might have been like for the Ancients.

As if this is not enough information on Greece, there is also a bonus feature after Visions of Greece is over. This bonus program is called Visions of Greece: Off the Beaten Path. Set to lively, traditional and modern sounding Greek music, the helicopter mounted camera allows you to explore more of Greece without narration. This offers close to an hour of additional “visions” of Greece. If you haven’t already fallen in love with the land that was home to the first democratic civilization on Earth, you will after watching this DVD!

Visions of Greece: Off the Beaten Path features images of Agios Nikolaos, Hania, Mount Athos, Kos, the Port of Simi, the Towers of Mani, Larisa Castle, the Temple of Zeus, Lake Kastoria, Vai Bay, the Ruins at Gortyna, the Southern Coast, Mount Olympus, Lefkada, the Ruins at Sparta, and much more. You will explore parts of Greece that most travelers rarely get the chance to see and throughout this entire bonus feature you will have a bird’s eye view.

There was only one complaint I had about this DVD. It’s a relatively minor complaint, though it is something that is most likely an easy fix. On my television (I have a 31” Toshiba so I’m not sure if that affects things) the words on the screen telling the name of certain regions are half on and half off the screen. I tried to zoom in and out on my television and nothing fixed this problem. However, this didn’t affect my viewing pleasure much, at all. If you enjoy both history and the exploration of beautiful lands you need to check out Visions of Greece. You will not be disappointed!

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Technorati Tags: Visions of Greece, Acorn Media, DVD Review, Documentary, Greek Cities

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