I like reading, free diving and hiking. But my favorite thing to

"I like reading, free diving and hiking. But my favorite thing to do is travel anywhere in Greece. I love everything about that place." Thus spoke Max Irons, and in his words we hear the timeless call of a land that has stirred the imagination of poets, philosophers, and wanderers for thousands of years. For Greece is not merely a place upon a map—it is a living treasury of memory, myth, and beauty. To declare love for it is to honor not only its seas and mountains, but the spirit of civilization itself, which was nurtured in its soil.

The ancients knew Greece as the cradle of wisdom and courage. It was the land where Homer sang of gods and heroes, where Socrates questioned men into truth, where Pericles spoke of democracy as a shining flame, and where Alexander dreamed of a world made one. To travel anywhere in Greece is not simply to move from place to place, but to walk in the footprints of giants, to breathe the air that carried the voices of philosophers, playwrights, and warriors. Each stone whispers of glory, each wave carries the memory of Odysseus.

Irons speaks of reading, free diving, and hiking, yet places Greece above them all. This is no accident. For in Greece, all these pursuits are gathered into one: to read is to stand where libraries of Alexandria and Athens once gathered thought; to dive is to sink into the same waters where ancient triremes once cut the seas; to hike is to climb the same hills where temples rose to the heavens. Greece unites the pleasures of the body with the nourishment of the spirit. That is why it captivates those who wander its paths.

History offers us examples of those who felt the same pull. Lord Byron, the great poet, left England to fight for Greek independence in the 19th century, declaring his soul belonged to the land of gods and heroes. He loved not only the ruins, but the living people who carried forward the torch of Hellenic spirit. His sacrifice became a symbol of devotion to the ideals that Greece represents: freedom, beauty, and the indomitable soul of a people who, even in hardship, preserved their light.

Children of tomorrow, learn from this: there are places upon the earth that hold more than scenery—they hold meaning. To love such a place is not shallow sentiment, but an awakening to the roots of humanity’s greatness. Greece is such a place, but each person may find their own Greece, a land that speaks to their spirit and reminds them of who they are. When you find it, cherish it, return to it, and let it shape your heart.

Practical wisdom lies at hand. Seek not only the wonders of distant lands, but seek to understand them. When you travel, do not look only with your eyes—listen with your heart. Walk among ruins not as a tourist, but as a pilgrim to wisdom. Dive into seas with reverence, for they carry echoes of ancient oars. Climb mountains not only for the view, but for the silence in which the gods once dwelt. Let travel teach you, not only amuse you, and you will return home greater than when you left.

Thus the lesson is clear: to love Greece is to love more than a nation—it is to love the very idea of beauty, thought, and freedom that has guided mankind for centuries. Max Irons’ words remind us that travel, when filled with reverence, is not escape but return: a return to the roots of our shared humanity. Let each of us find such a place, and let it remind us to live with courage, with wonder, and with love for the world that shaped us.