Grecian Formulas

Really enjoyed the article on Greece (“The Real World of Mythic Greece,” Nov. 19). We just returned from nearly the same trip.

For those who don’t have 10 days and $4,000 (for two people) I recommend Ulysses Tours’ (telephone [800] 431-1424) “Five-Day Classical Tour & Meteora.” The tour covers the same areas the writer visited, plus the Byzantine monasteries at Meteora (near Kalabaka). Cost was $490 per person. Each night we stayed at an Amalia hotel, all of which were delightful and definitely first class.

Besides this tour, we also chartered a sailboat and spent an outstanding week sailing the Sporades Islands, much less touristy than Mykonos and the other better-known islands.

KARL V. TURNER JR.

Long Beach

What a pleasant surprise opening up my L.A. Times and reading about Karen Bartlett’s trip to Greece. I traveled to those same cities and could swear that those photos were taken from my own scrapbook.

I, too, like Ms. Bartlett, was wary of going on a group tour but decided to anyway; I was pleased with the results (though I could have used a proper full-size bed). Nothing can beat waking up in the morning, looking out your Athens hotel window and seeing the Acropolis in all its glory rising above the city. I would include one more stop on any future traveler’s tour: Meteora with its breathtaking cliffs.

NANCINE HAYDEN

Ojai