Greeks have always been travelers and explorers. Perhaps it was
their restive nature, their innate curiosity about the world
beyond or maybe it was just their adventuresome spirit. Ancient
Greek traders set out to explore the world around them, to find
new trade routes and to colonize areas that would expand their
military and economic power. Wherever they went, Greeks brought
a little bit of Greece with them. These connections in the form
of religion, language, and customs, have been maintained with
varying degrees of success. What is particularly impressive is
that some communities have been able to do so for centuries and
are still recognizable as essentially Greek. Recently, I
stumbled upon a blog that features travelogues by a young Greek
who wanders throughout the "Greek world." When I refer to the
Greek World, I refer, of course,to the many places where "Greek"
communities outside of Greece still survive. As the editor
points out: "What the people of these Hellenic communities have
achieved seems to de