About me and the blog

How I got bitten by the travel bug

I was born and live in Athens, but my family has roots in many places. From Istanbul and Russia to Romania and even New Zealand. Needless to say, my ancestry test results were very interesting!

As you might expect, I grew up in an environment of different cultures and languages, as well as foods and traditions. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that I speak six languages.

On top of that, my parents liked to travel too and always took me along. For instance, I wasn’t even 5 years old when I flew on an airplane for the first time. It was an incredible, unforgettable experience for me. Probably the reason why I love airplanes to this day!

Moreover, when I was 14, we went on a big road trip from Athens to Austria. We visited Nis, Belgrade, and Ljubljana, we toured Austria from one side to the other and even went on day trips to Germany, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland. It was a great experience for a teenager.

Shortly after finishing school, at 18, I went on my first solo trip abroad, to London, UK. I planned everything myself, from plane tickets to day trips to budget. I loved the independence of solo travel and how you get to set your own schedule.

And, if you’re open to making new friends from all ages and backgrounds, you’re never alone for long. All it takes is a day trip to, say, Windsor Castle, some nice American older ladies on the bus, and a break for tea with scones, jam, and cream 😁

Or, a day trip to Versailles palace from Paris, two American girls on the train with you (again with the Americans!), and you being the only one in this little group who speaks French. Win-win.

How I got into blogging

As a kid, I was attracted to all the professions that had an element of traveling: journalist, diplomat, missionary (I went to a private, girls-only, school run by nuns – don’t judge!). Even National Geographic photographer was an option!

But, social norms influenced younger me into studying something “more responsible”. In other words, boring Business Administration. I almost called it quits in the middle of my studies and tried a few other things (East Asian Studies! Accounting! Modern Languages!), before finally returning to get my degree. Meanwhile, I travelled abroad at every opportunity.

As if getting a degree in Business wasn’t enough, I wanted to go on to postgraduate studies. So, a few years later, I found myself with two Master’s degrees but without any wish to work at a cubicle job whatsoever.

Once again, I tried my hand at a few more things (that I also found boring). All this time, travel, language learning, computing, and photography were my life constants. I even flew from Athens to Toronto just to attend a science-fiction convention!

And then, in 2012, I found out about blogging. Finally, a job that felt cut out for me. Of course, I wouldn’t just stick to the first blog I created, right? So, once more, I went through a few experiments, before settling on Flying Fork Tales.

About the blog

I started this blog during the first Covid lockdowns. Which seems overly optimistic; to start a blog about travel at a time when the whole planet shut down and remained indoors. But, I was right in thinking that eventually we would travel again, wasn’t I?

At any rate, I created this blog to share with fellow travel enthusiasts the experiences and insights from my travels. My aspiration is that my experience will give you all the tools and info to make planning your next trip a breeze.

From pretty boutique hotels to the best local dishes to try and more. Always with respect to the environment and local communities. Let’s not forget that we are visiting guests wherever we go. Kind travelers are happy travelers!