While I like to cover as much as possible directly, the monastic Republic of Mount Athos in Northern Greece is permanently off limits to me as a woman. So it was a pleasure to find this evocative piece on a Journey to Mount Athos.

More on Mount Athos: Mount Athos - A Taste of Monastic Life for Some

On December 2nd, 1885, Greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis was born in Heraklion, Crete. Some sources give February 18th as his birthdate, and still others suggest he was born in 1883 instead. For the writer of "Zorba the Greek" and "The Last Temptation of Christ", who constantly courted controversy, these disagreements over even fundamental facts must make him smile.

We have to wait until December 16th for the Mamma Mia the Movie DVD and specially-encoded interactive Blu-ray Disc . But it was just released in the UK, where it is the fastest-selling DVD ever and has already sold close to two million copies, easily knocking the previous bestseller, Titanic, right into the water. Before you rush to try and find a copy to buy on-line, remember the UK version is on the PAL video system, and so it won't play over here unless you have a multi-region DVD player.

• Mamma Mia The Movie - Film Locations in Greece
• Mamma Mia Photo Gallery
• Mamma Mia the Movie - Soundtrack
• Kalokairi - The Mythical Mamma Mia Island and How to Go There

Don't get me wrong - home is a wonderful place and family holidays are terrific. But here at the Travel Channel, we're willing to look at some sparkling alternatives. Of course if you live in one of these places already, you're ahead of the game. But stop on by at the About.com Travel Channel Holiday Blog Carnival and consider a few options. Now, obviously, it's not a competition for Best Destination, but personally, I'm quite taken with the idea of Christmas in Athens.