“It takes a lifetime for someone to discover Greece, but it only takes an instant to fall in love with her.” These words by Henry Miller so accurately capture the essence of Greek culture and history, the awe inspiring beauty of the land and the sea, and the deeply rooted pride and kindness of her people. I’m well short of a lifetime of knowledge after a 2 week visit to Galatas, Poros, Santorini, and Ios, but I can whole heartedly agree with how easy it is to fall in love with Greece. With 9000 years of known history, 227 inhabited islands (out of 6000), and 8500 miles of coastline, perhaps a lifetime isn’t even enough time to truly discover all that is Greece but how much fun to try! I’ve got more blogs coming about the specific locations I visited, but here are some helpful hints and general observations to get you started.
Getting there and getting around:
Numerous airlines fly into the Athens airport, and I selected mine based on arrival time to get to my destination in the daylight. The airport is very easy to navigate with departures upstairs and arrivals downstairs, lots of signage, free wifi that even works sometimes, and fast shoes-on security. Public transportation is the cheapest way to get around Greece, and it’s helpful to familiarize yourself with the metro and bus routes before arriving. For many using the ferries, the X96 bus can be found to the right after exiting the airport and leaves for Pireaus Port about every 20 minutes. The cost is 6 euros for the approximately 1 hour trip. You will need to buy a ticket from the booth then validate it on the blue box inside the bus (use the red box on the return trip, based on the size/type of ticket). Other local buses I used in Santorini and Ios cost 1.80 to 2.30 euros and you pay the attendant on the bus. You will have to have some familiarity with where you are going to know which side of the road to stand on. I didn’t use the metro as I did not stay in Athens much having been many years back. The ferries are the most popular way to island hop, and I used www.greeka.com to get the schedule and cost info, then booked directly through the ferry company site. I was uncertain whether to book in advance but was advised to do so. You definitely can’t count on them to run exactly on schedule or sometimes at all based on weather conditions or employee strikes so allow yourself plenty of time and be willing to go with the flow. Your ticket will state the gate to use at Pireaus, with E8 being the one most often used for passenger ferries and located directly across the street from the bus stop. Visit your company’s ticket booth to exchange your printed copy for an actual ticket, and they will direct you where to wait and board. I used both Hellenic Seaways and SeaJets and found them both comparable. Sometimes you sit in your assigned seat (smaller boats) and sometimes they say to just pick any in your fare class. The large highspeed ferries were not what I expected from previous ferry trips (open air bench seating), but rather were all enclosed, seating hundreds of people in comfortable airplane-like seats, with food and beverage kiosks and even duty free shopping. I was able to keep my backpack with me, but there are luggage storage areas. Pay attention to the stop announcements as yours may be further down the route. For one of my island stops, I did take a short domestic flight as it’s not possible to go from the Saronic Islands to the Cycladic Islands without going back through Pireaus/Athens, and the afternoon ferry would have me arriving late in the evening. I used Sky Express which offers all its passengers lounge access with food and drinks, perhaps so you don’t notice the flight delays which are common. Locally you will be able to rent a car, scooter, or atv depending on your destination, and overall I did not feel Greece was a scary place to drive compared to other places around the world, though I opted to hoof it because I love walking and hiking. I always felt safe walking around alone in my island destinations but of course kept my guard up and expect major cities such as Athens to require more caution. Greece has a busy summer season tapering off in September, after which some businesses will close during the slow season and transportation routes will run less often. That being said, I understand spring and fall are some of the most beautiful times to visit as well as avoid the crowds.
Money Talks:
Greece is on the Euro which at the time of my recent trip was valued at 1.19 USD. I committed the major travel faux paus of exchanging in the airport before I left the US at a rate of 1.37 and costing me a $10 fee (ouch). Your cheapest option is using the atm upon arrival for a better rate and lower fee. Sometimes the atms do not work and you may have to visit a couple. In a more remote area, you could be out of luck entirely, so plan accordingly. Visa and Mastercard are often accepted at business establishments, and it would definitely be beneficial to get one the cards without foreign transaction fees (plus many other travel benefits). Also, call your financial institutions before you leave to let them know you will be using your cards outside of the country so they don’t cut you off.
Food and Drink:
One of the first warnings I received was to not drink the water. Bottled water is available everywhere for a range of pricing depending on location. Though safe for showering and brushing your teeth, the water has a hard quality due to mineral content which can leave a residue after cleaning. While we’re on beverages, Greece has some local beers like Fix, Mythos, and others, but I’m not a beer drinker so can’t offer any recommendations. There are also many wineries across the country, and I’ll tell you about my vineyard tours in the upcoming blogs. Menus often offer table wine so be specific if you want a glass or carafe which may come in ¼, ½, or 1 Liter to share with your companions (or not). These wines are very inexpensive depending on location and very tasty. After dinner at a traditional restaurant you may be offered a small glass of something sweet, but never ouzo, ouzo is for tourists! It is widely known that Greek food is some of the most delicious in the world. The portions are huge and can often be shared to try many of the dishes. One popular appetizer is anchovies, often cooked ceviche style with the acids in lemon juice. It may surprise most Americans that hummus is never on the menu nor is there any lettuce in a Greek Salad. Greek dining is a very social experience with large tables of friends and family sharing many beautiful dishes. As such, the servers do not disrupt you often as well as get quite busy in high season, so you may need to wave them down. Tip is usually not included in the bill nor is it expected, but a small gesture of 5 to 10% is appreciated for good service. I started seeing requests for tips on the credit card machine in the more touristy areas (they will bring or you will go up front to use a handheld credit card machine). Restaurants are also required to drop a bill off somewhere on your table as soon you order. Lunch and dinner times are a little later than in other parts of the world, usually around 2 or 3 and 9 or 10 respectively. Some businesses, usually retail, may even close in the late afternoon/evening for siesta and on Sundays. You should also consider getting a reservation in high season or the more popular areas. Be aware that smoking is allowed at outdoor tables. Feral cats are also quite prevalent and frequent the restaurants hoping for a bite. It’s best not to feed them as they will lose their ability to fend for themselves, especially when businesses close for the winter. One issue I ran into was dining solo. As dining is such a social event in Greece, they can be openly surprised at a table request for one. Sometimes I was even ignored because they assumed I was waiting for someone rather than ready to order despite the obvious cues of looking at a menu. I would end up with larger portions of table wine than I intended or not brought my complete order, which I would chalk up to their cultural assumption that I would be joined later by a companion or 10 (or perhaps it was just bad service). Either way, the food was always delicious and the people kind and generous in sharing their food culture.
Potty Time:
Seems reasonable after a food and beverage discussion to talk about bathrooms. The hardest habit to learn is not flushing toilet paper but rather placing it in the trashcan provided. And if there’s a way to do it without hopping around with your pants down because the trashcan is behind you, I haven’t figured it out. Also, some of my hotel showers only provided a hand-held sprayer with no option for hanging it above your head, which resulted in a full bathroom water massacre. I also could never figure out which of the doors to lock as public restrooms usually have a separated common sink area and toilet area. So yeah, Greek bathrooms are my awkward place.
Culture:
The Greek culture runs very deep, and they are happy and proud to share it with you. No matter where you go, the males of the older generation will be gathered around the table talking emphatically all day long, while the women are doing the same back home between household duties. Of course this does not apply to everyone, especially since most businesses are family run so it’s all hands on deck. Another prevalent aspect of Greek culture is their faith, and beautiful churches of all sizes can be spotted everywhere including completely isolated hard to reach locations with the best views. Also noted were small roadside memorials to honor either the loss or sparing of life at that spot on the curvy road. Though English is almost always spoken, particularly in business establishments, it was nice to learn a few Greek phrases. I used the free version of the Nemo app which covered the basic greetings and pleasantries. Parakalo (you’re welcome).
So there’s just a little bit to whet your appetite until my next blogs featuring the places I visited. I hope in my jet lagged stupor something useful has been communicated while I’m waiting for my 1500 photos to download!