Since Christ had yet to make His appearance, none of the original Athenians could have believed in Him. In Athens, the fate of the people was in the hands of Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, Hera, Athena and a host of other gods and goddesses, all residing on the snow-capped peaks of Mt. Olympus. Unlike North America, the historical sites here are several thousand years old, rather than several hundred. Walking along Adrianou between Monastiraki and Thissio, parallel to the Agora, one can view ruins that are more than 2400 years old. Simply learning that the adjectives for natural mineral water in Greek are metalliko (mineral) and physiko (natural) makes one realize how much Ancient Greece has impacted modern Western culture.
Due to Greece's location, off the beaten path from the rest of Europe (being surrounded by war-torn and developing former Eastern Bloc countries), one doesn't arrive in Greece by accident. Although Greece's economy is supported by sun-seeking Germans, Scandinavians, British and Americans, there are many other reasons to come here besides sitting on a beach. Greece is full of history, culture, art, and stunning scenery, including cliffs, gardens with the ever-present bougainvillea, sun-bleached whitewashed houses, and blue-domed Greek Orthodox churches.
The beaches aren't bad either. The water in this locale comes in shades of aquamarine and turquoise any Caribbean destination would be proud of. I hate to admit it but after the wettest winter in the history of Northern California, our main agenda for visiting Greece was solely to lie on the beach. Your Greek hosts will, mostly, be a friendly group who have continuously inhabited the land and speak a language that has been around for 2,500 years.
Of course, the majority of Greek visitors are on their way to an island paradise, be it the popular tourist destinations of Santorini, Mykonos or Paros, or further off the beaten track in the Cyclades, the Dodacanese, Sporades or the Ionian islands. The islands will not disappoint, especially if one has seen nothing but rain from January through the end of May, courtesy of el niño. The islands, as a rule, tend to have sunny, dry weather in the summer months and the beaches are wonderful. Unlike American beaches, there are concessionaires even on what would seem like a place too remote for such who are always willing to rent you a beach chair and umbrella or sell you a soda. Additionally, the summertime temperatures of the waters of the Mediterranean and the Aegean Seas are warm and conducive to swimming (especially if one is used to the frigid waters of the Pacific).
What follows is my perspective of my time in Greece and a few tips for future travelers.
Language
Anyone who is putting off a trip to Greece because they are worried the natives don't speak English will have to find another excuse not to go. Several years of English is mandatory in all Greek primary schools and almost everyone in Greece speaks it, although it may be spoken less well and frequently off of the tourist path. English is the common denominator language for the tourist trade. We ran into Greeks who were fluent in other languages as well, including Italian, German, French, Spanish and even Polish.
Greece's national language is Greek, which uses a different alphabet and with its rough guttural sounds will sound quite foreign to English speakers. The Greek alphabet (Click here for guide) will appear alien to English speakers.
Here are a few basic Greek words.
yassou (giasou) - hello (singular)
yassas (giasas) - hello (plural)
kali spera (kalhspera) - good afternoon
kali mera (kalhmera) - good morning
ena (ena) - one
dio (duo) - two
tria (tria) - three
parakolo (parakalw) - please
efchristro (eufcaristw) - thank you
posso (poso) - how much
ne (nai) - yes
ochi (oci) - no
andron (ANDRWN) - MEN (helpful for finding toilet.)
yeenekon (GUNAIKWN) - WOMEN (likewise)
exodos (EXODOS) - EXIT
What to Bring
One word to those visiting in summer: sunscreen. Don't count on being able to buy quality sunscreen in Greece (Greeks define the term, "olive complexion") Being fair-skinned, I was suffering from sun poisoning by the end of the trip. A basic first aid kit with band aids and anti-bacterial ointment, and insect repellent would be good ideas. Remember to pack light. If travelling in the summer, Greece does not get cold, so a light sweater or windbreaker will be all you need for the cold (although if planning to sleep on the deck of a night ferry, you may wish to pack a sweater or flannel shirt). Greece's 2,500 year old street system has many stairs and uneven cobblestones which make pulling wheeled luggage a near impossibility. Trying to negotiate the black pumice cobblestone streets of Fira in Santorini was the clincher for Erin's decision to bring a backpack next time. Backpackers don't always get the best treatment from ferry and store staff, although Greece gets enough tourists with backpacks in the summer that they don't stand out the way Euro tourists with backpacks do in an urban center such as San Francisco.
Money
The monetary unit is the drachma (GDR), which on February 15, 1999, was trading at 286 to the dollar, or 466 to the British pound. Click here for today's exchange rate. Greece wants to become part of the European Monetary Union (EMU), which uses the Euro, but they still have to meet some economic requirements. One can change money in a European airport before arrival in Greece (for a price) or upon arrival in Greece. Once in Greece, post offices and banks provide the best exchange rates. Travel agents also will change money for a commission. Additionally in Athens and the larger islands, there are ATM's, that have menus in Greek and in English. Our experience was that they don't always work. In Greece, strikes can occur at any time and without warning. We were unable to change currency in a bank due to a strike and might have been out of luck were we on a smaller island than Santorini, which has a single ATM in Fira.
Coins come in units of 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10 drachmas (and probably smaller although we didn't see any). Notes come in 10,000; 5,000; 1,000; 500; 200 and 100 drachmas. Be advised that not everyone has change for less than 50 drachmas in which case the merchant or bus conductor will round up. A bigger nuisance is presented by unscrupulous merchants, who might try to short-change you (as happened with us by an ice cream vendor in Plaka in Athens). Count your change before leaving the counter and if you are expecting change for a large note such as a 10,000 drachma note, ask if the merchant if he or she can change it first, forcing acknowledgement that you are paying with that denomination, otherwise they you might get change for a smaller note. In Greece, the customer is not always right.
Accommodations
The tourist industry, a major source of Greece's GDP, is taken very seriously. Hotels are classified by a letter system: Luxury, A, B, C (G), D (D), and E. The hotels are certified under rigorous requirements by the government and certain requirements must be met, e.g. for A class, the front desk staff must speak at least 3 languages in addition to Greek. A price range is set by law based on class, in descending order from Luxury class. Some of the more popular resorts can skirt the upper limit using legal loopholes, such as adding in a mandatory breakfast. For example, while C class accommodations for the 2 of us were $40 or $45 per night for a double in Athens and Folegandros, in Santorini the price was $85 per night for a C class hotel.
In addition to the classed hotels, there are pensions, which are smaller and may be in a private residence. More informal still, are domatia (domatia) or rooms in a private home. New arrivals on the ferry or off the bus in Fira town on Santorini will be accosted ruthlessly by people renting rooms. If you need a room, be sure to have seller show you where it is relative to the center of town on a map to avoid being out in the middle of nowhere. If you don't need a room, your best strategy is to walk rapidly and avoid eye contact or conversation with these folks. No must mean "I'm interested, please walk with me for the next ten minutes and tell me more," to the Greek seeking a customer.
Lastly, on the islands there are hostels and campgrounds. Although we didn't stay in any, they can be either clean no-frills accommodations or putrid, filthy pits. The hostel in Santorini appeared from the outside to be fairly clean. One danger in hostels or campgrounds is theft by other foreigners. Don't leave money or other valuables unsecured, or risk losing them.
Athens has abundant hotels although locations in Plaka, the central part of the historical city at the foot of the Acropolis will be at a premium both from a monetary and availability standpoint. Omonia Square in Athens has a reputation of being home to Greece's most skilled criminals, capable of slicing open a backpack and removing traveler cheques or cameras without the wearer knowing what happened. Stay here only if nothing available anywhere else in Athens.
If going to the islands, reservations may help if you are seeking more than spartan accommodations (C class or above). We booked our package through a Greek travel agent specializing in island travel based in Athens.
Taxis (TAXI)
Athens' taxi drivers have a reputation for being uncooperative and opportunistic. Although having only taken taxis twice in Athens, our drivers were polite and helpful, although they always wanted an amount higher than the meter due to additional charges for going to Piraeus (Athens harbor) or the airport and for baggage, without itemizing what the cost was. Because taxis are relatively cheap in Athens I didn't dispute the fares too much. There are two fares on the meter, be sure the driver sets it on 1 unless it's late at night or early in the morning for which 2, double the regular rate, is used.
Catching a taxi is another matter. Leaning one's head in or running alongside the cab and shouting your destination at the driver may successfully do this, if the driver is going your direction. Due to my lack of mastery of the Greek language, I had our hotel clerk call ahead on the two occasions we used the taxis. There is an additional fee of a few hundred drachmas for this but might be well worth it if there's more than one of you and you have luggage. It's always a good idea to ask the driver in advance how much the fare will be and confirm that that includes luggage and airport or ferry fees.
Ferries
Unless flying to an island destination blessed with a public airport, chances are you will be traveling by ferry if going to the islands. Although tickets can normally be purchased in Piraeus, the Athens port, at time of departure, ferries can sell out, especially on the weekends, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to purchase a ticket in advance through a travel agent. Prices are set by the Greek Tourist Authority to assure fairness in pricing, so the ticket to a specific destination will be the same regardless of carrier and issuer of ticket.
On a boat, there are normally 3 classes of travel. Deck class (G) is the most economical. The Deck Class traveler is not entitled to a berth, but may sleep in the passenger lounge, or on the deck if preferring not to contact-smoke a pack of cigarettes during the course of the night. If you don't specify, you will be sold a Deck Class ticket. Second class (B) will guarantee a stateroom with a berth for sleeping. First class (A) provides a roomier berth and access to the First Class lounge. If one is traveling overnight, it may be worthwhile to invest in a Second Class ticket to guarantee a bed.
In addition to the large fleet of ferries, there are a number of Flying Dolphin hydrofoils which travel at twice the speed as the ferries. The ride on the hydrofoils can be choppy and if the seas are rough, they don't sail. They are a good way of making a day trip to nearby island. Tickets are roughly twice as much as a conventional ferry.
Other Transportation
On buses and metro, always keep ticket until end of trip. Our tickets were checked randomly on the buses on Santorini. In Athens, validate ticket, using machine, either on bus or prior to getting on metro. Risk a fine if caught with ticket that hasn't been validated. Metro in Athens provides much cheaper alternative than taxi to get to Piraeus from central Athens (150 GDR verses 3000 GDR).
Food and Drink
Greek food is good and for the most part healthy. Because Greeks, like the French, insist on fresh ingredients, one can be fairly assured one's food will be made from freshest ingredients available. The best known Greek dishes are souvlaki (soublaki), barbecued pork kebabs and moussaka (mousakaV) a casserole of ground lamb, eggplant, cheese and tomatoes. Also good are Greek salad (cwriatikh) or choriatiki, which has olives, tomatoes and feta and if you are in the islands, the seafood, although you will pay more for it because the Mediterranean is slowly becoming fished out. If one wishes for good food at a reasonable price, one can opt for a taverna, which is an informal café, usually with a limited selection of excellent dishes.
Food sold by street vendors include gyros (guroV), sliced meat from a spit served with yogurt, tomatoes and onions on pita bread, tiropita (turopitta), a cheese pie, and spanikopita (spanakopitta), a spinach cheese pie.
Appetizers (orektika) or orektika are tasty and include octopus (ctapodi) or ochtapodi, dolmadakia (ntolmadakia), grape leaves stuffed with rice, onions and herbs, or keftedes (keftedeV), spiced meatballs. The following are puree mixtures that are spread on bread: tzatziki (tzatziki); a blend of yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil and mint; and chormous (coumouV), a blend of chickpeas, garlic, lemon and olive oil; and taramosalata (taramosalata), a blend of fish roe, bread olive oil and onions. These spreads are all garlicky and tasty. The bread, which comes with the spreads, is, like all Greek bread, fresh and very good. Bread is always brought to the table, but in true European custom, it is not included with the meal. You will be charged 100 to 200 GDR for it.
The national drink of Greece is ouzo (ouzo), a high octane anise-based firewater made from grape byproducts, which can be drunk straight or mixed with water (highly recommended!!), which turns it cloudy. Ouzo is normally consumed as an aperitif. To prevent one from getting hammered, it is advisable to eat mezzedes (mezedeV), which are tidbits or snacks, while drinking ouzo. The ouzo in Greece is better quality than the stuff one finds in the States. Ouzo is so revered in Greece that small cafes which sell it among other things, are called ouzeria (singular ouzeri) and are a good value for food if one isn't looking for a formal dining experience.
Wine (krasi) or krasi is a popular accompaniment to dinner. In Greece, both red and white wine are served chilled. There are some good Greek wines out there, however they taste a little different from what one may be used to if one is from the US or northern Europe. Retsina (retsina) is a white wine made in Attica which has pine resin added to it for flavor, giving it an astringent quality. You either love it (as I do) or hate it (as Erin does). One caution with Greek wine: several establishments served their house wine in pitchers the size of beer pitchers. The effects (and after-effects the following morning) from sharing one of these with only one other person are predictable, particularly if one has consumed free shots of God-knows-what, a temptation one will find in some of the clubs and bars on some of the wilder islands, such as Ios, Santorini and Paros.
Beer (mpura) pronounced "beer'ah" is available in Greece. Beer brewed in Greece includes Amstel (not the wimpy lite beer found in the States, although also brewed by a subsidiary of Brauerij Heineken) and Mythos. Strangely, beer costs the same as soda pop and is sold everywhere, including manned coolers set up on every sidewalk.