 |
|
 Languages Spoken: Greek 99% (official), English, French.
 Religions: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
 People and Culture: It's getting harder to find the real thing-retsina-happy locals springing up to perform impromptu Greek dancing-although there are shows put on for tourists. However, the Greeks are all Zorba at heart-open and sociable, loving to tell stories and watch the world go by. The Greek version of café culture is irresistible. The men of the country seem to sit sipping strong Greek coffee or glasses of ouzo all day long. Join them! As in many hot countries, the Greeks take a siesta in the middle of the day, with shops closing around noon and opening again in the early evening. The north coast of Crete is Venetian in its architecture. The farther east you go, the stronger is the middle eastern influence in food and lifestyle: the Greeks live a fascinating fusion of European and Middle Eastern cultures.
A resident or national of Greece is called "Greek". The Term used to describe things from here is "Greek". For example, "Greek food".
 Tipping and Bargaining: Tipping is practiced here. Most restaurants will add a service charge or a charge for bread, whether you eat it or not. Bargaining in bazaars and markets is quite acceptable but not in regular stores.
| Restaurants: |
5-10% in addition to service charge |
| *Porters: |
0.75 -1 Euro per bag |
| Taxi: |
Round Up |
* Try to use local currency. Foreign coins cannot be exchanged and will be useless to the person receiving them. Foreign paper money requires a trip to the bank for exchange. However paper US dollars are accepted almost universally.
 Food: Greek dishes are famous the world over, with tasty cheeses (feta is just one of many you'll enjoy when you get there), lamb a staple meat, and excellent fish, especially in the south. The cuisine is slightly middle eastern in its spices, with rice and potatoes the basic starches. Don't be fooled by the quality of the bread in caféneions - get some from a bakery, add olives, cheese and wine from a market nearby, and enjoy the best picnic you've ever eaten! Speaking of "the best": the yogurt is to die for! Fruit and yogurt make a marvellous breakfast. In the restaurants, it's usual to sit outdoors. But first, go to the kitchen and have a look at the dishes on offer for the day. Fresh Mediterranean fish, lamb, often barbecued, and kebabs are standard fare-and all delicious. A favourite and versatile vegetable is the eggplant. Roasted potatoes and rice are eaten daily, and salads often feature dark kalamata olives-though many other varieties will appeal to you too. Choose what you want, and it'll be brought to your table. Ignore that cat! Not all Greek wines travel well, so you may only recognize a few varieties. But in their homeland, they are all worth trying, and few are expensive. After your meal, have baklava, a honey-soaked pastry with walnuts, for dessert. The Greeks eat at nine or later-keep in mind that they consider hot food unhealthy. Ask for café frappe too. In Athens, Kolonaki (up-scale) and Plaka (where Socrates and Plato ate!) are good destinations. On the islands, don't be afraid to leave the port areas and head back into the towns for places the Greeks themselves frequent-the food will be of better quality.
|
|
One moment please ...
Verifying email address with email provider.
If this process takes longer than 1 minute you will need to communicate your needs to the site administrators personaly via email, posted mail or by phone. |
|
