It has been interesting getting to see a tiny portion of Greece. While we can’t generalize to the whole country (mainland and multiple islands), we have found it to be study in contrasts.
People — all of the people with whom we have interacted with have been really, really nice. They have been very patient and helpful with us as we didn’t have time to try to master their language before we came. Almost all Greeks, at least in the urban and suburban areas we have been in, speak English. One of the retailers in the local bakeries has taken to teaching the Texans a couple of words — Yeia soy! (Hello — sounds like achoo but is said Yasoo) and Kalimera (Good Morning — pronounced a bit like the English word for squid — calimeray). On the other hand, Greeks drive like bats out of hell — zipping down main thoroughfares as well as through neighborhoods at ungodly speeds. They will also nearly drive up on you on the sidewalks if they need a parking place.
Infrastructure — They have it all. They have old buildings, embassies, shiny new homes shops, as well as shells of buildings that have been abandoned or never got to be used (some resulting from the financial crisis impact). These are often found right next to each other.
Even the Olympic Stadium from 2004 is a study in contrasts. You can see the amazing architecture, and some buildings are apparently still being used, but the grounds are unkempt and some of the facades are peeling and rusting. When we visited yesterday, it felt a bit like walking through a modern sports ghost town. On the otherhand, we checked out a huge mega mall (creatively called “The Mall”) one metro stop away from the stadium, and it was shiny, airy, and quite busy.
On another fun note about little everyday differences, in doing the laundry at the house the other day we were charmed to hear the lovely little song that is played at the end of the cycle. So much nicer than our American buzzer on our machine. The house we are caring for is also right across the street from a school, and the “bells” used to indicate transition between class sessions sounds like a very loud doorbell. (We had originally assumed one of the neighbors must be hard of hearing.)
The weather is finally turning in our favor, so we’re hoping to explore a bit more of the area. Two recent fun finds — the local market and finally getting to see some of the surrounding mountains.
Peckish Travels 