If you happened to watch the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", then you will know exactly what I am trying to say in the next couple of lines. The Greeks in general are not very different from the eccentric characters portrayed in that movie. The elderly Greeks are very socialising and you can always find them in groups chatting under the shades of a tree or at a cafeteria. They dont shy away from talking to foreign tourists, despite their lack of english vocabulary. I always found myself chatting to one of them at the restaurants or the train stops. Our conversations would start in English and when the threshold for English vocabulary had reached, they would switch to Greek without realising that I coulndt grasp a word (it all sounded Greek to me!). But they would make sure that you are able to follow them and their warmth would not put you off from that conversation of which you are not able to follow anything else apart from the emotions.
One interesting habit I noticed among the Greek men. Most of them always carry a string of beads in their hands and you can spot them playing around with it while at work, commuting, having a coffee or chatting with friends. I couldnt get the logic / science or legend behind this act. As I had posted before, the Greeks love their food (who wouldnt! with all those delicacies). While you walk around the Plaka, you are mobbed in a friendly manner by the waiters from the taverns, holding their menu cards and inviting you to dine at their place. Occasionally the wine/drinks are not charged along with the menu. While dinning you can sometimes listen to some pleasant Greek music played by a live band with their guitars and accordions.
The tourist crowd in European summer is as entertaining as the places you visit. A majority of the tourists are usually Americans. Some of them are families of European descent, visiting their motherlands along with their kids. But a majority of Americans are youngsters back-packing their vacation in European cities. Girls especially who love their shopping and naturally welcomed with beaming smiles in all the shopping stores. Among the younger crowds the Japenese also form a sizeable number. Usually vacationing in small groups of 4-5, the Japenese take their photographs with great zest and fervour. The Germans outnumber the other European tourists. You will usually find middle aged German couples having a quite summer urlaub in most of the places you travel. I havent seen many German youth in the tourist crowd so far.
An interesting point to be noted about Athens is the numerous stray dogs all over the streets. This is the first instance, where I noticed a sight common in sub-continental cities in a european city. The dogs are not harmful to the people, but when you are strolling around with a sandwich in hand, then for sure you are attracting unwanted attention by them. Another usual sight on the streets of Athens is the public street protests. They are as peaceful and orderly as they can be, but the size of the protesting crowd and their noise can sometimes raise an eyebrow. Walking on the streets of Athens, you would seldomly come across an unattractive lady, which is not surprising - after all this is the country of Helen of Troy. Remarkable beauty seems to be part and parcel of Greek genes.
One interesting habit I noticed among the Greek men. Most of them always carry a string of beads in their hands and you can spot them playing around with it while at work, commuting, having a coffee or chatting with friends. I couldnt get the logic / science or legend behind this act. As I had posted before, the Greeks love their food (who wouldnt! with all those delicacies). While you walk around the Plaka, you are mobbed in a friendly manner by the waiters from the taverns, holding their menu cards and inviting you to dine at their place. Occasionally the wine/drinks are not charged along with the menu. While dinning you can sometimes listen to some pleasant Greek music played by a live band with their guitars and accordions.
The tourist crowd in European summer is as entertaining as the places you visit. A majority of the tourists are usually Americans. Some of them are families of European descent, visiting their motherlands along with their kids. But a majority of Americans are youngsters back-packing their vacation in European cities. Girls especially who love their shopping and naturally welcomed with beaming smiles in all the shopping stores. Among the younger crowds the Japenese also form a sizeable number. Usually vacationing in small groups of 4-5, the Japenese take their photographs with great zest and fervour. The Germans outnumber the other European tourists. You will usually find middle aged German couples having a quite summer urlaub in most of the places you travel. I havent seen many German youth in the tourist crowd so far.
An interesting point to be noted about Athens is the numerous stray dogs all over the streets. This is the first instance, where I noticed a sight common in sub-continental cities in a european city. The dogs are not harmful to the people, but when you are strolling around with a sandwich in hand, then for sure you are attracting unwanted attention by them. Another usual sight on the streets of Athens is the public street protests. They are as peaceful and orderly as they can be, but the size of the protesting crowd and their noise can sometimes raise an eyebrow. Walking on the streets of Athens, you would seldomly come across an unattractive lady, which is not surprising - after all this is the country of Helen of Troy. Remarkable beauty seems to be part and parcel of Greek genes.
1 comment:
Damn! your picture and your blog reminds of me of the time I was in Athens ... simply superb!
Awesome pictures.
Warm regards,
Vaishak Belle
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