travelling 2 Greece

Greek Yogurt

With all the news about Greece's economic problems, people are wondering whether it's a good time to go there or not. I've surveyed my Tour Department and our Greek guides who live and work in Greece. Here's my report:

We're running our Athens and the Heart of Greece tours this year as normal (the next tour, going out in a couple of weeks, is full with 23 on board). While Greece tour sales are slow (9 tours in 2012 compared with 14 tours in 2011) and we're not adding extra departures, we expect each of our tours to go full this year. My guides report that our Greece tours so far this spring have been as smooth and fun as ever -- virtually unaffected by the local political and economic events

The big concern among the hotels and restaurants we use in Greece is whether they'll be able to survive the downturn in tourism as many postpone their travels there, fearing "instability." And many sights are running on their shorter winter schedules for lack of money to staff the longer summer hours.

People wonder about Greece and the euro. At a recent foreign currency seminar, we were told that if Greece pulls out of the Eurozone and reverts to the drachma, it wouldn't happen overnight but take place over about a six-month transition. Greece's parliamentary elections -- the results of which will determine the currency direction -- are on June 17. If Greeks opt to abandon the euro and go back to the drachma, foreign travelers to Greece should encounter no difficulty using euros at least through the end of 2012. Whenever and wherever I travel, I pack along a few hundred dollars of hard cash in case of a temporary closure of banks or ATMs. I'd advise that when travelling in Greece (or anywhere else).

I've reviewed surveys from visitors who completed our Athens and the Heart of Greece tours in the last month. Here are some comments directly from these travelers about the reception they received in Greece and the impact of the economic problems there on their travels:

We had some reservations about taking our tour to Greece because of the economy and recent rioting there. But while there, we found the people to be so gracious and thankful that we were visiting there and helping them with our dollars in their time of need. Please don't hesitate to go there! Americans are all about helping others and the citizens there have all taken a huge financial hit. What better way to make an impact than by contributing to their economy while visiting a beautiful country, enjoying wonderful food, and seeing ancient history.

The news media is, perhaps, causing people to remove Greece as a possible destination. After taking our Greece tour, I believe this is a mistake. I hope ETBD helps to encourage a visit to this lovely country. The people are friendly and generous. Sites are accessible, English is spoken well and readily. We had a great time.

I felt safe and welcomed among the Greek people. A couple of tour days were very vigorous, but they needed to be in order to see the sites and associated museums. It would have been nice to have more time at some of the ruins, but the Greek government was only keeping them open until 3 p.m. due to budget cutbacks so there was nothing our tour guides could do to alter that situation.

After taking our tour, we think this was a great time to visit Greece. The hospitality of the people we met was great, we felt very well taken care of, and our business was certainly appreciated.

Greece needs visitors. Sure, we were a little uncertain about going given what the international media has reported on the economic situation. But we found that, other than that one little Metro slowdown in Athens, our tour was perfect. Everyone was gracious and the country is spectacular.

One of our guides sent me this note from Athens:

Hi Rick. I was asked to send you a few thoughts about Greece. First and foremost, Greece is a safe place to visit. In fact, it's a good time to visit because you will be made especially welcome. Tourism is Greece's heavy industry and its leading employer.

It seems to me that US media coverage of Greece has been nothing less than hysterical -- just plain silly at times, and woefully lacking in analysis. Greeks are emotional people, and they are given to outbursts of anger -- as well as outbursts of joy. Their bad governments in recent times have given them plenty of reasons to be angry. The scenes in Syntagma, the big square immediately in front of the Greek parliament building, are a symptom of this -- and act as a release valve. These scenes occur only when the parliament is voting on the hated austerity measures. When you see riots on TV, they are generally the work of a group of anarchists who are limited to Syntagma and know how to get on the news.

The big debate politically is austerity (from the right) versus no austerity (from the left). Until this all sorts itself out, I would recommend that travelers do not wear "Angela Merkel" masks. Regardless of how the debate turns out, and who emerges as the new government, Greeks of all political stripes will take care of tourism, so vital to its struggling economy. The Greeks, a welcoming people at any time, will be doubly appreciative of any visitors in these difficult circumstances.

The creamy texture and somewhat sour taste is becoming popular outside Greece both in households and restaurants, which use it for its unique flavor and high protein values.

The straining process separating the whey and lactose from the rest of the mixture offers more protein, less fat, more probiotics and a much fuller taste than regular yogurts found abroad. The Greek style yogurt is not merely an easy and healthy desert you can enjoy, but can be rather used easily in many ways that will take your meals one step further on the taste scale. So why not experiment with the yogurt just like they do in Greece?

There is always an easy way to enjoy Greek yogurt by simply adding seasonal fruit, nuts, honey or marmalade. A desert that is both nutritious and delightful for hot summer days. Alternatively, add berries or strawberries to the yogurt and then make tasty ice cream by freezing it for a few hours. Eating yogurt and fruit or cereal for breakfast is a must for those who try to stay fit and healthy.

If you are more daring in the kitchen, try out the frozen yogurt recipes which have become extremely popular around Greece in the past two years. You will only need some milk, yogurt, honey, vanilla and eggs to impress your friends with your cooking talents (there are numerous easy to hard recipes on the web to choose from, no worries).

Use olive oil, cucumber and garlic with strained Greek yogurt and prepare your own tzatziki as a side dish for your meat and vegetable meals. There are different recipes to try out depending on how thick you want the tzatziki to be.

Swap sour sauce or mayo with yogurt. It will give pies, bread and tacos a fresh taste that will leave you satisfied and save you from burning some extra calories later. Greek yogurt is perfect as a dip for salads and roast potatoes. But that’s not all of it yet. Cook your lamb, beef or chicken in the oven by adding yogurt mixed with herbs and eggs to make it a bit more gourmet than regular meat dishes. Some even add yogurt with spices on their pasta or in soups, which are mostly served cold and are a perfect meal for those in a hurry.

If you are interested in baking, you can go for a simple cheesecake recipe and swap part of the cream cheese with Greek yogurt. Add some tablespoons of yogurt to your freshly baked pancakes. Bake lemon yogurt cakes or muffins that are so easy to prepare, you will end up loving it. Pies with yogurt and vegetables are a must to try out, too.

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For the local, but also for the international market, the Company, using traditional recipes, produces high quality beer products made with selected varieties of summer six-row barley and aromatic hop. Having set a dynamic presence in the market segment of the premium quality keg beer and adequate distribution, εzα protypos hellenic brewery, follows a multi brand development strategy, developing owned and internationally known brands.

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Produces two high-quality products, Berlin and Pils Hellas, through the "Long Maturity" that lasts at least 21 days! Recently, was added to εzα’s portfolio a new product,that complements its range of products, the first Greek summer beer, Blue Island. Blue Island is a product of high quality that will satisfy consumers because of its Greek origin, its special taste and its modern package in clear bottle.

June: sightseeing and absorbing culture

We can recommend visiting the sights of the island in June, as they will be somewhat less crowded than the peak tourist period in July and August. (September and October are also great from this point of view) Knossos is the foremost Minoan site of course, but some other sites such as Phaistos (with the wonderful vista over the plain of Mesara, shown below,) Malia and even distant Zakros are also splendid.

Lots of good cultural events and religious festivals take place in June, but one of our favourite ones, is the little-knownKlidona Festival, normally on the evening of 24th of June, also the birthday of St John the Baptist, when leafy wreaths kept over since May Day are ceremonially burnt along with secret wishes for the future. Intrepid wishers leap over the flames to lots of applause.

July: A Festival of food and drink and walking the path less travelled

Right here in the municipal gardens in Rethymno, the Cretan Diet Festival will be held on July 1st-7th. This is a celebration of the healthy lifestyle and the healthy diet made possible by the simple goodness of Greek cuisine. All manner of traditional foods and dishes will be available, and of course, lots of great local wine.

This is the busiest time of year for the island, and now visitors are arriving, literally by the boatload. All the services are in full swing now, but it is still possible to find a little find solitude in Crete in July; the mountainous interior has some fantastic hiking trails in and around the White Mountains 40km (25 miles) south of Chania, such as the climb up to the 1980m summit of Mt Gingilos. This is a long (5-hour) but very rewarding walk past odd rock formations, a natural spring and finally up to a great summit lookout. It’s easy to reach, as it shares a starting point with the also popularSamaria Gorge walk, one of Europe’s longest at 16km (10 miles.)

August: Snorkel time and the renaissance returns to Rethymno!

In August and normally into September too, the sea is the perfect temperature for swimming. This is the time to take a look at the denizens of the deep –well not too deep, but even with a simple snorkel set and some flippers you can see some pretty amazing sights, without shelling out for the expensive scuba experience. You can buy or hire snorkelling equipment quite inexpensively at most large towns. (If you plan to snorkel on the wavy west coast, I recommend a breathing tube with a floating-stopper attached, which reduces the incidence of waves splashing down your tube when you are expecting air.) Thanks to Maria Shipley for the lovely snapshot of snorkelling in Scorpion Bay- no waves here!

Another way to get a glimpse of a different world in August is to attend the Renaissance Festival. The first week of August will see our local town of Rethymno travel back in time about 500 years, for the annual celebration of the music, dance and atmosphere of this important time in European history. The town makes the most of its Venetian connections and most of the performances are hosted in the Erofili Theatre in the Fortezza Castle. The exact schedule for the 2013 festival has not been announced yet, but watch this space!

Of course we have nothing against September and October – in fact this is, for many people their favourite time to visit, with glorious weather, warm waters and markedly less crowds. However for the majority of families with children, these last 2 months of great weather are just too late -owing mostly to the relatively narrow window afforded by the school holidays across Europe.

So these are the months of the high summer. And they are almost here!

Well, it is undoubtedly very scenic. Photographers professional and amateur alike are often enchanted by the vista; the uncannily pure Grecian light catches the fine white sand and lends the clear water a dazzling azure colour, deepening gently out to the uninterrupted horizon. Facing directly West, the sunset over the sea is very romantic and another classic for the album. 

Those crystal clear waters are also great for swimming, and are warm longer than many other beautiful Greek beaches, due to Crete’s southerly locale. (The average water temperature peaks at around 26˚ Celsius in August and September, then falls gradually, settling to 16-18˚ Celsius from December to May.)

There are even some good areas for snorkelling around the rocky cove and pebbly beach at the northern end of the beach. Here we must mention a disadvantage though, that western orientation not only makes for wonderful sunsets, but it has another important effect: when northerly or westerly winds blow, it can feel rather exposed on the beach and the water can develop rather sizeable waves. This can be a pain while swimming, though of course, this is part of the beach’s attraction to windsurfers. If windy beaches disturb you, then you can either check the surfer’s weather forecast and try to plan your visit for a day when the wind is low or blowing in another direction, or you could find a more protected spot, such as the aforementioned small rocky cove to beyond the northern end of the beach, towards the archaeological site.

The history of the village began during the Turkish occupation when Turkish beys had  their stone country houses there which exist until today. They used to call the village Small Constantinople, while doctors recommended consumptive patients to reside in Ano Poroia in order to be cured.

Vlachs, people from Asia Minor, Pontian Greeks and Thracians resided in the village, which developed a lot after the Turkish occupation. This development continues until today as the stone hotels of the region host more than 20,000 tourists per year. The village has more than 2,000 permanent residents.

The first inhabitants, of Greek origin, were descendants of the Vlachs. According to history, groups of families originated from Moschopolis, Ioannina, Argyrokastro, Trikala, villages of the Olympus mountain, of Mount Pindus, Mount Gramos, as inhabitants of Metsovo, Samarina and Avdella, who were persecuted by the Turks, were the first migrants that constituted the core of the village’s population at the beginning of the 19th century.

Greek refugees uprooted from their ancestral homes in Asia Minor were the next to settle in Ano Poroia. The gradual mixture of the refugees with locals changed things in the village. Bakeries, grocery stores, cobbler shops, draperies, tailor shops, cook-houses, cheese shops, butcheries, coffeehouses and entertainment venues turned Ano Poroia into a cultural center.

The old mansions, the neighborhood stone alleys, the beautiful plane tree forest, the endless wellsprings and flowing waters, the country churches of Saint George and Saint Dimitris with hagiographies on their walls cannot leave the visitor untouched.

Hundreds of Greeks and foreigners flock to taste the region’s traditional delicacies and gastronomic recipes of buffalo meat, fresh trout, traditional pasta and sweets.

During Easter, the village is flooded with tourists from all around Greece, as Ano Poroia is characterized in modern times as a paradise on earth just a few kilometers away from civilization and routine. It is located 65 km from the town of Serres and only 130 km from Thessaloniki.

The aesthetic is chic and expensive. Softly glowing lanterns warm a palette of iced vanillas and buttercreams, while plush drapes and gilt mirrors nod to times past. The hotel's exterior features a series of dramatic archways, which provide the setting for bijou dining tables and slate-grey parasols. Spend time outside attempting to process the dizzying views (a dip in the outdoor plunge pool helps), or slink indoors for an afternoon in the relaxing spa.

Our offer includes a stay in a Superior Double room with semi-private pool, on a bed and breakfast basis. You'll arrive to fresh fruits and wine in your room (plus a welcome drink), and you can enjoy complimentary use of the spa facilities, plus an early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability).

PERIVOLAS
Santorini, Greece

It is organized by the Tourism Development Agency for the Area before Athos (Chalkidiki), under the auspices of the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace in Thessaloniki and the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) from May 15-June 15.

The event will focus on local tradition, which wants the people of the Athos region to honor their land at every chance. It will marry this tradition with gourmet creations, always based on local organic products.

The event will offer flavors that highlight the organic products of the region and rich produce; flavors from Asia Minor, ancient, traditional, monastic, Mediterranean and gourmet dishes created by local and celebrity chefs will be included, as reported in Mount Athos Area Organization’s website.

The menu will include gourmet creations, based on organic products from 10 local producers of the region: Greek feta cheese, honey, homemade jams and spoon sweets, omelets with fresh eggs and mushrooms, vegetable pies, marzipans, yoghurt, oil pies and olive breads, pies with yellow and white cheeses from Olympiada, teas from organic herbs from Mount Athos, frumenty soups.

“The 10 local producers, who participate in the organization, will illustrate the color and style of the celebration during the opening ceremony, proving in that way the bond between gastronomy and tourism, as well as the way in which the primary sector can be a form of tourism,” as pointed out in an announcement of the Tourism Development Agency for the Area before Athos.

Welcoming the operators at the port of Heraklion, Arnaoutakis referred to the Crete's history, culture and comparative advantages. At the same time he noted that the island was a safe and quality tourist destination.

The Head of Crete also spoke warmly of Canada and the important contacts he had during his recent visit there, stressing that such contacts have paid off, both with regard to the promotion of Cretan products to Canada, as well as with regard to the enhanced numbers of Canadian tourists visiting Crete.

The tour operators said they were thrilled with the island, and apparently they expressed interest in striking deals with local travel and tourism businesses.

nspiration = The Greek debt crisis inspired this product - in that beer is geographically specific and has the power to communicate identity. In making Volkan we use local ingredients from the Cycladic islands, Santorini and Naxos. At each step of the Volkan supply chain our company contributes to the Greek economy and people. Thanks to Volkan, our supplier of honey has a new business line as does our Naxiot Kitron supplier. Our bottles, caps and labels are all Greek produced.

initiative_actions = Volkan Beer is a grand partner member of Greece Debt Free. Both beer and GDF were founded by the same person, Peter Nomikos. Volkan Beer has pledged 50% of the value of its profits to go toward reducing Greek national debt. Between Volkan and its owners, they have helped purchase 1.3 million euros of Greek bonds for cancellation. Volkan was intended to set an example in the Greek corporate and product space and soon thereafter, Olympiakos (the largest Greek football team) made a donation equivalent to 2.1 million euros. The GDF movement as well as Volkan Beer through their numerous international media impressions, have set a positive image on local Greek products, on how a Greek brand can affect positive image change in a world environment slightly ill-disposed toward Greece, and on how Greek products can play an active role in paying back Greece for the Greek brand image they benefit from.

country_initiative_applies = Greece