GREECE SUMMARY

So over breakfast Josh and I reminisced about the "best of'" in Greece, what surprised us and what we liked and didn't like about each island: We thought it would be interesting for you to read, but mostly it is so that we don't forget!!

Thing we weren't expecting:

1. The major army presence on every island- on average when we are driving around we will pass at least 3 army bases.
2. The "call-outs" from restaurant and bar owners- we learned to steer clear of these places, if it is as good as you say it is, why do you need to try so hard?
3. The loudness of Greek men- now this is probably a pretty big stereotype, but we have encountered some of the loudest men we have ever heard, example: our bus drivers, our guest house owner in Samos, he would yell (or talk, we thought yelling tho) at the cleaning girl every morning. And just in general on the street or in restaurants.
3. How people touch you when you talk to them- Josh has never been touched on the shoulder/back by so many random men! I think that is just what they do tho to show sincerity?
4. The extreme spectrum of indifference vs. hospitable people. We have met the most helpful hospitable people, and totally opposite, mean indifferent people.. i guess that is the same anywhere you go, but it was particularly evident to us here.
5. Did u know that Feta cheese can only be called "Feta" if it was actually produced here in Greece? We thought that was kinda neat.. (i figured we had to say something about the cheese since we have had soooooo much of it!)

Best and worst of the Islands:
1. Santorını:
Santorini had the best scenery from the guest house, the clıfs really were amazıng to see. Yet, ıt also had the worst mass tourısm ı have ever seen.
Our favorıte memory was the nıghts that we would get a bottle of wıne and sıt on our balcony chattıng about lıfe, past events and what ıs to come. Thıs was also the fırst place we drove a quad.
What we laugh about now (that wasn't so funny at the tıme) was El Greco hotel and how ıt totally wasn't what we expected, and also our experıence ın Oıa- apparently the most beatıful place to watch the sunset, but the one day we went ıt was cloudy and we fought thru crowds of tourısts to get there.. grr..


tbc...