Anyone willing to introduce themselves? Do this here!

Hey everyone, this is Kate :). I'm turning 15 next month and I'm the "owner" of this Group, can I say that? LOL.

I was born in Greece and left Greece when I was 2 and a half. I now live in Romania, my mother's country. Pretty nice place, I should say. Once you get used :).

You can't say anything bad about Greece, now. LOL. Just joking. I find Greece awesome, and I haven't gone thru it all yet. I guess I still have time to :).

But that's just me. Anyone else?

hi!I'm Dimitra,I'm 20 and I live and study in Greece.

I have never been to Rumania,but I have friends who study there,and I have been told that it is a very nice and rich in history country.

Oh my friend,trust me,there are plenty of bad things to say about Greece :p(just not here!!!)hehe

Maybe if you come to live here permanently you will see some good and some bad just like everywhere else.:)

Hello, I'm Cristina, 27 and from Romania.

I'm a travel writer for a US company and my main interest right now is Greece. I'm planning a vacation there next spring actually, especially for work purposes.

This means I might get to meet you guys when we get there, right?)

Btw: are you willing to share your:

1) fav place in greece and why?

2) most off the beaten place in greece you've ever been to

3) your travel plans for the future

I've just came from Vienna (Austria) and last year I was in Budapest (Hungary). Ever since last year when I started to seriously write I made a goal to visit a new destination abroad each year. So far, so good!:)

Original Post by cricketro05:

Hello, I'm Cristina, 27 and from Romania.

I'm a travel writer for a US company and my main interest right now is Greece. I'm planning a vacation there next spring actually, especially for work purposes.

This means I might get to meet you guys when we get there, right?)

Btw: are you willing to share your:

1) fav place in greece and why?

2) most off the beaten place in greece you've ever been to

3) your travel plans for the future

I've just came from Vienna (Austria) and last year I was in Budapest (Hungary). Ever since last year when I started to seriously write I made a goal to visit a new destination abroad each year. So far, so good!:)

1) It's a tie between Athens and Corfu. Athens, for the unique experience in shopping till you literally drop, and Corfu, because that's where all Italian love stories start :).

2) Has to be this little little island that has NO name really..just a huuge rock "thing" somewhere close to the Cyclades. But it was an island, cos that's why I was there!

3) Globally? The US. In Greece? Rhodes, Mykonos and Kos.

Original Post by babyboo-kate:

1) It's a tie between Athens and Corfu. Athens, for the unique experience in shopping till you literally drop, and Corfu, because that's where all Italian love stories start :).

2) Has to be this little little island that has NO name really..just a huuge rock "thing" somewhere close to the Cyclades. But it was an island, cos that's why I was there!

3) Globally? The US. In Greece? Rhodes, Mykonos and Kos.

Thank you. My next target is Greece and we plan on Thessaloniki and of course Athens...both for the cultural heritage and for the shopping. btw: do you know exactly when the discounts are on?

B/c in Vienna we arrived before the massive discounts and now I'm trying to figure things out a bit differently :)

I'm not sure when the discounts are on, but around Christmas for sure :).

Oh, there are also discounts in October!

Hello Everybody!  Thank you for inviting me to be part of the group BooKate :)

I have been so interested in Greece for so long.  I have a small amount of Greek bloodline from my Nana's side of the family, but I was born and grew up and still live in California.  I have never been to Greece (yet!  Watch out!)

I am very much in love with Mediterranean culture / Greek cooking.  I can see myself being in Greece very soon.  I have pictures of Greek scenes (mainly the islands, Mykanos, Santorini, etc) to remind me that I have a goal to go visit on an extended vacation in 2009.  Right now I am researching places to rent for two weeks time, does anyone know of a place with ocean view?

I also want to visit the beaches and lay out topless.  No Tan Lines!! :)  I think that would be cool.

Original Post by cricketro05:

Hello, I'm Cristina, 27 and from Romania.

I'm a travel writer for a US company and my main interest right now is Greece. I'm planning a vacation there next spring actually, especially for work purposes.

This means I might get to meet you guys when we get there, right?)

 

Btw: are you willing to share your:

1) fav place in greece and why?

2) most off the beaten place in greece you've ever been to

3) your travel plans for the future

 

I've just came from Vienna (Austria) and last year I was in Budapest (Hungary). Ever since last year when I started to seriously write I made a goal to visit a new destination abroad each year. So far, so good!:)

1) Hmm..my fav place.. is a tie between Rethimno and Mytilene.(Lesvos). Rethimno has the most beautiful old city-castle I have been too,with thousand of little alleys that hide small shops and medieval fountains..and all these by the sea.I completed my C-2-5-K program there in Easter,running on one hand the castle on the other the waves of the sea.I am an exercise-hater type but I loved it! .. lol yes I'm in love with that city.:p BUT,downsides are: too many tourists,and they have them out of the city in big hotel areas and most of them never get a real taste of Crete and.. too hot!!Right now it can be around 35-39 C.:s

Lesvos on the other hand is a different story.I love it because you can take the car,go to a big pebble beach in the other side of the island in half an hour,bath all day,relax by the sun,and by noon eat your sardines and marinated octopus,your olive oils and sip your lesvos ouzo(best of greece) 2 metres by the sea,smelling the iodine..Wonderful.And by afternoon watch the sun dive in the sea,why you play your backgammon with friends,and drink your frappe traditional greek style :p when night arives,go to clubs ON the beach and dance all night..*Sigh* I had an awful summer and you got me now very nostalgic :(

Athens I personally hate.But I can't stand huge ugly,dirty over-crowded hot like hell metropolies anyway so..:/ Thesalloniki is nice,go to Aristotelis square and stroll around the streets..try the bougatsa and the panorama triangles (there goes your diet!:p) but don't expect to see any important archaelogical sites..Ah also go to the ladadika!It's an area with tavernas who play rebetika,the greek "blues".

2)Off the beaten places you can find anywhere,if you stay away from touristic agencies.Don't stay in the hotel with all the other tourists,by the pool,eating international cuisine..Walk in the streets on your own(don't worry everyone knows english),eat at no touristic restaurants etc etc..if you;re an experienced traveller you know what I mean.

3)My travel plans of the future is to discover Thesally (Trikala,Volos,Pilio,Larissa) as much with as little budget as possible.:p hehe On Octomber after uni exams,I will go to Plastira lake and enjoy the autumn trees.

Not really impressive but oh well..

Original Post by mykanosdelight:

Hello Everybody!  Thank you for inviting me to be part of the group BooKate :)

I have been so interested in Greece for so long.  I have a small amount of Greek bloodline from my Nana's side of the family, but I was born and grew up and still live in California.  I have never been to Greece (yet!  Watch out!)

I am very much in love with Mediterranean culture / Greek cooking.  I can see myself being in Greece very soon.  I have pictures of Greek scenes (mainly the islands, Mykanos, Santorini, etc) to remind me that I have a goal to go visit on an extended vacation in 2009.  Right now I am researching places to rent for two weeks time, does anyone know of a place with ocean view?

I also want to visit the beaches and lay out topless.  No Tan Lines!! :)  I think that would be cool.

 

 welcome mykanosdelight!:)

hehe I always get irritated when ppl call mediterranean an ocean!:p You can find LOTS of places with sea view.It depends what kind of vacation you're looking for!You want the crazy party all night sleep all day?You want the melt in sun vacation?Or you want the quiet,with your boyfriend,have a beach on your own,romantic kind?Or the touring the archaelogical places type?There are really many options..There are topless beaches in all popular touristic destinations don't worry about the topless!:p

If I were you,I would go also to my nana's place and see where my roots are from,it's always fascinating to see where your ancestors walked,breathed,loved,struggled and even died, don't you think? ;-)

Oh,I forgot.Discount season is on right now.It changes a little bit every year,but normally it's on the end of summer(middle July-end of August) and after christmas (middle january-end of February).Greece is very expensive,so I wouldn't buy much if not on sales.

Wow dimitra, thanks for all of your advice.  I'm probably going to pick your brain here and get all the scoop on Greece.  I'm glad to hear that most speak english. I was planning to travel solo, how would you feel about a solo woman traveling on her own in your country?  I'm quite the traveler when it comes to big USA cities but have never traveled outside of the country, except for one day boat tour to Victoria, BC, but I don't count that :)

girls, you are all jewels! that info above will help me so much!!!! :) yay

October you say? lol no no no I just spent too much In Vienna lol

at the earliest i can get in Greek before Easter or after Easter...hubby works in commerce so April (Easter month) and December are pretty much impossible to get out of the country for him.

Original Post by dimitra:

Oh,I forgot.Discount season is on right now.It changes a little bit every year,but normally it's on the end of summer(middle July-end of August) and after christmas (middle january-end of February).Greece is very expensive,so I wouldn't buy much if not on sales.

Oh really? I think Vienna is WAY more expensive. I got a blouse on discounts for 5 euros but otherwise you cannot touch jeans unless you pay 40 euros for them or blouses around the same price . Even on discounts Levi's are around 30 euros...YIKE

Original Post by dimitra:

2)Off the beaten places you can find anywhere,if you stay away from touristic agencies.Don't stay in the hotel with all the other tourists,by the pool,eating international cuisine..Walk in the streets on your own(don't worry everyone knows english),eat at no touristic restaurants etc etc..if you;re an experienced traveller you know what I mean.

 

Oh don't worry I'm a 100% independent traveler. I used to be a travel agent and I know all the no-nos abt using a travel aagency lol

In Vienna I booked the room by phone :) and stayed in a lovely hostel, clean and everything.

What I do know is that Greece sort of lacks good hostels, am I right in my assumption?

Original Post by mykanosdelight:

Wow dimitra, thanks for all of your advice.  I'm probably going to pick your brain here and get all the scoop on Greece.  I'm glad to hear that most speak english. I was planning to travel solo, how would you feel about a solo woman traveling on her own in your country?  I'm quite the traveler when it comes to big USA cities but have never traveled outside of the country, except for one day boat tour to Victoria, BC, but I don't count that :)

 Unless you go in dark alleys at night wearing mini skirts in Athens' port or bad neighbourhoods,you won't be in trouble!:p Yes,everybody speaks but better talk to younger people <30 they will be more..comprehensible lol

Just a few tips: If you go to Mykonos,or Malia,or Lagana or other overcrowded with tourists night life destinations,be very careful with your drink! Always watch the meter when in a taxi,because some drivers take advantage of tourists.A normal price for a frappe is NOT 5 euros,for a water is NOT 2 for a souvlaki NOT more than 3 and for a greek salad NOT 7.If you see such prices,know that these are touristic places.

If you have an open mind,a big smile and a good map you're going to be fine.:)

Original Post by cricketro05:

girls, you are all jewels! that info above will help me so much!!!! :) yay

October you say? lol no no no I just spent too much In Vienna lol

at the earliest i can get in Greek before Easter or after Easter...hubby works in commerce so April (Easter month) and December are pretty  much impossible to get out of the country for him.

 

 The beginning of the touristic season is May.(which easter you mean?Catholic or Orthodox?) IMO,April-May and September-Octomber is the best time to visit because it is not so hot,so expensive and so overcrowded.But you can be unlucky and visit during rain days.:/

Greece is very expensive!More expensive than Spain and than Germany.Not as expensive as London though lol :( During normal season a jeans costs AT least 40,though big multiethnic chains like Zara,Bershka,Pull and Bear and others are cheaper.But if you want to do serious shopping Greece is definitely not the place.

Yeah..hostels are a problem.I know of one at the foot of Acropolis that is good..Actually I met some english students at the train,and they had bought an excellent guide for Greece and it had all the hostels places.I think its a series..i don't remember the name.:/ but it's supposed to be a famous brand.

I'm Orthodox so for me Easter is on the same day as in Greece :) and next year it will be mid-April (if I remember correctly). I know that the season starts in May (here it's the same) so I'm trying to get there right after Easter and we'll probably manage to end up at the beginning of the season lol I'm trying to avoid the heat rather than the prices...if it gets 35-38 C here , in Greece it's even hotter :(

Oh I'm not going to shop, but I always love to get something. Like my 5 euros blouse from Austria :) So don't think I'm spending like 1000 euros shopping lol

We plan to visit both Thessaloniki -where there's only ONE hostel and not a very clean one - and Athens...most likely I'm going to try to find some budget-hotels rather than hostels. I think my Lonely Planet has some good indepth guides [I'm currently working on our - BootsnAll - guide for Greece].

mykanosdelight, thank you for joining! :D

Yup, almost everybody speaks English, which is going to make it a whole lot easier for you to travel around.

Dimitra, you are soo right about the huge prices in touristic places. That doesn't happen in "usual" restaurants, just where there are cheap shops and a whole lot of people at night :P.

cricketro05, there are expensive places but cheap ones too. Personally, I like a mix of both :). You can find some bargain things only if you search around different shops and compare.

Original Post by cricketro05:

I'm Orthodox so for me Easter is on the same day as in Greece :) and next year it will be mid-April (if I remember correctly). I know that the season starts in May (here it's the same) so I'm trying to get there right after Easter and we'll probably manage to end up at the beginning of the season lol I'm trying to avoid the heat rather than the prices...if it gets 35-38 C here , in Greece it's even hotter :(

Oh I'm not going to shop, but I always love to get something. Like my 5 euros blouse from Austria :) So don't think I'm spending like 1000 euros shopping lol

We plan to visit both Thessaloniki -where there's only ONE hostel and not a very clean one - and Athens...most likely I'm going to try to find some budget-hotels rather than hostels. I think my Lonely Planet has some good indepth guides [I'm currently working on our - BootsnAll - guide for Greece].

 It depends but for May 35 C is a LOT.Usually spring is rainy and if there is no heat normal temperature is like 25.Don't worry.;).... I fear you will find Greece much more expensive than you expect..:/ I just warn you so as not to get dissapointed.I have never been to Vienna so I don't know how it is compared to Austria,but compared to Germany and Italy and Spain it's more expensive.Less expensive than Switzerland though.

Yes,greek tourism aims more in family or expensive tourism or smth so not many hostels..But usually in May the prices are still low.

babyboo kate,yes I know but the situation just gets worse and worse.:/

Original Post by dimitra:

 It depends but for May 35 C is a LOT.Usually spring is rainy and if there is no heat normal temperature is like 25.Don't worry.;).... I fear you will find Greece much more expensive than you expect..:/ I just warn you so as not to get dissapointed.I have never been to Vienna so I don't know how it is compared to Austria,but compared to Germany and Italy and Spain it's more expensive.Less expensive than Switzerland though.

Yes,greek tourism aims more in family or expensive tourism or smth so not many hostels..But usually in May the prices are still low.

 

I'll do a lot of research b4 we leave. I knew the entrance fee for Vienna b4 hand so I knew what to expect and such ;)

Are there second-hand / thrift stores in Greece (Like the Salvation Army)?  I LOVE THOSE!  It would be so cook to find some really cool places like that.

Boo, did you see my other post about Greek and Romanian recipes?