Posts
Friday
Arrivals
The daily cruise boat comes in so the day trippers can enjoy an hour of ice-cream, a few classic greek photo shots, three souvenir shops and a whiff of the fish and meat market.
The boat goes on to the islands of Hydra and Aegina where there is more ice cream, bags of local pistachio nuts to buy on Aegina and silly photos to take of the more daring lurching along on smelly donkeys on Hydra
The Flying Dolphin (hydrofoil) pulls in from Piraeus (the port of Athens) to off load a few locals and tourists. The local agent was on hand with two big plastic cups of coffee for the Captain and his Mate
Our daily mail arrived as well. The bags are hauled down to the Post Office
Some of the hundreds of school children on a day trip from some school in Athens or a little further north. May is the month of 'Educational' day trips. Buses arrive on Galatas in the early morning pouring out dozens of school kids, usually in the 10-13 year old group, a few hardy parents and a couple of very brave teachers. They crowd on to the car ferry and come across to Poros to wander noisily in swarms up and down the waterfront, to climb up and leave graffiti on the blue and white clock tower,
I wuz heer
F*** Olympiakos (or some other football team )
in english and greek
Nikos is a wanker (usually in greek)
and to then spend the rest of the day in rowdy gangs in the souvlaki and coffee shops.
I could hear them in the souvlaki shop next door, as I left the cafe, making obnoxious remarks about this overweight old xeni (foreigner) who had to push her quad bike into the middle of the road to get it going in the right direction. Finger!!!
They do however bring a lot of cash into the Poros economy at this slow time of the year so we all put up with them. What the 'educational' bit of a trip to Poros is I don't know.
Our grandkids go to nearby Naflpio or Athens and are made to traipse around a museum or archeological site before being let loose to be just as obnoxious and wreak revenge.
The car ferry full of furies
Everyday life. Love hearing about it Linda. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your positive voice Rachel. A lot of ordinary stuff going on here at the moment, but there will be a bit of feasting towards the end of the month!
DeleteI also like your every day life's posts, food family. every thing.I miss my trips to Greek islands.I was a tourist once, and now i can see how is the real life there. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI know how you feel. I used to love travelling. Now I'm happy to stay at 'home'. Thanks for being such a big fan!
DeleteJust adore your blog Linda.
ReplyDeleteFor a little while I am right there in beautiful Poros!.
Can see,hear and taste everything.
What on earth fuels the Greek love of graffiti?.
Athens is covered in it!. Lovely restored houses at bottom of Acropolis totally defaced. Someone said look at it as art and a way for unemployed youth to express themselves.
Nah just makes the whole place look dangerous, when generally it's not.
Some graffiti is art, most is just crude desecration. Looks horrible. Wish they could catch the culprits and make them scrub it off. I wish
ReplyDeleteTourists... sigh, though my son and his girlfriend are hoping to come to one of your beautiful islands to get married xx
ReplyDeleteSantorini is the most popular for weddings. Now they have BIG crowds!
DeleteTourists en masse are a pain. Young ones even more so. Back in Brighton we used to have hoards of Swedish children who moved around the town as one giant block of humanity, shouting to each other as they went. I never understood why it was always Swedes.
ReplyDeleteThe more of them in the group the louder and bolder they become!
DeleteSounds like any place there are lots of kids or lots of tourists. I think sometimes people revert when they are en mass and just become obnoxious
ReplyDeleteEn masse they become bold and think they get away with anything
DeleteWhere would you suggest that someone travel that avoids the typical "tourism" crowds, but still provides beautiful scenery and a genuine taste of Greek life? We always thought we would like to rent a little house / villa / apartment for several days and just get to know a place. (no graffiti involved). -Jenn
ReplyDeleteAn island like Amorgos or Foleangros, Sifnos. I think they are all in the cyclades. Never been there but friends say they are the real Greece. Avoid July or august anywhere. June is a great month, warm, not too hot but the sea is still a little chilly (for me). Or September.
ReplyDeleteFolegandros, spelt it wrong. Nisyros, karparthos, also the mama Mia islands. Skyros, skopelos, skiathos. More people but closer to Athens. Symi.
ReplyDeleteI keep thinking of more! Ikaria where they live very long lives. Laid back and so Greek. They have a big festival on 15th august. Everyone takes part
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