LIDL Hellas

 LIDL.  They have taken over Europe.  Wikpedia  describes it as a German global discount supermarket chain with over 10,000 stores in Europe and the USA.

I'm not singing its praises but Lidl does provide us/me with  goodies which are not available elsewhere, except perhaps in the speciality shops in the capital, Athens.  It's cheap too which of course is the main reason we make for it on a day out.

Let the buyer beware however.  I have bought 'fresh' bread there which was still doughy in the middle. We often (well not me but other outspoken half) have 'words' with the cashier because the money rung up wasn't the same as that on the price tag over the shelf or bin.  If an appliance is faulty or broken you'll need to be very pushy to get a replacement.  In other big stores they have power points where you can try electrical goods out before leaving the premises.

Some of the foreign goods I look for

I used to buy these german sausages a lot.  They were the closest I could get to an english sausage.    Bratwurst

The are large and very white.  I haven't bought them in a while.  In the end they were disappointing, just not the 'dinkum' sausage I remember.

During the summer all the Lidls in our area have big camper vans parked outside with German plates and a lot of happy shoppers inside.  I wonder though whether they shop at Lidls back home in Germany.

Some of the greek goods available.  Big bottles of cheap retsina.  The classic greek wine with a pine resin taste.  Resin was once used as a preservative.  When I first came to Greece in the 70s it was the only wine available except for a very ordinary white wine called Domestica.  Now retsina is found mostly bottled in the supermarket.  It is no longer the house wine as local tavernas.

ΡΕΤΣΙΝΑ  the greek for Retsina

And bottles of soumada, made out of almonds.  Offered at traditional Cretan weddings, though I don't remember it at those I attended.

Almonds and water are blended and the liquid is strained.  The almond water is added to a water and sugar syrup and served hot or cold.

Such a pity they don't bring in hot cross buns at easter as they seem to do elsewhere in Europe.  We do find sweet and sour sauces and noodles.  I like their powdered capuccino powder, a fraction of the price of the nescafe brand found in our local market.  Their toilet paper is thick and durable, Irish butter is cheap.  Chocolates are extremely cheap.  I try and quick march past them.

Some years ago we had a spanish supermarket chain in Greece called Dia if I remember rightly.  Their prices were even cheaper.  We used to have shopping expeditions across the waters to stock up.  They seem to have disappeared.  

Greek supermarkets have cottened on to 'specials' and 'own brands' and most of the prices are within our budget.  We always used to shop at the local grocery shops but while service is better and they are open all  hours the supermarket is where we buy most of our goods now.  The manager at our local is a friend and next in charge is a nephew so we get all the inside info and the service we seek.