October weather in Greece: FYI so far

Update:

Wind, cold and some sprinkles kept us mostly indoors our entire time in Hydra. I can see why the island shuts down as the weather worsens. Most of the restaurants off the harbor have little indoor space and no propane heaters or wind screens.

29 October took the ferry from Hydra to Ermioni, taxi to Kranidi and bus to Nafplio. Weather deteriorated as we progressed, and it was pouring rain when we arrived. We got soaked even though we took a taxi to our hotel.

Yesterday was lovely and sunny. Halloween (today) was mixed, but we did manage to avoid the rain at Mycenae.

I think you can continue to see a pattern here, and it bears no resemblance to the averages.

Our Hydra pension host said this year is unusual. The weather is usually nice for Oxi Day, 28 October.

We'll see what the Oracle has in store for us the next couple of days.

Aw averages -- it bears no resemblance to the averages -- an old math teacher used to say, "You live the extremes in order to have an average." It has been our experiences to prepare for everything.

In general are most of the shops, restaurant, hotels, still open at this time. A couple of years we back off of a mid Oct trip in the Greek Isles when we were finding hotels closed or closing around the 15th.

Things were definitely starting to shut down on the islands, in Nafplio and in Delphi. I asked some people what they do in the winter and the consistent answer was rest. The sites' hours contract, even those that are indoors.

However, there were plenty of places to buy stuff all through October and up until our last non - travel day, 2 November.

Definitely things are VERY slow after October in the islands ... And in the smaller islands, much sooner. In the small islands, majority of hoteliers, shopkeepers etc, actually winter either in/near big mainland cities, or major island cities such as Heraklion Crete ... some members of a family leave actually leave in September to get their kids in school. Larger islands have permanent populations, but only tavernas, shops etc to serve the locals. I remember a B & B owner in Rhodes telling me that the unofficial Closing Time for seasonal places is "Ohi Day" (that's "NO Day" end of October, celebrating when Greek leader MEtaxas said NO to the Nazis demand to march unimpeded thru their country). She said the owners all went around to each others' places of business, had wine, cookies, etc., and said goodbye for the winter.

We always travel to Greece in October. We have been there early, mid- and late October and we have been very lucky with the weather. Mostly sunny, warm and just a shower or two. We tend to go early October just to make sure the weather is still nice. We have been to Athens and the southern mainland and a number of islands, especially the Cyclades and Crete . . . further south and the weather was very comfortable with shortsleeves even at night! I think you just have to go with the flow and throw the dice and hope the "averages" hold. Where would you rather be in a stuffy office looking out a window and wondering "what the heck am I doing here?" (regardless of the weather) or in Greece with a little rain and cooler temperatures?

Actually, I haven't had to be in a stuffy office for almost 11 years now. Back then, I didn't even have a window. What we experienced in Greece was far preferable to those days in the NW when I didn't need to have a window to know that it was damp and rainy and cold.

Now my office at home is in the desert where sunny, clear days prevail and cloudy or rainy days are few but welcomed when they come.

There was a break in the rain in Chania for a few hours one afternoon and my husband was able to go drive on the go-kart track there. That was fun for him.

On October 29, we did arrive in Nafplio by bus in a drenching rain, but the weather there wasn't bad after that. Delphi was gorgeous the whole time we were there.

We were surprised that it was much warmer in Fiumicino than it had been anywhere in Greece. But we did have a thunder and hailstorm there in early November.

I think the lesson is that late October is iffy for both Greece and Italy. You just need to be prepared for it. I was glad we were.