What Is Your Day Like in Greece?

We are early risers, so we head to the pastry shop we scouted out the day before for pasties and coffee. If we're exploring in town we'll have lunch at a local restaurant. Then we return to our room for a nap. Our dinners are usually early by Greek standards. Followed by an evening walk or sitting in a cafe.

If we're driving or using public transportation to explore the area, we'll have a picnic lunch if possible. But we'll be out later, depending on the events of day. If driving, I stop a lot to take photos. Usually have a restaurant dinner back near our room, with a short nap before or after dinner. Followed by an evening walk.

My first trip was an RS tour, with 3 pre-tour days in Athens, so I was not mistress of my schedule. I agree Athens doesn't let the curious traveler do much relaxing.

My second trip was to Crete - Chania and Heraklion, Santorini, Naxos and 3 days in Athens at the end. Something about seaside Greece lends itself to lazy days. While I was up and out earlier than at home (I'm retired and like my late mornings), I often spent the day just wandering around in Chania (my favorite). Every afternoon ended with a glass of wine and a seaside view. At home a rarely eat dinner before 7, so I am comfortable with dinner at 7.30 or 8.30. Then it's back to my room, like you I'm no longer a party girl. Santorini was much the same. On Naxos I had a small apartment with a little balcony overlooking the beach. I finished every day there watching the sunset nibbling local cheese and sipping local wine I picked up at the neighborhood grocery, before going out for dinner.

And again, in Athens I was busy from morning till evening sightseeing and walking, then a relaxing dinner and back to my hotel to put my feet up and commune with my computer.

While I've generally become a slow traveler, Greece especially lends itself to being there, rather than seeing there.

My days are rather lazy and my main aim is to relax and go home refreshed, with my latest ‘Greek fix’ safely accomplished. I’ve been visiting various parts of Greece since 1982 (not every year though) and no longer undertake tiring sightseeing excursions or set myself a rigid itinerary of what I hope to achieve during my holiday. I stay in small, family run establishments mostly and need little more than a simple, clean, self-catering apartment with balcony, on a site with a pool and restaurant to be happy. If it’s very near to the beach, that’s a bonus. My husband no longer wishes to travel so I holiday with a friend. Family circumstances mean we are only away for a week (viable from the UK).

So, it’s an early breakfast of cereals (brought from home) on the balcony, which I always request to be sun facing (if at all possible) and the vision of the sun rising every day is a sight I adore. Our first day will consist of food shopping, a walk and exploring the local area on foot. Top of the list is water, Greek yogurt, feta cheese (cut fresh off the block if possible), fresh black olives, a few salad vegetables and fruit, enough to see us through our first few days of snack lunches taken mid afternoon on the balcony. Ooops, must not forget the bottle of refreshing Mythos to accompany. We will then chill by the pool (under a shade) until around 6pm. (The holiday is brief so every minute spent outdoors is precious to us). It’s then back to the room to get showered and ready for an evening stroll, and to choose which taverna we’ll eat in that night. (We’ll have done some scouting of menus earlier in the day….are not fussy eaters but each have Greek favourites we enjoy so if those are on a menu, it will influence our choice of eatery). Dinner will be followed by another stroll and maybe a nightcap on the balcony. No late nights for us anymore. A trip by local bus one day might be undertaken, otherwise it’s a week of walks (always a few on the beach), browsing and trying out any bakery we might come across. Greek pastries are the best I’ve ever tasted, spanakopita being my all time favourite but none fail to excite the taste buds.

The end of the week will come far too quickly but I’m grateful that as a septuagenarian I can still travel and enjoy the country I feel most at home in. My Christian name happens to be Greek and if I was to live anywhere else but the UK, it would be in Greece, a country I have come to love, its unbelievably welcoming and generous people too 🇬🇷.

Rituals are depending on where we are. First there are the 2 places where we are staying for a longer period for several years already. The only 'set' rituals we have there is going to the bakery in the morning and going out for lunch or dinner. We always say: "the plan for today is that we have no plan." Our 2 regular destinations (Naxos & Kalymnos) are absolutely 2 different places. In Naxos it's walks on the beaches (from St. Georges to Ag. Prokopios or Ag. Anna to Maragkas to Plaka to Mikri Vigla). Not all in 1 go but sometimes we take the local bus up to Mikri Vigla and then walk back to Plaka/Maragkas where we have lunch an then from there the bus back. Or we take a bus to an inland village, wander around, have a drink an take the bus back to Naxos town. From 5pm it's "ouzo time" accompanied by olives/oregano crisps or a selection of small snacks if we had lunch at a taverna.
In Kalymnos we are staying in a quiet neighbourhood amongst the locals and are doing everything ourselves (cleaning - washing bed linnen / towels) and are living the same way as we do at home.

We combine our 2 bases with some other places and then it's slightly different. We see that as "a holiday in a holiday". We want to explore as much as possible if it's the first time or go and see places we haven't been to on a previous visit, often renting an ATV which gives regularly access to places where you can't come with a car. Lying by the pool or on a beach is not something we do allthough I have a dip in the sea sometimes.

I am fortunate enough to have my own house in the southwestern Peloponnese. My typical morning will start with an early wake up, followed by a cup of coffee on the terrace watching the sun come up over the mountains. Breakfast is always the same: Yoghurt, fruit, walnuts and honey washed down with orange juice - all local produce sourced from within 5 miles of our house..
We will usually spend the morning doing odd jobs around the house and garden, or travelling to the nearby farmers market in Kalamata to stock up on supplies.
Lunch is a little meze - exactly what will be determined by what happens to be in the fridge at the time.
We often have a trip to the beach in the afternoon or, if it's not too hot, we will go into one of the nearby towns (Pylos or Koroni) to catch up on the vibe and share a coffee with our friends.
Time for a little snooze after that, before heading out for dinner at about 8ish - I usually try to eat fish or veggie, although the beef stifado that one of our local tavernas serves is spectacular, so at least once in every visit we will have that.
Usually home by about 10pm, ready to finish the day with a Tsipouro.
Rinse and repeat!

JBMED:

I envy you being able to have a home in the Peloponnese!

I've often thought about what it would be like to live in Greece and every time I go it's like a second home albeit for just a short amount of time.

I guess the question is: Could I live in Greece? YES!

The second question is: Would I?

The way things are in the USA it's getting more and more tempting!

I’d love to visit Greece so I’m enjoying this thread. I’m surprised no one has mentioned swimming or just floating in the sea.

I did. See the last sentence.

Hi tommyk5
The process of building a house in Greece was far from stress-free (!) but I have never regretted doing it it. Like you, I feel Greece is my spiritual home and love every minute there. Thankfully I live close enough that I can travel there frequently - even a long weekend is feasible.
Would I move there? It wouldn't take much - if it wasn't for my children and grandchildren I suspect I would be there already!

JBMED:

I did look into moving to Greece after a few trips and the more I went the more it sounded like I could live there.

I believe as a EU member it's a lot easier moving and/or gaining citizenship there but as a non-EU member there is a lot bureaucracy to deal with and one has to proove they won't be a burden to the Greek government which I wouldn't be.

One thing I have going for me is both sets of Grandparents immigrated from Greece to the US and I believe that helps reduce the paperwork.

Financially I could do it but it won't be a mansion just something small and very traditional with the usual necessities, but the process seems daunting and takes a long time.

I was thinking I could stay in Greece up to 90 days without permits or visas, then leave for a few days and return for another 90 days.

I'll have to settle for my upcoming late April trip which at least will make a "citizen" of Greece for two weeks.

As for now I'm reduced to dreaming--but dreams can come true!

Tommy, you might be interested in what this guy did.

https://youtu.be/ZbzgOAJdFvw

I’m a very early riser and so I’m often up to see the sunrise with a coffee on the terrace. I travel very light with just 10kg of luggage so most early mornings find me handwashing some clothes. One of the joys of being in Greece is hanging out my washing and seeing it dry before my eyes whilst having yoghurt and fruit for breakfast, not something I can do at home in the north of England!

My days are spent lazing on the beach and if possible a swim or float. I’ve recently acquired a significant mobility issue and walk with a wheeled walker (rollator) so Greece is a wonderful place to holiday as there are over 200 Seatracs which allow independent safe access to the sea https://seatrac.gr/en/about-seatrac/

I mostly travel solo and I particularly enjoy people watching over a long leisurely lunch. I usually have a beer, wine or retsina at lunch knocks me out for the afternoon. Snoring and drooling on the beach isn’t a good look! On return to my studio I’ll pick up whatever I need from the local shop.

Late afternoon reading on my terrace is bliss. I try to always book beach front accommodation and as I adore cats, I’m even happier if one of the local fur babies decides to keep me company.

If I’ve had a light lunch I’ll go out for dinner but never before 8pm, otherwise I’ll spend the evening catching up with friends and family online and enjoy a bottle of ice cold retsina with my favourite oregano crisps and some olives.
Some evenings I may take a taxi to a taverna in another village, without exception the taxi drivers take good care of me and have been known to hold up the traffic so I can cross the road safely.

Rinse & repeat!

Sightseeing these days is quite difficult for me so I really enjoy either hopping around a large island, Lesvos last year, Samos this year, spending a few days in one place then moving to another or island hopping between islands. I’ll be spending 3 weeks in the Dodecanese again this September.

Many moons ago as a student I spent every summer travelling around Europe and often wished for a lazy week on the beach instead of dashing between museums, galleries and national monuments! Today relaxation is the name of the game.

It’s funny how some of us feel like Greece is our spiritual home, yet I personally have no familial links there. But…no other country feels like Greek does.

Barbara. I do swim in the sea occasionally but when I travel, often mid May, the sea is usually still quite cold so taking a dip is quick and I definitely have to keep on the move, same goes for swimming pools. Summer is the time to float in the sea but I find the heat overwhelming now so travel in the shoulder seasons instead.