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Halfway through our Best of Greece tour, we finally had our break-a-plate-on-the-wall night. Actually, no plates were tossed. But after serving grapes for dessert, the waitresses suddenly became belly dancers and the cook became Mr. DJ — sitting at an impressive musical command center. We were pretty loosened up by the best red wine we’ve had yet. Then they threw napkins into the air and we all went crazy — enjoying a mix of “snap your fingers and shake your shoulders” Greek, disco, “Brick House,” and old rock. “Born to Be Wild” got all 24 of us up and dancing — including two of our ladies, who joined the belly dancers literally on the bar. Clearly, we are a Steppenwolf-vintage group — tight as ever on the air guitars. Real orange juice is rare for some reason in Greece…but oranges are not. Each night, I peel and section an orange — for a dry and crispy yet juicy treat upon waking. Our driver, George, is a hit with the group. On free nights, he joins the gang and even though he speaks only a little English, the group loves his company. With him at the restaurant, they are sure to order the best food.
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Colin, our guide, is so interesting that I’m not getting good writing time on the bus. Nice problem. Like a hunter finally spotting the illusive albino leopard, I found a grandmotherly woman in black with a cane stepping into the whitewashed church. I don’t like it when tourists photograph nuns in France “in their traditional costumes” in the same way I don’t feel right stalking the bent old women in mourning black dresses here in Greece. In Greece, the days of old women in black seem to be passing. While you still see them, they just don’t do miserable like they used to. And photographing them, you feel you’re catching an anomaly, rather than the village norm. Retsina — the local two buck chuck with pine tar — is another victim of the new Greek affluence. While boutique retsina is made with subtler flavors, Greeks just can’t get their head around paying $8 for a bottle of retsina. It is supposed to be $2 per bottle rotgut. When you drink it one night, you smell it in your sweat the next day. I miss it. Tonight I plan to find a bottle and give our entire group a swig at dinner. I was mourning the dearth of backgammon games too. I see the dusty old boxes in tavernas, but rarely anyone actually playing them. Then, in Gythio, Anne and I wandered to the far end of the harbor to a bar with the all-weather sofas overlooking the water and young people were enjoying a happy hour while playing backgammon. The happy chatter of tiny dice on wood brought back good memories of old-time Greece and Turkey as it still lives in my mind.
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Affluent and comfortable as the new Greece is, it still has its romantic/shabby patina. Peloponnese hotels can be a bit rough on the edges. Bathroom fans rattle noisily. The faucet on our sink has a tiny leak, so when I turn it on, a string of stray water arcs all the way to the shower. The spill is harmless, since bathrooms seem designed to flood. If shower curtains direct water at all, it’s often away from the actual shower stall. Each bathroom has a drain in the shower as well as a drain on the main floor. In general in the Peloponnese, we’re asked not to put toilet paper into the toilets, but into the garbage can instead. Imagining dirty TP from previous guests finding its way into the bin, I find fumbling with the little plastic steps to open the garbage lids annoying. A euro now costs over $1.40. Our smaller dollar has suffered a greater fall during this presidency than any other. I know what I think is the reason. I asked a Greek in a bar for his explanation. With a shrug that said “it’s elementary,” he answered, “The only people fighting President Bush’s war are the soldiers. You can’t pay for a war with tax cuts. With your growing deficit, nobody wants your dollar. So it is worth not so much these days.” He added that Greeks — like all Europeans — spend a tiny fraction of what Americans do for their military. Showing more attitude, he said that he believed that the wealthy Americans who profit from the war are those receiving the tax cuts and that this made no sense to him. He expected the dollar’s slide to continue. He finished declaring that the American consumer now has about the same buying power as a Greek one. Then he paid for my ouzo. Greeks love talking politics. All over Europe, I find people are reluctant to bring up politics with a visiting American–out of politeness. But if you choose to start the conversation, you’ll often get an earful. It can be offensive to find people as headstrong as we are–but whose opinions are shaped by different forces/perspectives/news/propaganda. These days, for an American, bar talk overseas can be particularly poignant.
I get to post first this time. :) Sounds like you’re having a fantastic time. Colin and George are doing a wonderful job. I have added Greece to my “must see” list now. Happy travels!
You go to a bar for economic education and get what you pay for! You should at least search out a sober source, as the one you were talking to surely was not. Soldiers do fight the wars. That is why they enlist. Do you want someone else to fight our wars? Perhaps a legion of Oprahs?Has your bar friend happened to compare federal revenue rates before and after the Bush tax cuts? It seems to me everywhere I have been in Europe people DO want my American dollars. In fact I have never been refused one yet! I am sure that you as one of America’s prospering multi-millionaires tried to set this fellow straight on his view of economics. Rick, if you also need some econonic enlightenment I could loan you some back issues of IBD. Perhaps your poignancy is because you are on the wrong side of issues?
I applaud Rick for listening to this Greek man’s view on American politics. Rick is an advocate of socially responsible travel and encourages his readers to engage in this kind of conversation – the kind where the traveler truly connects with the people in the culture he visits. It is undeniable that the dollar is steadily losing value as the opinion of America continues to sink. I hope that readers who travel to Europe follow Rick’s example of listening to the people they meet, instead of immediately shutting them down with statistics and sarcasm.
In GÃthio, we talked with a restaurant owner who had lived in San Jose, CA for 15 years. His GÃthio restaurant was about empty this night. That would be cause for concern in San Jose, but his GÃthio restaurant will be filled tomorrow, or some other day, and that’s all that matters. He said, “Here I am sitting at my sidewalk cafe talking to my friends, and what could be better!â€
In an antique store in GÃthio I found a Shepherd staff I wanted very badly, so paid the price the man asked. The store owner said this is the first one he’s ever had, and doesn’t expect to get another one. Other Greeks asked where I found it.
I walked in Métsovo’s central square with the special shepherd’s staff, just to see people’s reaction. Maybe it was just my imagination, but I am sure there were looks of surprise on the faces of some of the older men. But were they surprised to see the shepherd staff, or surprised to see some dum-dum American trying to look like a Greek Shepherd.
Rick and I are about the same age. I also got my start with a rough-edged backpacking trip in the 70’s. And I know I must be getting old because I too reminisce about how Europe used to be. I miss the old “flipping” train destination sign boards. What ever happened to boda bags? Nowadays Euro TP is soft, just like in the States. Oh, well. Regarding the exchange rate: It is valuable for prospective travelers to know that their dollars won’t go far these days. To listen to some commenters, the boy who said the king had no clothes was an unpatriotic ingrate. The dollar is down because of a huge budget deficit, a huge trade deficit, a sub-prime mortgage crisis that has hit the housing market hard, and a turn-around by the Fed that has unleashed a flood of dollars. Some of it is not Bush’s fault, too much of it is. It’s not a partisan issue: it’s bad fiscal management. The plunging dollar doesn’t lie. My Viennese coworkers now love going to the States for cheap deals. Kinda sad.
Rick, thanks for sharing your trip..its continues to sound fabulous, however, how about hearing from Anne and tour members…..any chance you might have multiple tours of Greece? it would be great to visit Greek Islands via Rick Steve’s “eyes”…..Meryl Streep is filming Mama Mia in Greece, why not have a Mama Mia tour…..LOL Have a safe trip
Funny how some Europeans tout how much less they spend on their militaries compared to the US. Ironic how it doesn’t dawn on them that it’s only possible because we’re the ones they’re able to cower behind. Maybe we should ask them to start helping to subsidize the defense of Western civilization.
Rick Steves– my french class absolutely loves your videos on the South of France. we look forward to watching them every friday avec noutella and baquette. You should come to White Station High school in Memphis Tennessee and speak to us. We would appreciate it beaucoup! Eileen Kyle, Memphis
Bravo Thomas in Vienna! Much as I distrust 99% of the politicians who “represent” this country, it is helpful to know that there is plenty of blame to go around on large issues like war, peace, prosperity and decline. The politicians in Washington for the US, in Belgium for the EU and all the European capitals are elected by the people. People with valid points of view from all sides. If you know going in that Rick doesn’t agree with your POV, don’t castigate him for it. His POV and the POV of the guy in Greece is just as valid as yours. Funny how so many people preach tolerance until they run up on an opinion they hate. The political forces going on in this world affect all of us People being represented, and we all have a hand in how that plays out in the real world. Individuals can make a difference in this world. Don’t believe that? Then why post here if not to be heard and to express your POV? Think about it. Have to admit, I love the political posts; so lively!
Hello, When the Euro became the European monetary unit, $ .90 US bought 1 E; that was in 2000, at the end of the Clinton era, and the beginning of the Bush regime. The Greek got it right. Deficit spending and tax cuts and this foolish war have devalued American currency, plain and simple. It simply comes down to this- the member nations of the European community cannot deficit spend, as it would devalue everybody’s currency. Our government has chosen to spend more than it takes in, so it prints more money- which devalues our currency. Not rocket science, just a simple economic fact. And pointing that out doesn’t make us unpatriotic, just observant.
Although I would not disagree that military spending plays a role in the de-valuing of the US dollar. I would agrue that the real problem is the US govt (like too many Americans) spends more money than it has. To make up the difference, it borrows money, mostly from other countries looking for a safe place to put $$. These countries are now losing confidence in our country because they see we can not sustain this level of borrowing indefinitely without major inflation. In my opinion, I don’t mind Rick and Europeans getting on their soapboxs to bash the US policys, as long as Rick recognizes that part of the problem in addition to military spending is gov’t spending on commitments such as social security, medicare, etc and the Europeans recognize that they don’t have to spend much on defense because the US provide them a security blanket free of charge against the greater evils in the world. A role only we or the Soviets could fill after WWII. If not the US, who fills the vacuum?
Oops – hit a raw nerve again, huh. I said when my son got his first 12 month vacation in loverly north Baghdad 4 years ago that the longest lasting impact to the USA would be the devaluation of our economy. Shame no Greeks were in the administration to tell the emperor he had no clothes on.
The dollar is weak because of all the consumer debt in this country. That’s you, me and our credit cards. It’s also due to the low interest rates. As a result, American manufacturers are now at a competitive advantage. Boeing is going to sell more jets than Airbus, for example. They’re now cheaper. That means that more folks in Seattle will have jobs. European countries have huge national budget crises too from having too many pensioners expecting too much and not enough workers left to support them. A French minister came out just the other day and said France was bankrupt.
Would it be polite in a conversation in Greece to mention that you’re from California where we have had horrendous firestorms, and that in the last fire in your area the firefighters were so well-equipped and trained that not a single house burned and no one was killed? If they were so affluent you’d think they’d be able to put some equipment on those fires. The Euro may be doing well but that doesn’t mean that Europeans are doing better than Americans. They live in much smaller homes, if they can afford one at all. They have much worse healthcare. Just look at their teeth. When France had a heatwave a few years ago, thousands of the elderly died. From not having air-conditioning! The European unemployment rates are routinely in numbers we haven’t seen since the Great Depression. Europe is beautiful and fun to visit. But more affluent? No.
What does the size of someone’s house have to do with affluence? Land is scarce in many parts of the world, which will affect the size of the house. Affluence can be measure in many different ways. As for healthcare, there are problems with each countries healthcare system. There are plenty of people here in the States that have teeth issues. Elderly people here die each summer from the heat, not in the thousands but it does happen. Each country’s culture has its positives and negatives, ups and downs. Each society values different things then the other. By listening and experiencing different cultures, we then hopefully can make more informed decisions about what we in our society want to value.
I talked to the owner of a hardware store and I asked about the partially built homes we had seen. He said they will be finished when the money is available. They are purposely designed so they can be partially built and lived in, until money is available for more construction, maybe next year, maybe a generation or two from now.
I was told that until a home was complete, the property tax was low. The idea was, built plenty of house, but leave a wall or a roof uncompleted as if you will add another floor or a room, and beat the system. That might even be true. We saw many.
PA, the reason the elderly French were dying in the thousands in 2004 was their families abandoned them to go on their annual holidays. They just left old Ma and Pa home to roast. Check it out. So as you said, ” Each society values different things then the other. By listening and experiencing different cultures, we then hopefully can make more informed decisions about what we in our society want to value.” Sooo,,,,,,, I would have taken Ma and Pa with me, but then I voted for that bastard Bush also!
They have much worse healthcare. Just not true. U.S. healthcare costs twice as much per person for worse outcomes. Also, having a large house is one reason the U.S. consumes way more than its share of world resources, it’s not something to be pleased about.
Rick, I agree with you that the elderly French were dying in the thousands should not have happened and that there were things that the French should have done differently. But that does not mean that we can’t learn from the French and the French can’t learn stuff from us. In my earlier post I did not mention anything about Bush. I actually do not think that Bush is a bastard. There are things that I agree with him on and things that I don’t. If there was a Democrat in office, there would be things that I agree with and things that I do not agree with. In my opinion both major parties in this country have there faults. On a lot of issues there is not too much of a distinguish between where some of the Republicans and where some of the Democrats stand.
Kathy, A study by the American Cancer Society studied all types of cancer and where a person was most likely to survive. They studied the U. S., France, Britain, Germany, Italy, and other European countries. Whether it was breast cancer, prostate cancer, luekemia, melanoma or other deadly forms of cancer, the country in which people survived cancer and lived longest with the disease was the United States. The measure of a healthcare system is not life expectancy which has many factors other than medical treatment, but what chance you have for survival when you get sick.
Boy, just listening to an alcohol-influenced Greek in a bar – an expert on US economics, no doubt – makes me wish the US had an economy as robust as Greece’s! Oh, wait a minute, check that. And I agree with Jeff’s comments – it has been Americans giving our hard-earned money to provide safety to these ‘insightful’ Europeans for over 60 years – of course they do not have to spend as much as the US on defense. The guidebooks are great, but the political tirades are starting to get old. What the heck – Rick has made his millions off of us already, he can do whatever he wants, customers be damned.
Cali – there was recently an immensely long discussion about this on the fodors board, and I don’t care to repeat it. Basically, cancer survival was the only item anyone came up with where the US had better results, but it turned out that the study on which the claim was based only covered 10% of the US population. And cancer is hardly the only disease from which people die.
Mr. Steves : Please talk about Monemvasia. Did you like it ? What was your impression of it ? Good view from the top ? What did you experience there ? How would you suggest tourists go there from Athens ? -go to Sparta for a night first ? Ride toward Monemvasia on a boat ?
Some seem to agree that “being right is not enough; you also have to prove that the other guy is quite wrong!” I’ve lived in Europe 4 years. Long enough that the honeymoon is over. You know what? It’s a very nice place to live. Prosperous and happy. They love their families too. Health care seems to work. Crime rate is great. That’s the average man’s view. Yes, they’ve got problems, but don’t we all? I’m amazed by folks who need to stick to their guns, whether they are loaded or not. Cutting taxes when an expensive war is going on is irresponsible. Common sense. No wonder the markets have lost faith in the dollar. Traditional conservatives would cringe: deficit spending? Unnecessary foreign adventures? Yikes. Somebody has hijacked the mainstream conservative bus. Also: The Cold war is over. The “we are paying for Europes defense” line is getting a bit dated. Europeans generally like Americans. They appreciate the past sacrifices too. The ani-European vitriol is really a bit excessive.
Please Rick, Stick to travel. We need to know how to keep going on these trips with the situation the way it is. when 911 happend we were all set to go to Europe a few month later and I was really scared, but your encouragement keep us going and we had a wonderful time with no problems at all. And a lot less people and a low Euro. Politically opinions will always get you in trouble. I know it is tempting. It doesn’t mean that a person is not patriotic and love our country or our military. Law enforcement, military, Fire they are all needed, but that doesn’t mean that this war is the right thing. It is hard for me to look at the housing situation in California the gas prices and this war and feel very good about our President and his associates. But we have to be patient for a change, and can only hope the country makes the right decision the next time around.
Rick, Please do continue relating opinions of those you meet in Europe. Also continue interjecting your own. I don’t always agree with you or others but it certainly makes for interesting and stimulating reading. And maybe, just maybe…I might consider changing my views and opinions on places, issues, etc. You would have lost my interest long ago had you just stayed with the “facts” of traveling.
Mr. Steves. I too am from White Station High in Memphis, Tennessee. We love you and live vicariously through your videos every week. You’ve inspired our trip to France this Spring! If you’re ever nearby (or filming a “Rick Steves: Tennessee”) come to our school! We would love to hear you speak. Thanks!
Vienna Tom, would you please just check out how the revenue to the US Federal Gov’t. has jumped since the uncommon sense tax cuts that Bush fought for have been in place! Those tax cuts have saved our country from another economic slide like the one we saw at the end of the Clinton Ad. I will agree with you on the out of control spending by the RINO’s and the Democrat Party. I do not know how you keep ahead of world happenings but if you really think that there is no Cold War like atmosphere in Europe you are not paying strict attention to Comrade Putin. There is hope anew in France however. As a frequent visitor to Europe I love the natives it is the out of country Americans who cannot wait to defile their homeland that I find a little hard to love. Especially two particular Democrat Presidents.
Sorry! Last post! Willie raises a good point. Revenues have indeed increased. But best predictions are that they will never overtake the deficit which “will remain near 3% of GDP (or higher) indefinitely.” The Economic Policy Institute views repealing the top tier cuts so as to pay down the principal debt as a more effective strategy. Their study notes that overall tax cut performance has been sluggish at best. Don’t take my word for it: http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/bp168 It’s an important issue and is not as “black and white” as either Willie or I paint it in 1000 letters. Not to sound incredulous, but: We should be preparing for a war with Putin’s Russia? Finally (maybe I misread the last part) Is it me and other expats who are unpatriotic or the last 2 democratic Presidents? I’m not, and I hope I didn’t give that impression. The only point I was trying to make was that the Europeans are our natural allies and should not be treated like our enemies.
I arrived in Europe in March of 1985 when the Cold War was raging and the dollar bought 3.45DM. I left in March of 1988 when the dollar bought 1.47DM. I don’t recall West Germans being particularly critical of our military budget or speculating on whether it contributed to the devaluation of our dollar. For 60 years we helped ensure security and freedom for Western Europe and helped to free Eastern Europe with our outrageous military budgets. The level of our success in this mission can be measured by the number of Europeans who are free to express their opinions on our president, our military budgets and our foreign policy.
As to Shady’s last point: I agree. That’s why we shouldn’t criticize people for exercising their freedoms.
Rick, The more popular you become the farther left you head. We who follow you and your great travels follow for that reason; we too love to travel where we can forget for awhile the constant barage of politics going on here at home. Lead us to the sights and sounds of lands far away and leave the politics in your back pocket.
Thomas in Vienna, Although you said that was your last post, I was wondering, are you planning on travelling to Greece to have a hardy drink with locals any time soon?
Hi Rick: When you talked politics in Greece did the topic of the Truman Doctrine come up? If not, why not? Do they even remember the Truman Doctrine anymore?
Rick, I’m one of your biggest fans. You know better than anyone I know how to travel to see the best of Europe without spending a ton. That said, please don’t try to teach us about politics and economics. I teach economics and business and can probably provide you with a 50 slide power point if you want to do a presentation on exchange rates but that’s not your business. Telling us that or dollar isn’t wanted and that it’s Bush’s fault is like shooting at the manager of the rifle range instead of the target. Please continue your travel blog. There are many places on the web where you (and the rest of us) can discuss politics and economics.
Rick, don’t change a thing about your writing! And thanks so much.