Just some advice and other Athens, Greece Local Custom Tips

The Athens streets are very safe but watch out for pick pockets in crowded areas. A good idea is to buy a pouch with the belt loop you hang inside your trousers next to your skin as well as to use your hotel room safe. Also watch out talking to girls in some bars. You might end up with a big bill. Its always better to play it safe as Athens gets over 11.000.000. strangers in town every year!

Make sure you drink enough while sightseeing in Athens. Dehydration is much more expensive than water. Plastic bottled mineral water is readily available from the many Athens corner kiosks in 2 sizes: 1 litre and half litre and costs 1 euro and 0.50 euro respectively. Don't pay more, always carry your own water when sight seeing as site vendors notoriously overcharge. The Athens tap water is safe to drink. It's a fact that if you drink a lot of alcohol you are going to perspire more initially. Then you'll get even more dehydrated.

Do not forget to bring a good sun block cream or buy it in Athens on your arrival. A good idea also it to get a little sun tan before you expose your skin to the Greek sun.

Traffic in Athens can be real busy at times and most Athens drivers have their own set of traffic rules. Stay off the road a much as possible and, even when crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing, look before you cross. Some drivers are also colour blind.

Attire in Greece is generally casual except when entering churches and monasteries. Women are not allowed to enter Monasteries. They are expected to wear a below the knee skirt and a hat/scarf for church entrance as well as a buttoned up blouse. For men trousers and a shirt (no sleeveless) should be worn.

You always get back what you give. Be nice to people and they will be nice to you. The Greeks are no exception. Remember that the success of your vacation mostly lies with you.

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If you are in Athens between April and October, and most visitors usually are, then you are fortunate enough to have the chance to catch one of the summer light and sound shows on the Acropolis.

Every evening during this period hundreds of floodlights are directed at the hill and the Parthenon. As well as the lights you will receive a commentary in English detailing Athens?s eventful history. While the Acropolis is impressive at the best of times, this is a particularly good time to see it as it is truly spectacular.

The best place to see the show is from Pnyx Hill.

UPDATE: Mr. Alkestis Choremi, Archeologist and Director of the Acropolis Museum has informed me that the Light and Sound show does not take place any longer.

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Theatre is still very popular in Greece. Athens alone has almost fifty permanent theatres where you will see every time of drama you can possibly imagine.

In summer, there are some performances in English but at most other times of the year, the performances are almost entirely in Greek. Of course, they are still enjoyable in their originality. It is at the various summer festivals that you will get to see the classics performed with exceptional enthusiasm and talent.

The best-known festival is the Epidaurus Festival. The picturesque setting in an ancient amphitheatre makes the shows at this celebration of theatre really special. There are also performances in some of the other ancient theatres at Dodona, Thassos and Phillipi. Internet research will tell you what is going on in Athens when you are there.

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The biggest rock festival in Greece takes place for two days in July and takes over the capital while during those days. Thousands of young, and not so young, avid fans make their way to the city to immerse themselves in the atmosphere which Rockwave creates.

Attracting leading international bands, the event has gone from strength to strength since its inception in 1996 and if you are in the region, it is well worth checking out. The fact that it takes place in glorious sunshine should be welcome to any of you who have ever attended any outdoor concerts in the rain in the rest of Europe. Not a pretty sight.

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Songs, dances and music which have been in existence for up to two and half thousand years. Not your every day stuff but can you see people doing the Macarena in two thousand years time?

The national Greek Dances Theatre Dora Stratou is unique in the world. Founded in 1953, it is the living museum of Greek dance. Songs, music and dances are presented in their original form that were or are still performed in the villages. The costumes are authentic museum pieces, handmade in villages a century ago. The company wardrobe contains 2.500 costumes from all over Greece, complete with jewellery and accessories.

Every night (except on Monday) in the Dora Stratou theatre opposite the Acropolis, in the idyllic surroundings of Philopappou Hill, Greek culture comes to life when 75 dancers, singers and folk musicians, re-enact folk songs and dances. Musical instruments and dancers in authentic costumes offer a wonderful spectacle and illustrate the continuity of ancient Greek traditions.

The theatre is situated opposite the Acropolis, on the far side of Philopappou. The 900-seat open-air theatre was built especially for the "Dora Stratou" company. The stage was designed by the famous Greek painter Spyros Vassiliou. The floor is very large in order to allow the free evolution of dancers, just like in a village square or dance-field. Within the 25-acre theatre area, a hall was also built, used for winter rehearsals, courses and workshops.

Metro station: Acropolis. Follow Dionisou Areopagitou till you get to the church of Agios Dimitrios Loubardiaris and keep following the signs.
Performances:
Tuesday till Saturday at 21:30
Sunday at 20:15
Closed on Monday and public holidays.

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October 28th is one of Greece?s public holiday. It commemorates the day that Mussolini?s request to allow Italian troops into the country at the beginning of World War II was refused ("Ochi" being the Greek word for "no").

In memory of this significant day in Greece?s history, celebrations take place all over the country with lavish parades of soldiers, tanks and armoured vehicles showing their spirit and pride and the resistance that will exist for the generations to come. It is a unique manifestation of Greek pride and is a must see for visitors in the country at the time.

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Independence Day, 25th March, fills the streets with parades and celebrations, both secular and sacred. In Athens, military parades will be held together with church celebrations, keeping the streets both busy and sometimes blocked.

In 1821, Greeks vigorously rose up against the oppressive Ottoman Empire which had occupied Greece for nearly four hundred years, embarking on the ultimately successful war of independence. Bishop Germanos of Patras boldly raised the Greek flag at the monastery of Agia Lavras, inciting the Peloponnese to rise against the oppressors.

On this day in the Orthodox calendar, the archangel Gabriel appeared to the maiden Mary and announced the news: she was pregnant with the divine child. Bishop Germanos chose this day to deliver a different but not unrelated message: a new spirit was about to be born in Greece. The churches celebrate the Festival of the Annunciation with pomp, ceremony, and joy.
Travelers who don't throw themselves into the spirit of the day may be frustrated with delays, unexpected closures, and a general lack of attentiveness by the Greeks, who are busy with the dual holiday.

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This day will be filled with commemorations of 17th November 1973 when a student uprising at Athens' Polytechnic University was brutally suppressed by the military government which had seized power and many students were killed.

The government of the "Colonels" was backed by the United States as part of a Cold War strategy to reduce the influence of communism in the region. Because of the US support of this suppressive regime, many Greeks still harbour resentment toward the United States and distrust its interventions.

17th November parades and protests always disrupt travel to some degree. To avoid encountering this activity, ask your hotel staff what streets are likely to be involved and plan accordingly. Most commemorations will be in larger cities, with Athens seeing the most vigorous displays. These will include the Polytechnic University, the American Embassy, and the related streets. It might be an ideal time to have a look at the other side of town.

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People tend to love or hate Greek food. The spicing is unusual and lamb, olive oil and fish are common ingredients. There's more to Greek food, however than gyros. If you've only experienced Greek cuisine as a fast food in another country, you're in for a treat. Athens has a wide variety of restaurants ranging from elegant to quaint. Estiatorion are the more expensive conventional restaurants; taverna are informal, family-run establishments; psistaria offer mostly grilled meats and psarotaverna specialize in seafood dishes. Overall, Greek food is healthy. Olive oil is good for you and will give you some years more to enjoy the Greek cuisine.

The "joie de vivre" of the Greeks is infectious. An evening out, whether it be in metropolitan areas or in an island village, will prove to be memorable and economical. Greeks in all walks of life use evening dining as a principal source of entertainment. They dine late and enjoy open-air places during the warm summer months, even if air-conditioning is available. In most establishments that cater to Greek clientele, service is likely to be friendly, warm and informal. What usually happens when you walk into a restaurant is, after finding a table, you will be permitted or encouraged to go to the kitchen to see what they have to offer and make your choice.

The waiter will not be at your table every five minutes to ask you if you need anything so you will have to attract his attention when you do. It also is very normal that you keep ordering when you see something you like being brought to another table after having eaten what you ordered. A 15% service is included in the food prices so you do not need to tip but you can always leave something for the guy who clears the tables.

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A meal in Greece is highlighted with a selection of hors d' oeuvres, hot and cold (referred to as mezedes), which are served in small plates placed in the centre of the table. Greeks are not connoisseurs of soup but the few available are meals in themselves.

Mezedes are comprised of such items as melitzanosalata (mashed eggplant with oil, lemon and garlic), taramosalata (Greek caviar spread), dolmadakia (meat or rice rolled in grapevine leaves), kalamarakia (deep fried squid), tyropitakia (cheese wrapped in strudel leaves), kolokithakia (deep fried zucchini) are usually served with tzatziki, keftedes, stuffed peppers and tomatoes, pickled octopus, and more.

The main course is a casserole or grilled fish. There are also many meat stews to choose from as well as plain grilled cuts of meat and of course the well-known souvlaki. Fish and shellfish are excellent when caught, cooked and eaten the same day.

Salad is usually ordered with the main course and can be prepared with fresh vegetables or cooked dandelions (greens are boiled in water, drained and served with oil and lemon). All seasonal vegetables, such as artichokes, beans, peas, carrots, and zucchini are often cooked and served together in the casserole dishes rather than separately.

There is a variety of cheeses produced in Greece. They include some very interesting regional specialties. But the most commonly offered in restaurants are feta (white semi-soft and salted), kasseri (yellow semi-soft), graviera (hard) and manouri (unsalted creamy and fattening). Cheese is usually consumed with bread which can vary tremendously in flavour depending on the particular region.

Desserts are a treat including baklava and kataifi. In the summer, however, sweets give way to fresh fruits such as large peaches, melon, watermelon, grapes and pears.

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