Greece Tips Part 4 of 4

1.  The Greece people are pretty much the friendliest, nicest, most helpful people I have come across.  I have (now) heard this over and over, but there was never a time I went in to ask a question in a store that the people weren't more than helpful.  Seriously, I love Greek people.  

2.  Most people (especially in tourist area) speak awesome English.  We are so spoiled, but this was something I wondered about and it made things so much easier.  

3.  Of course, there are areas of town that are less safe, but I never felt unsafe in the various tourist areas.  

4.  We had read the ferries would be empty at this time of year, but that was not true.  We were glad we bought our tickets in advance because it was soooooooo crowded on the ferry.  Apparently there was a movie released in China recently that took place in Santorini and they have been flocking to Greece.  So, on our ferry it was hard to find a seat and there were five buses of people on a tour that got on/off the ferry.  We had paid the extra 5 E for a reserved seat and we were so glad we did this!  

5. We hired a car service via Athens Welcome Tours to and from the airport and to and from the Ferry, this was awesome b/c they were right there at the exit to both and on time, so we didn't have to figure out the taxi system etc, and I didn't see that it was much more expensive, and the convenience was well worth it.  

6.  Yes, there are a lot of things closed in Santorini at this time of year, BUT the scenery is uninterrupted, and there are still hotels and restaurants and stores open so you can have a great time without the wall to wall tourist.  

7.  It got REALLY windy a few days which prevented planes from getting into Santorini, but....the ferries still ran on those windy days.  

8.  I had read most places in Greece only took cash.  I found most places took credit card.  I think they just prefer cash because of the taxes the government puts on businesses, but it wasn't necessary to have TOO much cash around.

9.  When you are ready for your check at a restaurant, you have to ask for it.  Greeks aren't in a rush and they are all about letting you have a leisurely dinner, so the assumption you will want it 'quickly' isn't there b/c they want you relax and not feel pressured to leave.

10.  Some random things-a lot of people smoke in Greece.  I guess in a world where there are few places to smoke this was weird for me.  Even the airports had smoking areas.  Random #2-you can't flush toilet paper down the toilet in Santorini. They have trashcans you are supposed to put your tp in...I get it, but...uhh....just thought you should know.

11. The food is amazing, but when you order a Greek salad, don't expect lettuce, it's all the good veggies.  Olive Oil is my spirit food.

12.  I want to go back, like, yesterday. I'm sure this list is to be continued, but above are just a few tidbits I don't want to forget.