Greece: Who's been?

[Wonderboy]

You've clearly never seen the inside of a Turkish prison

What are you talking about? Why, they even give you a foot massage there.

[JudeBaldo]

Turkey is a Muslim nation-state, but 99.8% of its population is Muslim. 99.8%. I simply meant I'd be nervous visiting right now in any country with a Muslim population, and especially the ones in the middle east.

However, of all the Muslim countries, Turkey seems to be the most progressive and secular. I'd love to visit Istanbul, but not right now.

Turkey is a secular nation-state with the vast majority of its inhabitants being Muslim. Additionally, Turkey's 1982 constitution is not founded on the Qur'an, the Sunnah, or the Hadith. Furthermore, the judiciary does not employ Shariah when it adjudicates. Finally, the military acts as the guardian of secularism. Thus, Turkey is not a Muslim nation-state.

[Fresno Bob]

Talked to my wife, who spent some time with the ladies of her family in Greece recently.

She said that Corfu and Mykonos are the must-see islands. She also said Athens for the touristy stuff. Essentially if you just want beach time, bounce from island to island. If you want touristy time, hit up the Acropolis and the Parthenon.

I'm going to 2nd this, although I'd declare the Acropolis and the Parthenons as "must sees", in fact, the primary reason to go to Athens. Corfu is great, Mykonos is great, all of Greece is going to be a frakking oven though in July/August, so you definately want to get out to the islands. I just saw a "Rick Steeves Europe" show on the Peloponnese, which looked sweet as well

[Wonderboy]

Thus, Turkey is not a Muslim nation-state.

I never said it was. I just said I'd be nervous traveling in any Muslim country right now. I consider a country with 99.8% of the population being Muslim a Muslim country.

Having said that, Turkey is clearly one of the most progressive Muslim countries in the world. Or, if you prefer, one of the most progressive Muslim-non-nation-states! (Honest, I think we are just arguing semantics here.)

[nullnor]

To the Turks, everything is "shurla burla", which means "like this, like that". All foreigners are "ayip". There are about thousand things that are "ayip", for instance, you can stab or shoot somebody below the waist but not above because that's intent to kill. So everyone runs around stabbing everyone else in the ass.

i nominate this as one of the funnier parts of the movie.

[mjl]

all of Greece is going to be a frakking oven though in July/August, so you definately want to get out to the islands.

The islands are an oven too. Walking around narrow bright white passages in Oia in the August noonday sun, the temperature got up to 130 according to some shop that was selling thermometers. At midday, hide in your hotel room or in the water.

[johnnya24]

My recently ex-girlfriend is Greek ... been to Greece more than 10 times.

Some things to note ... July and August are stiflingly hot ... so don't try and cram too much into a short space of time. Two days should be enough to see all the major attractions in Athens as they are mostly in the centre.

Then I would go to Piraeus, jump on a ferry and hit the Cycladic islands. I would try and avoid the major euro-tourism islands (Rhodes, Crete) if you want a taste of the real Greeks Islands without drunken Germans and English.

I would take the slow ferry to fully enjoy the journey through the islands.

Mykonos (and neighbouring Delos) is a perfect destination. Very cosmopolitan in the main town, but still a small island feel, and the uninhabited Delos is a major archaeological site (not to be missed). You will of course get many tourists, but not package holiday tourists. July is better for Mykonos as it is very trendy, and gets overrun by Athenians in August (holiday season).

It's up to you whether you want to island hop, and see some of the other places ... it all depends on how long you have to spend. More the better of course. An idea would be to base yourself in an island like Myconos and go on 1 or 2 day trips to places like Tinos (the Greek holy island) etc. That way you don't have to cart your stuff around with you.

Then, when you've had your fill, I'd take the ferry to Santorini at the southern most point of the Cycladic islands, and spend some time here. There are no good beaches on Santorini though being a "recently" formed a volcanic island. It is amazing though.

All depends on how long you have ... let me know and I can help you out a bit more. Corfu, Lefkada etc are on the other side of Greece ... but definitely worth it if you have time.

If you do decide to do Greece ... the research will be a blast ... so many options.

[Fresno Bob]

My recently ex-girlfriend is Greek ... been to Greece more than 10 times.

Some things to note ... July and August are stiflingly hot ... so don't try and cram too much into a short space of time. Two days should be enough to see all the major attractions in Athens as they are mostly in the centre.

Then I would go to Piraeus, jump on a ferry and hit the Cycladic islands. I would try and avoid the major euro-tourism islands (Rhodes, Crete) if you want a taste of the real Greeks Islands without drunken Germans and English.

I would take the slow ferry to fully enjoy the journey through the islands.

Mykonos (and neighbouring Delos) is a perfect destination. Very cosmopolitan in the main town, but still a small island feel, and the uninhabited Delos is a major archaeological site (not to be missed). You will of course get many tourists, but not package holiday tourists. July is better for Mykonos as it is very trendy, and gets overrun by Athenians in August (holiday season).

It's up to you whether you want to island hop, and see some of the other places ... it all depends on how long you have to spend. More the better of course. An idea would be to base yourself in an island like Myconos and go on 1 or 2 day trips to places like Tinos (the Greek holy island) etc. That way you don't have to cart your stuff around with you.

Then, when you've had your fill, I'd take the ferry to Santorini at the southern most point of the Cycladic islands, and spend some time here. There are no good beaches on Santorini though being a "recently" formed a volcanic island. It is amazing though.

All depends on how long you have ... let me know and I can help you out a bit more. Corfu, Lefkada etc are on the other side of Greece ... but definitely worth it if you have time.

If you do decide to do Greece ... the research will be a blast ... so many options.

I agree, two days in Athens tops, then get the hell out. if by "take the slow ferry to fully enjoy the journey through the islands", you mean, "maximize your time on the water admiring groups of topless Scandinavian tourist hotties on deck", I concur there as well.

[johnnya24]

I agree, two days in Athens tops, then get the hell out. if by "take the slow ferry to fully enjoy the journey through the islands", you mean, "maximize your time on the water admiring groups of topless Scandinavian tourist hotties on deck", I concur there as well.

What ferry were you travelling on ... and why did I not know about this?

Beyond the centre, Athens is basically an ugly, overcrowded, overpopulated sh*t hole... I almost moved there. Thank gawd I escaped that one. If anyone goes there, get a central hotel (whatever it costs), and don't think about exploring too much beyond the centre ... unless you are going to a club/bar etc (of which there are many).

There is a lot to see on the mainland, but if it's your first time in Greece ... it's all about the Islands ... and the Scandinavian hotties ... and whatever ferry FB was travelling on.

[Fresno Bob]

What ferry were you travelling on ... and why did I not know about this?

Beyond the centre, Athens is basically an ugly, overcrowded, overpopulated sh*t hole... I almost moved there. Thank gawd I escaped that one. If anyone goes there, get a central hotel (whatever it costs), and don't think about exploring too much beyond the centre ... unless you are going to a club/bar etc (of which there are many).

There is a lot to see on the mainland, but if it's your first time in Greece ... it's all about the Islands ... and the Scandinavian hotties ... and whatever ferry FB was travelling on.

Brindisi to Corfu!

[johnnya24]

Looks like the exchange rate to Greece could be back to pre-WW2 levels soon.

Alexis Tsipras has just declared that the pledges Greece made to receive its financial aid package are null and void, and called for a moratorium on Greek debt repayments.

Live Blog

[johnnya24]

Somewhere on a private beach in the south of France, Nicolas Sarkozy is sipping a pina colada thinking ... "timed that right".

[johnnya24]

Remember the good old days when we still had democracy?

Jörg Asmussen, a member of the European Central Bank's executive board, has warned Greece's political leaders that they cannot renegotiate their bailout agreement.

Responding to Alexis Tsipras's call today for the Greek moratorium to be torn up, Asmussen insisted that the Greek government must abide by the terms agreed earlier this year if it wants to remain in the eurozone.

Asmusson has a similar message for France, following François Hollande's election victory. He warned that Paris must implement the fiscal compact as it stands, without changes. That echoes Angela Merkel's warning yesterday that the treary is not up for renegotiation.

[Fresno Bob]

I leave for Europe June 8th, so if the Euro could devalue by about 30% between now and then, I'd appreciate it...

[Erik]

Whose bright idea was it to let Greece IN the Eurozone in the first place?