Guest guest Posted September 7, 2004 Report Share Posted September 7, 2004 Hi Aequalsz, It's not quite on the list topic, but I think it might be of general interest, so I'll send it there too (especially given the Olympics coverage lately). In brief, I'd say you should feel safer in Greece than in the USA... And the Olympic coverage of 'modern' Greece is no exaggeration -- if you haven't been there in 35 years, you'll be surprised. 35 years ago would have been a rather troubled time in Greece (I'm not a historian, but 1970s still saw the Metaxas, I believe). On top of that, the American dabbling in Greek politics was not looked on kindly. You'll find that Greeks are, in general, vehemently opposed to American foreign policy, as are Europeans in general, and if you bring the topic up, they won't be shy of telling you so -- that said, in my opinion it's probably one of the safest places to go in Europe. I feel *much* less safe when I'm in the USA, especially when walking. Cyprus might be different, but that's another country -- there's prodding between Greece & Turkey, but I don't think terrorism is an issue. There have been some cross-border robberies and such (antipathy is felt toward Albania in particular), but again, how often is there a big robbery in a city over here? Nonetheless, with regard to today in 2004, Greece has the lowest violent crime rate in Europe (though the highest traffic mortality, I believe), and I think a tourist can feel safe in places in Greece that one ought not to in, say, London. I teach at a school there each year, and have heard American parents calling from big US cities to query the safety of their children on a Greek island -- my mind immediately conjures up tacky responses related to the risks of walking down the wrong street in Baltimore as opposed to visiting a village where everyone watches everything all the time... This is also something that I think relates to the Mediterranean Diet studies -- the sense of community is still very strong, despite the thoroughly modern accoutrements. For instance, I was in Athens when Greece won the EuroCup. I saw not a single instance of violence or vandalism during the celebrations of *millions* of people (though I'm sure there must have been some), but had it been the UK and I was in a British pub, I'm sure I'd be missing some teeth. No one is going to vandalize their neighbour's house, and when the social net is tight, everyone is a neighbour... It's anecdotal evidence, but neither I nor anyone who I know who visits Greece has ever even been pick-pocketed (though this does apparently happen, and tourist police are there for a purpose), but the same group of colleagues has universally been mugged at least once in the US... Even Greek taxis seem to have stopped over-charging, which amazes me now. You can feel quite safe in Greece. Nonetheless, some quintessentially Mediterranean things remain -- don't bother looking for a crosswalk most of the time, line-ups are a grudgingly accepted fact that most try to deny, and people will touch you, pinch you, pat you, kiss you, and do all sorts of things that we North Americans are not used to. Enjoy. Hmmm. As an aside, you'll find the country much changed over the past 35 years too. The Athenian metro is *very* good and the country is thoroughly modernized. Sometimes the older, " pre-modern " things actual work better, and are clung to in those cases, but it's not like visiting Albania (another spot I'd recommend if you're on the West coast & have the time, but don't think of it as safe if you're off the beaten path). Corfu is still my favourite island, and it's an overnight ferry from Venice (get a room on the boat, they're cheap), but is grand on the opposite side. I still haven't been to Crete, but Cretan wines are marvellous (and cheap). Cheers, > -----Original Message----- > From: aequalsz [mailto: > Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 10:40 AM > > Subject: [ ] Re: macro nutrients, sat fats > > > > > Ever see someone swig olive oil? I *love* spending my summers in > Greece... > > > Hello, > > Would it be possible to get your opinion about the safety of US > citizens in Greece at the present time? I was there briefly during my > army tour in Germany about 35 years ago but have heard the political > climate has worsened since. Also read about a terrorist bombing in > May of this year if I remember correctly. The reason I'm wondering is > because I have a few extra days of my European vacation open and > wanted to see Greece again. Thanks in advance. > > Aequalsz > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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