7 Reasons

Tag: Greece

  • Guest Post: 7 Reasons To Still Visit Greece

    Guest Post: 7 Reasons To Still Visit Greece

    It might be beset by strikes and economic problems but it’s still a great place to visit. Here’s why…

    7 Reasons To Still Visit Greece
    The Acropolis: It will be nice when it’s finished. Photo by Dan Cross.

    1.  It’s Cheap. It is terrible to think of Greek people struggling with lower wages and higher prices but there are some fantastic holiday offers for Britons to take advantage of by visiting Greece. Some tour operators are cutting the price of Greek holidays by up to 60 per cent. This effectively means that you can get two holidays for the price of one – if you can find anyone to travel with you.

    2.  Citizen Journalism Opportunities. With strikes and protests common on the streets of Athens there are plenty of fantastic opportunities for British citizen journalists to cut their teeth by recording some great front-line footage. A quick look at internet forums show that many Greek people think that reports of anarchy in their country have been greatly exaggerated. Are they right? There’s only one way of finding out…

    3.  To Annoy William Hague. British Foreign Secretary William Hague clearly isn’t keen on Britons travelling to Greece. In February he incurred the wrath of tour operators by announcing plans to evacuate Britons from Greece in the event of major civil unrest. Britons have never liked being told what to do and, just like Bluebeard telling his wives that they must never enter his forbidden room, discouraging us from going somewhere just excites our determination to do just that.

    4.  To Support Our Fellow European Nations. Even a cursory glance at the film Captain Corelli’s Mandolin shows us just how much the Greek people suffered during the Second World War. Now is the time to join together and support a fellow European nation in their hour of need.

    5.  To Annoy The Germans. The Germans are clearly not happy about bailing out the Greeks. Expressing support for Greece – by visiting their beautiful country – could well provoke the ire of a nation with which it has a troubled relationship (again, see Captain Correlli’s Mandolin).

    6.  To See Sights Of Great Sporting Importance. Greece is the cradle of sporting civilisation – this is where the Olympics began many moons ago. So British sports fans should feel very at home when visiting the ancient crumbling sites where Greek gladiators fought for their livelihood.

    7.  To Escape The Olympic Hype. Alternatively, if you’re a Briton who is not keen on sport and wants to escape the Olympic hype this summer then Greece is just the place to visit. Touring the ancient crumbling remains of the country offers the perfect escape route and might afford a frightening glimpse of what London’s Olympic Stadium could look like in a few years’ time!

    Author Bio: James Christie writes for airport parking and hotel provider BookFHR. If you’re travelling to Greece, do so in style by booking a hotel near Gatwick for the night before your flight.

  • Guest Post: 7 Reasons I Am Most Probably Half-Greek

    Guest Post: 7 Reasons I Am Most Probably Half-Greek

    We’ve never really mentioned publicly our gratitude those of you who submit guest posts. Mainly because the vast majority of them give writing a bad name. One lady who hops, skips and jumps her way to the other end of the spectrum though, is Things To Do In Manchester supremo, Liz Gregory. Regular 7 Reasons readers will remember with great fondness Liz’s previous posts about dolphin’s embodying the devil and mince pies. So you, like us, will be delighted to see her back on the 7 Reasons sofa today. Though it has to be said she looks like she’s having a bit of an κρίση ταυτότητας. And if that sounds greek to you, that’s because it is. Here’s Liz:

    7 Reasons I Am Most Probably Half-Greek

    Having recently returned to rain-drenched Britain after a week in Kefalonia, I have decided that I am not in fact a pasty-faced Mancunian but indeed something far more exotic. I realise now that I am at least half Greek, and can offer the following evidence to any doubters (including, perhaps reasonably, family members).

    1.  The Weather. In Greece, it is sunny. Always. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the temperatures in Greece are actually just silly. Such heat makes any kind of strenuous activity impossible, and forces one to spend the entire day lying quietly by the pool, drinking cold beer in a frosted glass, and occasionally having a quick frolic in the water to cool off. I found, to my surprise, that I was good – no, make that very good – at doing this; I would even say I was something of a natural.

    2.  My Wardrobe. I essentially wear the same clothes all year round, and am the proud owner of approximately 1,297 pretty much identical little dresses with flowers on them (or sometimes, a daring stripe). Imagine my delight to find that in Greece, such items can actually be worn ON THEIR OWN, without the addition of cardigans, thick tights and leggings (sometimes all at once) – a truly liberating feeling.

    3.  The Tan. For reasons hitherto beyond my comprehension, I have skin that tans exceptionally easily; this is now easily explained by my new-found Greek heritage. I have returned from my holiday a most pleasing colour, which looks all the more striking when cunningly accessorised with an obviously non-Greek husband who appears to have come back paler than when he went.

    4.  The Food – Part One. My favourite crisps in the whole wide world (and I am quite a connoisseur if I do say so myself) are Walkers Sensations. In Greece, these are called Lays Sensations. I like this name better, and am therefore obviously both a/ Greek and b/ the owner of a very mature sense of humour.

    5.  The Food – Part Two. One of the best bits of being on ANY holiday is that you are forced to eat out every night, and are thereby released from the drudgery of trying to think up exciting new ways with the excess of whatever item is dominating the vegetable box this week. Greek food is particularly rewarding, offering meaty goodness at every turn and merrily deep-frying any passing vegetable until all its nutrients are safely neutralised. I am clearly cut out for this kind of diet, as I have come back weighing less than I did before, despite eating a kilo of bread before every meal and consuming three cows and a lamb during the course of my stay.

    6.  The Alcohol. I am not really one for drinking spirits in the UK, preferring to up my 5-a-day fruit and vegetable quota by having wine instead. However, I enjoy both Ouzo and *whispers* Metaxa Brandy, and only a properly Greek person could say that.

    7.  My Promising Fluency In The Greek Language. Obviously, the Greek language does itself no favours by using silly squiggles and shapes instead of proper letters, but despite such obstacles I found myself in full possession of an almost entire vocabulary after just a few days. I can say: hello, good morning, good evening, goodbye, please, cheers, how are you, and very well thank you; what more, frankly, does one need? By the way, all the haters on Twitter who suggested I should learn the useful phrase “more please” were roundly ignored.

    So there you go; incontrovertible proof of my inherent Greek-ness. Now all I have to do is sort the maths out, as I’m fairly sure I’m half Spanish and half Italian as well…