Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
which is on the rise. Genuinely
imported
German
beers, such as Bitburger, Fisher and Warsteiner
(plus a few British and Irish ones), are found in
Athens and at busier resorts.
The ubiquitous Loutraki
mineral water
is not
esteemed by the Greeks themselves, who prefer
various brands from Crete and Epirus. In many
tavernas there has been a backlash against plastic
bottles, and you can now get mineral water in
glass bottles. Souroti, Epsa and Sariza are the
principal labels of naturally
sparkling
(
aerioúho
in
Greek) water, in small bottles. Note that despite
variable quality in taste
tap water
is essentially safe
all over Greece though persuading a restaurant to
provide it can be di
cult.
THE STRONG STUFF
Ouzo
and the similar
tsípouro
(north
mainland) and
tsikoudhiá
(Crete) are
simple spirits of up to 48 percent alcohol,
distilled from the grape-mash residue of
wine-making. The former is always
flavoured with anise, the latter two may
be unadulterated or also have a touch of
anise, cinnamon, pear essence or fennel.
There are nearly thirty brands of ouzo or
tsípouro
, with the best reckoned to be
from Lésvos and Sámos islands, or Zítsa
and Týrnavos on the mainland. Note that
ouzo has the peculiar ability to bring back
its effect when you drink water the
morning after, so make sure you don't
plan to do anything important (not least
driving) the next day.
Health
There are no required inoculations for
Greece, though it's wise to ensure that
you are up to date on tetanus and polio.
The main health risks faced by visitors
involve overexposure to the sun, overin-
dulgence in food and drink, or bites and
stings from insects and sea creatures.
British and other EU nationals are entitled to free
medical care in Greece upon presentation of a
European Health Insurance Card (see box opposite).
The US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have no
formal healthcare agreements with Greece (other
than allowing for free emergency trauma
treatment), so insurance is highly recommended.
Traditional specialities
include “spoon sweets” or
glyká
koutalioú
(syrupy preserves of quince, grape,
fig, citrus fruit or cherry) .
Ice cream
, sold principally at the parlours which
have swept across Greece (Dhodhoni is the posh
home-grown competition to Haägen-Dazs), can be
very good and almost indistinguishable from Italian
prototypes. A scoop (
baláki
) costs €1.20-1.50; you'll
be asked if you want it in a cup (
kypelláki
) or a cone
(
konáki
), and whether you want toppings like
santiyí
(whipped cream) or nuts.
Bars, beer and mineral water
Bars
barákia
) are ubiquitous across Greece,
ranging from clones of Spanish bodegas to musical
beachside bars more active by day than at night. At
their most sophisticated, however, they are well-
executed theme venues in ex-industrial premises or
Neoclassical houses, with both Greek and interna-
tional soundtracks. Most Greek bars have a half-life
of about a year; the best way to find current hot
spots, especially if they're more club than bar, is to
look out for posters advertising bar-hosted events
in the neighbourhood.
Shots
and
cocktails
are invariably expensive at
€5-8, except during well-advertised happy hours:
beer in a bar will cost €4-5, up to €12 for imports
in trendier parts of Athens.
Beers
are mostly
foreign lagers made locally under licence at just a
handful of breweries on the central mainland.
Local
brands
include the palatable Fix from
Athens, milder Mythos and Veryina from Komotiní.
Athens also has a
microbrewery
, Craft: they
produce lager in three grades (blonde, “smoked”
and black), as well as a red ale, distribution of
Doctors and hospitals
For serious medical attention you'll find English-
speaking
doctors
(mainly private) in all the bigger
towns and resorts: if your hotel can't help, the
tourist police or your consulate should be able to
come up with some names if you have any di
-
culty. There are also
hospitals
in all the big cities.
For an ambulance, phone
T
166.
Pharmacies, drugs and
contraception
For minor complaints it's enough to go to the local
pharmacy
(
farmakío
). Greek pharmacists are highly
trained and dispense a number of medicines which
elsewhere could only be prescribed by a doctor. In
the larger towns and resorts there'll usually be one
who speaks good English. Pharmacies are usually
closed evenings and Saturday mornings, but all
