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posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jul 29

This part of our guide to holidays in Greece covers the cuisine of the country…

Greeks often dine out, and restaurants – referred to by locals as taverna or estiatorio – are widespread. Excellent restaurants can be found in popular tourist regions, especially areas frequented by Greek tourists. Eating in places that the locals prefer is a good way to experience authentic Greek cuisine.

The best restaurants will offer not only authentic traditional Greek cuisine and regional specialties, but also Greece’s latest culinary trends as well. Therefore, it’s easy to sample a rich and extensive range of Greek dishes, traditionally cooked, during your stay.

Greek cooking has similarities with the cuisines of neighboring regions, such as the Balkans, Italy and the Middle East. Common ingredients include lamb, pork, bread and grains, olive oil and olives, vegetables and yogurt. Garlic, onion, oregano, mint, dill and bay leaves are typical flavorings.

In coastal regions and on the islands, fish is a mainstay of the local cuisine, and it is often caught, cooked and served on the same day. Greece also offers a broad variety of cheeses with distinctive local flavors; the great bulk of these are hand-made on small farms.

The Greeks love their coffee, which tends to be strong, full-bodied black and moderately sweetened. It is served in a small cup and the grounds are left in. Walking along the streets, you can’t fail to see many locals sipping coffee in the numerous outdoor cafes.

Wine and beer drinkers also have plenty of choice. Greek wines come in many styles and are made from both indigenous and imported grape varieties. A lot of restaurants also offer good, locally produced house wine. Local beers include Mythos and Alpha. Northern European brews are also popular, with Heineken and Amstel being the widely available of these.

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jul 27

In this installment of our guide to holidays in Greece we look at Greece’s climate …

Greece has a typical Mediterranean climate – it usually has long warm, dry summers and short, mild but wet winters. But despite the country’s relatively small size, there are regional variations; Greece’s northern mountains, southern islands and central mainland having slightly different climates.

From April until November, the weather is almost constantly hot, dry and sunny throughout Greece. Rain in this season is infrequent and rarely consists of more than short showers. The best weather is in May-June and September-October. The hottest time of the year is from mid-July to mid-August when temperatures average about 35 degrees and heat-waves with significantly higher temperatures can occur. If you’re in Greece at this time of year, try to stay indoors or in the shade from 11am-4pm when the sun is at its strongest.

The remainder of the year is characterized by a relatively cold, rainy period which generally starts sometime in November and lasts until late March or early April. The majority of rain falls from December to April, where it rains on approximately a third of days each month. In the northern parts of the country, this can be quite persistent and can cause flooding. The upper parts of Greece can also be very cold during the winter and snow is not uncommon.

In contrast, the southern Aegean and parts of the southeastern mainland are the driest parts of the country and have much milder winters than northern Greece, let alone northern Europe. Visitors not put off by cool weather can find the off-season period from November through February to be a rewarding time to visit Greece, particularly the drier districts, such as the southern Aegean and the southeastern mainland. They won’t get beach weather, but they will enjoy lower prices and escape the crowds.

posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Jul 27

This part of our guide to holidays in Greece covers the culture of the country…

Greece is a country of a great interests and diverse cultures, influenced by its location, at the junction between the East and the West, and by the many occupations endured by the Greek people throughout history. Their people are particularly proud of their culture and country and speak of it with an intense passion.

Greek is the national official language and is the native tongue of the vast majority of the population, but English-speaking visitors encounter no significant language problem since English is the most widely studied and understood of foreign languages in Greece (followed by French, Italian, and German).

In fact, 1 million residents there (equivalent to 10% of the population) are foreign-born (mainly from Eastern and Central Europe, Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, and Africa); which has contributed to not only language diversity, but also to the Greek cultural landscape in general.

In this very religious country, 97% of the population classify themselves as Orthodox Christians. While the Greek State and the Orthodox Church are officially separated, this separation is not formalised by the Constitution and the Greek Orthodox Church is very influential.

Greeks tend to be more likely than other Europeans to believe in supernatural or paranormal phenomena. Common traditions include blessing bread by making the sign of the cross with a knife before slicing it and spitting to ward off the devil and misfortune. But superstitions vary across regions and even between villages within a region.

In Greece, Easter is the most prominent holiday, involving religious processions and pageantry, as well as feasts and parties. In contrast, Christmas tends to be a private, family holiday, although lights and other decorations are placed in city squares across the country. In addition, many places have their own regional festivals throughout the year to commemorate local patron saints, historical events or wine harvests.