Micro-Mini Guides: Greece

GREECE:

I was deathly ill when we arrived in Greece and completely out of money, so this list is short; I spent most of my time sleeping!

To Do:
1. Visit an island; I was vastly disappointed in the aesthetics of Athens, but apparently the islands are where the real beauty is. For a party-all-the-time island, try Mykonos. For cliff-jumping, go to Aegina.
2. Go to La Plaka; a stretch of shopping and restaurants to satisfy all cravings, from souvenirs to French fries and jewelry. All outdoors so it can be quite intense in the summer. For a more pleasant summer shopping experience, try:
3. The Athens Mall; incredibly large, with some very fun and different stores. We were only here for about an hour because we went on our last day (mistake!), but designate a good 3-4 hours for a truly extravagant shopping experience. Some of the stores are staggeringly expensive.

To Eat:
1. French fries!: Greece has some really fantastic French fries, and they serve them with everything, in all different shapes and sizes. Order them as a snack or with your gyro (generally, they will serve the gyro with the French frieGrs inside it—try it!).
2. Olives; I looked so forward to the olives in Greece, but the ones in Croatia and Italy were actually tastier, only because Greek olives are incredibly salty. They are still very good, but I can’t handle more than a few.
3. Feta; order it alone! Many times it will be served as a block, sprinkled with pepper and coated in olive oil. Grab a fork and share with a friend. It also goes very well with those French fries you ordered.
4. Meat; whether in the form of a gyro or just a chunk of it over a bed of fries or rice, the meat in Greece is fantastic. I particularly enjoyed the pork, especially when served as sausage with pita, yoghurt, hummus, and French fries. That was one of my favorite meals of the entire summer.
5. Baklava; delicious Greek pastry, often with nuts or sugar. Baklava is also found in Middle Eastern countries, but in different variations.
6. Ouzo; if hard liquor is your thing.

To Buy:
1. Olives; in case your life needs more salt!
2. Olive Oil; in case you didn’t pick any up in Croatia or Italy!
3. Greek Candy; unique and delicious, look for Greek Delight (comparable to Turkish Delight) and hard candies that will be available in any market you come across.