Greece was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life. The history and the culture are in-explainable.
Many of us have a vision of what Greece is like. Depicted in the movies and through story-tellers, we form certain expectations and beliefs about the country.
Having traveled to Greece myself, some of the expectations I came with were wrong. Let me share with you some realizations of Greece that I experienced once I visited this immaculate country.
1. Expectation: Most of us have seen or at least heart of the beautiful shots of Greece found in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. We full on expect to arrive in Greece and walk onto this movie set.
Reality: Most of this movie takes place on the island of Santorini which…while it is part of Greece… not all of Greece has the white buildings with blue doors and donkeys to take you up and down the hills when you’re tired of walking.
2. Expectation: Greek yogurt is going to taste like vanilla yogurt with a European twist of honey and fruit.
Reality: Greek yogurt actually tastes eerily similar to sour cream. So when you order it from that cute little café in Athens and take a huge scoop…don’t expect sweet nectar of yogurt to cleanse your pallet. Get ready for the thick sensation of sour cream and ask your waiter to bring you some honey and fruit.
3. Expectation: Greek men resemble the Greek goddesses from the books and stories and fantasies.
Reality: All Greek men are not created equal. I’ve seen all kinds: tall, short, toothless, hairy, hairless…you name it, there’s a Greek for that. While I did see something breathtaking specimen, not every man has the rock hard body of Zeus and Hercules.
4.Expectation: You will meet a fisherman named Kostos and fall in love despite the family’s troublesome background.
Reality: At least 78% of the men in Greece, and more specifically Athens, are named Kostos. That includes the 98-year-old men sitting on the corner and the 8 year old boy who just tried to pickpocket your wallet. Might want to give up on the Kostos dream for now.
5.Expectation: Riding on a donkey up a hill in Greece is life changing and peaceful. You will look like Alexis Bledel in Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants gracefully side sitting in your lovely white dress.
Reality: Have you ever actually ridden a donkey? Not easy. Not fun. These bad boys are crazy. They will take off at any given moment and you’ll have to hold on tight or you and that lovely white dress will be flat on the ground in no time. Forget side sitting- mount that bad boy and tell it whose boss.
Whether your expectations turn out to be correct or not, Greece is truelly one of a kind and we can only be grateful to be able to visit such a place.
Have you visited Greece? What realizations did you experience?
