To think that people in Greece seem sad and subdued?

[OutofTyme]

I am on holiday in Rhodes. We normally go to Spain or Tenerife and I've not been to Greece since about 1998. It has struck me how downtrodden and submissive the staff are at the resort we are staying in. It has made me sad and I think it must be the result of the state the economy is in.

Has anyone else noticed this? I texted my bf in U.K. about it as he went to Greece a few weeks ago and he said 'well they just live a simple life' which annoyed me because it seems awfully patronising and suggestive of the fact that it doesn't matter because they're 'only' Greek people.

I go to Crete all the time and don't find this. It is obvious that they have been badly hit by austerity, and in the cities people are really annoyed about the explosion of Airbnb pushing normal renters out of the market.

You'd be pissed off if you'd come to a resort to work for the season to save money for uni/your family/whatever and your wages were the same but your rent had tripled. There's a lot of anger about this on a FB group I'm on in Crete. "Flats" of 180 sq ft (clearly a repurposed hotel room) being advertised for €400 a month, when that should rent you a 2 bedroom house etc.

I use Airbnb a lot, but lately I really see how its landlords needs to be taxed (heavily) and regulated properly because they are harming local economies.

Garcia, we have been holidaying in Croatia for years, and genuinely they have been the nicest people of anywhere we have been..it's one of the reasons we can't stop going back. I wonder if you have just been very unlucky..or perhaps we have been very lucky. I don't know if I would return to Greece after Kos, it wasn't what I was expecting.

I go to Crete regularly and have no perception of this at all.
I agree, would much rather live there than brexitania.
Do you speak Greek OP?

stavros flatley always seems pretty happy so maybe not all greeks . and peter andres dad.

It's nothing to do with the people not being friendly. It's more a sense of staff apologising all the time for nothing. It's not the end of the season and these people look worn out. Maybe it is the management? I really hope it is just that.

It's nothing to do with the people not being friendly. It's more a sense of staff apologising all the time for nothing. It's not the end of the season and these people look worn out. Maybe it is the management? I really hope it is just that.

If you want to meet the most unfriendly try Croatia

Oh God, I'm going to Croatia soon.

We were in Rhodes a few weeks ago and found the complete opposite. Also I dont understand why you boyfriend saying the Greeks live a more simple life is him saying they don't matter because they are 'only greek'. What's more likely is he didn't experience this when he was there and is expressing opinion from his own holiday.

Yes but 'simple life'? What does that mean? It means poor doesn't it

Apologies for sweeping generalisations. As I said before I first visited Greece in the 1970s and went every year for many years. I never found the Greeks anything but welcoming and warm.
In the 80s I went to Slovenia and several places in Croatia. This was before the war when it was Yugoslavia and never had I encountered such unfriendliness. It took me a long time to go back after the barbaric horrors of the Bosnian war but I thought things had changed there for the better. We went back there a couple of years ago, and in general the whole country was more vibrant, there was clearly money and investment and work. The people though were as dour as ever.

That's just not our experience Garcia. They do have a very dry sense of humour, but not dour.

I’ve found the opposite when we have visited, most recently a month ago to Kefalonia. The people I encountered seemed genuinely warm and welcoming - and happy. I don’t doubt that normal people have found it really tough there these past few years and if you asked, they’d probably tell you. But for all of this, i’ve never thought they come as sad or subdued.

'simple life'
Greeks are in the fortunate position of being almost self sufficient in food and potentially energy with solar resources. Most people in the countryside own an olive grove, and can rely on that for a small income or olive oil annually. They're hard workers too.

EU funding and the tenacity and pragmatism of Greeks have absolutely transformed Greece. I've been visiting for decades, and the Greeks have endured a lot with the financial crisis, their generosity which is continuing towards the poor souls escaping war zones. Climate change is an added worry for them and I understand there's been a drought this winter, and now unseasonable flooding across the country.

The language isn't that difficult, and maybe learning a few words might help along? I've always found many Greeks warm and friendly. (like most continental Europeans).

Did anyone ever watch the programme on channel 4 called Island of Dreams and featured 4 British women who moved to Zakynthos to get married? This was probably 20+ years ago, but I always wondered what happened to them

FourFriedChickens

You don't need to tell me the history of Cyprus, my DP's family are Greek Cypriot. They all, whether they live in England or Cyprus, hold no ill feeling towards Brits. Not in the slightest. Any animosity is reserved for the Turks.

Lastnight I think I remember that! Wasn’t there one woman who ended up with the MIL from hell who didn’t want her son marrying a non-Greek woman?

fair enough Crabby Jo.

my landlord is Greek Cypriot (kicked out in '74)and he spent a lot of time telling me about how 'the Muslim hordes' were coming to take us over. I opened my mouth to disagree, but then shut it again, as from his point of view, I guess it was true.

Yes but 'simple life'? What does that mean? It means poor doesn't it

Poor? No, it doesn't mean that at all

Yes Peter her name was Dia and her husband was Nicos I was rather over invested. I hope the Zante goers here know some of the women and can report back.

I'm pretty sure "Muslim hordes" refers to the Turks, as they are, by and large, Muslim whereas Greeks are more often than not, Christian.
When the invasion occurred many Greek Cypriots settled in England, Australia and America.
The invasion was by Turkey, not Britain so why would they hate us.

We just came back from Greece (mainland) and didn't notice this at all - just lovely friendly serving staff and then on our walks into remote hills people who smiled and nodded to say hello.

I expect that it is the hotel managers treating the staff like shit. I go to Greece and would never describe it as subdued.

Crabby he meant the Turks that kicked him out of his family home obvs.
I am not after having an argument, it's just a discussion.

Please don't try and patronise me Crabby, I do know quite a bit about the area.

Did you wander out of your hotel and experience any of the less tourist areas of Rhodes and see if any of the other people living there were downtrodden and dismissive? Maybe you could then have experienced the enriched simple life they live. Where their kids are not glued to their PS4 or phones, families are very important, home cooking takes place everyday and enjoyed as a family all sitting and eating together? Their gardens produce fruit and vegetables and often house chicken and goats. Elders are looked after and children are cared for by their grandparents. They are not necessarily poor, they value their family values and heritage which in my eyes makes them very wealthy indeed