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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think some holiday makers in Greece are odd?

122 replies

authcodehobby · 12/07/2018 16:55

I’ve been on my first holiday in Greece and it was lovely. Absolutely beautiful country and it was great to just spend a week relaxing. We stayed in a little self catering apartment with a shared pool, bar etc between apartments and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Some of the other holiday makers seemed absolutely obsessed with being ‘friends’ with the owners though. Conversations in the pool were all about ‘well I’ve known Jack (the owner) for 10 years now, he looks forward to me coming every year’, which is responded to with ‘oh well I’ve been coming since 2001 so obviously I know all of Jack’s family and they invite me out for drinks’ etc etc. All in competition to let everyone know how close they are to the owner.

Poor Jack was being asked by one woman if he remembered when her friend Sandra visited in 2005 or whatever. He clearly couldn’t.

It’s great for the resort that people think they’re their friends, but why can’t people see that, to the owner, most will be like any other customer, here today and replaced by others next week who will also think they’re best friends with Jack and family?

My friend holidays at another Greek island and never tires of telling us about Eli’s bar and how good friends she is with Eli and I’ve always wondered if she believes it but thought it was just her, but it seems not.

AIBU to think it’s really odd that people believe that people they see once a year who rely on their custom are their friends?

OP posts:
CuppaSarah · 12/07/2018 17:46

Some people are odd wherever you go. Sounds like fantastic free entertainment though!

ScipioAfricanus · 12/07/2018 17:48

Oh god I know people like this! It’s all about showing how amazingly authentic they are by being chummy with the locals. Highly irritating and yes, very unlikely they are best friends with Eli etc.

scarletbee · 12/07/2018 17:50

A lot of people are very self absorbed and it genuinely doesn't occur to them the owners are being friendly because it's their job. They believe they are special

OliviaStabler · 12/07/2018 17:51

It's an amusing version of one upmanshiping. I just drink my wine, sit back and watch with an internal smile as they try and outdo each other!

Lotsofdigestives · 12/07/2018 17:52

They sound pretty dull to be going to the same place since 2001.

CtrlCandCtrlV · 12/07/2018 17:53

Going on holiday in the same place every year sounds like my idea of hell, so I would struggle to keep a straight face with people like that.

It's odd, but they could be a lot worst I guess. It's a bit sad if they need to invent some friendship, they are clearly missing something!

Immigrantsong · 12/07/2018 17:54

Could it be that they were made to feel really welcome and appreciated? I found the Greek hospitality unparalleled and very different to other countries.

restingbemusedface · 12/07/2018 17:54

Omg this sounds like the place we stayed at in Crete a few years ago. This woman didn’t shut up about know George the owner and kept boasting that they had been coming back to the same apartments for 16 YEARS! They were distinctly average apartments in a classic Brit’s abroad resort - nothing special at all. They spent 6 weeks every summer there. They went to George’s wedding and remember when George was a kid Confused she suddenly stopped talking to us and I think it was because she heard us taking the piss

AnyFucker · 12/07/2018 17:55

I agree

You see similar on Trip Advisor too. Places with brilliant ratings because of the "friendliness" of the owners/staff and reviewers name them all. I must have resting bitch face because other than a cheery "good morning" I never get friendly with locals on holiday. Nor with other holidaymakers actually.

It's probably me being anti social though

speakout · 12/07/2018 17:56

It's not just Greece.

I have a family member who talks like this about an apartment owner- they have been to the same place in Spain for 15 years.

They brag about their " good friend" owner who they see for a week every year.

I cringe - as I suspect " friend the owner" treats hundreds of regular guests this way.

glamorousgrandmother · 12/07/2018 17:56

I hate that. Also people who try to be mates with waiters and engage them in banter when they are trying to work. Probably the same people who go on TripAdvisor and complain that the staff weren't friendly - they are not employed to be your friends, complain if they are rude or lazy by all means but as long as they are polite and get on with the job that should be enough.

ZenNudist · 12/07/2018 17:56

My dad loves going back to the same places and being known somewhere.

After taking us to the same place year in year out and revisiting over the years at odd times even though the place changed a lot (family members died, place got sold on) he still walked back into an oveeseas bar and loved it that "Jose" remembered him. Welcomed him, bought him a drink etc.

Sometimes its part of tourist service.

AnyFucker · 12/07/2018 17:58

I actually choose not to visit establishments where the staff are cited as super friendly and named individually with huge affection.

speakout · 12/07/2018 17:59

Good for the owners though- being "friends" with everyone is great for business.

CtrlCandCtrlV · 12/07/2018 17:59

If you spend all your holidays in the exact same place because you love it so much, why on earth don't you just move there, and use your holidays to go to see what else is out there? People crack me up. You cant' even know a place is that great if you have nothing to compare it to.

3stonedown · 12/07/2018 18:04

This drives me mad. I remember my nan doing it all the time when I was a kid. We went away as a family a few years ago, rented a big villa in a place she had never been before. Caught her one morning trying to out do our neighbours on how well she knows "Sharon" (Sharon being the person she spoke to twice when she used owners direct)

And when people think the entertainment reps actually remember them in hotels. "Ohh Gary was great wasn't he, he must miss us!"

I appreciate this is a sore subject with me! 😂

Oliversmumsarmy · 12/07/2018 18:10

Going on holiday in the same place every year sounds like my idea of hell, so I would struggle to keep a straight face with people like that

This

DontCallMeCharlotte · 12/07/2018 18:13

We went to the same place in Greece this year as last year (because a family member owns a house there). Went into a bar where DH and the waiter had had a chat about footy last year. Waiter came past, did a double take and said "you came back!". They then resumed their conversation. I was pretty impressed as we'd only gone in there once last year.

kelper · 12/07/2018 18:13

Sounds like my BIL and SIL!! They have two places in the world they visit, and have done so for years, and apparently the locals recognise them and love them!

hellswelshy · 12/07/2018 18:14

Yeah its a bit odd. Some of the guests in our hotel in Greece actually cried when they left as the entertainment staff were 'just brilliant and we'd got so close to them' Hmm

I mean, they were nice enough but COME ON!!

Shortstuff08 · 12/07/2018 18:15

Its not people going on holiday to Greece.

I have seen it in loads of places. Spain, Turkey, Florida, Bulgaria.

Its just certain people and they holiday all over the place.

NotAsGreenAsCabbageLooking · 12/07/2018 18:17

I think this is a Greek thing! I’ve never known it do much anywhere else... they act like they’re old family friends 😂

FoxyRoxy · 12/07/2018 18:17

Having worked in a tourist destination abroad for a decade I can say there are regulars that return year after year that do get remembered.

FourFriedChickensDryWhiteToast · 12/07/2018 18:19

I don't think it's a Greek thing, it's a 'people who go to the same place on holiday every year thing'.
One wonders if they know any Greek language - might be interesting for them if they did.

Justanotheruser01 · 12/07/2018 18:19

Oh the people who have photos with the waiter always amuse me! Cynically, I think they're either after tips or a feel (sorry!)