How is it these days in Athens?

Thanks for that ... I am more than willing to accept that the wide-eyed reports we are getting (and massive crowd vision on TV, it has to be said) could be more-or-less business as usual in Athens - although we were in Athens around 28 - 29 April and it was totally quiet, so things (crowd and demo wise) have obviously ramped up somewhat since then.

During the years, I have very often try to explain on this forum that demostrations are not something to be scared of and is not an indication of extreme unrest or something. Most people mix the terms strikes, demostrations, riots on their heads while they are competely different things. Of course there is some more tension among locals rather than on April but we haven't start to kill each other or walk around asking for troubles. Someone demostrates to support one thing, someone to support the opposite thing, this is free of speach and democracy, not a chaotic situation if you ask me... Different countries express their selves differently I guess, so people interpret some situations differently....

Well yes ... but this is a forum basically for the very shallow and self-centred tourist (mostly like me) ... so people want to know if everything will be okay for them - their Athens hotel, their trip to Mykonos or Santorini, and so on. That is the guts here.

My point is that people demostrating are not dangerous for tourists, on the contrary there are reports of visitors talking with them and having interesting insights on various topics. Or say during 2011 (now this was a year with many strikes and many demostrations, a couple of those turning into riots of small scale, but still riots) when some eejits tried to turn peaceful demostrations to riots, local people always protected tourists that happened to be around. Of course every visitor should have some common sense, in case you see a masked troublemaker fighting with a policeman you would not go stand between them I guess, would you?

PNO, the Greek sailors assosiation, having strong bonds with the KKE party, had announced a strike on June 30th and this could cause some disruptions on the ferry schhedules.. Still, after the announcement about the referendum, they postpone the strike to a latter date still to be decided. On the past even when PNO strikes happened, not all schedules were canceled. Usually inter-island sails and a couple of departures from mainland happened anyway.
An unofficial but quite good English-speaking site to keep updated on strikes is this one:
http://livingingreece.gr/strikes/

I appreciate that on times of uncertainity people need reassurance ian. I understand why people planning a Greek trip might be worried. The thing is, we can comment on past exprience, we can comment on current situation, but who can predict the future? And if one person say X situation is fine, this does not mean it will be fine for Z person or v.v.. People have a different confort zone and need to decide what feels appropriate for their selves in terms of visiting or not. Personaly I only offer my opinion and clarify a couple of issues that often take wrong dimensions. No one can make a decision for an other person.

Yes - no problem - and I appreciate the insights you're providing.

My poor sister-in-law in America is VERY conservative (to say the least) ... she flies to Athens Monday, and she might have an interesting experience!

Common sense tells me that a complete closure of banks for an extended amount of time is extremely unlikely. It would imply that people have no money at all and would have the choice between going hungry and criminality. This would equal to sinking the refugee boats at sea with the refugees in it. That would not be allowed any time soon.

As you already quote, the economy would not stop, it gets complicated. There would probably be supply chain interruptions due to payment/trust issue's. Where there is a profitable market there are people that find ways to serve that market.

The banks ARE closed ninjabambi and I don't know how common sense tells you anything about how long they might remain closed but it does not take an 'extended amount of time' for that to have serious repercussions. Read what kenko writes is already being reported. Nor do I know who you think would 'not allow' it to happen. The ECB are certainly not stopping it from happening.

There is really nothing more to say until after the referendum and seeing what happens with the banks. But IF they remain closed next week, the situation for residents and visitors will not get better, it will only get worse.

Read this article and see what just 72 hours of bank closure have done.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/01/greece-bank-closures-business-tourism

Each day the banks remain closed the worse it will get. Here is another current article worth reading.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/cash-crunch-hits-everyday-life-in-greece-1435791588

I think most people have been looking at the 'big picture' and not paying enough attention to what the closing of the banks means and the fallout from that which will affect everyday life for everyone including tourists. There is little point in a tourist arriving with Euros cash if the restaurant has no food to sell.

The banks ARE closed ninjabambi and I don't know how common sense tells you anything about how long they might remain closed but it does not take an 'extended amount of time' for that to have serious repercussions.

Since when? Last I heard is that limited withdrawing from ATM is still available and for people without an ATM card can get money, again limited amounts, at the counter. In my book that's not closure, that's limited service.

it does not take an 'extended amount of time' for that to have serious repercussions.

I've not said it won't have serious repercussions, from an economic and quality of life point of view it has, just as even the risk of payment issue's had already serious repercussions on the economy.

The banks ARE closed ninjabambi and I don't know how common sense tells you anything about how long they might remain closed but it does not take an 'extended amount of time' for that to have serious repercussions.

Since when? Last I heard is that limited withdrawing from ATM is still available and for people without an ATM card can get money, again limited amounts, at the counter. In my book that's not closure, that's limited service.

it does not take an 'extended amount of time' for that to have serious repercussions.

I've not said it won't have serious repercussions, from an economic and quality of life point of view it has, just as even the risk of payment issue's had already serious repercussions on the economy.

I don't blame you from trying to be optimistic in a very bad situation, but I don't feel that your posts reflects the seriousness of the situation and its impact on daily life. This article has been published this evening by the British Telegraph newspaper. It has a reputation for being anti-Europe, but is a very reputable publication. Please read the first half of the article. I think that it may give you cause to reconsider your opinion.

The Telegraph article Thomajd provided the link to is informative. It says, in part,:
"Greek companies have been excluded from the electronic transfers of Europe's Target2 System. Business leaders have been talking with the Bank of Greece pleading for the immediate release of
Emergency funds TO COVER FOOD IMPORTS AND PHARMACEUTICAL GOODS BEFORE THE TOURIST SECTOR
HITS A BRICK WALL."
Greece also needs to import oil for fuel so that buses, flights,and ferries Can continue operating. There may soon be no ability to pay for fuel by international
banking transfers.