Temple of Epicurean Apollo

Hi Jan. Just finishing a very enjoyable week on Ikaria. Hows this for transport irony? No ferry schedules released until early May to get to next stop Karpathos and it turns out cheaper and quicker to fly from Ikaria to Karpathos via Athens!! So tomorrow off we fly..crazy times in Greece....at least we're not queuing for drachmas..yet!

Hi TOmkat ... I too changed some plans because earlier no ferries shown to Sifnos, THEN ferries appeared. I envy u going to Ikaria & Karpathos --- I've done 25+ isles but not those, Ikaria I'd love to see but I dont drive & public transit almost zero I hear ... re the Euro/drachma drama, for 1st time EVER I'm converting some funds from $ to € before leaving US -- because just my luck, the ATMs would run dry the day I arrive, groan! as the Steveheads say, Happy Travels!!

Didn't find those 100 yr olds who drink a litre a day and smoke too....but it's a very interesting and spectacular island, and catching a panagyri in a mountain village was a highlight! I'd advise Euros for safety, as we have, but change them over here.
Cheers ,happy travels and sto kalo!

Not sure what you mean... sounds contradictory: Euros for Safety but change over here?? In past ALWAYS only got my Euros in Greece, at ATM ... but now feel I may need to purchse SOME Euros in US, in advance, because 10 days from now GReek Govt may suddenly declare govt bankruptcy, exit from Eurozone, and Greek citizens will rush to the banks to draw out their funds in EUROS, before their savings are converted into much-less-valuable Drachmas ... thus Banks will be forced to close & ATMS will be inoperable. This happened in Cyprus for 2 weeks, a couple of years back.

If you feel doom is imminent for Greece you'd change to Euros now, but if not youcould wait until arrival and get a better rate possibly? Depends when you are coming really.
I could be wrong but I'm sensing a bit more positivity here, like they've had enough of austerity and some are starting to think less negatively. It was bound to come sooner than later. Media is featuring stories of success that I never saw before.....Turkey continues to boom next door and prices had risen for most things like hotels and meals and Turks are often seen holidaying in Greece now, Turkish signs and menus are appearing......maybe its helping influence things more positively?

From your mouth to God's ear, as the old prayer goes. Tomkat....

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