Greece

Obviously this is a very large crisis affecting the entirety of people living on the continent.

But anyway, I'm going to Europe next month.

Am I better to buy my Euros now, or does the longer I wait mean the further my paind sterling will likely go?

I'm in the same boat. The Euro has actually remained pretty constant at around the 1.35 to the £ for the last few months. We changed up a fair wedge a couple months ago but I need to change a few hundred more before we leave. There was talk of possiblities of trouble using Credit Cards if their banking system continues to implode. Are you going to the Greek Islands Mocky? Get a safe if you do because it's well known now (to thieves and lowlife also) that the Brits are being advised to take lots of cash Euros with them.

We received €1.3950 in Fuengirola on Tuesday, today it is €1.39

Bratislava Czarko; 4 nights and a considerable amaint of booze I recks.

I reckon I'm gonna gamble on the greeks exiting the EU and a mini collapse making the pound look strong.

Mock Cuncher wrote:

Bratislava Czarko; 4 nights and a considerable amaint of booze I recks.

I reckon I'm gonna gamble on the greeks exiting the EU and a mini collapse making the pound look strong.

Keep your powder dry, take pounds and change them out there, avoid the really touristy bars and imported booze and you will get pissed for half the cost of a night out in Swilly.

Never did quite see the point of trekking around to drink Smirnoff, Heiny and Guiness in foreign bars, Slovakia has some fantastic beers and spirits but take care with the cabs, they are a cheating bunch of bastards.

Greece? Ugh!!! I've been there 4 times and EVERY time I've woken up feeling sick and with a stonking headache. Dodgy Ouzo I reckon

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May be an idea to get your Euros pretty quick as the signs are it will strengthen if the bailout goes through.

Austerity forever ! Wont last another default will occur in a few years

Czarcasm wrote:

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May be an idea to get your Euros pretty quick as the signs are it will strengthen if the bailout goes through.

Brought a few hundreds of £ worth last week when in Spain €1.40 to the £

Going to Skiathos in Greece on Friday......First Holiday in Europe for 24 Years. Changed up a bundle at 1.385 couple weeks ago

The Greeks ought to tell the Krauts to get fecked if they have any sense of pride in their own country. I would rather be skink than subserviant to Merkel & her 4th Reich forever.
Tsipras was forced to agree to a "deal" around three times harsher than the Greeks people voted against in their referendum only a week ago.
Democracy is alive & well in the EUSSR.

I don't deny they are a horrendous financial basket case & their problems are of their own doing but if they left the EU & their faux currency they would recover a lot quicker than the will staying in.

TBF this recent molesting of the Greek people turns me massively against the EU in a way I've not experienced before. As someone who doesn't fear immigration, is an internationalist in the sense that I think shared concerns are best shared, and actually likes some of the environmental measures the EU brought in to protect nd for the common good of it's people, firstly TTIP, then this undemocratic monstering of a country in favour of French and German banks, who recklessly lent and are now getting the Greek people to pay for their recklessness, leave a feckin horrible taste in the mouth.

I think I'd vote Brexit if it came to a decision now. A year ago, there's no way I'd have contemplated it.

FY 310 wrote:

The Greeks ought to tell the Krauts to get fecked if they have any sense of pride in their own country. I would rather be skink than subserviant to Merkel & her 4th Reich forever.
Tsipras was forced to agree to a "deal" around three times harsher than the Greeks people voted against in their referendum only a week ago.
Democracy is alive & well in the EUSSR.

I don't deny they are a horrendous financial basket case & their problems are of their own doing but if they left the EU & their faux currency they would recover a lot quicker than the will staying in.

I'm not going to pretend I'm an authority on the finer points of the whole economic situation, but as unpalatable as it is, taking the third bailout will at least give the average Greek a semblence of normality back in their everyday life.

If the deal doesn't go through, it'd be like turning off the life support machine. Banks would collapse and utter chaos would ensue. Even worse would be the prospect of a rescue (of sorts) involving Russia.

(goin off on a tangent here cos it's a bugbear of mine...)


In the last few years the number of Russians 'holidaying' on the Greek islands has increased year on year. They're not particularly liked at all by the Greeks. They put next to no revenue into the bread and butter tourist industry, and their very nature is one of pig ignorance. Very few eat out in the restaurants, preferring to stay in their All-Inclusive hotels, and buy their tax-free furs at the huge Mexa Outlet stores that have sadly sprung up all over the Islands. I can understand that in Turkey, east of Antalya in places like Lara Beach and Belek (where Russians are the dominant tourist), and every hotel is a resort style, but anyone who goes to the Greek Islands and opts for All-Inclusive is sadly misinformed. There are just too many beautiful places to see and amazing restaurants to eat in. Choosing to roll up at the nightly buffet with the same stuff on rotation is pretty sad. But I digress...

...long term austerity ain't gonna be fun, but the alternative would be utter carnage.

Big Vote bearing in mind I'm off to Greece Friday no doubt with 1000's of others. Personally I'd love the Greeks to tell the Eurozone to go stuff itself sideways but if that happens today civil unrest will ensue no question and going to Greece right now will be difficult I suspect.
Airports wont be open as vital services end with no funds to continue. Thats already been down played but it will happen

harvetheslayer wrote:

Going to Skiathos in Greece on Friday......First Holiday in Europe for 24 Years. Changed up a bundle at 1.385 couple weeks ago

A lovely Island.....Skiathos Town and Harbour a lovely place.......and down the far end of the island the magnificent Koukounaries beach with Tavernas down to the sand......my wife and I spent many holidays in Greece over 30 yrs......we loved every one.......Skiathos we went to twice.......it is very sad what has happened to Greece......their laid back attitude to life has been their undoing when dealing with the EU money moguls......so so sad.

zyph wrote:

harvetheslayer wrote:

Going to Skiathos in Greece on Friday......First Holiday in Europe for 24 Years. Changed up a bundle at 1.385 couple weeks ago

A lovely Island.....Skiathos Town and Harbour a lovely place.......and down the far end of the island the magnificent Koukounaries beach with Tavernas down to the sand......my wife and I spent many holidays in Greece over 30 yrs......we loved every one.......Skiathos we went to twice.......it is very sad what has happened to Greece......their laid back attitude to life has been their undoing when dealing with the EU money moguls......so so sad.

Thanks for that I've noted that Beach area down.  I used to love Greece when I was younger and not having been for 24 years I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to it. I might have been all over the World in the Interim but well happy to be going,
Pleased to see the Greek Government has passed austerity measures and banks will be recapatilised. Not that I'm expecting to need an ATM but you never know in Emergencies.

harvetheslayer wrote:

zyph wrote:

harvetheslayer wrote:

Going to Skiathos in Greece on Friday......First Holiday in Europe for 24 Years. Changed up a bundle at 1.385 couple weeks ago

A lovely Island.....Skiathos Town and Harbour a lovely place.......and down the far end of the island the magnificent Koukounaries beach with Tavernas down to the sand......my wife and I spent many holidays in Greece over 30 yrs......we loved every one.......Skiathos we went to twice.......it is very sad what has happened to Greece......their laid back attitude to life has been their undoing when dealing with the EU money moguls......so so sad.

Thanks for that I've noted that Beach area down.  I used to love Greece when I was younger and not having been for 24 years I cannot tell you how much I am looking forward to it. I might have been all over the World in the Interim but well happy to be going,
Pleased to see the Greek Government has passed austerity measures and banks will be recapatilised. Not that I'm expecting to need an ATM but you never know in Emergencies.

pity you aint going to Rhodes.  You could have said hello to our Porky mate..Hi GiddyIan

You could melt in Rhodes this time of year..... especially if you climb up to the Acropolis at Lindos.......there used to be a donkey taxi years back to save your legs.

Greeks should tell em to stuff it and go back to the Drachma. Nationalise all German property and posessions, shoot any Germans they find.

pepsipete wrote:

Greeks should tell em to stuff it and go back to the Drachma.  Nationalise all German property and posessions, shoot any Germans they find.

What a disgraceful thing to say, "tell em to stuff it"....... ffs!

zyph wrote:

You could melt in Rhodes this time of year..... especially if you climb up to the Acropolis at Lindos.......there used to be a donkey taxi years back to save your legs.

There still is. 5 Euros. I walked it last year.

Out there again next month. Probably my favourite part of the Med.

pepsipete wrote:

Greeks should tell em to stuff it and go back to the Drachma.  Nationalise all German property and posessions, shoot any Germans they find.

I still got some Drachma somewhere.....if they went back to it, I would think it would be heavily devalued and not worth too much now.

Mock Cuncher wrote:

TBF this recent molesting of the Greek people turns me massively against the EU in a way I've not experienced before. As someone who doesn't fear immigration, is an internationalist in the sense that I think shared concerns are best shared, and actually likes some of the environmental measures the EU brought in to protect nd for the common good of it's people, firstly TTIP, then this undemocratic monstering of a country in favour of French and German banks, who recklessly lent and are now getting the Greek people to pay for their recklessness, leave a feckin horrible taste in the mouth.

I think I'd vote Brexit if it came to a decision now. A year ago, there's no way I'd have contemplated it.

I agree 100% with the sentiments in the first paragraph Mocky...still not sure whether I'd vote to exit though.

pepsipete wrote:

Greeks should tell em to stuff it and go back to the Drachma.  Nationalise all German property and posessions, shoot any Germans they find.

Funny enough Pete my wife and I when we were teenagers spent some time trekking in rural and mountainous Crete. As we're both blonde we were often mistaken for Germans and were accosted by an old guy with a revolver in his best tunic one Sunday morning.

Once we convinced them we were English we were welcomed with open arms and much beer/retsina.

In all my time travelling it is about the only time it's been an advantage to be British.

Oh and just got 1 Euro 40 today

Many mountain shrines in Greece to patriotic fighters who the germans killed during WW11, these tell you what they thought of Germany.......the same in Montenegro as well with candles and flowers to this day.

Germany dominating Europe is not too popular with Greeks.....it is hard to accept and we have not heard the end of this......one area where being English is still ok.