Athens,
Attica,
Greece
Thursday, September 11, 2008
I didn't like Athens much. Our hotel wasn't bad - it had a rooftop pool and bar with a 360 view of Athens. It is a whitewashed city, once great, but now lagging behind. It was apparently once the most beautiful city in the world, but I can't see it. It is industrialised and dirty, full of rude people. I hate the tipping culture in Europe. They expect you to tip at least 10%, and if you don't it is extremely rude. Due to this, they give incredibly poor service in general, because they know they are getting a tip anyway. I hate having to be forced to tip people who are rude to me. Why not just put the price of the food up, and pay workers the correct amount? Also, we are expected to tip tour guides/bus drivers about 5 euro a day (about $8). Why couldn't they just include that in the price of the tour? It's just ridiculous. Tipping should be given when exceptional service is given, not because you feel obliged or forced to by societal expectations.
My highlight of Athens was when we went to a Greek restaurant with a traditional Greek band and dancing. Our tour leader taught us to dance in the Greek way, which was quite fun. Video footage coming soon.
