Also visit the what not to pack for Greece page for some tips on what you can leave home and buy in Greece!
I
mentioned sunburn above but just so you are aware... certain
times of the year such as late August, the jelly fish come out to play. Not
Portuguese Man o' War but small ones. They still hurt and can ruin your day.
I know from experience. Jelly
fish are called 'Tsouk-tress". Hopefully a word you can promptly forget.
I saw one recently on the Peleponnisos when I went swimming. It was the small clear,
diaphanous, see-thru kind, they sting too but this one didn't get me. It was May 10th too, not August.
Yes it was a bit chilly! There is not much you can do about jelly fish except get out of the water. Pebble style Greek beach above left.
Sea urchins are small black balls with long needle like thorns that like shallow water where they cling
to rocks and wait for you to step on them. Many beaches in Greece have such rocks that you will have to cope with. The good news is that you can
generally spot the sea urchins and try to avoid stepping on them. Wave walkers for the rocks and the sea urchins are a good idea.
Plastic sandals work too. If
some thing like a sea urchin has a plus side its that the insides are edible
and supposed to be an aphrodisiac. You can pry them off their perch yourself
with a diving knives. You'll need one of those "catch bags" fishermen
use. They are consumed raw with lemon juice. Dining on sea urchins left. I was just kidding about sea urchins laying in wait for you. Sea
urchins probably have no idea we exist and seem to live in a dimension all their own as you'll agree if you've ever seen those time-lapse films -
they actually have places to go and things to do. So be considerate - you'll be glad!
Men and women both will likely need to pack some sort of evening over-garment like a sweat shirt or jean jacket or wind breaker. Not that its cold, but with a steady breeze blowing you have the wind chill factor to consider. A thin windbreaker or a sweat shirt can make a big difference to your comfort on the Greek islands, at least it does to mine. If you are traveling by slow ferry boat bring along a pair of medium weight socks too. Even if you are traveling by fast ferry boat or plane as air conditioners can be annoying too.
You may purchase a plastic washing bowl in Greece for 3 Euro and a box of soap and the Greek sun will dry out your Tee's and dainties in a NY hour from within your Greek hotel bathroom or your Greek islands beach encampment if you have enough fresh water.
Some clothes pins and a piece of twine and you are in business. Or forget the bowl and use your Greek hotels bathroom sink.
Greek Supermarkets and small store owners sell these very common items.They sell 'Tide' too but it costs more and is more for machine washing. 'Roll' is what to buy. Because so much of this is imported to Greek islands it will cost far less to buy in Athens Omonia Sq. area and then hopping on the metro to the Piraeus Port. OK so forget the bowl but lots of other handy things are sold in this area too.
Why not enjoy Harry's Free Musical Compositions while you read this site? (opens seperately)
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