Some things you should know if you’re planning to travel through Greece (which you definitely should be planning by now…):

1) Sit in a café everyday and have a frappe. I spotted frappes at nearly every café we passed early on, and I’m a sucker for getting sucked into a new culture, so my interest was peaked. My travel book says a frappe is just instant coffee served cold, but I don’t believe that for a second. That does not sound like a good idea to me. And a frappe tastes more like the strong bitterness of coffee perfectly juxtaposed with sugar crystals, mixed with the tears an angel has shed for joy and maybe some nectar from an enchanted flower. I didn’t try one until my 4th day here and am significantly heartbroken that I missed 3 days of this love affair.
2) If you go to a beach that is at least somewhat secluded, you’ll probably see some naked. I haven’t seen anything offensive, nor do I anticipate this, but I’ve definitely seen plenty of naked.
3) In most places, flushing toilet paper is a no no. Be sure to check for a sign in the restroom, or WC. Also be sure to exercise caution when adding your used toilet paper to the mound that is building up in the trashcan near the toilet. Also be sure to send out some good thoughts for whoever it is that empties that trashcan.
4) Greeks tend to have perfect coloring and striking features. You’ll want to prepare yourself for your first case of the smittens. Say you’re driving down the street, looking for your first accommodation on an island, and you stop at a café to ask for directions. You’ll need to work very hard to listen to the directions when gazing back at you is the most perfectly beautiful creature you’ve ever seen. And I don’t typically go for tall, dark, and handsome. Hmmmm…maybe I could go back…maybe he’s a regular there…
5) Women – if you are over 50 (and Greek) – you can dress as if you are 20, and somehow get away with it. You might notice a woman about to cross the street and think to yourself – Wow, crazy cool outfit. Look at those heels. – And then she turns around and you think – Way older than my mom. - And even though this woman somehow looks fantastic, you’re really glad your mom doesn’t dress this way. And then you might miss your mom a little. Hi Mom!!
6) Driving – oh my. If you have been nervous about our well being, stop reading here. Drivers here tend to be…something that means a combination of assertive and efficient and terrifying, but not at all rude. Picture a street that is lined with parked cars on both sides. The cars are mostly small and European. Some are parked in the direction that traffic is flowing in that lane, and some are facing the opposite direction. This will give you regular, but very brief freakouts that you are driving the wrong way down a one-way street. If this is in fact the case, a very large truck might beep at you as the driver shouts Greek out his window. Peal off to the right the first chance you get, and when you realize that you’ve turned onto yet another one-way, going the wrong way, take off your straw cowboy hat at Sarah’s request just in case the Greeks are saying to each other, “Watch out for that crazy lady in the cowboy hat. She’s crazy.”

Are the streets here one lane or two?? Who really knows? Does it really matter? Always keep a lookout to the left because the driver behind you might wish to be driving faster than a tourist, in which case the road is definitely now two lanes as he passes you on the left. This is both assertive and efficient, and never seems rude. And sometimes seems terrifying. And if there is also a scooter on the road (and there will be, because we’ve seen about a billion), it might squeeze between you and guy passing on the left. Everyone seems to function well in this system, so stay sharp. Get a good navigator in the passenger seat and remember that this is not your time to sight see. Gawking at a beautiful beach or mountain backdrop might mean that you take out the father and baby in a stroller who dart out between parked cars to cross the street right in front of you. Don’t worry, nothing happened. I’m sharp.