Compare Greece to other European destinations...
 

Hi,

i am doing a project for school and i would be interested to hear you opinion about traveling to Greece and how you compare it to other European destinations like Italy, Spain or France for eg?

One can draw parallels between the capitals and the countryside. I'm sure others will go on to expand on the contrast/compare side of things - but that's a start for you.

Try comparing grand hotels - Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens (see my lengthy report on it) and the St Regis in Rome and The Ritz Madrid and George V/Ritz in Paris. You need lots of specifics otherwise you'll find there is too much information to summarise into anything write/readable.

Do you really need to start 3 different threads on this topic?

Greece is like a Third World Country compared to Italy, Spain, or France. Does that help?

so what do you like or dislike the most about Greece then?

"Greece is a third world country..." how ignorant are you?

Why don't you go to some starving nations that are strapped for cash in Africa then make the same flippant remark? Your ignorance astounds me.

Hi nana,

I'm afraid that your question is too broad.

You must ask more precise questions for which we can give precise answers.

For example,

Is the scenery in Greece superior to the other countries?

Are hotels in Greece equal to those in the other countries for the same price?

etc

m_Kingdom, are you really mean and arrogant or is it all an act? Were you abused as a child or does it just come naturally?

I make it a point of principle never to agree with m.kingdom, but,to be fair, I did find that StCirq's comment made my hackles rise a bit too.

Greece is very different to France. Personally, I prefer Greece, but like France too. How can you compare apples and pears?

I've got to agree with m_kingdom. St Cirq how can you call Greece a third-world country? I have so far been impressed with the depth of your knowledge and your wonderful posts on France, but that's simply uncalled for!

One comment -- for lack of a better way of expressing things, Greece strikes me as a less glamorous version of Italy. Last summer I was in Santorini and Capri, albeit briefly, and the contrast was quite great. Capri was polished, ready for prime time. On the main market square you find all the designer shops, including Prada, etc. Santorini was more traditional and unassuming. One can draw a similar comparision between Athens and Rome, for example.

Of course, this is not to say that Greece is completely unglamorous either. Supposedly a branch of Nobu (the restaurant) opened on Mykonos. But when I was there last week, I wasn't overwhelmed with a sense of glamor either (granted, it's not quite high season).

Of course Greece has remarkable ruins from the ancient world. But I think that I tend to forget that it was heavily influenced by its neighbors (and parts were even ruled by its neighbors). The fact that it's not really a great power in the modern era factors into the equation, I think -- you just can't find the grandeur of Paris or London (or of Vienna or Berlin).

Is like comparing Apples with oranges.

I live in London. The people in Athens are far more chic and fashionably dressed than their London counterparts. Even their equivalent of Mayfair and Bond Street is more charming and sophisticated. Grand buildings aren't everything - Athens has shabby chic (emphasis on the chic) which is very much in vogue these days, and a warm welcoming atmosphere something that London lacks!

Paris is far more elegant than London, but I think it's nice to appreciate something at more than its face value. I always find Paris to be superficial, and below the surface a cold place to be in. London is also very impersonal as most cities are - Athens somehow manages to exude warmth.

Granted, I'm not that familiar with Athens (or London, for that matter), but m_kingdom, do you really think that Kolonaki is comparable to Bond Street and/or Mayfair? Or maybe you've a different neighborhood in mind.

For what its worth, StCirq didn't say Greece is a third world country. She said it was LIKE a third world country in comparison to France, Spain or Italy. I assumed she meant Greece lacked the sophistication of these other countries.

I live in Mayfair, up until a decade ago it felt much more clubby (we're talking 19th/early 20th century places here) and exclusive, the boutiques/stores of Bond Street only attracted a relatively narrow clientele. Nowadays anyone and everyone is found in Mayfair, it's just like any other relatively upmarket area now. Of course the restaurants/bars/nightclubs are superb, but it's not how it used to be.

Kolonaki was all upmarket, and the people were chic, and far better dressed than in London. The shops felt far more exclusive, Louis Vuitton was far superior to the one in Bond Street. It was far more tranquil there too, London is always noisey with traffic. I really would compare Mayfair to Kolonaki, in my opinion Athens has a charm and personal touch that London lacks.

Maybe. I wasn't that impressed with Kolonaki, honestly. Actually it lacks a Gucci store (I think -- I tried looking on the web last year). Not that this is necessarily a barometer of anything, but I'm skeptical when you can't find the most basic of designer stores. Granted, of course, there could be stores unique to Athens, but then I'm sure that there're plenty of stores unique to London as well.

Anyway, regarding exclusivity of designer stores, now these days really anyone has access to these stores. If I can drop in, I'm sure everyone else can too. And it's probably much more likely that a designer store in a large city (in London, for example) attracts a varied clientele. I can tell you that the Tiffany jewelry store on Fifth Avenue feels like a street market during the weekends.

In other words, maybe the LV store in Athens feels more exclusive to you because Athens is less visited (this doesn't necessarily have anything to do with whether Kolonaki is more exclusive).

Just a couple of thoughts.

Gucci is so over now - ever since Tom Ford took over (he's now left) they've lacked their classic wearability. Far to many pieces are now runway/catwalk only; impossible to wear everyday or even in the evenings. They've overdone their monogramme fabrics, evern producing wallpapers. I hope the new creative director looks after Gucci better than Tom Ford has. I never bother with Gucci anymore - it's so over!

I can just see nana's report starting as:

"Greece is like England except they don't have a Gucci because they are a shabby chic third-world country."

OK, it was a cryptic comment. I love Greece. Parts of it are beautiful. It's a historical wonder. But it has many attributes - infrastructure, etc. - that are similar to those I've encountered in developing countries. It lags behind much of the rest of Europe, including France, Spain, and Italy, which is what the poster asked about.
Since m_kingdom is concerned only about 5-star hotels and designer fashions, I doubt she has been out and about in rural Greece, where the lack of amenities that exist in other European countries is so evident.