gforaker

Everthing is safe except for retsina. That is not safe for anyone.

brotherleelove2004

chatham

Gforaker, how true, how true. I can't even smell a pine tree without feeling a little ill. Just one time of way too much retsina. Heimdall, I know the EU is great for Greece. Are you old enough to remember the Common Market? I believe Greece was part of that, but it didn't do as much for the country as the EU has. As for the beaches, I remember when our garbage was picked up and taken to one of those lovely beaches and dumped. I'm speaking of Mykonos only. I noticed in '96 that it had been cleaned up and the dumping stopped.

April

EllensWords, I have crohns too and had no trouble in Greece - nothing out of the ordinary anyway. I ate Greek salads but stuck to bottled water, which may have been mainly for taste. You see people all over carrying bottles of water.

It did take a bit of getting used to not flushing paper down the toilet though. ;-)

tom_h

Isn't it about time to lay to rest the myth of "toilet paper in greek toilets" ?!

The little labels sometimes posted, are an admonishment to not flush sanitary napkins and similar bulky items -- not to prohibit the flushing of normal amounts of tissue. Think about it -- how can a few clumps of ordinary tissue be any more difficult than the other unmentionable solid matter going into the pipes!

On my last 2 trips to greece (2000 and 2006) I flushed normal amounts of tissue into toilets in various hotels & cafes all over the Peloponessus. Never once was there even the slightest problem.

Yet this "urban myth" gets uncritically repeated in Lonely Planet guidebooks, the Fodors forum, and countless other places.

Report me to the authorities !

Heimdall

And among those other places are notices in bathrooms, asking people not to flush paper down the toilet. You may not have seen those notices, but I have.

brotherleelove2004

"I flushed normal amounts of tissue into toilets in various hotels & cafes all over the Peloponessus. Never once was there even the slightest problem."

That you know of. So if there's no problem while you're using the toilet it doesn't exist?

Consider what would happen to a sewage system, more than likely a self-contained septic system instead of a city-wide sewer line connected to a large sewage treatment plant, if every tourist ignored the request to not flush toilet paper. These septic systems would soon clog and back up, causing the system to fail. Imagine how crowded some areas get and how many times a toilet may get flushed in a month's time. Multiply that by the amount of toilets in a hotel. Mix that with all the water from showers, _All_ of this going into the self-contained septic system, then add in all the paper that might get flushed as well and you can begin to imagine the problems that would arise. There is a good reason for not flushing paper down the toilet. It might escape some people's ability to understand, but it's not rocket science. Instead of ignoring the problem, why not respect the wishes and practices of those who go to the trouble to make a comfortable environment for your visit?

chatham

Bravo, Brotherleelove!!

thanos_GR

hello tom-h

Please, if sign is there to warn not to do you must not place paper in it.

We have many old properties here and some old hotels and they have bad problems when visitors ignore suggestion. I see the crazy results many times. Is not good.

Lee are read you are famous in Fodors book now. Well done too you.

polly229

I also think there is a pipe problem lots of places, not just septic. My first trip I experimented a few times with very small amounts (3 sheets maybe) when there was no sign and sometimes the paper flushed, but sometimes it took up to 3 flushes for the paper to disappear. So I decided when in doubt, don't. Also, on Rhodes earlier this month I flushed and somebody else's toilet paper suddenly appeared in the bowl. I have no idea why other things go down and toilet paper doesn't, but I've witnessed it more than once.

There are signs posted in many public toilets, occasionally in hotels. I also saw some funny angry toilet cartoons in bathrooms this year and what the toilet was angry about was toilet paper. But I also think there is an expectation that people will know and there is no need to post signs. Stayed in the Marriott on points for 3 nights last year and the paper flushed there just fine, so it might not be a problem with newer hotels.

Heimdall

Thank you Thanos. I was hoping a Greek would join this thread to set us all straight.

I am quite happy to do what my Greek hosts ask, even if it takes a little while to get used to. Who am I to tell the Greeks they are wrong? It's easy to say that a few sheets flushed down the loo won't matter, but Brotherleelove pointed out very well what could happen if everyone started doing it.

April

Perhaps it depends where in Greece you are, but it was no myth where we were, tom_h.

thanos_GR

I try hard to think of english word.

I think it is back blow or blow back.

It is very bad time when this happens and it effects hotel for they usually need to close for a time to have mess cleared.

Chatham, can you help me with the English as maybe you see it also when living on Mykonos.

thanos

Josser

It's back to our old friend the bidet.
In many places in the world, lavatory paper is not used and is actually considered unhygienic.
Just use good old soap and water and you and the plumbimg will be fine.

chatham

Thanos, My daughtor reads and writes Greek, I barely speak it anymore. As for the paper in the loos. I took my son back to Mykonos when he was in his twenty's, he left when he was 2. He stayed at his step-mothers, I had told him many not to but toilet paper in the toilet. My widow-in-law( son's stepmother) came one morning to my hotel raging because my son had stopped up the plumbing for the whole inn. He learned.
Thanos, you are doing really well with your English. Keep it up! Joan

thanos_GR

thank you Joan. I sometimes find it very difficult to write. I know what my brain says but writing it is bad.

I have a friend who owns hotel in Simi. Large Hotel. A guest caused one summer this back-blo by putting paper in toilet and the hotel had to close for one week because of all bad waters on all ground floors. It was crazy time.

Also, did you know that now some hotels here have own private water supply from wells. It is pure and safe and they never have shortage of water. Pressure is fantastic. We still of course have large water area close to Ano Mera road, and now these times it is usually suficient for most of summer.

Have you returned to island last few years?

thanasis

chatham

Thanos, No, I haven't been back since 1996. My daughter and her family go every year and stay in one of Ana's apartments down at the beach(Plati Gyl(spelling ?). You or your parents would know who I am. The 1st wife of the American doctor as he was called, Dr. Giovanis. He died in the mid 80's. I left Mykonos in the early 70's. In 1996 on my way to Greece, I stopped in Ireland for the 1st time and I can't stop going back to that country. Many places it reminds me so much of Greece, only green. Maybe some day I'll get back to Mykonos. I feel I've highjacked EllensWords post, so enough about me. I still think she'll have a wonderful time and can eat the fruits and veggies, just maybe drink bottled water in some places.

thanos_GR

Joan

Yes I also apologise to ellen. One thing though, please. I left a message for you here 2 months maybe ago after you said hello to me an another thread. I am not sure if you found it. If you click my name and scroll down to almost bottom of my messages there is one there called 'For Chatham'

thanassis

chatham

thanos, I found your message to me and you are right, I had not seen it. The road widing will be really something. If you would like to e-mail me, my address is [email protected]. I would love to hear from you. Joan