15. When Shopping…
While large malls in the big cities open until the evening on weekdays, smaller Greek shop owners observe their siesta in the afternoon. Siesta hours can vary, and things can be closed for a few hours anywhere between 2 and 5. Malls are usually open until the afternoon on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays. Don’t worry about last minute shopping for souvenirs to take back home though, as the islands’ gift shops a generally open seven days a week, with some opening their doors twenty-four hours a day.
16. Eat It Up
If you’re accustomed to early lunches and dinners, you might want to readjust that timing while in Greece. Lunch at three and dinner at nine is perfectly acceptable. On a no-carb diet? Either way, expect bread with your lunch as Greeks don’t consider it lunch unless there’s bread. Quick coffee? Think again, as the Greeks’ emphasis on the “just chill” lifestyle extends to coffee breaks and you can expect one to last up to two hours. If you’re at dinner and waiting on the rest of your party to arrive, don’t look for a waiter to bring anything before then, as guests are never expected to eat alone. If a waiter approaches prior to the rest of the party arriving, it’s considered presumptuous and rude. Then what time are we going to eat you ask? Dinners can run till well after midnight. Opa!
