The Drachma Heresy

[Kinygos]

This is more a Greek attitude, than a Halki attitude, but I fear that Halki suffers more from it.
In the early 1980s the drachma was 100 to the pound the transition point in 2001; drachma to euro, saw the drachma at 500 to the pound, or around 300 to the euro. The constantly falling drachma enabled the Greeks to raise their prices year on year and still be good value to the Brits. Unfortunately, they still feel that the drachma would be 300 to the euro and they can carry on raising their prices as before.
I suggest that this is no longer the case. In fact the drachma would now be around 650 to the euro and they should forget about raising prices.
My local mini supermarket does not give change less than 5 euro cents because it is “Micky Mouse money”. I responded that the drachma was “Micky Mouse money” and that the euro was real money. Sadly, most Greeks admit this but the prices still go up.
I live on the big island and I can live as cheaply, as or more so than I did in England. The differential between eating at home, and eating out, is now what it is in England.
Is £2 reasonable for an instant coffee, or £3 for a half litre of beer?
My German buddy says that the price of beer is the same as Bavaria without the quality.
There is a parable about a Goose and a golden egg, is this applicable?
Lamb in red sauce, Greek salad, half litre of house wine €20 with tip, virtually £20 for one person. This is probably double the price in sterling of two years ago.
I can pay this in Australia, or Vanuatu and still be able to flush away the toilet paper; a metaphor for sundry Greek idiosyncrasies.
I heard a rumour that a small Dodecanese island (not Halki) recently was given an ultimatum by the tour operator and prices were not raised as intended.
My concern is that next year…..
Am I being unreasonable? Will you all still come regardless of cost?

[kathy]

I would have to say, with the two of us plus three teenagers who eat at least as much, at around 100 Euros for a meal, we would (or will have!) a few meals at our accommodation! The meal cost is just the start of it, once you add on cokes,ice cream- and any more drinks for us!
Years ago, I used to find Rhodes was noticeably more expensive than Halki, is that still the case?

[carol]

Hi Simon, I think a lot of us are realising that the days of a cheap holiday in europe have long gone and a Euro is all but a pound now, we will have to see how it goes this year and maybe eat in a couple of evenings. We have already decided to give France a miss for a while for the same reason and are holidaying out of the Eurozone in the spring for the forseeable future. It would however take a great deal more than the Euro to stop me having my Halki fix every September ;D

[Kinygos]

The point I am making is that it is the drachma heresy, not the euro heresy. I fully appreciate that the eurozone is not the cheap proposition it once was. The problem is that the Greeks do not understand that they are using real money. If you go to Singapore airport you can pay in American Dollars, Euro, or Sterling. Maybe, before the Euro they would have taken the German Mark, or the French Franc, but somehow I don't think they would have taken the Drachma! On Rhodes, the real supermarkets price in cents, and give change. When did you last see shop prices on Halki in Cents less than ten? Bars, restaurants etc consider it to be reasonable to shift prices by not less than fifty cents.
“We cannot accept that copper coins are worth anything”
Then they complain that the Euro inflates prices!
Have I got it wrong? have the Germans & the French pushed their prices up substantially year on year?
I just feel that, for a country that relies on tourism, this is a dangerous game. Incidentally I do not feel that tourism as a source of income is degrading. If you have minerals, you mine them, if you have the Greek islands, you have a resource that you can sell, and sell again. The minerals will eventually run out!

[Liz]

Simon ..I think I know what you are saying ( I may be wrong ..I usually am ! ) ..we went to Corfu a couple of years ago ..last minute supposedly cheap ..ish holiday..just for a week ( we had just moved house ..didn't want or need the extra expence ) ..we found it sooooooooo much more expensive than Halki ...BUT ...we still found the peeps in some of the more ''traditional'' shops ,didn't give change or still gave the handfull of sweets .

Personally I don't think this is a Euro problem as a Sterling problem ..the Pound is so weak at the moment its not worth the paper its written on ...showing my age there remembering the paper pound ( just watch out for the 20p's with no date tho' they are worth a fortune ...top tip ..you heard it here first )
I don't think many people on this forum would give Halki a hard time for its prices ..although to be truthfull last year there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to our bills ..we are a family of four ..two adults, two teenagers ..our bills ranged from 45 euros to 95 euros ...no big fish ,no extra wine

we wouldn't eat out every night at home ..but for two weeks we do ...its our holiday ! ..lets hope it's not taken advantage of ...I think it isn't and hope it will not be

[davidfromealing]

I was in Lesvos in May and the cost of eating wasn't that far from London prices. And the prices in the supermarket were pretty steep too.

[Di]

Hi davidfromealing. We were in Lesvos in May as well (Anaxos) and were quite surprised by the prices which were pretty much the same as they were when we were there 2 years ago. Evening meals were anything from 35 to 42 euros for 2 starters, 2 mains, large water, usually 1 1/2 litres wine (yes I know, but I'm on holiday ) and two very large greek coffees (yes, you can get them . We always had a very large Metaxa thrown in as well. Large bottle of Mythos was 2 euro's. Maybe it's just Anaxos

[dawn]

I was in Lesvos last summer (anaxos too). I thought the prices were very good, cheaper than Thassos the year before and Samos before that. We wondered if it was because it's such a large island it probably has a lot if home grown or home produced goods rather than having to transport in everything.

[Kinygos]

As a Fortean I sometimes gain much from reading replies which are written in response to points raised, and yet seem to be responding to a different point entirely! The sad thing is that I do not know in this case how to put the point I was trying to make more clearly!
Let me, without the aid of a safety net try the medium of metaphor; clearly risky!
I first came to Greece in, I think, 1981. Then we were told that Greek toilets could not cope with toilet paper. We have now moved on more than a quarter of a century, and the nation that gave us western philosophy and the Parthenon still installs a drainage system in new buildings that cannot cope with toilet paper. I could be wrong, but is there any other country that is like this? Halki recently had the major upheaval of a revamp of the sewage system and now .... we can still use a bin for the toilet paper. Greece is part of the EEC, but still is behind parts of the “third world”!
It is the same mentality that says that the prices have to rise every year because the value of their money is in free-fall. A rise of 50 drx becomes a rise of €0.50; the copper coins are “Micky Mouse money”. Greek people tell me that they know this is wrong, but they cannot get past a blockage that says they still think Drachmas; in free-fall. Correct me if I am wrong but I don't think the Euro is in free-fall!
I have lived here for a year now. Yes I am happy, but then I do not pay tourist prices. Are the prices on Halki the same as Rhodes? Which part of Rhodes? I ate lunch with Bob on Wednesday in Kremasti, and we had salad, kalimares, chips, retsina for Bob and lemonade for the designated driver. €18 or €20 with tip. This was for two. Compare with the meal I had on Halki for one. (initial posting)
Oh, and if I didn't love Halki I wouldn't keep my boat there and visit every week!
Finally I am not talking about the exchange rate. My euros were bought when they were 75p and I thought that was expensive!

[davidfromealing]

I remember a large meal for two in Nisyros about 16 years ago, with several bottles of retsina, for about £2!

[Kinygos]

That was when bacon and eggs was tuppence a loaf, and you had enough change for a packet of Woodbines.
Aaah, even nostalgia isn't what it used to be!

BTW I had an email from a friend about the prices in Italy. They are obviously still working in Lire! €25 for coffee in Venice; aaaaaagh!

[Deleted]

Sounds about right. Ditto in Paris.

[kathy]

Someone from work recently came back from France, (and not even Paris!) and found a large beer was 8 euros everywhere - and was charged 8 for a cornetto from a street vendor!
We were in Pisa last year, the prices were reasonable - until we ordered a couple of beers and 2 cokes near the Tower......... 28 euros Needless to say, we only fell for it once!

[Kinygos]

Got a comparison Rhodes - Halki.
Small Weedybix; tourist brekkie.
Village supermarket €2.31 Halki €2.70
Ever seen a price involving 31 cents in Halki?
Also is your large beer .5 or .4 of a litre?
I suppose I am splitting hairs with a hatchet.
Tourism on Halki seems a lot healthier than it is on the west coast here.
In Kremasti the sunbeds were empty on Wednesday lunchtime; yes I know it is changeover day!

[Kinygos]

The price of fish.
There is a fishmonger "Halki Fish" run by Theodosia's brother.
On Saturday I got:
5 fresh Sardines
1 Gilt Head Bream (farmed)
1 Bass (farmed)
€12.80 the lot.
Like I said I am not used to tourist prices.
No they don't do cod fillet, or fish fingers!