Discussion: Tripoli

I guess we Americans are spoiled when it comes to curbing smokers and the effects of second-hand smoke. Pretty tough to spend the day in fresh, cool alpine air...and then spend the evening inhaling other people's smoke! Don't the Greeks know about the overall benefit of smoking laws?

When we were sailing around the Greek Islands, the ancient history of Greece was still very evident on the small islands...and fascinating. For instance, the trading towns on the coast with purposely-convoluted maze of streets to confuse pirates, and render them easy targets as they dashed back and forth, trying to find their way back to their ships!

Or the walled chora towns high in the mountains; well-preserved time-capsules, and seldom visited by tourists...just old women with donkeys, as you observed!

The culinary wisdom from my time in Greece was that the chicken dishes were terrific, but those providing the food considered chicken to be a less-desirable food, and thus they would always strive to impress visitors by providing them with mediocre beef.

They have the "benefits" of smoking laws, but not the benefits of obeying smoking laws.

Well, all the more reason to dine 'al fresco' whenever possible. The only culinary treat I remember from Greece were the wonderful Greek salads...very simple and uniformly good. Maybe it was the exceptional olive oil? And of course, the Metaxa!

Greek salads are pretty great. Love the olives, the yogurt, the honey. The tomatoes are fabulous. Good bread. Metaxa you can keep!