Simon Reeve: I Could Happily Live In Greece

  • by XpatAthens
  • Tuesday, 09 February 2016
Simon Reeve: I Could Happily Live In Greece
Greece has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently but that hasn’t deterred seasoned adventurer Simon Reeve, who’s made it the focus of his new BBC2 series. When asked whether he’d recommend booking a holiday there – his answer was an emphatic “Oh goodness, yes!”

So why Greece?
I’m a huge fan of Greece: the landscape, the beaches, the food, the way of life. It’s a much more interesting country than people realise – we just think of it as having ancient history and being a place for beach holidays.

Are you a regular visitor?
Yes, I’ve been there on holiday any number of times. My wife speaks Greek and is a bit besotted with it, so she drags me there endlessly and I love it.

It’s been in the news a lot because of the economic crisis, the migrant crisis… Would your advice be to go there nonetheless?
Oh goodness, yes! Absolutely, definitely. Whatever your viewpoint on the situation – whether you think: “Oh look, I can get a cheap holiday there”. Yes, you can. Or whether you think: “Oh, I’m worried about whether I’ll be able to get money out of the cashpoint”. Yes, I’m sure you will. The Greeks are incredibly hospitable. This is just a moment of crisis in the history of a land that dates back thousands of years.

What do you like about their way of life?
That goes to the heart of what we love about Greece and Greeks – and also contributes to the [economic] situation that they’re in. Greeks really do live for the moment. They’re a very proud and passionate people who are keen to enjoy life, to spend time with friends and family. They’re not wage-slaves. I find that incredibly appealing because I’m not great at that. I’m more of a long-term planner – that northern European mentality – and that can be a bit boring.

So if you had to choose between being born in Germany or Greece?
Greece any day. It’s a way of life that is appealing, intoxicating. It’s a country that I’ve often thought about living in. I’m a very proud Brit but I could happily live in Greece.

So where would you recommend?
The Vikos mountains up in the forested, mountainous north are absolutely stunning. They look like the Canadian Rockies in the sunshine. One of the great natural sights of Europe is up there: the Vikos Gorge, which is the deepest gorge in the world. It is a truly spectacular sight – incredibly rewarding for anybody who treks to the edge to look out from the limestone cliffs 1,000ft above the river below.

Where else?
I was blown away by Crete. A lot of people just stick to the resorts on the coast but go up into the mountains as well and learn a bit about Crete’s history – how valiantly they fought against the Germans during the Second World War – and meet some of the larger-than-life characters.

To read this interview in full, please visit: Apokoronas News