Читать книгу The High Mountains of Crete. The White Mountains, Psiloritis and Lassithi Mountains онлайн

53 страница из 113

For travellers, prices are what really matter. Shopkeepers not fluent in foreign languages will write down price totals for tourists. To avoid misunderstandings use a notebook and pen for this purpose. Almost all place names are written in both Greek and English. A small dictionary is useful if you are travelling in the countryside.

Foreign workers

Many thousands of workers from North Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent now live in Greece; even the smallest village may have two or three in temporary residence and a modest cottage, or the old schoolhouse, may be turned into a dormitory for them. In the towns, workers wait at certain spots each day to be hired in accordance with government-directed day rates and conditions. They work in agriculture, construction, in restaurants, as shop assistants and as carers for the elderly, especially in inland villages. Skilled stonemasons, from Albania and Romania particularly, find a rich source of work in the limestone areas. In the mountains some shepherding may be done by non-local men, especially if the place is remote from village amenities. If this is the case bear in mind the information under ‘Lone women walkers’, below, as the ‘meet the culture’ approach might not be so applicable. Cretans firmly encourage foreign workers to stay out of trouble – which they mostly do.