A Taste of Italy

 A week after we picked up our Greek residency permits; we were on our way to Italy. 

The Scout had kicked into high gear within 48 hours of having them in hand: house sitters and plane tickets booked for the following week. When you've had months to dream about travel, it didn't take long to put a plan into action.

A glass of Vermentino wine - a toast to travel

That's why we found ourselves sipping a chilled Vermentino white wine and dining in Bergamo, Italy on the third Thursday of July, the first evening of our week-long taste of Italy. After spending a night there we would hop a train to Trieste, for a long weekend in this Italian city tucked in between the Adriatic Sea and Slovenia.  

From Bergamo to Trieste, a week-long taste of Italy

Bergamo Bound

We've explored much of Italy in our years of travel, but Bergamo, with its ancient roots in the Lombardy district, was a new to us. In northern Italy, it is a mere 25 miles from Milan, not far from Lake Como and the Alps provide a striking backdrop when you approach it by train or plane.  

Its airport, the third busiest in Italy, is a hub for the low-cost airline, Ryan Air, which luckily for us has weekly flights there from Kalamata in high season.

Extra leg room seats on Ryan Air

Ryan Air, however, is the butt of a lot of jokes about its 'you-get-what-you-pay-for' business model and you pretty much do pay for everything, including water. Carry-on bag and extra leg room, cost us a bit more but it was worth it as you can tell by the photo of The Scout in the seat with extra room.

Ryan Air on board dining

Because of a skipped lunch and a flight delay, we gave into hunger and ordered a sandwich from the limited onboard menu.  For 6.50 euros/ $7.60US we were served a sandwich with a December 2026 expiration date.  Couldn't help but wonder, what year it had been made?

Beautiful Bergamo

Citta Alta from Bergamo's Lower Town

But we do need to thank Ryan Air for introducing us to one of the most amazing Italian cities we've ever visited. It was such a charming place that we shuffled our original plans and added an extra night there on our return. That way we could spend two nights in its old walled city, citta alta, the upper town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  

Strolling the Lower Town

We spent our first evening and the following morning exploring the Lower Town before heading to the train station.  The streets were so inviting and pedestrian friendly that we strolled for hours exploring landmarks and shops. What a joy it was to be back in the land of bookstores! We visited three within 30 minutes, leaving them with enough books to keep us entertained for a few weeks (and that also fit in our carry-on bags).   

Early morning street scene citta alta Bergamo

Their municipal bus system was economical and easy to use. On our return from Trieste, we caught the bus at the train station at the far end of Lower Town and had a scenic tour through it and then from the route up the hill to the Upper Town where our Bed and Breakfast was located. It cost less than four euros for the both of us.  

The Scout was excelling on this trip as a short-order planner.  He'd originally booked us in Venice (half way between the two cities) for two nights, but after seeing Bergamo we knew we needed more time in its old walled city. He cancelled our reservations for Venice and managed to nab us a bed-and-breakfast style four-room hotel in Bergamo's walled city. 

Our room at Palazzo Porta Picta Bergamo

We got the last room available for our dates at Palazzo Porta Picta, a relative newcomer to the hospitality scene there, but one that has drawn rave reviews.  It was luxurious and the cost was only 25 euros more per night than we had paid at the rather non-descript Best Western in Lower Town where we'd stayed the week before. This room came with breakfast included, that one didn't.

Staying within the ancient walls allowed us to explore the old town from early morning until dark. And explore we did! But our brief time allowed only a visit to one of its nine museums, and we walked past one of the four towers; we had no time to ride either of the two funiculars, didn't climb any of the 15 stairways, or set foot inside the castle, or the theatre. . .you get the picture. There is far too much to see and do in a day and a half. We could have spent our entire week here and not seen it all. And that was just the Upper Town. . .

From atop the ancient fortress

There are also five historic neighborhoods, nine art Nouveau villas, five museums, two historic manors and a shopping quadrilateral in the Lower Town.

A sea of green surrounds Bergamo

And the city sits amid a green oasis being surrounded by Parco di Colli, a corolla of 4,700 hectares, more than 11,600 acres. . .so much more to explore! We've vowed to return and not only for the sightseeing and exploration. Our stomachs yearn to return!  

Bergamo Casoncelli will bring us back

We will go back, if for no other reason, than to eat another plate of their local pasta specialty, Casoncelli, little pockets stuffed with meat, similar to a ravioli.  Our carb-free approach to life flew out the window when we shared this dish.  The butter sauce flavored with sage was so good we emptied the basket of bread wiping the serving dish after eating the pasta pockets.  An alternate version is Scarpinocc, with the pockets filled with cheese. 

Waitng for the train in Bergamo - glad it wasn't raining!

The Bergamo train station is under renovation, so we waited outside for the first of three trains we'd take to Trieste.  The one pictured took us to Brescia. From there another train took us to Mestre (Venice) and from there a final train took us to Trieste. 

We had a few mad dashes up and down stairways and along train platforms but made each connection and by early evening we were settled into Trieste.  

The train to Brescia arrives in Bergamo

Next time I will tell you about eating sauerkraut for breakfast and pizza for dinner in this city that offers a tantalizing blend of Italian, Austrian, and Hungarian culture and cuisine.  Thanks for being with us today - we hope you'll come back for another serving of our Taste of Italy!

The Birthday Gift Card

As a general rule, I am not a fan of giving or receiving gift cards. 

But this year -- today! -- I got a birthday 'gift card' that made me so happy I was ready to do Zorba's dance in the middle of the immigration office parking lot. 

The birthday 'gift' card

The card I got was my Greek residency card - just by happenstance, on my birthday - making it one of the best ' gift cards' ever! The Scout received his as well, prompting at least a sigh of relief from him, even if not a desire to dance in the street with me.  

Showing off our first residency cards - 2017

We've been on and off the Road to Residency since our expat journey began back in 2017.  It isn't a journey for the faint-of-heart or the impatient. Even with a couple renewals behind us, each time we reapply there is a little niggle of discomfort until the new card is actually in hand.  And when I signed the final document today and was handed that card, I made the staff laugh at my enthusiastic two thumbs up response!

African dust storm the day we filed our renewal documents

The journey on this segment of the Road to Residency Renewal began 15 months ago in April 2024. And just as we submitted our application, news of a change in the law regarding our type of permit was announced. For several months after submitting our application with their related apostilled documents, we were uneasy; wondering about the possible impacts of those changes. 

The permit review process had slowed in recent years before the changes and other third country expats (that's who we are here) wrote on social media of long waits.  One woman wrote that it was time to renew her residency again but that she hadn't yet received the card from the last renewal - she wasn't sure what to do.    

Documents submitted for our initial Greek residency - 2017

Eight years ago, our initial application consisted of an in-person visit to the immigration office where we submitted such a stack of paperwork that it felt like we'd killed two trees in the process.  Our residency cards were issued four and a half weeks later.  

In the ensuing years, the system has been computerized, we complete applications online and submit scanned documents, photos, fingerprints and signatures electronically.  Those little plastic cards are packed with information about us, but it takes longer to get them.  

A Trip to Immigration

The immigration office as we call it, in Kalamata is housed here

We picked up our residency cards in Kalamata at immigration, technically it is called the regional Hellenic Ministry of Migration and Asylum office - the same place we had visited two weeks ago to submit our biometrics.  For that matter, the same place we've visited a few times every couple of years since deciding to take a stab at expat life.

Actually, we had also dropped by the office in late June - daring to do so, without an appointment --just to see if there was a problem with our applications.  We are heading back to the States in late August and were getting concerned that we'd be summoned for biometrics while out of the country. 

You don't want to miss the biometrics appointment - they make very real clear. The small print tells you that only a 'force majeure' would be considered a reason for missing it. You get a second appointment and if you don't make that, your application is denied.  

On the Road Again

On the Road to Immigration

The Scout was notified the week after our impromptu visit that his biometrics appointment was three days later on July 2nd at 9:45 am.  During this appointment they take your fingerprints, get your signature, and scanned photos into the system, and review the passport of your home country. 

It is also during this appointment that you submit a receipt showing that you've paid 16 euros for the actual production of the card, as the cost doesn't come out of the 1,000-euro per person application fee.

 No notice of appointment, however, came for me. 

On the morning of July 2nd, we arrived early to see if they might consider doing my biometrics even though I didn't have an appointment. They seemed somewhat surprised that we had even asked and then that we were so overjoyed at their willingness to do mine. I gushed out thank you's several times over. 

We learned the following day that the notice for my appointment for 9:30, July 2nd, had reached our attorney at 9:15 July 2nd but I didn't know it. Had we not gone in early I would have 'missed' my appointment. 

Another Bump in the Road

The certificate that verifies renewal is underway.

The officer who gathered the biometrics, said our files would be reviewed and if more was needed, they would be in touch.  And a week later, we got the notice that more was needed . . .from me.

Our attorney was notified that the receipt for payment of the 16 euros for making my card, needed to be uploaded to my file.  She suggested I scan it, send it to her, and she would upload it.  The wonders of computers!

The notice was clear; the review of my application was halted until that document was received.

The problem was I couldn't send the document because the immigration officer took it from me as part of the biometrics.  

The Catch-22 situation continued for a week with back-and-forth conversations with our attorney, and she, with immigration staff who further complicated the matter saying the person handling my application was out of the office for a few days. No one else had access to it.

Not far from home we got the call

On Monday The Scout and I decided to visit immigration and figure out how to provide them a document they already had. I'd planned to suggest that I pay the fee again which seemed the simple solution, or we'd pick up the document, scan it, have our attorney upload it and then return the document to immigration, the not so simple solution.  

Our attorney had also made another attempt to resolve the matter. We were but a few kilometers from home when she phoned to say that someone in the office had finally looked at my file and had no idea why the notice had been sent.  They didn't need the document.  

What they did tell her was that it was time for us to pick up our residency cards!!.

Memorable birthdays in Greece

My 70th birthday - 3 cakes and a party to remember

I've celebrated a couple milestone birthdays and had memorable celebrations in Greece, but none will be as memorable as receiving my gift card earlier today!

So, with cards in hand, I was dancing with joy, and The Scout was back in the saddle - planning a trip to somewhere in the Schengen Zone for us to take soon, as now we can again travel in it!

The Scout and I are off to do some birthday celebrating and some travel planning. As always, we thank you for your time with us here and for the encouragements you've provided during our years on the Road to Residency.

 . 

Is It Safe to be in Greece?

Is it safe in Greece right now?

 

Agios Nikolaos, our village, this summer

The question has been asked in a variety of ways and with increasing frequency on Greek and European travel pages in recent weeks, particularly after the recent military conflict between Israel and Iran.  

Even earlier in the year, safety was front and center on social media travel sites following the earthquakes that struck the island of Santorini.

Then a few days ago, we began getting emails asking us if we were safe from the wildfires and heat wave that have again put Greece in international headlines. 

Pantazi Beach coffee klatch on a normal day in Mani

Safety, hmmm, it is a good question.  But in our slice of the Greek Peloponnese, it really wasn't something we had given much thought to as we are and have been far removed from the incidents and areas making headlines.  

It did make for a topic to ponder over a recent morning coffee with my friend Jean though. How would we answer it? What assurances could be offered to a nervous traveler?  

Tux the taverna cat awaits a head scratch

We were at our regular meeting place, the taverna at Pantazi Beach. We watched sun and sea worshippers settling into sunbeds near the water.   A few dogs rested at their owner's feet as it was too hot to race and chase as they do in the cooler off season.  The regular taverna cats came by for a head scratch.  

It was another calm, relaxed and the rather laidback morning; a regular sort of day for the two of us, both American expats who've lived in Greece for several years. 

Mani, the region of the Peloponnese we call home

We pretty much agreed that while we couldn't offer assurances, we certainly wouldn't be living here if we didn't feel safe doing so. But for a traveler who may never have ventured far from home, or one coming to Greece or any foreign country as close to the Middle East as we are here, safety is a valid consideration.   We concluded it would be a timely subject for a blog post.

Fishing boat returns to Agios Nikolaos

The problem is that no one can honestly assure another's safety. Life happens and changes instantly sometimes.  And something I see as safe, like living in Greece, may be totally out of your comfort zone (and vice versa). To discuss safety is like the proverb, 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' -- what one person thinks is safe isn't to another. It is in the eye of the beholder. 

With that in mind, let's take a look at:

 Wildfires and Heat Waves

Peloponnese July 7, 2025 weather

We have a healthy fear of wildfires in our slice of Greece, the Mani in the southwestern Peloponnese. Summer temperatures are already in the 80's and 90's (26 to 32 Celsius). Our land is parched; spring rains are long forgotten. And we have a continuing water shortage in our area. Just this last week we've had no municipal water running to our homes (the new desalination plant that I wrote about in my last post hasn't solved the water shortage it appears.).  Domestic water began flowing yesterday, seven days after it had stopped.

Uncut dry grass along our road home

So how do we fight a fire that breaks out during one of our dry spells?  Recent laws require landowners to cut back grasses and growth but as with so many laws here, it goes unheeded and unenforced. We have a team of trained firefighters in the area, fire spotters are on duty, but it is a concern. While we've been so far spared from wildfires, two Greek islands haven't been as lucky.

Chios, light blue on the right, Crete, green, at the bottom

Just a stone's throw from Turkey's coastline, the island of Chios lost some 2,500 hectares, or 6,100 acres in a recent blaze. The fire, finally controlled and extinguished in late June, was believed to have been intentionally set.  

As I write this piece, a wind-driven wildfire rages on Crete's southern coast, near the town of Ierapetra, and has consumed some 15 square kilometers of forests, olive groves and structures and forced the evacuation of an estimated 5,000 tourists, residents and hospitality workers. The blaze is directly impacting about 1.8 percent of the 8,336 square kilometer island. 

This time of year, fire danger is a fact of life in Greece. 

Earthquakes

Santorini, a popular port of call for cruise ships

The island of Santorini made headlines earlier this year when a couple hundred earthquakes and tremors were recorded on or near this popular Cycladic Island within a short span of time. While Greece is known for its propensity of quakes when so many occur in such a compacted timeframe, it caused a whirlwind of safety precautions. Schools were closed, emergency response teams were on alert and many residents and tourists fearing 'the big one was coming' left the island. 

The 'big one' didn't hit. Residents and tourists have returned, and life is going on as normal although tourism is reportedly down this season. Overtourism hasn't been the concern there that it was last year at this time.  

Tourists, Santorini June 2024

In the last couple of years, there's been at least three quakes occur in our region of Greece that were strong enough to be felt by many. We've not felt any of them. But the fact remains, we have chosen to live in earthquake country. 

Bottom line: a 'big one' or many small ones could happen anywhere, anytime. We don't sit around worrying about it.

Israeli and Iranian Conflict

Travel sites came to life with safety questions. 'Is it safe to go to Greece in light of the Israeli and Iranian conflict?'  After all, on a map the countries don't seem to be that far apart.

Straight line distance is 746 miles between Athens and Tel Aviv

And they really aren't that far apart. The straight-line distance between Athens and Tel Aviv is 746 miles/1,201 kilometers. It is a mere two-hour flight away.  However, we learned of the military strikes via world headlines just like most of you did.

Summer scenes in the Mani

It seems from media reports here that the only tangential involvement Greece had was with the Israeli equivalent of the US Air Force One.  Both Greek and Israeli media reported that following the launch of the Israeli air strikes on Iran, the Israeli state plane, Wing of Zion, used by Prime Minister Bejamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog for overseas travel, was relocated to Athens in what media called a 'precautionary' move'. 

Kalamata waterfront, about an hour from us

What did make headlines in Greece - back in the fall of 2022 -- was Greece's launch of a new international armed forces pilot training center in partnership with Israel. While it opened in 2022, projections were 2024 before it would be fully operational.  

What made it most interesting is that the training center is at the air force base near the Kalamata airport. Kalamata is our 'go to' city, about an hour's drive away.  

A lone helicopter flies over our house 

The only thing we residents feared when the new facility was announced was the noise that fighter jets might make as they flew over our houses.  The flights have been far fewer than we had expected, and the noise factor is similar to any jet that zooms past at breakneck speed.  On occasion we have one fly over so low that it rattles all things including the brain cells, but that happens very infrequently.

So, is it safe?

Kalamata beach front is filled with visitors this summer

Each person will need to make an informed decision on whether or not to proceed with their travel plans. Some sources we turn to for information are the online Greek English language newspapers Ekathimerini and Greek Reporter.  

American travelers also have information from the US State Department available on Facebook, X or Threads.  You can also get information about your travel destination from the State Department's STEP, Smart Traveler Enrollment Program. The free program allows you to register your travels, and the State Department will provide you updates about weather, safety, conflicts, etc.  

Days end at The Stone House on the Hill

I'll end the look at safety with figures from Greek tourism folks: in the first four months of this year, Greece welcomed 4.1 million tourists, an increase of 5.8 percent over last year.  I've seen nothing on social media from any of them saying they regretted having come to Greece.

A big thank you to all who have inquired about our safety!  It means a lot to know someone is thinking of you!!  We close with a wish for continued safe travels wherever you might be headed. Thanks for the time you've spent with us, and we hope to see you back again soon!

It is a New Day!

The bus no longer inches its way along the waterfront. During our early years here, watching its slow creep between buildings and tables was a great source of entertainment. 

Those were the days - back in 2016

For years, almost as regular as clockwork, the long-distance bus from Kalamata made two stops in the village, one at each end of the harbor three times a day. Its trip between the two gave many a visitor a start as they looked over their shoulders and realized they were seated just inches away from the behemoth bus.

The bus no longer runs this route through the village

A waterfront rehabilitation and resurfacing project marked the end of the bus run through town. After the work finished this year, the harborside eateries expanded their street seating areas, and the bus remains relegated to the main highway, with a single stop now at the south end of the village.   

Pleasure craft fill the harbor in summer

The harbor along which the bus once traveled is this time of year filled with pleasure craft. We've noted that during the last few summers our small fleet of traditional wooden kaiki, fishing boats, have been relegated to a small section of the harbor to make space for the influx of recreational boats.

Remodeling the old souvlaki place for a new eatery opening soon

While the excitement caused by the passing bus is gone, harborside dining and sipping has flourished.  There's still a nice mix of old traditional Greek tavernas with modern day entertainment hotspots. New places have opened; old places have modernized. This time of year, expanded roadside seating areas, leave just enough room for delivery vans and emergency vehicle access. 

Sunday night in the village

Three retail stores -- two selling clothing and a local products gift shop -- are now operating seasonally on the harbor road. A decade ago, there were no such stores here.

It is a new day in the village. 

Agios Nikolaos, is a fishing village in the heart of the southwestern Peloponnese olive growing country. It is where we make our expat home. It is still a charmer, but it's definitely a new day in the village as it is far more upscale than it was when we arrived a decade ago. 

A new day means a new road in the village

The harbor road itself is a reflection of the change. The once cracked, patched-up ankle-breaker asphalt surface has been replaced with a smart cobblestone design complete with streetlights and garbage/recycle cans installed at regular intervals. We didn't have such refuse collection before as several locals pointed out, there was no one to empty them when they were full.

New streetlights and garbage cans line the harbor front

I am delighted to report that we even have a person who collects the garbage from those cans now! 

Souvenirs from the villages

Similar improvement projects have taken place in our neighboring villages, Stoupa and Kardamyli giving each a much-needed boost. 

And in recent years the village shops have begun stocking logo tourist items. A decade ago, souvenirs were somewhat scarce in these parts. Now they even carry the village name! 

It is a new day in the neighborhood.

Just down the street from us - a new home in the grove

There's been a construction boom in recent years in our slice of the Messinian Mani. Olive groves once created a silvery green carpet below and above our hillside location. Now it is more a colorful patchwork quilt of red-clay roof tiles, gray- and brown- stone homes, and several swimming pools of a brilliant blue accent color. 

3.5 million euro village home is on the market

The housing market is flourishing and homes for sale can now carry hefty price tags, some reaching into the millions of euros. One recently renovated home in the heart of Agios Nikolaos is on the market for 3.5 million euro, (that's just over $4 million in US dollars).

Another home just down the road from us

There are eight new homes within a few minutes' walk of our Stone House on the Hill. I've often described our neighborhood as a little United Nations with the fabulous mix of nationalities represented by the homeowners. It appears that great mix will continue with the new residents joining our 'hood. 

Gigantic power poles installed on our road

With the new home construction comes the need for improved infrastructure.  For the last several weeks, the power company has been installing new mega-sized power poles and lines along our road to increase capacity.  (And, yes, that has meant power cuts to get the work done.)

New road and parking lot surface at Pantazi Beach

The road and parking areas near a number of beaches in the area have been resurfaced this summer.  Word on the street is that our Pantazi Beach parking lot - once a dirt surfaced, potholed place, will be striped and trees will be planted along the riverbank that it abuts.   

It is a new day in the Mani.

Agios Nikolaos harbor from To Limeni Restaurant

Tourism isn't new to our area, but it is expanding. Europeans have been coming here for decades - they understood and were caught in Mani Magic long ago. Rick Steves, the US travel guru, has led sold-out group tours to the area for years. The Liokareas family, just to our south, produces an award-winning olive oil. They have recently begun hosting Olive Harvest tours to the area, that include hands-on olive picking and celebrating at an oil pressing party.

 

Sunset jazz at the Patrick Leigh Fermor house

The Kardamyli Jazz Festival, was a fledgling event when we arrived. A decade later it has expanded from its 10-day spring celebration to include an additional fall festival of music as well.  The West Mani Summer Music Festival fills July and August with musical events at locales throughout our area.

West Mani Sports Festival - photo credit: Bert Robertson

The Taygetos Challenge, marking its 14th year, continues to offer its hundreds of participants a number of racing options including a 40-kilometer race with a 2,500-meter vertical ascent up the side of a mountain. This last weekend another sporting event marked its debut, the West Mani Sports Festival, drawing hundreds of participants to swimming and running events.

Our Mayor in Dubai at the Arabian Travel Market

This year our West Dimos Mani (our municipality) has been a prominent participant in a tourism event aimed at the Chinese market as well as having been a presence at a Travel Market International Tourism Fair in Dubai.

It is a new day and a most exciting time in our slice of Greece.  Those of you who haven't yet visited the area should definitely give a trip here some consideration. Those who've been here should return - what was good when you were here has gotten even better!

That's it from a sunny, warm Greece.  Thanks for the time you spent with us and hope you'll be back for another serving of our slice of Greece! Safe travels to you and yours~