The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #13486   Message #112086
Posted By: Roger the zimmer
07-Sep-99 - 09:41 AM
Thread Name: TOURISTS
Subject: RE: TOURISTS
I'll be a tourist myself in a couple of days. UK West country folk call tourist "grockles", in Greece they call them "squids" beacuse they often confuse "Kalimera" (good morning) with "kalimari" (squid!). So I'll be trying not to say "squid" to people I meet. From my travels the Greeks and the Polynesians seem to be the most genuinely welcoming to tourists, except in the busiest centres where exposure to the world excesses of mass tourist has jaded them. Are the French the least welcoming? As with so many national stereotypes individual encounters are usually better than the country en masse. I've met some lovely German, French and US citizens!*BG*
I've also got on well in Wales and Scotland. However, there are "Basil Fawlty" types in every country.
'Er indoors often says when we are staying in a nice place: "It's beautiful,but I'd hate to live here, think of all the tourists!" Living in Ascot, I'm glad Royal Week is only once a year!