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  1. #101
    Thailand Expat HermantheGerman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai View Post
    Greece because I was born there , though I left very young and never reaaly lived there, but because of it I am entitled to Greek citizenship, and could buy (I was told we will see) into the Greek national helth system wich is supposed to be very good.
    So I solve the Imigration hussles problem, and the health insurance issues.
    How do you buy into the Greek health system?
    Is that fair?

    The European/Greek Health System is dependent on solidarity. Some people call it socialism

    You are 65 years old now...what have you done for the Greek health system?
    I would guess you would have to pay about € 30,000 to be half way .....fair....socialist....fair to Greek people...or are you just looking for a easy ride?

    Sorry, but you made this thread not only adventurous but also politically.


    P.S.

    nice pictures...reminisce
    Last edited by HermantheGerman; 01-05-2022 at 12:48 AM.

  2. #102
    Thailand Expat
    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by HermantheGerman View Post
    How do you buy into the Greek health system?
    Is that fair?

    The European/Greek Health System is dependent on solidarity. Some people call it socialism

    You are 65 years old now...what have you done for the Greek health system?
    I would guess you would have to pay about € 30,000 to be half way .....fair....socialist....fair to Greek people...or are you just looking for a easy ride?

    Sorry, but you made this thread not only adventurous but also politically.


    P.S.

    nice pictures...reminisce
    I can't talk to the fairness of the program as I am not an expert in such matter, but I am sure those that have designed it have consider all the implications and have decided that it is in Greece's interest that Greeks that have worked outside of Greece and are collecting a pension no less than a certain amount, are able to repatriate. No such Greeks could if they could not get medical insurance there.
    The contribution such Greeks make to the Greek economy is not only in what they would have paid into the system if they had worked there but the positive flow of capital into Greece from outside they will provide , and the investment in the Greek economy. (house car etc), my purchases of Ouzo along should be enough LOL
    In addition I will be paying 8.5% of my pension into the Greek national health care system for the rest of my life..Given my two pensions from the US such percentage would be a significant contribution.
    Greeks in Greece that have contributed to the system during their working life stop contributing when they retire, I will not and will continue contributing as long as I live. At almost 65 I would hope to live another 20 years , and at 8.5% of my considerable pension , if I live that long I would have contributed more than most Greeks have on their working life.
    In addition I will be bringing in Greece a considerable amount of money
    I am no insurance actuary, but I think actuaries and economists were involved and it made economic sense to them,
    Greeks are many things, not all positive , but one thing they are not is stupid..
    The sooner you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up.

  3. #103
    Thailand Expat
    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    Settling in a routine now,
    Get up in the morning and have breakfast by the water. Food is so inexpensive and good, that it is not worth making your own.
    My big fat Greek adventure-bakery-jpg

    My big fat Greek adventure-beakfast-sea-jpg

    My big fat Greek adventure-ferry-jpg

    Being May 1st, a national holyday here and labor day, we took a ride in the country.
    My big fat Greek adventure-buy-popy-jpg

  4. #104
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    happynz's Avatar
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    Those bread rolls look tasty. How much for the coffee?

  5. #105
    Thailand Expat
    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by happynz View Post
    Those bread rolls look tasty. How much for the coffee?
    I really did not ask for individual prices , I will check tomorrow morning when we go back.

    The whole breakfast consisting of a butter croissant and a Frappe coffee for the wife and a large spinach pie for me('cause I am growing boy) for both both of us was less than 7 euros.

  6. #106
    Thailand Expat
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    You speak the lingo BB? if so that must be an easy transition from the states to Greece. It's got me thinking/ wondering if Australian Greeks retire in Greece? There's a huge population of Greeks in Australia. Under the current govt here I'm sure it's tempting to say fuck this I'm of to greece

  7. #107
    Thailand Expat
    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BLD View Post
    You speak the lingo BB? if so that must be an easy transition from the states to Greece. It's got me thinking/ wondering if Australian Greeks retire in Greece? There's a huge population of Greeks in Australia. Under the current govt here I'm sure it's tempting to say fuck this I'm of to greece
    My nephew a few years back,met a nice Greek/Australian girl while they were both vacationing at Milos (popular Greek island) . A year later they were married and living in Melbourne Australia , They are now here in Greece where he is supervising a project for the company he works and as soon as it is complites (early fall, if thing go according to plan) they are going Back to Australia. They just had a lovely baby girl last month.
    Unfortunately we have not spend any time with them yet, because we were exposed to Kovid, and subsequently tested positive. and we did not want to expose the baby to it.
    We had a very mild case with coughing and runny nose , no fever. That lasted about three days m but we kept testing positive for about two weeks. Finally we have been testing negative for the past week and we hope to see them soon.
    Greece is very nice , wife loves it here, and as soon as we sell the house in the US. (the logistics of owning three house in three different continents are daunting) , we will buy a house in Greece and spend the summers there and winters that can get very cold in Greece, we can spend in Thailand. A Thailand/ Greece situation is more viable as opposed to a US/ Thailand, if more doable because it is only 10 hrs from Greece to Thailand as opposed to over 24 hrs from the US to Thailand.
    If you invested 250,000 euros in Greece it allows you a golden visa that provides permanent residency with the prospect for citizenship in a few years if so desired.
    Be warned , the bureaucracy in Greece is something else,It mades Thai bureaucrats look like rank armatures.If there is anything good to it is that it has eliminated corruption to a very large degree. If you can get over dealing with the bureaucrats (you would need a lawyer) everything else is easy.
    Gas and electric is very expensive over here now. everything else is reasonable or inexpensive, you can rent a small house for about 600 euros a month.
    There is a FB group where many expats go to exchange info. If you were interested you can go there and get a feel for things here. Expats in Greece

    PS: Yes I speech Greek that I have learned from my parents, it is a big help, but often it is an impediment. Greeks are very helpful people and will go out of their way to help foreigners. My limited Greek are accent free and people especially in the offices think I understand everything. When they take off with their techno lingo, and compound words, I have to slow them down and explain that I have no idea what this words mean and can they please explain.They also love their acronyms. " You go to KEP the say and ask for an (unpronounceable word) then go to EFKA and pay the (unpronounceable word) .
    They all know what these things are having grown up with it. I have no idea. LOL
    Anyway not tp give you the impression that it is all abed or roses . like th flower field picture with my wife
    Last edited by Buckaroo Banzai; 02-05-2022 at 05:30 PM.

  8. #108
    Thailand Expat
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    Wow. That's informative. Sounds like your gonna get the best of both worlds. What does your wife think about Greece? Culture food etc?

  9. #109
    Thailand Expat
    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BLD View Post
    Wow. That's informative. Sounds like your gonna get the best of both worlds. What does your wife think about Greece? Culture food etc?
    She loves the culture and likes the food, but is disappointed that there is no stinky fish markets here LOL (very few asian markets and not well stocked)
    Also loves the fact that Greece is only 10 hrs away from Thailand. When we come back to Thailand we will fill a suitcase with some of the things she can't find here for our return. .
    We will see how she likes it after we have been here a few seasons and more realistically assess the situation, at this point we are at the honeymoon stage .

  10. #110
    Thailand Expat
    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    Being an early riser , and while the wife is softly snoring near by , I fired up the looptop and once again engaged in a futile attempt to show you all how wrong you are, (unless you agree with me) ,and how right I am.
    Then while looking out my balcony I was greeted by this. and instead wish you all a very very good morning
    My big fat Greek adventure-sunrise-today-jpg

  11. #111
    Thailand Expat DrWilly's Avatar
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    lovely view.

  12. #112
    Thailand Expat
    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DrWilly View Post
    lovely view.
    Thank you Willy
    It seems we have adopted these two cats that wife started feeding. These two love each other. I have never noticed that behavior in cats, They are always together and sleep hugging each other. (there are two cats there)
    My big fat Greek adventure-cats-jpg

    The dark one is always protecting the other one.
    Last edited by Buckaroo Banzai; 04-05-2022 at 05:15 PM.

  13. #113
    Thailand Expat
    aging one's Avatar
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    Give the photo a second try Buck.

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  14. #114
    Thailand Expat
    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    So I consulted with the oracle at Delphi about the lottery numbers , and since I am still posting here, lets just say , I should had put more drachmas in the envelope
    .
    My big fat Greek adventure-delphi-jpg

  15. #115
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    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    since my lottery numbers scheme did not work, we went out foraging for gemstones on the beach. or perhaps a genie bottle or two. sad to report genie bottles were cleaned out by the May 1st crown over the weekend, but the fools failed to collect all these gemstones that I am sure are worth millions.
    My big fat Greek adventure-gem-stones-jpg

    sorting troughs them I located what I am sure is a clue to the location of the lost treasure of the Templars.
    My big fat Greek adventure-te-lar-treasure-jpg

  16. #116
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    malmomike77's Avatar
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    ^ Mendip?

  17. #117
    Thailand Expat
    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by malmomike77 View Post
    ^ Mendip?
    What about Mendip? does he have money?
    I am looking for investors.

  18. #118
    Thailand Expat
    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    I am now officially Greek
    My big fat Greek adventure-passport-1-jpg

    I asked that as a Greek if there was anything different that I should be doing now, I was told "Nothing other than drive like a maniac and get upset at people that drive slower or faster than you"
    PS: I am now driving a Peugeot 208, a much nicer car than the Nissan Micra.
    It was a nice day , so we went to the beach for a traditional Greek lunch
    My big fat Greek adventure-spring-rolls-beach-jpg

    Water a bit too cold , there were a few people swimming, and I was told that once you were in the water it was fine. I was not about to test it. Wife waden in a bit but came running out.
    My big fat Greek adventure-nuy-water-1-jpg

    The place we are renting is close to the port where the fishing boats come every morning with fresh fish, so no need to stock any, we buy what we need every day.
    My big fat Greek adventure-fishing-boat-jpg

    But the farmer's market is only every Saturday. so off to get fresh tomatoes for the week.
    My big fat Greek adventure-tommattoes-market-jpg

    Walk around
    My big fat Greek adventure-farmers-market-jpg

    and get some homemade wine less than 3 euros a bottle.
    My big fat Greek adventure-wine-jpg

    and my favorite wild greens, that I boil in water and serve with only olive oil and lemon. (No wonder Greeks live 5 years longer than Americans, I hope I am not too late) I can eat them all day with fish that I forgot to take a picture of, wife being Thai, is in charge of taking pictures of everything we eat LO
    My big fat Greek adventure-wild-veggs-jpg
    Last edited by Buckaroo Banzai; 08-05-2022 at 01:06 PM.

  19. #119
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    Quote Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai View Post
    What about Mendip? does he have money?
    I am looking for investors.
    He's a Geologist and can tell you what and how much those precious stones are worth. I think the Kernow one is quite rare.

  20. #120
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    Look very similar to Vietnamese spring rolls, did you buy or your wife make them?




  21. #121
    กงเกวียนกำเกวียน HuangLao's Avatar
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    Stimulating thread, BB.
    More so than I presumed it might be.

    Thanks - from the TD collective.
    Well done.

  22. #122
    Thailand Expat
    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PAG View Post
    Look very similar to Vietnamese spring rolls, did you buy or your wife make them?



    Good eye. That's exactly what they are.
    Wife made them , They are really easy to make . The wraps you simply soak in water and they become soft and translucent. Noodles and your favorite vegetables, and we like a boiled shrimp in them.
    The Deepings sauce is Hoisin Sauce mixed with peanut butter, salt , a bit tested garlic, and a little bit of water.
    Easier to see the vid, than to explain how..

  23. #123
    Thailand Expat
    Mendip's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai View Post
    since my lottery numbers scheme did not work, we went out foraging for gemstones on the beach. or perhaps a genie bottle or two. sad to report genie bottles were cleaned out by the May 1st crown over the weekend, but the fools failed to collect all these gemstones that I am sure are worth millions.

    sorting troughs them I located what I am sure is a clue to the location of the lost treasure of the Templars.
    My big fat Greek adventure-te-lar-treasure-jpg
    Quote Originally Posted by malmomike77 View Post
    ^ Mendip?
    Quote Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai View Post
    What about Mendip? does he have money?
    I am looking for investors.
    I'm a different kind of geologist unfortunately, but even so, I would say that 'gemstone' has what looks like a white cross on it.

    I used to have money BB... before life took me to Isaan. A factotum, a pack of street dogs, a daughter and let's not mention the wife, have reduced my pot to such an extent it's now barely big enough to piss in. And besides, no offense, but I was always warned not to invest with swarthy Mediterranean types.

    By the way, have you had lamb kleftiko yet? I'm very envious of the delicious food you've been eating and lamb kleftiko was always my all time favourite Greek dish.

  24. #124
    Thailand Expat
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    ^^

    Indeed, soaking the rice paper sheets then packing them with veg etc. M'Sahib occasionally makes them as well.

  25. #125
    Thailand Expat
    Buckaroo Banzai's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    I'm a different kind of geologist unfortunately, but even so, I would say that 'gemstone' has what looks like a white cross on it.

    I used to have money BB... before life took me to Isaan. A factotum, a pack of street dogs, a daughter and let's not mention the wife, have reduced my pot to such an extent it's now barely big enough to piss in. And besides, no offense, but I was always warned not to invest with swarthy Mediterranean types.

    By the way, have you had lamb kleftiko yet? I'm very envious of the delicious food you've been eating and lamb kleftiko was always my all time favourite Greek dish.
    Beware of Greeks bearing gifts LOL

    Did not have Lamb Kleftiko yet, there is a place that we went to last time I was here that makes the best I ever had, but I came here for Easter and everyone I told I wanted to go there was all lambed out. In fact today we went out with some people (mothers day here) and I mentioned going there, but everyone wanted to go for seafood and I got voted out.
    Fried squid and fried zucchini, with many side dishes, (sorry no good pictures of everything)
    My big fat Greek adventure-squid-jpg

    Butterflied Anchovies (Gavros)
    My big fat Greek adventure-batterlied-fish-jpg

    This week we plan to go to Kalavryta for a ride on the mountain railroad I mentioned earlier in this thread. We plan to go to the Lamb tavernas on the mountain when we come back next weekend.

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