Honest Opinion on Greece AFTER 15 YEARS OF RETIREMENT as Expats

[@Sunpire]

Do you think Greece is a good country to retire?🤔

[@manolisgledsodakis873]

"No, don't bother. There's enough people here." ;-)

[@Athena32-y5g]

yes, for sure, as long as you fully participate in Greek life and get involved as much as you can

[@sinkrock1]

Greece is a very good country to retire if you are a foreigner, the problem starts if you are Greek._

[@josephj6521]

What I’ve noticed is that the majority of people moving to Greece prefer to live amongst the locals and live like one. Shows you how lovely it is. Unlike many countries like most of SE Asia/Africa/South America, most people living there don’t prefer to live as a local because the locals are very poor living in poor quality housing & water/sewerage services are not like Europe/USA/etc. So these migrants live in select areas with nicer housing which is understandable.

[@John7No]

if you have the money to live comfortably sure. Although this probably goes for most places

[@jorgepeters7474]

These are the people greece needs, nice respectful and able to blend in and live a happy life.

[@Sunpire]

Thank you very much for watching us and for your kind words💙💙🙏🤗

[@SomewhatRetired]

Great interview… encouraging to see people my age that have made the move and don’t regret it!

[@Sunpire]

Thank you very much for watching us and for taking the time to leave a comment 💙💙🙏🤗

[@sarp.]

Thank you to these lovely folks for participating your interesting interview.

[@Sunpire]

Thank you for watching! ❤️They are lovely indeed. 🥰We really appreciate their presence here on the channel 🙏❤️

[@degeorgia2]

I am happy that you have settled so well in Greece

[@Sunpire]

Thank you very much 💙🤍💙🤍💙

[@TheHonestFoodTeller]

Hi there, I just love your channel and your energy! One small note from a friend: Please lower the background music by an additional 30% when you do such interviews or when you comment. It's the first time it bothers, but I think it's for the best of the channel.

[@Sunpire]

Hello, my friend! Thank you for supporting us and for the feedback!❤️🙏 We'll keep this in mind for the next time. We had some issues with the sound in this video ( due to the lack of microphones for all of us and the copyright issues with the music in the background that had to be covered). We hope you guys can still get some value out of this video. 😊

[@courseware1241]

Γεια σου Αμαλία! Γεια σου Ραούλ! Ωραίο βίντεο!

[@Sunpire]

Hello 😊 👋. Thank you very much 💙

[@lostmypassword1]

I really enjoyed this video. The setting was beautiful and it's so nice to hear of the experiences of a retired couple who have been living in Crete for 15 years. Integrating into the local community is important to me, so learning how she volunteered at the school was so helpful. I have a degree in education and will be retired so may be able to follow a similar path.

[@Sunpire]

Thank you very much 💙🤍❤️💙

[@steveabrams777]

Greece is quite possibly the best place in the world to retire … weather is great, prices are low, the landscape is diverse and beautiful, people are extremely friendly and the health system is top notch, but yes, bureaucracy can be frustrating sometimes but things are improving daily …

[@Sunpire]

It's a wonderful place to live if you're financially stable. We heard that too, about bureaucracy! It's getting better!💙

[@steveabrams777]

@@Sunpire indeed … no country is good if you are not financially stable … none 🙂

[@Sunpire]

True!💙

[@cookiecutterslab]

Welcome to Greece !!! Great interview !

[@Sunpire]

Thank you very much 🤍💙🤍💙. What did you like about the interview ?

[@cookiecutterslab]

@@Sunpire Objective opinions about Greeks in general. Usually we Greeks we are or 100% positively biased or 100% negatively biased :D :D :D We need opinions like yours out of the box to check our current state :D

[@checotahdavis7251]

That's a wonderful restaurant in Xania. I recommend Gramboussa restaurant and tavern Arxontas Koutsomatados. Royal Sun also has a great view and dishes.

[@leonidasg2257]

To be fair beaurocracy has improved a lot in Greece, I used to hate it as a younger person but gotta recognize that in terms of digitalizing we are not a 3rd world country.

[@Sunpire]

We expected things to be worse from what we heard, but as you say, it is not that bad. Medical prescriptions, payment for the electricity bills, etc. are now digitalised. Even when you buy a property, we hear that's quicker nowadays 😊

[@Orca-b2v]

​​​@@Sunpirethere is no problems like this anymore ... the only pròblem its the money...!!! Money money money must be funny in a rich mens world😅😅😅😅😅😅

[@southface6684]

Οι ταχυτητες στο Ίντερνετ ειναι πολυ μικρές

[@slickwilly7341]

​@@southface6684 Indeed but unless you're a professional gamer or a professional in general whose line of work depends on high-speed internet, it's not such a big deal!!

[@nicopapaya1791]

they just made bureaucracy digital, just check how much time will take to get a pension, get some privileges and get payed...the only thing they digitalized properly is when they take your money and your land and ownership....i ve been living to 2 more countries and greece is the worst of all of them by far. Greece is treating better tourists than it's own citizens just because they come to spend money there. People that say the opposite are either not working and having money being government leeches or have money from their family to just pretend they are working. They treat in this country the elderly like shit , no social benefits anywhere.

[@silocybe83]

Good people with good insights ,good video

[@marinellaartist]

I live in Crete since 2018 and I feel free it’s a magical place to live. I love the multi culture of Crete 🇬🇷 and I’m so inspired by it. One thing that I really love is the compassion of the doctors, they are amazing. My husband had a cancer relapse 2020 and thanks to them he survived. The first time he had cancer was in Switzerland and it was a disaster! The only thing that is not really working is bureaucracy!

[@tsapi7]

Thank you and welcome here.

[@Sunpire]

Thank you 💙🤍💙🤗

[@Sunpire]

Thank you, too!💙🙏

[@Dimitrator]

Nice view γαματη θεα

[@Sunpire]

Very nice restaurant with very nice view over the Chania town ♥️🤍💙

[@Orca-b2v]

​@@Sunpirelucky people !!! Greeks we got no money anymore to have fun in greek islands😢😢😢😢

[@deanpapadopoulos3314]

Beautiful…and useful!!

[@Sunpire]

Thank you very much 🤍💙🤍💙

[@nikos9257]

Nice interview with nice people! Indeed bureaucracy here is a nightmare for us locals too! If you are good people you are welcome to come and stay here!

[@Sunpire]

Thank you very much for watching us and for taking the time to leave a comment 💙💙🙏🤗

[@TheCyricson]

As far as beaurocracy, it is very much improved.

[@Sunpire]

It's great to hear that things are improving!🙏❤️

[@pwp8737]

I lived in Greece back in the 90's for four years, my one major complaint was the mind numbing bureaucracy. Once I removed my watch from my wrist and gave up on timeliness things were ok.

[@Sunpire]

Bureaucracy is a bit frustrating at times, but it gets better! After covid, many things got digitalised and are faster now. But as you say, your perception and expectations are very important. Thank you for watching 😊

[@vc2144]

What is the cafenio or taverna, that you recorded from. The views are beautiful

[@Sunpire]

It is called Carte postale.

[@giolybe4223]

Hey Raul and Amalia, kind request, please if it doesn't bother you during nice interviews like this one remove the background music, cheers!

[@Sunpire]

Thank you for your feedback, we will in the future 💙🤍💙🤍🤗

[@katiGiaNaExeis]

Oh, that's Carte Postale. I'm guessing Koukouvayia was full, as always?

[@scardelta]

Cool ending.

[@Sunpire]

Thank you very much 💙🤍

[@antoniotrialonis7957]

beautiful❤

[@Sunpire]

Thank you for watching and support!🙏💙

[@christinasamartzis301]

Very helpful video but you must do something with the sound , very hard to hear the lovely couple, thank you

[@Sunpire]

Thank you for your feedback 💙🤍💙🤍. We will try next time

[@nutsnproud6932]

The background music makes it difficult to hear what people are saying.

[@Sunpire]

Unfortunately, it was music from the restaurant, and it was very hard to isolate the dialogue and cover that music so it wouldn't be copyright infringement...

[@BoVa-gr]

👍💙

[@Sunpire]

🙏❤️🤗

[@reena247-c6e]

Have you done a video on job search?

[@Sunpire]

Not yet but a great ideea, thank you 💙🤍💙🤍

[@reena247-c6e]

My pleasure - I’m asking for selfish reasons 🤣 Just got engaged to a Greek guy (lives in Skiathos and I’m in the U.K. currently) and hopefully we will move in the future to Crete (has hospital and other facilities) …so just researching …

[@Sunpire]

Congratulations! ❤Crete is a great place to live for us, has everything we need at the moment. Since you're in the UK, it would be great if you could find a job there that would allow you to work completely remotely. I think this would be ideal, probably better payed than if you were to find a job here. Good luck!

[@reena247-c6e]

Many thanks 🙏🏽 and yes this is on my radar 😊

[@martinpickering8463]

@@reena247-c6e I agree with Raul. This is what I did. Set up an Internet business and then move here.

[@MuttShnutt]

❤

[@Sunpire]

🤍💙🤍💙

[@Hill_Master]

With body like this who needs hair.......British humour 😁

[@Sunpire]

British humour throughout the whole video 😂😂

[@danielapetrus9582]

🥰

[@Sunpire]

❤️

[@tpop3723]

Nice work but I’m curious if a single person would have a harder time meeting people there than a couple would.

[@Sunpire]

Thank you. It's very easy to meet people here. it doesn't really matter if you are single or you are in a couple, there is abig communityof expats, digital nomads, etc.

[@martinpickering8463]

My wife and I often go out alone and have somewhat separate but overlapping circles of friends. We know several single people who seem to have no trouble in making new friends. If you love to meet people, it shows. The best advice I can give is to question, LISTEN, and don't talk about yourself unless asked to. But Greek people love to hear about your family.

[@TheCyricson]

If you stay inside and go once per month for a drink or a cofee what would u expect? For real if you cant meet ppl in Greece then you are doomed.

[@dawnoflou7179]

Depends if you are a man or woman... Men can go to the kafenion alone and there is a kind of comradery between men there. I as a woman would not go to the kafenion alone because that would seem weird. I've only made one local female greek friend, but bear in mind in introverted, and she has lived abroad in other cultures and so has been friendly to me. But I live in small village and the people are a little closed off to foreigners, I don't blame them because they don't know me. But I come from a culture where it's really normal to have people from all ethnicities around and so it feels a little bit sad that I'm not accepted. This is just my personal experience. Others may be different.

[@martinpickering8463]

@@dawnoflou7179 I go to the same cafe nearly every day. Women go there, too - single and married. I'm aware of what you say but it does not happen everywhere. Look around for a kafeneio where women go and join them. Even if you can't speak much Greek yet, they will be interested to have you there.

[@deanpapadopoulos3314]

Nomads are happy when they’re moving…it’s the first thing a nomad forgets when they talk about settling down in a country. The solution is to live minimally to have resources to live in 2 to 3 places within the year. Every place has challenges and joys. Additionally, every place changes with the global economy and with technology. Mostly, it’s about mindset…if we look for heaven on earth we are guaranteed to be disappointed. But if we accept this is earth, then we realize the challenges are why we were put here and that the accumulation of past challenges has made us into the strong, wise, and good people that we are.

[@Sunpire]

Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts with us!😊🙏 Anywhere we live can be beautiful if we choose to see the beauty in it.

[@deanpapadopoulos3314]

You said it well!

[@TintesanDarius]

😮🇬🇷🇬🇧

[@Sunpire]

🇷🇴

[@jacquelineh9248]

Did the couple go to Greek Language lessons?

[@martinpickering8463]

See the SUNPIRE fake book page.

[@Sunpire]

Have a look at our Facebook community group 💙🤍💙🤍

[@rusucristian1847]

Măi, da cum se aude accentul românesc. :D

[@Sunpire]

😂 nu-i bai! macar se aude ca suntem de la Cluj?

[@tonidemis]

Good job as a theme but it needs 2 or three cameras to be more relax to the eye as it is confusing to go left right and the editing needs more skills. But for the effort is good.

[@Sunpire]

Thank you very much for your feedback 🤍💙🤍💙. We will definitely need at least one camera as you said and some extra microphones plus some editing skills 👍🏻 😀 .

[@martinpickering8463]

We were there for an hour and if you'd been there you'd know that Raul did an amazing job in reducing the loud background noise and keeping the important points of the discussion. Unfortunately, I forgot that my wife had no microphone so, at times, I was leaning away from her while she was talking, which moved the microphone away. Mea culpa. Λάθος μου!

[@TMPOUZI]

Beaurocracy in Greece exists because almost all the communists and socialists were appointed public servants during the 80's and 90's. These are people who don't like to work much and have established a state by their rules within the actual state. There are so many and today politicians don't harass them much because they afraid of losing votes. Only EU managed to do something by imposing mandatory electronic transaction in many sectors, but the communists and their children are still there to polute the state, so many things have to be done yet

[@ostracized666ther2]

Bunch of horseshit. Half of the guys in the public sector vote for either ND or Pasok. BOOO SCARY COMMIES. Get your head out of your ass, respectfully.

[@Sunpire]

Thank you for watching and sharing your perspective!🙏 beaurocracy happens in many places, it's very similar in Romania. Although it can be a challenge, you can still deal with it. Hopefully, it will get better in the future, everywhere.

[@dimvots6729]

εισαι απο αλλο ανεκδοτο εσυ ..... και μετα λεμε γιατι ειμαστε σε αυτην την καταντια σαν χωρα ........ πηγενε πληρωσε την ΔΕΗ και τα σουπερ μαρκετ του Κουλη.

[@joek600]

Raving mad and uneducated.

[@pwp8737]

not a very accurate comment. After Greece's civil war ended, anyone of left wing persuasion was blacklisted from any government job. In a country without many industries, all that was left were self employed. When PASOK won the election in 1981 they promised to reverse this discrimination. But what to do? Do you fire half the civil service to make room for an equal number of formerly excluded citizens? That would have created massive social tensions and resentment. The obvious solution was to hire an equal number of leftists and balance things out. As for civil servants who don't like to work very much, I'm certain it applies to all civil servants regardless of their politics. Your opinion is verging on hateful and is very biased.

[@crolmac]

Very loud! And longer ago even more! They describe them perfectly! My fear is is that europisation will ruin them , bless them

[@Trophonius]

They came at the wrong epoch for Greece. Before the memorandums and the economical crisis Greece was different and much better. The "atmosphere" , everything. Truly a "paradise" The memorandums was a disaster for Greece and Greeks

[@Sunpire]

How was it back in the days in Greece? What it was better?

[@Trophonius]

@@Sunpire everything...

[@Trophonius]

@@Sunpire not just better. FAR better. A whole different country. Especially from years 1970 until around 2003 (until 2007/2008 at most). When we got to Euro / E.E the downfall started immediately...

[@Trophonius]

@@Sunpire and it is funny and ironic that we were far more "Europeans" (in every level) before getting to E.E than after . Greece was a "proper European" country like any other "developed" European country or with the same rythms or far far better of development in every level before getting to the Eurozone. The memorandums just gave the final hit. That's why you see Greeks being today like that, when you hear them "complaining" all the time. Because , you know, we have something to compare to... Most foreigners know mostly the Greece of economical crisis and they have a "strange" sense and understanding, as if Greece didn't existed before and has no past. Well it existed and we were FAR better. A proper European country as any other. Germanic Europe destroyed everything here and the Eurozone. We should had never left from the drachma. We like the idea of being in European Union but not this E. U. It is a Germanic joke and nothing else

[@Trophonius]

@@Sunpire To give you an example. At 1980 the per capita income for Greeks was 1200 dollars. This is in today money like saying around 2500/3000 euros and with the more cheap prices of Greece , not the today, far more cheaper everything back then (that's why, one of the reasons, you see many today Greeks to have two houses. It is from that era. We didn't steal them from anyone) From around 1997 this was going slowly down until 2003/2004, but still the economy was on a relatively good level and not only (because I don't talk only for the economy, I take it here as a characteristical example). Do you know that things ? No. Who to tell you ? Even many Greeks don't know or don't realise this things. Much media propaganda, much amnesia.... But we the somehow older and from our parents we remember and we know... Everything you see in today Greece is like the Greece 20 years before, like the time has stopped there and far worst. No development in anything. In very few things. From 2019 things are a little better but still is far from the before the memorandums era. 15 years of meronadums! The specialists economist etc. say the destruction in Greece from the memorandums was the same as if Greece was in a war !

[@kristo7646]

IF you got money Greece is the best country to live.If you dont its one of the worsts.Plus Greece its not just athens and the islands.the rest country its completely different in a bad way.

[@Sunpire]

Yes, the first thing to sort out if you want to live well here in Greece is money .

[@pavloskritikos8256]

Sorry, but bureaucracy in UK is much worse than Greece. I live in England and everything is like nobody is there to help you there's a phone number for everything and they keep telling you press 1 for this and press 2 for that and none of the options might suit you, after Brexit everything is much harder for us Europeans. So compare to England Bureaucracy. He sounds so annoying when he talks about Greeks

[@ocsurfreport]

I like how they call these type of migrants, Expats.

[@Sunpire]

Why would "expats" be a wrong word in this case?🤔

[@ocsurfreport]

@@Sunpire Not wrong, just a play on words, depending on what part of the world they are from. Just found it funny.

[@adinfinitum000]

@@ocsurfreport Yes they are the best kind in contrast to the uneducated ones from Africa and Middle East that arrived here ILLEGALLY.

[@pwp8737]

they didn't move to Greece needing employment, they are retired and not competing in the job market. Migrants, esp from third-world countries that arrive penniless, homeless, often with official documents destroyed are a different breed all together.

[@leedennett3036]

Well said ​@@pwp8737

[@skatapc]

Βεβαίως ακριβώς αυτή είναι η Ελλάδα! Αν δεν σας αρέσει, πίσω στη χώρα σας

[@Sunpire]

That's why we're all here, because we love it!😊

[@supercat380]

@@skatapc afti i dio ilikiomenoi anthropi eine kali anthropi kai sevountai thn xora mas. To ' ean des sas aresei, biso sthn xora sas' na to les stous paranomous Pakistanous kai alous alodapous bou misane ton Ellinismo kai thn xora mas. Prosoxi sta loga sou stous kalous anthropous

[@martinpickering8463]

Συμφωνώ μαζί.

[@supercat380]

@@martinpickering8463 afto to elikiomeno zevgari ektimoun th xoras mas kai tous axizei na minoun edo. Omos ti tha ginei me tous alodapous bou erxontai anexelekta kai eine gematei midos yia tous Ellines? Xipnatai koimismenoi Ellines!

[@vapalaca]

Nonsense lol stay away

[@Sunpire]

Away from what to stay?

[@linobenetti6578]

A greek here..from kalamata... You are not an expat sir you are an immigrant...meaning in migrant ...the letter n turns into an m ..hence immigrant.. Living the good life in greece but trigger happy to accuse greece and its natives....you know. The locals ...the townies...for anything that deviates your personal likes and choices.. You ll never go native. simple because you know better on just about everything even on tzatziki recipes...yep even on that. Kalimera from kalamata to all of you knowledgeable snow birds...or if I may paraphrase it know-birds

[@Sunpire]

I'm sure what you're referring to...

[@slickwilly7341]

Yep "expat" is just a cool way to say you're an immigrant!! This term is reserved only for the 3rd-worlders!!😂

[@passionatesingle]

You are not making any sense in english. Better off saying it all in greek. Google translate will translate it.

[@georgekiriak7027]

People simply speaking about the pros and cons of a place is not an accusation. You can find pros and cons everywhere on the planet. Yes Greece has more pros but it's not heaven on Earth . The same goes for England and any other country in the world They have didn't say any lie. And we should always improve.

[@martinpickering8463]

Μια φίλη που έχει καφετέρια μου είπε ότι στους περισσότερους ντόπιους αρέσουν οι Άγγλοι κάτοικοι επειδή δεν προσπαθούν να επέμβουν.

[@atrides7]

😂the north European culture is very very very different from Mediterranean - Greek culture !

[@Sunpire]

There are many differences, for sure, but if you're willing to, you can adapt💙

[@atrides7]

@@SunpireI agree

[@starchaser1627]

I didn’t like that’s you heavy edited the video its un natural and not as a normal chat with people its kinda weird to be honest

[@dionisisathens7030]

Noted. i'm gonna send them an email to let them know you didn't like it. it won't happen again

[@Sunpire]

Thank you for the feedback. We'll try to do a better job next time😊

[@leandroskwstopoulos6776]

Tourists go home.

[@dawnoflou7179]

I do recognise that over-tourism is an issue... but what about foreign residents?

[@Sunpire]

What is wrong with tourists?

[@dawnoflou7179]

@@Sunpire I hear some parts of Greece have too many tourists. Its making life difficult for the people that live there, for example, too many Airbnbs, not enough homes for people who live there

[@Sunpire]

That's true, it is difficult for locals to find affordable rentals for long term, especially close to the main city.

[@dawnoflou7179]

@@Sunpire Yeah, but I'm not sure if the tourists should be blamed as such... It's tricky. But it does not feel nice to feel unwelcome, but at the same time, I can see there are issues that need tackling.