No matter how weird that might sound a Greek night out begins early in the afternoon. Greeks usually take a refreshing nap around 3 - 5 pm in order to avoid the hotest part of the day and because they know they will stay up late. A very important part of the "ritual" is the afternoon or evening stroll. People of different ages and from different backgrounds dress well (formally is not exactly the right word to use) and fill the sea side, the port side or even the central square of the place they live for a slow relaxing stroll. In some areas of Greece places like these are named accordingly ("the stroll place", "the catwalk", etc) so as to reflect their use. Usually the walk leads to a spot near the sea where one spends some time contemplating near the waves, another expression of the passionate love the Greeks exibit for the sea. Then, according to the situation and the company, a coffee, a juice, a glass of wine or ouzo is taken in a cafe, a kafeneion (a traditional form of cafe), or a zacharoplasteion near the beach. A zacharoplasteion is a Greek style pastry shop with tables outside that serves coffee, sweets and cakes. Unfortunatelly, this kind of pastry shop becomes more and more rare nowadays, especially in the big cities, as it seems to get substitued by modern style cafeterias. In many places like that a tavli (backgammon) set is rented, accomodating another Greek passion.

             The difference between a kafeneion and a zacharoplasteion was more prominent in the past. The kafeneion used to be a male sanctuary, something like a gentlemen's club but open to the peasants as well. Women were not really forbiten to go there but the general climate was so "male" that women themselves were not very enthusiastic about spending time there. Men used to play cards or tavli and later on watch the football match while they enjoyed their wine or ouzo while they were enjoyng an all times Greek favourit, discussing and arguing! A Greek thoroughly enjoys talking and arguing about anything but the most common themes include politics and football. Through the passage of time the kafeneion lost most of its traditional character and adopted many characterisitcs of the modern cafeterias. Today women frequent kafeneia in the same way as men do. A zacharoplasteio, on the other hand, was more accesible to women. It had a more cosmopolitic character and until the 60's was a very popular meeting place for couples and young people. Today zacharoplasteia become more and more rare as people prefere to go to cafeterias instead. Nevertheless, whenever one can find a good old zacharoplasteio it is always a nice experience to take a sweet there lingering at one of its small tables outside.

             But the night does not end here. As a matter of fact for most Greeks the night doesn't even begine before 11 pm at least. People visit bars from 11 pm and every club that respects itself doesn't open before midnight. The vast majority of them stay open until early in the morning. A few years ago there was an attempt to pass a law that would force the clubs to close at 2 am. Of course that was something unheard for the Greeks who would protest and react every single night. In Athens people used to gather spontaneously every night outside the parliament in one of the most central places of the city, Syntagma Square. There they would have their own party with music, dancing and singing as if they were still in the club. After a while the parliament was forced to cancel the law! Today in most of the areas of Greece nightlife is vivid and exciting and even people that live in small villages have access to bars and clubs in a nearby town or larger village. In touristic places nightlife has nothing to envy of that of a big city.

             The clubs can roughly be distinguished between those that play Greek music and those that play the "xena", the rock, pop and dance music that is popular everywhere. In most of the "mainstreem" clubs the playlist starts with foreign (non-Greek) music and as the "kefi" rises it continues with Greek. But there are lots of clubs that play exclusively "xena". One of the most popular kinds of club in Greece and a a place a foreigner should definetely visit is the bouzoukia, a club that plays exclusively Greek music played on bouzouki, a mandolin-like instrument. The bouzoukia range in quality, style, class and price list but in all of them a visitor can experience probably the most Greek way of having fun. The low-class version of them is called skyladika (dogplaces) and the song heard there skylotragouda (dogsongs), probably because to many they sound like dog howling! But no matter where a nightcluber might go, skyladika, bouzoukia, dance clubs, there is one thing in common: the Greek way of having fun. People get into kefi easily and spontaneously, women dance on the tables and people throw flowers to singers and dancers until the early hours.