Plakias Forums
Plakias => PlakChat => Topic started by: Mike G on June 02, 2006, 01:26:20 PM
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When we asked about this in a couple of local tavernas we were told it is home made. Does anyone know what strength it is (or does it vary widely, bearing in mind that the average Cretan would not have access to chemical analytical equipment so must distil/blend/dilute based on experience)? Maybe they use a hydrometer.
Most UK spirits are around 37.5-40% ABV although export versions of gin and whisky are normally 43-47%. Based on the effect on the throat I would say Raki is stronger.
Also, what gives it its distinctive flavour?
Mike
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Based on past experience I'd say 99%
Susan
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because its home made nobody knows- whats why its illegal to take the real stuff out the country (i usually hide it in a water bottle) but the colder it is the easier it is to swallow. some say its like medicine...lets face it, it will definetly kill all known germs. they also say that because the real stuff is pure alcohol you should be hangover free. personally if i'm lagging after a big meal at night i find a wee raki wakes you up and keeps you going..........and thats coming from a person who seems to have missed this famous fountain for the past 3 years ????????????
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because its home made nobody knows- whats why its illegal to take the real stuff out the country (i usually hide it in a water bottle) but the colder it is the easier it is to swallow. some say its like medicine...lets face it, it will definetly kill all known germs. they also say that because the real stuff is pure alcohol you should be hangover free. personally if i'm lagging after a big meal at night i find a wee raki wakes you up and keeps you going..........and thats coming from a person who seems to have missed this famous fountain for the past 3 years ????????????
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6175\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
It is superb for cleaning windows - so possibly exporting it in a window cleaning bottle may be an answer
John R
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because its home made nobody knows- whats why its illegal to take the real stuff out the country (i usually hide it in a water bottle) but the colder it is the easier it is to swallow. some say its like medicine...lets face it, it will definetly kill all known germs. they also say that because the real stuff is pure alcohol you should be hangover free. personally if i'm lagging after a big meal at night i find a wee raki wakes you up and keeps you going..........and thats coming from a person who seems to have missed this famous fountain for the past 3 years ????????????
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6175\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
It is superb for cleaning windows - so possibly exporting it in a window cleaning bottle may be an answer
John R
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6176\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Where can I get it from? Alex G
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someone said...( was it Denis) that the butcher is selling good raki, just take along your own bottle
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For those who are intersested:
http://www.webcam-crete.com/sfakia-crete/raki.html (http://www.webcam-crete.com/sfakia-crete/raki.html)
There is also a small book you can buy in the local stores about the history and the "making of". With the help of the booklet everybody should be able to create his own raki in the kitchen...
shinaria
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With the help of the booklet everybody should be able to create his own raki in the kitchen...
shinaria
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6207\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
... except distillation of ethanol (i.e. alcohol) is illegal in the UK and potentially dangerous as you could concentrate the small quantities of methanol (wood alcohol), which is highly toxic amd makes you go blind.
Mike
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With the help of the booklet everybody should be able to create his own raki in the kitchen...
shinaria
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6207\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
... except distillation of ethanol (i.e. alcohol) is illegal in the UK and potentially dangerous as you could concentrate the small quantities of methanol (wood alcohol), which is highly toxic amd makes you go blind.
Mike
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6209\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Did you know that each Greek farmer has a legal right to distill Tsikoudia at certain dates? ( This is about the same as in France, only the distillation has to carried out by professional distiller, who comes to the farm with his mobile distillation plant! In France it is a limited quantity 20 litres of "eau de vie". and intended for personal use. )
It is not possible to make wood alcohol in toxic quantities from fermented graperesidues. The mentioned "high potential risk" as often mentioned is a therefore a fairy tale.
Leen
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With the help of the booklet everybody should be able to create his own raki in the kitchen...
shinaria
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6207\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
... except distillation of ethanol (i.e. alcohol) is illegal in the UK and potentially dangerous as you could concentrate the small quantities of methanol (wood alcohol), which is highly toxic amd makes you go blind.
Mike
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6209\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
It is not possible to make wood alcohol in toxic quantities from fermented graperesidues. The mentioned "high potential risk" as often mentioned is a therefore a fairy tale.
Leen
Nevertheless, as Mike G says, in the UK the private distillation of spirits is illegal; you'll have Revenue & Customs knocking on your door if you tried it!
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With the help of the booklet everybody should be able to create his own raki in the kitchen...
shinaria
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6207\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
... except distillation of ethanol (i.e. alcohol) is illegal in the UK and potentially dangerous as you could concentrate the small quantities of methanol (wood alcohol), which is highly toxic amd makes you go blind.
Mike
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=6209\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
It is not possible to make wood alcohol in toxic quantities from fermented graperesidues. The mentioned "high potential risk" as often mentioned is a therefore a fairy tale.
Leen
Nevertheless, as Mike G says, in the UK the private distillation of spirits is illegal; you'll have Revenue & Customs knocking on your door if you tried it!
Our police and customs are to occupied to find the illegal weed greenhouses.
No priority for finding / locating home distilled products.
Did you know we are allowed to grow 5 canabis plants in our homes.
Most likely small scale distillation will be "tolerated" here as well.
Leen
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Did you know we are allowed to grow 5 canabis plants in our homes.
I think 5 plants are a bit too much for personal use...
Better change them with 5 bottles of Cretain Raki... that's not too much!
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Our police and customs are to occupied to find the illegal weed greenhouses.
No priority for finding / locating home distilled products.
Did you know we are allowed to grow 5 canabis plants in our homes.
Most likely small scale distillation will be "tolerated" here as well.
Leen
Leen,
All of this is illegal and very inadvisable in the UK.
Mike
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Our police and customs are to occupied to find the illegal weed greenhouses.
No priority for finding / locating home distilled products.
Did you know we are allowed to grow 5 canabis plants in our homes.
Most likely small scale distillation will be "tolerated" here as well.
Leen
Leen,
All of this is illegal and very inadvisable in the UK.
Mike
In UK it is also highly inadvisable and illegal to cross the street on a red light.
Here in between the mountains in the high north, every second home has its own illegal distillery. Methanol poisoning happens so seldom that they always get big headlines and high priority with the police. Not once in living memory (mine) have the source been a private still. The wood alcohol is always smuggled in and sold as pure alcohol in three or five liter plastic canisters. Mostly it originates in Spain and Portugal. The moral is: never drink alcohol that you have not made yourself.
Tom
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Hello Tom,
Re. home distillation, good luck to you in Norway if you know what you are doing. There would be significant penalties if you were caught doing it in the UK.
As a matter of interest in these times of heightened security, I wonder what the authoriities are making of people taking the unlabelled bottles of raki (40+% alcohol) that are for sale in Plakias on to planes.
Mike
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Hello Tom,
Re. home distillation, good luck to you in Norway if you know what you are doing. There would be significant penalties if you were caught doing it in the UK.
As a matter of interest in these times of heightened security, I wonder what the authoriities are making of people taking the unlabelled bottles of raki (40+% alcohol) that are for sale in Plakias on to planes.
Mike
I leave the original "water" labels on the bottles.
Leen
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We had a quick panic when returning home on tuesday, as just before the scanners for your hand luggage were a large pile of water bottles to one side, we took a chance and kept our bottles of "mineral water" in the bag and nothing was said.
We discussed this on the plane and could not decide, considering it's alcohol content, would you class it as a flamable liquid the same as a cigerette lighter ?
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We discussed this on the plane and could not decide, considering it's alcohol content, would you class it as a flamable liquid the same as a cigarette lighter?
Hello Colin,
Using common sense rather than strictly scientific definitions, 40% ABV liquids normally need to be warmed in order to ignite (e.g. the brandy on the hot Christmas pudding can be ignited whereas it would be difficult at room temperature). However I suspect Raki is nearer 50% ABV so would ignite at a lower temperature. The aircraft cabin normally contains many bottles of spirits bought in the airport duty paid shop.
Re. Leen's earlier point, the plastic bottle of raki I bought was completely unlabelled although I think the original contents were water. I wonder what the authorities would make of someone taking a bottle labelled water containing something flammable instead?
Mike
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Dear Community,
I think that the cretan security authorities will surely know what is inside these "waterbottles". As it is part of the cretan culture they seldem will say anything about it but "Yammas". As long as your luggage is only checked at the "check in" in Herakleion or Hania you won't have problems. It would be more a problem if you try to bring it through the customs of an airport in Britain or another North European country. ["Don't bring your home made raki to Crete"!] Maybe the situation will change when "European standards" will be carried out in Crete... They may force us to empty the bottles before entering the planes... It is illegal to export unbranded home made Raki - But who cares? Buying Raki from the fabric kills the incomes of the poor cretan farmers!
Yammas
shinaria
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we don't bother cos it NEVER tastes the same when you get home!
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Our police and customs are to occupied to find the illegal weed greenhouses.
No priority for finding / locating home distilled products.
Did you know we are allowed to grow 5 canabis plants in our homes.
Most likely small scale distillation will be "tolerated" here as well.
Leen
Well, that's Holland for you!
As a matter of interest in these times of heightened security, I wonder what the authoriities are making of people taking the unlabelled bottles of raki (40+% alcohol) that are for sale in Plakias on to planes.
Mike
Certainly, at Heathrow, security are unceremoniously confiscating all liquids from departing passengers, and that includes their duty-frees.
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Certainly, at Heathrow, security are unceremoniously confiscating all liquids from departing passengers, and that includes their duty-frees.
That is strange because I understand that liquids bought airside (after security) can be taken on flights EXCEPT those flying to the states - and Duty free is usually airside ??
John R
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Certainly, at Heathrow, security are unceremoniously confiscating all liquids from departing passengers, and that includes their duty-frees.
That is strange because I understand that liquids bought airside (after security) can be taken on flights EXCEPT those flying to the states - and Duty free is usually airside ??
John R
Yes, you're absolutely right, John. The duty-frees that get confiscated are the ones bought at other airports e.g. by passengers transiting through Heathrow, and that includes those effecting their transit wholly airside.
Noopsy
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I think i wood have to agree with Susan K, raki is extrmely strong, and at 15 when i 1st tried it, i thought i was going to die, and it did put me off drinking a bit that night, i think it was due to the fact that my throat was killing me. Now at the age of 22 i still havent drank it again since.
It was the most sickining thing i have ever tried, and would never try it again, and wood advise people who dont really like strong drink not to try it.
Or if anyone likes the lining to there mouth throat and stomach i wouldnt try it either.
MR P
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I think i wood have to agree with Susan K, raki is extrmely strong, and at 15 when i 1st tried it, i thought i was going to die, and it did put me off drinking a bit that night, i think it was due to the fact that my throat was killing me. Now at the age of 22 i still havent drank it again since.
It was the most sickining thing i have ever tried, and would never try it again, and wood advise people who dont really like strong drink not to try it.
Or if anyone likes the lining to there mouth throat and stomach i wouldnt try it either.
MR P
Well,well, Mr.P- are we not being a little hard here on this fine beverage- Raki obviously is an aquired taste and since you will not drink it there will be just more for us- Your loss is our gain-
Santa
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On a slightly related topic has anyone been to Greece this year and can report on whether their airports are still allowing liquids to be taken through the screening process in hand luggage? They were last autumn- I took raki through without a problem.
In the UK there are still very onerous restrictions on liquids I think (not more than 100 ml and displayed in a plastic bag).
Mike
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On a slightly related topic has anyone been to Greece this year and can report on whether their airports are still allowing liquids to be taken through the screening process in hand luggage? They were last autumn- I took raki through without a problem.
In the UK there are still very onerous restrictions on liquids I think (not more than 100 ml and displayed in a plastic bag).
Mike
I read only yesterday on another Crete forum that as from 22 November 2006 the Crete airports were indeed starting to ban liquids in hand luggage and conform to (most of) the rest of Europe. I have not heard from anyone with first hand experience of this yet - and have self interest re olive oil Quota.
John R
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On a slightly related topic has anyone been to Greece this year and can report on whether their airports are still allowing liquids to be taken through the screening process in hand luggage? They were last autumn- I took raki through without a problem.
In the UK there are still very onerous restrictions on liquids I think (not more than 100 ml and displayed in a plastic bag).
Mike
I read only yesterday on another Crete forum that as from 22 November 2006 the Crete airports were indeed starting to ban liquids in hand luggage and conform to (most of) the rest of Europe. I have not heard from anyone with first hand experience of this yet - and have self interest re olive oil Quota.
John R
If you buy the olive oil from Christine and Denis;they put their oil in metal sealed containers and you can pack them in your suitcase. Ask for their whereabouts in Nikos souflaki.
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I read only yesterday on another Crete forum that as from 22 November 2006 the Crete airports were indeed starting to ban liquids in hand luggage and conform to (most of) the rest of Europe. I have not heard from anyone with first hand experience of this yet - and have self interest re olive oil Quota.
John R
Thanks for the warning John. Things I would want to bring back from Greek resorts include raki (Crete) or gin from the Dodecannese, where the local, export strength, product is only about €4 a litre and to my taste, mixed with tonic, is indistinguishable from the British product.
I never understand why people bring back olive oil. This is widely available at a good price in the UK, from a variety of Mediterranean areas, including Greece.
Mike
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I never understand why people bring back olive oil. This is widely available at a good price in the UK, from a variety of Mediterranean areas, including Greece.
Mike
We get our Olive Oil given to us by our hosts and it is from their own olives and the best of the best as consumed only by the locals. Sorry but no product commercially even in Crete nor UK can come anywhere near it and to us it is like liquid gold. We did once bring Raki back and still have some left - it being used solely for the purpose of cleaning windows - and removing soiled spots off clothes for which it is an excellent product. It just didn't seem to taste the same back at home. Yesterday we bought a very strong lightweight very well sealed plastic container in a mountaineering shop which we will trust to hold our olive oil within our hold luggage. Local honey gives us similar problems.
John R
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I read only yesterday on another Crete forum that as from 22 November 2006 the Crete airports were indeed starting to ban liquids in hand luggage and conform to (most of) the rest of Europe. I have not heard from anyone with first hand experience of this yet - and have self interest re olive oil Quota.
John R
I wonder if that applies to items bought air side as well? i suspect not, the 'duty free' shops would have kicked up a big fuss i'm sure
we always buy our oil at the airport, mainly to avoid excess baggage charges, i'm sure her majesty will be able to quote you relative prices
chris
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I wonder if that applies to items bought air side as well? i suspect not, the 'duty free' shops would have kicked up a big fuss i'm sure
we always buy our oil at the airport, mainly to avoid excess baggage charges, i'm sure her majesty will be able to quote you relative prices
chris
Definitely no problem with liquid goods bought airside - unless you are going to change planes before getting home. Purchasing airside has always been anomolous. I've had my hand luggage (just on the weight limit) carefully weighed at check in and then nodded through and then no problem adding to it with carrier bags full of matexa etc. etc at the airside shop. This applies in the UK as well as Crete
John R
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Definitely no problem with liquid goods bought airside - unless you are going to change planes before getting home. Purchasing airside has always been anomolous. I've had my hand luggage (just on the weight limit) carefully weighed at check in and then nodded through and then no problem adding to it with carrier bags full of matexa etc. etc at the airside shop. This applies in the UK as well as Crete
John R
I agree about things bought airside. I must confess I don't understand what is going on here as drinks like whisky and gin are much cheaper in these "airside" (I won't call them Duty Free) shops than in the resorts (Dodecanese excepted). However, Duty Free was abolished for passengers travelling within the EU several years ago. So why are they cheaper when things like food (i.e. ready made sandwiches) are really expensive at airports?
Re. olive oil and honey, yes I can understand that they bring back those happy holiday memories when consumed at home.
Re. raki and cleaning, I find the best thing for things like oil stains abroad is neat washing up liquid. Raki is too good for drinking to waste it.
Mike
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I never understand why people bring back olive oil. This is widely available at a good price in the UK, from a variety of Mediterranean areas, including Greece.
Mike
We get our Olive Oil given to us by our hosts and it is from their own olives and the best of the best as consumed only by the locals. Sorry but no product commercially even in Crete nor UK can come anywhere near it and to us it is like liquid gold. We did once bring Raki back and still have some left - it being used solely for the purpose of cleaning windows - and removing soiled spots off clothes for which it is an excellent product. It just didn't seem to taste the same back at home. Yesterday we bought a very strong lightweight very well sealed plastic container in a mountaineering shop which we will trust to hold our olive oil within our hold luggage. Local honey gives us similar problems.
John R
Indeed,the oil you buy is nowhere as good as the oil that is pressed in the local olive press by local people.
in the 21 years that I have visited and also lived in Plakias, I have tasted many different oils.
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Definitely no problem with liquid goods bought airside - unless you are going to change planes before getting home. John R
I agree about things bought airside. I must confess I don't understand what is going on here as drinks like whisky and gin are much cheaper in these "airside" (I won't call them Duty Free) shops than in the resorts (Dodecanese excepted). However, Duty Free was abolished for passengers travelling within the EU several years ago. So why are they cheaper when things like food (i.e. ready made sandwiches) are really expensive at airports?
Mike
John R, If you change planes there is still no problem with liquids so long as you are travelling within the E.U.
Mike, Duty-frees have been abolished for intra-E.U. travel, however to encourage trade, some airport operators agree to bear the duty and/or VAT on purchases made by intra-E.U. travellers airside, and that is why they appear to be cheaper.
Noopsy
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John R, If you change planes there is still no problem with liquids so long as you are travelling within the E.U.
Noopsy
Certainly true last month when I flew from Bergerac to Newcastle via Stansted (Ryanair / Easyjet). There is no way I could have bought drink airside at Bergerac, taken it out of airside at Stansted and then back in again to catch my flight to Newcastle. Security at Stansted would NOT have let me take that liquid through I ca assure you.
John R
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If Ali (or anyone else resident in Greece) is reading this can she confirm what John R has seen on a Crete forum about no liquids (with a few exceptions) being allowed to be taken through security when passing from landside to airside at Greek airports.
Thanks
Mike
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John R, If you change planes there is still no problem with liquids so long as you are travelling within the E.U.
Noopsy
Certainly true last month when I flew from Bergerac to Newcastle via Stansted (Ryanair / Easyjet). There is no way I could have bought drink airside at Bergerac, taken it out of airside at Stansted and then back in again to catch my flight to Newcastle. Security at Stansted would NOT have let me take that liquid through I ca assure you.
John R
You're quite right: the facility only applies if you change planes airside.
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I read only yesterday on another Crete forum that as from 22 November 2006 the Crete airports were indeed starting to ban liquids in hand luggage and conform to (most of) the rest of Europe. I have not heard from anyone with first hand experience of this yet - and have self interest re olive oil Quota.
John R
All those about to return to Plakias, or anywhere else in Greece, need to be aware that what John has seen is absolutely correct. Ali has confirmed to me that Greek airports (in fact all in the EU I believe) have the same rules re. liquids in hand luggage as were adopted in the UK last August. So, all olive oil, raki etc in the hold luggage.
Mike
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I read only yesterday on another Crete forum that as from 22 November 2006 the Crete airports were indeed starting to ban liquids in hand luggage and conform to (most of) the rest of Europe. I have not heard from anyone with first hand experience of this yet - and have self interest re olive oil Quota.
John R
All those about to return to Plakias, or anywhere else in Greece, need to be aware that what John has seen is absolutely correct. Ali has confirmed to me that Greek airports (in fact all in the EU I believe) have the same rules re. liquids in hand luggage as were adopted in the UK last August. So, all olive oil, raki etc in the hold luggage.
Mike
So what happens to all the booze that some people buy in the duty free shop.
At Heraklion thay didn't seem to have the same rules as the UK, ie no Duty free within the EU!
There were numerous people with booze coming back on my flight last year.
(No I didn't buy any!)
Maybe this year the Cretans will stick to the rules... I don't think so, and hope not, I like their attitude towards rules
george g...
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So what happens to all the booze that some people buy in the duty free shop.
At Heraklion thay didn't seem to have the same rules as the UK, ie no Duty free within the EU!
There were numerous people with booze coming back on my flight last year.
(No I didn't buy any!)
Maybe this year the Cretans will stick to the rules... I don't think so, and hope not, I like their attitude towards rules
george g...
It has always been and still is perfectly ok for anyone to buy booze airside (after going through security) and take as hand luggage on to the plane. What is not allowed (and I suspect this might now even apply at Cretan airports) is to take any liquids through security from none airside to airside. The only way of doing that is to pack it in the hold luggage if you can trust none breakage / none leakage. So it is unlikely - according to recent rumour and Ali (?) - that you will be able to take through in hand luggage any liquids bought while on holiday (Raki, Ouzo, Olive oil etc.)
John R
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This thread obviously concerns the return journey only, I've just had a look at the following link:
http://www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/airt...airportsecurity (http://www.dft.gov.uk/transportforyou/airtravel/airportsecurity)
and the security at airports in the UK look like they haven't changed much if any since last year.
george g...
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So what happens to all the booze that some people buy in the duty free shop.
At Heraklion thay didn't seem to have the same rules as the UK, ie no Duty free within the EU!
There were numerous people with booze coming back on my flight last year.
(No I didn't buy any!)
Maybe this year the Cretans will stick to the rules... I don't think so, and hope not, I like their attitude towards rules
george g...
George,
A previous post explained this. The booze you buy airside in Greek airports isn't duty free as this has been abolished for flights within the EU, but the prices are the same as if it were. They are in fact subsidising it and paying the duty for you.
The rules about liquids have been standardised EU wide. I have returned recently from Strasbourg and they are certainly the same there as the UK and Ali has confirmed to me that the Greek airports are the same. You are right in that the rules haven't much changed here since last August (essentially only liquids less than 100 ml and in a clear plastic bag).
As John R has said, if you want to bring back things like raki or olive oil bought in resort it will have to go into your hold luggage and be packed so as to be break proof.
Mike
Mike