Your right...I just checked and Greece is NOT one of the countries listed requiring an IDP. My error.

We had a very nice time in Crete. We definitely want to go back to visit more areas of the island.

We rented a car from Anna Cars. Paid cash up front. All was fine - no problems.

Question for KLouis - maybe?

In 2 different towns, I saw men with some olive(?) leaves over their ear. One man was at a table at a taverna with 2 other friend, the other 2 did not have the olive leaves. Another was a lone man at a cafe. What is that about?

Oh my, I have absolutely no idea, never seen this (in 32 years on the island). Only one thing comes to mind: This being olive harvest period, perhaps they just made a point (which one?) and they did not shake the leaves off their hair? You do get quite a few leaves falling off the tree when harvesting. But other than that... :confused:

Glad you liked your vacation. It's been the mildest and least rainy fall since I came here, though with a little more wind than what I'd have liked (fishing!).

I don't think either of these men were working with olive trees. The first guy was eating at a taverna in Gonies with 2 other men. My thought was that they were 3 businessmen that met for lunch, which seemed to turn into a longer lunch. (They were brought several litres of wine and got a little loud.) I figured, at the time, the one guy was just being silly.

A day or so later, we were in Stalida for lunch. The whole town was pretty much closed up for the season, but there was 1 bakery/cafe that was open. There were several men customers, some with friends, but there was one man sitting alone. He was also dressed business casual (polo shirt, khakis), he may have been mid 60s. He had a small handful of olive branches over an ear as well. (It was not the same guy!)

The few times I ate at restaurants not at my hotel, I noticed that customers were always all men. The only women were the waitress or cook. Women were out but shopping at a grocery store, while the men were sitting around drinking coffee and chatting.

I guess you're absolutely correct in your interpretation.

First time I was in Stalida was 36 years ago. The "town" consisted of less than ten (10!!!) houses. As you write, after the last tourist is gone, mid-November, it becomes a ghost town. A guess would be that the olive-leaves man was privately celebrating the end of the season. Or, like the one above, he was just plain silly as well...
Well, there was a time not very long ago when nowhere in Greece you would see any women in cafes. This has changed, especially in cities; granted, in villages it is still not uncommon. Still, my wife goes out with her friends "for an ouzo" once or twice a week, and so do the husbands too (I usually stay at home with the dogs!) separately from them! :)