Princess Maria of Greece and Denmark

Getting around

Leisurely train travel in Greece

Trains in Greece often made leisurely stops of several minutes at stations, where passengers alighted to socialize while hawkers sold goods and wine shops opened.

At the table

Cost of Bread and Beef

During this period, a loaf of bread typically cost between 55 and 65 lepta, while beef cost between 1.20 and 2.60 drachmas per unit of weight.

What people wore

Mixed European and traditional attire

In 19th-century Greek cities like Athens and Piraeus, residents frequently wore a mix of European clothing alongside traditional garments such as the fustanella.

Music

Diverse musical life in Greece

While elites in cities attended orchestral concerts and ballroom dances, ordinary people enjoyed folk festivals featuring chain dances, often accompanied by the clarinet, violin, and laouto. In cities, tavernas became hubs for rebetika music played with bouzoukis and baglamas.

Daily life

Village Life and Daily Work Patterns

Peasants typically lived in large villages rather than isolated farmhouses to protect themselves from brigandage, traveling daily to work in the fields with bread and olives for lunch.