Sharbot Lake, ON – The excitement of an overseas vacation has turned to anxiety for a local man over the perceived olive-based diet of his destination. Ted LaFleur, 43, says while he is excited to visit Greece for the first time, he’s concerned about the food, as he hates olives.
“As I understand it,” he says. “The Greek diet is mostly olives. They put it on pizza, in pasta, in salads, with rice, in eggs benedict, sushi, and ice cream. You ask for a bowl of Shreddies, they bring you olives, I’m pretty sure.”
LaFleur says he booked the trip based on a lifelong desire to visit Greece because of his interest in classical history and the country’s warm climate and natural beauty.
“I never considered what they eat so I looked up some typical Greek meals and it’s just olives at every meal,” he says. “I never got a taste for olives myself and that’s literally all they eat. So maybe I should just pack a box of protein bars? Are they even allowed in the E.U.?”
Rhonda Grange, owner and operator of Sharbot Lake Travel, Vape, Bait Shop, and LCBO Convenience Outlet says it’s common for travellers to have anxiety about eating during their trip.
“You want to have a nice vacation, so you’re going to ask questions about eating,” she says. “What are the local dishes? Can you drink the water? Is your anxiety about olives real or a hallucination you believe because you typed ‘Greece what food eat?’ at a chatbot and now you actually believe that instead of asking your local travel agent who would tell you Greece has several Subway locations. And travel agents are still here, you know!”
Lafleur says he may ask for Italian food.
“I mean, I’m sure they won’t mind. They’re basically the same country, as far I’m concerned,” he says.
“I have strongly advised him to not do that,” says Rhonda Grange.
Markos Tripolitakis, Greece’s Deputy Head of Mission to Canada, says visitors to his country like Mr. Lafleur should have no worries about food at all.
“We have amazing food here! He will eat like a king!” he says. “Unless he doesn’t like olives. Then he’s gonna have a real bad time.”
