Greek woes leave newlyweds penniless in New York

Newlyweds Valasia Limnioti and Konstantinos Patronis’ long-planned dream trip to the US ended in New York, where their three-week honeymoon turned into a nightmare when their Greek-issued credit and debit cards were suddenly declined and they were left penniless.

“We were hungry, and I cried for two days,” Limnioti said. “I felt homeless in New York.”

The couple skipped a few meals before spending their last dollars on dinner at McDonald’s. Strangers from two Greek Orthodox churches in the city’s Queens borough came to the rescue, giving them survival cash until their flight home to Greece last night.