While away from home, I penned a few pieces that now appear some days later.
A day into a weeks break in Greece and it feels that I've definately put both time and space between and what has become "normal" life. It's the first time I've ever been away when I should have been at work. I'm very grateful for being able to negotiate the time off in lieu.Ocaasionally images flash through my mind of what I should have been doing, but hopefully they'll fade as the week rolls on. Yet I'm aware that in 24 hours I've detached myself from the TV, internet and the daily papers.
I fell asleep this afternoon, something I'd never do in the UK. It would be easy to eat my way through the week but I remain determined to resist the temptation. Lethargy prevented me from going for a run this morning, but carrying six large bottles of water up the hill to the hotel undoubtedly compensated.
The scenery is rugged and picturesque, the white and "greek" blue of the houses provides a memorable landscape of buildings. Behind them stands the mountain of rock, a constant reminder of the island's geological foundations.
Greece is as much a collection of islands as it is the mainland. Santorini is not the busiest or the most populated but it provides a perfect back drop to some of the economic conditions facing Europe. It's late May and the tourist season is getting into second gear, expecations are not good.
A local restaurant owner explains that taxes have increased, he asks how as a country can we be in so much debt ? He's convinced that the people are never told the truth. The future Greek economy is now dependent on German loans, he ponders perhaps we can offer them some islands. Greece has plenty of uninhabited islands ( my wife says they are not uninhabited, as they provide vital habitats for wildlife). The restaurant owner explains there are a small country, he says they work hard as a nation, judging by the hours worked in Santorini that's undoubtedly true. Where did the debt come from ?
At the hotel the barman by the pool is not local, he comes from Riga,Latvia. For three years he has spent six months of the year here. A month painting and preparing for the season and then five months serving drinks. He is a symbol of EU expansion post-2004. Greece is a country of 10 million , how can the debt be paid in the short term, there's a level to which working people will not accept living standards falling..
Meanwhile on Santorini , local people compete for tourists like us. It's the survival of the most enterprising. While I think about someone from Riga working in Perissa, of course the other side of EU membership and globalisation is also present. The restaurant owner is a huge Manchester United fan and he's got our custom because on Saturday night he's showing the Champions League final on a big screen. The irony is that Saturday is traditionally "Greek Night" at the restaurant with music and dancing, but this week it will finish early to allow customers and some of the staff to watch Manchester United v Barcelona from Wembley Stadium.
A day into a weeks break in Greece and it feels that I've definately put both time and space between and what has become "normal" life. It's the first time I've ever been away when I should have been at work. I'm very grateful for being able to negotiate the time off in lieu.Ocaasionally images flash through my mind of what I should have been doing, but hopefully they'll fade as the week rolls on. Yet I'm aware that in 24 hours I've detached myself from the TV, internet and the daily papers.
I fell asleep this afternoon, something I'd never do in the UK. It would be easy to eat my way through the week but I remain determined to resist the temptation. Lethargy prevented me from going for a run this morning, but carrying six large bottles of water up the hill to the hotel undoubtedly compensated.
The scenery is rugged and picturesque, the white and "greek" blue of the houses provides a memorable landscape of buildings. Behind them stands the mountain of rock, a constant reminder of the island's geological foundations.
Greece is as much a collection of islands as it is the mainland. Santorini is not the busiest or the most populated but it provides a perfect back drop to some of the economic conditions facing Europe. It's late May and the tourist season is getting into second gear, expecations are not good.
A local restaurant owner explains that taxes have increased, he asks how as a country can we be in so much debt ? He's convinced that the people are never told the truth. The future Greek economy is now dependent on German loans, he ponders perhaps we can offer them some islands. Greece has plenty of uninhabited islands ( my wife says they are not uninhabited, as they provide vital habitats for wildlife). The restaurant owner explains there are a small country, he says they work hard as a nation, judging by the hours worked in Santorini that's undoubtedly true. Where did the debt come from ?
At the hotel the barman by the pool is not local, he comes from Riga,Latvia. For three years he has spent six months of the year here. A month painting and preparing for the season and then five months serving drinks. He is a symbol of EU expansion post-2004. Greece is a country of 10 million , how can the debt be paid in the short term, there's a level to which working people will not accept living standards falling..
Meanwhile on Santorini , local people compete for tourists like us. It's the survival of the most enterprising. While I think about someone from Riga working in Perissa, of course the other side of EU membership and globalisation is also present. The restaurant owner is a huge Manchester United fan and he's got our custom because on Saturday night he's showing the Champions League final on a big screen. The irony is that Saturday is traditionally "Greek Night" at the restaurant with music and dancing, but this week it will finish early to allow customers and some of the staff to watch Manchester United v Barcelona from Wembley Stadium.
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