Posts Tagged ‘Greece’
Athens: A Full Belly Among The Ruins
By Chase A. Wolf
Athens: Labors of Herakles at the Temple of Hephaestus
Chase’s Log 3.20.2010. Parting with my wonderful Ukrainian she-devil of a girlfriend, Nastia, at the Istanbul airport, I said a quick prayer to the Gods of Air Travel to not torment me as they have so many times in the past and boarded the plane for a short hop to Athens, Greece. Apparently, their attention was elsewhere – no doubt bedeviling someone else – and the flight was actually quite nice. A little snooze and I awoke as we began our descent to a breathtaking view of the ancient, low-rise sprawl known as Athens.
Athens from the Acropolis
I really like Greece, especially its people, who are delightful, friendly and helpful, and who exude a kind of joy of life not found in all the places I visit. Everyone is especially helpful to a struggling traveler. Even those who demonstrate in the streets or seem somehow less nonchalant than their countrymen, still radiate a certain warmth and charm. Great people.
Greece, for those of you who don’t follow financial matters too closely, is in a bit of a financial pickle and some are predicting they’ll default on their national debt. As a result, the Greek government – along with Portugal and Italy and Spain – has agreed to drastically cut back public expenditures. Home Office, a keen student of history, claims these are just the initial tremors before the collapse of the silliness known as the “European Union” – as if countries who have been trying to invade and conquer each other for hundreds of years are suddenly going to join hands and sing Kum-By-Ya – especially when it comes time to start bailing each other out financially. But then, Home Office is half-British and genetically predisposed to such views about all things Continental.
King George Palace Hotel
Why is the above important to me now? Well, the taxi driver who picked me up at the airport told me it’s lucky I arrived today because tomorrow the airport would be closed due to a general strike by public employees. He also suggested I confirm that things are back to normal – whatever that means in Greece – before I depart. And, as he dropped me off at my hotel, The King George Palace, he said, “the square here is where the biggest demonstration will be” – and then I was enveloped in the smoke of burning tires as he laid rubber, laughing heartily as he sped off. Huh? Demonstrations? Read the rest of this entry »