Never one to refuse an £8 ticket to Greece, my brother and I jumped on a Ryanair flight to Athens last Wednesday just ahead of the diabolical police state coming into force in the UK (again). We hired a car and ended up on the island of Hydra, which is quite stunning.
We were hoping to find some respite in the country renowned for its incredible hospitality to visitors and warmth, both in terms of ambient temperatures and especially the people.
And for a short while we did, despite the spectacular stupidity of mandatory mask wearing OUTSIDE which is so utterly de-humanising. Including young children. But few smiles were to be seen even with the masks removed which was hardly surprising given the devastating economic impact. But what was really disappointing was the widespread compliance and lack of happy-go-lucky rule averse Greek spirit. Two lines from Bruce Springsteen came to mind:
End up like a dog that's been beat too much
'Til you spend half your life just covering up
And then came the brutal national lockdown across Greece and the annihilation of so many livelihoods. This is definitely a case of "monkey see monkey do" because the incidence of Covid in rural Greece and all the beautiful islands is so incredibly low.
The sudden lockdown must have caused so much trouble for visitors suddenly ejected from hotels and trying to get home at any cost. My brother and I were very lucky because for the first time we had rented a small house on Hydra and could hunker down, broadly in compliance with the draconian rules.
And our unexpected challenges getting home was as nothing compared to the countless low paid Greeks who are about to face a truly horrible winter of unemployment, failed businesses, hunger and debts. Truly depressing.
Would I go back again? Of course I would, but perhaps not until the Greek people have found their mojo again. Which in Greece might well take a violent coup.
Bill Wright
