The Drama of Greece Today

The Drama of Greece Today

The drama that is Greece (what makes a Greek holiday memorable) is not just that you find wonderful beaches, but that you find wonderful beaches and next-door to broken down beach shelters and deserted holiday villages that are covered in graffiti. It is this mix of Charm with Quaint, and Kitsch with Krap that really makes a Greek holiday one to remember!



You walk past building sites





A good stretch of shaded pavement. Unusual. It is soon filled with trees!



And the walls with graffiti



Plus, in August cars rule!




Cars are everywhere

Charming, Quaint Discoveries



Taking a beautiful tourist photo



The scenery is magnificent in the summer. We take pictures of great volcanic outcrops and of sandy bays and blue-green water, through which you can see the sandy sea floor. We may be almost the only ones in the bay. We make our records with dozens of photos of these natural charms.

The Beautiful Sea Front

The locals want tourists. It gives them an income. Often it is the main income of the family and has to last all year, even though the tourists are only here for three months, if they are lucky. It is because of the dreams of tourists that countries often make theme-park-tourist-villages. So we find quaint.

They want visitors to find the kind of romantic dream they have been hoping for on their Greek island vacation. Greek holiday operators know tourists are looking for the popular images - white houses with blue shutters, cats roaming the streets, small fishing boats with eyes painted on their bows. Though the image may not be historically accurate, knowing that visitors expect it many Greeks will paint their houses and boats in these theme-park colours. And there is no denying they are charming and quaint.

But....

There is also Kitsch and Crap.

A street crossing where 5 roads meet, no lights, not street crossing, you just keep your eyes open and hope for the best


The same crossing. He made it through!

For, if the country were all charm and ‘quaintness’, I think we might soon become sickened, it would be like eating a whole box full of loukoumi (Turkish Delight for non Greeks). We respond to the beauty because we have been clever and found it for ourselves. We deliberately point the camera at the beauty and away from the kitsch and crap. But, in my opinion, it is this that highlights the other.

 Pavements and Roads - a colourful story of ‘Greece Today’



The Agora early morning





Its empty now but soon it will fill with cars and people

Coming to the island for so long we no longer feel we are tourists, so we are no longer concentrating on the sun, sea and quaint houses, so perhaps we notice the untidiness more; the flower pots, chairs, rubbish bins, large signs indicating today’s menus, trees, parked cars and motorbikes all  on the pavements.



A disapearing pavement

 I often get annoyed with this aspect of Greece; that pavements are no longer the preserve of walkers, and that old ladies and young women with prams have to share the road with cars. And when I take a walk I have to keep a continuous look out for the aftokineto bowling around the corner at high speed, or be ready to jump when a Lemian kalikantzari roars past on his motorcycle. 

Side street leading house and street repairs



Side strees for parking

Nevertheless…

I too take the beautiful pictures to send the family.

While….



Acknowledging that, though sometimes annoyed, it is often the other aspects of Greece that make it a memorable stay!

And usually you walk on the roads

 



Three shots from the same spot





Three shots from the same spot





Three shots from the same spot