Irish music and life in northern Greece
April 1st 2025. I’m glad March is out of the way. Friction in the band, the Dubliner under new ownership, and an uncertain future for the sessions. A chain of Irish-themed pubs, Harat’s ( https://thessaloniki.harats.com/en/ ), has bought the business. Unfortunately, for both the old and new owners, the name change may be inauspicious. The... Continue Reading →
St. Patrick has been and gone. We had a practice on Thursday, 14th. We were scheduled to do a session in the Dubliner on 16th and a gig on the great day for an Irish party, March 17th. Very late in the day, the owner of another bar approached Vasili, one of our guitarists, about... Continue Reading →
Yesterday was March 25th, the feast of the Annunciation and the 204th anniversary of the Declaration of Greek Independence. On this day Greeks eat salted cod fried in a batter. The finished product looks like the fried fish you’ll find in any Irish or British fish & chip shop. My mother-in-law is a good source... Continue Reading →
A quick one today. Saturday 15th March. Disruption once again on public transport, this time due to a Nighttime Marathon. When the buses resumed their normal itinerary, I got a seat going to IKEA. The connection for the town was full. No chance of a seat. When the middle door (I assumed it was a... Continue Reading →
February 28th 2025. A sombre day, the second anniversary of the Tempe rail accident when 57 people were killed. There were huge demonstrations in every town and city in Greece. Amidst calls for the truth and for the guilty to be punished, I picked up a few indications that there may be a growing awareness... Continue Reading →
I concluded a previous post by a reference to Apostolos Tzitzikostas, son of the late George Tzitzikostas, and I added that I might finish a text I had started about nepotism in Greece. After a search, I haven’t been able to find my earlier document, so I guess I’m back to Square 1. I am... Continue Reading →
22nd February: February has been a busier month than anticipated. A session on the 9th, an Ice Swimming event on the 15th and 16th, and a gig tomorrow. Our session went exceptionally well. Our UK visitor from Akbuk in Turkey hasn’t regretted his visit. There was a huge crowd and a terrific atmosphere. We also... Continue Reading →
My wife wanted me to get her something from the pharmacy, but she cautioned me against going to my usual go-to guy because he tends to offer the priciest products rather than cheaper alternatives. Instead, she urged me to go to the nearby μουντρούχα because her prices are better. The Irish writer, Hugh Leonard, opened... Continue Reading →
Only in Greece! Only in Greece would an Irish band be invited to an Ice Swimming Event in the north of the country. Yet, there we were last Saturday evening playing at the opening festivities in Mount Cholomon in Halkidiki. Details here: https://iceswimming.gr/ As there was Irish participation, one of the organisers, George Mathas, approached... Continue Reading →
A quick one today. A word that popped up in this article https://www.iefimerida.gr/zoi/tragoydi-me-toys-akatalabistikoys-stihoys about lyrics Adriano Celentano put together in the early 70s. They were supposedly English but, in reality, they were gibberish (ασυναρτησίες). Celentano was trying to prove Italians would buy and buy into any American pop even it was total shit. It’s easy... Continue Reading →
12th January: Yesterday was a bright and sunlit like a May day in north Europe. Overnight, cold, wet and wind have taken over. Violence against women is in the news again. This time perpetrator and victim are described as elderly. The husband stabbed his wife in the throat while she was helpless in bed. She... Continue Reading →
28th January. Because of the extra material, we did our pre-Christmas gig in three 45-minute sections. This gave the band two 15-minute breaks. It worked well. Our latest gig was two days ago. We reverted to two halves. It went well though, on reflection, I think 3 x 45-minute sections is better overall as it... Continue Reading →
An insult. Babiniotis lists the feminine form, πατσούρα, as the headword, and states the following: χαρακτηρισμός για συνήθως γυναίκα μεγάλης ηλικίας με γερασμένο και χαλαρό δέρμα και ατημέλητη. Επίσης πατσούρω έγινα πατσούρα από τη βροχή – my skin shrivelled up in the rain In www.slang.gr πατσούρω is even harsher as it adds ‘ugly’ to the definition. Ιδίωμα... Continue Reading →
When you are about to drop or have just dropped an “F Bomb” in polite company, it is not unusual to excuse yourself by saying, “Excuse my French.” In much the same way in Greek, τα γαλλικά is a foul-mouthed tirade. Babiniotis: βρισιές: “ο ποδοσφαιριστής σε έξαλλη κατάσταση άρχισε τα Γαλλικά προς τον διαιτητή” =... Continue Reading →
12th January. Will today be SGZ Day, Session Ground Zero Day? It is very cold, very wet and very windy. I sent a text to rally the troops only to get one confirmed cancellation from one of our most reliable members. SGZ Day is my personal nightmare scenario: I turn up at the Dubliner only... Continue Reading →
A Happy New Year to anyone reading this. November was a frustrating month. One step forward, two steps back. We have practiced the new material only once. Ken wants us to play on Dec 22nd, but I am unwilling to perform if we are under-rehearsed. Sunday, 5th January 2025. I am happy to report that... Continue Reading →
6th January 2025. I drew attention to two femicides towards the end of the year. On Christmas Day, there was a news report of another incident in West Thessaloniki (code for poor and a high percentage of immigrants) where a man from Sierra Leone attacked his wife in front of their three kids. One wonders... Continue Reading →
A seasonal word! My mother-in-law comes up with some gems that are used less nowadays. She meant the stuffing I made for the Christmas turkey. The more common word today is γέμιση. It also means the load you would put on a pack animal or a ship’s cargo. My old Crichton dictionary also suggests it’s... Continue Reading →
30th November. It has finally happened. We have an underground railway, 9.6km long with thirteen stations. I switched on the TV to watch the opening ceremony expecting a quick 20-minute speech from the PM followed by the pressing of a button. It did happen except that there were about six speeches and a religious blessing... Continue Reading →
16th November. I can’t believe I haven’t written anything since late summer. Politically, the shenanigans within Syriza have dominated the news. I wonder if the madness is spreading to New Democracy. This morning I said to my wife that the only thing that can undo the governing party is the party itself. Then I wake... Continue Reading →
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