I am often asked if I prefer life here or if I would rather live in the UK or Ireland. In a recent post, I wondered if Greece was catching up with the UK or if the Disunited Kingdom was “catching down” on Greece. Meaningless strikes and protests can make life difficult, recent examples being the farmers blockading the road with their tractors, and the regular taxi and public transport strikes.
I can live with the above, but I suppose the most difficult aspect is – going back to flying again – the cost of air travel. I think my son’s Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Thessaloniki was cheaper than his Thessaloniki-Athens trip.
My cantankerous WhatsApp group of grumpy old men in a Glasgow accent are always popping off to Berlin, Cracow, Riga, or some place in southern Europe. They can do that because they can find flights at ridiculously low starting prices. This is not really possible here. The starting prices for flights always seems to be higher here.
To make matters worse, it seems that Ryanair – the most evil of several lessers – will be pulling out of Thessaloniki in October. The airline is in dispute with Fraport, the handling franchise at several Greek airports. Who do you believe – the clearly rapacious Fraport or Cattle Truck Ryanair?
This article outlines Ryanair’s justification: https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy/1303686/ryanair-blames-fraport-fees-for-thessaloniki-base-closure/
and this one goes into more detail: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/ryanair-flights-route-changes-greece_uk_6a0702fee4b0ee716972121e
I have just done a quick check on Skyscanner for 1st December. From Greece’s second city, the so-called co-capital (συμπρωτεύουσα), there isn’t a single direct flight to London. Meanwhile in Athens, with 4 times Thessaloniki’s population, there are at least 10 direct flights, including one Ryanair. I also noticed that Luton is now classed as one of London’s airports. I was there in 2017. Luton Airport is a pigsty, a national embarrassment.
So where do I choose to live? On balance, Greece. And maybe for – I never thought I would say this – health reasons. For €50 I can go to a specialist. After that the state kicks in, and you can access to health care (including hospital treatment) quite quickly. The UK is still clinging to the mantra “Free at the point of use”. Although I support this idea, what is the point of it if it takes a month to see a GP and months – even years – to see a specialist? On the other hand, many in Greece cannot afford the initial €50. Our area would never be described as affluent but it certainly isn’t deprived, yet whenever my wife or I leave old clothes or shoes in a bag beside the recycling skip, someone always collects. He or she won’t be paying €50 to see a cardiologist.
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