I have to begin with a correction to 25/005 LinNG. The harbour lights shine on the harbour wall rather than in the direction of moored boats. Still, the lighting does not illuminate the side of the wall where all the damage is. And the damage is still there. No warning tape or barrier to protect... Continue Reading →
25/005 Life in Northern Greece
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 →
25/004 Life in Northern Greece – The family that…
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 →
25/003 Life in Northern Greece – Ice Station Zebra
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 →
25/002 Life in Northern Greece
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 →
25/001 Life in Northern Greece
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 →
24/010 Life in Northern Greece. Metro, dying & murder
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 →
24/009 Life in Northern Greece – Metroballs
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 →
24/008 Life in Northern Greece
Autumn has come early. Today (18th September) is what the Scots would describe as ‘dreich’ – wet and miserable. My wife and I escaped the heat of late summer as we were on the road in Europe on a mission: Operation Odin. We delivered our son’s dog to him in London. Here is the dog's... Continue Reading →
24/007 Life in Northern Greece: fires, boats, death, heat and shit
Northern Greece has escaped so far, but the area north of Athens is in flames. It is never clear how these fires start. Arson is certainly a factor. High temperatures can be another trigger. A third might be smoking. I have noticed lately that a lot of people smoke in their cars, often with the... Continue Reading →
24/006 Life in Northern Greece
Recently I posted the word σταρχιδισμός, which means “je m’en foutisme”. There is no neat equivalent in English, and certainly not a very Anglo-Saxon counterpart to “insouciance”. My small village has a street market every Friday. And every Friday arse-holish parking becomes a serious issue. Every Friday some lazy bastard causes chaos by parking on... Continue Reading →
24/004 Life in Northern Greece: Bedrooms and Bathrooms
April 17th, 2024: In this update I will talk rubbish. In a previous post I spoke of Greeks’ penchant for dumping crap on the pavement. I attached a news report with household effects dumped on what Greeks call the pavement or sidewalk, το πεζοδρόμιο. Within 50 metres of my home in one in one direction... Continue Reading →
24/003 Life in Northern Greece
I took this photo of a tree in our communal garden. This was at the end of February. Apparently, it is a Japanese acacia. I’ll take another pic when it flowers. It’s a lovely tree whose branches are very long-reaching, the length far exceeding the height of the tree. Winter is now well and truly... Continue Reading →
24/002 Life in Northern Greece
In the UK the illegal dumping of rubbish is called ‘fly-tipping”. You take the unwanted items to a remote area and dump them. The ‘fly’ refers to the sly illegality of the practice. No such problem here in Greece where we have blatant tipping. Just throw everything in the street. https://seleo.gr/seleo-thema/%CE%B8%CE%B5%CF%83%CF%83%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%BA%CE%B7-%CF%80%CE%AD%CF%84%CE%B1%CE%BE%CE%B1%CE%BD-%CE%BF%CE%BB%CF%8C%CE%BA%CE%BB%CE%B7%CF%81%CE%BF-%CE%BD%CE%BF%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%BF%CE%BA/ There are some great... Continue Reading →
24/001 Life in Northern Greece
18th February. I am in Toroni with the dog. I came here just after Christmas to make sure the house was OK, and this weekend is my first outing of 2024. The winter months can cause a lot of damage to vacant properties. We’ve been lucky this year as, to date, winter has been quite... Continue Reading →
23/014 Irish Music in Northern Greece
31st December 2023. A mild winter so far. It would be perfect if Covid was not making a comeback. My daughter, who loves her granny and who prefers to stay with her rather than with her beloved parents, discovered late on Christmas Eve that she was positive. Not willing to put her grandmother at risk,... Continue Reading →
23/013 Life in Northern Greece
The excrement was everywhere. On the floor. On the door. On the walls. On the toilet seat. In and around the lavatory bowl. Add a little blood to the recipe to complete the scene. The Charge of the Shite Brigade. A fellow patient had fallen in the toilet. Following surgery to remove my gall bladder,... Continue Reading →
23/012 Life in Northern Greece
28th October. Greece’s second National Day, the first being the 25th of March, the start of the revolution against the Turks in 1821. Today marks No Day (Όχι Μέρα), 28th October 1940 when Greece’s dictator, Ioannis Metaxas, said ‘No’ to another dictator, Mussolini. The Italian ultimatum was not exactly a demand to surrender – the... Continue Reading →
23/011 Life in Northern Greece
Before I turn my attention to the Thessaloniki Metro, I want to look briefly at the Greek kiosk (περίπτερο) again. I wrote about the institution in 23/005 LinNG. An article just published in Greek Reporter goes over the declining numbers again. The article is a little bit romanticized too, describing the περιπτεράς (kiosk licensee) as... Continue Reading →
23/010 Life in Northern Greece
6th August: It is still very hot. Halkidiki has been put on yellow alert for forest fires. No barbecues until further notice. Surprisingly, people were also warned not to throw cigarette ends out of cars. Why? Shouldn’t that be a matter of common sense? And shouldn’t it apply at all times and seasons, not just... Continue Reading →