The village is full of life as day trippers make their way from the city to the beach, bars and restaurants. Given fuel prices, I imagine people are unwilling to wander further afield into Halkidiki especially if it is only for the day. I searched “Fuel Poverty Greece” online and, unsurprisingly, there is no shortage of articles and academic papers on the issue. A simple definition of Fuel Poverty is if a household spends over 10% of its disposable income on fuel/energy. Petrol, electricity and gas have increased so much lately that maybe 50% of Greek households can be classed as ‘fuel poor’ just on the cost of running a car. We need a new word if we factor in household energy costs! Fuel impecunious? Fuel indigent? According to the following article, my opinion on day trippers limiting themselves to Perea, Nei Epivates and Agia Triada was too optimistic. https://www.voria.gr/article/thessaloniki-i-akrivi-venzini-gemizi-me-kosmo-tis-paralies-tis-kalamarias It seems as if people in the city are limiting themselves to beaches within the city limits, to places like Kalamaria. In other words, they are reluctant to pay the fuel costs of a 50km round trip to the nicer beaches and cleaner water in our area.
Inevitably, prices are increasing in the catering sector. At a restaurant the waiter will bring you bread and bottled water, which are added to your bill whether you want them or not. With other hidden extras, a table of four can end up paying perhaps €30 more than they anticipated. Some places near me are advertising set menus like the one below, hors d’oeuvres and tsipouro for two. At €30 it is not a bargain when most people are struggling on salaries of €700 a month. Moreover, the tsipouro appears to be smaller than the “penindaraki” (200ml) that you usually get when ordering a tsipouro or ouzo at a restaurant.
Then there are the chancers. This guy charging €8 for two front row seats. And you must place an order on top of that. And don’t bring your own sandwiches! Our beach is fine but it’s not Mykonos or Halkidiki. To the west there is the headland of Angelohori. On the other side, one can see Thessaloniki and environs. Pleasant enough, but not paradise.
I began by saying the village has sprung to life, but death visited us today. This post will be published in around 15 minutes, at 7pm local time. Less than four hours ago a couple died here when they drove off the harbour wall into the sea. Both bodies were handcuffed to the steering wheel. There are few details yet, so it remains to be seen if this was a double suicide or yet another murder-suicide.