After Greece joined the EU, that was a line from a book I read, one Greek said, "We're no longer peasants, we're Europeans now.
When I first visited there, back in the sixties, it was such a poor country. In later years as I visited, and my son and his wife moved there (as did I during some of the Bush/Cheney years) life had changed so much for the better. I visited what had been the peasant village of my ex-husband (back in the 1960s) in 2003 or 2004, and voila, it was like a suburban town. It just happened that the day we were there, so was a film crew, along with their many Mercedes. A far cry from my memories of livestock living on the first floor of the houses there, one telephone in the entire village, running water for 2 hours a day, a community bakery for all as no one had ovens to bake at home.
I had been following closely the election news from Greece (all day and evening in fact, on Sunday). And then talked with my family and friends there. While some are hopeful, others are too mired down with financial problems to feel much hope. I have been feeling much angst for my family there. Life on their island is at its worst in all these years now. The young Greeks have left, business closings abound, police force cut 2/3, only one ambulance now to service the entire island, teachers laid off and wages cut. Many cannot afford to have fuel delivered in what has been predicted to be one of their coldest winters. I have one friend there that has such a little pension that she not only lives without heat, she cannot afford to buy groceries so the Church feeds her. Life should not be so hard.
I just read this morning that renowned Greek singer Demis Roussos died several days ago in Athens. I spent some time this morning listening to his songs and feeling the soul of Greece.
I did not want to write this diary to dwell on the hardships the Greeks are suffering. That is just too overwhelming for me right now. I do want to share some feelings about Greece and I want to feel hopeful for my family and friends there, for the entire country.
So to honor the soul of Greece with the music of now departed Demis Roussos and looking for hope that the path forward for the Greeks will allow them "to get the chance to dance again," I'll start off with Demis Roussos - "We Shall Dance".........
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Around Greece and the islands
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