Thursday, 28 June 2012

Greek Islands travel guide

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destination/greece/73192/Greek-Islands-travel-guide.html


"There’s been a resurgence of pride in regional specialties (including wine), and more careful cooking based on the superb raw materials that were always a mainstay of tavernas patronised by Greeks rather than tourists."

The Summer of Discontent?

http://www.iol.co.za/travel/world/europe/the-summer-of-discontent-1.1329968
"I reached the island of Poros on the dot of 6pm.............Gratification is rarely so instant. By 6.03pm, I was sitting in a café with a bottle of Mythos, a bowl of olives and a grin."

Attaboy!

Greek president to fly economy class to Brussels

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/28/uk-greece-president-idUSLNE85R00V20120628

A source familiar with the travel plans of the Greek delegation, led by 83-year-old President Karolos Papoulias, said they would travel economy on a regular Aegean Airlines flight to Brussels.
And the President is not taking 280,000 euro salary.

If the plane Aegean use on the Athens - Brussels flights is the same as the ones used on the Athens  -London flights, I hope the President gets a seat at the front of economy class - that would be first class if the partition was moved back a bit.

Greek-American chef finds opportunity in Greece financial meltdown

http://www.pri.org/stories/world/greek-american-chef-finds-opportunity-in-greece-financial-meltdown-10449.html

This caught my eye: 
"In 2009, Vezene started his own restaurant, an Italian place on the Greek island of Meganisi."
It is many years since I went to Meganisi, but I remember going into a taverna in the uphill village with a friend.  All there was to eat was one gigante.  Not a portion, just one gigante.  For those who don't know, gigantes are like large baked beans, served in a toamto sauce.  Things must have changed a lot on Meganisi.  That "meal" is tored in the same memory compartment as:

Serifos.  I was there in I think March.  There were few ferries.  The food at the one open taverna dwindled day by day.  Tomato, cucumber, meat - all were off.  As I waited for the fery, all that was on the menu was pasta.  No sauce, just pasta.

Siphnos.  A bar by the sea.  The bar appeared to be open, but there was nothing to drink available to by.  the person on duty offered to ladle some water out of a bowl for me to drink.

Many years later I know Greece much better and haven't been on short commons for years!