Summer in Greece

If you like hot (or, occasionally, extremely hot!), dry weather then the Greek summer might be your dream time. If at the same time you like swimming in clear, cool waters it may be time to dust off the credit card and make a reservation on one of the Greek islands or selected mainland spots/resorts. The world seems to be flocking to Greece, discovering Athens and the ancient sites, savouring the culture or bathing in the sea but, especially, savouring the summer.

It is entirely understandable, in my humble opinion,  as the summer in Greece can be nothing short of magical at prices that can be reasonable, even occasionally cheap, though the higher end hotels and resorts can also manage to be eye-wateringly expensive; your aspirations and needs will determine the destination selected and the capacity of your pocket whether it is at all possible. There's something for almost everyone, all interesting, all worth it in their own way.

Sun, sea, culture and relaxation form an enticing package. In Greece this is not a slick, over-produced experience with the exception of a few fashionable destinations. There are places that still feel as if they are just being discovered, where the local colour is, in fact, where the facilities are sometimes less worldly but more authentic than what half a century of intense tourist development can lead to. Plenty of untrodden, or certainly less trodden, paths still await the adventurous and respectful visitor, away from the crowds, the groups, the inebriated.

There is great fun to be had in island hopping, especially off the busiest routes, with ships little and large plying their trade all year round, though with decreasing frequency and less reliability in the quieter times. Spring and autumn, with temperatures at more moderate levels and the sea relatively calm, can be a wonderful time to prance around. Granted, not everywhere is awaiting visitors with open arms and some of the hostelries may either not be open or have limited capacity, but that makes it even more of an adventure. And locals will generally take the right kind of visitor to their hearts, going out of their way to welcome those arriving in peace and with respect.

For the brave driving around Greece can be a fantastic experience also, and I will dedicate another post to that. While traditionally the average Greek driver is high on enthusiasm and low on skill, with observance of the rules of the road a relatively low priority, recent years have brought significant improvements. The road network too is being constantly upgraded, modernised and expanded, often with impressive results, making it easy to explore this enchanting, mountainous oddity of a country.

I adore the Greek summer and all that goes with it - yes, even the intense heat - but it is well worth remembering that it can also be dangerous: from the perils of injudicious sunbathing, which can turn one's body a vivid lobster red colour in a couple of hours, to the very real life threatening dehydration that can come about if wandering around without certain precautions. So approach it respectfully, enjoy it fully but sensibly, immerse yourself in it intelligently and the Greek summer will provide you with more than you can imagine. From mountaintops to secluded beaches and places in between it can be the experience of a lifetime.

Epic wine tasting, and lunch!

 My regular reader knows that wine plays an important role in my life,  and has done so for the last forty-something years. While I may have stumbled upon the wonderful world of wine almost by accident, joining the wine society at my post-graduate University when I suddenly found myself with time to spare, I stayed because I discovered in the world of wine endless fascination, something to be passionate about. And it is, for me, a life-long passion.

The world of wine is populated by many wonderful people who, for the most part, share this passion irrespective of where they fit in; this is the world not only of the professionals working at all levels of the wine trade, but also that of the dedicated amateurs who devote time and money to the appreciation of wine as a fascinating, delicious, interesting, life-enhancing liquid. This is not about drunkards, though some of us may occasionally also drink too much, but about tastes and textures, aromas and colours, and how they intertwine with food of all kinds, both simple and complex, straightforward or elaborate.

The other Saturday one of my friends, who also happens to be a lifelong wine enthusiast, put on a wine tasting at his home in Athens, combining it with lunch, and invited a group of friends of his, wine people all, to enjoy the experience. The theme was interesting wines of the world, excluding France, and the selection was intriguing, beguiling and thought-provoking, a real enthusiast's pot pourri of tastes. The food may have played second fiddle to the wine, but was equally satisfying and a terrific accompaniment to the wine, helping to complete and elevate the palette of taste.

YT hosts events such as this at most once a year, though this was delayed due to health reasons. The more attentive among you will remember that I have written about similar occasions in the past, and also how special they are. Unique in nature, with no commercial motive whatsoever but rather passion as the driver. YT is fortunate that, thanks to a successful commercial career he is able to indulge his passion and we, his friends, are even more fortunate that he is willing to share his passion with us.

The ordeal we faced involved 9 wines and a spirit, all from notable producers, thankfully not served blind as on some previous occasions, as I would have had trouble in identifying some (most?) of them, with age and individuality making most of them striking but not clearly typical. The wines moved between stunning perfection - the first, a riesling from Austria, was just flawless in every way, delicate yet powerful, and set the tone for the afternoon. Our senses were challenged, tantalised, puzzled and rewarded with the wines that followed, then finally bludgeoned to a close with an insanely characterful Jamaican rum from 1945. Should anyone desperately want to know more about them I have detailed tasting notes on all the wines of the day but will not bore you with them unless you so request.

Yet this was not a typical wine tasting with the wines lined up and tasted solely with the benefit of a few crackers or similar; this was a paired lunch, where YT and co. served several dishes to accompany - no, perfectly match - the wines and keep us amused, interested and fed! He may not thank me for revealing this but he is internationally renowned for his matching of food and wine, with his attention to detail being unique and hugely successful. All food prepared and/or served at his home is of the highest order, unpretentious yet supremely delicious - some of the best meals I have eaten in Greece have been there!

All in all this was a very special day, one that the attendees will not forget in a hurry, that most people will never experience in their lifetime. I feel truly blessed, as a passionate wine and food person, to be included.

Little wisdom, plenty of wine, much to discuss...

 Whatever criticism you may have concerning my long absence, dear reader, you would be justified in expressing it, though hopefully in a polite and constructive manner. My excuse is simple: though I have been as opinionated as ever I simply lacked inspiration in expressing said thoughts. Life has been smothering for many reasons, leaving me unable to vocalise all I wanted to say in my normal manner... So I just shut up!

But I'm back, ready, willing and able (I hope!) to keep you informed and entertained once again. There is plenty to observe, discuss and criticise in the world today and, while our opinions on what is taking place may vary, we all have thoughts and expressed or unexpressed observations.

World events have given us plenty of food for thought with, perhaps, the Middle East leading the way. Not only have the horrific events in and around Israel, showing human behaviour at its worst in so many ways, but the recent Syria developments overthrowing decades of tyranny but potentially dragging the country backwards into a theocratic, brutal and unenlightened existence. Further south and to the east in Yemen there is further unrest, directly affecting shipping traffic in the area and thus having an impact on our daily lives wherever in the world we reside.

The main developments that I am concerned about are in the USA, so far away from my European domicile but nevertheless affecting the whole world. The voters there have decided to reelect Donald Trump as President despite his many manifest failings; as the comeback kid he seems intent in upsetting not only the way the political system has operated in the USA since its creation, but also the current world order, established alliances etc. Nothing in his past performances leaves us confident that he actually has a solid understanding of how anything works and that he has well thought-out plans on how to bring about real, positive change anywhere. While the US is potentially the main beneficiary of his benevolence and creativity, the rest of the world will also be affected to a lesser or greater degree.

Russia is, of course, also a concern, with President (Dictator in all but name...) Putin seemingly intent on impressing the rest of the world with his country's might both militarily and economically, but achieving decidedly mixed results. It is unclear how he will seek to mitigate his lack of success, but I sincerely hope that as the dead mount up he does not resort to greater aggression. I fail to comprehend how Russia with all its natural resources cannot afford its normal citizens an adequate standard of living, while supplying the world with robber barons living the high life in their mega yachts. President Putin would have cemented his place in history if he had achieved internal balance and happiness rather than pursuing dreams of empire, in my opinion.

The past summer highlighted some of the problems of Global Climate Change, ultimately global warming, which is upsetting the sensitive balances of local microclimates with potentially devastating results. Long droughts, exceptionally heavy rainfall and prolonged periods of very high temperatures have caused problems in many parts of the world but it is the longterm effects that are the most worrying in both local and global terms. Current form suggests that things will only get worse, making me grateful not to be in the first flush of youth.

Still, I'm not quite ready to pop my clogs so you'll have to put up with my musings for some time. Regularly!

National Health Service in Greece

Recently I had opportunity to experience the Greek National Health Service in action in Athens, at the level available to every citizen, and despite some hardship I was mightily impressed. This was somewhat unexpected...

Let me explain: I, like most Greek residents, have found through long experience -yes, I'm getting on a bit now- that most contacts with the state mechanism in whatever form is generally frustrating and unrewarding, ending in disappointment if not anger. Most state employees, secure from dismissal or, sometimes, even evaluation, often show complete indifference to their fellow citizens needs and requests, making life extremely difficult. Loads of bureaucratic procedures exist to keep the general populace in their place and to insulate, empower and protect the bureaucrats; anyone who has had to face the system will have stories, including horror stories, to tell. This leads most everyone to approach the system with apprehension, or even loathing.

Well, on an overseas visit over Christmas (the United Kingdom if you must know, nosey parkers...) I managed to contract one of the many forms of COVID, diagnosed on my return to Athens. This was treated according to prevailing advice and went away fairly quickly and painlessly, save for a bit of a cough with some sputum which sometimes had a bright light green colour. This I knew from previous experience and doctor's advice to be a bad sign, a sign of infection that could have serious consequences for my sensitive respiratory system. Antibiotics were needed pronto, to put a stop to this and to get a prescription I needed to go to a public hospital to be examined and assessed; I was assured this was dead easy.

A few days later I walked across to SOTIRIA (literal meaning: salvation) hospital, about a mile from where I'm currently living, as not only was it the nearest but also specialised in respiratory ailments. Unfortunately I made a crucial mistake and did not check its status as far a s being the duty hospital (it was!), so found queues in the emergency department. Still, my little priority ticket claimed that I had something like a thirty-five minute waiting time, which seemed not unreasonable. So I stayed and waited, and waited some more, and then some; intensely frustrated, I considered leaving after two hours but stayed on, telling myself to be patient. Emergency cases kept arriving on stretchers or otherwise, desperately ill people needing immediate care and pushing non-urgent cases like mine down the list, something I found completely understandable if frustrating; the same could not be said of some of the other waiting people, many of whom kept complaining bitterly, often in a rude manner, to the obviously inundated and overworked staff. I kept my mouth shut, though I desperately wanted to have a go at the moaners, and waited. It was five hours from the time of my arrival before I was seen.

I had expected a cursory examination, with a prescription speedily dispensed to get me out of the way; nothing could have been further from the truth. I was given a full and detailed examination, including blood tests, in an efficient and courteous manner by people clearly overworked and under pressure but not shirking their duties, nor losing their patience and professionalism. There was even evidence of a sense of humour, something not always evident in Greek public facilities, and plenty of understanding.

Sure, I had to wait a further two and a half hours before my results were ready to take away, so overall I ended up having spent over eight hours in this not especially pleasant and certainly stressful environment, but I walked away tired, yes, but surprised, pleased and mightily impressed. The men and women I witnessed manning (personning?) the front line were dedicated, efficient, willing, capable and civil in the face of serious, sustained pressure. They operated at a level equivalent to any western country even though the Greek economic meltdown of a few years ago left them under-equipped and, possibly, under-staffed. So for all I witnessed I salute, congratulate and thank them.

Yet not everything is perfect, or even good. The bureaucracy that supposedly underpins and supports the system is convoluted, inefficient, occasionally self-serving, self-satisfied and lazy, letting down everyone concerned, patients included. Admittedly they often have to work under pressure, but still... There is a lot of work to be done before this system can operate like a well-oiled machine, with this perhaps easier said than done. But surely this is worth striving for, as it will benefit everyone involved. And the Government of the day, irrespective of political affiliations, should aim to provide these good people with the means to continue improving the good work they so clearly do.

Finally I must congratulate myself, as I don't see you, dear reader, rushing to so do... After all, while not known for my patience and stoicism, I managed to spend nearly nine hours in a far from pleasant hospital environment quietly and politely waiting as directed, without strangling or even wishing to strangle a single person. Or no more than a dozen or so of my fellow patients... A veritable candidate for sainthood, wouldn't you say?

More than brothers

I am aware that there are people who go through life without close friends and, I must say, I do not understand it at all. As the more devoted amongst you know, I have been blessed with many good friends in my life, people who have enriched my existence immeasurably and have made me feel infinitely wealthy and blessed. Every one of my friends has added something to my life in their own way.

But here I need to tell you a story involving  a small group of friends that has an extra special position in my life and affections:

Once upon a time many years ago a little blond boy entered the world, probably screaming and maybe even cursing, though he was generally sunny natured. About a year or so later he was introduced to a little boy a year older than himself, whose parents were friends with his lot. Over time they were brought together by their parents to play usually at the same time as the parents socialised, but not living next door to one another this was not an everyday occasion. Nevertheless their friendship grew and grew, was further tested but also strengthened during joint family summer holidays, and developed further with the passing of time.

The original little boy, by now six years old, left to live in the USA for a year, leaving his by now well-established friend behind but without forgetting him. On his return about a year later the two little boys took up where they left off, more or less, getting together quite often.

On his return from the USA the little blond boy, by now not quite so little, had what turned out to be a pleasant surprise in his neighbourhood - two new boys, brothers, just a bit older than him - had moved in more or less next door, so were instantly available potential playmates and possible friends. And friends they, indeed, became, to the point that late last year they celebrated sixty years of friendship! Shortly thereafter they were introduced to the blond boy's other friend, soon becoming firm friends with him also. The young boys not only played together regularly, including football, but became something of a unit, hanging around together at every available opportunity despite various ups and downs in their lives. Their little unit even acquired a name, which to this day describes the individuals involved but which must remain secret.

The blond boy was fortunate to have some spare space in his family's garage, with this becoming a base for the boys, a sort of clubhouse for their activities, this lasting throughout most of their teenage years. To the despair of some of the long-suffering neighbours one of their activities was a pop group, generating plenty of noise, which thankfully developed from the original cacophony to a loud but accomplished modern sound. Three of the four provided musical services (guitar, bass guitar, drums) while the fourth member, less keen on performing, remained as support staff. With parties and local events benefitting from their abilities, the musical activity lasted for maybe three years all told. All sorts of other adventures also ensued, especially as the eldest boy by now had a driver's licence and an ageing Austin Cambridge car available to him!

Life does not follow our self-penned scripts, alas, and the four boys experienced some serious ups -and even more serious- downs over the next few years. While the time spent together varied, their bond was tested but remained strong, and so it has remained despite many changes in their lives including living in a different country, weddings, funerals, children, financial triumphs and catastrophes. They have remained firm friends throughout, supporting each other in times of need and enjoying the shared history that unites them to this day, irrespective of how often they meet. And all this time there have been no fallings out, no periods of unpleasantness, no estrangement; to this day if one of the four asks one of the others for help with something the response is always positive within the realistic possibilities available.

From being the little blond boy, and you probably guessed that was me,  I am now a bald, ageing man grateful for the blessing that is my friendship with these three individuals. And how we feel about each other can best be summed up by the response of one of the four when thanked by the sister of one of the others for helping with a bureaucratic problem her brother had, quote: 'I would do anything within my power for him.'

Eternal beloved friends 'baked in the oven of life' so to speak, so much more than brothers, to you as long as I live and breathe I will be loyal and grateful.

Lucky, lucky man...

 I know that you have missed me, dear reader, as it's been a long time since I put pen to paper or, in any case, got the old laptop out to record thoughts, irritations, even good things. My old excuse, COVID in all its forms has come and looks to be going, so I cannot use that. I guess there has been a kind of hibernation, which seemed to start before the summer and lasted until now; I have no idea why.

Still, I'm back and raring to go, especially as I need to tell you about a very special lunch that my friend YT gave about a week ago. This was very special indeed - a once in ten years, if not once in a lifetime event, and only for wine people - and the wines were rare, largely unusual and served blind; this led to all sorts of interesting conversations and in which I failed miserably in the detective work required. In my defence I have been drinking plonk over the last few years, so my exposure to the more serious stu is limited.

The food that accompanied the wines was relatively simple by YT standards, in order to accompany and not overshadow the wines, but it was delicious and beautifully prepared - home cooking on another level entirely.

Now you may curse me for parading these beauties, but they are worth reading about simply because this will be the closest most of us will ever come to them. Most of these wines are rare and now expensive, superb examples of the winemaker's skill, which takes grape juice and turns it into something magical. They are:

1. Chateau Chalon 1995 from Jean Macle in the Jura. These wines, quirky and individual, were for years undervalued, as they were an acquired taste, but are now in demand and with the appropriate price. Luckily YT has been a follower for many years and still has some bottles he is willing to share with us. This particular one was golden in colour, had a restrained and almost medicinal nose, had sweetness and a typical complex and very long palate. What a way to start...

2. The second wine was a Sancerre 2010, cuvee Paul, from Domaine F. Cotat, as untypical as they come, with a golden colour, burnt sugar nose, bone dry yet with hints of sweetness, long and complex. Would not have pegged it as a Sancerre in a million years.

3. A Clos Ste-Hune 2000 from domaine Trimbach followed, its age disguising its pedigree to some extent, greeny-gold in colour with a distinct grassy nose, medium sweet, complex, long.

4. Bienvenue-Batard Montrachet 1999, domaine Leflaive. This wine caught me completely by surprise, as I had never tried anything but younger, more vibrant examples. Golden yellow, with a bit of brimstone on the nose, a big brute from on the best estates in Burgundy.

5. Cristal 1996, Louis Roederer. I love aged champagne so I appreciated its browny gold colour, its lemony, biscuity nose and its now sedate, long, complex palate. It is a great pity that these wines usually end up in the hands of people who don't understand their quality and care only about their perceived status - the show-off value. Cristal is a beauty, perfectly made by serious people and meant to be enjoyed by like-minded souls, not poured into drunken idiots...

6. Musigny 2011 Domaine de la Vougeraie. Top class red burgundy from a top producer and, if you are tempted to drink Pinot Noir from anywhere else in the world, don't! Most of us may not be able to afford the Grand Crus, but Pinot Noir from anywhere else is at best well-made and competent. Starting to brown, with strawberries and plums on the nose and palate, complex and very long.

7. Chateauneuf-du-Pape Chateau Rayas 1998. This property has made outstanding, untypical, quirky wines for decades, with a complete lack of interest in wine fashion but a total dedication to their craft. Bottles of Rayas are like gold-dust, elusive and beautiful. This was ruby red in colour, wild strawberries on nose with dry tannins and a green-ish finish that was very long indeed.

8. Chateau Haut Brion 1989, one of the heavy hitters of Bordeaux from a good, rich year. Dark in colour still, nearly black, a refined deep red fruit nose and a jammy ripe palate with a perfect ripe, very long finish. A lovely example from a part of the world that can sell most of its wine even when it is mediocre, especially the big names.

9. Chateau Yquem 1967, a mythical wine from a special vintage, rare and delicious. I challenge anybody who says they do not like sweet wines to try something like this beauty. Of course they're expensive, of course making Sauternes is difficult and costly with most things done by hand, but this is a life-changing experience for wine lovers. This was golden brown with ripe apricot and caramel on the palate, caramel on the palate, long, complex, seductive, special.

And then we finished with some Chartreuse Verte Tarragone 1964, a digestif with a strange green yellow colour, minty aromatic nose, medicinal & complex, powerful palate, long and complete, an unusual but rewarding way to finish this most interesting of meals.

Oh, and the bit about the lucky man refers to me, dear reader, not you!

Regression brings disappointment, and death

 As a young child growing up a few years after the Second World War I had to face the suffocating result, strangely named the Cold War; there was sadness, enmity and mutual suspicion, East versus West, freedom versus oppression, but also plenty of optimism that one day we would overcome all that. We, mostly, where eagerly looking forward to the day when hate would be consigned to the bin of history and all people could bask in the warmth of freedom.

The ultimate symbol of the oppressiveness of that era, the Berlin Wall, came down amid loud cheering from the assembled crowds on the 9th of November 1989; or bits of the wall came down that day, with lots more in the days and months following. I remember watching the events on television at home in London and feeling blessed to see this, freedom overcoming oppression, light defeating darkness. Hearing the song 'Wind of Change' still brings a tear to my eye, especially the verse "where the children of tomorrow dream away in the wind of change", because I lived some of that sentiment even if, by then, I was no longer a child.

Some of the tears in the last twenty years have been shed for how we have betrayed those children of tomorrow, how most of the love overflowing that day dried up and became cynicism, how nationalism and materialism overcame all fraternal sentiment. But sad as all that has been, nothing can equal the sadness of what is currently becoming the new status quo, with Russia and its 'charismatic' leader initiating and executing its appalling invasion of Ukraine based of excuses that make the Iraq invasion look like the best documented, thus justified, military intervention in history after the Trojan War. We have regressed to something from the Cold War era, with a dash of WW2 thrown in for good measure.

Death is not reversible, with loads of bodies adorning our tv screens daily, Ukrainian civilians in shocking numbers but numerous young Russian soldiers also. All these people are dead, irreversibly, for reasons I am unable to fathom. Of course loads of theories abound, none of which to my mind adequately justifies the death and destruction. There is no rewind button, no glory, just pointless brutality and many dead bodies.

It may be that we human beings are unable to live together in harmony for long periods of time, that sooner or later we cherish our neighbour's possessions or feel we need to display our superior strength to anyone convenient. It is sobering thought, even more so for the younger generations whose life stretches ahead of them, tantalisingly promising. For older creatures such as myself the dreadful realisation dawns that our life, which not that long ago was full of optimism for humankind, will fizzle out in the sour miasma of bitter disappointment.

Let's hope at least that we won't see World War Three.