Are we witnessing the Age of Unreason?

The President of the USA comes up with the idea that his country wants to purchase Greenland from Denmark out of the blue. Instead of pursuing this target discreetly through diplomatic channels he ensures that his intention is plastered all over the media, as is the subsequent rejection - as was well within their rights - by the Danish government, who called the proposal 'absurd'. Said President, with lots of egg on his face, proceeds to cancel a presidential trip to Denmark in retaliation, calling the Danish Prime Minister's reaction to his 'proposal' nasty - really?

Britain chooses to pursue a strategy labelled Brexit, its departure from the European Union (EU - formerly EEC), amid all sorts of claims ranging from the valid to the ridiculous; this decision is based on a referendum where 52% voted to leave and 48% to stay on a pretty average turnout of 72.2%. After nearly 3 years the UK government apparently failed to negotiate an agreement acceptable to both the EU and the UK and, despite his spectacularly mediocre and unsatisfactory performance as Foreign Secretary has chosen the opportunist supreme Boris Johnson as the Prime Minister needed at a time of national crisis -  really?

Italy has chosen people to govern it that feel it is preferable to watch human beings drown than to offer them life, maybe even hope, even if they come from a different place or have different skin colour/hue. Many other politicians from countries that were previously happy to conquer, plunder, colonise or otherwise abuse others when they could get away with it find the presence of strange refugees fleeing horrific living conditions unacceptable, viewing them as an inconvenience for system and the incumbent citizens - really?

That any government in the 21st century, let alone one based on immigration and freedom, would consider it appropriate to separate very young children from their parents as a punishment for seeking a better life, granted perhaps but not always  illegally, and then seek to justify this as a humane approach instead of holding its head in shame - really?

That anyone, anywhere in the world and of whatever nationality, religion, creed or colour, whether elected, appointed or otherwise of some public stature, would watch a concert by a pop star like Jennifer Lopez (or virtually anybody else for that matter) and then dare declare themselves offended, traumatised or whatever by her appearance and performance when all they had to do was close their eyes, change channels or press the off button - really?

I am truly horrified that these people holding these beliefs exist in today's world. It seems that we have either not learned the lessons of the past or are studiously trying to ignore them. We are facing massive challenges and, instead of rising to them, we are behaving like ignorant, spoiled children, seemingly led by The Donald, surely ironically now called 'Leader of the Free World'.

If only Robin Williams and Christopher Hitchens were still alive to discuss our age with the intelligence and wild humour that it deserves, at least amusing us in our time of despair.

Perspective

Facts, alternative facts, statistics and what have you all vie for our attention daily, be it on the television, newspapers, the internet or right in front of our eyes. We try and make sense of all of this, more often than not believing anything that seems sensible to us and instantly transforming it into established truth, forgetting that we arrive there through perspective - what seems true and correct to me does not necessarily click with you, or the next person.

Many things in life are almost entirely a matter of perspective, including interpretation of historical fact, current events or the future. Our background, personal experiences and beliefs shape our understanding of life, of everything we see, read, hear about and, therefore, our interpretation of everything. This is not a black and white process by any means, even for events unfolding right in front of our eyes, as plenty of research has shown - no, you cannot trust in any absolute way even what you think you see with your own eyes! Interpretation is constantly at work, all the time, and that is always affected by perspective.

History is constantly reinterpreted using a different perspective, usually to suit a purpose and press a claim, however unrealistic or ridiculous. Take the wonderfully absurd claim by much-admired President Erdogan of Turkey concerning the Aegean islands (slightly paraphrasing): "They belonged to us before, so they don't belong to Greece, they should be ours by right." This sounds eminently sensible until you consider that the perspective changes completely if you shift to another point in time, when the Ottoman Turks were still in the depths of the steppes of Asia, yet to embellish world history with their influence and significance - to whom did modern day Turkey belong then and what claims should they have today? And then how far back in time are we willing to go and whose claim can we unearth?

The equally highly revered President Trump of the USA, in the past known as The Donald, has another method to affect your perspective - he interprets events for you, imposing his own preferred version of things on anyone who is willing to accept it. Throughout the centuries dishpots (thank you, P.G. Wodehouse!) have always used this technique, and The Donald is an aspiring despot if ever there was one; it is up to the American people whether his aspirations remain as such or become reality, a thought that fills me with terror sometimes.

Very little in life, indeed in our world, is clear-cut, hardly anything is black-and-white, almost nothing has but one interpretation. My perspective is not de facto your perspective and your truth is not necessarily my truth, as The Donald demonstrates on an almost daily basis, which should not cause a crisis of faith but rather a reaffirmation not to take anything at face value just because it's convenient. And that is much easier said than done.

Summer in the City

For the first time in several years I am stuck in Athens in August and, do you know, it's pretty good if rather warm. The place is nearly deserted, the atmosphere clean and the roads very quiet indeed. That's the good news, but there's a negative aspect - most restaurants/bars etc. are closed for a week or two, as their staff take advantage of their customers being away to get some rest.

I like Athens in August; in fact I could almost say I love it. If it was like this all year round it would be a very relaxed place to live in, with a superb quality of life - but it is an illusion, of course. A large city could not function at this, delightful though it is, snail's pace; it would quickly grind to a halt. Illusions, however, are sometimes what makes life bearable in the large, harsh urban environments of today's world and I am delighted to inhabit them whenever they appear.

No, dear reader, before you get carried away with your assumptions, I am not a fantasist who loves living in a make-believe world. On the contrary, I am a stern realist living very much in today's world, just enjoying the odd break, the illusion, the little dream interlude. This illusory mixture of the present with the past and the future, a little temporary world to enjoy today and for the next few days, will soon be gone but is no less lovely for this.

Any visitor to Greece can tell you that August can be a very hot month indeed. Athens, with its urban sprawl, cement and tarmac environment can sometimes feel very inhospitable, but not this year - or is it just my present state of mind? Whatever the cause I'm grateful for it, for giving me some peace and quiet, for allowing me to relax in this otherwise noisy, nosy place.

Yes, I do wish more places were open, that I could afford more of them, that it was like this for more of the time - it isn't, though! I'm determined to enjoy what remains of my illusion, allow the summer heat to slow me down and do not very much, though an evening out with friends tonight - a little taverna, perhaps? - may not be out of the question.

Pour me some wine, please, and let me enjoy myself as summer illusions will soon disappear, chased away by the autumn chill.

Go on, annoy me!

This is a bit of a rant, so those of you with a sensitive nature should stop reading now. As for the rest, whether you enjoy or vehemently disagree write in and tell me - or forever hold something or other.

As you probably appreciate by now, dear regular reader, I am blessed with an excitable nature, one that is easily upset; where I go, explosions sometimes follow! But don't get the idea that I'm some kind of maniac who gets pleasure out of getting upset for little reason; on the contrary, I like an equitable, easy life and get annoyed when things are wrong. Yes, chums, but according to my way of thinking my opinions and values have been finely honed over the years to a peak of perfection and I will not have them trampled on by any Tom, Dick or Harriet. Indeed anyone who tries will most certainly be on the receiving end of my appreciation, or should I say lack thereof.

Some of you may know me and some of you may think you know me, and that's fine. Quite frankly whether you approve of me or not is none of my business and makes little difference to me. What I find totally unacceptable is when anyone - and I mean absolutely anyone - decides to stake some sort of ownership on my life and how it is run, my opinions, my friendships, my passions, my time. You, whoever you are, do not have permission and, indeed, you never will. You may not do so.

Don't misunderstand me; challengers are welcome, as is criticism. Feel free to challenge me but I demand you do it properly - do your homework, think things through and be prepared to discuss properly what you want to talk about. Do not assume, whoever you may be, that your opinion alone carries any weight as far as I'm concerned if it cannot be backed by intelligent thinking and/or facts - I could not care less about what you keep in your head.

You may call me difficult or anything else you choose under the sun, even testing the depth of your vocabulary, and it still leaves me unmoved. Bring me thought, intelligence, depth and, however you choose to approach your subject, I will be happy to try to engage with you; I am not prepared to waste my time with intellectually lazy people, though, no, no time at all. Life without proper thinking is anathema to me, which is why I despise all those weaselly leftists still wedded to Mao or Stalin, and equally the execrably stupid extreme right wingers who feel Adolf and his boys were just misunderstood and we'd see they were right all along if only we looked carefully.

Read up, you miserable specimens, think and understand before opening your mouths and taking a stance. No, not selectively to support your pathetic points, properly, widely, dare I say objectively, and stop living in a make-believe world of ignorance and stupidity.

Non-thinkers piss me off, period.

Burgundy wine, a supreme choice

People who know me and share my interest in wine know that, if I was forced to choose one red and one white wine as the single best choice in the world - no, don't try and be clever, champagne is not included - on both counts I would nominate wines from Burgundy. Since 1985, when I first visited the Burgundy area on wine business, I have been in love with this amazing, quirky, singular area and its unique, wonderful wines.

I was reminded of this the other day when, thanks to the generosity of YT, whom you know well by now, dear reader, we were privileged to taste a red burgundy from 1999, an ordinary (village) Gevrey Chambertin "Coeur de Roy" by noted producer Bernard Dugat-Py served from a magnum. This supposed ordinary wine was an absolute stunner, coming as it does from a small producer focussed on quality; the vines for this are extremely old, some nearly a century, and the production is tiny, up to about five thousand bottles each vintage. The result is a concentrated, dark, multi-layered wine punching way above the weight of a straight Gevrey Chambertin wine: a rich, complex, red fruit and spice explosion tempered with oak on the nose leading on to a palate full of ripe red fruit, medicinal spice and soft tannins all layered into a seductive, classy drink that was hugely impressive and pleasing. If all these sensations can emanate from a mere village wine - what on earth are their Grand Cru reds like?

May I quickly clarify that the heart of Burgundy, the bit producing the most splendid wines, is the area known as the Cote d'Or running south westwards from Dijon, with Gevrey Chambertin the first major wine village in the first part culminating in Beaune. This area, the Cote de Nuits, contains the most prominent of the red wine producing vineyards, though some decent white is also made. When you reach and pass the charming city of Beaune you are in the Cote de Beaune, primarily white wine country but with some lighter reds of immense delicacy and charm. Outside the Cote d'Or resides the more workmanlike Burgundy vineyard, less grand but still capable of producing taste sensations to astound.

Not all Burgundy wine is astounding, of course, and prices are high. This is an area that rewards perseverance, knowledge and love, an area of earthy people, small vineyards, limited production and limited grand style. Forget Bordeaux with its grand chateaux, aristocratic owners and moneyed lifestyle. There is money in Burgundy for sure, but it is far less obvious, and most owners are more passionate about their wine that the money they can make. But this tiny area of rolling hills, pretty villages and vineyards has a magic that exists nowhere else in the world in my opinion.

And the best wines need to be tasted to be believed, honestly!

Food, glorious food

You may think I'm obsessed with food, as I talk about it so often, and it may not be far from the truth; it is not, however, the whole truth.

I love food, of that there is no doubt. It plays a hugely important part in our lives, giving us essential energy and helping our body to function properly, thereby ensuring and safeguarding our good health.  We need certain essential nutrients to survive and thrive, without which we would wither and develop all sorts of problems; most of these should come from our everyday diet, the foods we eat every day on a regular basis.

Food is also an essential part of social life, whether it's the family gathered around the table to share a meal or friends getting together for a meal; wine can often be the ingredient that completes the picture and helps make tastes, textures and people gel. There is, in my view, no better pastime than sharing food and drink with people you care about, talking, laughing, bonding, whether it's just a couple of people or a group. It can also be excruciating, of course, if it involves mismatched groups of people, family obligations or an excess of alcohol and, I'm certain, we all can remember a few occasions like that.

Food can also be an interest, a hobby, something to play with, tinker with and enjoy the results. Seeking out interesting food can become a consuming (ha-ha, pun intended) endeavour that leads us hither and thither, trying, tasting and learning new things. It needn't be precious or pretentious, though, as simple food can be equally interesting to elaborate stuff if you look properly; then again, complex recipes can yield majestic symphonies of texture and taste, surprising and beguiling. The idea, though, that being a food enthusiast means that all you care about is fancy, expensive, fussy food is patent nonsense - any true enthusiast will tell you so. Every plate of food is, at least for me, a challenge to taste, assess and appreciate, whether eating at someone's home or in a restaurant, from snacks (like sandwiches, kebabs or what have you) to fillet steak.



We are all different, granted, with different tastes and, indeed, different interests and priorities in life, but I feel we miss out greatly if we care not a bit for the food and drink in our lives, when we allow meals to be solely about sustenance and rarely about pleasure. Many of my most treasured moments have been spent around a table with friends, breaking bread and sharing convivial, warm minutes, even hours, talking, drinking, bonding. Food, real, good food, in any form can be glorious and has the power to make us feel so too, raising our spirits and adding real pleasure to our lives.

Let me also make abundantly clear that, while I am a meat eater I abhor inflicting cruelty to animals during their lifetime; battery farming, intensive rearing, boxes, small cages are all horrific things humans have contrived to cruelly exploit animals and we have a duty to ensure they are not allowed to survive or, heaven forbid, continue to thrive. We owe respect to our animals and should treat them well during their life, whether at the farm or in transport. We, as consumers, have immense power to instruct the market forces as to what is acceptable or, indeed, desirable.

And I can tell you for sure that all those who have no interest whatsoever in food (yes, and wine!) or see it through prejudiced little eyes have no place in my life, none at all. They are unwelcome, unwanted and I would be grateful if they kept their distance.

Out of sight, out of mind

The expression 'out of sight, out of mind' was, as I understand it, originally intended to describe human relations, especially affection, and the toll that separation takes on loving relationships; in that it forms the opposing ranks to 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'. Of the two, the first is applied equally to inanimate objects as to living creatures, with 'civilised' humankind taking it to extremes with recyclable materials. In any case, out of sight means out of our sight, not necessarily total disappearance, as my photographs show.

We produce and use for our convenience many objects made of plastic each year. Some of these are deemed recyclable, others not, which in itself is a regrettable situation - why can we not, in the 21st century produce only recyclable plastics? Is it purely a matter of cost? Are a few extra pennies on an object so critical that we are happy to risk destroying our planet for?

Then we have the recycling issue: it seems that despite the availability of technologies to recycle a great deal of the materials used on a daily basis many western nations choose to send their stuff away to be recycled, probably in the full knowledge that there is little of the technology needed available at the destination. Many poorer countries have been accepting materials for - of course - what for them is loadsamoney, then disposing of it in any way possible other than recycling. And we are content because the plastics are no longer our problem - out of sight, out of mind - and, in any case, the other side is happy because we gave them money.

Only this is not a solution to a problem but purely a shift on to somebody else. We may have been content to keep on doing this, but the recipients have woken up and want no more of it. Now we will need to solve our own problem. Isn't it intriguing that the Donald, so keen that no American jobs are exported in other industries, is not clamouring and, indeed, helping to develop US recycling facilities that would make his great nation - and it is a great nation despite the Donald and his vileness - completely independent in that respect.

Meanwhile in Greece most everything to do with recycling seems to be delegated to local government, which is moneyless and, therefore, powerless to do much about it. Facilities are rudimentary, as is most peoples' attitude to it, with recycling bins more often than not used as rubbish bins, further discouraging any citizen wishing to recycle by making the think 'what's the point?' Shameful administration, shameful participants and schemes that barely work means that most recyclable material goes to waste.

Innovation is needed on recycling worldwide, better solutions, better systems for collecting and sorting, more information to help and convince the public to do the right thing. All this needs to happen now, not in due course or in the fullness of time; the problem is choking us. Yesterday I spent a good part of my time, along with others, cleaning an otherwise pristine beach from plastic of all kinds, finding as we did all sorts of plastic bits and pieces in the sea or on the sand - some of which filled the black plastic bag you can see, though there was more, much more... yuk!