Twilight In Greece.
It had been sunny for a while; a cheerful, bright, summer sunlight, throwing a blanket of warmth over everything.
People had smiled and happily greeted each other on the streets.A feeling of well-being was about; a sense that ,although there was a lot wrong with the World, in time the problems would be fixed. Even strangers in town had been welcomed, if eyed with some suspicion, but they were shown the famous Greek hospitality.
There had been laughter and dancing at one point. A devil-may care attitude of not worrying about what the morrow may bring. A 'now we party, tomorrow who cares ' spirit was over the land.The future held no uncertainty, no fear, for Greece seemed to be thriving.The young loved their designer clothes and their flash mobiles. The highways were packed with new expensive cars,mostly purchased on credit.
The tavernas had been full of old and young, rich, middle class and poor; families with toddlers and grandmas and grandpas raising glasses to the future.
The streets had been safe. You could walk alone at two in the morning through the back streets of Athens or most of the suburbs and feel no threat against yourself.Seeing a group of young people at the end of a dark alley would produce no fear, as you knew that the last thing on their mind, would be to harm you.They were more interested in each others latest jeans or mobiles.
Every evening you would see the families sitting on their balconies, talking loudly, listening to loud Greek music, drinking beer, wine or ouzo and picking at fruit or tucking into traditional Greek fare.Neighbourhoods would be buzzing with the sounds of life, of people living life, not just existing.
The weekly fruit and vegetable markets held in most towns would be festive affairs,with the stall-holders shouting out their prices, and the buyers scrambling to get the best looking fruit or veg.People usually had large trolleys with them that they would fill up to the brim. The stallholders all seemed happy and joked with their customers.
The school children didn't have that worried, depressed look you see in countries like England. They would saunter to school in large groups, playing around, joking, jostling each other, smiling a lot and laughing.
The elderly men would sit for hours in cafes over a coffee or ouzo with their worry beads and cigarettes looking very content, proud and relaxed.Some would play Backgammon for hours, slamming the counter down on the board with a satisfied smile.
The young married couples would show off their babies with pride and had that confident look that the future was good.
I make it sound like paradise I admit, and perhaps I have over-coloured it a bit, but I hope I captured some of the spirit of how Greece was.
It was with these thoughts in mind when I stepped out at twilight into a stormy early evening in Aegina.
It was not dark yet, but some very heavy, menacing ,dark cloud formations looking strangely like huge curled up snakes full of venom, were sitting in the darkening sky, eyeing their human prey below.
A wind had got up and a spitting rain has started with a promise of a water-filled, no holes barred, show later.
I walked through the quaint , narrow, mostly deserted streets.A few cats could be seen, rummaging by the rubbish bins.I passed the boarded up shops that had recently closed down; only a few years ago these shops had been doing well.The owners of the shops that had remained open were mostly standing in the doorways, of their shop looking at the gathering storm,all with that frightened, worried look that is seen so often nowadays.
How long can we remain open was the feeling I had that they were thinking, when I walked by.
When I arrived on the seafront I was almost blown sideways by the force of the wind.The waves were leaping up like wild horses raising themselves up on their hind legs.The little fishing boats anchored in the harbour were bobbing up and down and banging against each other.The sound they made was blocked out by the howl of the wind which sounded like a monster moaning in pain, or was it pleasure ?
The harbour lights were defiantly coming on, just as the darkness was starting to spread itself over the scene.
The cafes looked like havens for weary travellers. They were bathed in a soft warm light and looked very inviting.Most were empty, but one or two had a handful of customers. These were mostly single people who sat alone, seemingly engrossed in the developing storm all around them, but looking safe in the snug warmth of the cafe.
I was tempted to join them in their sanctuary, but kept walking, even though the rain was now lashing at my face.
The outside part of the cafes had protective, see-through awnings over them.These were billowing in and out as if in anger at being disturbed from their usual still, secure state.One cafe had a T.V. blaring out.I saw a smug, black suited elite type telling a young , blond woman presenter that Greece would turn the corner next year, and things would start getting better .
An elderly Greek man sitting alone, drinking a glass of red wine spluttered and started roaring with laughter; I thought his laughter might soon turn to tears.A young man and woman sitting in the same cafe suddenly yelled out together at the T.V the famous Greek 'M' word, with a viciousness that surprised me. The old man turned towards them, smiled and raised his glass, The couple smiled back A bond had been formed between them.It's us, young and old against them, was the message their eyes said.
I turned to go back home down an alley, but I took one more look at the savage sea kicking water on to the cars parked in the harbour.The harbour lights which were shining from the many lanterns turned the scene into a setting for a ghost story
I walked up the dark alley. No lights were here. The council doesn't always turn lights on at night in certain areas to save money.A light from a new bar though lit my path. A song from a different time was drifting through its door. I was amazed to hear the strains of Don Gibson's classic hit, "Sea Of Heartbreak"
It is a song I have always liked. The first verse could be heard clearly;
"The lights in the harbour
Don't shine for me
I'm like a lost ship
Adrift on the sea."
I thought how apt these words for the Greek people and for Greece itself are, as the sinking ship battles it way through yes, a sea of heartbreak and a sea of austerity.
I walked on . The spirit of the storm was about to unleash all its fury; the snake like thunder clouds were about to strike with all the venom they had inside them.
The poison is directed at the Greek people.
People had smiled and happily greeted each other on the streets.A feeling of well-being was about; a sense that ,although there was a lot wrong with the World, in time the problems would be fixed. Even strangers in town had been welcomed, if eyed with some suspicion, but they were shown the famous Greek hospitality.
There had been laughter and dancing at one point. A devil-may care attitude of not worrying about what the morrow may bring. A 'now we party, tomorrow who cares ' spirit was over the land.The future held no uncertainty, no fear, for Greece seemed to be thriving.The young loved their designer clothes and their flash mobiles. The highways were packed with new expensive cars,mostly purchased on credit.
The tavernas had been full of old and young, rich, middle class and poor; families with toddlers and grandmas and grandpas raising glasses to the future.
The streets had been safe. You could walk alone at two in the morning through the back streets of Athens or most of the suburbs and feel no threat against yourself.Seeing a group of young people at the end of a dark alley would produce no fear, as you knew that the last thing on their mind, would be to harm you.They were more interested in each others latest jeans or mobiles.
Every evening you would see the families sitting on their balconies, talking loudly, listening to loud Greek music, drinking beer, wine or ouzo and picking at fruit or tucking into traditional Greek fare.Neighbourhoods would be buzzing with the sounds of life, of people living life, not just existing.
The weekly fruit and vegetable markets held in most towns would be festive affairs,with the stall-holders shouting out their prices, and the buyers scrambling to get the best looking fruit or veg.People usually had large trolleys with them that they would fill up to the brim. The stallholders all seemed happy and joked with their customers.
The school children didn't have that worried, depressed look you see in countries like England. They would saunter to school in large groups, playing around, joking, jostling each other, smiling a lot and laughing.
The elderly men would sit for hours in cafes over a coffee or ouzo with their worry beads and cigarettes looking very content, proud and relaxed.Some would play Backgammon for hours, slamming the counter down on the board with a satisfied smile.
The young married couples would show off their babies with pride and had that confident look that the future was good.
I make it sound like paradise I admit, and perhaps I have over-coloured it a bit, but I hope I captured some of the spirit of how Greece was.
It was with these thoughts in mind when I stepped out at twilight into a stormy early evening in Aegina.
It was not dark yet, but some very heavy, menacing ,dark cloud formations looking strangely like huge curled up snakes full of venom, were sitting in the darkening sky, eyeing their human prey below.
A wind had got up and a spitting rain has started with a promise of a water-filled, no holes barred, show later.
I walked through the quaint , narrow, mostly deserted streets.A few cats could be seen, rummaging by the rubbish bins.I passed the boarded up shops that had recently closed down; only a few years ago these shops had been doing well.The owners of the shops that had remained open were mostly standing in the doorways, of their shop looking at the gathering storm,all with that frightened, worried look that is seen so often nowadays.
How long can we remain open was the feeling I had that they were thinking, when I walked by.
When I arrived on the seafront I was almost blown sideways by the force of the wind.The waves were leaping up like wild horses raising themselves up on their hind legs.The little fishing boats anchored in the harbour were bobbing up and down and banging against each other.The sound they made was blocked out by the howl of the wind which sounded like a monster moaning in pain, or was it pleasure ?
The harbour lights were defiantly coming on, just as the darkness was starting to spread itself over the scene.
The cafes looked like havens for weary travellers. They were bathed in a soft warm light and looked very inviting.Most were empty, but one or two had a handful of customers. These were mostly single people who sat alone, seemingly engrossed in the developing storm all around them, but looking safe in the snug warmth of the cafe.
I was tempted to join them in their sanctuary, but kept walking, even though the rain was now lashing at my face.
The outside part of the cafes had protective, see-through awnings over them.These were billowing in and out as if in anger at being disturbed from their usual still, secure state.One cafe had a T.V. blaring out.I saw a smug, black suited elite type telling a young , blond woman presenter that Greece would turn the corner next year, and things would start getting better .
An elderly Greek man sitting alone, drinking a glass of red wine spluttered and started roaring with laughter; I thought his laughter might soon turn to tears.A young man and woman sitting in the same cafe suddenly yelled out together at the T.V the famous Greek 'M' word, with a viciousness that surprised me. The old man turned towards them, smiled and raised his glass, The couple smiled back A bond had been formed between them.It's us, young and old against them, was the message their eyes said.
I turned to go back home down an alley, but I took one more look at the savage sea kicking water on to the cars parked in the harbour.The harbour lights which were shining from the many lanterns turned the scene into a setting for a ghost story
I walked up the dark alley. No lights were here. The council doesn't always turn lights on at night in certain areas to save money.A light from a new bar though lit my path. A song from a different time was drifting through its door. I was amazed to hear the strains of Don Gibson's classic hit, "Sea Of Heartbreak"
It is a song I have always liked. The first verse could be heard clearly;
"The lights in the harbour
Don't shine for me
I'm like a lost ship
Adrift on the sea."
I thought how apt these words for the Greek people and for Greece itself are, as the sinking ship battles it way through yes, a sea of heartbreak and a sea of austerity.
I walked on . The spirit of the storm was about to unleash all its fury; the snake like thunder clouds were about to strike with all the venom they had inside them.
The poison is directed at the Greek people.
Mike Selley.
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