Watching Out For The Neighbours

Assos - CephaloniaWe are all waiting, with bated breath, to see what will happen next in the unbelievable story of Greece and the Eurozone. I have been guilty of becoming frustrated with the zig-zag path that their politicians are taking, and there are more turns yet to come.

But having watched Joanna Lumley travelling around Greece, it is clear, and I have witnessed it myself in Cephalonia, that the ordinary Greek citizens are not solely responsible for the mess in which they find themselves.

They are a friendly, welcoming and cultured people. Their civilisation and history have left a wonderful legacy in all facets of modern life. The arts, science, politics and medicine were all hugely advanced by the ancient Greeks, and we have much to thank them for.

So whilst it is easy to feel anger towards Greece as a whole, for the way that it is currently deepening the world monetary crisis, that anger must be tempered towards the Greek people themselves. We must use wisdom, courage and compassion in our response to these luckless citizens, who are on a roller-coaster ride to a destination to which they have no personal choice.

Watching the program tonight, I relived the idyllic days of wonderful weather, sights and sounds, and the warm welcome I felt from the locals of Trapazaki and Argostoli the capital of the island. These people deserve our thoughts and prayers in their time of trouble, and maybe we should all make an effort to help by thinking about visiting their beleaguered land and supporting their tourist economy.

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