The situation in Greece ? - Tragic!

People have been asking what life is like for us in Greece, our situation being a topic of global media interest of late. So, this will be no political or economic analysis – just a personal response to that question. Certainly the Express newspaper did us no favour by announcing that the British government had taken steps to ensure British tourists would be pulled out in event of a crisis. Hey, we’re not in a war zone….. are we? Tourists currently here claim to be suffering no hardship whatsoever but are actually thoroughly enjoying themselves. 

Businessmen on a local radio station spoke of experiencing difficulties now in placing orders abroad since suppliers were worried about payments not going through. That got me thinking that, if things thus continue, we could see a marked change in our life style - we simply wouldn’t be able to buy many of the imported goods we now take for granted. 

 When I first came to live in Thessaloniki in the late 70s, there was no regular supply of certain imported commodities, nor was that a hardship. I remember my flat-mate hopping on a bus to a supermarket the minute the word in the ex-pat community was that a cornflakes consignment had arrived. But that example is trivial and does not reflect our current conditions - where cracks in essential services are beginning to show. 

 Our neighbor works in a clinic and I see her return from work every day looking ever more strained and haggard. She is chief administration officer in a surgical department where they are trying to cope with a   dire shortage of materials and equipment. Wannabe patients plead and grasp the staff’s hands, hoping they will be among those selected for surgery since such services cannot be offered to all. Surgeons have to face life and death issues on a daily basis as it is, but they shouldn’t be obliged to play god as well. And this describes the scene in a private hospital – we can just imagine how much worse the situation is for hospitals in the private sector!

 In the past few years, government taxation and union demands have squeezed the life out of many long-established businesses in Northern Greece or forced them to leave and set up operations in Bulgaria as the only option for survival. Now new waves of turbulence are being felt: 

• billions of euros are being transferred out of Greece on a daily basis as savers fear currency devaluation, new currency adoption or capital controls. 
• Young people are leaving the country in droves to study or work abroad 

The country is haemmorhaging its life-blood of capital and youth – how can she invest in her future? 

One night this week, the newscaster, Pavlos Tsimas, remarked that together for many evening bulletins we had all sat on the edge of our seats, waiting for deadline decisions to be announced at summit euro-meetings and,  he wryly concluded, that that evening was going to be yet another of those - where no final agreement would be reached. We are a nation which has been perched on that edge for months.  

 Some years ago I was sent to Belgrade to inspect a teacher-training course which was being set up as part of an aid program.  Serbia was then shaking itself free from a heavy winter – there was excitement about fresh greens coming onto the market - and from recent turbulent events. What impressed me was how cheery and smart everyone I saw was. The lady course leader responded to my observation saying that this had been a deliberate psychological strategy: ladies went about coiffed, in heels and make-up almost in defiance of the violence that had broken out all around. They managed to survive the horror by pretending it wasn’t happening. 

 When Syriza first came to power at the end of January, people talked a lot of politics, for the election results showed the old guard of Nea Dimokratia and Pasok were on the way out. This was heralding in change and there was optimism for the new politico on the block. Later the mood segued into questioning the outcome: there were lots of conspiracy theories around by this time and insecurity was on the rise as time passed with no action being taken. Nevertheless, people liked to reassure each other – and more than anything else - to be reassured it would all turn out all right.

 Last week a group of friends met in a tavern in the centre to share a meal together before disappearing off to different airts for the summer. While it was lovely to see everyone, one thing disturbed me: not once did the current situation arise as a topic in our conversations. It had become the elephant in the room, the embarrassment or the fearful that no one wants to broach, the taboo topic. In fact there is a need not to broach it, for you cannot sit on the edge constantly - you’re bound to lose your balance.

 We, too, have adopted the ‘it’s not happening’ tactic - even for a short while. And it’s not the ostrich-head-in-the-sand approach as we know only too well what’s happening… or what’s not happening. This too is a coping strategy in these horrendous times.

 There really is no best-case scenario – even if Tsipras and his European colleagues do reach an agreement, there will be no happy ending. It will confine us to a situation where salaries and pensions are further reduced and the cost of living soars. Already great swathes of property lie empty where businesses once thrived. For some time now people in our cities have been reduced to begging and are homeless. How is it possible that the human condition is not an issue being factored in at the negotiating table? 

 We have just got back from doing our weekly shop and have seen large queues outside ATM machines.

  People are on tenterhooks: Will the banks open on Monday? Will capital controls be set in place? 

 Why? - Because of today’s news flush : that Tsipras wants to lead us to a referendum in a weeks’ time. Suspicions are that his meetings with party officials last night showed that he could not assume his own party support on voting the measures through parliament. To avoid a mutiny he is taking it to the people. He has tried negotiating; in Europe they remain unflinchingly and punitively resolute. 

 What lies ahead, who can say? But clearly Tsipras believes it’s time to cover his assents, so to speak.

B. Greek Wines and Vistiing the Gerovassiliou Winery.

In my last post we ended at a point in history marking a nadir in Greek wine-making, following wars and mass emigration.  So, let’s quickly move on from there!

 The good news is that there has been serious investment in the wine industry in recent years – both in a new generation of Greek wine-makers who have been educated at home and abroad as well as in wine-making technology.  Greek wines, consequently, have gained international acclaim in competitions throughout the world – and among those who appreciate good wines. Certainly Greece’s low average rainfall, plentiful sunshine and fertile soil play an important part in the quality of the wine produced. But a unique ingredient is clearly the grape itself. There are more than 300 indigenous varieties, some of which date back to the ancient times. Some to look out for are:

Aghiorghitiko  - a velvety red with black-cherry flavours from Nemea in the Peloponnese

 Xinomavro – a fruity red with firm tannins from Naoussa

Mavroudi – a rarer old strain from Thrace, a deep red with a sweet, rich taste and ‘hefty’ tannins

Assyrtiko – with its homeland of Santorini, this dry white wine has a distinctive citrus-edged, mineral flavour

 Moschofilero – from the Peloponnese, this white has rich perfumes of rose petal and citrus blossom  

Malagousia -   a melony-jasmine scented white, brought back from near-extinction by Vangelis Gerovassiliou  in the early 1980s.

Well-known international grape varieties are also grown and blended with local varieties which means there is a huge range of wine-types available.

On our way back from Halkidiki we were lucky enough to be able to visit the Gerovassiliou winery. It is located in Epanomi, a coastal area 25 kilometres south-east of Thessaloniki, where its temperate climate and gentle sloping hills are ideal for vines. In fact, archaeological finds show that this area was producing wine as far back as 1,500 years ago.

The Gerovassiliou Ktima, or Estate, extends over 56 hectares, surrounded by sea on three sides. A private concern, it was developed from the original vineyard family of 2.5 hectares by Vangelis Gerovassiliou. Here we are enjoying that beautiful vista, with vines coming into leaf.

                                    

Vangelis is one of our new generation of wine-makers : he studied Agriculture at the Aristotle University of Greece before going on to study wine-making in Bordeaux, then developing his vineyard later. 

The winery consists of two buildings:

The first houses the pneumatic press where the hand-picked grapes are delivered immediately on harvesting, stainless steel fermentation tanks and oak fermentation vats. Here, too, in the underground area, in carefully controlled conditions of temperature and humidity, wines are aged in 225 litre French oak barrels.

In the more modern second building, after being processed in the state-of-the-art bottling system, the wines rest again in carefully monitored conditions until their final journey out into the market.

For me the most interesting place by far was the museum where Vangelis’ vast collection of wine-making equipment and wine-related items are stored. All the pictures from my previous post are from there, as are those featured below. 

 

                                                     

Here H has a turn on the old wooden press, highly polished with age and use, while Marina and John admire just a few of his unique collection of bottle-opening devices, numbering over 2,600 items.

Some chandeliers can be over-ornate and a bit over-the-top but this one is unique – it’s made from wine-bottle glass.  Glad I don’t have to dust that on a regular basis!

           

                                                                          

 Behind my sister and me are some of the many awards and distinctions conferred on the Gerovassiliou wines, and we are ready to sample their produce. 

 

   It really was a wonderful experience: learning about the wine-making process, sampling various types, and later standing outside enjoying the sunshine and the environment.  The gardens were immaculate, beautifully arranged and maintained - with an interesting little herb patch as well. Cheery staff encouraged us to try more wine samples, while accompanying savoury nibbles of cheese and pie were served. We really were made to feel welcome and left sated from our rich experience.

But I don’t hold with this wine-spitting-out business- you glug it all down for full enjoyment.           

                  

    As a parting shot I took a couple of pictures of the winery entrance.

a) You can have upright and blurred         or

b) You can have in-focus but askew

                                       

You want upright in focus?        Poly zitash ……..… or ……….You’re ashking too much – hic!

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