Dear God, how long can this go on for?
This morning around 3.30 am I
lost my handbag, purse, credit cards, ID, the lot, and could not find my way
home. It’s my classic recurring anxiety
dream when I have the sense of not being in control of things – need I say
more?
And the answers to my questions
in my previous post: no, the banks
did not open on Monday, and, yes, capital controls were set in place –
and so we continue.
As I said, Tsipras drew out of
negotiations and called a referendum
to avoid the cracks in his own party becoming more pronounced. That and the resulting No vote did not go down well in Europe. It was a real strategic
error at the negotiating table and elsewhere: we lost their patience and
comprehension, our credibility as well as valuable time.
We assumed things were improving when
he was asked to put the most recently proposed measures to parliamentary vote.
Ironically opposition members voted for them, acting in the national interest,
while it was his own Syriza members who voted against, abstained or absented
themselves – as was the case with the demoted Varoufakis. Notwithstanding, he
returned to Brussels with a majority vote in favour of the measures and we
assumed things would go more smoothly. Hope once again began to glimmer, only
to be dashed by Germany and Finland blocking the procedure.
I must admit Tsipras had the
brio, balls, cojones – call it/them what
you will – to take the stand he did, but we are all paying dearly for that now.
He is decidedly between a rock and a hard place: a European blockade and mutinous colleagues.
Cracks show up elsewhere: containers lie unclaimed at ports and
terminals – no one has the money to claim them. On the bus I overheard a conversation
between a lady in logistics who had a fruit-producing client desperate to get
his produce to the international market. No refrigerated lorries were moving,
so they were feverishly exploring other transportation options before the
produce spoiled – especially in the current heat. As people panic stock, some
stores report shortages of flour, sugar and paper goods – few people claim to
be suffering from constipation right now!!
It’s amazing how you adapt. Your fears have
been realized and you feel real frustration at being denied access to your own
money. You lose the sense of ignominy at queuing up, eventually feeling almost
grateful that you got some money out for inevitably the ATMs begin to dry out.
A
little friend has suggested that his family build a tree-house in the forest to
avoid paying rent! Of late, the local radio station plays nice, lively island dance-music
to keep our spirits up. I’ve noticed a little owl taking up a perch on a nearby
house in the cool of the morning and the early evening. I look out for him
anxiously for he symbolises my hope that wisdom may prevail. We all have our coping strategies. My garden
has never looked better: I deracinate the couch grass as if I were wrestling
with Herr Scheuble himself.
Tomorrow I leave for Sheffield,
not knowing whether, on my return, we will still be in Europe.
We had some other bad news:
Margaret and Bill, friends from Aberdeen
University, whom we met up with in Crieff last September, were due to come
out to visit us here. Unfortunately they had to cancel the trip due to poor
health.
Fortunately, all is well on that front now and
we are hoping they may come to see us in the autumn. Still, you know how it is –
when visitors come there are things you look forward to showing them –
especially since this was to be their first trip to Greece.
So, guys, here are some moments we wanted to share
with you:
Our magnolia blooms with their intoxicating,
citreous-vanilla aroma and the acacia tree’s powder-puff blooms.
Our local courgette festival where we sampled their wares, enjoyed watching the
Cretan dancers in their finery - and you’d have loved the Thracian bag-piper – he’d been to Glasgow and played our pipes too!
What we are glad you missed was
the stormy weather and torrential rain
which rendered our tomato plants and strawberry patch heavily under water.
I was pleased with part of the
garden I had redesigned. This is NOT the effect I had been aiming for:
As I said, these are turbulent times.
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