It seems strange that people who have been here for a break are already leaving, but that’s the way it goes when Easters collide. A rise in visitors for a week, and then a lull until the more usually holiday months: May/June for the northern Europeans, July/August for those from the south, September/October for those who don’t like it too hot, and it’s back to winter.
Yesterday, I watched a TV program about people on a cruise visiting Santorini. What was good about this episode, I thought, was that it showed how things really are. A pair of passengers who wanted to reach the main town had to wait in a queue with no shade for a long time, because the cable car can only do 1,000 people per hour, and there can be upwards of 10,000 visitors a day on the island. (Shudders at the thought.) Other downsides were shown, like the crowded streets, the long walk up if you don’t want to wait, and so on.
This doesn’t compare, but it made me laugh. I was putting the laundry away when I heard youthful antics taking place on the lane. I looked out to see a group of teen lads wandering along, tops off, trousers around their knees in the current fashion, ogling the view, being lads and a little rowdy, until the woman who was sitting panting just out of sight got her legs back after the climb up, and appeared. Trousers up, butts away, best behaviour as mum and dad arrived, and off they went, their little moment of bravado put away for another day.
On another note, there’s this parish announcement:
Three days of medical specialists starting today, to be found at the clinic, I believe. Appointments are needed, but you can easily translate this with an app. Mind you, if you live here, you a) can read the language, or b) probably already know about this. It happens a few times per year: private or state funded, I’m not sure, but ‘Doctors of the Aegean’ specialists come to the smaller islands for free consultations and treatments. How good is that?
Anyway, have a good weekend. For me, my view will be mainly the computer screen and, beside it, this…
