After three wonderful weeks in Greece, our time is up and we have departed this warm and sunny nation...a nation that is on the brink of a fundamental and monumental shift in its economical and social structure. It was clear change was in the air. They are headed for some reforms that will seriously affect current and future generations. But, as the saying goes, short term pain for long term pain., and they can't survive without it.
Greece has had a weak economy for years. Why did Greece want to join the EU, knowing what the requirements were, and why were they allowed to join without first making some changes to ensure that they would not drag down the rest of the EU countries? It might be possible to kick them out of the EU, but that would not solve their problems.
From the protests that we all saw, and from conversations that we had with people while we were travelling, the Greeks don't want to change to be more like Europe, but most recognize that changes are necessary to combat the high unemployment, the corrupt/incompetent government and the third world living conditions in which many people are stuck (a situation in Athens that may not exist in other places).
One problem (possibly THE problem) is that very few individuals pay any tax at all, and those that do pay only 4% on average, and that is only on a portion of their earnings. The average in most of the EU countries is well into the double digits, similar to what we pay in Canada.
They neeed to address the early retirement age. Work 30 years, never pay tax and then retire on a full pension...it's a wonder that Greece didn't go broke years ago!
Having said all that, it is easy to see why Greeks have such a love of life that they don't see working at a traditional job as a high priority. The food is incredibly fresh and simple. We often saw men and women out for early morning walks in fields, collecting fresh herbs to use in daily meal. There is a real respect for nature and how to live off the land. Hopefully that will not change.
There is a huge respect for the past and trying to maintain continuity and identity of past civilizations. There is also an appreciation for the grandeur of what has been built in the past and what people are creating now. Buildings and monuments are lit up at night and it really creates a magical atmosphere, whether in a small town or in the middle of Athens.
We really enjoyed our time here. It has archeaology, landscape and fantastic weather. What they call winter here would certainly not register as such anywhere in Canada. We were really surprised by how mountainous Greece is. About 80% of the country is covered by 1000 - 2000m peaks. It is truly a hiker's dream.
We would recommend every place that we visited...Athens, Crete, the Peloponnese and especially the Cycladic Islands, via a yacht tour.
Greece is definitely not "Europe" but has a charm all of its own. It is experiencing some growing pains right now, but it is the kind of place that really gets its hooks into one's psyche. Greece has survived for 8000 years and will probably survive this and outlive the rest of the EU.
It may not be a place that we come back to in the near future, but the positive memories will last a lifetime.
(PS - The picture is of our yacht, the M/S Galileo.)
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