So you may say - forget the city I'm heading for the Greek islands

Fine and probably a quieter and richer way of life - though this is especially enticing if you are not looking for permanent employment or do not insist on islands such as Mykonos or Corfu where house prices and rentals are extremely high - if not to say unaffordable. Smaller islands are cheaper but there are a number of trade-offs. The winter can be isolated and the summer may see your island home overrun with tourists. I am not saying you are looking for the life of a hermit but form my own experience certain islands do have a noisy reputation in the summer months, often on account of the low prices of airliens such as easyjet coupled with the cheap alcohol prices in Greece. Although it is not my mission in this blog to sell you any island, my personal choice would be the island of Syros in the Cyclades. You will find it on the map below just to the left (west) of Mykonos.

Why Syros would be my personal choice? The main reason is that Syros is the municipal capital of the Southern Agean and as such this gives it a number of advantages. The capital, for example, Ermoupoli has a university. The island is not overrun with tourists in the summer and it is not deserted in the winter as its economy is not entirely dependent on tourism. Added to this the connections by boat to Athens are good and short and there is also a daily air connection to Athens airport. To me that is an ideal mix. The capital itself is full of old world charm and the atmosphere is relaxed and the people friendly. There are also good daily connection to nearby Paxos and Mykonos which you can see on the horizon from the port of Ermouploi. The following link is for those interested in finding out more about holidays and living on Syros.

The eternal issue - traffic chaos in Athens and Greece

An eternal matter of debate and discussion is the traffic chaos in the cities, particularly in Athens and Thessaloniki although since the construction of the Athens subway prior to the Olympic Games 2004, the situation has improved somewhat. Suffice it to say in the center of Athens there is a system whereby car registration plates ending in an even number are allowed one day and on alternative days cars with plates ending in an odd number are permitted. That is a fair indication of the congestion. Indeed I have been told by Athenians that on a bad day it can take two and a half to three hours to cross the city. In Thessaloniki the situation is on a more minor scale but rush hour can be extremely frustrating. However, like Athens, the long promised subway is under construction and this should alleviate the chaos somewhat in a few years.

Then the whole issue of parking is another one. Thessaloniki, also on account of its geographical position (shaped like a horseshoe around the Thermaikos gulf) has major difficulties. The city simply has inadequate public parking. This mixed with narrow streets, a blind eye to double parking, parking at bus stops, parking on every pavement, causes real frustration for many - the mother with the stroller, the handicapped in wheelchairs - a total disaster. And if and when you are unfortunate enough to get a ticket the matter is an even bigger disaster. The police also unscrew your registration plates and you cannot drive your car for - I think - 40 days even when paying the fine.

On a funnier note - the art of translation

I just clicked on one of those google ads offering property on the island of Thassos - just off the coast of the northern city of Kavalla.. I must admit it is a beautiful and quiet place to relax.
However, when I came across the English version of the website I visited looking for property, thsi is what I found:
"Our restaurant

Our restaurant is one of the best of the village, with a great tradition in fresh fishes and in tasty Greek meals.
For the preparation of the meals we use only pure and fresh ingredients.
The olive-oil from our olive-lands is their basic ingredient while from this year on, our great garden gives us abundant vegetables und salads.
We prepare and offer traditional Greek meals such as giouvetsi, mousaka, kokkinisto and every kind of roast meals.
About fishes, you can eat, besides the traditional fishes such as sardines, mackerels, octopuses, also lobsters, gurnards, carps, gold-fishes and every kind of fishes living in our waters.
Our tsipouro is the best, it is our production, and its taste will remain unforgettable to you.

All these are found by the sea with a view at the Athos Mountain and at the sea.

We are waiting for you."

And with a translation like that, I am afraid you will be waiting quite a while - at least for me.

Not helping the reputations of Brits in Greece - at all

Off topic but worth reporting. British tourists in Crete 17 men between the ages of 18 and 60 were arrested and "faced charges of causing a scandal through provocative acts" They were found, all dressed as runs, parading through the tourist resort of Malia exposing their bottoms to passers by.

The only reason they got off with one night in prison was that nobody turned up as a witness! Rather surprising when you consider the power of the orthodox church in Greece.