Sunday, 23rd August, 2026
A hot night which didn’t fall below 32C/90F. Manchester? 12C/54F. Brrr … Just 10 years ago today, it was a hot 32C morning. We were living in Surrey and a lorry arrived to collect a store of about 40 framed prints of Pre-Raphaelite and Victorian Neoclassicists like Lawrence Alma Tadema and Frederic Lord Leighton
More than anything else in those preceding years, I was keen on collecting John William Waterhouse. When I start, I can become obsessive. Each framed print would cost me £150 – £200.00.
Looking back, I went too far but there is nothing new there. We brought them from a large house where they could be displayed well to a modern Duplex where they couldn’t. They were collected by St Barnabas Hospice in Sussex
What really piques my interest and amuses me about this memory is that one, relatively minor event threads a string through a large spread of my life as I sit looking out over Athens in the baking sunshine. If I can face the heat, I am going to walk up to Syndagma – the Greek Parliament Building – which is illustrated this morning from a Webcam mounted on the Hotel Electra Rhythm in Ermou Street.
I think it would normally be rather busier but the excessive heat is making tourists reluctant to venture out. Even the hotel rooftop pool is quiet this morning. I will see if I can walk into the picture. Where is Waterhouse when you need him?
Monday, 24th August, 2026
Can’t get up early enough because we were 31C/90F over night and we are being warned it is going to get hotter.
There is hot and there is unbearable and we may just be spilling over. Got to accompany my wife to the shops on Ermou Street this morning. The quality of Greek clothes is not great although she has bought suits for work that lasted. In recent times leather goods have been the main attraction because they are really well made.
I don’t eat Breakfast at home but you will all know the duality felt when you have paid a large sum of money for a hotel stay that includes a sumptuous Buffet Breakfast with all the things you normally deny yourself. It feels both wrong, wasteful and almost rude to not enjoy it
I have now eaten 6 Breakfasts – Bacon, Scrambled Egg, Croissants – and I am the stage where my body says it can take no more. Why do I not have more self-discipline? The trip up to the rooftop Breakfast Room is a real experience. It is there that you really integrate cultures.
I love salads, and cheese and tuna and smoked salmon BUT I don’t want any of that too early in the day. Some cultures relish tuna and tomato sandwiches for Breakfast with hunks of cheese on the side followed by chocolate mousse. My senses reel. My palate cannot take coffee immediately. I have to work up to it. Some cultures relish strong, black coffee with an acrid cigarette first. Some cultures stuff things in to their mouths like there is coming famine and have to show their mouths full for the appreciation of their guests.
We British feel totally embarrassed by such shows of indulgence and even feel uncomfortable loading our plates. And there is one, specific thing which we have long seen as we travel across Europe and in Greece specifically. Sit in a Taverna for any length of time and you will see Greeks order mountains of food, pick at it, light a cigarette, talk a lot, pay and leave with mountains of barely touched food still on the table. My Generation emerged with war time rationing still in place and wasting food was a crime/sin. You just didn’t do it.
The noisy Americans would ask for a doggy bag to take it away. Last night a girl took half a piece of Moussaka away. What on earth she did with it in her hotel room, I could only fantasise about. In April 1968, the British photographer Don McCullin made his first trip to Biafra, the newly independent republic that had broken away from Nigeria the year before. The Biafrans were starving and I remember it being used by parents who were trying to persuade ‘picky’ children to eat. The Biafrans would love it, they would shame them. I remember thinking they could have every portion of ‘stuffed marrow’ I was ever offered. I would even deliver them. Now, we find it very hard to leave food on the plate. Good manners mean taking no more than you can eat and leaving nothing. You see, there is politics and culture within every act.
Tuesday, 25th August, 2026
The heat of yesterday hardly abated. By mid day, it had reached 38C/100.4F and stayed there until we went out for Dinner in the evening.
Our neighbours at home have just returned from a business meeting in Tallinn, Estonia. They were hoping to snatch some sunny downtime but it didn’t quite work out like that. At least Jill was brave enough to share this with me. We can expect rain at the end of the week when we get home which will be wonderful.
The big winner from this Athenian trip has not been me. Of course, I am loving it but some people get all the perks. Yesterday, as these photos illustrate, it was definitely someone else.
We walked down Ermou Street which is looking scruffier than usual. It is narrow, cobbled and shady making it cooler. One of the rules of Ermou Street is that you can’t walk down it without buying something. Usually, it is leather but yesterday it was hats.
Someone couldn’t decide (It’s an old tactic.) between two colours of the same style so we had to buy two. It wasn’t a lot of money – about €50.00 – but it calmed the world for a while. Walking was exhausting in that heat and a measure of that was to say that while I am intrinsically allergic to clothes shopping normally, yesterday I was begging for the respite that Ermou Street’s air conditioned shops offered.
We retreated to the hotel and our balcony above the pool where walruses immersed themselves in a vain attempt to stay cool. A glass of ice cold white wine and relax while I talked to friends across Europe and America. It’s what I would do at home so why not here.
Then, it was time to eat. We went out to Ella Restaurant on Mitropoleos Street. We have been there many times before and know it is quality, urban-chic cooking. Last night, my wife was more intent on replacing me with a toyboy. I don’t know why.
Anyway, I was there to eat and the food was great. After a starter of Κολοκυθοκεφτέδες or courgette fritters, I had the most wonderful slow cooked, oven baked, Lamb with citrus sauce – Αρνί με σάλτσα εσπεριδοειδών and baby roast potatoes.
It was all so wonderful, I ate too much. I’m sure I was compensating for emotional rejection, Dear Reader.
Today we’ve managed a walk around the Parliamentary Estate. The temperature seems to be stuck at 38C at the moment and it takes your breath away. All around are people and birds trying to mitigate the furnace.
Syntagma – the Greek Parliament – means arrange together and Greeks are proud of being the cradle of Democracy
Wednesday, 26th August, 2026
Whether we are here for a week or six months, leaving is always strange. Will I see you again? I must but will I be alive? Last night, the news of Dolly Parton dying at the age of just 80 years old comes as a shock. She was nothing to me other than a fellow human being. I must admit I was impressed with her attempt to pour money into children’s literacy in UK. Why? What was it to her? Must have come from her early deprivation. No, it is the fact that she was just 5 years older than me that shocked me.
I don’t know anything about pop music but I was shocked to find Dolly Parton wrote this song and had a hit with it years ago. It is one of those hauntingly moving lilts that tears at the heart strings …. if you have a heart.
After a lovely meal in a favourite local taverna and coffee on the balcony, we packed – well one of us did – and went to bed early. I slept like a log. Someone else who doesn’t like flying so much didn’t. Up early for a last very quiet Breakfast which only one of us could eat and I wish I hadn’t and then down to checkout and a taxi for the airport.
It is 10.00 am and very hot outside. I am in the Goldair Business Lounge, Athens Airport. We were up early
An oasis of cool calm and tranquility, I was able to sit with my Laptop and Blog to my heart’s content. Our flight is delayed by 30 mins but will catch up most of that in-flight. We should be in the car and driving home by 2.30 pm.
Well, famous last words. Our delay doubled to an hour and we had to sit on the plane in the hope of an earlier take off slot which didn’t come. We whiled away the time by watching videos on our iPads. The people above are Vicky Pryce and Denis McShane. We politics geeks were treated to the sight of Vicky Pryce (formerly Vasiliki Kourmouzi) and her partner, former Labour Minister, Denis MacShane (Josef Denis Matyjaszek) coming on board. Both have served time in prison. Pryce was married to Chris Huhne – Liberal Democrat and former Minister in the Coalition Government. Pryce is a Professor of Economics and was Chief Economic Adviser to the Government. Both went to prison for fraudulent use of the driving laws. Huhne destroyed his political career by persuading his Greek wife to say she was driving when he got caught for speeding. They subsequently divorced.
Pryce has been in a partnership with former Rotherham and Labour MP, Macshane who is a Doctor of Economics in more senses than one. He got his Doctorate at London University. He also went to prison for deliberately defrauding Parliamentary Expenses. They were clearly made for each other.
Thursday, 27th August, 2026
Woke early in my Home bed. It was 6.00 am in Greece. Unfortunately, it was only 4.00 am in my home bed so I had to listen to a podcast. It was supposed to rain over night. It didn’t. It was supposed to rain all day today. It hasn’t. It is hot and positively steamy. I’m not surprised when I realise it is my lovely Mother in Law’s birthday today. She would be 112 years old today. Can you imagine it?
I drove home yesterday with a number of pressing issues to sort out. I use Hive to control my heating and lighting and I control it from an app on my phone or iPad. Almost immediately after we arrived in Athens, the Hive app control stopped working. There was nothing I could remotely do to bring it back up. At the same time, my BG Smart Meter stopped speaking to me.
I was beginnig to feel quite isolated as you might imagine, Dear Reader. It pointed to a loss of internet connection but other things which I monitored like Security Cameras, Smart Door Bell, Temperature Gauges, ect, were all reporting back to me.
A delayed flight and particularly having to sit in a cramped plane seat for an extra hour not knowing when we would take off is worse that sitting comfortably in the airport.
Anyway, like child birth (I assume) the discomfort of the flight falls away as we rush through the airport without any hitches to find a shuttle bus was sitting idling almost as if it was waiting for us. There were one or two other passengers for the Long Stay Carpark but we were first off and on our way literally within 15 mins of getting off the plane. It was our 6th flight this year and not one has presented any problems with passport control that we were warned of.
It is always lovely to get in your own car and drive home under your own control and in your own time. For me, it is a drive of about 50 mins and is fairly simple. Not yesterday. Because we were late landing, I hit rush hour traffic which was frustrating but then something flirted up from the motorway and smashed the glass on my Driver’s side wing mirror.
They are huge mirrors which do a lot more these days than before. Of course they are controlled electronically to adjust for the best vision. If you reverse to park, the mirror turns down automatically to focus on the curb. When you turn tthe engine off and lock the doors, the mirrors fold in. If a car comes up in your Blind Spot, the driver is warned by a bleep and an orange light flashing on the wing mirrow glass.
So, all of these things were in my mind as I arrived home. Fortunately, the Smart Meter was simple to reboot and start again. The Hive apps were a bit more complicated but I ran a analysis routine and, eventually, we reconnected again. The car will take a couple of days but Honda told me this morning that the only damage was the glass and they could refit that in a couple of days
Just to add to the indignity of the day, I got home, went to unload my Toilet Bag – electric shaver, electric toothbrush, etc, when I notice my shaving mirrow had fallen off the wall. It had been hot and dry and it is only a suction-mount mirror fitted post the tiling of my bathroom and it had just chosen last week to give up its place on the wall. Unfortunately, the fall had damaged the mirror’s coating and another one is needed.
Amazon is delivering a new one tomorrow which will be nice. In the hotel I have been using one that illuminates the face which is not a pretty sight but does help me to have a closer shave. So, this time, I’ve ordered one that lights all round the edge to see my wrinkles better. Can’t wait.
Another problem also waited for us as we got home. The standard postal rubbish was on the mat. Mainly clothes catalogues for my wife. I tend to get invitations to take out funeral plans I don’t know why or long, expensive cruises which I’m not interested in. Unfortunately, there was a much more important letter from the Hospital telling Pauline she must go for another endoscopy which will be attached to an MRI scanner. The consultant wants a further investigation quite urgently. That has thrown a bit of a dampener on things.
Friday, 28th August, 2026
Lovely morning after a great night’s sleep. Sunny and warm if not Athens-hot, I’ve got gardening to do today. Flowers I grew are still performing well inspite of the heat. As September develops, it will be the cooling nights that slow and then stop development so we’ve got to eat the salad vegetables now.
My chef loves Radiccio so I’ve grown some even though it would not be my choice. The trouble is that they all come to maturity at the same time and we have a glut. Everything will be accomapanied by Radiccio over the next few days. Not sure how it will go with Muesli. We’ve also got a large crop of Parsley which is not ready for cutting yet and will need a couple of weeks of reasonable warmth to mature.
The Basil has been too successful. Chef has made enough Pesto to last more than a year and still it goes on. We have come back from Athens to find it stronger than before it was cut. The street grass is brown and gone although the flowers we grew and planted are still blooming. Neighbours have done as they were told and watered while we were away.
Next year will be different. The garden will remain fallow. The street will be solely in the hands of the neighbours. We spent to two weeks in the Spanish property in 2025, four weeks this year and I enquired about six weeks for next year. Yesterday, I received confirmation of that booking so we will be away for 6 weeks of June/July and they are the most important weeks in the garden calendar.
This morning, I am booking Easyjet flights to tie in with those dates. There is nothing like early planning. It means we get the times and seats that are best for us …
… and that is done. Two Return flights to Alicante with four carry-on bags, extra legroom up front and speedy boarding has cost us £544.00 which I would have been happy to pay 20 years ago never mind today. So 6 weeks of next year are recorded on my online calendar already. Easyjet are still advertising, discounting, selling heavily as if their lives depended on it. A sign of the times.
I have to go to Athens. I have to. So that is the next on the list. May go a week or so later to get a bit cooler weather next year. Walking was difficult this year. First, we’ve got the month of November in Tenerife and I have to use the EES calculator to make sure I stay within the rules forced on us by Brexit of 90 day limit within 180 days period.
Quite looking forward to the Tenerife trip. We have rented a brand new apartment in a brand new development that wasn’t even completed when we found it last year.
It is now and the planting around the area is starting to establish. It is in a nice, quiet position but with facilities fairly close. It has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open plan Lounge-Kitchen-Diner with Washing machine and dishwasher plus a lovely big covered verandah for eating outside. Could turn out to be another regular.
Saturday, 29th August, 2026
We have rain, we have rain, we have rain at last! I’m going out to dance in the garden to enjoy it. Then I will put my clothes on before I go to Tesco.
Everywhere looks so different. It is still very warm and we are told that a 6th Heatwave will visit us towards the end of next week but, for now, wet is what we want.
Had to drive down past the beach and the colours told the story. The once green-blue sea looks like a sandy pool. Dark clouds promise water from above to meet the water below.
Went to bed feeling angry, sad and tired last night. It was after midnight although early in Greek time. Watched a really well constructed and written drama on Netflix over 6 episodes called The Woman in the Wall. It was based on the scandal in the Roman Catholic church of the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland.
If you don’t know about them historically, they were establishments designed and run by Catholic nuns usually assisted and often instructed by Catholic bishops and priests. They were run by Roman Catholic religious orders such as the Sisters of Mercy and the Good Shepherd Sisters to cater for, subjugate and incarcerate fallen women – girls who had got pregnant out of wedlock. Can you imagine it, Dear Reader?
The women were an embarassment to their families who were only too pleased to send them away out of sight because of the shame in their community. The girls were not just there to deliver their babies in secret but they had to be punished for their sins. They were forced to work for years in slavery in the Laundries which was justified as a way of paying for their stay. They were also forced to give birth in abject conditions without care and pain relief. Almost immediately, their children were taken away and given up for adoption.
However, this happened whatever the mothers wanted and shortly after that, each child was ‘officially’ declared dead so they couldn’t be traced. Not only that, the adoption process was not ‘official’ but involved the exchange of money. Prospective adoption parents were told that the child of their dreams would be guaranteed if they could make a little contribution to the upkeep of the church. Often this would amount to £5 – 10,000 described as church repairs or church maintenance but would often go into the pockets of those involved. In effect, the children were stolen and sold by the church. Lovely people!
There has always been an evil at the basis of Catholic teaching and I’m pleased to say ‘evil’ is not an essentially religious word. It is defined as profound immorality and derives from Old English – Yfel. I’m sure the Church has done many good things across history but it has maintained its dominance through a strong evil thread of discipline. I can tell you from bitter experience, Catholics from my Mother’s generation denied this until their dying breath.
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