August is upon us and certainly in the Northern Hemisphere
it is holiday time – time to turn our backs on the banalities of our routine
existence, to break loose into self-indulgence and idle fancies, and the
pursuit of those matters which really engross our peculiar natures. Some hunt fungi like demented truffle-hounds, some
embark upon visiting every railway station in England while others take
brass-rubbings from medieval tombs in obscure parish churches in deepest
Herefordshire. One of my good friends explores the beautiful, if windswept,
Hebridean island of Tiree, with her incomparable beaches, another is deep in
rural West Wales, amid the bays and coves, untroubled by tourist hordes and a
third hill-walks in the lovely Bernese Oberland, a happy wanderer, as the old
song went. May all have a splendid 2017 summer and return home with batteries
recharged, even more bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!
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| Balevullin Beach, Tiree, Scotland |
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| Jungfraujoch, by Bern, Switzerland |
This August, as I have done for 19 years, I am living in a
gloriously leisurely fashion in our summer house on Samos, Greece in the
Eastern Aegean. Thank goodness the aircon is working well, as the heat is
intense, seldom falling to 30C (86F) and sometimes edging to 40 C (104F). The
locals say it is one of the warmest spells in recent memory after a nasty, wet
and cold winter. The winter weather rather blighted our main bedroom with damp,
making a refurb necessary, but it will soon be completed. After the
uncertainties of the Folkestone climate, we revel in the dependable heat of
summer in our balmy Karlovasi. I confess there are Samiot mountain paths
untrodden and pebbly coves unswum as I take things easy, preferring the local
hotel swimming pools, short walks and relaxing seaside tavernas.
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| The Port at Karlovasi, Samos |
The Greeks are a tad more optimistic this year hoping a
corner has been turned in their economic recovery but the country is far from
booming. August tourists are streaming into Samos, many budget-conscious proles
from Eastern Europe but also boat loads of free-spending Turks on short trips
from Izmir. Menus in Turkish have sprung up offering toothsome delicacies to
these welcome visitors. Last year’s waves of migrants are absent, that
situation precariously dependent on the fluctuating goodwill of unpredictable
Recip Erdogan.
Our beloved leaders are also taking a well-earned rest.
Theresa May skips around in a pink dress and hikes in the Lake Garda area and
Switzerland, without a care in the world. Mind you, last time she was on
holiday, she came home with the bright idea of a snap election and that did not
work out too well…… As for Angela Merkel, she is walking in the Italian Alps
with her hubby Joachim Sauer: they do not seem to be enjoying it much to judge
from a photo of them on a chair-lift. Cheer up, Angela! Putin bares his chest in
macho fashion as he sun-bathes in Siberia while The Donald is spending 17 days
in his golf club in Bedminster, NJ, working hard, he insists, but he will
surely put in a round a day to bolster his insatiable ego. I hate to think what Kim
Jong Un is up to: he is a little podgy for water-sports but he will certainly
float, sustained from below by four sycophantic army generals. In all events, I
do not grudge them their holidays - while they are away not much is likely to
happen……..though WW1 broke out in the August break of 1914!
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| Theresa and Philip May relax by Lake Garda |
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| Joachim Sauer and wife Angela "Sourpuss" Merkel on their hols. |
Whatever the world does, this
August look after No 1 and do everything and nothing as the spirit moves you.
Relax!
SMD
11.08.17
Text Copyright ©
Sidney Donald 2017
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