Sunday, October 20, 1991 - North Shore News - 9

The election’s all Greek to me

ELOUNDA BEACH, Crete — As I sit on my private
verandah, pecking away at the laptop, overlooking a calm
Aegean Sea, it takes formidable concentration to feel guil-

Rather like a priest who finds
the golf course more interesting
than mass, one of Greece’s most
celebrated resorts is our domicile,
while British Columbians march
to the polls.

I should be pacing around the
seaside bungalow, interrupted by
frequent calls home. It matters
not that the results will be known
by the time you read this.

As it is written, I feel ike a par-
ticipant in the memorable scene
from Ladislas Farago’s biography
of George Patton.

He portrays Patton, exiled from
the battlefront to Scotland, des-
perate to re-enter the fray. He
corners his friend Omar Bradley,
arguing for a new command, fi-
nally protesting: “‘God, Brad, this
whole damn thing will be over be-
fore I get back into it!”

Absence was not by design. Not
only do we not miss elections, I
go to great effort and expense to
attend even the most obscure of
political events.

This, however, was the election
that took two years to come.
Some months back, it becume ap-
parent that the only possible hole
in the schedule for 2 break was
October.

We went for it, certain that fate
would then dictate an election
during the absence.

Mike Harcourt chuckled when
he heard of our arrangements; not
that we were going to Greece, but
that my search for a specialist
with whom to pian the trip had
landed upon his agent, Nick
Panos.

_ We then let it be known that
the NDP was sending me to
. Greece for the election.

When I advised Rita Johazton
of this event, she snapped back:
“Why didn’t you tell me!’’

I subsequently puzzled over this

response. Was I to conclude that

: my travel schedule might have

_ altered the election date? Perhaps
she had a travel agent to recom-

: mend? I should have asked.

‘  We’Il mull this over later. Now:

: will it be the pool or the ocean;

‘ siesta or reading; dining room or

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the taverna? We, too, have im-
portant decisions to make.

During severai days in Athens,
Mykonos and now the largest of
the Greek Isles, this return to
Greece has predictably been a
cascade of experiznce.

We've wandered through the
famous Mykono< ‘abyrinth, with
its shops and restaurants. We tried
to envisage civilizations past at
Delos and in the ruins of Knossos
in Crete.

I would like to report that the
spectacular beaches and coastline
of Crete have Geen the most
overwhelming impressions, or the
charming — but rugged — indi-
vidualism of the natives. But this
is not so.

Nor has it been the flocks of
sheep we encountered high in the
mountains. We delicately navi-
gated our vehicle through these *
fluffy masses, herded along by
their masters. And following the
ringing of goats’ bells.

We were charmed again by the
predictable cluster of darkly at-
tired (and complexioned) men, sit-
ting on simple chairs outside tav-
ernas, seemingly located not only
in the centre of tiny villages, but
throughout the cities of Agios
Nikolaos, lraklion, Rethymnon,
and picturesque Canea. Animated
conversations seem to last from

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dawn to dusk, and frequently in-
volve Greek Orthodox priests.

More than once, my wife
remarked: ‘‘Look at these men ...
sitting on their butts while the
women are out working.”’

She seemed unimpressed when I
suggested that important affairs of
state were Geing resolved.

We salvaged a trace of
masculine pride in one village,
when a large truck rolled to a
stop. The driver boomed a
message over a loud speaker.

Wearing traditional black
dresses and scarves, women seem-
ed to fall out of every doorway,
and meandered toward the truck.

We soon saw that the event was
@ gypsy merchant selling rugs and
quilts.

I now know what they were
discussing over at the taverna.

“‘Just what we need, Spiros,
another gypsy rug!’’ This misfor-
tune would be good for a bottle
of ouzo.

Greece is a veritable bazaar of

’ human experience. Yet none of

these vignettes — this time —
have stood out. ’

What overwhelms in an in-
vigorating and refreshing way, is
the absence of Americans in suf-
focating numbers.

At Expo there was a rallying cry
every day as the gates opened, “
*Mericans Coming!”’ and this sea
of pleasant, affluent, uncultured
bozos would invade the site.

Our neighbors to the south are
an amazing paradox. They are at
once the friendliest, most talented
and most accomplished people in
the world, but also the most
boorish. They travel but remain
impervious to cultural stimulation.

it is more than mere caricature
to focus on an obese oaf with a
belly button bursting out from the
flowers on the Hawaiian shirt.

This chap is certain that
everyone in the world would like
to be an American just like

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himself.

American tourists don’t
discriminate among foreigners: the
multilingual PhD from the local
university and the peasant busboy
in the restaurant, both hear the
pigeon English speech about the
glories of the U.S.A.

Americans in massive numbers
are still scared of Greece. Visions
of hijackings, Achille Laura 2nd
other events dominate their think-
ing.

It is impossible to convince
them that it is more dangerous for
them to drive home from work
than it is to fly to Athens, or that
there has never been a Greek city
as violent or dangerous as a typi-
cal U.S. urban centre.

So they aren’t here in obnox-
ious numbers. The buzz of con-
versation in the hotel dining room
is a mix of Greek, Italian,
English, German, Spanish and
several Scandinavian languages.

There are a few Americans, ob-
viously experienced and
sophisticated travellers. Notably
absent is an Asian presence.

After brea{fast this morning, !
adjourned to the hotel's main
lounge for some reading. The
piped-in voice of 2 friend filled
the air.

The last time we were in
Greece, a taxi driver started
discussing music. | told him ! had
met Naas Mouskouri. He replied
that he had driven Neil Diamond
all over Greece. In fact, his cab
was a Nei! Diamond museum. He
seemed unimpressed by Nana.

But Greece still is. Despite years
based in Paris, she remains the
country’s most enduring — and
endearing — international star.
Throngh the magic of tape, I
listened to her in Crete this morn-
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favorite cities tomorrow night:
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