Hugh Marshall

Having concluded our few days in Greece, what struck me the most was the pronounced contrast between the order and civility of Ancient Greek society, and the inefficiency and squalor of modern Greece. Arriving at the airport, we encountered what was nominally Greek customs, comprising of a barren walk-way with just one sniffer dog. Sadly the one sniffer-dog was preoccupied, leaving us to enter the country totally unchallenged. Later, on the motorway, we had our first experience with Greek driving. The speed limit seemed to be a useless irrelevancy, with most drivers moving along at speeds in excess of 140km/h. Motorcyclists were universally helmet-less, including the Police. We saw one man speeding while driving his motorcycle with one hand, while smoking. In the city centre, we realised that to cross without the green man invited death, but crossing on the green man was not a great deal safer. Rubbish adorns most sidewalks and graffiti covers buildings. Despite all these things, it was amazing learning about the extent and influence of Ancient Greece, from the impressive tombs of Mycenae, constructed of 5 tonne stone slabs, to the ruins of Corinth over the hill, extremely well preserved considering their age and just as impressive in their opulence. The evening walk up Mt. Lycabettos left everyone knackered, but allowed