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Greece is throwing itself headfirst into the Christmas Spirit. Carols in the streets, Santas wherever you look, they even have the voices of Bing Crosby singing, White Christmas. It feels bizarre to hear jingle Bells and We Wish you a Merry Christmas echoing through the Squares around the city. If you're still thinking the sparkle and shine of Christmas with its' shopping frenzy and Western psyche isn't part of Greek culture, then you'd be wrong. Over the past 10 years, Greece enjoys the massive consumer Christmas the rest of the Western world enjoys...or not. |
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This year it seems more people are leaving Ithaca for Christmas than going to Ithaca. The afternoon ferry from the island was full when it arrived in Patras at 8pm. Many familiar faces emerged once the ramp dropped, to let the hordes escape the 3 1/2 hour ferry imprisonment that seems a little more like 6 hours during the Winter. From Ithaca to Patras and Patras to Ithaca on the same day is quite a journey, and not one that can be done too often, unless out of desperate need. It's long and tedious. You wake at around 5.30am to get ready for the ferry that leaves at 7am (if you're a northerner, you don't have to get up that early if you live in Vathy) to arrive back home between 1 - 1.30 am. Quite a trek. Still a change is as good as a holiday, and Patras can be quite rewarding in the shopping department. |
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