Visitors to Greece: Over 32 Million in 2018?

From Greek Reporter, Tourism Growth Continues as Visitors to Greece set to Surpass 32 Million in 2018


The tragedy of Greek statistics, eKathimerini


Update December 15th, 2018:

Greece’s Tourism Growth to ‘Level Off in 2019’, Greek Reporter


"Greece’s extraordinary growth in tourist arrivals over the last years is likely to level off in 2019, the President of the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE) Yiannis Retsos warned on Friday.
He announced that in 2018, Greece attracted about 33 million foreign visitors and tourism revenue rose to 16 billion euros ($18 billion)...Retsos also highlighted the inadequacy in basic infrastructure such as electricity, water supply and waste management in many tourist areas of Greece".


More Tourists — But They Spend Much Less, Greek Reporter

George Bernard Shaw, Maxims for Revolutionists (Man and Superman, 1903)

Find the maxims here

Some examples:

Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may not be the same.


The flunkeyism propagated by the throne is the price we pay for its political convenience.


Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.


When a man teaches something he does not know to somebody else who has no aptitude for it, and gives him a certificate of proficiency, the latter has completed the education of a gentleman.


He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches.


A learned man is an idler who kills time with study. Beware of his false knowledge: it is more dangerous than ignorance.

England's Social Mobility Index, by Constituency; South Dorset the lowest ranking constituency

From House of Commons Library

"The House of Commons Library's Social Mobility Index by Constituency (SMIC) provides an indication of how likely a person from a disadvantaged background in each constituency is to progress to a higher social status later in life. The SMIC compares constituencies in England using 14 variables which represent four life stages: early years, school age, youth, and adulthood"

South Dorset is the lowest ranking constituency in terms of social mobility, at position 533 out of 533 constituencies.  The MP for South Dorset is Richard Drax. West Dorset is ranked at position 269.

Download the full report Social Mobility Index by Constituency SMIC (  PDF, 5.26 MB)

Commons Briefing papers CBP-8400

Authors: Lukas Audickas; Grahame Allen

Topics: Children and families, Equality, Further education, Higher education, Incomes and poverty, Local authorities: education, Ofsted, Pre-school education, Schools, Students

Download the full report Social Mobility Index by Constituency SMIC ( PDF, 5.26 MB)

Supporting documents SMIC.Dashboard.download (Excel Spreadsheet, 2.31 MB)



Also - worth watching: Britain's Forgotten Slave Owners, BBC iPlayer

Greece: Change in the Weather; Swimming in Weymouth

From Greek Reporter: Greece Braces for Heavy Rain from Storm System ‘Orestes’ Arriving on Monday

Greece: Lightning Strikes, Kathimerini


Check the weather in Greece, Kathimerini


It seems we left in good time.


Today I was swimming at Overcombe Bay, Weymouth. A beautiful morning, just like Greece two days ago!

PROGONOPLEXIA: Προγονοπληξια - Ancestoritis Obsession

A new word to me:

From FamilyTree.com:

"Progonoplexia is a word used to describe people who have become obsessed with discovering as much as possible about their ancestors. It is another word for “ancestoritis”, which is a rough translation of a Greek word that meant something like “having a deep obsession with one’s ancestry”.
MyHeritage notes that learning about one’s ancestors was a huge part of Greek identity. Doing so allowed people to brag about their ancestors. It allowed them to point out the past glories of their ancestors, and have those glories reflected upon themselves".

"The word was coined to describe the modern Greek people’s preoccupation with discovering their ancient past. It’s an obsession that has lasted over time".

Really?

An example of the Greek word, in an analysis of the works of Andreas Karkavitsas (pdf, -age 7):

"Πριν από το κλείσιμο του αιώνα, και συγκεκριμένα το 1897, θα ακολουθήσει ακόμη ένας αποτυχημένος πόλεμος με την Τουρκία, που θα μείνει γνωστός στην ιστορία ως ο «Ατυχής Πόλεμος». Τη νίκη του Σπύρου Λούη και τις ζητωκραυγές των Ελλήνων, έναν χρόνο νωρίτερα, στους πρώτους σύγχρονους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες στην Αθήνα, θα διαδεχτεί η απογοήτευση και η μεμψιμοιρία. Οι συνεχείς ήττες είχαν αντίκτυπο και στον ίδιο τον συγγραφέα που, μαζί με άλλους, θεωρούσε ως αίτιο της καταστροφής την προγονοπληξία. Σε μια προσπάθεια οργανικής σύνδεσης της αρχαίας κληρονομιάς με τον νεότερο ελληνισμό συνέγραψε τη νουβέλα του Ο Αρχαιολόγος (1903)".

Solomos, On the Death of Lord Byron

Solomos' lyrical poem on the death of Lord Byron contains 166 stanzas. It's rightly criticised by Romilly Jenkins.

I reproduce three verses from the beginning, and the final verse - probably sufficient for most readers!

1.

Λευτεριά, γιὰ λίγο πάψε

νὰ χτυπᾶς μὲ τὸ σπαθί.

Τώρα σίμωσε καὶ κλάψε

εἰς τοῦ Μπάιρον τὸ κορμί.

2.

Καὶ κατόπι ἂς ἀκλουθοῦνε

ὅσοι ἐπράξανε λαμπρά.

ἀποπάνου του ἂς χτυποῦνε

μόνο στήθια ἡρωικά.

3.

Πρῶτοι ἂς ἔλθουνε οἱ Σουλιῶτες,

καὶ ἀπ᾿ τὸ Λείψανον αὐτὸ

ἂς μακραίνουνε οἱ προδότες

καὶ ἀπ᾿ τὰ λόγια ὁποῦ θὰ πῶ.

166.

«Ἡ Διχόνοια κατατρέχει

τὴν Ἑλλάδα. Ἂν νικηθεῖ,

ΜΑ ΤΟΝ ΚΟΣΜΟ ΠΟΥ ΜΑΣ ΕΧΕΙ,

τ᾿ ὄνομά σας ξαναζεῖ».

More information about the poem, Solomos Museum, Zakynthos