Athens

When I started this blog in Bosnia (2009) I had no inkling we might return to permits & visas so I’m using my EU passport while I can. Sat next to a young Greek on Easyjet who is working in London – she Facetimes her family in Athens every evening. I saw her run happily for the exit when we landed.

In 2015 Greece voted 60-40 to leave the EU rather than accept a harsh austerity package (although the government decided to stay). My friend didn’t think the EU was a union at all and saw no evidence of mutual benefit – look at Italy, Spain, she said. Greece does what it can for refugees – where else can they go, she asked, you have to treat people as human beings.

Waxy potatoes and meatballs for dinner and then to a tiny guest house with reproduction ancient reliefs set into the walls and ceiling fans.