HAPPENINGS…..

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A windless Monday morning. Bright sky. Few clouds. Mirror looking water.

I could not wait for Meet the Press to come on yesterday morning. I anticipated the show  would be devoted to Paul Ryan. It was.

Ryan is starting with a  bang. To be expected. He is the new kid on the block. The new flavor of ice cream.

It is a long way to election day. Let us see how he holds up.

Sloan spent a couple of hours with me. There are people who understand computers, printers, cell phones, and the like. Everything simple to them. Sloan is one of those people. I on the other hand am an illiterate when it comes to machinery. I need a Sloan.

Sport TV watching was top shelf yesterday morning and into the early evening.

The finals of Olympic basketball. Great basketball! Le Bran James looked terrific in the last two minutes in leading the USA to victory.

I was flipping channels throughout the game. The PGA was on another channel.

Rory McIlroy was the best of the best in winning. Tiger Woods still could not make it. Goes into the final day tied for the lead and ends up either seventh or eleventh. I doubt Woods will ever return to his former playing ability. He lost whatever is required to be a constant winner when the wife episode occurred. He has paid a heavy price for his meanderings in many ways.

I published another article on Amazon Kindle yesterday. The title: Cockfighting. A sport of the ancients, some Presidents, and some  back mangrove florida keys residents.

Stopped into the Chart Room last night. Quiet. One drink and I was gone.

Dinner at the Hot Tin Roof. The restaurant was basically empty when I arrived. Joseph greeted me. I was told Saturday night was big. Just like in season.

Before I finished dinner, the place was packed. Small and big parties alike. Sunday turned out to be a good business evening also.

When I got in the car to return home, there was a terrible stink. Like a dead animal. It went away after a few blocks of driving. It returned when I turned the car off in the garage. A terrible smell!

I looked under the car. Nothing. Looked under the hood. Nothing. Looked in the trunk. Something. A sick package of cheese. Oh, the smell! It must have fallen out of one of the grocery bags when I shopped a couple of weeks ago and fermented in the hot trunk since then.

I threw it in the garbage bin in the garage. No good. Still stunk. In fact, the whole garage was bad. I finally took the garbage bag out to the street. Garbage pick up was this morning. I feel sorry for the garbage man. The pick up was riper than usual.

The morning news reports that Egypt’s President Mohamed Mursi has fired or caused to resign some top generals. Apparently the younger officers are supporting the President.

The move is unquestionably a coup. The military have been the actual rulers for sixty years. Even under Mubarack.

Is Mursi’s move good for Egypt and the rest of the world? Definitely not.

Mursi is an Islamist. A memeber of the Muslim Brotherhood. A supporter of the radical Muslim clergy.

Not nice people.

Recall that during the uprising several months ago, women  were in the forefront. Not today. They are not any significant part of the new government. Women are women under Muslim rule. They sit in the back seat of the bus. The new government they helped into power has turned its back on them.

The United States supported the overthrow of Mubarack. Our friend of 40 years. An Arab supporter of Israel. A mistake. In the future, we should not be so quick to support revolution in the name of democracy when a true friend is under siege. The United States turned its back on Mubarack as the new Islamic radical government has turned its back on women.

The new rulers of Egypt are bad people. I do not believe the generals will go quietly into the night. Time will tell.

Enjoy your day!

 

DAY 18

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Mykonos. Nothing to compare it to. Perhaps a bit like the Jersey Shore, Coney Island or Jones Beach of old. Trying to be the Hamptons, but not quite making it.

Hordes of people! More than I can describe. All on holiday. Tourism is the major industry. The only industry.

Besides the original natives, way back in history there was an influx of Egyptians and Phoenicians. There are many wind mills. Known world wide as Mykonos’ landmark.

The name of the island is Mykonos. The name of the principal town is named Mykonos, also. Unusual.

Chora is the place to be in Mykonos. It is a special area of the town. A neighborhood unto itself. Stone buildings built close together. Narrow streets between them. Very narrow. Like 3-5 feet. The buildings were built close together many years ago to protect them from the sea and its storms. Today those alleys/walkways are the playground of Mykonos. Stores, bars, restaurants and I do not know what permeate the area.

These alleys of Chora go every which way. Like a maze. Easy to get lost.

Little Venice hangs on the ocean side of the Chora. It is called such because its houses literally hang over the sea.
At least the balconies do.

I find three differences between Mykonos and Santorini.

One unquestionably is the weather. The humidity on Mykonos is a killer. The evening brings no relief. Breeze. What breeze? There is little, if any. Whereas Santorini had no humidity, was hot by day and cool by night. A sweater or jacket was required in the evening. Air conditioning not used. Open a window or door and sleep comfortably under a blanket.

It is said the difference in humidity, etc. between the two islands is the height of each. Santorini is high and buildings are on top of the cliffs. Mykonos is relatively low. Hills. Gradual, however.

Only about 100 miles separates Mykonos and Santorini. Mykonos is to the north of Santorini and normally would be cooler. It is not.

A second difference is the number of people visiting each island. Mykonos is jam packed. An avalange of people arrive daily. Every nationality visits and works on Mykonos. I would describe the crowd last night in the Chora area as being just slightly less appearance wise as Times Square on New Year’s Eve.

Santorini has significantly fewer visitors. Comparatively speaking, I would estimate Mykonos has more vistors than Santorini by 30-1.

The final difference is in the atmosphere. It is in the air. Everyone whoops it up on Mykonos. Party time till the wee hours of the morning. Santorini is in bed by 10. The streets are totally empty by 11.

Life begins between 10 and 11 in Mykonos. Last night as I was walking to my hotel away from the Chora, tons of younger people were walkimng in the opposite direction. Towards the Chora. The ladies dressed. Dressed! Like in minis, knee length and other size dresses. Heels. Tall. Made up for a night on the town.

I felt sorry for the ladies. The humidity was so heavy I could see their make up starting to run.

By the way, I was walking up to my hotel at 10 while the younger ones were going downhill into the Chora to begin their evening. A difference between the generations.

I had dinner last night in the Chora. Overlooking the sea. The restaurant was Antonia’s. Just like in Key West. Key West’s Antonia’s puts out a better product, though I did enjoy my meal. A lamb casserole.

After dinner, I was off to find the Montparnasse. It is a piano bar. The only piano bar in Mykonos.

Donna and Terri suggested I stop there. Teri sang there at one time. They told me the owners were a Judy and Nikko. Terri said tell them of our relationship and be prepared to be treated royally.

I never did. I could not find the place. It is in one of those alleys I described earlier. I asked three knowledgeable Mykonos citizens where it was. Each knew. Each sent me to a different place. Each was wrong. By this time, the humidty had gotten to me and I said screw it.

Bobby Peaco, who played and sang at the Keys Piano Bar, is playing at Montparnasse now. I was looking forward to seeing him again. I was also looking forward to boozing it up a bit. Did not occur because this man could take the heat no more.

Perhaps tonight.

The stones constituting the walkway in the Chora alleys interested me. I was told they have been there forever. They reminded me of the stones making up the Appian Way. Thirty years ago when in Rome, I visited the Appian Way. The roads were constructed of larger stones than in Mykonos. The same stones which the Roman chariots traveled over. Back before the birth of Christ. The Mykonos and Appian Way stones were similar, except in size.

Mykonos is definitely a tourist town. The prices 25-50 per cent higher than Santinori. Gin on the rocks was 50 per cent higher. For Gordon’s! I did not find this gouging on Santorini.

Today the Super Paradise Beach. I have been assured by many it is one of the world’s finest beaches. I am looking for to experioencing it.

The bottom line is Mykonos is a terrific vacation place. For many from all over the world. It is not my cup of tea, however.

The Greek election is Sunday. Very significant! The result will have world wide impact.

I compare this election to Governor Walker’s recent recall election in Wisconsin. I thought surely he would have been beaten. He was not. Walker has now set the trend to be followed for the next ten years at least in the United States.

In Greece, the issue is the euro or back to the dracma. From what I have experienced in Athens and Santorini, the populace wants back to the drachma. Except for my friend and recent landlord Nikos. He wants to stay with the euro. Nikos represents the affluent. The others I spoke with the more common people. A Wall Street / Main Street battle all over again.

No one is talking politics on Mykonos. The locals are too busy making money. The tourists too busy having a good time.

Sunday will tell the story.

Joanna is my saviour! Her grandfather built the hotel I am staying in some fifty years ago. Her uncle now owns it. She manages the place.

Joanna is some place in her twenties. Industrious. Charming. Ever so helpful. You have to inderstand my cell phone is down, whi fi does not work that often here, and Louis needs a computer to do his blog.

I explained my problem to Joanna when I checked in. She said no problem. You will use mine as long as you are here. So here I am, sitting at her desk, punching away.

An international hotel chain should look at Joanna. Her experience is in the blood. She would make a great acquisition.

Enjoy your day!