2026 GREEK TRAVEL ADVENTURE: Short Attention Span Version: 14September2026: Pythagorio, Samos: Embarrassing Reluctance Being a Tourist: Get Those Cruise Ship Daytrippers Outta Here!

Tourism is enormously important for Greece generating approximately a third of its GDP. Given the swelling mass of tourists I have encountered in this visit Greece faces a potential overtourism problem that must be managed to avoid a negative boomerang. Given the inability of Athens Eleftherios Airport to manage passenger flow, one enters and leaves Greece with a sour taste in one’s mouth hardly a good base to encourage touristic loyalty.

Samos has a small airport and at its peak tourist season some 10 international and three domestic carriers. One may encounter overtourism in Samos evident in the town of Pythagorio a five-minute drive from Doryssa Seaside Resort. Once a quiet and charming town its port area is choked with tourists at its bars and restaurants. It’s big business with profits to be made and there is a hustle you atmosphere at many of the bars and restaurants attempting to reel you in. You know that “hostess” at the door beckoning you in and waving a menu in your face. It is a mob scene. Add on to this area buses disgorging cruise ship passengers. There is a bar at the corner of the main street heading down to the port area and its restaurants which after several years of wanting to sit there I finally did. In the space of 20 minutes four buses spewing their diesel fumes disgorged cruise ship passengers for “an authentic Greek island dining experience” or some other enticing phraseology the cruise line marketing people had dreamt up. They are funny these cruise ship mobs clinging together like seaweed to a rock often poorly dressed. Witnessing this I ask do I really want to be here? Not really.

My research indicated a restaurant Faros was somewhat out of the way and so it was at the far-left hand side of the port promenade. There were tables located on a deck overlooking the sea and a few tables on the beach. Quiet and no need to look or hear a mass of noisy people on the main part of the promenade. You felt a sense of serenity and peace. Dinner was good with Greek salad, grilled octopus and a half litre of house white. And as is customary in the more traditional restaurants a complimentary dessert. Tried to cut through side streets enroute to the car to avoid the seething mobs with some success.

2026 GREEK TRAVEL ADVENTURE: Short Attention Span Version: 14September2026: Pythagorio, Samos: Difficulty Parking and the Motorcycle Accident

Although Doryssa Seaside Resort’s main building and its rooms may need tender loving care (such as my room 277) the buffet breakfast retains its lustre. My favourite this time were two large bowls, one filled with segments of orange the other with grapefruit. In season and absolutely stellar! There are local pastries both sweet and savoury such as spanakopita or galaktoboureko, the “real Greek yogurt” with Samian honey to top it with or several types of preserves if you prefer. There are cheeses including gouda and Edam for the many Dutch guests and all manner of high-quality breads. Must chuckle seeing thank goodness no beans and sausages as there are few Brits. But yes there are stewed tomatoes and small wieners. I decided for a feta cheese and tomato omelette. I enjoyed the croissants with Greek marmalade on the side. As usual year after year there are too few coffee machines and this year the lattes and their cappuccinos are undrinkable. After the top rate latte and cappuccino at Daios Luxury Living in Thessaloniki hand crafted by baristas anything less is a disappointment. Our usual table overlooking the sea and enjoying such wonderful food is a real treat and if only the coffee was up to snuff!

What shocks me are the 80% of Filipinos working at the restaurant! When did this happen? Why? Cheap labour or as a taxi driver in Greece said to me our young people all want to be influencers and social media stars so they spend all day on their computers. The staff at the restaurant are extremely skilled and affable almost with a smile and a greeting so I will overlook our table being given away while we were up at the buffet!

Rather similar to Sliema in Malta where almost all the hotel staff were Indian and as a taxi driver there said to me the younger generation are all studying to be professionals and look down on service jobs in the hospitality industry.

Hopped in our little silver Suzuki and drove 14 kms to the main city on Samos originally called Vathi and still by the old timers like me. Its name has changed to Samos Town or Samos City. As far as many Greek islands go as to architecture it is far more of a commercial centre. There are many open-air cafes in the town square and restaurants and bars lining the main street as you head to the port. When looking for parking just ahead of me a motorcycle accident occurred. I saw the poor motorcyclist take a spill and right himself and limp to the pavement head held between his hands. As we passed by him on the way back from an unsuccessful attempt to find parking he was holding a bloody cloth to his head with police and an ambulance present. He was wearing a helmet thank goodness.

 Some five years ago Samos created a seaside no charge parking lot to accommodate vehicles but it is so heavily used as morning transitions to afternoon parking spots become rare. After three passes I gave up and luckily found a spot on the main seaside road opposite the bus station.

I should add the main roads in Samos are good. Be prepared for many curves and a speed limit often at 50 kms with limited opportunities for passing except for a legion of kamikaze drivers and there are many roadside “shrines” (kandylakia) to victims of the roads. They are built from stone, metal, concrete, wood or marble typically featuring a small cross, icons a lit oil or candle. The name of the victim and often a photograph is also present.

Set back from the seaside promenade is the main shopping street with many restaurants. A quaint enjoyable pedestrian only walk.

RKS African Literature: That Which is Born Black Will Never be White (Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o)

Warĩĩnga was convinced that her appearance was the root cause of all her problems. Whenever she looked at herself in the mirror she thought herself very ugly. What she hated most was her blackness, so she would disfigure her body with skin lightening creams like Ambi and Snowfire forgetting the saying: That which is born black will never be white. Now her body was covered by black and white spots like the guineafowl. Her hair was splitting, and it had browned to the color of moleskin because it had been straightened with red hot iron combs.

Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o, “Devil on the Cross”, 1982

RKS Spanish Wine: A Monastrell from Jumilla

A joint effort between Familia Bastida and Bodegas Alceño.

Aroma: Primary notes of blackberry with secondary notes of cassis and violets. Suggestive of creaminess and generous oak, predominately American.

Taste: Gentle mounting acidity in this mid bodied wine certainly diminishes the aromatic hints of creaminess to come as the nose suggests! Cuts the fruitiness “down to size”. Minimal tannins. Long almost tingly finish.

Cellarbility: Don’t go beyond 2027.

Food Match: Turkish Eggplant Dolma. Price $17 CDN.

RKS Spanish Wine Rating; 91/100 (Tasted 4October2026): 96 Decanter 2023 World Wine Awards.

Genio Español Roble Monastrell 2021, Do Jumilla, Bodegas Alceño, Murcia, Spain, 750 mL, 14%

RKS African Literature: Rent Control in Nairobi, Kenya (Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o)

On Saturday morning Warĩĩnga was visited by her landlord, the owner of the house in Ofafa, Jericho, Nairobi, in which she rented a room. (A house or a bird’s nest? The floor was pitted with holes, the walls gaped with cracks, the ceiling leaked.). The landlord told Warĩĩnga he was increasing her rent. She refused to pay more. He ordered her to quit the premises that instant. She objected, declaring the matter should be referred to the Rent Tribunal for settlement. Her landlord climbed into his Mercedes Benz and drove off. Before Warĩĩnga could blink he had returned with three thugs wearing dark sunglasses. The landlord stood at some distance from Warĩĩnga, arms akimbo, taunting her: “There I have brought your Rent Tribunal.” Warĩĩnga’s things were thrown out of the room, and the door was locked with a new padlock. One of the henchmen tossed a piece of paper at the girl, on which was written:

We are the Devil’s Angels: Private Businessmen

Make the slightest move to take this matter to the authorities and we shall issue you a single ticket to God’s kingdom, or Satan’s-a one-way ticket to Heaven or Hell.

Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o, “Devil on the Cross”, 1982

Photo: R. Kennedy Stephen

RKS Chinese Literature: Hardships of the Sing Song Girls (Shen Fu)

Tsui-ku told me of their life of constantly welcoming new guests and seeing off old ones. When unhappy they still had to laugh loudly, and when they could not stand the taste of wine they still had to drink a great deal; when sick they still had to entertain guests, and when their throats hurt they still had to sing. There were, she said, rough guests, if even slightly dissatisfied would throw wine about, overturn tables and curse loudly.

These affairs were never investigated by the madam, who on the contrary would say that they had not entertained the guest well enough. She told me too about evil customers who kept up their horseplay from sunset until dawn, until it became unbearable.

Shen Fu, “The Delights of Roaming Afar” (Six Records of a Floating Life)

RKS Literature: Returning to London from Kurtz and the Jungle (Joseph Conrad)

I found myself back in the sepulchral city resenting the sight of people hurrying through the streets to filch a little money from each other, to devour their infamous cookery, to gulp their unwholesome beer, to dream their insignificant and silly dreams. They trespassed on my thoughts. They were intruders whose knowledge of life was to me an irritating presence, because I felt so sure they could not possibly know the things I knew. Their bearing, which was simply the bearing of commonplace individuals going about their business in the assurance of perfect safety, was offensive to me like the outrageous flauntings of folly in the face of danger unable to comprehend. I had no particular desire to enlighten them, but I had some difficulty in restraining myself from laughing in their faces, so full, of stupid importance.

Joseph Conrad, “Heart of Darkness”, 1899

RKS Chinese Literature: Smoking Opium, Hugging and Joking with the Sing-Song Girls (Shen Fu)

We had the wine boat anchor in the middle of the river and happily drank away until several strokes of the night watch had sounded. By then I had begun to fear I could not control myself and so had firmly resolved to return to our rooms, but my friends told me the city gates had already been locked for the night. This is because the gates of all sea frontier cities are locked as soon as the sun sets, but I had not known this before.

By the time we had finished dinner, some of us were lying down smoking opium while others were hugging the girls and making jokes. The servants then began bringing in quilts and pillows, as if to make a common bed for us all.

Shen Fu, “The Delights of Roaming Afar” (Six Records of a Floating Life)

RKS Chinese Literature: Where Monks Should Not Live (Shen Fu)

To the friends who were with me that day, I said: ‘Men who want to be monks must live in this kind of secluded place, seeing and hearing nothing for their entire lives, so that they can meditate in tranquillity. At a place like Tiger Hill in my home country, all day long there is nothing for the eye to see but bewitching boys and captivating girls, nothing but the ear to hear but the music of strumming instruments and songs, and nothing for the nose to smell but good food and fine wines. How could a monk there make his body like dried wood, or his heart like dead ashes?

Shen Fu, “The Delights of Roaming Afar” (Six Records of a Floating Life)

RKS Chinese Literature: Be Very Careful Looking at Stone Mirror Mountain! (Shen Fu)

Near the town was a mountain called Stone Mirror Mountain. To see the ‘mirror’ you followed a winding path through the mountains for about a li and then came to a cliff with water rushing down its face, and with moist greenery that itself seemed about to begin dripping over the ground. Gradually climbing higher to the middle of the mountain, you arrived at a square stone pavilion with four high walls. The left and right of the pavilion were as flat as screens, and the light reflected from their lustrous green surfaces so that you could see yourself in them. It was said that once, if a man looked into them, they would reflect what he had been in a former life. But when Hung Tsao came there, he is supposed to have looked into the walls and seen the image of an ape, and then he set fire to the pavilion and burned the walls so they lost their power.

Shen Fu, “The Delights of Roaming Afar” (Six Records of a Floating Life)