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 leavesContinue reading “2026 GREEK TRAVEL ADVENTURE: Short Attention Span Version: 14September2026: Pythagorio, Samos: Embarrassing Reluctance Being a Tourist: Get Those Cruise Ship Daytrippers Outta Here!”
Tag Archives: Robert K. Stephen
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 andContinue reading “2026 GREEK TRAVEL ADVENTURE: Short Attention Span Version: 14September2026: Pythagorio, Samos: Difficulty Parking and the Motorcycle Accident”
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 bornContinue reading “RKS African Literature: That Which is Born Black Will Never be White (Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o)”
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 “downContinue reading “RKS Spanish Wine: A Monastrell from Jumilla”
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 refusedContinue reading “RKS African Literature: Rent Control in Nairobi, Kenya (Ngũgĩ Wa Thiong’o)”
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 hurtContinue reading “RKS Chinese Literature: Hardships of the Sing Song Girls (Shen Fu)”
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 wasContinue reading “RKS Literature: Returning to London from Kurtz and the Jungle (Joseph Conrad)”
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 gatesContinue reading “RKS Chinese Literature: Smoking Opium, Hugging and Joking with the Sing-Song Girls (Shen Fu)”
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 isContinue reading “RKS Chinese Literature: Where Monks Should Not Live (Shen Fu)”
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 higherContinue reading “RKS Chinese Literature: Be Very Careful Looking at Stone Mirror Mountain! (Shen Fu)”
