Snap decisions are always costly


Phobia of being stranded on an island…or this?

I started today reflecting on how snap decisions may be some of the best things in life, after all…if it wasn’t for me making a snap decision some 17 years ago, he wouldn’t have the two great kids he now has.  That’s the short version of the story.  As for the longer version…you’ll have to ask me later.

Well, yesterday’s rush to purchase non-refundable tickets to Crete appears to be all for not.  The Greek parliament, as many of you know, has opted for all out war with it’s people to obtain that next lot of money to come in from the EU.  I wasn’t so worried about avoiding protests in Athens, but the neighbouring cities have started protesting as well…and worst of all is the work stoppages.  News reports suggest union strikes which would affect airline and ferry traffic.  Going to and island is a little nerve-wracking because of the limited travel options to get out.  I am sure there is some convoluted phobia for that…similar to the fear of scary dolls and clowns (Coulrophobia, for those of you keeping score at home).  Add a failed economy, very unhappy citizens, and the potential to arrive in a city where you can’t get at your baggage…it’s put a damper on the whole Greek Isle segment of our trip.  I can’t say I wouldn’t mind the opportunity to take advantage of the baggage insurance that fancy Visa Avion provides…but there is likely some clause in there to account specifcally for Grecian revolt.

It’s an interesting time though to travel.  Over the course of a few days we have changed direction about three times…still without a plan beyond Prague.  Politics never factored into where I was going before, but then I didn’t keep track of the news.  It’s only those back home that did, and were usually concerned because of the biased reports supplied in a 30 second segment.  When back in Venezuela, a 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook Colombia killing almost 1200 people.  With my limited spanish, and beach sleeping days, I had no idea despite the panic from home to know if I was OK.  We’re just in different times now…and I suspect it’s this damn internet.

We now know that cold weather and museums are good for about three weeks of ‘vacation’, and that’s an absolute maximum.  I would like to stop sleeping with a hoodie on, and not dream of those museum staff wanting to claw my eyes out for getting too close to some 9th century Vietnamese goblet.  Longings for those picturesque islands, deep in the Mediterranean will just have to be shifted westerly a few hundred miles.  Maybe to a land where we can actually decipher the language without having to refer to qualifying the difference in foods by eye through glass.  Breading and frying meat products does tend to make them all look the same, as does turning good food into wursts of all shapes, sizes and colours.  Sure you can order sausagey surprise, but that first bite is the real tell…mmm, cold chicken…or was that veal?  I am thinking more of a land where greeting people, and thanking them, can be accomplished with the very limited lingual IQ the two of us can manifest.

What will I do with that new scarf though?

Oh yeah, and now Crete might still be on.  The airline says it will refund us a total of 22euro if we do cancel.  Maybe it’s time to put up a poll question as to whether to brave the small island strandedness.


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