Coffee down at the beach which is not busy this morning, though the odd costumed child can be seen and there are leftover bits of ribbon from some celebration yesterday.
The emerging news from financial analysts is mostly negative, taking the view that a line has been crossed in failing to respect the sanctity of the principle of deposit insurance and also suggesting that this will lead to distrust of banks and social unrest in other EU countries. It also emerges that the decision to tax small depositors was made by Cyprus - i.e. the president - rather than imposed. The calculation is that a tax of 15.4% on amounts over the EURO 100,000 would have raised the same amount of money but the assumption is that Anastasiades was unwilling to anger the Russians. Though he's not likely to be forgiven by his own electorate as it's only four weeks ago that the now president campaigned for election swearing, as he did until a few days ago, that there would be no haircut.
Most stores are shut, but we stop at Metro and the bakery for milk and bread (last loaf of the season) and head home. We're passing a house about three blocks from home when we're halted by the beauty of a luxuriant bougainvillea. J is setting up an angle for a photograph through the gates when a young woman comes to meet us. we tell her how beautiful the garden is and she insists that we come in and meet her parents. There's an extended family gathering for the holiday and a barbecue taking place and in no time we're handed plates amid insistence that we join in. This is traditionally a meatless day - but not exactly penitential. There's a great spread of cooked and raw vegetables, pickles, humus, breads, kalimari, octopus, salads, wine, pastry. It's magnificent - and delicious. I sit at a table with the women while J joins the men and some of the grandchildren out near the enormous stone barbecue. There must be a dozen and a half people, including a couple of Asian women clearly working for and eating with the family. And a happy atmosphere despite the weather eye on a television screen as there are reports on the financial crisis. The vote on the levy, it turns out, has been postponed again (in fact it has been moved to Tuesday while there is an attempt to command a majority, possibly through renegotiation of the terms, though that could only be a juggling of the percentage points with few for small depositors and more for large).
After we've eaten, one of the daughters, and then two lovely teenage granddaughters, show us the rest of the house. It's quite extraordinarily beautiful in a baroque way. Elaborate gilt ornamentation and statuary and mirrors - a cross between a museum and a palace with rooms that truly would have been at home at Versailles - as well as photographs of the grandparents in their youth and the various daughters and grandchildren. The girls, cousins both named Andrea, talk about their country, their schools, their hopes - and translate fluently for their grandfather - though everyone's English is much better than our negligible Greek. They're being educated in English at the American Academy and the older one will be off to university this year. She alludes briefly to the financial levy - they take students' savings for university. we must have been with the family for two hours before we leave - with invitations to stop any time for coffee.
The final news of the day is that the banks will remain closed until Thursday. For years we have thought it ironic that the Greek word for banks is trapeza, and never has the finance here been a more precarious high wire act.
The emerging news from financial analysts is mostly negative, taking the view that a line has been crossed in failing to respect the sanctity of the principle of deposit insurance and also suggesting that this will lead to distrust of banks and social unrest in other EU countries. It also emerges that the decision to tax small depositors was made by Cyprus - i.e. the president - rather than imposed. The calculation is that a tax of 15.4% on amounts over the EURO 100,000 would have raised the same amount of money but the assumption is that Anastasiades was unwilling to anger the Russians. Though he's not likely to be forgiven by his own electorate as it's only four weeks ago that the now president campaigned for election swearing, as he did until a few days ago, that there would be no haircut.
After we've eaten, one of the daughters, and then two lovely teenage granddaughters, show us the rest of the house. It's quite extraordinarily beautiful in a baroque way. Elaborate gilt ornamentation and statuary and mirrors - a cross between a museum and a palace with rooms that truly would have been at home at Versailles - as well as photographs of the grandparents in their youth and the various daughters and grandchildren. The girls, cousins both named Andrea, talk about their country, their schools, their hopes - and translate fluently for their grandfather - though everyone's English is much better than our negligible Greek. They're being educated in English at the American Academy and the older one will be off to university this year. She alludes briefly to the financial levy - they take students' savings for university. we must have been with the family for two hours before we leave - with invitations to stop any time for coffee.The final news of the day is that the banks will remain closed until Thursday. For years we have thought it ironic that the Greek word for banks is trapeza, and never has the finance here been a more precarious high wire act.
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