Greek Economy could affect travel plans

[denniti]

Hi Great8:

The taxi driver/tour guide that we used was Nikos Maris of Taxi Service [EMAIL="nickmaris78@yahoo.com"]nickmaris78@yahoo.com[/EMAIL]. While he is a taxi driver first, he is very conscientious and gave us a great tour with commentary. We did the Acropolis and other sites by ourselves, but he drove us to each of them, telling us about them as we drove, and he made sure we arrived in time for the changing of the guard and to various spots for pictures, plaka for shopping, etc. He was very aware of the striking, etc. and showed us areas that had been targeted. He didn't seem concerned, but he would be a good one to email ahead of time - I think he'll give you an honest assessment. We did not book in advance. We were lucky to run into him in Piraeus. Have a great trip!!

[TLCOhio]

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Georgia"]From the AP/Associated Press yesterday, they have this headline: [B][I]"Acropolis open for full moon as pay dispute solved"[/I][/B] with these highlights: [I]"Greek officials say the Acropolis in Athens will open on the night of the August full moon Tuesday after a pay dispute with security guards has been resolved. The culture and tourism ministry says the citadel will be among more than 90 sites and museums to open by moonlight on the one night a year the public can enter monuments after sundown."[/I] Overall, it seems that things are working in Greece from what we hear and read, but there are little "tension points" that will hopefully, as happened here, get "worked out".

The story also noted: [I]"The guards' union backed down Monday, saying they would donate their wages to charity. [I][B]The Acropolis, with its 2,500-year-old marble temples, is Greece's most popular ancient site.[/B][/I]"[/I]

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

Full story at:
[url]http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/aug/28/acropolis-open-for-full-moon-as-pay-dispute-solved/[/url]

For more details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle Silver Cloud experiences:
[url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923[/url]

[pumpkin74]

[quote name='denniti']We just got back from our Mediterranean cruise with Royal Caribbean BOS and toured Athens on the 15th of August. We did not experience any strikers at all. We watched the changing of the guard at the Greek houses of parliament, did the acropolis, sygmata square, etc. It was a National holiday, but our taxi driver, who lives in Piraeus, said that it has been quiet since the unrest and didn't expect it to start up again until later in the year. He also said that any demonstrations that he saw were uneventful. The wide spread corruption by the Greek government is sickening - those poor people . . . hope they get it resolved, peacefully.

If anyone needs a recommendation for a reasonably priced taxi driver/knowledgable tour guide, please let me know.

Tina[/quote]

Denniti, we're spending 2 days post Azamara Cruise 11/4 in Athens and would love taxi recommendation. My email is marlene74@ comcast.net. Thanks!

[maggie3]

[quote name='rian90']Again, can't we keep US politics out of this? I could tell you why..but I prefer to leave that for a political forum.[/quote]

Rian90, it seems, unfortunately, that many of the political posters on this board may know more about what is happening on Dancing With the Stars and American Idol, than what has happened in our own country, and then in the world over the last decade.

[lanceholt]

[quote name='chipmaster']It looks ugly, that is what happens when Goverments talk and don't bite the bullet and balance the budget. Obama are you paying attention![/quote]

I don't think this political slam is necessary in this type of forum, keep your political views to yourself.

[rian90]

[quote name='maggie3']Rian90, it seems, unfortunately, that many of the political posters on this board may know more about what is happening on Dancing With the Stars and American Idol, than what has happened in our own country, and then in the world over the last decade.[/quote]

LOL Very true. I must be odd but I have never watched either of those shows and neither have my children. Thanks for the chuckle.

[TLCOhio]

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Georgia"]Maybe this involves some "spin", but here are some specifics cited in this news item from the Bloomberg News/Business Week. They have this headline: [B][I]"Papaconstantinou Says Greece’s Economy May Shrink Less Than 4%"[/I][/B] with these highlights: [I]"Greek Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou said the country’s economy will likely shrink 'more mildly' than initial estimates and the country is on the right track to avoid a debt restructuring. The economy is forecast to shrink 4 percent this year, according to estimates released by the ministry on May 3."[/I] The below Reuters story offers more details.

From a Rick Steves blog posting, they have this headline: [B][I]"Greece's 'Economic Crisis' and Its Effect on Travelers"[/I][/B] with these highlights: [I]"There's no doubt that Greece has its economic problems. It has lived beyond its means, worked too short, retired too early, consumed too much, produced too little, enjoyed too much job security, created a real-estate bubble with overvalued properties, and funded too much on a growing deficit. Many other countries (including the United States) are plagued by these same problems, but Greece is an extreme case, with extreme consequences. What's the future? Greeks are optimistic by nature. They realize they've dug themselves into a pretty deep hole. In my mind, the biggest impact of the crisis on anyone considering visiting Greece is the satisfaction you'll get from contributing to the economy of a nation dealing with tough times, and the joy that comes with a tourist industry that really appreciates your presence."[/I]

Rick's report offers lots of good, positive details on where things are headed in Greece. He's specific and optimistic, long-term for Greece. And details why and how. [B][I]It's a good, honest summary worth reading and reviewing. [/I][/B]

Full stories at:
[url]http://blog.seattlepi.com/rickstevestravel/archives/220234.asp[/url]
[url]http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-09-03/papaconstantinou-says-greece-s-economy-may-shrink-less-than-4-.html[/url]
[url]http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLDE68020H20100902[/url]

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

For more details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle Silver Cloud experiences:
[url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923[/url]

[cruisemom42]

As always, thanks Terry for keeping us updated. I read Rick Steves' entry with great interest, as my stay in Athens (pre- and post-cruise) is imminent! It confirms what most others have reported -- that the strikes are infrequent and have very little impact (even in Athens) except for a tiny area of the city.

Since things calmed down after the initial protests last spring, I have not been particularly worried other than to keep an eye on things should they escalate. That doesn't seem to have happened and in fact, most of the protests appear to be more low-key now.

I will add my impressions after spending 5 days in Athens in late September/early October.

[TLCOhio]

[quote name='cruisemom42']As always, thanks Terry for keeping us updated. I read Rick Steves' entry with great interest, as my stay in Athens (pre- and post-cruise) is imminent! It confirms what most others have reported -- that the strikes are infrequent and have very little impact (even in Athens) except for a tiny area of the city. Since things calmed down after the initial protests last spring, I have not been particularly worried other than to keep an eye on things should they escalate. That doesn't seem to have happened and in fact, most of the protests appear to be more low-key now. I will add my impressions after spending 5 days in Athens in late September/early October.[/QUOTE]

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Georgia"]THANKS, Cynthia, for the update and kind comments on this posting! Good luck on your late Sept./early Oct. trip there. [I][B]Look forward to getting your reports "FROM THE SCENE!".[/B][/I] The Rick Steves comments seemed to sum up much very well on the causes and where things are headed in trying to "fix" their issues. It will be interesting to watch how things play out in the next few years there. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

For more details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle Silver Cloud experiences:
[url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923[/url]

[Great8]

[quote name='denniti']Hi Great8:

The taxi driver/tour guide that we used was Nikos Maris of Taxi Service [EMAIL="nickmaris78@yahoo.com"]nickmaris78@yahoo.com[/EMAIL]. While he is a taxi driver first, he is very conscientious and gave us a great tour with commentary. We did the Acropolis and other sites by ourselves, but he drove us to each of them, telling us about them as we drove, and he made sure we arrived in time for the changing of the guard and to various spots for pictures, plaka for shopping, etc. He was very aware of the striking, etc. and showed us areas that had been targeted. He didn't seem concerned, but he would be a good one to email ahead of time - I think he'll give you an honest assessment. We did not book in advance. We were lucky to run into him in Piraeus. Have a great trip!![/quote]


Thanks for the reply Denniti. I will keep Nikos email address if we decide to book ahead. Originally we were going to do a walking tour recommended on tripadvisor that involved a guide and using the subway to get between sites. When the strikes started we ditched that idea for security reasons.
Happy to hear that you had a good experience in Athens.

[Fblack]

It''s been quiet for a while but gas truck drivers have gone on strike again. As are railway workers.

Sept 13, 2010- ATHENS, Greece — Motorists rushed to gas stations as Greek truck drivers started a new wave of protests Monday, declaring a work stoppage and parking hundreds of vehicles along major highways in opposition to government plans to liberalize their profession.... State railway unions also called a 24-hour strike Tuesday to protest planned salary and personnel cuts ... .

And this happened last week:

"Greek railway and public transport workers went on strike over planned reforms to debt-ridden state transport systems. The five-hour walkouts halted trains nationwide and left Athens without any form of public transport.""



[url]http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iXUJvBknZVGqsBenIusBgBvWj5WQD9I741380[/url]

[4774Papa]

We did an NCL Med cruise on the Gem in July. It was a wonderful cruise, and Greece, Croatia and Turkey were super. However, all our plans were not fulfilled.
We were affected by strikes twice.
First, on July 13 it was announced that our cruise director announced that all the [FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Archeological sites were closed due to a strike. The workers at those sites are Government Workers. Remember, this is Europe, where government workers can strike, like the Italian or Spanish rail workers that had me stranded for hours in two separate situations once.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Then it was announced that the strike was only until noon. We ventured out, took the Metro, which worked well, and eventually found our way to the New Acropolis Museum near the Acropolis and the Acropolis Metro stop. The museum was wonderful, but since the Acropolis was closed, the lines were very long, and it took a while to get in the museum. Inside the museum, there is just too much to absorb, but it is impressive.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Next we wandered up to the Acropolis, which was open, but the crowds were unbelieveable. It was a zoo, but we eventually made it to the top and the Parthenon again (I saw it in 85) was awesome. We were limited by time, since we wasted a lot of time waiting that day.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Frankly, it will be a long time before I every go back to Athens.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]Then on July 15 or Naphilon-Myceane excursion was cancelled, due to another Archeological worker strike, so we did Naphilon on our own, which was good, we walked up the 900+ steps to the fortress. However, we missed Myceane.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]The islands, Crete, Corfu, Mykonos and Santorini were not affected by the strikes, and I would love to go back to all those places.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3]I have read that even the air traffic control workers and port workers have struck leaving some tourists stranded, and cruise ships stuck in port. I am sorry for what the people are going through, but from what I have read, fiscal austerity was necessary, and Germans, who retire at 67 were asked to bail out Greeks, who in some cases could retire in their 50s. Something had to change. Lets hope our country gets it act together.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Fblack]

We canceled an October Black Sea cruise on HAL that was to start and end in Athens. I will go another time when things settle down. I don't gnat to have my vacation interrupted or ruined by a strike.

[4774Papa]

[quote name='chipmaster']It looks ugly, that is what happens when Goverments talk and don't bite the bullet and balance the budget. Obama are you paying attention![/quote]


Ditto those remarks. However, we must admit that both parties have contributed to our debt problems.
Also, we actually have some states (California and NY) that are not far off Greece's debt problem.
The bad thing about Greece is they have some Communist trade unions, and they are very extreme.

[cruisemom42]

I just spent a lovely day here in Athens today (Saturday September 18). There was live music on Syntagma Square and I walked all around the area -- no problem. By the way, the express airport bus into town (X95) was a complete breeze. Loaded up my luggage, bought my ticket and away we went within 5 minutes; was at my hotel 45 minutes later.

I also spent a good 4 hours at the Athens Archaeological Museum; I'm dead on my feet and I STILL didn't see it all. Good thing I will be back for 4 nights after my cruise, which I join tomorrow.

Now it's off to dinner at a restaurant I've heard good things about. It's 8 pm and I should be crashing afer traveling all day and night yesterday, but I'm just excited to be here and loving Athens.

[TLCOhio]

[quote name='cruisemom42']I just spent a lovely day here in Athens today (Saturday September 18). There was live music on Syntagma Square and I walked all around the area -- no problem. [/QUOTE]

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Georgia"] Great to hear that you arrived and got nicely settled in for Athens for the start of your cruise. [I][B]THANKS for these updates![/B][/I] Keep it rolling and good luck with the weather, not having strikes, etc. Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest.
[url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923[/url]

[TLCOhio]

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Georgia"]From the Business Week/Bloomberg News, they have this headline: [B][I]"Dollar Sinks as Fed Signals Monetary Policy Easing, Crimping Asset Demand"[/I][/B] with these highlights: [I]"The euro strengthened during four of the past five days as Ireland, Spain, Greece and Portugal found sufficient demand to sell sovereign debt. On Sept. 21 Ireland sold 1.5 billion euros ($1.97 billion) in a bond auction and Spain sold 7 billion euros of 12-month and 18-month bills, the maximum target. Greece sold 390 million euros of 13-week Treasury bills at a yield of 3.98 percent, the Athens-based Public Debt Management Agency said. 'We got some reasonably positive news out of the euro zone this week so there’s been a brief reprieve for the euro,' said Samarjit Shankar, a managing director for the foreign-exchange group in Boston at Bank of New York Mellon."[/I]

They also noted: [I]"[B]The dollar weakened 3.4 percent to $1.3492 per euro.[/B] On Sept. 24 the 16-nation currency touched its strongest level since April, when it reached $1.3495."[/I]

Full story at:
[url]http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-09-25/dollar-sinks-as-fed-signals-monetary-policy-easing-crimping-asset-demand.html[/url]

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest.
[url]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923[/url]

[TLCOhio]

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Georgia"]From this morning's Wall Street Journal, they have this headline: [B][I]"Greek Government Kid-Gloves Strikers Putting Society, Reforms at Risk"[/I][/B] with these highlights from their in-Athens correspondent who has covered this unfolding story: [I]"The Greek socialist government is talking tough. But its big stick is missing as it soft touches special interests that are slowly strangling the country for fear of being seen as authoritarian. But it’s a short term strategy that bets on reasonable behavior from militant unions and vested special interests, that is likely to backfire and encourage even more defiance. Weary Greek commuters, who are having a tough time relying on railway and metro services, walk in to supermarkets and are stunned at seeing more and more bare shelves in Athens and especially in northern Greece. Meanwhile they question why a government that zealously pursues restructuring and sector liberalization is not actually protecting them by applying the reform laws."[/I]

From the Associated Press/AP this morning, they have this headline: [B][I]"General strike starts in Spain against austerity"[/I][/B] with these highlights: [I]"Airlines canceled flights and picketers hurled eggs at buses and blocked trucks from delivering produce to wholesale markets as Spanish workers staged a general strike Wednesday to protest austerity measures imposed by a government struggling to slash its budget deficit and overcome recession. The stoppage was the opening salvo of a day of protest expected to see tens of thousands of people converge on EU buildings in Brussels to protest belt-tightening measures that unions see as punishing workers for a crisis they consider to have been triggered by bankers and traders, many of whom had to be rescued by massive government intervention. [B]Transport stoppages were also scheduled in Greece[/B], which had to be rescued by the euro-nations this spring to stave off bankruptcy and has also been forced to cut deep into workers' allowances."[/I]

This AP story also noted: [I]"Spain's first general strike since 2002 marks a bitter split in the usually close relationship between unions and Spain's Socialist government, which is [B]struggling with a 20 percent jobless rate and a bloated deficit that has prompted market worries[/B] it might end up in the kind of dire straits that forced a massive bailout for Greece."[/I]

Full stories at:
[url]http://blogs.wsj.com/source/2010/09/29/greek-government-kid-gloves-strikers-putting-society-reforms-at-risk/[/url]
[url]http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hmvDmyuAFW1IgcVDv9bySQMZMFywD9IHGL181?docId=D9IHGL181[/url]

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. This posting is now over 19,000 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”.
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[Fblack]

It's been relatively calm in Greece lately. But protesters have locked and blocked the entrance to the Acropolis. After 2 days of protesters the riot police finally re-opened the Acropolis. The protesters are now threatening to block the ticket office. So the government for now has given everyone free access.

October 15, 2010. Entry to Greece's Acropolis free after closure due to protests

Greece's most famous tourist site, the Acropolis, has reopened after it was taken over by protesting workers for two days.

Tourists were turned away from the ancient attraction on Wednesday and Thursday as Culture Ministry employees blockaded the entrance ... But after riot police dispersed the protesters using tear gas and batons, the historic site is set to open again at midday local time and entry will be free...

[url]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1320743/Greeces-Acropolis-closed-day-worker-protest.html?ito=feeds-newsxml[/url]

[TLCOhio]

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Georgia"]THANKS for the updates from Fblack! From the AFP newswire in Europe this morning, they have this headline: [B][I]"Greece admits breach of bailout as audit begins"[/I][/B] with these highlights: [I]"Greece admitted on Monday that it is in breach of conditions for a new instalment of its 110-billion-euro bailout as the IMF and European Union begin an audit of its austerity cuts. The EU's statistical agency Eurostat issued its final revision of Greece's accounts for the past four years, triggering a new forecast by Athens that its public deficit this year would reach 9.4 percent of output, breaching a 8.1-percent target."[/I]

These other details were listed, including how the attention is now on Ireland's finance challenges. "As part of the bailout, Greece was obliged to allow Eurostat to review its unreliable accounts, and on Monday the EU agency revised the 2009 deficit up to 15.4 percent. The 2009 figure is important because it is the baseline for the amount by which Greece must cut its public deficit this year as a percentage of gross domestic product. The bigger the deficit last year, the more it has to do to meet rescue conditions this year.The eurozone is facing a more pressing issue as the week begins with high tension over the state of public finances in Ireland and denials that the country will also need to appeal for help from a rescue fund set up in the light of the Greek crisis which culminated six months ago."

The critical challenge for cruise visits is not large now. But the problem is not totally over. Papandreou's government won an endorsement from voters in local elections over the weekend. He had explicitly turned that into a referendum on the austerity programme in its first test at the ballot box since the painful reforms began.

Terry in Ohio[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. [B]This posting is now over 24,000 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”. [/B]
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[tiyana4]

Just an FYI for those booked on the NCL Jade, our Nov. 25th stop to Piraeus has been canceled due to the situation in Greece. Please have a backup plan in the event this happens to you. We are being rerouted to another port, however, shore excursions are available thru the ship.

[TLCOhio]

[quote name='tiyana4']Just an FYI for those booked on the NCL Jade, our Nov. 25th stop to Piraeus has been canceled due to the situation in Greece. Please have a backup plan in the event this happens to you. We are being rerouted to another port, however, shore excursions are available thru the ship.[/QUOTE]

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Georgia"]Sorry to hear about your Athens port stop being skipped. The economy in parts of Europe is going through some challenging and rough spots.

From the AFP newswire based in France, they have this headline: [B][I]"Euro faces fresh pressure on eurozone debt crisis"[/I][/B] with these highlights: [I]"The euro faced fresh pressure on Thursday over the eurozone debt crisis as Spain and Portugal came into focus after Ireland launched a new austerity drive as part of a massive debt bailout, dealers said."[/I]

One analyst noted: "Fears seem to be settling on a potential Spanish bailout exceeding the size of the current stabilization fund, throwing a possible rescue of the Iberian nation into chaos." Another report noted: "Rising spreads in Portugal, Spain and Greece prove (it) -- the markets have their doubts regarding the European rescue package."

There's lots of time before those planning spring and summer 2011 cruises will sail, but you need to be monitoring these situations and preparing back-up plans and alternatives. Most cruise lines are good at planning and being ready to make adjustments.

More, full story details:
[url]http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jNO9Wrs3g0_NFRkmgtMr6kpBCePQ?docId=CNG.18c36b156500e66a325bd219d3bd5a2c.531[/url]

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. [B]This posting is now over 24,625 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”. [/B]
[url]www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923[/url]

[lurvecruise]

hey tiyana4
sorry to hear that Jade cxl port in Greece but just curious what ports did they reroute?:D

[TLCOhio]

[quote name='tiyana4']Just an FYI for those booked on the NCL Jade, our Nov. 25th stop to Piraeus has been canceled due to the situation in Greece. Please have a backup plan in the event this happens to you. We are being rerouted to another port, however, shore excursions are available thru the ship.[/QUOTE]

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Georgia"]Here is more about what probably caused your stop to be scrubbed. From the Bloomberg/Business Week and the AP, they have this headline: [B][I]"Greek unions hold new Athens protest"[/I][/B] with these highlights: [I]"Hundreds of people marched through central Athens on Thursday to protest deep the austerity cuts meant to haul debt-ridden Greece out of its worst crisis in decades. About 30 disabled athletes, including Paralymic medalists, gathered outside the Culture Ministry, accusing the Socialist government of slashing funding for sports involving people with special needs. About 250 retired military officers demonstrated outside the Defense Ministry against pension cuts and health care reforms."[/I]

The story also detailed: [I]"The march was organized by umbrella groups representing public and private sector workers, who also organized a three-hour work stoppage in the capital that disrupted public transport and state sector services such as tax offices. State television suspended their broadcasts during the stoppage. [B]Seamen, who have been on strike since Tuesday, announced they would stay off the job until Sunday morning, leaving Greek islands without ferry services for a week.[/B] The strike had been scheduled to end Friday."[/I]

Full story at:
[url]http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9JN8LE02.htm[/url]

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. [B]This posting is now over 24,725 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”. [/B]
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[TLCOhio]

[COLOR="Blue"][SIZE="3"][FONT="Georgia"]From the Wall Street Journal yesterday, they have this headline: [B][I]"Three Deaths Shifted Course of Greek Crisis"[/I][/B] with these highlights: [I]"For decades, Greece had tolerated unruly, sometimes violent protests against the state. Athens's radical anarchist fringe, of which police believe the arsonists were members, even enjoyed moral legitimacy in the eyes of many Greeks. The attitude reflected society's deep mistrust of its rulers and, more recently, anger at a debt crisis that nearly tipped the country into bankruptcy. [B]May 5 changed all that. The deaths of three innocent employees shocked Greece[/B], shifting the national mood and the course of this year's crisis. Instead of rising social unrest as many had feared, Greece has seen only fragmented opposition to the euro zone's most drastic austerity measures."[/I]

This is a long, interesting profile on ALL that has happening in Greece, its long history, community tensions, etc. Very well written and detailed.

Full story at:
[url]http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703805004575606712320692660.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsTop[/url]

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

For lots of interesting details, great visuals, etc., from our July 1-16 Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. Don’t be shy and feel free to ask any questions of interest. [B]This posting is now over 25,000 views. Appreciate those who have “tuned in”. [/B]
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