The world from my window

Back in Corfu and we've just learned that the village where we lived for a year is set to become another film location for The Durrells. But we're here only for a few more days so we will miss all the excitement. Still, we've walked up the beach to see the house which the family make their home, in the television version at least, and seen evidence in town today of areas being cordoned off for filming in a few days' time. When it comes to The Durrells, we know they're going to just love our village and one location in particular. It's one of my favourite places.  Talking of excitement, we also missed the annual parade to mark the 153rd anniversary of the unification of the Ionian Islands. We hear there were aerobatics above Garitsa Bay as a Greek fighter jet wound its way over Corfu Town. We were on the other side of the Corfu Channel at the time, enjoying the most wonderful filoxenia  (kindness to strangers) in Dodoni. If you ever get the c...

  As the future of Greece hangs on a souvlaki stick, I wonder how things will pan out. So much has been said about this crisis, nothing I say will make any difference. I don't know much about economics but my heart tells me that the Greek people have been served a pretty raw deal over the years. Corrupt politicians and irresponsible lenders have connived to make a complete pig's ear of the situation. And while all this ridiculous posturing goes on in Northern Europe, ordinary people are suffering. Some terrible stories have emerged as the arguments in the Eurozone rage on. But I am a firm believer in the essential good of humanity. Take Thom Feeney's recent efforts. As I write, 106,713 euros have been raised by 5,325 people in four days through a crowd-funding initiative. When he set it up initially, more than 100,000 ordinary people from 182 countries raised almost €2 million for the people of Greece. Says Thom: "This is a humanitarian crisis, not just...