It has never been easy in Greece to be a Macintosh user. Most people — or businesses for that matter — have never even heard of Macintosh. I remember when I went shopping for a bank and inquired if their online banking system was compatible with Macintosh, most banks replied with “Huh?”. When I...
Read more →The Greek authorities are finally going to be cracking down on misbehaving tourists in the Gouves-Chersonissos-Malia area this year. The three resorts, about 40 kilometers east of Iraklio, Crete, are probably the most popular holiday destinations for tourists in Crete, each year attracting hundreds of thousands of youngsters, mainly from Great Britain and the...
Read more →It’s February 15 again, 6 o’clock in the afternoon (they refuse to call this “the evening” here). Last year around this time we were covered in 15 centimeters of snow, now the air is filled with the warmth of the south wind, and it is still light outside. What a difference a year makes....
Read more →With only 5 minutes delay, the plane from Brussels had landed on Kazantsakis Airport in Iraklio. In no time Lucien and Reinhilde collected their luggage and we were out in the parking. After cursing the official who had slipped a parking ticket behind my screenwipers, we set off and drove to Spiliá, some 8...
Read more →Okay folks, it was a long journey, a difficult journey, with lots of hurdles, you know, of the bureaucratic type, a few of the technical type too, but we got to the finish. We now are the proud users of an Asynchronous Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL). In order to get there I went to...
Read more →Yesterday was a holiday here. I didn’t know that yet when I got out in the morning to take some pictures of the Clean Monday activities. When I got back I tried in vain to reach some telephone numbers of businesses that were looking for people for the coming tourist season. At about 10:30...
Read more →Maastricht is ne brede Maar Maastricht ‘t is lang Maastricht is de leukste stad Gesellig aan de zang – Maastricht Karnival Song Maastricht is not broad But, Maastricht, it is long Maastricht is the finest city Gesellig* on the song – Translation Maastricht is eene groete cafe – Maastricht Karnival Song Maastricht is one...
Read more →Joseph Conrad, a fellow not unlike Luc Dubois, adopted the practice of writing prefaces to his novels. I have often wished other writers would do the same. A preface allows the reader to understand the motivation of the writer and otherwise gives the reader the context in which the novel was conceived and provides,...
Read more →This is I, Luc, the subject of this narrative. I owe Tom at least an introduction. Here is my paltry attempt to it. Read it and forget it. It only gets interesting from the next chapter onwards. What do you say to a man who proposes to write your biography? “Thank you” does not...
Read more →When I woke up and got down to the restaurant I met with nothing but sleep-drunken passengers. The staff were not yet fully prepared in the restaurant so I took a stroll on the outside deck. I was met by a beautiful rainbow. I thought I could discern land far away but I told...
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