The autumnal equinox was officially realized on September 22nd however in Greece, summer is still present with sunshine, albeit dimmed from its previous radiance but still deliciously present, to be savoured.
In contrast to a dark and dismal economic climate, we are meteorologically blessed, even the cloudiest of early mornings in October still willingly yields to sunlight which dries out the damp and elevates the spirits. Therefore the beach is not to be forgotten quite yet, we may still delve for our suntan oils and sandals and prostate ourselves to absorb the energizing rays, hear the rush and withdrawal of the waves, crunch the sand with our toes and enjoin with Nature.
In autumn this is a doable reality but in summer on many islands of Greece the pristine beach experience is becoming unrecognizable and sometimes impossible.
The physical expanse of a beach is normally what excites and relaxes us. No buildings or roads to interfere with our field of vision, sand to soothe the soles of our feet or sun warmed stones to step on, the crash or lapping of waves, an uninterrupted sea line.
Now it seems this perfect example of marine architecture is being altered, purportedly enhanced by concrete wood platforms and pavilions which cover most of the beach, adjacent aquatic courtyards featuring water features, boutiques, hairdressers, spas and exotic washrooms. There are huge bars as in any happening night club, immense bustling restaurants reserving the hottest tables for their most treasured clients who will arrive with their dazzling entourages and rows of hefty wooden sunbeds ranged on the sand like an army of tanks topped with plump mattresses on which one could get a deep day's sleep.
If it were not for the noise. The rumpus, the cacophony of thumping music which resonates in your inner ear and worms its way into your brain essentially paralyzing the thought process. It also renders conversation futile, a now forbidden and much missed method of communication.
It is therefore not a surprise to see most beach occupants staring fixatedly into their mobile phone screens, texting and twittering even though they are sitting on sunbeds which practically graze each other. Togetherness can only be achieved with a game of racquets, if you find enough space as the sunbeds encroach further and further into the sea.
Before this onslaught of beach development, the only mildly disturbing noises were squealing children and the thudding of beach balls on palms and fists.Welcome sounds in comparison to the deafening medley of dance music, rap, and Greek popular song blaring at full volume
There is of course refuge to be sought in the ocean. However that also harbours potential hazards even though it is the element in this whole beach scene which is least open to prostitution. The Greek island water remains clear, sharp, crisply cooling, transparent, glinting green and turquoise.
Yet even this watery domain is no longer isolated and serene. Mega yachts with crenellated decks, wide helipads and on-board pools clutter the horizon. Their sterns yawn open to disgorge a battalion of marine toys and amusements such as jet skis, wind surf boards and pumped up ribs replete with sunning platforms and music systems which throb and buzz thus providing a source of off shore noise pollution. They also slice through the water at such speed that avoiding a traumatic and possibly fatal encounter with them becomes a great incentive to swimming at the speed of Michael Phelps.
Marine hazards also come from the organized super beaches as well. Part of the coastal entertainment is the offering of high speed boats for water-skiing, water parachuting and for dragging shrieking individuals around on plump inflatable mattresses. Another raucous and risky element to dodge as you enjoy your salty environment. Not to mention the mustachioed local boatmen who ferry sunburned tourists from gorgeous beach to gorgeous beach and who swear at you murderously if you swim close to them. No longer can you satisfy your need for calorie burning by going from one side of the beach to the other. Now you have to stumble out of the sea, circumnavigate the expansive floating marinas where all these intrusive craft dock and slide into the waves on the other side of them. Swimming distances are also severely curbed by lines of buoys, especially at one particularly manicured and manufactured hotel beach in Mykonos where the available swimming area is not the deep blue ocean but a prescribed canal to allow the mega yachts and other craft priority.
However perhaps I am alone and somewhat foolish in going to the beach and actually wanting to swim. If you think of it, why remove my increasingly large pendants & earrings of semi precious stones, my myriad bracelets and the odd ring plus my good watch in order to plunge into the waves ? I can just above bear to take off my designer kaftan , plucked from one of these beach side boutiques crammed with other models costing as much as a cocktail dress and sport my equally pricey bikini ,gleefully selecting my beach accoutrements from my series of beaded pouches. Isn't it enough to abandon myself to my first mojito of the day, slather on my exclusive orange tanning gel purloined from the top shelves of Bed Bath & Beyond and bought all the way from New York in my bulging suitcase, light up a cigarillo and yell into my cell phone amidst the din of the music and the rival cell phone whose ring tones add to the acoustical chaos?
Ah no , you see I am an old fashioned girl who still longs for an inspirational and bracing beach walk along a shoreline which permits it. I like the lull of the waves, and I actually swim for 30 minutes a day preferably before the promise of a glass of chilled rose post exercise
I am not condemning these temples of littoral delight, the buildings are fantastic, constructed in wood, stone and bamboo, staffed by an array of muscular & sometimes attentive beach boys who flip mattresses, drag sunbeds to face the sun and mix a mean Negroni. The wine lists and menus rival these of New York or London and a great time is guaranteed , as well of course as a hefty bill.
However, I still yearn for the virgin beach. It can be still found even on the most popular and populated islands. You can take your own towel and a picnic and sit on the sand without being told that is forbidden as in some of the VIP areas of these new beach clubs! On a few islands such as Andros and Astypalaia ,a felicitous compromise between the basic beach and the overdeveloped one has been reached. On Andros , Piso Yialia and Metallio offer a beautiful beach coupled with a cosy bar serving nectar like cocktails and snacks. In Astypalaia, on the rugged crescent beach of Vatses grey rocks so smooth they look like the artificial ones of a film set hug an aquamarine sea.The music is mellow , the mojitos memorable and the Greek salad unique. Even on Skiathos, an island victimized by grossly unattractive tourism , Kechria beach stands out.
Yet even on less touristy islands, progress is afoot. Syros, the more distinguished and less known neighboring island to Mykonos, always had pretty beaches with sand and azure seas but with the typical Greek beach amenity menu , consisting of flimsy unpadded and sometimes rickety sunbeds ,the compulsory umbrella , a plastic or wooden table and a perfunctory food and beverage option.
It is on one such beach in Syros that I saw my triplets first crawl on a golden afternoon, here I taught then to swim and chased them to no avail with a bottle of sunscreen. I had oily Greek salads with chilled beer and retsina , crispy battered cod and chips at the local tavern across the street from the beach whose white sand was punctuated with lilies , the beach is rooted in my mind as a family memory.
My daughter and I visited it this summer and it also had succumbed to development and sophistication. Beautifully fitted out it now offered sushi , fine dining , coffees and cocktails served on contemporary sun loungers and comfy cushions and a mini shopping mall. It was gorgeous and evoked Malibu , I admire and respected the effort and investment but I could not enjoy it . My daughter was callous in her dismissal of it and I felt strangely alienated and sad that our family beach now housed another over decorated temple celebrating a beach culture that praises couture and style over sea and sand .We just had coffee and water and left in a rush.
Going to the car, I glanced at the tavern of the oily and unashamedly fried fare. Its bearded proprietor whom we have known for years was nowhere in sight. The place was totally empty.