In contrast to the recent commotion, going to Hydra is a practice of routine. We have been coming to this beautiful island in the Saronic Gulf every summer the past five years. To make the point, we stay in the same hotel, and even in the same room.

For me, returning to Greece, is always a homecoming. Greeks tend to be highly communicative. As I speak the language, I get to engage in myriad dialogues and discussions. These range from the banal to more serious matters such as the state of the economy, politics and, yes, even philosophy.

During my Greek summer breaks I always become an avid consumer of Hellenic media. I spend hours listening to FM-radio (via the FM receiver in my iRiver), and every morning read one of the many newspapers for an update on local and international developments (and the stock market).

Greek media are pluralistic, colourful and, at times, also humorous. Over the past couple of years, I have noticed that the quality of journalism here has improved considerably.

But, then, I have not come to Hydra to study politics - and to report about them. But having done just that for many years of my life, I cannot but observe what is going on, and - at times - also make personal comments on Greek current affairs.

Compared to where I come from (the Middle East), Greece has evolved into a haven of stability, and therefore a political commentary can be short. I have discerned hardly any newsworthy developments concerning the ethnika themata, the so called national questions or foreign policy priorities of this state. On the other hand, domestically, Greece seems to be heading for early parliamentary elections. According to one newspaper, these may be held on September 23. In line with this, political debates have heated up a little. Importantly, all this is happening in a democratic and institutional framework. In my eyes, this is just one more indication that Greece has become just another “normal” democratic nation.

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