We have lived on Paros for 7 seasons now and have come to accept strikes as a way of life. Hardly a month goes by without 2 or 3, especially in June and September for the ferries and tourist businesses. Usually you know ahead of time when they will start and when they will end. It is more difficult to know who will be participating; even the strikers don't know.

Now, for the first time, we have a strike dragging on for more than 2 days. We are approaching 1 week with no ferries. To make it worse it was originally announced as a 3 day strike then it has been extended twice. So trucks are sitting on the docks; many loaded with perishable goods and the farmers of Crete are going crazy. I won't go into much detail; if you are interested there is English language news at http://www.ert.gr/en/

Personally our most serious consequence is that our friends returning from the UK are stuck in Piraeus/Athens and Karin has to feed their cat a few days longer. Also we had to buy extended life milk as all dairy products are shipped in. Many Parians will be more affected, of course, as supplies of everything run out. When ever anything breaks down we usually need to wait for a part from Athens, so I feel sorry for those with broken cars or computers--TOUCH WOOD!

There is no air freight and only two passenger flights per day with a small plane. Who knows why the government-owned airlines can't increase flights as they do in the summer. There is no knowing how many people are trapped on the island or trapped on the mainland trying to get home.