Greece: advice to rioters

I was intrigued to find that a lot of the rioting in Athens is taking place on Syntagma (Constitution) Square, near the Hotel Grande Bretagne (I don’t know why its name is in French).

It is an ugly building, stuffed with imitation third empire furniture; it would take, and does take, a provincial Japanese to believe it to be luxurious. I stayed there once and, in the grossly over elaborate dining room, ordered souvlakia. What arrived was a beefburger (not even lamb!), preboiled and reheated rice (complete lack of taste, just texture), and tomato ketchup. I called over one of the floor managers, from his uniform about the level of Vice-Admiral, and told him this was the worst souvlakia I had ever had; it was far better, not just in the average taverna, but in Charlotte St, London.

He said, with the usual Greek hospitality, ‘this is how our customers like it’.

And the hotel was fantastically expensive. On my subsequent trips to Athens I said I would stay literally anywhere except there.

Personally I hope the rioters stop trying to burn down the banks – they may need them – and concentrate on the Hotel Grande Bretagne. They’d be doing Greek culture a sevice.