Saturday, September 26, 2015

Land or Water

                                       (web picture)

I like to visit islands but I'm not sure if I would like to live on one of them. Islands are small and completely surrounded by water whereas I prefer land. Land gives one the feeling of more stability.

More stability does not necessarily mean more security. I live in a country which has the sea on one side and land on all its other sides, but this land is unfriendly, to say the least.  So, I feel like living on an island from the transport  point of view (to the outer world -by sea and air only), but it's worse than living on an island from other points of view: lack of peace - conflicts and wars with hostile neighboring countries.

Anyway, islands are being marketed to the tourist as little paradises. Many people with money buy a vacation house on the island of their choice. I  once met a nice german woman who possesed such a house on a greek island.  I sometimes found myself thinking about her and  and her property with worry, because of the anti-german sentiments in Greece of the last years as a result of austerity measures imposed on the latter by the EU. 
Now it sems the situation is quiet;  until...next time when Greece needs a  bailout.

Well, nothing is without some risk in this world.

16 comments:

  1. Hello,

    Interesting post. Sri Lanka is an island and that too a beautiful island which attracts large number of tourist.

    Greece is now flooded with migrants at present and they are unable to cope with the influx.

    I live in the southern most tip of India and on one side we have the Bay of Bengal sea and land locked on all the other sides.

    Generally, people living on islands will love islands and people living on large mass of land love their own place probably because everyone likes their own surroundings which they are accustomed to.

    Enchanting photo.

    Best wishes

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't know that I would like to live on an island either. Several years ago I visited Hawaii and stayed on a few different islands and I felt discombobulated! I couldn't grasp where East, West, North and South were until sunset. I need to know where I am in this world, what direction I am facing.

    But I can see how it would be nice to have a summer home on one, a getaway where you don't have to worry about what direction you are facing and where you are heading.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Joseph Pulikotil,

    Thanks for the comment.
    I tend to agree with your concluding line that people come to like the surroundings which they are accustomed to.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alicia,

    I've learnt a new word from your comment: "discombobulated"- thank you for enriching my vocabulary.

    ReplyDelete
  5. A friend lived on one of the Hawaiian Islands for like 10 years. Had to leave for real land. Didn't want anymore of a island.

    ReplyDelete
  6. That is great DUTA, so glad I was able to provide enrichment :) I learn so much from you that it's only fair to share a bit of my knowledge!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Alicia,

    English is not my native language, so, naturally I'm glad of any new word or phrase addition to my vocabulary. I like the the english in your blog , and it is a good opportunity for me to improve mine.

    ReplyDelete
  8. One Fly,

    Ten years is a nice try. Life on an island is not for everyone as it involves isolation from the Main land, and daily/weekly transport to and fro is mostly limited to sea vessels. Big islands have an airport or two, but flights are usually quite expensive. People have to find work on the island , and that is not always possible.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I lived a lot of my life in the UK, which is a 'big' island! Now I am living in France I love the feeling of being part of a large landmass. Makes me feel expanded and not confined, which is what the UK was feeling like to me just before we moved.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Vera,

    It's hard to think of UK as an island, but that what it is, a big island but still an island. I can certainly understand your feeling less confined and more at large in the south of France.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am so glad that I finally caught up on blog reading. I so enjoyed the photo tour of Russia, and your observation about the beggar with the cell phone. She made a statement.
    I would love to live by a body of water. I love the ocean, and visited New Hampshire lake Winnipasawkie where there were all sorts of small islands on it with homes. Too confining for me, but an awesome view.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Linda O'Connell,

    Like you, I love the body of water, I enjoy visiting islands, but I would feel too confined to live on them despite the awsome views.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I do think an island would drive me nuts!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Jennifer A.Jilks,

    Well, perhaps a tiny one. There are some big, interesting islands with a rich history, good economy, fascinating geography - which, I suppose, could keep our interest for a few years without driving us nuts.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I wouldn't want to live on an island. It seems romantic, but in the end would be a big pain. But they're fun to visit.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sharon Wagner,

    Romantic indeed, but then we wake up to reality and we don't always like what we see.People feel more secure and at ease on the main land.

    ReplyDelete