August 4, 2010
Donkeys disappearing in Greece?
The beast of burden had held on as a useful animal for longer in Greece than in many other modernizing countries, but now it looks to be a vanishing creature (article from Athens News online):
" A bride-to-be on the island of Skiathos wanted to ride to the church on a donkey, just like in the Abba-inspired 2008 movie Mamma Mia, but none were available. A Greek mother in rural Trikala wishing to treat her young son to a donkey ride over Easter break couldn’t find one, either.
It seems that an image foreigners associate with Greece - the man (or woman) on a donkey - may soon be confined to nostalgia, or, worse, to the history books. "
Donkey milk is the item that might reverse this trend:
"As for cosmetic benefits, Egyptian ruler Cleopatra, Roman Emperor Nero’s wife and Napoleon’s sister all reportedly bathed in donkey milk, which contains copious amounts of anti-oxidants and vitamins.
But keeping donkeys for milk production is not financially easy, Papapostolou, who has 45, notes: “Greek donkeys are among the best breeds to produce milk ... But they’re hard to find. The state was supposed to give us subsidies because they’re threatened with extinction. I’ve been hearing this for many years, but never got anything ... It costs me 15,000-20,000 euros per year now to keep them.”
Greece 112 Emergency Announcements on X/Twitter
Hellenic National Meteorological Service
Greece's Golden Visa program
Advertisement: I am an Amazon affiliate
Fodor's Essential Greece: with the Best of the Islands (Full-color Travel Guide) – Amazon
- Illustrated experiences guide to the top things to see and do
- Multiple itineraries to help organize your days
- 40+ detailed maps for easy navigation
- Color photos throughout
- Local recommendations for sights, dining, hotels, nightlife, shopping, and activities
- “Best of” features covering beaches, food and drink, and more
- Trip-planning tips on when to go, getting around, avoiding crowds, and saving money
- Historical and cultural insights into Greek people, art, architecture, and cuisine
- Special features on the Acropolis, Greek gods and heroes, Greek history, Meteora, and more
- Local writers highlighting lesser-known places
- Greek-language primer with useful words and phrases
- Up-to-date coverage of Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, the Aegean, Sporades and Saronic islands, Delphi, Central Macedonia, Meteora, and the Peloponnese
- 800 Pages
