Should the British Museum only have items from the UK?

Yesterday, Rishi Sunak declined to see the Greek Prime Minister because he answered a question about The Elgin Marbles.

I understand the desire of Greece to have them back, but as has been pointed out, many nations want items in The British Museum to be returned to them.  I guess it can be argued that no nation should have items in a museum that do not belong to that country.  I am of the opinion that this is not of any use in teaching people about history of other nations.  I do think that there could be more sharing of the more mobile items across borders but when it comes to the treasures looted by The British Empire, they should stay.  

However, it is silly for Sunak to act in the manner that he did.  I would expect our politicians to speak to nations like China and Saudi Arabia about human rights.  I think it is right for the Greek Prime Minister to bring up an issue of importance to Greece.   

Back at home

We are back at home. I was a bit too tipsy to post on our last day in Rhodes after I drank a whole bottle of wine.  My wife, daughter and I, had spent the morning at the beach, but I returned to our room just before two, to have lunch in the restaurant with my son. In the evening we had a meal in one of the hotel restaurants, this being a pizza restaurant. They made good American pizza’s, but I much prefer Italian ones which have a thinner crust and base.  This also meant that we missed out on Casino night as I decided to power nap and my son decided not to gamble. 

Our day travelling to the UK was uneventful apart from me forgetting to claim VAT back on purchases until after we had gone through passport control.

My son and I started to watch Ashoka, but we were both too tired to continue this and had to retire to bed. Hopefully we will get to watch it together again. I do wonder where all the people trained in the force hid during the rule of the Empire. It was bad enough with how Snoke came to be about in the poorly written sequel films (episodes vii-x). Now there are more Jedi? 

Also, we now have Leia back. She was ecstatic to see us when we got her from the dog sitter. I got in trouble for taking treats with me but she has been for a short walk with me and a longer one with my daughter. I also have had a nap today and she has slept with me, but has woken me up each time she has decided to jump off the bed to see what the other family members are up to.

Day eleven on Rhodes

Tomorrow is our last full day on Rhodes. I am going to miss it. My wife and son went with me to Rhodes were we went on a city tour, had an amazing lunch. The pick up and drop off point for the tour was at the cafe, which is where we rested before and after the tour.

The heat in the town was oppressive but the sights were impressive. My son and wife shopped and on getting back I cooled off with a swim in the ocean. My daughter found a school of fish, a sea snail and a crab using my goggles.

Back at the room, my son pushed me in the pool which was appreciated as I needed to wash the salt off me while my daughter showered first.

Tomorrow the plan is to relax for our last day and I guess do some preparatory packing. While there have been annoyances staying here, overall, it has been a great holiday.

Day ten on Rhodes

 

Today has not been the best of days, but it did have high points, and example of this was swimming with my daughter in a very calm sea.

However, we have not had decent access to WiFi for the last few days. I have spoken to people and they have given us the excuse that too many people are using it. It would make sense if this was when Framissima was holding events close to us, but this has been an issue in the early hours of the morning, and the WiFi works perfectly near reception.

Also we have a mouse. I mentioned this yesterday, it was not sorted and my wife today was told that we had been offered and declined the option to change rooms yesterday. This was not offered to us yesterday, but we did take them up on the offer, only to change our minds when we saw the alternative room. Basically we would prefer to have a mouse than a room that smells of damp and has a carpet so stained that my wife and daughter would not walk barefoot on.

But things are calmer now. I do love the setting of this place and the staff at the bars and restaurants as well as the cleaners have been lovely. The staff in reception will get an interesting review when we leave… 

Day nine on Rhodes

 

What a full day. We hired a car and went first of all to The Valley of Butterflies. My wife waited in the car having no interest in seeing it, but it was amazing. We went right to the top, out of the valley into the heat where I became the Lord of Flies.

After this, it was a long anticipated drive to Lindos where my son and I climbed up to see the acropolis. What an amazing place but doing so did tire me out, hence me going to bed early now. I am surprised that he had so much energy, but he has rested a lot more than me.

Day eight on Rhodes

 Another day doing nothing. A downside is that the WiFi is down most of the time in our room, but I have increased the data available for my son. My daughter has her own data but they do use my iPhone as a hot spot. I did bring this up with the hotel staff yesterday but they were not too helpful. 

Tomorrow we are planning to go for a drive, tonight my wife has seen how the French dance in unison.

Day seven on Rhodes

 I thought that the French lived so long because they were miserable. That is a poor joke based on an incorrect stereotype. It has been thought that they love long because of their diet. I think it is the exercise that they do. 

Last night, the reps put on an a brilliant and very energetic show and then got us all to dance. The number of dances that a French person seems to know is amazing. And they all appear to know the moves. Anyone who says that white people cannot dance has not seen the French dance. They put us to shame but it was still a fantastic night and my daughter and I are looking forwards to seeing what is happening tonight.

Today, was another relaxing day at the pool, and for my wife and daughter, at the beach. We now have a guide book and will look at exploring the island in our last week on it. I have just come back from a walk with my daughter on the beach where we found an interesting dead fish that appeared to have been killed by the rocks it was swimming in. Just need to find out what it is.

The song on the video is the music that they have played every night, again one with dance moves to it, at least with the reps who teach it to children before the main event which starts at 2130 every night. 

Day six on Rhodes

Yesterday I taught my son how to gamble. It was casino night at the hotel, the gambling being for free tokens. My son was with me as I played Blackjack, though the rules were slightly different as it was not as biased in favour of the house.

We had fun and had enough tokens at the end to bid in the auction where we won a 10% voucher in the gift shop. However my wife and daughter explained that the costs are so high in it, they doubt that they will use it! 

My wife swam with my daughter and I in the sea and this is probably something that we will do for the rest of the holiday. We also found out a bit more about trips on the island. Anyway my daughter and I are contemplating seeing what the entertainment is tonight…

Day five on Rhodes

Today we went to Rhodes itself. It is a distance from the hotel but it was lovely to walk about the historic streets. We had lunch there and when the family went back to the hotel, I continued to explore. I was hoping to find out about the knights of the island, but I may have to come back at a later time to find out more about this. 

Day four in Rhodes

 

Last night we went to the evening entertainment. My son went back to the room which in hindsight was the wise choice as most of it was in French. It makes sense as there are a large number of French people here, and they did explain what was happening in English as well. Sadly we returned to our room before the entertainment was fully underway due to a drink mishap and soaking clothes. My daughter and I returned later to dance in the disco. And I have just been complemented on my dancing last night by a barman. 

Come the morning, after breakfast my son and I walked to a nearby supermarket where we bought some replacement footwear for my daughter and some painkillers at a nearby chemist. 

We relaxed for the rest of the day, my son and I playing a few games that got a bit vicious in the pool. I may get to dance again tonight and tomorrow we are thinking about getting a taxi into the town of Rhodes itself. 

Day three in Rhodes

I woke up late this morning. Both children had woken up before me, but they had gone to bed late. I had got an early night while they had gone to The Voice at the resort. They sang Blank Space without me and had a great time. 

I swam in the sea with my daughter, played in the pool with both kids and listened to my wife talk about the night before.

We have made friends with a family of cats. The kittens come up to us at dinner and they have charmed my cat-allergic wife as well!

Not sure what we will do tomorrow, but another day of relaxation is fine with me! 

Day two in Rhodes

Today has been a relaxing day. I had intended to go for a walk before breakfast but ended up having breakfast with the kids instead. I did go for a walk afterwards and we played in the pool.

At lunch, my son who has not liked cats before started to feed a kitten, something my daughter and I would not have believed if we had not seen this ourselves! 

I did go for a swim in the sea with my daughter, something we did not do here last year. Anyway, the kids are at the local disco with their mother. Me I am going to go to sleep.

Day one in Rhodes

It has been a long day. We woke up for our taxi trip to the hotel at 0400, well, most of us did. Despite being told to get to sleep, my son tried to stay up and fell asleep, but, when we got up at 0330, fell back to sleep again. This has meant that he had left a few things back at home. I slept on the drive to the airport and on the plane, my son managing to stay awake during a lot of the flight, but it was sweet when he fell asleep on me. 

In fact, the photo was taken by him on the flight. It is great to be back at the hotel, and while the kids had bickered before getting here about sharing a room, they appear to be fine about it now.

We have had dinner, which was our first proper meal of the day as we missed lunch when we came here, and the airport breakfast was not as good as I had wanted.

I did get to watch the highlights of the Arsenal game. I do have to agree with the pundits, no disrespect to Nottingham Forest, but we would have been punished if we had played a top six side. Saying that, we did score two amazing goals and I am hoping that we can match or beat our previous league standing. But it will be much harder to do that this season. And remember, we could be Spurs! 

Anyway, the bed is calling me…

Rhodes is burning

My family are getting a bit stressed.  We are to travel to Rhodes again during the summer holidays. That is assuming that it is not on fire.

On that topic, a quick discussion on climate change.  The wildfires in Rhodes have not been caused by climate change.  They have been caused by arson.  Climate change means that wildfires are more likely to happen, and when they do they are more likely to be worse, because forests are dryer.  

I am aware that by flying there, we will be contributing to climate change, but this is to be our first family holiday abroad in a few years. Besides, the people of Rhodes will need the money that tourism is to bring in. 

But, concerns about how wildfires are getting worse has been present before the pandemic.  I am not sure if anyone remembers how Trump thought that Finland prevented wildfires. It just appears that governments across the planet are doing too little about this.

Day five in Greece and our adventure at home

This morning was sad as it was our last morning in Greece, for now anyway. After our breakfast we headed to the airport and then the flight home. This all was uneventful, but things were to change.

My daughter and my mother appeared to have an argument about Leia. I am not certain what the full details are, but it relates to my mother taking her off the lead in a public place despite being told not to do so. Things escalated and I had to take my mother home today, rather than tomorrow which is what I had planned. I am back now, but I am shattered, this despite napping on the way back up (the drive was risky as I started to doze off twice on the drive). Fortunately I can unwind tomorrow, hopefully.

Also, I will need to check that my daughter and my mother can repair any rift that may have formed between the two, unless things have been sorted already. 

Day four in Greece

Today is our last full day in Greece. It has been a great and relaxing time, though I did take some time out to dial into a work meeting that I could not miss as it had come to a very important part.

We swam, ate and unwound. I was surprised to find out that my mother at home has risked losing Leia on a walk by letting her run off lead. She is not able to run after her and is not aware what Leia is like with foxes, rabbits, squirrels and birds. I hope that the kids will ensure that this does not happen again.

Anyway, time to pack for our trip back tomorrow. I am looking forwards to seeing the kids, even if they are only looking to see their mother.

Day three in Greece

Again, another relaxing day in Zakinthos. Not much to say really, I went for a walk after breakfast, my wife and I swam in the pool in front of our room. We had lunch in the restaurant at the main pool and just spent the day relaxing. I still miss the kids, but less than before, which is strange. I am surprised that I do not miss the dog though! The video is from my walk earlier today, the photo below being from it as well.

Day two in Greece

Zante, or Zakinthos to those in Greece has been amazing. Saying that, other than me taking a short walk down the road, we have not left the hotel. We woke late for breakfast, had a swim in the pool outside out room and while my wife had what she later called the best massage of her life, I watched parts of the Royal Funeral while taking breaks for a swim as well as a walk around the grounds of the hotel. 

My wife is still affected by her knee and swimming, while normally a good exercise for someone with joint issues, appeared to set off her knee. 

Lunch was great, I actually had some wine (I normally do not drink until the evening) but dinner was amazing. The hotel has a guest chef in for two nights, tonight being his last night, and he was amazing. This meal means that this is in the top ten of dinner locations that we have been to. Sadly he will not be here tomorrow, but the meal of today would be a hard act to follow.

My guilt at leaving the kids behind is still present, but not as much as before. I am not sure that they would appreciate it here, and while I know that there is stress for them back in the UK, it is nice not to have to deal with it directly myself,

Day one in Greece

My wife and I have taken a few days holiday. My mother is looking after the children and we have just arrived at our hotel and are having food on our terrace looking over the pool.  She needs a break from the kids, and while I appreciate a break as well, I have a gaping hole in my heart as I miss them so much.  I am surprised at how much I do miss them, but hopefully they will miss us and appreciate us more when we return. 

Home at last!

Our holiday is over.

And our flight was delayed.  Things could have been worse, but as you can see, the delay to our flight was a lot longer than we expected.

I think that the staff who had to deal with this were great.  We got vouchers for food and drink, but it was exhausting.  My son got the most sleep on the chairs in the airport lounge, my wife coming second.  My daughter and I stayed up until the flight arrived, not a Jet2.com plane, but one from Titan airlines.

But we are at home now.  A lot later than expected, and while the journey was stressful, it was nothing compared to our first day of our holiday.  It was sad that we missed the first and last day of it at our hotel, and it would have been even better with those two extra nights, but that was not meant to be.