GREEK MOUNTAIN VILLAGES: PLACES OF REFUGE IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD

Since World War 2 in Europe, village populations have generally declined. The country bears environmental scars of centuries of hardship. Since the global Financial Crisis, Greek welfare payments have been slashed, while in 2013 60% of workers under 24 were unemployed. [...]it considers the contemporary situation, where Greece as a member of the European Union has again effectively lost control of the economic decision-making in its region. The annual olive harvest, in the Greek winter (the tourist off-season), is a time of family reunion when Greeks from Athens and other cities world-wide reassemble in the village to harvest and crush the olives, bottle the oil, eat hearty meals and renew acquaintances with family members.