PART 7

You are going to read an article about drystone walling. For questions 44 – 53, choose from the sections (A – D). The sections may be chosen more than once.

A. Simon
Sociologists such as myself are very familiar with the concept of urbanisation. All over the world, people are moving away from rural areas and into towns and cities. However, in Greece, in the last few years, the financial crisis has resulted in a reversal of this trend, at least to some extent. Ties between the urban centres and the countryside were never really severed in Greece, so this development was not entirely unforeseeable. The majority of those who have already taken up farming as a result of the crisis, or who aspire to do so in the near future, have access to family land and related resources, a fact which makes this kind of change in lifestyle a much more realistic and attainable goal. It is certainly unusual that Greece’swell-qualified young workforce is moving away from the service sector and into more traditional roles but, for many, it is a rational step to take.
B. Spyros
As a forty-five-year-old graphic designer who had been out of work for nearly four years, I knew my chances of finding well-paid employment in my field, or in any other for that matter, were very slim. That’s why two years ago my wife and I decided to use the land her father owned in a small village to grow pomegranates. We entered a contract farming agreement, were trained and provided with seeds and went ahead despite both our families’ less than enthusiastic response to our proposed undertaking. Nothing could have prepared us for the backbreaking work we would both have to put in, and there were several frustrating setbacks along the way. But, equally, nothing from my previous career can compare to the joy I felt upon seeing our seedlings – tiny green rays of hope – shooting up from the ground.
C. Marianne
My husband and I met while on holiday here, got married and settled on the island long before the crisis hit. At first, I was convinced that the local economy would have little or no use for my skills – I am a pianist, you see. I soon discovered, however, that there was a real thirst for knowledge and a craving for creative outlets, especially among the young. I have had numerous students since, which has definitely helped me lead a fulfilling life here. I hope things prove to be as uncomplicated for those young couples who have recently arrived on the island and are planning to ‘go back to the land’. I worry about them, though, because this, it seems, is their last resort, their only way out of the economic deadlock they were in.
D. Nick
My dad was a baker and my grandfather before him, but I never saw myself following in their footsteps. I completed a postgraduate degree a few years ago and resolved to help out at the family bakery only until I could get my academic career on track. While no progress was being made on that front, I became more and more involved in the business, and the science of making bread. Having grown up in this family, I had picked up a lot along the way, but I soon found myself not only putting that knowledge into practice but also doing research into ways of improving the quality of our bread, making it affordable to everyone, and introducing new products. Small bakeries like ours are really having to fight for their survival these days, but I truly believe that it is a fight we can win. I will be proud to know I played a part in securing that victory.
E. Anna
A crisis really brings things into sharp focus. When the first pay cut was announced at work, I realised it had been a long while since my job had offered me any real satisfaction. I started contemplating a simpler life in the country, and it was round about that time that I happened to read an article about small-scale beekeeping and honey production. A little research led me to a local Institute of Agricultural Studies that offered beekeeping seminars. Apparently, they were all the rage: I had to sleep in the park where the institute’s headquarters are located the night before the seminars started, together with a horde of other aspiring apiarists, to make sure I got a place on the course. Having a house in the countryside, where I could set up an apiary certainly helped and I now own ten hives and produce an average of a hundred kilos per season. It is not enough to fully support me yet, but that’s the goal that I’ve set for myself, and I hope to be there in four or five years’ time.