abandoned

Few minutes outside Patra’s city center, just next to the new south port, is an old industrial area full of bankrupted and abandoned factories that once were fully operational and brought prosperity to the city after Second World War. The factory from the photo is Peiraiki-Patraiki, probably the biggest one in the past and the best example of collapse of Greek industry in early 1980’s (this is exactly when Greece joined EU! – coincidence ?)

Today, more than 75% of Greek GDP is based on services, mainly tourism and sea transport of course. No production, no industry. That is the main reason why Greece is so dependent on imported goods from abroad. Even milk and flower are imported as local production is not enough. It was not always like that and it doesn’t have to be in the future. The infrastructure is there, just waiting for new business to start operating again…

Photo: NIKON D70s, AP, f 1/8, 1/800s, -0.3EV, f=75 mm (for 35mm), GIMP software