Recent reports from the Greek capital Athens can be unsettling for anyone thinking of booking a holiday to the Greek islands. Strikes, demonstrations, the occasional outbreak of violence, the impression given is of a country in a state of considerable upheaval, if not chaos. But what is the actual reality, especially on one of the smaller islands like Paxos?

Older Paxos hands sometimes compare this Ionian paradise with the fictional Scottish island of Todday in the film Whisky Galore. Not, of course, because there’s any similarity of climate. The comparison is more with the way Paxiots seem to stay for much of the time beyond the reach of central government in Athens. When the VAT inspector is spied boarding the boat in Igoumenitsa, for instance, many shopkeepers and businessmen have been known to suddenly rediscover a deep interest in their olive groves, which obliges them to close their shops or be out of the office for a few hours, until the boat and the inspector return to the mainland...

And the same applies to the current disturbances. In Paxos, there is no hint of the problems in Athens. Schools, taxis, buses are all working as normal – and all the tavernas, tourist businesses and shops are open their normal long hours. All of them continue to offer visitors that wonderful feeling of hospitality that the Greek islands are so famous for. If anything, knowing how recent events risk denting their country’s image abroad, the local tradesmen and women are even more eager to make their guests feel welcome and at ease on holiday. And the general attitude of the Paxiots was summed up by one local, who said that it was “only the Government on strike on this island and we won’t notice!” True to form, the residents of Paxos continue to ignore the goings-on of their compatriots on the mainland and the authorities in Athens. Who knows, it may soon declare itself an independent republic!

So the days on Paxos continue to pass in their usual sunlit tranquillity. The hydrofoils continue to arrive and depart with visitors, the taxi drivers are still plying their trade between the port and the main villages and inland holiday homes, and the taverna and cafe owners, shopkeepers and boatmen are working even longer days to make sure their beloved island keeps its reputation as one of the most relaxing and hospitable holiday destinations in the Med. So if you were concerned that problems in the eurozone might be affecting little Paxos, you can set your mind at rest. Paxos remains as peaceful as it ever was, and as its name implies. In fact, if you act quickly, you might even be able to benefit from the euro’s woes: sterling has actually gained a few points against the euro over the last week or two. “No hurry but make that another beer, will you Spiro? I seem to have a bit more change in my pocket than I thought...”