In my last column, I return to Greece, to the island of Hydra, which was the scene of enriching experiences for my daughter Lou and me.

1. LIFE LESSONS
WHILE WALKING ALONG THE SEA
To be a mother is not an easy job. It is above all a matter
of transmission. I am taking advantage of a mother daughter
trip to Greece to make Lou aware of the environment
protection. Not a simple task…
QUINOA SALAD
AND BLUSH
"The planetisthe priority!"Ikeepremindingmydaughter,who doesn’tseemto
attach much importance toit.I thinkaboutyoungpeople herage,demonstrating
inthe streetswithsignssaying"We don’thave aPlanetB" or "Whenit’smelted,
it’sblasted"...ThenIadd:"It’snot for me,youknow.I probablywon’tbe around
whenthe sixth extinctionhappens.It’sforyou.Foryour children,your
grandchildren."
That we can buy foodproducts,even"healthy"ones,suchasquinoasalad or
hummus,wrappedinplastic,renew ourwardrobe ata cheapprice everyseason
or collectcosmeticswithapackagingtentimesheavierthanthe actual product,
isbeyondme!
So yes,Ido ramble:"Use a goodoldsoap,you’ll dolessharmto the planet."
Unfortunately,myargumentsdon’tseemtoconvince her...
GREEN WALKING
& TRASH PICKING
As I walkalongthe sea,on thisincrediblybeautifulislandof Hydra,Icollectthe
plasticbottlesthathave beenleftbehindalongthe mule track.Icheerfullyjump

2. on themto make themflatand putthemintomy bag. Some have obviouslybeen
there fora longtime,stuckinthistles.Ipickthemupbefore theyendupfurther
down,inthe sea,aftertheydecompose inthe strongsunlightandbadweather.
Evenif it easesmyecological conscience(Ithinkof the fishIsave thisway),I
knowthat itis a desperate gesture,justadropinthe ocean.
GARBAGE?
OVERBOARD!
That morning,the sunwas still low whenIwalkeddowntothe creek,eagerto
take my firstbath of the day, the bestone.The waterwas perfectlyclearwith
movinglinesshapedbythe sunrays.AndsuddenlyIsaw them...Atfirst,clear
spotson the surface of the water,thenthe torn plasticbag,the surgical masks
withtheirelasticbandsfloatingonthe sides,andall sortsof packaging...
Probablya garbage bag thrownfroma boatand releasingitscontentashore,in
thisremote cornerof the island.
I can feel angerrisinginme.How can we?!In these landscapesof suchrare
beauty,howcan we justthrowour garbage inthe sea?!
So yes,Ido ramble:"Lou,helpme,let’spickitall up..."We have to get inthe
waterup to our waist,use ourfingersspreadoutlike rakes,andrepressour
disgust.Now,itisnotanger that invadesme,itisrage.Our taskdone,we enter
the wateragain.To enjoythe morningswim, the clarityof the water,the
reflectionsof the sunon thissuperbpalette of bluesandgreens.
A yacht passesby.
Sylvie Castagné
Zurich,August27, 2021