Report on Salonica  The biannual European Union (EU) summit
meeting, of June 20-21, took place in Salonica , as it was the
turn of Greece to hold the presidency of the EU. Twenty-five
heads of state (plus their retinues) attended. There was a
simultaneous translation into 28 languages. ( Cannot figure out
which the additional 3 languages were.) The meeting was held at
the Porto Carras luxury hotel complex, some 93 miles southeast
of Salonica on the Halkidiki peninsula (on the middle finger of
the 3-fingered peninsula). The place was (supposedly) chosen for
security reasons as it offers Alcatraz-type security advantages.
(Note: In the early 70s I found myself in the vicinity of Porto
Carras, on engineering work. The site of the Carras complex was
being prepared for the foundation and basement excavation. At
the site I met a fellow-engineer (probably a Greek- born
naturalized American) that was employed by an American company
that did subcontractor work for Bechtel. My thoughts at the
time: “What is this guy d