Greece and Wales

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Personal stories, insights and analysis from correspondents and writers around the world. In this edition: "I can't even lend my son two euros" The European economic crisis drags on and on - yet many of the tourists who kept to their original Greek holiday plans this summer couldn't see much sign of it on the streets of Athens. After all, this is a European Union country still - and a place with many advantages, from its cultural heritage to its natural beauty. Mark Lowen's been living there for some time - hosting a stream of visiting friends and family from the UK - and explains why the pain, which is certainly being felt by ordinary Greeks, is not always on immediate display. Bara brith at a Buddhist birthday bash The Marches - the terrain along the English-Welsh border - has been an area of cultural fusion for centuries, and of countercultural activity for decades. Recently, near the tiny village of Llangunllo, Christine Finn saw its welcoming spirit in practice - as she joined a highly unusual, and occasionally exotic, celebration hosted by a Buddhist meditation centre. (Image: Tourists visit the Parthenon at the Acropolis in July 2010. Credit: Getty Images)