Up reasonably early this morning and out to the café for coffee. As we went down to the garage, we noticed some documents in a plastic wallet tucked under the rear windscreen wiper of our car. They were some important documents relating to our land which were being prepared by the architect. He must have come past after we had gone to bed last night. We were shattered and went to bed around 11.00 pm. We certainly didn’t hear him.
At the café, I downloaded The Sunday Times while chatting to Christos about the world of Greek Island politics. He works very hard and long hours. He looks very tired at 9.00 am. He has asked if he can come over to our house for coffee. We have told him that he is very welcome at any time.
The temperature reached 31C/89F this afternoon. Note to Skiathan Man – not only sleeping on top of the sheets but shutters now closed in the afternoon to keep the house cool. We won’t need the outside lights on tonight. It will be naturally illuminated by the midsummer solstice super full moon. For young lovers a time to dream. We ‘oldies’ just enjoy the view.
24th June, 2013
A hot, almost sultry, still day. The strong winds that came have just as suddenly disappeared. My job is patio cleaning this morning. Later, we will go swimming. I am ashamed to admit, this will be our first swim in the sea this year. In fact, our last swim was on March 31st at the Health Club in Surrey. We are looking forward to it. Let’s hope the sea is refreshing after a morning’s work.
One of the noticeable differences this year has been the absence of little birds all around the property, leaving droppings on the walls and patio tiles. We don’t think it is the cat because she is getting to well fed to be bothered chasing them. It could be the owl that constantly guards our property. The one thing I have actually seen it catch is a small bird. It had the tail feathers sticking out of its mouth as it flew off to devour it on some post. In the last few days, however, we have had a family of pied wagtails pecking for seeds on the dry earth and enjoying dust baths in loose soil. They seem a little bigger than pied wagtails in England but just as quick.
We have ordered a sign for the sale of our property. It will be delivered soon.
25th June, 2013
Pure, Greek Summer day today. Blue, cloudless skies. Hot and still. Cicadas singing in the pomegranate trees. I’m immersed in emails from Surrey from the Steering Committee of our apartment development. Major matters like the electric gates, the codes for them. Getting the gardeners and cleaners to do their jobs properly, etc.. It all seems so far away. Mind you, I wouldn’t mind a walk through the rain and a trip round Waitrose but that’s a minor whim.
As we drove down to the beach, the car showed 32C/90F in the garage. The beach was nicely quiet with not too many tourists yet. The sea was delicious. We watched Speedrunner3 dock and then did half an hour of non-stop swimming.
Drove home and cooked our meal for the day – Griddled chicken & griddled vegetables (courgettes & peppers from the garden).
26th June, 2013
Can the days get any more beautiful. Up at 7.00 am. for fresh orange and Yorkshire tea. Mother Cat had obviously slept under a bush nearby, heard us get up and was still stretching outside the back door as we walked past. She got fresh water and dried food. She and I had a long talk and then she went off a-catting.
Our day will be split between reading the paper (Pauline’s doing a bit of ironing.), gardening and swimming followed by watching a bit of tennis.
The sea in Kamares Bay was wonderfully refreshing. We swam for an hour. Haven’t felt so clean for years. Closed the shutters at the front this afternoon to shut out the afternoon heat while we watched matches from Wimbledon. Now, as I water my plants at 8.00 pm, the temperature is at a sticky 33C/92F.
27th June, 2013
Mother Cat never ceases to surprise us. She has given no physical signs until now that anything untoward was happening. Today, as we drive back into the garage, she pops out and begins to call in a strange, rather strangled way. As we drink coffee on the patio, out sneaks a (quite mature) kitten. As soon as it sees us looking, it shoots back in to hide and no amount of calling and coaxing from Mother will get it back out. Minutes later, an e-card arrives from Viv & Richard announcing the birth of their latest Grandson. Grandparenthood is catching!
28th June, 2013
What fun you can have when you’ve nothing better to do. Today we were taking advantage of a slightly overcast morning for clearing out the storm drain that goes in front of our drive gate. Every winter, the rains bring silt down and clog it up. Every year, we grudgingly put aside an hour or two to clear it out. This year, we are combining that annual delight with the joy of repainting the gate. We haven’t done it since 2007. I know you all now feel terribly jealous. No need. If you pop over with a brush, you can join in.
29th June, 2013
Talking about brushes. Could you pop over with one because ours has completely lost all its bristles sweeping out the storm drain.
By the time it gave out, it was 1.30 pm.. The Hardware shops close at 2.00 pm on Saturdays and, as we drove up to Apollonia, we got caught up with a ‘large load’ Electricity Company convoy led by our friend, Apostelos in his huge pickup. By the time we got to the Hardware shop, it had closed. We have had to make do with a supermarket brush until Monday. All World Headlines here. You heard them here first!
This morning we collected the For sale sign for our house. Three hours later, a couple dropped in because they heard we were selling and, after a quick tour round, a glass of wine and a chat, told us immediately they wanted to buy it. How strange life is. We will see what unfolds.
Every morning I drink a full glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. In England, it is two, Spanish oranges from Tesco. In Greece, it is Cretan oranges from Mario’s. The differences are stark. Firstly, Tesco’s finest are all the same size. We know it will take exactly two oranges to fill a glass. They will be beautiful, perfectly formed, identical fruits. They will cost around 30p/€0.35 each depending on special offers.. For a week, I know I will need exactly 14 at a cost of £4.20. Mario’s come in a crate and are different sizes and of variable appearance. The are covered in creases and bruises and blemishes. A British supermarket would just reject them for imperfection and lack of uniformity. It is impossible to predict how many are needed to fill my glass because some are small and some are huge. This week, I bought 17 to make sure I had enough. The total price was €3.30/£2.80 or 30% less than England. The real difference is that Cretan oranges are absolutely fabulous. The flavour is incredible compared with Spanish ones that have been stored in Tesco’s warehouse. And the blemishes on the outside are irrelevant!
17th June, 2013
Lovely start to the week. Meeting with the Notary, struggling with the first day of the school holidays, and coffee at Prego. Both were really enjoyable. The Notary is a lovely, kind and thoughtful person. It is so pleasant to deal with an intelligent human being. At the café, Pauline had soda and a Bougatsa while I just had a coffee.
We have been losing weight since January 1st. In that time, I have lost 5 stones or 32Kilos. Pauline has lost just over a stone or 7 – 8 Kilos. She has been doing it to support me but has now got dangerously thin. I am having to force-feed to keep her weight up. She is not allowed out in the morning without having eaten two slices of bread. She is not allowed to go to a café without ordering a cake. She has to integrate a little bit of pasta with her food during the day. Even so, she is fighting to maintain her weight. My medication ensures that I am still fighting to lose mine. I have another year of no carbohydrates in front of me.
18th June, 2013
Normal service is resumed for the weather if not for ERT (NERIT). Today is hot – 30C/86F with blustery winds. We had almost forgotten that such weather existed in the Greek Islands. As for the national broadcasting company, the courts have ruled that it was not illegal to close it down but that it should broadcast transitionally until a replacement can be put in place. This seems to save face for all concerned in the Coalition.
Going out to eat at Olga’s tonight. We haven’t seen her for a week or two. Looking forward to it. Not only are we sleeping on top of the bed sheets but the ceiling fans are suddenly remembering why they are here. We only use air conditioning in extremis.
We got to their restaurant about 8.00 pm. it looked closed. We had deliberately chosen a quiet time so we could talk.
Manolis was lurking in the kitchen. He phoned Olga and she shot down from their house in her car. She was nursing a huge bruise to her arm from an earlier fall. She is a lovely woman with a great sense of humour. She brought out a jug of wine and Manolis cooked huge mounds of mezedes. I wasn’t supposed to be eating it all but it seemed rude to refuse. We were then served with the most delicious Pork Loin garnished with an onion & grape chutney. Just when we thought we wouldn’t be able to walk to the car, Olga brought out a wonderful sweet. Olga talked about her daughter of whom she is so proud. We talked about London where they had lived for so many years – Manolis for twenty years. They often did the drive to Greece and back to London years before we ever thought of it. I can’t imagine what it was like driving across Europe in a 1970s car with no air conditioning, automatic gears, anti-lock brakes and, particularly, no satellite navigation. I remember the plastic covers on the thin seats in those days. How lucky are we.
Around 11.00 pm we left and they wouldn’t let us pay for our meal. We felt very bad about that but we will go back when they are busier and pay extra. The drive home through the darkness of a Sifnos night was delightful. We don’t often do it. It was especially nice to arrive at our house with all the lights on.
We had coffee and talked about our plans for tomorrow. I was still up at 2.30 am and really quite shocked to see how many vehicles are still moving in Kamares at that time. How do they manage work in the morning? Not my problem!
19th June, 2013
Up at 7.00 am, tired and still feeling full from last night. Still hot but blustery. (Not me, the weather!) We are spending some time doing accounts this morning, checking our English and Greek bank accounts, our credit card account and Euro Currency Funds. We like to keep on top of it. Fortunately, all the news is good news.
Tree/bush/plant watering is the order of the morning plus a little bit of reading/writing. Pauline is doing some cooking although neither of us can really think about food.
20th June, 2013
Hot and blustery. Not pleasant working outside. Wrote letters and emails. Talked through future planning with Pauline.
Got a call to say our burglar alarm was going off in Surrey. It turned out to be nothing. Phyllis & Colin had been round to check the post and had a problem resetting the alarm on leaving. Reassuringly, two neighbours took action and contacted us.
Looks like the ERT problem could be growing in to a full blown crisis by tearing the Coalition apart. Samaras will have to be especially careful now.
21st June, 2013
The wind continues and probably won’t abate until Sunday. I, for one, will be glad of some respite. I do find this constant meltemi-type wind disturbing/tiring.
Drove up to Apollonia to have some letters weighed for posting and then coffee at Prego café, a quick word with the Notary and back home for 11.00 am. After the alarm alert yesterday, Pauline spoke to her (very old) sister who had, kindly, collected our post. We were expecting a bill for our Surrey property from the Management Company, Chamonix. Because we live in a Duplex Apartment, all our heating and hot water is supplied centrally. We are supplied with an energy-efficient, heat exchange system. This means very low bills. The year just gone included one of the coldest winters on record. Our bill for all our hot water and our central heating amounted £110.00. Regular readers of this Blog know that I’m a bit of an ‘anorak’ about such things but, you’ll have to agree, it is impressive.
Our amanuensis phoned this morning to ask if we were alright. She has been talking Italian for a week so we’ve left her to it. We’ll meet up next week to renew our plan of campaign. Roast pork from Nikos for Dinner with our first, home-grown peppers of the season and fresh sage from the garden. Delicious!
22nd June, 2013
Pleasant morning. Looking forward to a happy Saturday. Shopping, reading the newspaper, sitting around and chatting with my wife but there is a problem with a blockage in the sewer pipe leading from the en suite bathroom. Who to blame? Certainly, we will both have to sort it out. Hope you’re not eating your breakfast while reading this. I’ll keep you informed.
Well, I got my tool boxes out – What’s a man without an 18″ tool box? –
and then got my wife to do it. Well, she’s smaller than me and can get into tighter spaces.
Actually, the ‘blockage’ had gone before she attempted anything but we did find some insidious weed roots starting to fill one of the five pipes. A trowel and a wife are all the tools one needs, dear Reader. Job done (if you’ll pardon the expression).
Out this morning at 8.30 am and down to the Café for coffee. Ordered some pork joints and fresh cheese from Moshka to be picked up tomorrow. Back to read the Sunday Times and then cleaning. Every year the windows and doors get treated with a special solution to maintain the paintwork and stop the wood drying out. Usually we do it at the end of the summer and they are at their best when we leave. This year we have done it early so we actually get the best of gleaming, rejuvenated woodwork. We’re getting a bit worried about Mother Cat. She came and ate three, huge meals today and yet she is really skinny. She appeared so hungry that she began to take an interest in my tomatoes. We are eating our first, ‘cherry’ tomatoes already and very sweet they are too.
We should be picking courgettes in another week. The green, bell peppers won’t be long either.
10th June, 2013
If there is a cleaner, tidier house than ours in Greece, I’d like to see it. The grounds have been cleared and raked rubbish removed. The patio, walls, windows and doors have been washed and treated and polished. The inside has been relentlessly mopped and dusted. I think we’ll give it a rest for a while. We were supposed to start swimming today but, after four solid hours of cleaning, we both felt shattered and collapsed with our newspaper and book.
11th June, 2013
Down to the post this morning. Two letters – Cosmote (Internet Bill) and Nova (Satellite Bill). Both were completely in Greek. I knew what both said almost immediately. The first told me that my monthly bill for 10Gbs was €30.00 which is excellent. The speed is so good that I don’t notice the difference from my Broadband service in Surrey. The Nova wasn’t a bill at all but an enticement to take a new, HD box. I have an HD Television and I have HD in Surrey but it really doesn’t seem worth it here. Although I got the general drift of the letter, I put some bits into Google Translate to find that they were offering the inducement of 6 months free service. Even that didn’t do it for me.
I can’t believe I’m writing this especially as we approach the middle of June but rain is forecast for the next three days. Last night, there was some lightning over the port. Even though Sakis (ET3) and the BBC (Met. Office) are in agreement, ever the sceptic, I am starting my next round of plant garden watering this morning.
It is 8.00 pm and I’m beginning to doubt my own scepticism. This is the view from our patio looking out over Kamares harbour.
12th June, 2013
Oh, Sakis. Just as we were getting to know each other, just as we were becoming nightly friends, they abolish you. They say you were too extravagant and far too expensive. Maybe it is true but it was nice while it lasted. May be I am in the minority but I mourn the passing of Et3 and its meteorologist, Sakis Arnaoutoglou. Last night the state broadcasting company was summarily closed, ending the life of Net, ET1 & ET3 television channels and a number of radio channels including ERA, Voice of Greece & Kosmos. Where now will I go for detailed and thoughtful weather forecasts? The BBC?
13th June, 2013
I’m going absolutely ‘BATS’. I suddenly realised I was once again trying to revert to 2012. Whatever the year, it really isn’t looking like any rain will bless us. Still, we should be careful what we wish for. Skiathos & Skopelos seem to be getting everybody’s rain. My garden would welcome a bit but not a streetful and, particularly, not all at once.
It is hard to believe that Samaras didn’t consider the effects of his actions in closing down the entire Public Broadcasting Network – ERT – but is he surprised at the international condemnation of it this morning? Even the employees admit it was over-bloated and corrupt and the government had been negotiating with unions for a year unsuccessfully. However, they will have to get on with a replacement quickly or the accusation of censorship of the press will stick.
All day the dark clouds bubbled and passed, bubbled and passed. Rain? – No rain. By 5.00 pm, we decide to do some watering. An hour later, watering finished, the sun comes out and ………. it begins to rain. Not heavy, earth wetting, Skiathan rain. Just light and gentle moistening. Well it is mid-June in the Cyclades.
14th June, 2013
The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blessed-
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes.
Mercy visited us in buckets over night. The middle of June. I don’t remember such a merciful visitation in June for a long time.
The Greek Union of News Journalists (ESIEA) has, wrongly in my opinion, decided to extend the total news blackout until next Tuesday. By then a week will have elapsed without proper national discussion of the closure of ERT. This is a mistake. They should be out there, making the case not muttering behind their hands. The Coalition meet on Monday to hammer out a compromise. It is being stressed that this issue is not a Coalition breaker. There will be no early elections. Things in the economy are too serious for that.
15th June, 2013
Hold the front page: Weather Returns to Normal. The garden continues to show the benefit of the recent rain but the day has opened with clear blue skies and sunshine. The temperature is 25C/77F and rising and there is a light breeze. What more could one want?
Well, if you were living in Surrey on this fine Saturday, you could look forward to 13C/55C for your barbecue. On the bright side, however, you’re living in the right area because the recession since 2008 has exacerbated existing inequalities because the divide between the North and the South and it is growing faster than at any point since the Second World War, according to The Times.
We are becoming egg-bound. Pauline returned Kiki’s basket which she had, so kindly, given to us filled to the brim with fresh eggs. Kiki asked if we liked them and when we confirmed that we did, she immediately promised another basketful. We are not complaining. They are absolutely wonderful and she is so kind. It’s just that, an hour later, we were up at Elinoil buying petrol and we weren’t allowed to leave until we had taken another gift of fresh eggs. What lovely people! We are going to Olga’s for Dinner but it will be omelette for lunch.
Woken at 2.30 am by the drumbeat of rain on the roof. It lasted less than five minutes and again at 3.30 am for an even shorter time. The effect was worse than useless. The garden this morning was bone dry but the windows, patio and outdoor furniture were covered in Saharan sand as the weatherman had forecast. When we got up at 6.30 am, the power was off and, unusually, stayed off for about three hours. Tea had to wait. Mother Cat, obviously in ‘the know’, didn’t turn up for breakfast.
We were told to expect Giorgos with his truck at 9.00 am. In fact, it was nearer 10.30 by the time he arrived. When he did, it was obvious that it would take three trips to clear everything. Nowadays, it is not a simple trip up to the Rubbish Tip. New rules dictate that our rubbish had to be taken to the old quarry on the Heronisos Road. By 11.30 am, it had all gone although Giorgos was eyeing up an old patio table and three remaining chairs and I suspect they never made it to the quarry.
In the afternoon, we went down to the café for a Frappé and a chat with Christos. He had plenty of interesting gossip. Back home for our one meal of the day. Pauline cooked Calamari and we ate it with salad. We watered and fed the vegetable plants which are growing at an incredible rate and then settled down to the Greek News. Actually, it was about the unrest in Turkey. Protests about the curbing of free speech and the creeping islamisation of the state is clearly and rightly angering much of the population, particularly the young. They are revolting as all young people are.
3rd June, 2013
Up early – quite a chilly morning although it soon heated up and reached 27C/81F. We were out first thing at the Garden shop. Lime for the tomatoes & peppers. No, they don’t sell it. Of course, you must go to the Agricultural Store which is open tomorrow. Back home for coffee and then watering all the trees and bushes. This took two hours. I have been flooding them once a week. Now I will up that to twice. All my cuttings are now well rooted – geranium and an evergreen climbing plant we spotted and liked – and ready for potting up. My pepper and salad seedlings are ready for planting out.
We spent the afternoon setting in a structure of canes to support the tomatoes through strong wind. We will do the same for the peppers tomorrow. Throughout the day the owl has been with us. From talking to friends, we now know it is a species common to Greece
It’s particular trait is that it sits on posts and wires in broad daylight. Plus it is absolutely delightful.
4th June, 2013
Up early again – a quite magically beautiful morning. Still, bright and warm. Off and out to collect the post. Nothing for us today but we collected it for friends. After that, we set off for the agricultural store in Apollonia. A bit early, we had coffee at Prego and then went down to buy our potion. Friends had told us to dust tomato plants with Sulphur or θειάφι using a sock. At the store, a couple of kilos cost €0.50. While we were there, we were amazed to see so many people flowing through who we already knew. Olga’s husband arrived to buy chicken feed. Giannis and his wife (ex of Boomerang News Agency) were there buying plant food. Huge bags of material were being humped on to wagons. Our little bag looked pathetic. Let’s hope it does the trick. It is said to add flavour to tomatoes and peppers.
5th June, 2013
Oh the joys of Retirement. Unbelievably, we have entered our fifth year of lazing around and being paid to do it. Today has been a gardening one. One of my greatest hopes about spending half the year in Greece was that I would learn to grow vegetables outside that I couldn’t in England. This year, after struggling and only partly succeeding in previous years, I have cheated and employed two gardeners. The Pensioners did all the heavy work. I bought some plants from the garden shop – tomatoes, peppers and basils. I grew some plants from seed – courgettes, mixed peppers and more basils plus parsley. The Pensioners planted the tomatoes, the peppers and the courgettes and all are doing well. Pauline and I spent the day planting out what we had grown from seed. For the first time, everything seems to be doing well. We will pick our first Cherry Tomatoes at the end of this week.
We are using just a small patch at the back of the house at the moment, hoping to use some of the shade from the edging trees. Those Pensioners will have to come back next year. Every tree and bush has been ‘lifted’ to let in light and cleared around but my favourite is this Yukatan Palm at the front gate. It is quite common, I know, but is becoming a real feature.
6th June, 2013
Why is Skiathan Man so lucky? Rain threatens and he gets rain. Here promises go unfulfilled. We’d love a thunder storm, lightning, half an hour of strong rain. All we get is promises. For quite some time now, we have been avid followers of Sakis Arnaoutoglou, the ET3 weather forecaster but he has been off the boil recently.
Even the trolley dollies of Mega have beaten him in short term accuracy. Sakis has a chance to redeem himself this weekend. He is forecasting rain for Sifnos. A lot is riding on this, Sakis. You’re not the most beautiful you know!
Anyway, car and patio cleaning day today in spite of a Saharan sand storm prediction again over the next few days. Before that, my first blood test of the Greek residency. The last one was a perfect 2.5 INR in Surrey on April 11th. I am looking for another good one today. If it’s good today, my next one won’t be until August 1st.
Actually, the test turned out so well, I don’t need another until August 15th. Seems a long time off to me but that is the collective wisdom of the Woking Haematology Centre. My concern is that it is a cost-saving long term. I might have an earlier one for my own peace of mind. It was lovely to see our friend, the blood tester, this morning. He had deliberately displayed our Christmas card above his desk. A robin in thick snow looked rather incongruous this morning.
Sakis brought the Saturday rain forward to tonight and tomorrow morning. We’ll see, Sakis!
7th June, 2013
No rain over night. This morning the clouds are grey but high overhead. I think he’s going to be wrong again. I’m going to do my usual watering round.
Do ten big spots make him right? NO THEY DON’T! I’ve spent four hours watering everything in sight.
8th June, 2013
Out early this morning. Rania had somebody else painting white lines on her restaurant floor this morning. It was a member of that infamous crew – The Ladies of Artemon. She obviously wasn’t satisfied with her own efforts last year. We will have dinner there tonight – if the paint is dry. Off up to what we call the Windmill Supermarket in Exambela. It is really called Arades but old names stick. This is what it used to look like until today.
This is old, Greek-style supermarket (corner shop) as we have known it for quite some years. We remember an even older style, all-purpose shop that these emporiums replaced about 30 years ago but, now, the change is taking place once again. I don’t have photos yet but Arades has transmogrified into a modern supermarket like Sainsburys – well perhaps that’s going a little far – with built-in chiller cabinets, fresh veg. picture splashbacks, swipe/blip barcode reading and proper carparking with white lines. Apparently, they had been up all night moving things from one building to another. Life will never be the same again.
Where is May going? It feels like we only just arrived and yet we have been here for five weeks and away from Surrey for six. That is the crucial thing for tax purposes. We are only allowed to be out of UK for 180 days per year. This means, we have to be back in Surrey for Friday, October 11th. This will mean leaving Sifnos somewhere around October 4th this year. We have an open ticket with Superfast so we can plan ahead.
Went out early into a wonderful morning taking the rubbish to the bin store and then on to the Cafe for coffee annd a chat with Christos. We talked about his Uncle Nikolaos who did our garden and about his Aunt who makes jam. We will go up to see her next week. The Economist magazine in Britain has a distinctly optimistic article about the turning Greek economy this week. This article says:
This summer should see a record 17m tourists crowding Greek beaches. Bookings from Germany and Russia are soaring, say travel agents. A projected rise of €1.5 billion-2 billion in tourist revenues will give the budget a boost.
I quoted it to Christos but he is extremely pessimistic and says the ferry situation will mean that these tourists will never make it to Sifnos. I told him that I had read of a plan for the Wester Cycladic islands to access European money to finance their own ferry build and deployment. Once again he was pessimistic. This is Greece, you know, he said. It will never happen.
27th May, 2013
I’ve got to stop writing this but it is THE MOST WONDERFUL DAY. Where else could one want to be on a day like to day but in Sifnos countryside? We worked hard today raking up all the final rubbish that the gardeners grubbbed up last week. Someone will appear with a lorry to take it all away in the next few days. The local farmers have had their fill.
Working outside is a joy. It is so far removed from what we both did in our professional life that it doesn’t feel like working at all. When we first bought this land in 2000, it only had an unmade track running by. It was one of our concerns in the purchase. We returned the next summer to find a metalled road instead of a dusty track. The surfacing only went just past our house (as if it was just for us) but now goes right across the island. What that means is that quite a bit more traffic drives up and down the mountain each day. Every day, the lovely Kiki drives up taking her shepherd husband to his farm. She toots and waves enthusiastically. Giannis and, even his father wave numerous times a day as they drive up and down. Apostolis and his son, Nikos toot and wave as they trundle past with lorry loads of hay or freewheel down on their bikes to save petrol. ‘Smiler’ waves five times a day particularly as he rides down in the evening with his dog on the back. Water carriers, dustbin lorries, soil lorries, taxi drivers – all the Sifnos world goes past our house and acknowledges two mad English people out in the midday sun, working in their garden.
In Surrey where we have lived for two years, apart from family, we know two people on speaking terms. It is a different world.
28th May, 2013
My Best Man sent me a photo of how I used to look forty years ago. Actually, it flatters me but that’s why he is my best man.
If you think I look similar to Jeff Lynne of ELO, you could be right.
The Post Office and Parcelforce are about to be privatised in Britain. We’ve been using the latter extensively to move ‘stuff’ to Greece for years. It is remarkably economical way to do it compared to with alternative carriers. As we drive to Greece, our 4×4 is stuffed to the roof with ‘stuff’ including wine and cheese bought en route in France and Italy. There are bulky but light things – for example, six month’s supply of Italia ESE coffee pods that go in boxes to be posted. In all, we post about 80 – 90 Kgs of ‘stuff’ a couple of days before we set off and they are usually in our small, island post office by the time we arrive. This year we sent four boxes but only three arrived. It turned out that two, small bottles of after shave were accidently packed but are prohibited. For that reason, the parcel was returned to our home in Surrey after being scanned.
The full consignment of four boxes was charged at £190.00. The fourth box was picked up by Pauline’s sister who removed the offending bottles and reposted the box. We heard this morning that Parcelforce have returned the sum of £155.00 in compensation for our trouble even though it was of our own making. After costs, one wonders how much profit Parcelforce made on that procedure. Certainly, their customers are happy here. Surely privatisation will change this!
Went out to collect the post at 9.00 am and returned without mail but with a huge cheese and a dozen farm-fresh eggs in a basket courtesy of the lovely Kiki. Later, after finishing off a little work, we went out for a late lunch at 3.00 pm. Kalamari and salad was delightful down by the lapping waves and the darting fish. A lovely conversation with our amanuensis about footpaths and things finished off the afternoon. We drove back up to the house to coffee and a short snooze. Bliss.
29th May, 2013
Don’t want you to get too excited but I am having my haircut this morning out on the patio. There is quite a strong breeze so I probably won’t have to sweep up afterwards. Half my head will be floating across the valley by the afternoon. The weather forecaster is predicting new clouds of Saharan dust falling over the next few days. If my hair arrives first, it could prove puzzling to local farmers.
Discussions with the Notary about our house sale this morning. I always find that unsettling. Here we are, sailing blissfully along and reality keeps trying to intrude. Never mind. All will be as it will be!
30th May, 2013
Glorious morning. Kamares is sleepy and quiet. Kiki drove her husband up the mountain to his farm in the third different car this week. Still waving and tooting. Got a second viewing of the house this morning. I’m enjoying so much, I’m inclined not to sell it although I know I will if the acceptable opportunity arises.
Simon Baddeley has returned from his Greek home on Democracy Street in Corfu to his English home in Handsworth, Birmingham. He contrasts the experience in two, simple photographs.
These photos are snatched from his interesting Blog, Democracy Street, illustrating the blue seas on the West Coast of Corfu as he left and the cold, wet walk around Handsworth, Birmingham as he walked the dog. Where would you rather be?
It has turned out to be one of the best days we have ever spent on Sifnos. Two wonderful pieces of news came our way this morning which have lifted us and could change our lives. Tantalisingly, I can reveal neither of them to you today but I will in the fullness of time. So good was the news that we went out for lunch at Captain Andreas Fish Restaurant.
Salad and platefuls of small, fried fish with a glass or two of cold, white wine completed the day.
31st May, 2013
Early out this morning. Meeting with Notary in the Prego Coffee Shop in Apollonia. If you’re going to have a meeting, there is no better place. Lots of interesting matters raised.
We went on to the Accountants. It was lovely. The girls (women) there are so friendly and good fun. It is not often one visits an accountant’s office for a good laugh but we did. This year, our visit was quick, easy and cheap compared with the frenzy of last year. This was followed with a strangely delightful and productive discussion by phone with the architect. Back home, I read up the Agenda & minutes of the Sifnos Council Meeting from earlier in the week. Thank goodness for Google Translate.
1st June, 2013
An especially Happy June to you all.
We have a lorry coming tomorrow to take all our garden rubbish away plus ‘stuff’ that has cluttered the back of the garage for years. The cane mat topping that was replaced three years ago with a solid, waterproof roof can now be got rid of along with old, outdoor chairs that are falling apart, etc., you get the idea. The grounds will breathe a sigh of relief when it all goes.
Rain is forecast for today and, perhaps, overnight. It looks like it will be too light to make much difference to the garden. It is lovely to see even a prospect of rain in June. As we drove up to the supermarket in Exambella this morning, one or two drops fell on the windscreen. I stopped and took this photo en route. The clouds are promising but not much.
Spent the afternoon staking the tomatoes and peppers. We hope it will be enough support against the inevitable winds. I have been told to get some sulphur to dust the leaves with. That is a job for Monday. I’ve grown about twenty mixed pepper plants. The gardeners (Pensioners) put some in for me. I have been left to do the rest. Everything is growing so quickly. I’m quite astonished.
Wonderful day. Hot, sunny and peaceful. We went dow to the Cafe for coffee this morning. We had an enjoyable chat with Christos who runs it. We were telling him about the Pensioners (who have a day off today and he says that Nikos from Artemon is his relation. We are not surprised. Everyone is related to another here. Pauline bought two, huge, home-grown, pork steaks from the supermarket and a cheese.
We drove back home to get on with the day’s job. The Pensioners have cleared all the vegetation and left it in bales on the land. We are going to move it down towards the gate so someone can come with a truck and remove it. We hadn’t been working more than half an hour when our neighbour, Giannis, stopped and said he would like it for his animals. We are only too pleased. He will move it over the next few days. The Pensioners work six hours or so each day. We managed four today and are staggering around with fatigue. The owl was with us and watching us intently throughout the day. Presumably, it was looking for disturbed prey.
The Pork steaks improved our mood. Pauline marinated them for three or four hours in garlic, sage, lemon and olive oil and the slow cooked them for a couple of hours. I’m tempted to say that the flavour was out of this world but that would be hyperbolically silly.
20th May, 2013
A hot one with no breeze at all. The Pensioners arrived at 7.00 am and have completely transformed the ‘veg. patch’ by 10.am. In that time, Pauline & I had been to the garden shop and bought good, strong, flowering pepper plants (the bell peppers), sweet basil and two types of tomato – plum and cherry. Having prepared the ground in harmony, the pensioners are enjoying arguing about where everything should go.
By 1.00 pm, everything was planted, the garden looked absolutely wonderful, the Pensioners were friends again and were preparing to leave. As we drove Nikolaos back to his home in the village of Artemonas, the temperature gauge hit 30C/86F. He will be back for his eighth and last day tomorrow at 7.00 am.
No rest for the wicked. Pauline is making another batch of orange and whisky marmalade this afternoon. She is beginning to get requests. I have been delegated to clean the patio.
Death by Marmalade
I didn’t finish the cleaning.
21st May, 2013
A humid start to the Pensioner’s last day. We had to say Chronia Polla to Costas. He looked surprised that the English should even know about the tradition. Our vegetable patch finished and planted out, they set about clearing the section that fronts on to the road and to assess the damaged wall running up the Community Path at the side. We will have to do something about this when they’ve finished.
Leaving them working happily, we went down to collect the post for us and friends. Only an internet bill for us to pay but remarkably cheap. It was €46.00 for a month and a half. It is so lovely and fast, one hardly remembers it is only 3G. On to the garden shop for bags of soil and Geraniums (Pelargoniums). The owner and I had an argument about what they should be called. I still bought six. I will propogate cuttings from these and make thirty six for later in the season. Most will over-winter.
We filled up with petrol for only the second time in five weeks even though we have done a return journey to Artemonas for the past eight days. It came to €71.00 (£60.00) and will probably last us another five weeks. We always go to Elinoil because the people are so lovely. They want us to drop in again on Saturday so they can give us some presents from their land – fresh eggs from their hens and early vegetables. That’s the sort of people they are – the sort of lovely people we like.
22nd May, 2013
Where are the Pensioners? We are lost without them. If you can adopt a pair of Grandads, we would adopt them. Still, we will invite them back next year. It is the most glorious, still, warm day. Another local farmer who we have nicknamed ‘Smiler’ over the years as he has passed our house on his motorbike , smiling and nodding, has turned up unannounced and started to bale and clear huge amounts of dried grass and material for his animals. We are very pleased.
It has been an emotional early morning. Over the past few days, we have been inundated with emails and contacts from past pupils and ex-collegues of our school. It closed to be replaced by a £26 million Academy. I seem to have that effect on schools. In the early 80s, I was Head of what looked like a Victorian prison but was actually an old Board School built in 1880 in the fashionable pagoda style.
I haven’t looked at these photos since 1982. It is hard to believe this wasn’t a prison looking in on it now. The kids certainly called it that.
Now, our last school has gone and thousands have posted memories on the web. Hundreds have been moved enough to witness the demolition. I rather wish I could have been there.
It is really quite moving to think of all those lives, those connections that are no longer made. I’m almost forgetting my life-long motto: Move On!
23rd May, 2013
Everything is moving on particularly in the gale force winds that arrived in the night. Last evening, Apostolis tooted and waved wildly as he came down on his bike from his farm up the road. ‘Smiler’ came to bale some more cuttings for his animals and left with his dog on the back. This morning his bales have been blown to the lower level as the destructive winds took hold. We drove down to pick up the post and got the car sand-blasted near the beach. We may be outside less today.
My lovely sister, Ruth, can no longer sing the Beatles classic, When I’m 64 because she is. Happy Birthday, Ruthie!
What a blustery day – Octo Beaufort, as the weatherman calls it or 8 on the Beaufort Scale. We have spent most of it indoors after driving up to Apollonia to collect a delivery. It turns out to be three, free, replacement doors for our kitchen cupboards courtesy of IKEA UK. What a wonderful act on their part. I emailed the IKEA girl who searched the doors out from their European Store and despatched them to the Sifnos Post Office free of charge. I have also contacted the CEO of IKEA UK to thank her for the generosity of the act.
While we were out, we called at Mario’s Supermarket. Flora gave Pauline some punnets of strawberries free. They were just starting to go a little too soft. Within a couple of hours at home, Pauline had turned them into the most wonderful strawberry compôte to be eaten with yoghurt. Flora will get a jar tomorrow.
24th May, 2013
An incredibly windy night. Our gate was blocked with cut grass and branch prunings this morning. We will have to tidy the road up outside as well. It will be a general clear-up day today.
We were sorry to hear that the nice little Mrs. Simos died yesterday. Her funeral was undertaken in gale force winds. Life and Death can be very cruel.
25th May, 2013
It has been a wonderful week. It started off with glorious weather, had a blip of a couple of days of strong wind and is finishing off as it started. This morning has opened beautifully. We have drunk our fresh orange juice and Yorkshire Tea and reflected on how lucky we are. A week today will be the first day of June and we will start swimming. Got an email from a friend in Lancashire who said they had just experienced a massive hail storm and then a phone call to Surrey confirmed that they had seen a bit of that as well. The Swiss Alps have had a huge fall of snow over night and the whole of our journey route down to Greece will be shrouded in rain this weekend. How lucky are we?
We went up to Apollonia to do our shopping and then called in to see the lovely family at the Elinoil garage and were rewarded with a large basket of fresh eggs and three, big cheeses made by the family.
My Cosmote Mobile Internet contract provides for 10Gb of down/upload. That is huge and should be enough for anyone. This month – with six days to go – I have used 8.5 Gb already so I will have to be a bit more sparing for the rest of next week. I have been listening to wall-wall Radio 4 and researching material on-line too much this month. We have also been using it as our English phone via Skype.
It is a delightful day. Not to hot but sunny and windless. The chances of rain appear to be receding by the day. Downloaded The Sunday Times but didn’t seem to have much time to read it. I laughed at the article headed, Pregnant women will be tested for smoking. I want to know what will happen to the guilty ones. Will they be shot? We spent a few hours watering all the trees and bushes. We have some men coming tomorrow to help with the garden clearing.
Manchester United dominated the afternoon with their late winner against Swansea making it a pleasant end to the career of Ferguson which was all shown here on Nova TV. I was sorry Rooney was not joining in. Why have things gone so wrong for him. Ferguson and Scholes retired together and both looked happy.
13th May, 2013
Up at 6.30 am today. Garden workers arrived at just after 7.00 am. The men make me feel like a spring chicken. Two Greek pensioners arrive with mattocks and bottles of water. They say they will work from 7.00 am – 2.00 am non-stop, clearing this unforgiving ground. We know what it is like. We clear the vegetable patch and two hours puts me on my back for the rest of the week. The only real connection between me and these two, old men is the instrument we use to clear the ground here in Greece. We all use an incredibly useful tool called a mattock.
We are off to the Post Office to see if our box arrived over the weekend. A trip to the Garden Shop as well will provide some excitement – I’m easily pleased.
Not sure who was more pleased – us or the Post Office – to discover that our box containing about 15Kg of stuff had arrived. Phyllis & Colin may be old but you can always rely on them.
14th May, 2013
Well, at last its happened. RAIN – real rain for at least an hour last night. Lightning over Kamares bay at around 10.00 pm although no thunder so it wasn’t centred over us. It certainly wasn’t on the Biblical proportions described by Skiathan Man this morning and the islanders will probably say that the rain wasn’t heavy enough to be significant but it will make the ground clearing efforts of our pensioners easier this morning. It is 7.15 am and they have already arrived and started work. They should be at the Old People’s Club or Silver Surfers or something like that not pounding hard ground with a mattock for seven hours a day.
Went down to collect the post this morning and the heavens opened, briefly, at 9.00 am. Pauline got soaked but I kept the car warm for her. Now Easter is over and the season has not really started, the streets are very quiet.
When we got back home, the pensioners were sheltering in the garage. We made them coffee until the storm passed and then they were sent back down the mines.
15th May, 2013
The pensioners arrived at 7.00 am. We had only been up for about half an hour. It was forecast and looks like being a delicious day. Lovely, sunny, windless and warm but not to hot. We are told it will just peak at 25C/77F.
We have been listening to the Today programme. The weather tells us that there could be some snow over the Pennines this afternoon. Cameron’s balmy backbencher’s are really making life tedious and filling the airwaves. This is how The Times cartoonist depicts it:
The pensioners managed their six hours of continuous work in the garden and then we managed an hour ourselves. Sitting under the pergola, gazing out over the valley towards the sea, the warm sun shining down beneficently, I tried to bottle the moment but, as always, it is not possible.
16th May, 2013
Overcast and cool this morning. The pensioners love it. They are hammering the garden with increased vigour. I’m not sure what they would think of the UK climate. This is the scene this morning in Shropshire and snow has fallen right through to our old stomping ground on the Pennines in Yorkshire/Lancashire.
Mother Cat called for her Dinner this evening accompanied by a friend. Not many keep their friends on their ear but she does. She obviously spent such a hard afternoon of inactivity on the wall that a snail clamped itself firmly to the back of her ear.
17th May, 2013
At 6.50 am, we heard the gate pulled back and the inward march of the Pensioners. Where do they get their energy? By 7.00 am, they were pounding the ground with mattocks at the start of another mammoth stint. They are coming for a sixth day on Saturday as agreed and then I have asked them to return for two additional days next week to clear and prepare the vegetable patch where Pauline & I have failed.
We have been ambling down Memory Lane this morning. I received an email from an ex-pupil to let me know that the old school that Pauline & I left four years ago and which has now been replaced by a brand, spanking new eleven million pound Academy, was nearly completely demolished and would be by the end of this week. This is a photo at the beginning of the job:
Sitting down to afternoon tea after the Pensioners had gone home, we suddenly noticed we were being watched. We often hear this lovely, little chap in the darkness of a hot, mediterranean evening but rarely see him/her. Even Mother Cat looked a little nervous when she came for Dinner.
18th May, 2013
A pleasant and not over-wam day for the Pensioners to do their sixth consecutive day in the garden. I have asked them to return next week for two more days to complete the work.
Had a lovely trip up to the woodman and and his wife with a jar of Pauline’s beetroot chutney and some homemade shortbread. It is lovely to give something to them for a change. They are constantly giving us things and refusing to charge. On to Olga and her husband who has been refusing to allow his wife to eat the marmalade because he “wants to look at it on the shelf”. We took an extra jar specifically for eating plus a copy of the recipe. On to Flora at the supermarket to give her back the beetroot we bought but now in a jar of chutney.
Met up with the Notary for a quick chat and she has invited us over to her house.
Had a lovely meal and debate with Panos & Rania last night. We both had their wonderful Chicken Souvlaki with grilled vegetables. Pauline had bread as well. Met an interested potential customer for the house while we were there. They are coming for a viewing.
Καλό Πάσχα to all our Greek readers. You could not ask for a more perfect day. Still, bright and warm – 27C/81F. A delicious day to relax and enjoy.
Mother Cat didn’t turn up for breakfast until 2.00 pm. Goodness knows what she was up to last night.
6th May, 2013
Perhaps it is the prerogative of old men to muse upon the passage of time. Certainly, it has been a preoccupation of mine for quite a while and only underlined by retirement. As you will see on the right hand side, I follow lots of Greek Blogs. Some are constant companions like The Skiathan and Simi Dream. Some take quite a bit of reading and I dip in and out of like Ramblings from Rhodes or are occasional interest reads like Gate to Greece and Living in Greece. And then there is Democracy Street.
It is written by Simon Baddeley – sporadically when the spirit takes him. I go back to check a couple of times a week and sometimes he has written and sometimes he hasn’t. The author is an interesting man in his early 70s, I think, who lives in Birmingham and Corfu – to and fro between Handsworth in Birmingham and the village of Ano Korakiana in Corfu where he has a house on ODOS DHMOKRATIAS. He is a grandson of a man who appeared weekly on Midlands and the network television in the 1970s & 80s – Jack Hargreaves – who could be seen presenting Out of Town.
Although beyond retirement age, he still works as a part-time lecturer in Local Governance at the University of Birmingham. He is active in his two, local communities and is a keen allotment grower.Recently, Mr Baddeley’s Mother has died and he has reflected his reactions in his Blog. I measured my own against them. He has a penchant for assessing the passing of time which accords with my own. And that brings me to the point. Today, his Blog muses on the how time speeds up as we get older and posits: Time passes faster for us because we’ve got less of it. Maybe that is true.
7th May, 2013
Interesting day. Started off warm and sunny; became overcast and humid by lunchtime; gave us a deliciously cool afternoon’s gardening and then turned back to warm and sunny in the evening. In Greece, of course, it is May Day (deferred) and the Big, post-Easter exit.
It has been so hot and dry that we have been furiously watering trees and shrubs since we arrived. That was first on the agenda this morning after downloading and browsing the newspaper. Last summer, we planted out some herbs that we particularly like in our cooking and that cannot be found growing wild around the house. Sage, mint and tarragon are important to our flavours as well as the naturally occurring thyme and oregano. We also have enough rosemary bushes to start our own business. Everything has been successful apart from the tarragon. Having cleared the cover of weed and watered the plants, they are bushing up nicely. We grow basil, parsley and chives as annuals and they are under way.
I am trying to cultivate quick-growing salad vegetables – cut and come again lettuces of different varieties – before the weather just becomes too hot. I am growing lots of peppers and a few courgettes and I intend to buy a few tomato plants from the garden shop.
Olga called this afternoon to bring us an Easter present. She didn’t stay long because she and her husband are up to their eyeballs in cooking. Their restaurant is supplying food for a wedding party on Saturday with a potential guest list of 700. Scary or what?
8th May, 2013
As we expected, the morning opened grey and overcast and decidedly cooler than our first two weeks this year. It appears to be mirrored by UK weather where this morning’s forecast opened with Summer’s over. By the time we had finished breakfast, light rain began to fall. It will help loosen the weeds for garden clearing – when we get out there. The big question of the day will not be What is in the Queen’s Speech? but more Will Alex Ferguson retire?
We bought the kitchen in our Greek house from IKEA in UK. It was half the price of the same kitchen in IKEA (Athens). We had a shipping container booked so it all went in that and then was delivered by lorry to the house. Over the winter, some kind Greek built and installed the whole kitchen from flat-pack. It felt like a miracle.
This was in 2005. Eight years on, three of the doors have slight paint damage on their top edge – two under the sink and one above the built in oven. I emailed IKEA to ask what could be done. They told me that the kitchen had been discontinued but that they did carry some back stock across Europe. To be sure of the exact dimensions, we had to wait until we were back in Greece. As soon as we got here, I measured up and contacted IKEA (UK) with photos and the details and quoting my credit card details to be charged. Within two hours, I received an email back to tell me that three doors had been located and were in despatch for our house on Sifnos. There would be no charge. It would be a pleasure to help us out.
It is moments like that which are so life-affirming. Three doors – cost in themselves £120.00 – and transport across Europe – another £100.00 – adds up to a fair piece of support from a company who didn’t need to do it. All I can say to people out there is BUY IKEA (products or shares).
9th May, 2013
A cooler more cloudy day but with sunshine. Over the mountain, potential rain clouds periodically fall but fail to drop their rain. Our amanuensis phoned at 8.30 am to say she was up a mountain an would not be at the postal delivery this morning. We collected it and delivered post to Panos & Rania. We then walked on to the cafe, saying Good Morning to our friend, Kiki en route.
Over coffee, we had a good chat with Christos and he finally got round to bringing up the sale of our house. We wondered when he would. We assured him that we had no intention of selling cheaply and losing money. We are quite happy to wait a few years if that is what it takes. Nor do we intend to leave Sifnos when we do sell. He thought Greeks wouldn’t be able to afford our house but we’ve already had two Greek couples look round and not balk at the price plus an Australian couple and a British couple. It suggests to us that we are just about right on price even if it takes a while to be found.
10th May, 2013
We didn’t hear it but, when we got up at 7.00 am, there was evidence of overnight rain. Puddles on the road. (Good title for my book?) The surrounding mountains were cloaked in low cloud and the air felt damp. After breakfast, which was attended by Mother Cat, we went out shopping. Off to the Post Office first to see if our errant box had arrived. It hadn’t so it will be Monday at the earliest now. No fresh coffee until then.
I wrote yesterday about the kindness (enlightenment) of IKEA in providing us with three, replacement, kitchen cupboard doors at their own expense. Today, we had more largesse heaped upon us. Flora, at the supermarket, keeps giving us produce from her garden and, when we asked the woodman for things, he insisted on not asking for payment. Life can be a joy – not because of the money but because of the spirit.
11th May, 2013
A cooler day today not reaching above 22C/70F. After reading the newspaper, we did some gardening. The weather forecast for days has been trailing rain to come. Suddenly it looks very unlikely which probably means no more rain until September. I will have to get on with the watering.
I watched Chelsea beat Aston Villa in a reasonable, end of season match but we didn’t get the Cup Final here which would have been nice to see. It so often appears that relegation teams do well in the Cup. Well done, Wigan.
Pauline made beetroot chutney while I lazed around watching the football.
We have another gorgeous morning. The temperature is reaching 25/26C (77/79F) which is absolutely lovely but Skiathos must be a lot warmer than Sifnos at the moment. Skiathan Man talks of the children swimming for hours today. I suspect we would be fishing them out comatose if they’d tried it in Kamares Bay. We were talking to a hardy, all-year-round swimmer yesterday and she said it is absolutely freezing so, believe me, it is.
The plumber who kept our pumps ticking over during our winter break, walked past in his Sunday best early this morning, probably on his way to a Palm Sunday service, and we thanked him for all his good work he had done for us. He is a huge, kind, gentleman.
I’m growing tomatoes, peppers and salad things this year to supply my diet. We are also sowing parsley, dill, chives and sweet basil because we use so little salt these days we use herbs to do the job instead. I am, once again, going to try French Tarragon. I tried last year and failed hopelessly.
Can Man. U. maintain their intensity having already won the League title or will a little loss of edge allow Arsenal to beat them and move closer to European football. The match kicks off at 6.00 pm (Greek time) and I’ll be watching.
29th April, 2013
What a wonderful day for the penultimate one of April. Scarcely a breeze, a beautiful blue sky and strong sun taking the temperature to 27C/81F. After a lazy start to the morning over my usual fresh orange juice ( two, freshly squeezed, Cretan oranges) and bucket of Yorkshire Tea followed by a nice cup of Colombian coffee, we went out to the supermarket and had a chat with Flora & Mario. What delightful people they are!
After unloading our shopping, we spent the morning chatting and reading under the pergola on the patio. If feels like we are on holiday. Well, it always feels like we are on holiday these days. We ate a crab salad for lunch while we listened to Miliband bungling an interview on the One O’Clock News (at 3.00 pm). He really is going to have to get a grip of Labour’s policies without giving too much away too early.
After lunch and a snooze, we potted up our Sweet Basil plants and some Pelargonium cuttings. We dug up the Pelargoniums we had over-wintered in the garden. One of the three had died but the other two are enormous.
30th April, 2013
What is happening? Mid-Summer and the end of April converge. By 10.30 am, the temperature had reached 29C/85F. We went down in to the village, calling in to talk to Panos & Rania who were busily turning their restaurant from its winter to summer version by removing the windows and doors.
We went on to the café for coffee and spent half an hour talking to Christos and his father, Vangelis. Christos, who speaks excellent English, was telling us about all the work he had done at his house over the winter including walling and tree planting. It seems no time since he got married but his child is walking and talking now. Vangelis, like me, is trying to lose weight and finding it hard. Of course, he has to lose a lot less than me but is still worrying about it. While we were having coffee, Luciana, our Albanian friend, came over to say hello. We exchanged winter stories which was nice.
We went in to the supermarket to collect our half a lamb. Nikos cut the carcass down the centre with a cleaver as we stood there. It looked a fine beast. He continued to joint it for us until we had about 6 or seven elements separately wrapped. He weighed it and the price was just €50.00 which was excellent for the amount of quality meat. We asked for a white (fresh) Manouri cheese and were given it as a gift.
The temperature was still 25C as we sat on the patio at 8.30 pm. We had just finished listening to the Six o’clock News. The sun had gone down and all that was left was the after-glow. I saw a shape move in the road. I knew in an instant what it was. Mother Cat. Regular readers will know that Mother Cat adopted us in April 2011 and foisted upon us Grand-parenting duties for her two kittens, Ginge & Tabs, born in our garage. We spent the most wonderful summer with them as they grew up to be as big as their Mother and then we spent an angst-filled winter as we deserted them for six months.
Last April, after we had been in the house for eight days, Mother suddenly appeared at the back door and we enjoyed her company for a second six months. We were so pleased that she had survived the winter and our desertion. This evening, as I saw her shape appear in the road below our house, I said to Pauline, Mother. I’m sure that’s Mother. Call her! Pauline had a special intonation for calling her (nothing remarkable) and she called again, Pu-uss, Pu-uss. Like all the best Hollywood animal reunion films, Mother looked up and shot over the wall, ran across the garden shouting, up a flight of ten steps to the patio where she greeted Pauline with loud cries.
After a brief conversation, Pauline went in to the house while Mother shot round to the back where she has always been fed. Bang went my chicken salad. Mother ate all the chicken. I didn’t begrudge her a mouthful.
1st May, 2013
Happy May to you all.
Fighting our way through another gorgeous day, we made our way up to the supermarket for emergency tins of cat food. I’m not giving up my chicken again. That will be Mother Cat sorted out for a day or two. I have to admit that we didn’t go for the gourmet choice. She is, after all, a semi-ferrel cat.
Well, we got a mixture of flavours – chicken, beef, fish, rabbit. The only problem is that they’re all in the same tin. We know she loves them from previous experience.
We, on the other hand, also chose best value but at the other end of the scale. Pauline has been using a particular Athens hairdresser for a number of years and has made an appointment to visit them. We like to make a trip of it so we will have a couple of nights in our favourite central Athens hotel – the 5* Electra Palace Hotel in the Plaka area. It has wonderful rooms and gardens, a ‘Wellness Health Centre’ with indoor and outdoor pools plus gym and spa plus a Fine Dining Rooftop Restaurant. Maybe because of the downturn, they even have a special offer on this summer which gives a 10% room discount and a €35.00 per person Fine Dining experience. We couldn’t resist.
2nd May, 2013
Just as hot and sunny but slightly more breezy today. It is one of our busier days. Down to Panos & Rania’s at just after 8.30 am to find Rania has been up half the night painting the restaurant floor in preparation for Orthodox Easter celebrations on Sunday. We have a brief chat with a very tired but lovely lady. I download my newspaper and then we go off to collect the post – just one from Cosmote. Back home for coffee and to collect the Easter presents that Pauline has prepared. We brought dozens of chocolate easter eggs from UK. Pauline made pots and pots of orange marmalade with a hint of whisky last weekend and then spent all afternoon yesterday making dozens of specialist biscuits – shortbread, Strasbourg, Madeleines & Shrewsbury.
We had bought special bags in UK for this purpose. We made up cellophane wrappers of collections of assorted biscuits and put them in a bag with a jar of marmalade and some easter eggs. They are intended as Easter gifts for friends &/or helpers.
We have had some amazing help over the past twelve months, sometimes from the most unlikely quarters. Orthodox Easter is the time that we feel least in touch with Greece. We are not Christians and, even if we were, we do not feel that culturally inclusive frisson of excitement that Greeks appear to collectively feel at this time. Having said that, we completely respect our host nations celebrations and thought that we could contribute by giving gifts. We started with Giannis, the plumber and his wife and children followed by a bag for Moshka and one for Margerita. A gift bag went to Kiki who has been friends for twenty years and who toots every time she passes the house as she drives up to her husband’s farm. Of course, there was one for Panos & Rania and a separate one for the lovely Anna.
After that, we drive up to Apollonia to visit Flora & Mario at their supermarket to deliver a bag and on to Olga’s restaurant nearby to take their present. On to Costas & Maria, the woodman and his wife. Usually, they insist we stay for hours over bottles of wine and cheese and we leave laden down with bags of vegetables from Costa’s garden but, today, we are giving. We have a chat but don’t stay too long because we have other people to visit. Pauline popped in to the National Bank and saw Chrysopiggi, Nikos’ wife, and then we were off to Kastro where we spent lunchtime with the Notary and her family. As we drove back, we called in on Nikos & Luciana who we have known and befriended since the first day they arrived on Sifnos as keen, young things almost twenty years ago.
What a day! We are exhausted but happy. It is lovely to have a network of delightful people in our lives. There are more, of course, but you can only make so many biscuits.
Mother Cat called again for another couple of dollops of chicken-fish-beef-rabbit mousse. She stayed chatting for an hour after Dinner and then took off down the road to goodness knows where.
3rd May, 2013
Watching the really comprehensive weather forecast on ET3 last night, we were told that the sea temperature around the Cyclades is 19C/66F. That’s still a little cool for us but not far off. We’ll have to try it soon. Certainly, the weather is putting us in holiday mood. By 10.00 am, it was 24C/75F outside and we were cleaning our car for the first time since our long journey. Pauline & I spent an hour doing that with our pressure washer, bug remover/dissolvent and chamois leathers. So rarely do we do that in the UK. We nip in to the carwash while shopping in Tescos. £11.00 later, it is reasonably clean for another week. We both found it a pleasure to do ourselves. While the Orthodox Christians attended church this morning to cleanse themselves, we cleaned Mammon. The word, Mammon, derives from the Greek, μαμμωνάς. It was used in the Sermon on the Mount to mean riches.
Our special friend and amanuensis phoned to thank us for her Easter gift. She is very partial to butter fudge and we gave her a big box of it along with biscuits, marmalade and eggs. She certainly deserves it. What would we have done without her? Got through, probably, but with much more trouble.
Those of you who are regular readers will know that we pretend to be financially savvy. We do everything concerning our income and expenditure, including tax, on-line. I check the Bank account and Credit Card accounts on-line two or three times a week. Pauline maintains tight financial records using an accountancy program on her laptop. I monitor and pay our outgoings – utilities, council tax, even window cleaner – on line. We follow our State and teachers’ pensions on-line and the tax we pay on it as well. Our road fund licence and insurances, our Health Club subscription, our Sky subscription and telephone bill are all paid over the internet. And it can all be done from a small and relatively remote Greek island. I also check my Greek bank account on-line to make sure the electricity bill is being deducted.
On Tuesday, the window cleaner emailed to say that they would clean our apartment windows in Surrey. On Wednesday, sitting in my Study in Sifnos, I paid him over the net. This morning, I checked the British bank account to find how much pension we had both been paid. This month, it had gone up by 2.8% and our tax-free status had increased to £9440.00 each allowing us to earn £18880.00 tax-free . Because Pauline also got her State Pension, her tax was more complicated. The HMRC don’t tax the State Pension; they count it as additional income and deduct tax from main earnings – ie. Teacher’s Pension. We spent half an hour on the Teachers’ Pension site, the State Pension site, the HMRC site and our UK bank site to make sure everything was in order. Previously, we have been stung with a large repayment sum of ‘underpaid tax’. When we complained that it was all done through PAYE, they said the onus is on us to make sure that our tax rate is correct. As a result, I always double check.
4th May, 2013
If ever there was a day when one is glad to be alive, it is today. Absolutely still outside with clear blue sky and strong sun. At 1.00 pm, it is 27C/81F and, under the pergola for shade, it feels idyllic. Looking over the valley and to the harbour everything is quiet. Sheep graze and kestrels hover. We were out early this morning to do some grocery shopping and to download the newspaper. Now, the day with a cup of coffee and The Saturday Times looking out over the view below before Lamb supper and a couple of football matches. What more could one desire?
Our missing box is on its way at last. It contains, amongst other things, six month’s supply of Ese fresh coffee pods and will be very welcome and make life in Greece even more palatable. What it no longer has is two, small bottles of aftershave which were found on the parcel scan and deemed prohibitive. We won’t make that mistake again. Posted on Wednesday, it probably won’t arrive on the island until the end of the week because of the Easter break here in Greece. We certainly have to be extremely thankful to Phyllis & Colin for making sure we get it.
Woke a little late this morning – 7.30 am. Our first morning in our Greek house and everywhere is wonderful. The birds are singing, the wild plants are flowering in profusion, the sun is out and the sky is blue. We had the underfloor heating on yesterday in order to air the house which has been closed up for six months. This morning we really don’t need it. It is too warm. The plumber has been keeping the pumping systems ticking over in our absence and he cleared the debris which was washed down from our garden path and was blocking our gate.
Our neighbour, Apostolis, called to welcome us back. He brought his daughter, Maria, to translate but proceeded to dominate the conversation by trying so hard to speak English and largely succeeding. He was very warm and welcoming.
22nd April, 2013
Woke at 7.00 am today. Fresh orange juice and tea and then out to collect the boxes of provisions that we had posted. All sorts of things that we couldn’t fit in the car – coffee, tea, shoes, shirts, Dishwasher/washing machine tablets (¼ of the Greek price) – things which we can’t get on the island or are much more expensive. We know they have arrived because the man at the phone shop has already seen them at the Post Office. A consignment of 4 boxes. In all, it weighed just over 80 kg and cost £190.00/€225.00 to post.When we arrive to pick them up, one is missing. It has never happened before in fourteen years.
We went on to Germanos to pick up our Cosmote internet USB stick and have it installed. Really nice and very helpful people. It is a delight to go and buy from them. They installed an extra €30.00 of credit on our Greek mobile because the messaging system is in Greek and too fast to understand. We left completely satisfied.
Our pot geraniums were planted out before we left at the end of October and now are flowering strongly. I will pot them up again. I took cuttings today as well so that I can build up the stock. They are a sort of electric magenta colour and provide a stark contrast with the white walls of the house and the white tiles that the pots stand on.
In fact, the white tiles are covered in red, clay streaks from the last rains. This afternoon, Pauline and I will use the pressure washer and a mop to clean them up.
Cleaning took nearly three hours and left us exhausted but it was worthwhile. Pauline cooked griddled chicken breasts with Greek salad. I don’t know how she found the energy. Later, I was able to watch a repeat of the Spurs v Man. City match which Spurs won and which clinched the title for United who also won with a hat trick from van Persie.
We are going up to the village to see the Notary tomorrow. We’ve been advised to speak to the Community about the path that runs alongside our land.
23rd April, 2013
Woke up to a bright St George’s Day.
After breakfast, we went down to collect our post and hoping there was news of our missing fourth box. There wasn’t. Later, the UK Post Office says the box was refused when scanned because it contained perfume. Nobody told us we couldn’t post it. We will have it re-sent. It contains £100.00 worth of fresh coffee pods. A man has to live!
We met one of our friends at the post and took her back to our house. We need to employ a little man to cut down all the weeds and smarten up the place. She will bring someone over tomorrow to quote for the job.
Pauline cooked French beans with garlic as an entree for Dinner and followed it with pork steak cooked in sage and lemon sauce with griddled vegetables. It was absolutely lovely. We ate outside under the pergola and enjoyed the late evening sun.
24th April, 2013
A wonderfully warm and sunny day today. By 11.00 am, the temperature had reached 26C/79F. A conversation with the Notary confirmed the interest in our house. Our sales site has been viewed over 400 times (partly because of the kindness of Skiathan Man who features out site.) , a number of people have expressed interest and four couples have been shown round the property two of them in the week before we returned. Two of the couples are not from Sifnos. We heard of one more interested party today. One of our friends brought a man down to see us to quote for clearing the land. He will bring a partner and work for a week. We’ve agreed a price and they will start soon. It will please us and potential buyers.
We phoned Parcelforce today. They were very nice about the returned parcel. The rules have changed recently and we weren’t aware of it. They will refund our money and we will get Pauline’s sister to remove the offending items – two small bottles of aftershave -, reseal the box and repost it. It should be here in under a week as the ferry service improves in the run up to Orthodox Easter.
Skiathan Man thinks he has a bottle brush. He hasn’t seen ours. Our Callistemon is on fire and reaching to the mountains.
We have two and I am going to propogate more from cuttings this year if I have the chance.
We went down for coffee with some restaurant friends. Their internet router is playing up at the moment and I tried to help them sort it out. Although I have broadband here, it is by usb. It is incredibly reliable and quick and pretty cheap but I would still rather get a phone line so I can create a wirelesss network. This is what I need for my iPad to download my newspapers and why I rely on kind others for that facility. It is amazing how many kind people there are on this island when you look.
We went on to the local supermarket to buy freshly made Manouri cheese and to order half a lamb (minus head) for orthodox Easter celebrations at the end of next week. You don’t have to be a Christian to eat good food.
25th April, 2013
A day which opened a little hazy developed into full sun and a 9.30am temperature of 22C/70F. We went to collect the post for ourselves and friends who have lost the PO Box key and have forgotten their box number. We needed a large carrier bag when the box was opened. We spoke to the builders who constructed our house and then drove up to Apollonia to visit the garden shop for potting soil and sweet basil plants. On to the butchers for pork chops and to the supermarket for green garlic, Cretan cherry tomatoes, peppers and onions.
When we got home, we were just sorting out collection and redelivery of our errant box when a phone call came through to inform us that potential buyers of our house from Athens wanted to come for a second viewing this evening. It’s all come a bit quickly after we’ve only just arrived. We would quite happily wait a year or two but, if it comes now, it comes and we will take it.
26th April, 2013
Amazing weather after England. We have been in Greece just over a week and it is still feeling like Summer. We had a 9.00 am appointment with the Notary so we had to be up and out early. Later, we drove down to Kamares and went for coffee at a cafe. En route, we delivered a bagful of post to our friends who had lost their key and forgotten what their post office box number is. They hadn’t collected post for weeks. I produced a poster with their key number on it but, before we had been there five minutes, they had lost that as well. There is little hope.
Had some nice coffee at the cafe and drove back to the house. We spent a couple of hours cleaning and tidying in side and then I did a bit of tidying up outside. All everyday, mundane stuff. We are going out to Dinner this evening although I am finding meaningful eating difficult.
27th April, 2013
My Mum died five years ago today. I think of her regularly but, I’m ashamed to write, that I forgot her anniversary this morning. I cannot believe five years have gone by so quickly and how our lives have changed so much in that time, changes that I would have loved to discuss with her.
If you follow a very interesting Blog about Birming(UK)/Corfu life, cutely entitled Democracy Street, you will know the grieving for a lost mother that has been registered here.
Another beautiful day. I have been delegated to sweep the drive and tidy my Study. Perhaps, when I’ve done my jobs, I’ll get my Saturday Sixpence! It will be a delight to be outside and doing something physical. I ate a huge Caeser Salad last night so I have to work it off this morning.
There were three ferries in last night and quite a few people in the streets. The build up to Greek Easter is starting here. In England, I’ve just heard, that it snowed at Leeds Airport this morning.
