Sanders Blog

16th September, 2012

A lovely day of sun and cloud with temperatures reaching 28C/83F. While Skiathan Man was dancing in the rain, and rain forecast here receded into the future. We have had a true Sunday. Newspapers in the morning, light lunch and football match – Reading v Spurs. Defoe won it with two goals. I’ve always wondered why Defoe was only used as super-sub by Spurs and by England.

Later, Dimitris, his wife and beautiful little girl came round for a drink and a chat. We sat for a couple of hours as the sun went down, looking out to sea and infinity. It was delightful. Later, we went to Panos and Rania’s to eat. We weren’t terribly hungry so we only had a main course of Beef Orlof and chips but it was nice to see them again. Rania’s Mum is staying with them. She is a really lovely lady.

17th September, 2012

Today, according to BBC Weather, was supposed to start with rain. As I walk out on to the patio and look over the port at 7.00 am, nothing could be further from possibility. Cloudless blue sky, barely a rustle of breeze, sun gently rising. Rain? What rain? Just as I am a newsaholic so are we avidly interested in weather. It is the British disease. We watch Ant1 weather, Mega Weather and, especially, ET3 weather for the usually excellent Sakis Arnaoutoglou in a fifteen minute presentation.

Of course, I also have a weather app. on my laptop and on my iPad which taps into the continuously updated, global weather monitoring stations. You just can’t have too much weather! The problem is, the weather hasn’t behaved itself for some days now. When you want rain, you just can’t get it.

18th September, 2012

Since we retired, teachers’ pay has been frozen. Our pension, however, is updated each year according to the rate of inflation. It is inflation-proof. This government changed the inflation index from RPI to CPI (Retail Price Index to Consumer Price Index) with the intention of controlling the increases. The biggest difference between the two indexes (indices?) is that the first includes Mortgage costs. As we don’t and will never again need a mortgage, we really don’t feel too bad although the difference at the is 0.3%. What it means is that our pensions will have risen over 2 years by 7.7% which is not too bad in these recessionary times. The increase each year is based on the September figure but not uprated until the following April by which time it can be well out of date. Whatever the increase, we are grateful to be paid to indulge ourselves.

Watched Man. City deservedly lose to The Special One.

19th September, 2012

Busy day. Blood Test. Consistent over five weeks now at 2.3 – I must be behaving myself. Coffee and Sweet Pie at Prago. Visit to the Accountants. Visit to Kostas & Maria. Visit to Olga.

Watched Man. United play and beat Galatasaray although I couldn’t stay up right to the end.

20th September, 2012

The plumber is coming to do some work in the garage tomorrow so I have been set the task of cleaning and tidying the entire place today. We currently don’t have any doors on our garage and all the flotsam and jetsum of the island blows into it and settles along with stray cats, lizards, spiders, etc.. We dump everything we don’t want in the garage. Now is the day of reckoning.

After two hours, I am exhausted and have made a New Year’s Resolution. The year 2013 must be the year of the Garage Door. It must be automatic operated and remotely controlled. None of this getting out of the car!

21st September, 2012

Up early for a beautiful day. Still – all the weather forecasts apart from the BBC said it would be windy – calm, warm and beautifully scented. We went to the tip with all the rubbish from our garage and then cleaned the car. I have decided that I am going to keep it until the end of next year. The new model is launched in November but I’ve made the mistake before of buying the first one off the production line of a new model only to find teething problems still to be ironed out.

The plumber arrived exactly at 10.00 am as agreed but could only do part of the job and will have to come back next week some time to finish it. We had our own agenda to complete – cleaning the inside of the car which is beginning to look a bit grubby. Today, the leather will get the full treatment as will the carpets and internal glass.

Unlike those more Northern and softer islands, Sifnos has not yet had its first rain of the Autumn. We were hoping for it this week and had unscrewed the cap on our flat roof drainage system that captures rainwater in our huge water tank. Like all Cycladic properties, ours is built on the cubist style with flat roofs. The red dust of the Summer has drifted up there and settled and would have been washed down by the first rains. However, Pauline is so keen to capture all the soft, rainwater that we have spent an hour up on the roof, hosing it down and leaving it clean for the first rains to drain straight into our tank.

22nd September, 2012

Another lovely Saturday. Warm and still. Nice to see Giannis, our neighbour, back at work after a health scare. He says he is alright although he looks like he’s lost a bit of weight already. Apostolis, our neighbour in front called to ask if everything was alright. He was aware that we had a brief power problem yesterday but it was soon sorted out when the Power Company came down. Went up to speak to the Woodman in the middle of the morning. He is going to give me gardening lessons when he plants his vegetables at the beginning of May. I am going to help him and learn how he grows such fantastic produce almost entirely without water. There are such lovely people on this island and they are desperate to help poor foreigners like us. It is quite humbling.

9th September, 2012

The tourists/holidaymakers are virtually gone and the island seems to be relaxing again. If you don’t rely on tourist money which we don’t, it is a nice position to be. My judgement is that the season was not half as bad as feared but still rather lighter than in a good year and the season certainly started late and finished early. No doubt NTOG or GNTO as they call themselves now will claim a bumper harvest but they are so discredited in their figures it is hard to take seriously. Still, the local economy won’t have done too badly.

The weather is also bringing the season to a close. At the moment, days are pleasant but breezy but, unlike the hardy Skiathan Man, I will reach for a sheet tonight. Inspite of this evening’s cool wind, we had a lovely family party with friends outside on the terrace, drinking beer (the children had cherry cola – can you imagine it?) – and chatting.

10th September, 2012

The Ferry Timetable is collapsing fast as evidenced by the new posting:

We remember the untimely death from a brain tumour of Pauline’s brother John (Jack) Barnes six years ago today. (picture to follow)

Each Autumn we get from the woodman who supplied our windows and doors a special maintenance kit which we apply religiously. We do this so as not to invalidate our 10 year warranty which is already 6 years old. The solution is manufactured in Ancona and consists of a cleanser and a shellac-type substance that creates a transparent, protective skin over the wood and paint finish that protects them from sea air and UV rays. It certainly works. Today, is treating the windows and doors day.

A trussed up goat lay in the back of a speeding pickup bleating loudly all the way down the hill past our house to the valley below where it will almost certainly draw its last breaths trussed up on a hoist with its throat slit. This is real life in the raw! I quite like roast goat but then I’ve always been good at disassociation.

11th September, 2012

When we first came to Sifnos in 1984/85, the post office was a dingy, dark, dirty place that was little cared for. Having said that, the post was delivered by a chap on a motor bike with a leather satchell slung across his chest. There is no well established street naming system or house numbering system but he knew everybody by name and those he didn’t would be known by someone else. I suppose because of the economic problems, the post delivery system was shelved. We had to go up to the post office to ask if there was any post for us. Collections of neighbours would create informal groupings to help each other in this but ‘getting your post’ was a time consuming business. First travel to Apollonia. Second, stand at the counter in a long queue. Third, wait until I go round the back and check if there is something for you. If not, you can personally thumb through huge piles of uncollected letters that are stacked up in a box at the side of the office. It was a system that provoked annoyance, even fury as people waited in long queues.

Along came a new post master who immediately shook things up. He couldn’t conjure up cash to revive deliveries but he could bring a system to the problem. The Greeks aren’t too keen on systems that involve a change in their lives. There was no way round it. Now we have batches of numbered post boxes and keys to those boxes. Post is delivered to these boxes if the recipient has bothered to tell people they expect correspondence from to add the box number to their address. This is the chink of weakness because it seems that so many refuse to do that simple thing. The post master comes down with huge piles of wrongly addressed mail twice a week and a committed few try to help him distribute them. We go down on Tuesday and Thursday for mail. At least now we know that we will definitely get our mail.

The Post Office is in line for early sell off.

I read Tom Winnifrith’s interesting views on Greek privitisation:

Arriving at the Post Office which serves a small suburb of not a very large town I stumbled in a sweaty wreck. The place is open from 8.30 AM until 2.30 PM five days a week meaning that its staff (in this State owned enterprise) have to put in a back breaking 30 hour week. They are probably paid for 14 months a year and get to retire at 55 but that is not the point. Did I mention how many staff were crammed into this small office? Five. That is one member of staff for every 1.25 customers that I observed during my 20 minute visit.

But, as he observes, cutting the staff and extending the working hours of the others creates many more problems. Whoever buys  ELTA will have a difficult job as the new Sifnos Post Master has found out.

By the way, you really must read The Skiathan where Skiathos Man is illustrating his penchant for swimming in the 1930s. What a man he must be and sleeping without a sheet – the stuff of legend!

12th September, 2012

A delightfully lazy day. While my Pauline was indulging herself by painting the back of the house, I was indulging my enjoyment of writing. Lots of correspondence. Lovely email from my sister, Ruth. A long email from our ex-neighbours in Huddersfield about their drive to Spain and back and then an excellent email from our current next door neighbour who reached the point of selling her property and then changed her mind and took it off the market. We’re very pleased.

The sheet was definitely not needed tonight.

13th September, 2012

The return of summer. Stepping out of our bedroom on to the patio at 7.00 am, the world felt like a lovely place. It was still, quiet, warm and beautifully scented. As the day has gone on, the temperature has risen to 28C/83F and it feels wonderful. For some reason, the island is a different place today. Maybe it is because people have left. We drove down to Platys Gialos this morning. It was almost deserted.

As we walked down the street, it was so hot we fancied an ice cream. It was impossible to buy one. Either places are now closed for winter or they have not replenished summer stocks. Well, it’s good for the waistline and, goodness knows, it needs it.

After a lovely lunch on the patio – tomato, mozzarella & basil salad with garlic sausage and thin toast. A cold beer went down well with this but even then, the muggy heat drove us inside soon after the meal.

14th September, 2012

Finished the painting of the house today. We just have the garden perimeter walls to complete. It is a quite delightful, still, warm day. The air is clear and the island magical – for most of the day. On Fridays, people return from Athens.

The brushcutter has been out of action for a while. Today, instead of taking it to be repaired, I took it apart and repaired it myself. I had a nice, feeling of achievement after that.  We were supposed to be going out to dinner but just didn’t feel like it and stayed at home to eat an all-in-one-pot dish I cooked of pork, potatoes and onions with sage and oregano. Even though I say it myself, it was delicious accompanied by a slightly chilled bottle of Rosso Piceno. It’s made from the sangiovese and montepulciano grapes and is delicious. What will I do when it runs out?

15th September, 2012

Can you believe we are half way through September already. I seriously subscribed to the view that time was rushing ahead when we were teaching because we were working so hard. We didn’t have time to stop and take stock. Let’s live on a Greek island, I told Pauline. We will be able to slow time down. How wrong I was. It seems to have speeded up.

Talk about return to Summer. It is happening with knobs on. We’ve reached 32C/90F today almost without a breeze. No sign yet of the promised rain. The BBC says we will get it Monday/Tuesday. We’ll see.

Went out shopping today in Exambla and, within half an hour, we had a request to go and visit friends next week at their house. Another family asked if they could visit us and they will come for a drink tomorrow evening. We had an offer of olive oil if we go round for coffee to another family. We still have to return a social visit to the Notary’s family. I can’t cope with all this social whirl.

Typical separation of labour this afternoon. Pauline is painting the garden walls while I am watching football. The first match, Norwich v West Ham, really wasn’t that good. I’ve got Man. Utd. v Wigan and Sunderland v Liverpool next and, if I can stay up, there is a recording of Stoke v Man. City. I’ll be shattered after all that.

2nd September, 2012

Up very early this morning. Our intention was to get through a list of small jobs. Downloaded The Sunday Times which is the important thing and then just fell in to that Sunday feeling. Fresh coffee, toast and homemade marmalade, the Sunday paper, warm sunshine with a light breeze under the pergola, Radio 4 through the window. What more could one want?

Swimming was rather chilly yesterday and we decided to give it a miss today. Anyway, I wanted to watch Jensen Button win the F1 race from Belgium. Lucky we stayed in because Olga from Exambla called quite unexpectedly. It was lovely to see her. She brought with her a gift that her husband had made for us – Sifnos pears poached in red wine with accompanying pistachio cream. We had been up a couple of times but missed her and we had left her a jar of marmalade to remind her of London.

Watched a cliff hanger of a match between Southampton and Man. U.. Even though I support United, I felt desperately sorry for Southampton who deserved to win. They lost in injury time to a lack lustre United. Robin van Persie missed a penalty but scored a hat-trick.

3rd September, 2012

New timetable shows ferry connections reducing at an alarming rate:

We were told a scary tale last night that our friendly neighbour, Giannis, had been taken seriously ill with a stroke and rushed off to hospital in Athens. This morning, after painting and cleaning, we went down to Hotel Boulis to enquire about his welfare. We were delighted to hear that it wasn’t as bad as we had been told and that he might be home on the island tonight. Giannis is the Sifniot who we see most as he drives up and down from the farm 8 – 10 times per day. We even remember  him as a ‘cool’ youth with chewing gum, slicked back ‘biker’ hair and bottle opener in his gun belt, leaning on the open door of his father’s restaurant to which he had roared up on his shiny motorbike. Times have changed and Giannis has aged.

Had a lovely meal at Captain Andreas. I’m glad we’ve started going back there this year. The food is quality.

4th September, 2012

Lovely day today. Pleasant  27C with light breeze. We got up to find Mother cat with her mini-me look-alike sleeping on the patio. After breakfast for all of us, the cats went back to sleep and we went back to gardening – pruning bushes and trees.

We were meant to be meeting the Notary but that had to be rearranged so we carried on with jobs. The weather forecasts had suggested strong winds but it turned out to be delightfully calm. At the risk of sounding weather-obsessed, I was reading The Huddersfield Examiner this evening – as you do – to find that our old haunts had received their wettest June, July & August since records began and that rainfall was three times average. Poor people.

Spoke to Superfast about our return tickets today. Currently, we are looking at end of October or beginning of November. The only problem is the island connections become so sparse. Still, we will consider that later.

5th September, 2012

Finally got to speak to the Notary. Spent a really enjoyable and productive hour there. It has helped us with a number of issues.

Spent the afternoon tree pruning and clearing away. Nothing spectacular but it felt good to have done some physical work. Our house is surrounded by pomegranate trees which grow vigorously and are a little unruly. I try to keep them in check by pruning each year.

6th September, 2012

Blood Test – excellent result of 2.3. The lovely blood testing man had been away for a couple of days. Apparently he went to a pop concert of a group I know nothing about but he says has been his favourite for years – The Red Hot Chillie Peppers. We spent some time discussing why he liked them because the clinic was miraculously empty today. I must admit I’ve barely even heard of them but he didn’t seem to know of Puccini either. I don’t need another test for two weeks. I shall miss our chats. Cafe Prago for coffee, shopping and then back to the house.

Mooched around catching up with correspondence. Retirement is so pleasant! By the time we started to think of our evening meal, we couldn’t be bothered cooking. We got pizzas from Panos & Rania – Vegetarian and one which was Prosciutto with and Parmesan dressed with rocket leaves. They were both lovely but the vegetarian one is still their best offering.

7th September, 2012

Visitors arriving on Saturday so I’ve been detailed to tidy up around the outside of the house and clean the patio tiles which go all the way round. First we have to download The Times, go shopping, fill up with petrol (€80.00) and visit the woodman. Kostas and Maria are the most lovely people. We almost lived with them last year as we urged them to do our pergola. Today went to buy our annual window treatment and have a chat. We were given sugared marzipan sweets by Maria and a huge bag of vegetables from his garden by Kostas – three different sorts of aubergines, pointed peppers, beans, tomatoes, etc. They have two, delightful children – keen, energetic, intelligent, enquiring but thoughtful, polite and pleasant. Children don’t develop like that accidently. It has happened because of two excellent parents.

8th September, 2012

There is a Food Festival in Artemonas. It has various stalls for each of the Kykladik islands which is represented. The idea is that they can illustrate/publicise the representative produce/foods of their island – their local wine, olive oil, bread, etc. The festival is named after the famous Sifniot chef,  Nikolaos Tselementes (Νικόλαος Τσελεμεντές) (1878–1958). He is considered one of the most influential cookery writers of modern Greece.

It is usually good fun with music and a chance to taste the islands’ various offerings. We are thinking of going this evening.

The Food Festival was interesting and fun but just as homely as we remember it. The music was blaring, the island stalls laying out their wares although I thought a little more sparcely than usual. Folegandros had either not bothered to turn up or left early.

We didn’t stay for the full event but we did walk up the back streets where small stalls extended for a long way and had even taken over the school classrooms. In this case, it wasn’t just food for sale but craft items like pottery, fabric and jewellery.

26th August, 2012

Worrying signs in the Greek coalition of fracture. If they can’t hang together in summer holiday time, they surely willl hang separately when the brigands are fire bombing Syndagma. Worrying signs in the British Labour Party where the two Eds – Balls & Miliband appear to be aping Brown & Blair. I’m going to have to stop reading The Sunday Papers.

The motoring section was full of new cars, shiny cars, cars that smell of wax and new leather. Almost every year for the best part of thirty years we took delivery of a new car. I loved the smell of them, the tight feel of the steering with no ageing squeaks in the body. I loved the perfect, showroom gloss, the whole feel of a new car. Honda Accord, a number of Preludes, more than a dozen CRVs. I have one now but retirement has changed my view completely. This current car is coming up to two years old already. It’s been to Greece with me twice and I’m considering keeping it one more year. There is a new model out – only just over £30,000.00 but I’m resisting it.  I’m trying to cut down on self-indulgence – a bit.

27th August, 2012

Happy Birthday to Mum-in-Law who would have been 98 today. She died almost two years ago.We were so hoping she’d make the 100 but it wasn’t to be.

It’s been an exceptionally hot period so I spent the morning watering all the trees. Pauline was indulging herself – painting the house. It is really looking great and, together, we will have it finished in three or four more days. The tomatoes are continuing to produce and are delicious and the peppers have been quite a revelation this year. I can’t stop them fruiting.

We’ve decided that next year we will line our top boundary wall with tall growing, thick trees with an automatic watering system. We will seek expert advice on this and professional support in planting and maintenance for a year or two until they are fully established. These tree will be particularly useful as a windbreak as well as other things.

We went up to the Post Office in the hope of collecting our new credit cards. We have been tracking them and know they reached Athens airport three days ago but they haven’t appeared here yet.

We have a Panini press and we had a Prosciutto & Mozzarella Panini with white wine spritzer outside where there was a little breeze. By the time we went swimming at 4.30 pm, the car showed 35C outside. The suggestion is that it will go down tomorrow. Using this evening to do some writing. In times gone past, we would have left for Patras today in order to be in France by Friday and England on Saturday with a staff day on Monday and school opening on Tuesday. Now we have an open return ticket and can leave when we feel ready.

28th August, 2012

Up at 6.30 am to a much cooler day and, can you believe it, some clouds. The weather has clearly miscalculated the start of September. We are up early to get the end of the house painted before the sun is up and shining strongly. I am not a practical person by nature. My skills are in words and thoughts, concepts and arguments, communication through digital design not slopping white paint on to concrete walls. However, Pauline has taught me the pleasure one can draw from completing such projects and not relying on others all the time do such things.

The paint we use produces a wonderful, plastic skin across the wall. I know because the residue of paint from the roller tray is not washed out at the end of the session but peeled off in one, white, durable, plastic skin the next day. I suspect that, given the perfect weather – not too hot & not too windy – we could complete the entire house outside in five or six days but we have let it drag out over weeks because we can afford to. We will need another,three, solid days before it is completely finished but we’ve got plenty of time. I have to say, it is incredibly ‘white’. A Persil ad. would not be out of place here.

After a good morning’s work, a light lunch of Bruschetta and red wine and a brief siesta (seems to make it much more socially acceptable than a pensioner’s snooze), we went down for a swim. As we did, there seemed just a hint of cooler air and we didn’t stay in long. The numbers on the beach screamed SEPTEMBER.

We went down to see Panos & Rania for all the latest gossip. Rania is worried about the E in Greek being changed in its usage. She asked if there was anything in the Papers about it. I told her thousands were being massacred in Syria but she insisted I didn’t understand. Anyway, had a lovely meal and then drove home for coffee. We went to bed early and, just as the Skiathan wrote this morning, I woke up thinking the time was coming when I would need to sleep under a sheet again for the first time since May.

29th August, 2012

A temperature of 26C/79F is lovely but quite disorientating. We decided it was far too cold and windy for swimming. I was reminded that I am a new  man and asked to clean the bathrooms. Did I do it, Kevin? Well, not quite but it was a good try and it did lead to me offering to cook today. I am making a pasta sauce of small green peppers from the garden, red onion, mushrooms, home grown tomatoes, some diced parma ham, chiffons of fresh sage all reduced in a white wine sauce. It will be served with Fussilli pasta shapes and will be glorious with a bottle of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo slightly chilled. Now that’s Man’s work!

30th August, 2012

Autumnal weather – strong breeze and only 27C/81F. After collecting post and our credit cards have arrived, off to the blood testing centre which was absolutely packed out. My INR has shot back up again. On the plus side: my Warfarin dosage is reduced. On the negative: the Woking nurse has confirmed my wife’s view that I am drinking too much wine. This just strengthens her argument. I may be forced to take note. Had a chat with our architect and then our new Notary. She is keen to have another meeting next month and to come down to our house. We discussed the current political situation and, unlike in June, she was remarkably bullish about Greece remaining in Europe long term. I hope she’s right. Coffee in Prago and a chat. A bit of shopping and home to read the paper outside in this rather more comfortable weather. This is the delicious view looking out through the bourgainvillea over the sea to Anti-Paros and Paros:

Because of the chilly breeze, we decided not to go swimming but to do jobs around the house. My job is to phone all those who automatically charge our credit card whether in Greece or in UK and give them them the new numbers. If any one is interested, they are: *********17.

• Mobile Phone contracts in both countries
• Satellite TV payments in both countries
• Broadband
• Digital version of the newspaper

All are charged monthly to our credit card account. In UK we rarely use money at all. We always pay our account off in full each month so it costs us nothing and helps with  our accounting system. Our credit card account accrues points which buys air miles. It is amazing how quickly the total builds up. We’ve got enough for return flights to Athens  collected in a very short time. We have thought that, even though we are leaving much later this year, we might fly back for a quick visit in January/February time to to check on things.

Pauline is cooking tonight. It is roast chicken with garlic, lemon and thyme and sauteed potatoes with onions. I have promised not to open more than one bottle of wine – well, actually, it is a 5ltr box but we won’t say that too loudly.

31st August, 2012

In times gone by we would have been driving on to the Zeebrugge – Hull ferry at 4.00 pm after filling the back of the car with wine, cheese, vegetables and anything else we fancied from some French Hypermarket. For us, this would have marked the last day of our Summer holidays.

Today we are in our Greek house for quite some time to come. We have lots of jobs to get through over the next couple of months but today is full moon day and will mark the end of the summer and start of autumn. In Athens, I read, they start winter timetables on some public transport on Monday. The moon comes up from the mountain behind our house. It is astonishing how quickly it moves. The line between perceptible and imperceptible seems to be defined by the movement of the globes.

There is a perceptible change in the temperature at the moment with day time only in the upper 20sC/ low 80sF. I heard on the ‘Today’ programme this morning, that parts of England had grass frost last night. Apparently, last night in England was the coldest Autumn night on record and the Summer was the wettest for 100 years. All in all, I’m glad I’m here.

We spent the morning cutting back the bourgainvilleas and generally clearing areas where building work will be done next year. The cooler weather made it much more possible. This afternoon we have had a lovely, long swim in a sea which is now almost deserted. Absolute bliss.

1st September, 2012

Happy September.

A lovely day – warm but not excessively so. Started the day with a phone call to the architect, downloading the newspaper and then going shopping.

Thought about doing work but decided it is Saturday and there was newspaper reading, lunch and football on television. Today the early match starts at 2.45 pm -West Ham v Fulham. Fulham were woeful and West Ham won 3-0.

Went down for a quick swim. The air temperature was showing 29C/84F but the sea was decidedly chilly. Still, we felt better for the swim. Another match to come – Man. City v QPR – which feels like a known result already.

19th August, 2012

The Sunday Times took two hours to download to the iPad this morning which rather destroyed the work we were going to do. Strong winds made it gritty and unpleasant sitting outside but at least the temperature was down a bit – only 28C/82F. The day turned in to a real ‘slobs’ day. Fresh coffee, newspapers, Premier League Football, catching up with correspondence on the web.

I always try to read my fellow Bloggers at some stage in the day. I start with The Skiathan and miss it if he’s not written. Actually today he left a message to say he was on holiday. I hope he doesn’t get blown away.

20th August, 2012

Got up this morning and the air felt almost Autumnal. There is a strong breeze which will hold temperatures down but there is an edge to the early morning which I associate with late September. At least the tourists will soon be gone and we can get back to ‘normal’ life.

Unfortunately heatwave is forecast to return from Thursday for five days. The Skiathan has drawn my attention to a report in Athens News saying June and July have been the hottest months in Athens since 1897 (Athens News) http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/13/57762

21st August, 2012

The wind is down earlier than forecast. We went to collect the post. Our credit cards weren’t in it. We went home and phoned the bank. I did this ten days ago and had an additional address (our Greek one) added to our file. Yes of course they would send replacement cards and not charge us for the £2500.00 that had been defrauded from it. The new cards would arrive on Sifnos within ten days. That is today. When I phoned using Skype, I was passed from pillar to post and suddenly became aware our Skype credit was running down. It is automatically renewed and charged to our credit card which had been cancelled. We have a £10,000.00 facility on that card but I couldn’t get £11.50 for the phone. Just in time, an answer came: I’m sorry, Sir. We Couriered your new cards to your home in Surrey. Thank goodness Pauline’s sister was able to nip round and get them into airmail tonight for Athens. They will be in our hands by Thursday or Friday.

Went out to Captain Andrea’s for a wonderful lunch and then our amanuensis brought tradesmen round to discuss work to be done in the Winter. We also needed to discuss developments going on around us for a submission to the Community.

22nd August, 2012

Mum’s birthday today.  She would have been 89.

The morning was still and reasonably cool so Pauline took the opportunity to repaint the balcony railings while I cleared some correspondence and then watered all the trees and cleared a bit of land. Pauline finished by 11.00 am and, by the time I finished at 12.30 am, the sun was very hot and the temperature was 32C/90F.

The lady at the Elinoil petrol station that we use gave us some cheese which her Mother had just made. It is delicious and we had it for lunch along with home grown tomatoes and basil and Pauline’s home made bread. It went well with an ice-cold bottle of Pinot Grigio. Pauline delivered a lecture on drinking too much wine and I hummed the Italian National Anthem – Il Canto degli Italiani  – or the chant of the Italians.

After a snooze, we went down for a swim. It was wonderful, clear, cool water. The beach was decidedly quiet for the middle of August. It feels like the Season is winding down already.

23rd August, 2012

Pleasant temperature over night but the morning indicated that temperatures are rising again. As we drive out at 8.45 am, the thermometer shows 30C/86F. Collected post, downloaded the newspaper and then went up to the bank (because our new cards haven’t arrived yet) to get some money. We had coffee at Prego and looked out over Anti-Paros and Paros. How close they are. You feel you can almost reach out and touch them and yet the ferry takes so long.

Called in at the Community Offices and then off to the butcher for some wonderful beef steaks. Supermarket and home. Later, as we walked on to the beach at 4.00 pm, the temperature had reached, locally, 34C/92F but in Athens was reading 37C/98F. They are expecting 40-41C over the next few days and we will feel the knock-on effect.

Mother Cat has been missing for three days but was back this morning loudly demanding breakfast at 7.00 am.. She has slept under the rosemary bush most of the day. She asked for food again at 6.00 pm and then flaked out under the dining table on the patio. When I opened the window to speak to her, a baby kitten shot off a dining chair and out into the garden. Now we know what she’s been up to!

24th August, 2012

Mother Cat proudly paraded her new off-spring late last night but this morning appeared to have lost him/her. At 7.00 am she was fast asleep on the patio but by 7.30, she was anxiously and unsuccessfully calling for her off-spring.

Lovely day although you can tell it is going to be hot. A bit of painting today before the sun gets round to the front.

As Greek Prime Minister, Samaras, prostitutes himself around Europe begging for time and leniency, the Greeks themselves refuse to help. The Athens News has reported that businesses are stealing VAT by keeping it for themselves and not passing it on to the Government:

They quote certain islands but, to be frank, it could go anywhere in Greece and find this. The ordinary Greeks just don’t seem to have cottoned on that these businesses are stealing their money, the money that would pay for their health service and their pensions. It’s not that these hoteliers and restaurateurs don’t charge VAT. They do but then put it straight into their own pockets. On Hydra, when the tax inspectors arrested a restaurant owner for not issuing receipts, the islanders rose up against the tax inspectors. Absolutely bonkers.

As Europe absorbs Greece into its economy, they must send their own tax inspectors and house/land inspectors. Just as in the UK where property was checked individually and assessed for house tax, so Greeks must have theirs individually assessed and accurate with individual tax assessments issued. Greece is small. It wouldn’t take long. If Greeks want to survive in the modern world, they have to obey the modern law.

25th August, 2012

Up at 6.00 am and after tea but no toast we went down to a very quiet port by 7.30 am to download the newspaper. By 8.00 am we were parked outside the periptero waiting for our friend. Chatted to the Street Cleaner who, by this time in the day, had finished his job and was going for coffee. What he does do is put two, so-called intellectuals to shame. Our Greek is minimal and he is fluent in three languages having hardly gone to school. He speaks fluent English and Italian as well as his native Greek. Took a few photos as we waited. We rarely go down in to the port in peak season.

We drove back up to the house to meet the waller and the plumber. They are close friends and were coming back to complete some security work at the top of our land today but also to discuss a job they are both going to do for us next year. An hour or so and it was all done. We were free to go shopping. Ironically, we met three or four people in the supermarket who we were intending to contact about jobs. Very useful!

Back home to read the newspaper, drink fresh coffee and relax. The first football match today was the early kick-off for Swansea v West Ham.. Of course, we all hate West Ham. and Swansea played them off the park.

12th August, 2012

I’m ashamed to say that I spent the day reading The Sunday Times while Pauline was painting the side of the house. My excuse was that I was in atrial fibrillation for a couple of hours which made me feel rather shaky.

We watched the men’s marathon with incredible admiration, had a swim but I only ‘bobbed’ and then after a delicious beef stir fry which my wonderful wife conjured up, we settled down for the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games. I have to say I was rather disappointed. Maybe being forty years younger would have helped but The Who? I couldn’t stand The Who when they were alive. I certainly didn’t appreciate them at 2.00 am, as it was in Greece at the end of the show.

13th August, 2012

We spent the morning pruning bushes. By the time it got too hot to go on, I could hardly feel my arms. Quite oppressively hot by 1.00 pm. Long swim and then cooked sweet & sour pork spare ribs with rice pilaf.

Did some writing before going to bed early and sleeping really well. Trying to catch up from Sunday night. I don’t cope with late nights as well nowadays. When I was younger, I used to revel in them.

14th August, 2012

Up early again and down for the post and to download the newspaper. Spent the morning in Apollonia with our amenuensis meeting various people to pay bills, check on water drill developments, legal matters, etc.. Really enjoyed the morning. Left our friend up there at the Medical Centre. Came home for coffee. 33C/92F.

The day got hotter and the movement of air became less. When we finished an hour in the sea at 5.45 pm, the temperature was 33F/92C. We had chicken and chips with lemon sauce for our meal. Coffee on the patio whilst star gazing and discussing how we’d use the £148,000,000.00 that one English couple have won on the Euro Lottery. All those lovely people who have gone out of their way to help us would get a share.

Wake up! Wake up!

15th August, 2012

On the 15th of August, The Virgin Mary is celebrated with large festivals all over Greece. While I have absolutely no interest in that, it does mean that the blood testing centre is closed and I will have to put mine off for a day.

16th August, 2012

Bugger the Virgin Mary, I’m off for my blood test today after collecting the post and downloading the newspaper. Quite a busy morning. Got the new electricity bills – we have two, one for the house and one for the pump. From the latter, we manage to work out what our House Tax will be. In England we pay about £1750.00 + £1750.00 service charge = £3500.00 0r  €4100.00. In Greece our House Tax will be €240.00 per year. Now you can’t argue with that although so many Greeks do!

The Medical Testing Centre is privately funded and run by the most delightful chap who used to work in Brussels as a chemist. Currently, he sells bread in his spare time. He speaks excellent English but is always keen to learn new words. To pump up the vein for the extraction of blood, it is necessary to squeeze and release, squeeze and release one’s fist. What do you call this action, he asked a few weeks ago? Clench, I said. Clench? What is this Clench? In my automatic teacher way to help him remember it I said, In England we say, Clench your buttocks. What is this Buttocks? When I explained, he laughed but didn’t forget. Now, when I go behind the curtain which is the only thing separating us from all the other patients in the waiting room, as he is about to plunge the needle into my arm, he says very loudly, CLENCH YOUR BUTTOCKS! Fortunately, the only other English speaker on the other side of the curtain is usually my wife who is in on the joke.

Today, on the other side of the curtain sat a portly lady who, it turns out, speaks perfect English and who teaches modern Greek at Cambridge University. When I did my standard joke of coming into the waiting room from behind the curtain having been stabbed by the baker’s needle, screaming and with my arm dangling lifelessly at my side, the portly lady looked a little concerned. She kept getting calls on her mobile from her teenage children. Suddenly, she turns to me and asks, What time is it in England? I’m sure she knew really and I was very tempted to reply, Clench your buttocks, but I resisted it. We established that it was ‘A Levels’ day in UK and two of her children were waiting results which she announced very loudly as 3 A*s and, tut,tut, 2As + B. We didn’t stay for her to give blood or her buttocks to be clenched or as the baker is now learning, UNCLENCHED.

We went to the Cafe Prego for frappes and a meeting with our architect. It’s funny but so many Greek friends say we shouldn’t have so many lights on at night. The architect’s first observation was that we should put all our lights on because it’s dark where we live. I love that cafe. Today, after all these years, I got into conversation with the waitress who, it turned out, had been born and lived in America for the first few years of her life. We went in to the Bank to talk to Piggi about the automatic payment of our second electricity bill.

Later we phoned the testing centre to see if the baker was still obsessed with clenching. My INR was back in to perfect territory at 2.3 and I was looking forward to reporting that to Woking Hospital. I tried for hours to Skype them but only got a recorded message. In Huddersfield, the patient group was so small, the testers called us by our first names and discussed their families with us. In Woking, they are so under pressure, they won’t even notice that I haven’t reported my test. I’m just grateful that I have more than a six month supply of drugs and it is all free.

17th August, 2012

The past few days have been so glorious that one could imagine living here for ever – well, until one dies as Kevin reminded me. I must find a burial place. Now I wonder who could help me with that?

Looking forward to the start of the Premier League on Saturday particularly now we’ve bought Van Persie. On Nova TV I will see:

• Newcastle v Spurs
• West Ham v Aston Villa
• Fulham v Norwich
• QPR v Swansea
• West Brom. v Liverpool
• Wigan v Chelsea
• Man. City v Southampton
• Everton v Man. Utd.

They are replayed over the week so I always have a football match to watch when I’m bored.

18th August, 2012

Cooler day today – 29C/84F with blustery winds. Did the major weekly shop and then returned to read The Saturday Times. We went swimming although the water was on the chilly side and then came home to cook a meal before the football started. Newcastle v Spurs today. I was delighted to watch Newcastle win and amused to see their manager sent to the stands for a minor push on the linesman or fourth official. Watched the last third of a boring, 0-0 draw between Arsenal and Sunderland. Man. City being beaten 6-0 by Southampton tomorrow.

5th August, 2012

We are heading for another heatwave. After a quiet day reading the Sunday newspapers, we went for a swim. The water was like nectar, cool and clear. I could have drunk it. As we walked back to the car at 5.00 pm, the temperature showed 35C/95 F. Had an enjoyable evening watching the Athletics at the Olympics.

Received an email from Rizwan – one of the last teachers I appointed before I retired. He is now married and teaching in a British School in Riyadh. He seems very happy and enjoying his job. He tells me that his third child is due any day. How time flies. I haven’t seem him since I retired in April  2009.

6th August, 2012

We are definitely heading for another heatwave. The forecasts are for 37C/99F on the island by Tuesday and 42C/107F in Athens at that time. We washed down our drive of all the soil and dust that was displaced by the first phase of landscaping work we had done. We used the pump water rather than the pressure washer. We also flushed out the storm culvert we drive over to get on to the road. We have taken widespread advice and we and others will be closely monitoring any attempt to open up old wells above us if it puts our own in jeopardy. Apparently, the Community Office has to be notified and has recently denied many applications particularly to those who have tried to do it quietly and secretly. We have three separate people on alert to monitor it for us if we are away and they will contact the Community. It makes us feel quite humble how people have rallied round to help us without concern for the consequences. We are expecting the stone man back shortly.

New ferry timetable this week:

7th August, 2012

Hot, hot day today. The car read 34C/93F in the garage at 8.30 this morning. We went down to collect the post and download the paper and then back for toast. Our amenuensis phoned at 10.00 am and was still on the phone at 11.00 am.. We had toast and fresh coffee and read the paper on the terrace. We knew the temperature was going up  but even in the shade under the pergola, the heat was oppressive. We were intending to leave the painting and drive down to Hersonissos to swim and have lunch but decided it was just too hot. Heat can make one apathetic. We put together a lovely snack lunch of tomatoes straight from our own garden with cucumber, Danish Blue cheese, wonderful slices of salami and some iced, white wine and soda. It was delightful.

Our next door neighbour in Surrey, General Victoria Wellington, contacted us today. She had just retired from the army when we first met her. She is a very nice woman but we haven’t really got to know each other well yet because either we are in Greece or she is abroad playing golf. Already, she is thinking of selling her property. It won’t be difficult. She’ll probably have to fight buyers off or hold an auction. She hopes to move to be closer to her elderly Mum in Nottinghamshire, I think. Pity because she is an interesting person that we would like to get to know better.

Glorious swim at about 5.00 pm in Kamares Bay with the temperature touching 36C/97F. The sea was cooling and crystal clear. As we walked back over the sand dunes to the car, all the benefit of the sea was dissipated by the stifling heat. Showers, a glass of icy white wine and Pauline’s chicken stir-fry followed by a bit of Olympic athletics before we retreated to our lovely, air-conditioned bedroom.

8th August, 2012

INR check this morning after downloading the newspaper. Still not on an even keel. Back next week. Met an interesting old Greek-American who had arrived from Serifos. Quite a trip for a blood test. Aren’t I lucky? In a bored moment, I was looking around the walls of the tiny testing centre that can seat six people and I suddenly realised English holiday resorts were staring at me:

Lovely half hours with friends in Prego Cafe sipping frappe and then back home to escape the heat.  Came home and made our own, delicious frappe for about a tenth of the price. The thing about drinking them at home is that you can make rude noises draining your glass with a straw without half the island staring disapprovingly at you.

Swimming was just wonderful again. It is so much improved by the absence of the Poison Dwarf on the beach these evenings.

9th August, 2012

There is little or no movement of air. I don’t think the night temperature fell much below 30C/88F. We are desperate to jump in the shower as soon as we get up. Thank goodness we have one each. A cup of tea and out for the post and to download the newspaper. The narrow road through the back street which leads down on to the beach road is getting more and more congested. We are lucky to get through without some careful manoeuvring.  The heat dictates another restful day of swimming and drinking liquid. I’m having to make sure all the trees get extra water today as well.

10th August, 2012

Thought it was going to feel cooler today but no such luck. Pauline did a bit of painting – the whole of the front of the house is now complete – while I watered all the trees. I also picked a large bowl of peppers from the garden.

Inspite of the Poison Dwarf’s machinations, Moshca & Apostolis have continued to be lovely as has Margarita. Today, George, who was delivering for the supermarket, went out of his way to park up and come up for a chat. He is such a pleasant, intelligent lad (man). I still think of him as a lad because I’ve known him since he was in short trousers but, in truth, he has grown in to a fine man.

The heat is really affecting our appetite. Apart from toast for breakfast, we lived on a huge bowl of fresh fruit today. We picked more figs and ate them with wonderful peaches, apricots, plums and grapes. I’m in danger of losing weight.

11th August, 2012

At last the oppressive, sticky weather has lifted. It is still 30C/88F but feels so much more comfortable. As I walked into Kamares to download my newspaper, Papa Boulis stopped his van, got out with his brother, Kiki’s husband, and shook my hand and wished me “Good Morning”. We remember him as a youngish man in the early 1980s working so hard in his restaurant by the sea. He was probably early forties and we were late twenties. It was definitely the place to go and eat in those days. It was packed out every night. Boulis would charge around like a sweating bull, losing his temper with impatient customers. That restaurant became a cafe. The Boulis restaurant re-opened away from the sea and was never the same again.

Did a big supermarket shop today but when Pauline came to pay, her credit card was refused by the terminal which just said, “Phone Bank”. We paid cash and when we got home. I phoned the card company and was immediately put through to the Fraud Department. The fraudster started at 1.30 am (UK time) by spending two lots of 11p. Then they bought something on an American website for £350.00 and followed that by another purchase on the same site for £1,400.00. After that they topped up their mobile phone and, when they did that for a second time in four hours, the credit card company realised fraud and stopped the card. Fortunately, we are not liable for what amounts to nearly £2000.00 of charges but we are having to have new cards rushed out to us. Luckily, we have other credit card accounts as well.

29th July, 2012

It is lovely to find I have so many readers. For years, I thought my Blog was only read by my wife and our families. Suddenly, I realise I have readers on Rhodes, Symi, Skiathos, Skopelos, Paros, in Australia and England but, particularly, in Sifnos. Sifniots are proud people and they value their reputations. When they read of one of their own deliberately trying to do down a foreigner, it is amazing how quick they are to condemn and to offer support. Pauline & I have certainly experienced that in the past three or four months.

In the past few weeks, I have written about not believing in God and I am always writing about food, being on the ‘cuddly’ side and married to a ‘cordon-bleu’ chef. So how pleasing was it to find that our local readership was keen for interaction. I think we’re getting to the Poison Dwarf! Tucked in the gate were Greek ‘Jehova’s Witness’ offerings yesterday. One was a magazine based on biblical texts and the other one pupported to know about ‘healthy eating’. I’m really enjoying them. I remember, once, when my friend, Kevin, invited Jehova’s Witnesses in when they knocked. He talked them to the point where they were almost begging to leave.

True to his word, ‘The Iron Man’ appeared at 7.15 pm with a beautifully constructed casing and door in steel  to permanently secure our water pump switch. It took him half an hour or so to fit. It is perfect and the whole thing was done in three days from ordering, construction to fitting. This sort of attitude would put Greece back on its feet.

30th July, 2012

Two diggers and three men arrived at 7.45 am. It is forecast to be a hot day so they need an early start. They are filling in trenches, removing old, electricity columns, scrapping away debris and, generally, removing the detritus of previous ‘helpers’. They worked until 3.00 pm in a temperature of 34C/93F with little breeze. We supplied umpteen glasses of ice-cold water and slices of watermelon. They will be back tomorrow to finish off the intial landscaping.

31st July, 2012

Wonderful Day. Five men and two JCBs worked on our land from 7.30 am – 4.00 pm almost without stopping. In those nine or so hours, they transformed our garden by moving soil, finding, picking up and placing massive rocks, levelling, scraping clean and just generally improving the overall appearance.  The overall result of just three days of work has been massive. Every single workman who came could not believe the situation in which we’d been left other than one or two had already heard on the grapevine before they arrived. There wasn’t one man who came to us who didn’t work like a trojan.

It has been a very hot and windy day today. The scraped bare soil is blown into clouds of dust by the strong winds. Workers have constantly been damping the soil down with hosepipes of water and this has proved quite effective. We will continue doing that for a day or two. We are now working out a planting scheme for next year. Maybe some could be started this Autumn. Notice how I am beginning to sound quite positive about the project again. It just takes the support of a few good friends.

We were so full of dust by the end of the day that we went straight down to the sea for a swim and later shared a single, vegetarian pizza as a take away at home. We fell in to bed and snored.

1st August, 2012

Happy August. After three full days of work going on around the house, we are both exhausted. We both found it quite stressful although the results are exhilarating. Today was more restful. After breakfast of toast and marmalade with a big pot of Yorkshire Tea. Of course, it’s not grown in sunny Yorkshire but blended and boxed there by Taylors of Harrogate. We went down to Panos & Rania’s to download the newspaper and gave the chef a box of 240 teabags. We have found that it produces the best cup of tea with our water.

2nd August, 2012

Still fairly hot and sticky today but with a little breeze which is making it more bearable. I didn’t do a stroke of the work around our grounds over the past few days. It was done by four electricians, two wallers, four groundworkers and digger operators but it has left me exhausted. The most we will do over the next few days is clean the car, go swimming and go and have coffee with Olga in Exambla.

I am an avid listener to BBC Radio 4. In Greece, I have to listen to it over the internet but I pipe it round the house by use of wireless speakers. It has transformed life. Recently, it has been blocked to people abroad by being transmitted from the Olympic Broadcasting Unit. I wrote to the BBC expressing my disgust and got a reply saying they were trying to resolve ‘legal issues’. In the past couple of days, normal broadcasts have been resumed in the Sanders household. As a news junkie, I can only say, THANK GOODNESS!

It is fig time. My earliest memories were of Mum giving us ‘syrup of figs’ as a laxative. It was horrible. Later I read about Stephen Daedelus, James Joyce alter ego eating figs as a student in Dublin and spitting out the seeds. It sounded rather exotic. Over the years in Greece we have ‘scrumped’ figs from roadside trees and had them given to us by people. For a few years, Pauline made fig jam for people on the island. At last, our own fig trees are beginning to fruit in a significant way. We have two trees planted about five or six years ago. Today I picked a large colander of pale yellow skinned figs from the first of our trees. Pauline insisted on washing the dust from them but as we gourged on them after our meal, they were still warm from the sun with a wonderful, delicate sweetness.Fortunately, we have lots more to come.

3rd August, 2012

Yesterday we filled the car up. I know go on about this but it helps me to understand where my life is at the moment. As you will all remember in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, TS Eliot said, “I have measured out my life with coffee spoons;”.  Well, I do mine with petrol tanks. Our car can hold about 300 miles in its tank. I only get 27 miles to the gallon with permanent 4-wheel drive, automatic gearing and ‘climate control’ on all the time. Plus it is driven by an ageing maniac who is finding it hard to learn to slow down. When we drove to work over the Pennines every day, we did 240 miles per week at least and had to fill up, ritually, with the weekend shopping at Sainsburys. In the latter stages, our bill was at least £50.00 per week. Now, in retirement and even allowing for us driving to Greece and back each year, our mileage is much reduced. People greet the news that we drive to Greece with astonishment as if we are off to Mars and yet think nothing of driving to Scotland for their holidays in Britain. From Surrey in England to the Scottish Highlands is a journey of some 700 miles.

From our apartment in Surrey to the tunnel is 90 miles. From Calais in France to Ancona in Italy is a journey of 915 miles.  Later the journey from Patras to Pireas in Greece is about 130 miles. That makes a total of 1135 miles to get here. In the four months we have been here so far, we have driven 900 miles. Where can you go on a small island? We go shopping, drive out to restaurants and that is about it. Actually, I’m surprised to have done as many as 900. In that time, we have visited Elinoil, our favourite petrol station, five times instead of 20. The Elinoil station is run by a lovely family who have been very kind to us. Next year, the head of the family is going to help me learn some more about growing tomatoes and melons outside. Actually, my tomatoes are doing quite well this year for a first attempt.

4th August, 2012

Went up to see Olga this morning and took her a jar of home made orange marmalade to remind her of her years working in central London.

22nd July, 2012

Winds down – Temperature up. Hard to know which is best/worst by now. Recovering from a long week and preparing for the next round. We are expecting a registered mail from Syros on Monday/Tuesday. It goes to Podotas and we collect it from him.

Read The Sunday Times and had a lovely swim today. We dropped off a large bag of basil leaves for Panos to use for making pesto. Plus, Pauline had made a Beetroot, Apple & Onion Chutney so we took down a jar of it and a print of a picture from Martin. These are just ‘thank-yous’ for their help, advice and friendship.

Now the wind is down, it is cooler to dispense with the air conditioning and open windows with mosquito nets down. It gave us one of our best night’s sleep for a couple of weeks.

23rd July, 2012

A very strange day. We went to the Electricity Company who said we had to pay €930.00 which wasn’t a problem but it had to be done electronically. We have internet banking but for a Savings Account which doesn’t allow us to pay bills just monitor our account. We could, of course, go to a branch of The ATE Agricultural Bank of Greece. There isn’t one on the island. In the end, we had to ask a friend to pay it for us and we transferred the funds into their account. What a nonsense that just sums Greek infrastructure up. After this, we had to drive with our amanuensis up to Artemonas to look at interesting things.

Today the sea was warm on the surface and icy cold underneath. The tide had turned and I think replenished the sun-warmed water with fresh. Still, it was 34C/93F at 5.00 pm as we headed home. Have to be up early tomorrow. The next contingent of workmen are coming. We are expecting stone wallers to arrive about 7.00 am.

24th July, 2012

We were up at 6.00 am to find the stone wallers were on the job already. It was only just light but wonderfully cool which is why they were so early. They were blocking up a gateway to stop trespassers coming on to our land. Two very nice lads were doing the work. We are expecting about six or eight tomorrow.

It has been so enlightening. Since our so-called-friend severed ties, we have been forced to go out and fend for ourselves, getting to know so many new people, making so many new friends. So many of them cannot believe how badly we had been left in the lurch. Of course, most of them are looking for employment and payment but why shouldn’t they. They have skills that we require. But they are basically decent people and are ashamed of fellow Greeks who haven’t lived up to that standard. It is nice to set the record straight.

Had to go up to the Medical Testing Centre again. It was packed. Full of pregnant women on serial diabetes tests. We went off to the coffee shop, Prego for an hour to drink Frappes and read the newspaper. Going back an hour later, it was still packed. My INR is up again to 4.3 which is as high as it has ever been in the past three years. It should be circa 2.5. Eating less because of the hot weather and drinking more wine are the principal reasons.

25th July, 2012

Up at 5.30 am in readiness for a big day. Showers, breakfast, check emails, listen to news and then progressively start to turn off and unplug all electrics. By 7.00 am the electrician and son, assistant, had arrived and started to lay the new conduits for the new mains cable. By 8.00 am, two men from the Electricity Company arrive and the power went off. One fitted the new meters while the other shinned up the pole like a monkey to connect the new cable. By 9.00 am, the wallers had arrived to do the concreting of the ducts, The whole thing was brilliantly integrated, slick and professional – in fact, so un-Greek. By 11.00 am, the electricians had gone, the wallers were finishing off and the Iron Man was summoned. He arrived and measured up the stone casing which houses the electrical switches for the pump. He promises to return on Sunday to fit the door so we can lock the thieves out. Somehow, I really do believe that he will be back on Sunday.

What is interesting is how many of these workmen – skilled craftsmen – had already heard on the grapevine about how we had been so badly treated by our ‘friendly Greek’. They think it is scandalous and are only too keen to help us out. It is really lovely and life-affirming.

Went down to Podotas office to collect the legal papers that were delivered on Aqua Jewel from Syros by Courier. I will spend this afternoon translating them. First a wonderful swim. The air temperature is only 32C/90F but the wind is low and the humidity is high which makes it feel uncomfortable. After a swim of about an hour, we feel fresh and cool. After the day’s events, it is extremely relaxing.

26th July, 2012

Up early again because we are back to painting again today. By tomorrow we will have completed the whole of the front of the house. We’ve got work going on next week so that will hold us up for a while but the back of the house gets so hot in the morning that we either have to be up at 5.00 am when I’m not at my best or we need to snatch twilight hours when the sun goes down which it does by 7.00 pm.  We use an expensive, plastic paint for the outside of the house and it really works well. We are pleased with the way our house is now looking. Today some people came round and were extremely complimentary about it and the way it is furnished. They said it was ‘footballers’ which quite surprised us.

Another hot day with the temperature reaching 33C/91F with little breeze but less humidity. Around the patio pergola we have two bougainvillea which are not of the common, stark magenta which ones sees everywhere in Greece. One is white crossed with red and produces beautifully blush coloured racmes of petals. The other, featured below, seems to be a cross between orange and pink and creates a lovely, peachy effect.

Went out to eat at Panos & Rania’s restaurant. It was very hot and humid-sweaty. The restaurant was busy but our meal was wonderful. They don’t compromise on quality.

27th July, 2012

Almost the end of July already. Pauline did some more painting today but I couldn’t face it. It is extremely hot again and rather humid. We went down to the cafe for a frappe and a chat. Then we walked back to see Panos & Rania. They are such lovely people. Particularly, they are intelligent and when one is on a Greek island for some length of time, one craves intelligent conversation not small minded tittle tattle that seems to dominate island life. Rania is a philosopher. She has a degree in philosophy and reads advidly. Panos is incredibly fast thinking, well read, has a huge love of History but is able to ally that to immense practical skills for furniture making and house design.

Their greatest strength is that they are people people. If you sit in the restaurant for one evening, you will see the numbers of returning customers being greeted like long lost brothers. They come back for the food, of course, which is excellent but just as much for the humanity of the hosts. They have been extremely kind to us – inviting us for meals at their home, accompanying us to meetings as translators, advising us in the ways of Greek and island life. They are just good people.

I use Cosmote for my internet connection. I have done for the past few years. We don’t have a fixed telephone line because the OTE say we are too far away from the exchange. It is nonsense but we have easily learned to live with it. At least we don’t have to pay charges for the months we are in England. When we first started, four years ago, the dongle signal strength was weak and connection was hit and miss. Now the whole thing is fantastic and I never have a problem even uploading huge graphics. I have a 10Gb per month contract which allows me to have BBC radio 4 on all day without a problem. I relay it from my Study to the rest of the house and outside with wireless speakers. I love it. The one downside is, of course, I can’t create a wireless network which I need for my iPad. Each morning, I need this to download my newspaper. Panos & Rania very generously allow me to go down to their restaurant to use their wireless connection. It is perfect and so are they. Below is an old photo of them outside their restaurant that I was sent by a friend.

28th July, 2012

Hard getting up this morning after staying up until 3.00 am watching the Olympics Opening Ceremony. It was a performance I had a mixed reaction to. Danny Boyle’s Left Wing credentials came through and Working Class culture certainly figured highly. I appreciated the History but I found it hard to identify with all the Rock/Pop, with Mr Bean and with James Bond and the Queen leaping from an aircraft.  It was good to see Sir Tim Berners-Lee featured and Shami Chakrabarti but I could have done without the Arctic Monkeys.

Weekly shop at two supermarkets after downloading the Saturday Times and then a trip to the butchers in Apollonia for lots of meat.

Hot and sticky again although there is a bit more breeze today. We are having a relaxing day – reading, swimming, cooking, writing – because we have another week of workers invading our peace coming up. The Iron Man is coming tomorrow. You thought it was a work of fiction by Ted Hughes. Actually, it is a Greek who has made and will come to fit a lockable security door on to our water pump and well to keep the burglars at bay. The wallers are coming back to do some paving and other things. The earth mover will come and do some landscaping  and one or two tidying up jobs. If you can believe it, a ‘previous friend’  – although you can judge for yourself how friendly he was – dumped all the rubbish from his hotel on our garden during the winter and burned it but failed to remove the debris. We found the springs from burned down mattresses and all sorts of stuff. He didn’t care but we’ve saved the evidence and he may pay for it soon.

15th July, 2012

A reader contacted me the other day, touchingly concerned about my state of mind. One of the things about my sort of Blog is its stream of consciousness character. In a limited sense, I am living my life in full view. I try to be honest. If I am angry, happy, sad, I write about it. If I cry, I report it. I hope I am big enough to expose myself in that way. In the quietude of Greek island life, reports of these passing emotions can appear dramatic in cold print. In some respects, the backdrop and calm disposition of island life sets human emotions into sharp relief, exaggerating them and their importance.

We started this project in Greece in 2000 as part of our ten year plan towards retirement. I was quite determined not to fall into the lean and slippered pantaloon, with spectacles on nose and pouch on side syndrome. Actually, there is no danger of me falling into the lean anything but you get the point. I wanted us to have something to stretch us, to fully challenge us, to occupy us as we entered retirement. We have not been disappointed. Having said that, there are highs and lows to every project. Sometimes we sail along on the wind of success and more to come. Sometimes we bemoan the difficulties that life throws at us. Last week some people came past and told us they were interested in buying our house and we will consider their offer fully but, if no sale takes place in the next ten years, we will enjoy our Greek home hugely.

Anyway, if we are offered €500,000.00, we will seriously consider it.

16th July, 2012

Incredible temperature today as we had men from the electricity company, an independent electrician, two stonemasons and our amanuensis. We were discussing walling, re-laying electrical cable, re-connecting our mains supply to new meters with the water pump control locked away behind a metal door so that our neighbour can’t steal water while we are away.

By 2.30 pm, everyone had gone and we were able to have a bit of lunch. Some bruschetta soaked in garlic olive oil with Parma ham, Greek tomato and Parmigiano shavings all washed down with ice-cold white wine & soda spritzer. After a pensioner’s snooze, we got ready for swimming. As we stepped outside at 5.00 pm, the temperature showed as 37C/99F. It certainly felt warm and made the sea even more inviting. We spent an hour bobbing and swimming in crystal clear water at a sea temperature of 26C/79F which made it feel deliciously cooling.

The latest Ferry Timetable looks positively busy.

17th July, 2012

Downloded The Times on my iPad to accompany toasted homemade bread and liberally spread with homemade marmalade. What a lucky man I am! Pauline spoke to her sister in Surrey. The weather isn’t good. We did learn that our neighbour in a similar Duplex Apartment has put her’s up for sale at something like 13% above her purchase price only a year ago. We won’t be at all surprised if she gets it. We are constantly being bombarded with requests to purchase our property and sales go through at lightening speed. Everyone, it seems, wants to live within a few minutes of the centre of London which is why we saw the purchase as very safe at the outset.

We had a good, long chat about legal matters with our new and wonderful Notary. The advice is absolutely clear and invaluable. Went on to the DIY shop to buy more paint. The owner had sold out and was saying he wouldn’t get any more until next year. As soon as we said we wanted 3, 10 ltr.tubs at about €80.00 each, he thought he’d be able to order some. Off to the supermarket and home.

The day is a little cooler because there is some breeze. Only 33C/91F today at 4.00 pm as we walked on to the beach for a swim. The breeze had brought in cooler water and the large fish had disappeared. Got in to conversation with a Greek Grandfather obviously enjoying throwing his grandchildren – two young boys – over his shoulders in to the sea. He had been a marine sea captain and had visited most ports around Britain’s coastline at sometime. He was now retired because he had done twenty years at sea. Must be hard.

My turn to cook today because Pauline has to make bread. I have prepared a beef casserole for tomorrow with celery tops to flavour it. Large chunks of beef are slow cooking in beer, onion, tomato, pepper and mushroom. As it develops, I stir in a large dessertspoonful of Dijon mustard. It will be left to go cold, develop flavour overnight and then be eaten tomorrow. Tonight, I am cooking a risotto of Arborio rice with prosciutto ham, garden peas and fresh mint leaves. It is making me hungry just thinking about it.

18th July, 2012

Just as we consider selling the house, the pound strengthens considerably against the euro. For months it has been hovering around £1.00 = €1.21 and suddenly it has leapt to €1.27.  For every €100,000.00 we get, we currently will lose €4000.00. What am I going to do? Spare a cup of soup, Gov’. When we started our Greek project, my abiding principal was that it should not in any way compromise our finances back in England. To a large extent that has beeen true. For the first five or so years when we just used it as a holiday home, we completely forgot about it as we threw ourselves back in to the hurly burly of work. That is how I wanted it to be. Now, in retirement, our view is rather different and, as we think of selling, thought of maximising profit begins to surface. We are not needy or greedy but we intend to enjoy our last thirty or so years in comfort.

19th July, 2012

The meltemi winds battered the house and gave us a fitful sleep. I awoke tired. It reminded me of the Ted Hughes line: This house has been out at sea all night… The amazing thing is that everything survives – the olive trees, the satellite dish, the patio furniture.

Because of the wind, it is a little cooler. Top temperature today – 29C/85F. It feels delightful after the heatwave. Tomorrow, a group of men will arrive at our house at 7.00 am and disconnect our electricity. They will build a new meter box out of stone on the boundary wall of our land and redirect the supply to it. In order to do that, they will dig and create new ducts in the land.

They will then remove all the concrete pillars that you can see in the picture and which have been used for electricity in the past and they will, they promise, reconnect us to the power before they leave. Everything we do in the house from pumping water, refrigeration, cooking, air-conditioning, computing and watching the golf all depend on electricity. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

20th July, 2012

When I told my friend, Panos, about the electricity work going on today, he laughed at my optimistic view of its completion in one day. Of course, he was right. The electrician arrived at 7.00 am with his son. The stonemason arrived at 7.05 am with his two mates. Our amanuensis was brought over by a man from the Electricity Shop. The only person who didn’t get here on time was the digger owner/driver. He arrived in mid-morning minus digger. The work went on relentlessly from 7.00 am till 3.00 pm. It finished with the digger owner promising to bring it by 9.00 am on Saturday. The people working for us, good, down to earth, honest Greeks, were so enjoyable to be with that we couldn’t feel disappointed.

We were filthy from the dust of the day and went off for an afternoon swim which left us feeling wonderful. We came home and watched the Open Championship from a rather dull and damp Lytham St. Anne’s and Pauline roasted chicken breasts wrapped in prosciutto ham with oven cooked potatoes and onions. This was accompanied by a lovely, chilled bottle of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. (Oh, my store of French and Italian wines is rapidly running down. If we stay on after September, I will be forced to drink Greek.)

21st July, 2012

I was brought up as a Roman Catholic but, from the age of 11/12 knew that I couldn’t believe in any God. I am a staunch atheist even in moments of crisis. As a school teacher, I was absolutely clear with kids that I could not pretend about something as important as that. It was a source of tension, debate, even conflict with my Mother right up to her death but I have always subscribed to James Joyce’s alter ego, Stephen Daedelus’ quotation of Lucifer: Non Serviam!

I have to say that after six years of asking and trying, after countless attempts to get the person I had thought was my friend to facilitate this process, after the past twelve months of pushing various parties, the pictures below depict as near as one can get to a ‘God’ experience.

Can you see the celestial light? Is it not heaven on earth?

Today, by the appointed time, the electrician had arrived and so had the digger along with three additional workers. By the time they had finished, everything had been done prior to the Electricity Shop disconnecting and reconnecting our mains power. It has already been agreed that we won’t be without power for more than a couple of hours. We are almost there. Our nice neighbour who owns the land across the road in from of us called round to celebrate with us the end of our sojourn.

We went out for a lovely lunch at Captain’s restaurant. We had fish and garlic sauce. It was delicious. We met the Sifnos Mayor there and he was telling us he had been on a trip to Syros on island business. Last time we met him – a month or so ago on a ferry back from Athens – he was returning from island business in the capital. He is obviously really enjoying his job and it is lovely to see. We first met him when he was 12 or 13 years old more than 25 years ago, still in stretch pants, serving at table.

Today we solved a riddle that has been puzzling us for a year or two. We may be slow and thick but we have got there in the end. Click on the picture below to enlarge it and then say what are all the little black dots?

The photo is of small leaved basil plants growing in a clay basket at out front door. By now, Sarah, one of our more recent readers will have guessed exactly what it is. She is adept at stirring this stuff. We have recently removed all these marks, thinking they were bird droppings. We even repainted in brilliant white. Back they have come just as they have for the past three years. Suddenly, two days ago Pauline saw a huge, bright green grasshopper living inside the basil bush. We had seen it before and laughed about it. This time, we realised the basil was being eaten from underneath. I took the grasshopper out and threw it towards the field. It landed on a small, white wall and proceeded to pass out of its rear end a measured dollop of dark, green excrement which dried black just like the others. Hands up if you got it.