Sanders Blog

8th July, 2012

It was the heat, the sun, the blistering temperatures that first hooked us in Greece. We both loved it. Pauline was a slim, lithe, 29 year old when we spent our first three weeks in Greece in 1980. We were in Zakynthos island and Pauline’s skin turned olive golden brown. Against everything that had gone before when I had appeared a beetroot in the sun, three weeks under the Greek sky turned my skin into a wonderful, deep, dark brown that has never really left me. Since that first occasion, a few minutes in the sun is all it takes to top me up. However, as we’ve got older, we have found our tolerance to sun and to heat decrease quite markedly. We sit in the shade more and avoid the direct sun as much as possible. In those Zakynthos days, we carefree young things lay out in the sun for hours on end with real determination to ‘get a good tan’. Of course, we could be just becoming more Greek. They avoid the sun like the plague.

The only reason I mention this is that we are into heatwave season. One is hitting us just now. Temperatures of 38C – 41C (100F – 106F) are forecast for Athens over the next few days. Of course, sea breezes mitigate these highs for us but it is still uncomfortable and energy sapping.

9th July, 2012

The new and much improved ferry timetable was issued today.

Today, we drove up to the Accountants to show them our new electricity permit which they were very pleased about. We then went to the Electricity Company to arrange for our new meters to be installed. Our friend, Esmerelda, helped us through the arcane, Greek rule book. Two hours she negotiated for us this morning. We have to get an electrician to re-authorise our electrical circuit diagram which has lapsed by six months or so. Officially, they should reinspect but they won’t. We then have to co-ordinate an electrician, a stone mason to build the electricity meter housing and an official of the Electricity Company to come to our property on Monday morning next week to survey and agree the job in hand. When this has been done, the stone mason will come first. Then the Company will fit the new meters and, finally, the electrician re-connects everything. Of course, it all costs money – about €2000.00. All of this really grinds you down. It is not the money, although that is infuriating, but the sheer pettiness of it. We have been waiting six years for this to happen.

10th July, 2012

The heat just continues. It is very tiring. It saps one’s energy and ambition. We had intended to do a lot of painting today but, instead, we went up to see the Notary with Esmerelda. The Notary is the Government agent who deals with property purchases and sales. Just walking was an effort today. We hear that Britain is cool and experiencing some rain. We live in GU22 in Surrey and I checked this week’s forecast on the BBC contrasted with our island:

A wonderful swim this afternoon in sea temperature of 25C was delicious. The atmosphere was so hot that we didn’t even go down to swim until 4.30 pm.

11th July, 2012

The temperature is back as soon as I get up. The sheets are soaking wet with sweat and our skins are clammy. As you can see from the weather chart, the temperature never falls below 22C/70F and the bedroom often reaches an uncomfortable 29C/85F.

Yesterday, we made the momentous decision to sell the house. We had talked about it on and off last year as the European crises worsened. Last Winter in Woking we agonised over it without coming to any conclusion. Yesterday, in conversation with the Notary, we decided the time was right. Our decision was pushed on quite by accident. Two English women looking for land to build on came past our house. I invited them in and learned that they had been coming to our island for a number of years and had always said that our house was the ideal one. Pauline and I hadn’t actually formally agreed but I heard myself saying that our house was available.

They may buy it or they may not but we have definitely decided that we are going to sell if someone offers us the right price. We are about to put the word around to people who previously said they were interested.

12th July, 2012

Another reason we have decided to sell is that a neighbour and previous ‘friend’ is causing us increasing problems. He is failing to control his livestock adequately and they are coming on to our property inspite of our frequent complaints. Recently, when we were away, he came on to our land or paid someone to do it and stole some of our water pipe attached to the pump we use to water our trees. I had already written to him a formal letter refusing him rights to enter our land and he has clearly ignored that and trespassed. It means we have to take action. This will be a discussion at the police station where we will submit a written report and then we will ask our new lawyer to build a harrassment case against this man who clearly thinks he can do what he wants. We have photographic evidence, written communication records over a number of months and we think we can build a strong case for persistent harrassment as well as criminal trespass and theft. It will cost us money but we refuse to be bullied. Fortunately, we have some wonderful, intelligent, resourceful and well-connected friends who are very keen to help us. I’m rather looking forward to it.

Today feels incredibly hot and oppressive. The temperature didn’t drop below 30C/86F last night and was 34C/93F by 9.00 am. The temperature seems to be hotting up in all sorts of ways. At this moment of writing, the temperature outside is 37C/99F.

Another lovely swim today. The beach is looking a bit more like a holiday one although still not as busy as one might hope if one was in the tourism business. Decided we must go up to have coffee with Olga in Exambla soon. We met again yesterday and asked us.

On Monday we have a meeting at our house of all the professionals involved in our current case. It will be very interesting. We are trying to freshen up the outside paintwork. We did a full re-paint two years ago. Unfortunately, it is so hot at the moment all activity is difficult.

13th July, 2012

I have contacted Superfast and changed our return ticket to an ‘Open’ one. They seemed only too happy to do it. At least now it allows us to stay in the house through October and, maybe, even in to November if a sale is going through and/or we are involved in legal proceedings. It gives us the flexibility. On Monday, everyone is coming to our house for 12.00 mid-day. We are hoping to hear more about two wealthy Athenians who are interested in buying well built property here.

In the mean time, we are busily sprucing up the property with a coat of ‘Brilliant White’. We were up at 6.00 this morning to take advantage of the cool early morning before the sun destroys us. I must admit I personally hate painting but Pauline loves it so I have to support her.

1st July, 2012

Happy July, everybody.

Still hot but windy here. Plenty of tourists starting to arrive. The boat this morning disgourged lots of them. There was also a huge wedding party staying at the hotel down the road. We heard rifles being fired late in to the night as they celebrated the nuptials.

I’m ashamed to say that Pauline is still outside painting the pergola while I am preparing stuffed peppers for our meal.  A total role reversal, I know, but she won’t let me anywhere near the paint. Very sensible, really but I do feel embarrassed.

Found this picture this morning which fairly summed up Pauline & I. Inseparable.

Apart from when there’s painting to do:

2nd & 3rd July, 2012

Wind, wind, wind. When will it abate. The painting has continued in the teeth of a howling meltemi. Swimming, on the other hand has been cast aside for fear of losing too many layers of skin in the sand storms. The afternoons have been watching Wimbledon.

Off to Athens for a few days tomorrow. Looking forward to hearing the roar of traffic and the smell of diesel, bright lights and crowds of people.

Went out for dinner tonight and sat next to a couple from Leeds and Wakefield.

4th July, 2012

Supplied our local restaurant friends with a big bag of basil from our garden so they can make pesto. Their’s has been eaten by chickens – their basil not pesto.

Leaving on Speed Runner at 13.50. Arrive Piraeus around 17.00. Fortunately, after about three weeks, the wind has gone down considerably.

Arrived early. Taxi to Syndagma = 20 euros. Shower and out for dinner. We were on our way to a restaurant we know and use when we stumbled upon a new, Mediterranean one. We went Athenian and sat out on the pavement to eat rather than go upstairs to their air conditioned room. It was a lovely meal and delightful staff. The food was prepared by Vera who was a Greek who had lived in Portsmouth for ten years. We were served by Eleni who was a young Athenian with perfect English. Her mother is Smeragda and her father works in Piraeus. You can see. I make these people work for their money!

We ate a shredded lettuce with pine nuts and currants and mustard and honey with olive oil dressing as a starter. It was served with hard baked rye bread. The main course was griddled salmon with citrus sauce and chunky chips. We don’t usually have a sweet but this evening we had chocolate souffle and vanilla ice cream. A half litre of white and a half litre of red wine helped it all down. The price was 60 euros which is double what we’d pay on the island but it was a lovely meal.

When we got back, we watched the BBC News and saw Bob Diamond lying through his very false teeth. The Murray match wasn’t finished when we went to bed, exhausted.

5th July, 2012

Up at 7.00 am. Pauline makes tea and we have a leisurely shower. Down to buffet breakfast – fresh orange juice, bacon,sausage, scrambled egg. Toast and coffee. Croissants and more coffee. While we are eating breakfast, my iPad is downloading The Times.

By 9.30 am, it is time for Pauline to set off for the hairdressers while I have time to write up my Blog and to read some of the paper. I don’t want to go out anyway. The temperature is expected to near 40C. Pauline returns hot but looking lovely. We decide to go for a shade-side-of-the-street saunter to a nearby cafe and have a cooling drink – a beer and a soda. Later, we do a little shopping buying some perfume for Esmerelda because she has helped us so much.

Back to the hotel for a wash and brush up. We watch the television news about a Greek throwing himself off a balcony in Athens and landing on another Greek below, killing him also. Esmerelda phoned from Sifnos worrying that we had been fallen on and crushed. We then had a couple of phone calls from the architect to say that the electricity certificate, after six years of chasing it, should be on the island that afternoon. It was in a registered post sent to a local agent. Fortunately, Esmerelda offered to collect it for us.  We can hardly believe it has finally come. We are still in our hotel room when our new Notary phones to make an appointment for Monday morning. It always seems to happen when you’re away.

About 8.00 pm we went out to eat at an old favourite of ours – Karyatis Restaurant in the Plaka. It opened twenty years ago and we have been going there on and off since then.

 
The hardest part was walking back to the hotel, full and through thick heat. We had left the airconditioning on in our room and it was an oasis of cool when we got back.

6th July, 2012

Our ferry leaves at 5.00 pm. Normally, we would window shop or even actually shop. The heat was so oppressive that such activities could have been fatal so we chilled in the hotel – watching television and reading the newspaper. We had eaten another, huge, buffet restaurant breakfast – bacon, eggs, sausage, bread, fruit, croissants, orange juice and coffee so we only needed a sandwich for lunch.

At 3.00 pm, we asked for a taxi to take us down to Piraeus where we boarded Speedrunner 4 an hour early just to get out of the heat. Unfortunately, Friday night is travelling night and the ferry was packed with noisy, excited holidaymakers. We were surrounded by a huge party of French people. It is certainly noticeable that the weather in Northern Europe is affecting bookings and the islands are definitely benefiting.

We were back on Sifnos by 8.00 am, just in time to see highlights of the two Men’s semi-finals.

7th July, 2012

Very hot and we are very tired. The island seems very busy. We decide to stay at home and relax after doing a bit of shopping for food. A bit sick to find Serena Williams winning again.

8th July, 2012

So hot I can’t persuade myself to do anything. We are told this heatwave will last all week. Read the Sunday papers and relaxed. Quite a few meetings tomorrow so scanned in a number of documents in preparation.

24th June, 2012

Busy week this week. We have to check with the Notary, Accountant, Architect, Woodman plus visit the Blood Testing Clinic.

Today is Sunday and we can do none of these things. It is hot but still very windy. It looks like it will be for another week. Even if the wind hasn’t gone down tomorrow, we will go swimming. We have been missing it.

Let’s hope the technology stands up to the strain. Well, better than England did this evening. They were rubbish. I wonder why they bothered to turn up. It was as if they didn’t want to win. I don’t think Rooney, Terry and Gerrard actually turned up. I just didn’t see them. The Greek team tried harder than this.

We’ve been on the island for eleven weeks and have thirteen left before be start our journey back through Europe’s Autumn.

25th June, 2012

Went up to the Clinic for my blood test. Saw the architect en route. Coffee and sweet pie in the cafe. It is so hot. It feels rather humid. We are going swimming in spite of the wind. Pauline will probably be blown out to sea if she wears her hat which will act like a sail.

My blood result turned out to be poor again. The nurse in Woking who I phoned said that I must be drinking too much wine. How she could know from that distance, I have no idea but she was right.

Dropped in on the woodman who, it turns out, fears he has kidney stones and is off to Athens for investigations. His wife thinks it is the hard water on the island that encourages it. Going off to Athens will be an expensive business in itself. The blood testing man’s daughter was going to the orthodontist in Athens on Monday because there isn’t one on the island and she has a brace. She is just going for a regular check up. This will take two days and will cost €100.00 for the ferry cost alone. It is expensive living on an island.

The new ferry timetable was released today:

26th June, 2012

Today it is blisteringly hot because the wind has gone down for the first time for at least a week. We were outside early, cleaning the car before the sun got up. It was lucky we did because the architect came by and gave us the second tranche of the fine we have to pay to legalise our garage and pergola. He told us our electricity paper was in Milos and would be with us in a week to ten days. We will believe it when we see it after six years of waiting. John Humphreys, writing in The Sunday Times last week talked about his son’s Greek wife inheriting a small piece of land on which to build a house. They applied for permission but haven’t heard anything yet. It has been nine years! This is the fine for our illegal pergola:

27th June, 2012

Went up to the Bank to pay our pergola fine this morning. On to the supermarket where I found an oregano plant for sale. Somebody in the queue questioned whether it was oregano and pieces were handed round the shop for customers to smell. It was decided on a 3-1 vote, excluding me, that it was oregano so I brought it home.

28th June, 2012

Got up extra early and went out for the post. Came back for breakfast and then Pauline finished sanding down the pergola while I watered all the olive trees. After days of extremely hot sun and very drying winds, the trees must have been loving it.

Wonderful swim this afternoon and then meal on our knee while we watched Wimbledon. Later on – much too late on – watched Italy destroy the Germans. Why can’t we do that? We could.

29th June, 2012

Cleaned the stripped pergola this morning and pressure washed all around. It will all be repainted tomorrow. Everything will be gleaming white. Going out tonight for a bite to eat.

Got a phone call this afternoon from our Dentist changing our appointment for October. Seemed rather strange. Forgotten our connection with Surrey.

Finding the early, Wimbledon rounds a bit boring. Missed the Nadal upset unfortunately.

30th June, 2012

It doesn’t matter where one spends one’s time, heaven or hell or somewhere in between, sometimes one longs for a change. Small, idyllic island, small number of small minded neighbours. Give us a rest! After three months on the island and with three months to go, we look forward to a change of scene, a change of people and a change of style. From quiet, slow paced rural we would like a few days of loud, brash city life. As they say, “You can have too much of a good thing.”. It will be nice to get away for a few days and to appreciate what we have even more when we return.

Watched Murray until 9.00 pm (11.00 pm here) and they closed the roof. Couldn’t take any more. Pleased to find he’d won on Sunday morning.

17th June, 2012

The temperature is around 31/32C but the winds are blustery strong. I always find this condition tiring and rather stressful. We have stopped swimming because of the unpleasant sand storm attacks and we have postponed painting the pergola.

Of course, it is the storm before the storm. Election day. I was sitting outside the house on a bench when a van drew up on the road at the front gate. It turned out to be the woodman and his teenage son along with another man I didn’t know. He was introduced as a Doctor. I invited them up to the house and offered them a beer. I took an instant like to the doctor. He wants radical change. He doesn’t care about Europe. He just wants to sweep away all the old, corrupt political families.

The Doctor certainly gave me a genuine understanding of why so many younger Greeks are desperate to reject the bailout terms. As the evening wore on, the Pro Europeans just nudged themselves ahead and will probably form a coalition government but the seething opposition will continue.

18th June, 2012

The new ferry timetable has been published and the service has been cranked up again. It is almost looking helpful.

The hot winds continue. We have rather put life on hold. I am reading The Times and Pauline is turning up a pair of trousers. In our spare time, we are flitting between Athens & Brussels to negotiate new bailout terms. I have signed up to a new deal for my news paper. If I bought it as a hard copy on the island, it would be at least a day late and would cost about  €100.00 per month. Electronically, direct from The Times, I can buy it for about €20.00 per month and on the right day and first thing in the morning. It is fantastic.

23rd June, 2012

Well, the whatsit really hit the whirly thing this week. What a nightmare, my laptop has been in intensive care. I have a desktop but not connected to the internet and my iPad needs a wireless connection.

I apologise to all those (well that person) who were worried about me. I am in better health than my technical equipment suggests.

10th June, 2012

I have learned over the years things about myself, as most of us do, some of which I like and some I don’t. Whatever, I have learned it is sensible to be honest with myself and with others about them. I have known, for many years, that I have an addictive personality. I remember, in my early 20s, becoming addicted to Coca Cola & Pepsi. Goodness knows how because I couldn’t drink it at all now. In a similar way, I can be hideously hidebound by routines and traditions.  I have to constantly fight against this to avoid being narrow in my thoughts and actions. Of course, it can also be a force for good. I am seriously becoming addicted to fresh fruit. Few would consider that a bad thing. I am also absolutely hooked on Blogging and quite determined to never miss a week. Occasionally, I go a few days without posting but I always ensure it is put up by the end of the week. Good or Bad? Who knows. Maybe Kevin will tell me. We started swimming on June 1st and it is now almost a badge of honour not to miss a day. Today is hot – 27/28C – and a swim is essential.

11th June, 2012

Our house looks down upon the port. One of the reasons we chose to build in Kamares rather than further in to the island was the movement. Everyone who comes to Sifnos arrives by ferry in Kamares. All commodities that are brought to Sifnos from the mainland enter by ferry through Kamares. There is no airport here nor will there likely be because of the mountainous terrain. There is a heliport which is used almost exclusively used for emergencies. There are other, smaller, fishing ports but all that happens on Sifnos starts in Kamares. Comings and goings of the port fuel the cafes, restaurants, hoteliers, taxis, buses and observers.

For years we’ve had to go on to the internet each day to know what boats to expect. There is a particularly good site which is the digital equivalent of the Greek travel agent’s gazette – Greek Travel Pages – but it is not terribly user-friendly. The weekly timetable is also published in the display cabinet of the most prominent travel agency – Aegean Thesaurus. We must walk past this notice most days and try to memorise the ins and outs of traffic but, by the time we get back to the house, it is gone. Now, with the iPad, I go down on a Monday morning and take a photo and it is there with me throughout the week.

Thirty years ago, when we first started coming here, there were days in mid-June when there was no ferry at all. Worse still, of course, that meant no newspaper either. The economic crisis here has seen a return to poor service but not that poor. Certainly, in the past couple of weeks, the traffic has increased but if you look at today, there is only one boat and that is to Piraeus.

We considered Paros to be a hub of the Cyclades and we used to have a small vessel which we called ‘Every day to Paros’ because that was the sign on the side of the boat but that has gone now so we feel even more isolated (or exclusive).

12th June, 2012

Because we knew in advance that we would have quite a lot of administrative things to get through this year, we decided not to take vegetable gardening too seriously. One thing we have done, however, is to persist with our herbs. We are growing three different types of Basil this year in the ground we are growing the large leaf Sweet Basil. In pots we are growing two different sorts of small leaf Basil. We also have Sage, Mint, Rosemary and, of course, Thyme.

13th June, 2012

I don’t know if you’ve been watching the football but I’ve been surprised by how much I’ve enjoyed it so far. The first match – which the Greeks really should have won – was absorbing. The Polish comeback against Russia was great and gives Greece a sniff of a chance to stay in. I enjoyed Denmark’s fight against Portugal but the performance of Holland against Germany was abject.

14th June, 2012

The temperature is rather warm today – 33/34C. We have abandoned jobs. I’ve chosen to update my Blog having got badly behind. Pauline is cleaning and making fresh pasta. We are having Lasagne for our evening meal. It doesn’t take long and we have our pasta machine with us to roll it out.

Tonight, I will open a bottle of Italian red and watch their national team beaten by Croatia, hopefully. Unless they’ve fixed the result already.

If you have ever been involved in Education Management, you will know that professional duties are accompanied by professional rights. For example, Management can’t just decide, at the drop of a hat, to change the working hours, the holiday dates, the after school requirements, etc.. In other words, all teachers – just as all pupils – are entitled to a personal life which is not compromised by the demands of their job. Usually in UK schools, the calendar of activities is published twelve months ahead so that staff can make arrangements, book holidays, etc.. Parents’ Evenings , etc,. are calendared so teachers can reasonably order their own lives in advance.

This morning we met the plumber, Giannis and his wife, Poppi and their three little children all going off to school for the last day Assembly. Greek schools were supposed to finish on Friday but, because of the second election, the smaller children finish today and the older ones go on until Wednesday. This is because, the school is used for voting on Sunday and, traditionally, it is closed on the Friday before for setting up and the Monday after for tidying up. So staff who booked their holidays for Saturday have to cancel their arrangements and turn up for work on Tuesday and Wednesday. To make matters worse, some young teachers desperate for a job have been sent to teach in Sifnos, away from their own area. In order to vote, they have to return to their own area. Then they have to come back to Sifnos for two days. The final twist is that travel for the purposes of voting used to be subsidised by the Government. Now it is not. Teachers who have had their pay cut now have to pay hundreds of Euros and lots of their spare time travelling home to vote and then the same again in three days time. May be the election turn out will be lower this time.

At 5.00 pm tonight, we ventured out for a swim. The temperature outside was 35C. The water was gorgeous.

15th June, 2012

The temperatures have been moderated a little by freshening breezes which have been forecast to strengthen over the next few days. Force 8 Beaufort, which can threaten ferry travel, has been forecast for Saturday – Tuesday. This, in itself, could affect election travel services. Already Kathimerini is warning of transport disruption because of essential workers having to go back to their home areas to vote.

It feels as if the election is on a knife edge. I believe that it could be one of the defining moments in Greek History. There again, it could all have been decided already and the election could just be the rubber stamp on Greece leaving Europe. What I don’t think many people here understand is that the effect of the loss of the Euro will be absolutely catastrophic. Just one example would suffice to illustrate this. Petrol.

We take it for granted but the moment it is threatened, we realise its essential nature. A few months ago in Surrey, Tanker drivers were threatening strike. The whole country went on panic buy and petrol stations ran out. Suddenly we were faced with not being able to get to shops for food; shops running out of food because of no deliveries; essential services like fire and ambulance not having fuel; power generating services not having fuel. Modern life as we know it was likely to grind to a halt. Petrol on our island is selling at a ridiculous €1.92 per litre. It is shipped in and tankered up to the three petrol stations on the island. As I understand it, Greece currently has one month’s supply of petrol. Leaving the Euro will have two effects: firstly, the petrol which Greece buys in will more than double in price over night. Secondly, the country will have no credit standing and no country will supply without up front payment which Greece cannot afford. The immediate knock on of no petrol will be fighting, looting, rioting, starvation, complete societal break down. Greeks vote to leave the Euro at their peril!

16th June, 2012

I joked last week about my sister, Jane, being inducted into the CBeebies. It was a version of the truth because it wasn’t for official publication until today. Jane has been awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for her role as Chief Executive of  the Independent Police Complaints Commission and services to Justice & Policing. Below are two photos of Jane. The first is taken from the IPCC website and the second is taken from a video clip on the BBC website of her giving evidence to the Leveson Enquiry.

3rd June, 2012

It as if the button had been pushed on June 1st. Islanders finished painting and tidying and opened their doors for tourists. And tourists came. Not as many as usual but some came and the island began to feel like a tourist destination again. The ferry timetable has suddenly improved and the weather is getting increasingly warm. Last week, the beach was totally deserted. Now there are a few swimmers and a few more sun bathers. This is where the Greeks get their optimism. They know the sun will always shine and believe that the tourists will continue to arrive.

It is Orthodox Whit Weekend and many here will be Greeks returning to their homes for the celebration. Beacons are burned on the tops of the mountains and a flotilla of boats sail round the island carrying flares and torches. I have to admit, we didn’t go out to watch. It’s all a bit messianic for us. We did have a lovely swim, though. Temperature hovering around 27C.

4th June, 2012

Hotter again – 28C and swimming was delicious particularly because I spent an hour or so out in the heat with my brushcutter, cutting back the tall grass and dying weeds.

Watched a bit of the soggy flotilla down (up) the Thames. I am no monarchist but I admire anyone of that age who can stand for so long in such cold. In Huddersfield, I read, Jubilee parties were dampened by heavy rain, strong winds and ‘the coldest June day for twenty years’. Shame. They should be Republicans and then the sun would shine.

5th June, 2012

A good day that went bad today. It turned out to be incredibly hot and windless and we were brush cutting. We were just finishing when our cutter, which has been troublesome since we bought it, stopped. It had picked up some electrical cable lying in long grass since the house-build and that was wrapped tightly around the blade. Not only that, one of the blade sections was badly chewed and probably won’t last a lot longer. We bought the machine in Piraeus a couple of years ago. It is a Nakayama XH1000 – no, I’ve never heard of it either – but it was cheap at about €85.00.

I have found three retailers in Athens who sell this model and emailed them about supplying spare parts but I’m not holding my breath.

A bit fed up with the way things had gone, I put the cast iron griddle on the new, outside cooker on the patio. One of the rings on top shorted and tripped the power. I will have to take that back as well. That will not be easy. The shop owner speaks no English. We will almost certainly end up buying new of both items.

6th June, 2012

The thermometer is rising and 35C is forecast by Monday. Today is hot but pleasant, with a little breeze. Decided to ignore the brushcutter for a while. We went to the cafe for coffee and chat. Christos is really depressed about the state of the country and the effect it is having on his business and may have on his future life. We met a couple of Danes who came in for a bag of ice. They said that they lived in Piraeus because they were involved in the Zea Harbour Project which, as their website says, combines land and underwater archaeology to obtain a full picture of the ancient Zea and Mounichia Harbours in the Piraeus. The man we met seems to central to the project. His name is Bjorn Loven and he has written: The Ancient Harbours of the Piraeus, Volume I.1 – The Zea Shipsheds and Slipways: Architecture and Topography which most of you will have read, of course.

7th June, 2012

For quite a long time, we have wondered about the value of our Greek property. It is about six years old now. Everyone who visits says it is wonderful but are they just being polite. The last couple who visited did say this is how they imagined a Greek footballer’s house to be and someone did say to us recently that he wanted to know if we ever thought of selling. There are no formal outlets for property valuation or sale particularly not on the island. We know that one main way of house valuation is by square meterage but didn’t know what multiple to apply. Then there is the land around the house. Ours is extensive. Today I found a company selling a house of 95 sq. m. at €3000.00 per sq. m. for €285,000.00. It has little or no extra land, only two bedrooms and no garage. It also has a lot of neighbours whereas we have none. Our house was originally 153 sq. m. but we subsequently added a garage of 35 sq. m.. We have three bedrooms, a study and a laundry plus a lot of surrounding land. Our house would have to be valued around the €500,000.00 mark but I really don’t want to leave it. If Greece leaves the E.U., I may find I have to.

8th June, 2012

The saga of our legal electricity really illustrates the clash between old and modern Greece. Today, we took a another step forward. We went up to the Electricity Comany – DEDDHE – to find out about developments. The news was excellent although it took us a little while to realise. The man in the office, Mr Giamakis, gave us a piece of paper. I recognised my name but nothing else. Effectively, Mr Giamakis was confirming that we had never been granted legal electricity before and should be done so immediately for our house in Kamares. This letter will be taken by our architect to the island of Milos to get the final stamp which will lead to Mr Giamakis arranging for some workers to come and give us a new electricity meter. This is the paper on which I have pasted a translation which took me a little time to do:

After this, we went on to the Accountants because we had been told everyone had to complete their tax form. Last year, unexpectedly, we had to pay a €700.00 house tax. We expected the same again this year. We were surprised, therefore, to find we didn’t have to pay anything at all this year. In fact, the Greek Government are giving it back to us. Apparently, so many ex-pats complained about the tax that we are being given half of it back. Could be worse.

9th June, 2012

Today, the temperature is reaching 30C and we are looking forward to swimming. First, we have quite a lot of shopping. We have decided to cut our losses and buy a new oven for outside on the patio. We went up to see Flora and she had the perfect thing for €120.00 in white.

We do quite a lot of open-air griddling of meat by laying a cast iron griddle over the rings. It means the house isn’t full of fumes. The oven has a grill and large, two tier oven capacity as well.

We also went up to the DIY shop which is nearby and bought paint for re-painting the pergola, a rake for the garden, some new secateurs and some water connectors for the hosepipes. Back to the supermarkets. All the fresh supplies come in on Friday night boats from Athens so Saturday morning sees plenty of stock. Pauline bought a huge piece of Salt Cod or Stock Fish or Bakaliaros as the Greeks call it. Home for coffee by 11.30 am. The day has almost gone.

Fresh coffee, newspaper, water the vegetables, write up my Blog and then it’s time for swimming. It’s certainly hot out there. Well the water was freezing refreshing. Apart from toast for breakfast, we only eat one other meal now that it is getting so hot. That meal comes about 5.30 pm after swimming. Today, I am cooking a one pan meal of potatoes, onions, peppers and chicken pieces marinated in oil and oregano. It’s making me hungry writing about it!

Football tonight. I enjoyed the games last night – particularly the Poland v Greece game which Greece should definitely have won.

Netherlands v Denmark and then Germay v Portugal tonight. The Dutch will just win but the Germans will bully the little Portugese off the park.

Just heard the good news about my sister, Jane, who has just been accepted in to the latest club. Congratulations.

28th May, 2012

Got up ten minutes late after watching Shakespeare until late last night. The morning is delightful but getting hot as it develops. After breakfast and newspaper, we go up to the garden shop to buy another bag of potting compost, some tomato plants and a huge and glorious sage plant to add to our herb garden. It’s such a delight.

Back home for fresh coffee, phone Phyllis in West Byfleet to discuss her slow internet problem  and then we go out for a walk up our mountain. Walking really helps one appreciate the island so much more than driving. Back home for lunch salad, sweetcorn, garlic sausage, cheese biscuits and a small glass of beer. Europe is beginning to sense a swing in Greek voters’ mood towards New Democracy and away from the dangers of Tsipras. The BBC is reporting it and so is Ekathimerini.

29th May, 2012

Our island is dominated by two plants or species – the olive tree and the oleander. In our garden, we have lots of the former and none of the latter. Now we have the lovely, stone wall across the front of the land, I need a cheap and quick way to plant it up. Oleanders seem to be the answer. The most ubiquitous here is the pink and untrained type:

It grows everywhere but can be trained as a tree. We will attempt to grow ours as a hedge but, because we need to cover 100 metres of garden front, we are going to try and propogate our own. The website suggest the plant is harder to kill than to propogate so we are enthusiastic. We will try to grow a mixture of rich magenta a white oleanders because we are sophisticated!

I’ve just read that, in the bible, the oleander is referred to as The Desert Rose which has slightly put me off but it is said to be cheap and easy which suits me well.

30th May, 2012

Our new friend, Esmerelda, brought us a large bowl of apricots fresh from her tree. They are unbelievably delicious. This is the first time that I’ve really appreciated them.

Lovely day gardening today. The weather was good but not too hot. We are preparing ground for tomato plants to go out and to sow some salad vegetables.

31st May, 2012

Can’t believe we are already on the last day of May. Where is our life rushing to? Certainly, the weather is getting hotter.

The tomato plants went out today. This is my first time for planting them in Greece. I shall treat the whole thing as an experiment. We also put in a wonderful sage plant that Pauline picked from the garden shop. We have virtually all our herbs growing no with the exception of  Tarragon or Estragon, as they call it here. I failed to grow it from seed last year.

We have been clearing the ground at the front of the house because it looks as if we will get our electricity meter moved to the permanent roadside pillar thus becoming normal users. It will sound ridiculous to most readers but Greeks will know that it is vitally important. It will have cost us a lot in blood, sweat, tears and money by the time it happens.

1st June, 2012

Happy June everyone.

Went up to the Electricity Company for the hundredth time over the past four years (that might be an exaggeration) to arrange for our final meter to be fitted and our house to use legitimate power. The man said, we would receive a phone call in one week. What do you think? And do I care? I don’t!

Carried on up to the supermarket Mario’s and Mario’s wife gave me a lollipop for being a good customer. I wonder what I’ll get when I go back tomorrow.

Since we left Greece last October and leaving our three cats, we have wondered what happened to them. Mother has come back but we knew she had to send her children – Little Tabs and Little Ginge – away to get on with their adult life. As we go around the vicinity, we look for signs of them. Today, we were greeted by a cat who we think might be Little Tabs (allowing for a year’s development). What do you think? The photos below feature Little Tabs on the left and the cat we’ve met on the right:

Of course, June 1st marks the start of swimming for Locals so, today, we gingerly ventured out at 2.00 pm for the Port Beach.

2nd June, 2012

Getting hotter – touching 29C today. Went up to the garage and filled the car for the third time in 8 weeks. €80.00 for a tank. The most expensive fuel in Europe.

Second day’s swim was even better than the first. The water is still a little chilly but we are acclimatising. Came home for lunch and a snooze. Should have been gardening but tiredness took over.

Most of our plants and bushes are watered automatically on a ‘leaky pipe’ system but the vegetables and pots need individual attention. We did that, cooked tea and then watched the England v Belgium match before finishing the evening with coffee and chat out on the terrace under the pergola. We had no lights on. The moon did the whole job for us.

20th May, 2012

It was a warm and sunny day. We pottered around in the morning and then decided to go to a remote fishing village – Vathi – for lunch. It is about a 12 km drive which we did slowly, drinking in the landscape as we went. Arriving at the restaurant which is owned by a local fisherman and fronts on to the beach fringe and the sea, we were interested to see a family of French/Greeks holidaying there and obviously swimming. They showed no signs of distress as to the sea temperature so we resolved that we must start our swimming very sooon. This is the view we faced as we sat in the restaurant:

We ate Revithia Keftedes (fried chickpea balls) with Tsatziki (yoghurt with cucumber & garlic) followed by calamari tiganites (fried squid) which was beautifully presented in whole tubes with separate wrinkly tendrils. It was all washed down with wonderfully fragrant white wine (kilo krassi Aspro). After that, we weren’t able to do much apart from hobble to the car and drive home.

21st May, 2012

Today has broken warm – humid even – but overcast. We go up to our bank to pay the €500.00 ‘fine’ to make our garage ‘legal’ and then go on to the accountants to tell them that it will all be sorted out soon. I did some research on the internet today and found quite an exciting document. It was the record of when Sanders & Son was first founded. Until then, it had been Dolman & Sanders (Joiners). When Dad died, it was bought by David Cox and his widow dissolved it recently.

22nd May, 2012

Warm 26C today. Did a little bit more research today and the weirdest thing turned up. I was doing a bit of idle research on Grandad Sanders when up popped

They held two records:

I found it strange and wrote to the Society’s secretary who wrote straight back, promising to do some research for me. Quite intriguing though.

Actually did some gardening this afternoon. Quite enjoyable.

23rd May, 2012

Hot and sunny this morning. We went off to get my blood test. We were in the office for 10.00 am. We stayed talking until 12.00 pm.The blood tester’s wife and daughter were with him and we discussed the Greek economy for two hours after my test the result of which was perfect. The man who runs the testing clinic – a trained chemist who worked in Brussels for some years – earns €900.00 (£720.00) per month after taxes.  He has a wife and two teenage kids. His wife tries to find work teaching people to speak English. Their rent is €350.00 per month. They get no social security if they are out of work. They retire at 68 on a pension of €350.00 per month. They are desperate. We feel terrible but unable to help them.

We drive home for coffee and to read the paper. At 3.00 pm, we eat our lunch to the 1.00 pm News from the BBC. Whilst we ate our lunch out on the terrace looking over the valley, a pair of Kestrels – from looking them up I now know them to be Lesser Kestrels – hovered and swooped over the newly mowed fields, clearly looking for food to supply their newly hatched young chicks.

A siesta for about an hour and then we did an hour or so of gardening. We put in three pepper plants today and pinched out our Basils. Esmerelda, who has gone to Athens for a few days, presented us with a plastic bag containing a herb pot sown with already germinating herbs. We have Oregano, Chives, Basil, Marjoram and Parsley. She is a lovely lady.

Tonight, I spoke to Ruth who was celebrating her birthday. Of course, she was drinking again but I couldn’t blame her when I realised that she was older than I had thought. My records said she was born in 1949, making her 63. Actually, she tells me, she was born in 1947, making her 65. To compound matters, they told me that Kevan is 70 in February 2013.  It seems to be happening to all of us.

24th May, 2012

Today is an island holiday. It is Panagia Chrisopigi – The celebration of Christ being risen which, differently on this island compared with all other parts of the world, is celebrated 40 days after Greek Easter. There is a fishing village called Chrisopigi with a church built on a promontory out in the sea. Many girls take the name Chrisopigi. In Greece Birthdays are of no significancce. So Ruth would be alright. It is the Saint’s Day after who you are named – your Name Day which is celebrated. But Chrisopigi Day is more than that here because Sifnos adopted it as its own day.

Every year on this day, all work stops and the islanders process a religious icon out of the big church in Apollonia acompanied by music and dignitaries. It is taken to the port where it is taken round the island by ferry, finally arriving at the Church of Chrisopigi where it is transferred by fishing boat plus priests and dignitaries to the rocks. Everyone gets dressed up in their finery and traipses (drives) over to Chrisopigi where they stand on windy rocks for hours watching the proceedings and then go home to feast. The religious will chant Christ is Risen and stuff like that but, to be honest, it is the last chance to dress up and have a Beano before the Tourist Season – if it comes.

The two videos below are from 2010 and 2011 celebrations:

25th May, 2012

We are off to the Post Office this morning with high hopes that we will have a parcel. Phyllis has kindly been round to our flat and picked up all the ese coffee pods and posted them to us. They should get us through a few weeks. It is a beautiful day expected to be 26C with temperatures moving towards the 30Cs by the weekend.

Yesterday, I found out why Dad’s and Wina’s records were held in a Bristol Genealogy Club’s files. Grandad Sanders married Mabel Lilian Flook from Chipping Sodbury in 1914. I managed to trace her family back to 1811 with little difficulty yesterday. I’m sure it’s all in David’s research but I haven’t got it in Greece. If anyone could email me a copy of his work I would be grateful.

I am skipping. The coffee pods had arrived and I am already drinking one. Thank you Phyllis & Colin. We owe you £12.50 for p&p.

26th May, 2012

Hot and sunny morning. Up to the supermarket in Exambla for food brought in by ferries on Friday night.

• Beef, Chicken, Chicken livers,
• Milk
• Potatoes
• Onions & Garlic
• Pears & Apples
• Small beers
• Mayonnaise
• Local Eggs
• Cat food

As we came out of the shop, we saw an obviously English car. Looking at the number plate for its town of origin, the only marking was a phone number prefixed with 01483 – our phone prefix in Woking. I waited for the owner to come out – he turned out to be a half Greek half Englishman called Robert who lives half the year in Mainland Greece at Marathon, has a house in France and a house down the road from ours in Surrey – in Chobham. His Mother was from Paros. He was staying for the Summer with his Sifniot girlfriend and opening a bar in Faros, a fishing village on the island.

Back home to phone Phyllis. She managed to get my prescription. She said she needed a wheelbarrow to carry my 56 days worth. I will submit another in July and another in early September. In this way, I will build up a six months in advance supply to get me through next Summer.

It has been one of those idyllic days when I couldn’t imagine life being more perfect. Nothing dramatic happened but, then, I didn’t want it to. This is exactly how I imagined emjoying my retirement with Pauline. I am signing up for another thirty year contract.

27th May, 2012

A day at home today – newspaper reading, listening to the radio, lunching outside on the terrace, Finished the day watching a wonderful, film version of The Merchant of Venice with Jeremy Irons and Al Pacino. The only problem, as with all good films on Greek television, it didn’t finish until well after midnight.

13th May, 2012

A quiet and peaceful day in the sunshine with the newspaper only marred by the football. I wasn’t expecting City to fail so it was all the harder when the came back from defeat in the final seconds. Still it is good to have another name on the Championship. I was more sorry for Ruth in Bolton.

14th May, 2012

We think Mother cat must be giving birth in some bushes down the road. She only comes once a day, scoffs her food hurriedly and scarpers in that direction. Islanders say it is a common sign of a pregnant mother. We hope to see some little ones soon.

Pauline made marmalade with tinned Seville pulp that we brought with us and some whisky that we already had.

We were expecting a possible thunder storm but it never materialised and nor did a Greek Government Coalition either.

15th May, 2012

Today, Olga came to visit. It was quite a shock but very nice. A few days ago we were in the Supermarket (corner shop) and I happened to pat a little girl’s head and pull faces at a baby as I’m accustomed to do wherever I am when a lady standing in a group with these children and other adults smiled quite pointedly in my direction. I’m usually mistaken for a paedophile but this lady was obviously quite warm to my habits which is always a good start. When we left the shop, she came out and made a point of speaking to us. Her name, she said, in excellent English, was Olga and she owned the restaurant over the road. We told her where we lived on the island and she said she had lived for a long time with her husband in Knightsbridge, London. We made our customary polite invitation to come and see us if she was passing our house which nobody would be unless they were going up the mountain to the Monastery. Well, four or five days later, who should draw up outside our gate but Olga.

She came in and spent an hour over coffee telling us that her husband is a fantastic chef and he had been employed by a very rich Greek shipping family who lived in Knightsbridge as their head chef. She was employed as a Nanny for two lovely children of the family. As such, they had travelled the world living in Australia, Japan, etc, but mainly in London. There she had met the Queen when she came to Dinner with the family. After about fifteen years in service, they had enough money to build a property and restaurant on their home island and that is where they now stayed. Her daughter, she said was 16 and at a difficult age. She would like her to go to University in England where your politics and the party you voted for didn’t condition your offer of a place.

It was a lovely, surprise visit and we will go to her restaurant soon – probably on Friday evening.

16th May, 2012

As so often happens, when the suggestion is we may get rain, the sun comes out at its hottest. Greece is generally saying goodbye to any rain from mid-May to mid-September and so it is proving. After breakfast, we drove up to Apollonia to do some shopping. En route, Esmerelda phoned Pauline to thank her for the jar of marmalade. It had been their best breakfast ‘ever’. Poor old girl.

Back home for coffee. I think I’ve said, I’m running out of ese (easy serve espresso) pods and I have a batch back in Surrey which Phyllis and Mandy are kindly arranging to post out to us. I’ve had two or three coffee makers here but we haven’t liked the results. We blamed the water, the coffee and the machines. I bought an ese pod machine for home – a Cusinart I bought through Amazon for about £140.00. I thought that was cheap after replacing our £100.00 Tassimo again. I found lots of companies selling individually wrapped Italian coffee espresso pods in ese form much cheaper as well. They turned out to be a revolution. I brought them to Greece and found they worked well in my DeLonghi machine as well. Coffee does make life good.

I may have spoken too soon about the rain. The most reliable forecast on Greek television – ET3 – has just forecast rain for Thursday and Friday. Could be wonderful.

17th May, 2012

What a day and it’s only 3.3o pm. When we were working, we would be spending all day every day with hundreds of people all around us, demanding things constantly. Our minds and bodies were accustomed to it and prepared for over forty years of exeriences. Now, most of our time is spent quietly together or with our own thoughts. When we are in association, I tire easily and quickly.

Today we went down to check our post. We walked on to the cafe which was empty apart from being bathed in lovely sunshine. No sign of the rain that was forecast. The pictures below show the cafe empty and with Pauline in the foreground and the owner, Vangelis in the background.

We had coffee at around 9.30 am. Along came Esmerelda and Kristos and, soon the time was 11.30 am. We walked on to collect our ferry tickets for our trip to Athens in July which we had booked on the internet. We had to negotiate ‘window’ seats but that was sorted out. We walked on a little and, about 1.15 pm, we went to Simos restaurant for lunch. It was very cheap and we couldn’t eat it all. A huge Greek Salad like a mountain followed by chicken and potatoes / pork and potatoes. We just had a carafe of white wine with that. €21.00 / £17.00 total bill was a bit like the old days. We drove up to Apollonia and then home for coffee.

At 6.00 pm, we had to be at Luciana’s home. She had paid a visit to us and it was only courteous to return the visit. She lives with her husband, Nikos and their two children in a small, rented home on the other side of the port.It seemed a very happy home. Pauline made a plate of raspberry buns as a present. They are Albanian. Luciana works in hotels during the tourist season but has less work in the winter. Nikos, who used to be a primary school teacher, does anything here. He built our wall in the winter. He is currently whitewashing people’s houses. Later, if the tourist season develops, he may wash and maintain cars for a rental business.

As we were preparing for bed, the sound of rain drumming incessantly on the roof could be heard and the patio was getting a good cleaning. It lasted about an hour. Afterwards, everywhere smelled wonderful.

18th May, 2012

The morning felt fresher but with blue skies and sun. After breakfast, the clouds came over the mountain; there was a flash of lightening, a crash of thunder and a fifteen minute downpour. Soon the sun was out again but we are expecting some more of this today followed by gradually increasing temperatures over the next few days, reaching 28 – 30C.

Today, in contrast to yesterday is an ‘In Day’. I am writing my Blog and web pages. Pauline is sewing and making biscuits. I have just received an email from our architect to say that our illegal garage has been made legal at a cost of €900.00. His fee for the work and for creating a new document to get ‘full’ electricity which will be done in ten days is €1000.00. So, for €1900.00 or £1500.00, all problems can be solved. We may get drunk on fresh coffee to celebrate.

19th May, 2012

We have to wish Caroline Happy Birthday today. It is quite incredible but she is 50. It means that every one of Dad’s children have outlived his ridiculously short life of 49 years. It seems from her message that quite a few of us held our breath as we chested the tape. Well done, Caroline. Let’s hope that we will celebrate a few more decades yet.

It is a day of heavy rain interspersed with stong sun here. The architect is bringing round the all important paper which will legalise our garage and with an even more important stamp which will legalise our electricity supply.

6th May, 2012

Although it is Election Day here, the island seems very quiet. We were curious to find out why no children were at school last Friday. Had they called another Public Holiday without telling us? ‘Elections‘, we were told. ‘They take place in the school and they need time to get it ready.’ ‘Couldn’t they do that on Saturday?’ we asked. The smirk told it all. The schools are closed on Monday, as well, to get over Sunday. Happy Days for Teachers.

When we moved recently from a huge, 5-bedroomed house to a small, duplex apartment, we had the problem of what to do with about 40 large, framed prints from the walls. We thought one or two might go up in the apartment but immediately realised that they only emphasised its cramped dimensions. We had been collecting and displaying Pre-Raphaelite – Rossetti, Millais, Hunt, Burne-Jones and then moved on to later followers like Hughes and, particularly, Waterhouse. Latterly, we collected Alma-Tadema for his Mediterranean classical influences and we have found that these have worked particularly in our Greek House. The problem is how many 3 – 4 ft picture frames we can get in the car without compromising the wine purchase.

7th May, 2012

A very hot and hard day. We were up early because we had a meeting with our Accountant and the Electricity Company. Yesterday, I had to speak to the architect of our house 6 or 7 years ago. The problems are these:

1. The garage attached to our house was not on the plan and is, therefore, illegal.
2. In order to authorise the electricity supply for a new house, the building has to be checked for its faithfulness to the approved plan.

Unfortunately, the Building Certificate has been lost between various Government Offices. To get a new one, we should have our house inspected again but we have an illegal garage. Fortunately, for a small payment, we can have the garage officially recognised and then the plans can be renewed and the electricity supply officially authorised.

This was the substance of the day. We took our new friend, the ex-European Union negotiator, Esmerelda, with us to help smooth the path. We will have to oil a few palms but the problem will, ultimately, be solved. I had to email the following photographs to the architect in his Athens office:

  .  

By the time we got home, the temperature had reached 28C and we were exhausted. As the sun went down last evening, we griddled garlic chicken outside under the pergola and ate it with jacket potatoes and a bottle of red wine in sultry heat. The island was silent and magically lit by the last rays of the day and the first moonlight of the night. No one could have connected that with the political turmoil in Athens.

8th May, 2012

A little cooler 26C and hazier today. We may get a little gardening done today. First we had to go up to the garden shop for some plants and then on to the butchers, the Post Office, the supermarket and, finally, back home for coffee. I am already running out of espresso ESE pods for my coffee maker. I ordered 1000 pods from an Italian supplier for our machine in Surrey but then obviously didn’t bring anywhere near enough. We are going to ask Phyllis to get them from our apartment, box them up and post them to us.

After lunch, we are going to pot up our Geraniums – brilliant red flowers look fantastic against out white walls – and basil plants. I will sow some lettuce and rocket seeds for planting out in June. The pomegranates in our garden are already beginning to turn from flower to fruit as the fly on the top will tell you.

The temperature reached an oppressive 29C. The gardening was abandoned. I did some writing and read The Times. Pauline baked bread. At 6.00 pm, we fed Mother Cat who was sleeping on the roof and went down to Panos & Rania’s restaurant. All preparations had been done and Greeks don’t eat Dinner until 10.oo pm so it was a quiet time. We talked over the Election result and what the permutations were. Suddenly it was 8.00 pm and we decided to share a pizza with a half litre of red wine. The pizza was wonderful – freshly made with parma ham and parmesan cheese amd fresh rocket from their garden sprinkled over the baked pizza.

9th May, 2012

Another glorious day reaching 26C. It is a really hard one today. We are potting up plants. The geraniums and basil from yesterday. First we will drive down to the beach to look around. I ought to walk really but the car needs the exercise. Everywhere is so quiet. The island is still going through the motions of getting ready but there are so few tourists. One of the reasons put forward by locals is the poor ferry timetable this year. Already we are in are almost in mid-May and we are bathed in tourist weather but those who turn up on spec at Piraeus find there are very few boats at very strange times and they are all very expensive. As you will see below, the beach is beautiful but deserted. Even so, Pauline tested the water temperature and pronounced it………….. cool.

10th May, 2012

The air was cooler today with a little breeze.

We have been concerned for a while about our Greek codicil to our Will which we wrote almost ten years ago but haven’t reviewed until now. We met our new, best friend, Esmerelda,  the ex-eurocrat who knows every single person on the island and she made an immediate appointment for us to meet a Notary Public. She turned out to be a lovely lady who gave us about an hour of advice but refused to charge us.

As we left the Notary’s Office, with Esmerelda, we bumped into someone who we have referred to as The Windsurfer, a statuesque, grey haired lady we always saw down at the beach in the summer. It turned out that she is a retired lady who used to be the English voice of Greek Radio. Suddenly, our circle of acquaintances is expanding interestingly and rapidly. Unfortunately, this increase in acquaintances comes with a social cost. They insist that we go with them to the school Open Day on Saturday.

11th May, 2012

A cool 21C today and islanders are delighted to hear that there is still a possibility of a rain storm before Summer fully hits us. It will certainly save us watering plants. We have been changing our Greek Wills so that, in the event of our joint deaths (might happen – thunderbolt, car crash, rock fall, earthquake, ferry sinking, etc.), the proceeds of the sale of our Greek house will go to our next of kin in UK. We are choosing a new Notary who we met yesterday to organise this but first we had to go to the old one to tear up the codicil to our will. He charged an extravagant €100.00 to retrieve the papers from his file and cancel them. He will not be surprised when we leave him.

We had lunch out on the terrace and then frittered away the afternoon as only retired old codgers can afford to do.

12th May, 2012

Today was supposed to be cool, windy with a chance of rain. It turned out to be hot and settled, reaching 24-25C in the afternoon. We were supposed to be going in to a school for the first time since we retired. It is the island’s Junior Gymnasium which was having an Open Day and putting on a musical performance. We have sat through so many of these dire occasions in our professional lives that we really were not looking forward to it. While we were working, of course, we had little choice. Now, we can do what the hell we like, we’ve decided to go out for a pizza instead.

Before we left last October, we put all our potted pelargoniums in to the garden and dug them in. Six months later, they were flowering profusely. We’ve dug them up again, trimmed them back and repotted them. I grew a lot of them from cuttings. We also tidied up our Rocket plants and planted out some Sweet Basil plants which will flavour our meals over the next few months.