OK, so Merope has gone off to U.K./ NZ / OZ / UK. (then hopefully back to Kriti). The poisoned chalice falls to me to keep you posted on progress with this blog - at least until M can get her hands on a downunder computer. After many years of work and a deal of separation (me at sea and in London & M in Kent & London) it has been a steep learning curve to spend all our time together now for the last five months. The good thing is that the kitchen here, unlike in the UK, is large. We can navigate around each other with fewer accidents with pots and kettles.
Also, here, we don't close doors or windows. So even at 110 deg f (44'ish celsius) we have a breeze of olive, tomato, lavender and jasmine air blowing through (beats diesel !)
Our pal Nikos - the olive and orange baron, as we call him (a dear man) brought me a plate of fish and lemon potatoes yesterday. YUM.
The people here think that, because M is away, I shall starve - BUT I COOK !! Very nice fish though I have to say.
I am therefore spending my time tending/watering our patch and other people’s.
It is the season for very small and very fast flies. The swallows and swifts doing their best to keep the, and the mozzies, at bay before they head back to Africa in a few months. i shall miss them - the swallows, not the flies.
There are times when we chat about what would life be like if we had not decided to move here to Kriti. Certainly, life here is more simple, honest and healthy. But, of course there shall be pitfalls - are there not always !?
The village seems to have adopted us openly. Especially as M is making great progress with her spoken and written Greek language skills.When she returns I shall insist that only Greek shall be spoken at home. Normally I can be 60/70% fluent within 2-3 weeks. It has taken me longer this time because we speaka da eengleesh all day. I am dreaming in Greek now - good sign but all greek to me.
I wish we could have afforded to both go to see the children and grandchildren - but might as well have barbecued the bank. The up-side is that i can go fishing when i want. but M has left a list of "jobs to do" on the fridge. First job - paint the fridge ! HOHO I must go and get the car now. It is in a body shop being repaired. M hit a wall that was not there. I hit one that was\1 Annoyingly, this all happened after we agreed to sell it to pals returning to the UK. Our car was taking on the beaten up look of a real Kriti motor. Now it will look English again. HiHo, right thing to do (at a cost).
Oh, Nikos the oil just delivered lamb chops and spuds. Plus another 1.5 ltrs of the best olive oil in the world. Will i ever lose weight ?
Scent from the jasmine is over-powering and the shower scalding hot from the power of the sun. We have tiny frogs and gekkos out front, so no no slugs/snails etc - great !
Finally, some thoughts of mine following the poetry workshop held recently by Roger McGough:
"SHORES"
Time has no measure
Time has no laws
When lying on your back
On far distant shores.
"CRETE"
Nothing is square
Nothing is straight
Were you too early?
or, was I too late?
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