HALCYON DAYS AND GARLIC MELON

While we were out today, it was hard to believe that last weekend, we had the first of the October rains – heavy monsoon downpours – which tested the sea-worthiness of our ancient roof and found it lacking in one or two spots. We needed to contact our friendly builder who arrived a day or two later armed with all the materials and equipment to sort it out and with the word of advice that we needed to think about an annual inspection each September to keep out the harsh elements of Cretan winter. Fortunately, since Leo, our son arrived, we have had wonderful sparkling sunshine although it is getting quite cold in the evenings and early mornings.

Checking the roof

Our lovely dry woodpile, also got a drenching but we are planning to design a fitting crozier contraption to keep our winter fuel nice and dry because we are certain that a ready stock of firewood will be needed in the next few weeks. I never thought that I would need a year planner in retirement but I can see that the planting, harvesting and storing for the winter months will conform to a very fixed pattern and we need to be fast learners ! The sales van selling winter boots, shoes and slippers has just stopped to announce his wares outside the door and our neighbours have been queuing up to make sure that feet are well protected before winter starts. I have unearthed the hot water bottles already and they are doing a sterling job to keep our beds aired.

Leo was happy to chill out, swimming, fishing and sleeping off large meals – so the week so far has been very relaxed. We have been a bit limited as to travel as there has been a General Strike for two days and a tanker drivers strike for a length of time unspecified. Therefore we have been puttering about locally and conserving 'benzina' as far as possible. I should say that we have managed to buy a lovely “new-to-us” (but second hand) car – which is economical, LH drive and fits the bill as regards the small runabout we had in mind. Were it not for various kind friends in the Cretan International Community, we are fairly sure that all these car sales and purchases would not have been possible. People returning to the UK bought our English car, which we could not keep in Crete without paying exorbitant import duty and someone selling their house and car let us buy their Greek car. We hope that we can sort out the various bureaucratic needs required – especially with most government departments choosing to strike here and there without any warning. We are not expecting to get any post for 2 weeks either - so ignorance will have to be bliss for the time being.

As we had an in-house Golf expert, four of us closed in George's Crazy Golf in Rethymnon yesterday as Anna had been challenged to a tournament recently and, not having played at her best, wanted to pick up professional tips to up her game while Leo was around. This was a great fun although one or two of the holes were plainly impossible (golf ball through a miniature basket ball net with a plastic putter??) but we enjoyed the challenge and Kimon should have had to pay for drinks once we reached the 19^th hole as he scored the only hole in one! Anna feels more confident for her next golf outing and shamelessly admitted that it was better to drink the retsina after the match than before!!! It was my idea of sport which was inclusive, enjoyable without anyone taking it too seriously.

Bali is a favourite haunt for most of our visitors and we have spent two lovely days there under a clear blue sky reflected in silky flat water. Delicious for a few last swims of the year and clear, clear water in the harbour where shoals of tiddlers, small fish and enticingly larger ones can be seen in the water alongside the boats tied up. Today K and L fished all morning but caught only tiddlers while I did a water colour painting of the harbourside with cliffs and mountains in the background. On the way back and with strikes in the back of our minds, we prayed that that cash machines were still operational so that we could pay the builder who had been hard at work labouring on our roof while we had been lazily unwinding down by the waterside!

Tomorrow we visit Rethymnon by bus (to conserve petrol) and Leo will have the chance to explore his favourite haunts from yesteryear.    I can supply the recipe for garlic melon to anyone mad enough to wish to sample it!!!!!