As the weather has turned warm and dry, I am up on the terrace with the laptop for the first time ever and struggling to see the cursor arrow against the screen reflections. However, it does receive the broadband signal outside – so it is lovely and warm and easily the best place to sit for some input for quiet time and Greek language study.
It is Sunday 25 March – Greek Independence Day. We hear strains of Greek Orthodox chants from the radio next door and the Greek flag and bunting has been in evidence around the town hall and police station in Perama, which is our nearest municipal town. This probably means that the shops will be shut on Monday also. A few minutes ago , the schoolchildren marched back from the village church followed by their teacher chattering excitedly after a service and lots of people have passed the house on their way home from “church parade” carrying cakes which, from where I sat, looked very like bath buns!
We have spent quite a few days with our friend Ian, who owns the restored olive mill at the corner of the village and who has mopped and swept it thoroughly prior to flying back to the UK by way of preparation, as a few people have expressed interest in buying it. We set our alarm for an early start this morning so that we could make him a bacon sandwich and coffee on the way to the bus stop and Heraklion airport from where his flight was leaving.
In the meantime, K is constructing a screen door for downstairs from wood which Ian has given us and we have benefited from a large box of books and other household comforts left behind! We have a couple of airport runs this week to meet friends as they begin to arrive for the summer season and slowly, slowly the tourist season will begin to start up for Easter and beyond.
It has been amazing to see how fast the plants have got under way around the house with the jasmine and vines sprouting new growth almost in front of our eyes. While Spring is sprunging, we are also having new ideas and thoughts about having a kitchen fitted so that we can be much more organised for future mountain winters. The addition of a wood burning stove (containing a small oven) is a strong possibility and we will need to decide on materials since construction wood is imported and very expensive.
We also had a bit of anxiety over loud vibrations coming from the front wheel of the car but a kind mechanic took it for a test drive, then jacked it up a bit and pointed to the tyres. He told us to replace the front two tyres and to come back if the noise was still there. He sent us to his pal with the tyre place who ordered the tyres and fitted them yesterday. Result: No noise at all, magic! K was particularly impressed as if the mechanic had taken the normal intake of breath … Pppphhhh ….. it's a wheel bearing and will cost x00 euros to mend, he would have accepted it. We like Greek mechanics who are so obliging and don't rip people off. We have found that tradesmen like mechanics, hairdressers and restaurateurs only want to charge a reasonable amount for their services and we have been pleasantly surprised. Once we find someone who charges reasonable rates, we always return to them – so it works!
The snow caps on the highest mountains remain glistening in the sunshine, but we are beginning to lose the snow covering on the lower foothills and there are a few lines of grey rock showing. Birdsong is very loud, donkeys are braying from the upper hill farms and the dogs are barking as walkers roam out and about for a festive holiday. In the house opposite, pairs of pigeons are trying to impress each other on window sills and are billing and cooing with romantic ardour. One sounds as if it is saying “Look at Yoouu, look at you!” and its pair is saying ” Kimon Koloures, kimon koloures” (which is the name of a Greek politician). This is all OK so long as they keep to their own window sills and away from ours and stop leaving presents on our windscreen! We are planting up some large window boxes with geraniums and souvlaki sticks to try to keep them away. Pigeons do take a lot of clearing up after.
We have not yet got to the stage of changing over our winter and summer clothing as there is still a nip in the air and the flocks hereabout are still on the lower slopes for their winter grazing, but the next few weeks will see the step ladder being fully utilised while whitewashing and lots of general house maintenance takes place. K and I will have our work cut out!
Adio-sas!
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