Parkinson was right – it is all true.
Today, I spent the whole day getting a form notarised at our
solicitor's office. The lift was broken at his building so I took
the stairs and could not find his office anywhere. After getting to
the correct floor, confused because there was a mezzanine level which
I had not accounted for, I eventually spoke with him and his
assistant and we got the form completed and stamped. Added to the
fact that the Hotels Bus into town takes about an hour to do a 20
minute bus journey, the achievement so far had taken most of the
morning. Then on to the Bookshop to get the papers photocopied.
Copies downstairs – what is your name – Kyria Capernaros –
please take the package upstairs and pay. Queued for easily 20
minutes to pay 33 cents and got a very fancy carrier bag to put them
in! Then to the Post Office. Inside the waiting area, a mutinous
and muttering crowd all arrived and took a numbered ticket from the
machine at the door but were squaring their shoulders to push in
whenever they got the chance. There were seats (fortunately) so I
sat down and awaited my fate. My number was 357, the one counter
assistant operating from the six booths (all occupied, but not
serving anyone) had a box above her head which said 334. Not quite
abandoning hope, I looked around and most of us had just one letter
to post! It took nearly an hour to achieve! Still the form was for
an office in France and, if anything, my recent experience of their
bureaucracy is even more ridiculous, so I will wait to see what might
happen next and what other challenges the French Government have in
store for me! I filled out a form last November to apply for a
miniscule portion of a pension from them as a result of working in
France when I left college and we have been playing bureaucratic
tennis ever since. They have had a copy of every document I possess,
and still nothing seems to pacify them. They were desolated that I did
not keep my salary slips from 40 years ago – and it will be
interesting to see what an Attestation d'Existence signed and stamped
by a Greek Solicitor will evoke.
Meanwhile, Kimon had spent the morning
at the electricity board and the driving licence authority, so he
arrived in the gardens where we had arranged to meet, hot, sweaty and
similarly exhausted. He only had to sort out his medication from the
pharmacy before he could relax for the day. It all seems much harder than
going to work!
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| Watercolour for the 'Made in Kastellos' Exhibition |
We have had some lovely days, though.
Last weekend, we signed up for a CIC gentle walk from Arkadi to
Pikris down a lovely wooded gorge finishing at a taverna at the end
for Sunday Lunch. It was terribly hot and everyone looked a bit pink
and burnt when they arrived. As back problems were not yet better, I
had waited in the village with my paints and sketch book and had a
lovely morning painting landscapes until lunchtime. There were 32
people and 6 dogs in the party, so lunch with all those pooches under
the table was a bit lively!
On Tuesday, Art School was fun and the
group spent the morning painting from a large complicated still life
which was far from easy. Next week, we will no doubt have to
tackle it from a different angle!
We have had one or two quick swims in
the week, which is the right kind of exercise for back strengthening
and while the weather holds, we will make the most of it. Everyone
who lives here welcomes September and October as the mornings and
evenings are deliciously cool, although the days are still nice and
warm.
I am off to the Villa Ariadne in
Knossos for an Archaeology Course on Wednesday and slightly nervous,
in case it is a bit learned. K did not want to go. The programme
looks intensive – starting off for field work at 8.00 am each
morning for 3 days and talks/activities until the evening. We will
see what happens. I expect the next blog will have lots of
information about Bronze Age and Minoan pots. Eviva!
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