An abbreviated blog because I need to
get back to the UK at the end of this week and there is quite a lot
to do in the interim. My dear old Dad passed away in the UK, at the
age of 93 and important happenings call me back to the UK.
In the meantime, Spring has not really
shown its face in Crete as it is still uncharacteristically cold
although there are one or two swallows in evidence, nest building in
the eaves of the little kafeneon, a few doors down. We have been
cleaning and sorting our nest too, because horrendous levels of soot
and dust gather on everything during the winter months of wood fires
anyway. This was all added to when Rik, the English Builder turned
up to make a start on the kitchen.
I thought I had made adequate
preparations for this by moving all the contents of the old kitchen
wall cupboards into boxes upstairs and moving the microwave, toaster
and kettle into the living room. We never realised what creatures of
habit we were until the things we reach for every day, without giving
any thought, were boxed up or just put in different places. It was
so exhausting trying to remember where we had put everything - and
after all the walls had been drilled for new power points and an
extra inch of dust landed on everything, things had to be moved again
and covered with dustsheets. Two weekends were spent decorating
grotty walls without a kitchen sink and it took quite a few days to
get running water back again. Cleaning paint brushes in the shower
is not to be recommended! True to form, the stop cock to our water
supply had been cemented over by the local water board and the
Builder had an unexpected bath as he tried to sort out the plumbing
without having an easy way to stop the 'flow of the pipes'
completely. (Greek insurance term)
A truck brought the base and cupboard
units which had all been made up to plan and, in its manoeuvrings to
the outside of the house, very nearly demolished the tree in the
process since the lanes are so narrow hereabouts. The factory guys
looked at our kitchen, having been involved in the manufacture, and
looked doubtfully at the wall where the concrete support pillar stood
out from the rest of the wall like a chimney breast. They did not
think that the Builder would be able to make the units fit round it.
We did have to have a reshuffle of base units and take some of the
back out of a few, but bless his heart, Rik the Builder worked like
a Trojan and fitted everything together beautifully. IT IS FABULOUS!
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I had ordered a dishwasher (a complete
luxury for two of us) but great for large cleaning jobs in the
kitchen where you need to clear cupboards and drawers completely to
clean the dust out and do large loads while shelves and drawers get
properly scrubbed and debugged. The dust gathers on every surface
every day with doors and windows open. When I went back to the
electrical shop, the owner was overwhelmingly pleased when I
made an order for a fridge freezer as well. No doubt he will be able
to pay some household bills this week!! He took me over the road to
the coffee shop and insisted that the proprietors made me doughnuts.
Terrible for the figure, but delicious covered with honey, nuts and
seeds. I had made somebody else happy, as well as me!
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Little trips out of the house this week
have demonstrated that Cretans are getting ready for the new tourist
season. So many of the tavernas in Panormo are replacing roofs and
floors, hosing down all the outside areas, receiving deliveries of
new furniture. At Vinzi's, our favourite coffee shop – the perspex
roof and metal gazebo supports were all down on the ground, whether
for cleaning and painting or replacing, not sure yet. The sun was
out on Saturday morning and every place was like a beehive of
industry while cleaning and preparation took place prior to Easter.
In Rethymnon, many hotels are having a refurb and all the pavements
and promenade are being dug up and replaced. All that is needed now
is for all the debris, water bottles and flotsam to disappear from
the shoreline. Tourists never realise what preparations go on before
they arrive at their chosen resorts!
We took our colander outside to view
the Eclipse this week but, to be honest, it was much better watching
the TV coverage and being sure that our eyesight did not deteriorate any
more than it has already. Silent, mystical, magical – no wonder
the Ancients thought the world was ending. We couldn't believe that
the last Eclipse (which seems like yesterday) was so long ago!
Our Makers Craft Session is continuing,
Art School is on hold at the moment while Tim and Janice get their
new house ready for visitors in May. They have also lost a number of
pupils recently, so will need to make a fresh start with new people
again. We were devastated to hear that Tony, one of the art school
pupils, who had caught pneumonia before Christmas and been treated in
Crete and flown back to the UK, died in early March. My last proper
memory of him was when he turned up for Art Class on his motor bike
in December. The suddenness of his loss is a bit scary.
A small choir has begun to meet in a
friend's house which is lovely. We meet once a week and are
practising songs and canons. It is a good time and means
negotiating country roads in the dark, but I have coped so far.
There is also the possibility of a small church group meeting nearer
home with the help of the Anglican Chaplain from Kefalas. We have a
lovely friendship group which shares the car journey to the chapel of
St Thomas every month or so but something local would be popular.
I may be able to write about Easter in
the UK and Easter in Crete when I return! In the meantime, Niko-the-Wood has just knocked on the door and given us two bottles of the
most delicious looking olive oil. How wonderful! A-dieo!
