The sun came out yesterday. That may seem like a bald statement, but Crete being a land of extremes, the winter weather had forced us to hunker down like little animals in hibernation and toast ourselves in front of olive wood fires while icy blasts from the North found gaps in the well ventilated - due to Covid - window panes. The winter has been particularly hard with all that Brexit has done to us and negotiating Accountant's offices, lawyer's offices, doctor's, chemist's and police stations for new third country identity cards and fingerprints has been horribly stressful, just at the time we would all rather be working from home. However, I have the card, I collected the tax number needed for the Covid vaccination process and I have managed to replace the tv which gave up the ghost and get a surge protector/back up battery box to protect my router and laptop each time the power goes off ... sometimes only for half a seond ... but the constant interruptions and thunderstorms are a real threat to all our electrics!
Niko the Wood was kind to me as I had run the woodpile down in the vague idea that winter was nearly over and after translating the sentence “how many barrows of wood can I get for 20 euros”, he dropped by on Sunday morning with a nice little woodpile ... enough for at least a week. So I may have some extra as the warm weather comes which will need to be bagged up and stowed away for a rainy day or next winter. Assuming that I am still here. My life is at a bit of a crossroads but I haven't come to any conclusions yet.
Greece has not come out of lockdown since the beginning of November last year – at least the obedient haven't but it seems that the rules have been flouted because the infection rate has gone up and up and for yours truly living alone since Mr Crozier passed on, it has been difficult. The Government have relented so that this weekend people can move a little further from home to go for a walk and there will be a provision for click and collect shopping from Monday. I think you can telephone and pay for something by card and just collect it at the doorway of the shop or something. There is nothing I need and it would be beyond me to work that one out, so I will stick to food shopping as per usual. And as all the seaside places and promenades will be heaving over the weekend, I will avoid those also. I have other outside places to go where I don't meet anyone at all and I am avoiding people for now until things get safer.
At 8.30 am on Monday morning the appointment for my Covid jab will happen at Perama Health Centre. I will be double masked and gloved and taking full precautions until a few weeks after my second jab on 26 April. I think it will be the Pfizer vaccine. What a relief that will be!
So life has been extremely lonely, but I have surprised myself by being as resourceful as possible and keeping busy. I can't wait for the time I can get to the garden centre and the weather is reliable enough to do some outside painting of the porch and garden walls, which are showing signs of wear and tear.
Everything was rejoicing yesterday with the arrival of lovely warm sunshine and clear blue skies. The garden sparrows were chirruping and building nests, the butterflies enjoying the heat and the spring flowers and patrols of snails were after all my new plants. The snails were all given flying lessons! At mid-day, as is my habit, I sent off my text message to request permission for a short walk near home, put my garbage bags in the car to dispose of on route and made for the Roumeli Highway .. our shorthand way to describe the new road which links our village with Roumeli. Just a short way along was a parking space, just near the track I wanted so I parked up and made my way down this lovely farm track towards Achlade. It was fabulous to be out. I dodged little streams and huge muddy puddles and noted patches of sage, dill and chamomile for a bit of a gathering on the way home. Hens were clucking, birds singing, bees humming amongst the yellowy clovery carpets of flowers under the olive trees. The views of the mountains which sported its fresh crop of glistening white snow were wonderful. After negotiating the length of the lovely track, I christened it “Chamomile Way”. There is another nearby called “Butterfly Valley” but in truth, these tracks are all so similar that it is very easy to get lost! The wild flowers along the verges were a feast for the eyes. Even more beautiful after so long incarcerated!
At the end of the track was the church in the trees. Always peaceful and completely deserted but someone had thoughtfully left a lone candle in the stand and a small lighter on the side table, so I lit the candle and said a few prayers before returning home. Twice, I took the wrong track and had to retrace my steps, but eventually found a familiar pile of rocks and memorable puddle. Once home, I found a vase for my bunch of herbs and wild flowers feeling that I had been released from prison at last! Yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel!
No comments:
Post a Comment