Today is the first day of fall - but it still feels like summer here in Kentucky. I complained about Athens being hot but summer was hot in Kentucky, too; we are flirting with a new record here for the number of days of 90 degree weather in the year. My lawn is burned to a crisp along with everyone else's. The only flowers which survived are the geraniums. (I have a new respect for them - I'll buy more of them next year.)
It was great to have the week to "decompress" in Seattle. By the fifth day my natural energy returned and after my flight from Seattle to Cleveland, I drove again to New York State for a quick visit with my family. For the first time in years, all of my sibs were together and we really enjoyed that special occasion.
Arriving home on September 15, I was happy to note that my house did not have a closed in smell from being unoccupied for three months. I opened all the windows to a fresh breeze and dragged in my luggage. It took a few days to get back into the routine. Some things I had even forgotten, like where I kept the potholders. Had I been away too long?
It did not take long for friends to call. I paid bills, made long-delayed appointments, repeated trips to the store to re-stock the pantry, and spent much time trying to replace the cell phone which died in Greece. The cell phone issue was finally solved yesterday, after three trips to the store and four calls to customer service!
I am leaving this blog here for those who have not yet seen it and want to learn about Greece. I am undecided whether I will change its name and continue it or if I will do another. Let me know what you think would be best.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Sept 8 Connected Again!
After several attempts over several days to get Internet Explorer working, my son, Jonathan, suggested we call Aris in Athens to find out what he had changed when he adjusted my laptop to work in their wireless system. It was a good suggestion. Computing the time difference and Aris' penchant for sleeping days and waking at 3 p.m., we called him about 3 p.m. our time (1 a.m. his time) and he not only answered the phone but in short order was able to tell us what he had changed and how we could change it back again. He apologized saying he had intended to change it back for me before I left, but did not think of it as we had not had wireless service for several weeks. He is still waiting for the ISP to resolve their problems in Athens.
I am relaxing and enjoying the company of Jon and Beth, reading, writing, and walking the hills of West Seattle. After Athens and walking its hills daily, these hills are not as challenging as they had seemed on previous visits. It is sunny but cool here in Seattle, only getting into the mid seventies in the afternoon, a big change from Athens.
On my last evening in Haidari I wrote this poem:
It seems fitting somehow
That on this last night before I leave
I walk along Acropoleo street
Where I walked that first morning
After my arrival.
To enjoy once more the old houses
Tucked among the new
And view all the hills Athens has encompassed
(I think we must have eaten atop each one)
There's the house where the parrot
Shatters the morning quiet -
Except on Sunday
When only the bells call out
And I meet the lady in black
Climbing to her church up high.
The buses lunge up from Papandreos street
Like huge leviathans from the deep
To congregate at the corner
Swapping gossip.
It is hard to leave this place
I may never be back again.
Pios nakseree;
Who knows?
I am relaxing and enjoying the company of Jon and Beth, reading, writing, and walking the hills of West Seattle. After Athens and walking its hills daily, these hills are not as challenging as they had seemed on previous visits. It is sunny but cool here in Seattle, only getting into the mid seventies in the afternoon, a big change from Athens.
On my last evening in Haidari I wrote this poem:
It seems fitting somehow
That on this last night before I leave
I walk along Acropoleo street
Where I walked that first morning
After my arrival.
To enjoy once more the old houses
Tucked among the new
And view all the hills Athens has encompassed
(I think we must have eaten atop each one)
There's the house where the parrot
Shatters the morning quiet -
Except on Sunday
When only the bells call out
And I meet the lady in black
Climbing to her church up high.
The buses lunge up from Papandreos street
Like huge leviathans from the deep
To congregate at the corner
Swapping gossip.
It is hard to leave this place
I may never be back again.
Pios nakseree;
Who knows?
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Back in the USA
We arrived at the airport plenty early in Athens and it was a good thing. Mia discovered she had left her ipod at the house and insisted she could not go on a long plane tip without it. Her father went back for it while we wended our way through getting boarding passes, checking luggage and sat in a coffee shop to await his return. He came back in plenty of time. The flight from Athens to Newark was two hours longer than the flight to Athens. I had forgotten that. Just as well. There was nothing to do but grin and bear it. I think I dozed an hour or so. The kids slept very little, watched movies on TV and played games.
In Newark, we had to go through customs, reclaim our luggage, present our items-to-declare lists, (I was sure they would want to check the 10 or so sandwiches that the kids were carrying, but I handed him the cards and he waved us through) then re-check our luggage, go through security again, and find our final gate. It all went off without a hitch and there was even time for Mia and Marcos to walk around and get up and down and generally be relieved from the cramped seats. I sat and did nothing but keep an eye on them and on their belongings piled on the seats next to me. On the plane from Newark to Seattle, after staying awake for some 20 hours or so, the kids finally slept and I got an hour and a half of sleep too, which helped a lot. We were all happy to see their parents at the baggage claim in Seattle.
That was Monday. Today is Wednesday. I slept much of Tuesday, but I think I am adjusting to the reversal in routine. Now I try to stay awake during hours that I slept in Greece and try to sleep during hours I was awake. Athens is ten hours ahead of Seattle, nearly half a 24 hour period. One disappointment has been the inability to get my laptop to access Internet Explorer here in Seattle, even though the laptop is accessing a strong wireless signal. Something must have gotten changed when the laptop was set for wireless in Athens and we can not figure out what. So I still can not get on the internet from my laptop. I had wanted to send some pictures, but that will have to wait.
In Newark, we had to go through customs, reclaim our luggage, present our items-to-declare lists, (I was sure they would want to check the 10 or so sandwiches that the kids were carrying, but I handed him the cards and he waved us through) then re-check our luggage, go through security again, and find our final gate. It all went off without a hitch and there was even time for Mia and Marcos to walk around and get up and down and generally be relieved from the cramped seats. I sat and did nothing but keep an eye on them and on their belongings piled on the seats next to me. On the plane from Newark to Seattle, after staying awake for some 20 hours or so, the kids finally slept and I got an hour and a half of sleep too, which helped a lot. We were all happy to see their parents at the baggage claim in Seattle.
That was Monday. Today is Wednesday. I slept much of Tuesday, but I think I am adjusting to the reversal in routine. Now I try to stay awake during hours that I slept in Greece and try to sleep during hours I was awake. Athens is ten hours ahead of Seattle, nearly half a 24 hour period. One disappointment has been the inability to get my laptop to access Internet Explorer here in Seattle, even though the laptop is accessing a strong wireless signal. Something must have gotten changed when the laptop was set for wireless in Athens and we can not figure out what. So I still can not get on the internet from my laptop. I had wanted to send some pictures, but that will have to wait.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
August 30 I Get a Haircut
Marcos and Mia's father and I have talked on the phone and agreed that I will go to their place Sunday and stay overnight and he will take us all to the airport Monday morning. I am relieved. I did not want Theodosia to miss her first day of school or to get up at 5:00 in the morning so she could take me to the airport before school.
I have wanted to get my hair cut for several weeks and the opportunity never presented itself. Today I was determined. Theodosia tried to call her own hairdresser for an appointment - the shop was closed. Since the cell phone they gave me went on the fritz, making connections has been difficult. They do not have a phone book. Theodosia said that shops should be open by 9:00 and might take a walk-in. I left the house and walked to two shops that I had seen in the area. Both were closed. The internet cafe was not yet open. I was headed back to the house when I saw another hair salon with the door open so I walked in and she took me within five minutes. Like most younger Greeks they knew a little English and since I was willing to try Greek, we could converse a little. I am not sure how much they understood of what I said. But when I was done I asked when the internet cafe opened and she said at ten so I waited a half hour and was at the door when it opened and sent my blogs off. In the interim I found a city bus stop and since I wanted to get back to feed the kittens for Theodosia who was giving lessons, I took the city bus up the eight blocks of UPHILL climb to the house. It was worth the half Euro!
I have wanted to get my hair cut for several weeks and the opportunity never presented itself. Today I was determined. Theodosia tried to call her own hairdresser for an appointment - the shop was closed. Since the cell phone they gave me went on the fritz, making connections has been difficult. They do not have a phone book. Theodosia said that shops should be open by 9:00 and might take a walk-in. I left the house and walked to two shops that I had seen in the area. Both were closed. The internet cafe was not yet open. I was headed back to the house when I saw another hair salon with the door open so I walked in and she took me within five minutes. Like most younger Greeks they knew a little English and since I was willing to try Greek, we could converse a little. I am not sure how much they understood of what I said. But when I was done I asked when the internet cafe opened and she said at ten so I waited a half hour and was at the door when it opened and sent my blogs off. In the interim I found a city bus stop and since I wanted to get back to feed the kittens for Theodosia who was giving lessons, I took the city bus up the eight blocks of UPHILL climb to the house. It was worth the half Euro!
August 28 Kathy Goes Home
Yesterday morning we checked on Theodosia and the kittens. She said she fed them "all night". When they started to cry in early morning, she just put them all on the bed with her - and there they were. They see much better now and cry as soon as they hear voices. Theodosia had to cancel some of the day's lessons so she could clean the house, do mounds of laundry and care for kittens. The ash had sifted onto all balconies and been tracked onto the stairs. Kathy and I cleaned the upstairs balconies, speaking in whispers not to wake the kittens. The ash is very fine. We swept up as much as we could, then hosed down what the water would flush and then mopped up the rest. We carted loads of laundry to the roof to hang on lines. The wind had changed so the bank of smoke was to the south and east of us. We did the noon kitten feeding for Theodosia, The kittens now want to suck long after they are full; they just want the comfort of attachment. One kitten attached itself to loose skin on my arm and by the time we were done feeding and cleaning them, he had given me a "kitty hickey". My strength is coming back slowly. I was good for the short haul down to check email, then I needed a nap. Kathy spent the afternoon organizing and trying to stuff all of her purchases and belongings into her three suitcases. She packed and repacked.
The alarm went off early this morning. The kittens were fed, we hauled suitcases to the car and finally left at 9:20. Since we do not have internet at the house Kathy could not print off her boarding pass and had to get it at the airport. We made a detour by Maria's so she could give Kathy a goodbye gift. We got to the airport at 10:20, two hours before Kathy's flight, a little better than last time when we almost did not get on the plane. And there is more security this time. I helped Kathy drag her three HEAVY bags in and found the long Continental Airlines line. Theodosia parked the car; we were only allowed to watch from a distance until Kathy checked her bags and got her boarding pass, but then we had to say goodbye as she had only 30 minutes left to go through security and get to her gate. Seeing her off was the beginning of "re-entry" for me; I will fly back to Seattle with my charges in six days.
Fires still burn in Greece, but most of those on Peloponnese are out - or there is nothing else to burn. Cooler temperatures and lower winds help. TV has returned to normal viewing except for interviews with victims. I was impressed to see on TV a long line of trucks hauling prefabricated houses to the sites of the burned over areas. Loads of water were delivered; even the bakery truck left of a sack of fresh loaves on the curbside in a village. Phone banks are in place and emergency aid is available. Of course no one is happy. One Sunday morning paper had the whole front page completely black, with three words of text printed in red at the bottom, saying in Greek "There are no words".
The alarm went off early this morning. The kittens were fed, we hauled suitcases to the car and finally left at 9:20. Since we do not have internet at the house Kathy could not print off her boarding pass and had to get it at the airport. We made a detour by Maria's so she could give Kathy a goodbye gift. We got to the airport at 10:20, two hours before Kathy's flight, a little better than last time when we almost did not get on the plane. And there is more security this time. I helped Kathy drag her three HEAVY bags in and found the long Continental Airlines line. Theodosia parked the car; we were only allowed to watch from a distance until Kathy checked her bags and got her boarding pass, but then we had to say goodbye as she had only 30 minutes left to go through security and get to her gate. Seeing her off was the beginning of "re-entry" for me; I will fly back to Seattle with my charges in six days.
Fires still burn in Greece, but most of those on Peloponnese are out - or there is nothing else to burn. Cooler temperatures and lower winds help. TV has returned to normal viewing except for interviews with victims. I was impressed to see on TV a long line of trucks hauling prefabricated houses to the sites of the burned over areas. Loads of water were delivered; even the bakery truck left of a sack of fresh loaves on the curbside in a village. Phone banks are in place and emergency aid is available. Of course no one is happy. One Sunday morning paper had the whole front page completely black, with three words of text printed in red at the bottom, saying in Greek "There are no words".
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
August 26 Difficult Days
It has been a very difficult four days. Kathy decided to join Theodosia on Aegina and went by bus and boat early Thursday morning. I took the city bus into Athens and went to the Goulandhris Museum of Cycladic and Ancient Greek Art, where I spent a couple hours viewing a special video exhibit and then the permanent exhibit of Cycladic and Cypriotic art of the Bronze age - an excellent collection. Then I walked down "tourist row", tried on a few clothes, bought a few trinkets and came back to the house. Almost as soon as I got home, the cold that I had been fighting for several days overtook me, my sinuses filled up and my nose began to run. I went to bed. Friday was a haze of medicated misery, drifting in and out of sleep and seeing the first TV reports about the fires. Friday evening Christos took the boat to join the others in Aegina for the weekend.
Saturday when I got up for the bathroom I noticed the door to the "kittens room" was closed. That puzzled me. We were keeping the door open so the mother cat could come and go. Perhaps Christos shut the cat in for the night when he left so she would not get locked out. Feeling a little less congested but still pretty weak, I lay in bed and watched TV recordings of the fiery holocaust on Peloponnese. There was little else on TV. At 4:00 the electricity went off. I got up and once again saw the door to the kitten room closed. I peeked in; they were crying. I checked with Aris. Where is mother cat? He hunted but could not find her. He did find another of Theodosia's cats lying dead in the dumpster at the top of the street. We feared the worst.
I fed the kittens. Maybe the strongest ones would survive. They are just three weeks old. Only a few of them took much milk from the syringe but I got some down most of them and they quieted. They are just starting to navigate on all fours and still do not see well. I fed them again at 8:00. Three of them are getting the hang of taking milk from the syringe. One still refuses the syringe as he has from birth. TV reported that fires had encircled a village in Peloponnese and the whole village was killed, 40 people. The heat must have been intense; pictures of cars showed nothing but the burned out shell of metal. The videos of the fires look like movie special effects - so huge and spectacular. All TV stations cover little but the fires, over a hundred of them, driven and spread by wind and temperature. Ashes fell over the city of Athens; the sun was blotted out by the smoke. I kept the windows closed. The electricity came back on in two hours, perhaps a planned outage to prevent a total collapse of power as has happened in the past. The government declared a state of emergency. No rain in sight. Fire departments totally overwhelmed. Many planes from other countries doing water drops. Nothing helps. The death toll goes to 52. I fed the kittens again at midnight. They are more frantic; about five of them could take a half syringe each. The stubborn one still would not eat. I don't think he can last long.
Still not feeling well, I did sleep all night and woke this morning, Sunday, to kittens squalling at 7:3o. More of them are taking milk better. The holdout still has had only a squirt or two. How is he still alive? They have now attached themselves to me, their surrogate mother. They know my smell, even though they can not see far yet. They swarm all over my feet, try to crawl up my leg, suck on my toes. I use a big box. As I feed one of the nine I put it in the box. When they have all had half a syringe I offer another, taking them out of the box one by one. Some will take a second syringe now. Then I clean their eyes and wipe the milk that has dribbled down them. I smell of milk myself even after I wash my hands. My clothes get soaked with milk. I rinsed the ashes off the balcony outside my bedroom so I do not track it through the house. I took a shower and went back to bed, spent by only that little activity.
When Violetta came home from church she saw the mother cat lying dead on the lower garage level. I fed the kittens again at noon. By now all but two or three are getting a fair amount of milk. I try to force some milk into the mouth of the stubborn one, but he fights me very hard. The fires continue to rage. Death toll now is 60. The satellite picture shows smoke rising from all of Peloponnese. I can not watch much TV; it is heart rending. People with garden hoses frantically facing a towering wall of flames approaching their houses. Police have blockaded roads and assist the elderly to leave; helicopters rescue the stranded. It goes on and on. It seems like all of Greece is burning. There is ash again on my balcony but not as much as yesterday. The southern sky above the city is still a great wall of smoke, but the wind now blows away from Athens.
I fed the kittens again at 5:00. Each feeding time I first pour a little milk into a saucer. By now they know the smell of the milk but they still want to suck so they get it up their nose and they back away. I hope they will begin to get the idea soon. They are gaining in ambulatory ability. They will not stay in their bed - their mother is no longer there. Their mother now sits in a chair in the middle of the room and sweeps them off the floor and shoves a plastic nipple into their mouth and dumps them in a box! The room smells of milk and cat.
I know Theodosia, Christos and Kathy are coming from Aegina today but I do not know when. At 9:30 I learn from Aris that they are returning on the last boat which leaves Aegina at 10:30 p.m. I feed the kittens again. Most of them are now taking two half syringes of milk, some greedily, but there is still the holdout. When Theodosia came at 1:30 a.m. she immediately fed them. Even if they did not want it, she held them up and squirted a whole syringe of milk into them, even the stubborn one. Sated and sleepy they quieted quickly as soon as we turned off the lights. I was very happy to relinquish my surrogate mother duties and amazed that all nine are still alive. I am feeling better but still do not have my energy back.
Saturday when I got up for the bathroom I noticed the door to the "kittens room" was closed. That puzzled me. We were keeping the door open so the mother cat could come and go. Perhaps Christos shut the cat in for the night when he left so she would not get locked out. Feeling a little less congested but still pretty weak, I lay in bed and watched TV recordings of the fiery holocaust on Peloponnese. There was little else on TV. At 4:00 the electricity went off. I got up and once again saw the door to the kitten room closed. I peeked in; they were crying. I checked with Aris. Where is mother cat? He hunted but could not find her. He did find another of Theodosia's cats lying dead in the dumpster at the top of the street. We feared the worst.
I fed the kittens. Maybe the strongest ones would survive. They are just three weeks old. Only a few of them took much milk from the syringe but I got some down most of them and they quieted. They are just starting to navigate on all fours and still do not see well. I fed them again at 8:00. Three of them are getting the hang of taking milk from the syringe. One still refuses the syringe as he has from birth. TV reported that fires had encircled a village in Peloponnese and the whole village was killed, 40 people. The heat must have been intense; pictures of cars showed nothing but the burned out shell of metal. The videos of the fires look like movie special effects - so huge and spectacular. All TV stations cover little but the fires, over a hundred of them, driven and spread by wind and temperature. Ashes fell over the city of Athens; the sun was blotted out by the smoke. I kept the windows closed. The electricity came back on in two hours, perhaps a planned outage to prevent a total collapse of power as has happened in the past. The government declared a state of emergency. No rain in sight. Fire departments totally overwhelmed. Many planes from other countries doing water drops. Nothing helps. The death toll goes to 52. I fed the kittens again at midnight. They are more frantic; about five of them could take a half syringe each. The stubborn one still would not eat. I don't think he can last long.
Still not feeling well, I did sleep all night and woke this morning, Sunday, to kittens squalling at 7:3o. More of them are taking milk better. The holdout still has had only a squirt or two. How is he still alive? They have now attached themselves to me, their surrogate mother. They know my smell, even though they can not see far yet. They swarm all over my feet, try to crawl up my leg, suck on my toes. I use a big box. As I feed one of the nine I put it in the box. When they have all had half a syringe I offer another, taking them out of the box one by one. Some will take a second syringe now. Then I clean their eyes and wipe the milk that has dribbled down them. I smell of milk myself even after I wash my hands. My clothes get soaked with milk. I rinsed the ashes off the balcony outside my bedroom so I do not track it through the house. I took a shower and went back to bed, spent by only that little activity.
When Violetta came home from church she saw the mother cat lying dead on the lower garage level. I fed the kittens again at noon. By now all but two or three are getting a fair amount of milk. I try to force some milk into the mouth of the stubborn one, but he fights me very hard. The fires continue to rage. Death toll now is 60. The satellite picture shows smoke rising from all of Peloponnese. I can not watch much TV; it is heart rending. People with garden hoses frantically facing a towering wall of flames approaching their houses. Police have blockaded roads and assist the elderly to leave; helicopters rescue the stranded. It goes on and on. It seems like all of Greece is burning. There is ash again on my balcony but not as much as yesterday. The southern sky above the city is still a great wall of smoke, but the wind now blows away from Athens.
I fed the kittens again at 5:00. Each feeding time I first pour a little milk into a saucer. By now they know the smell of the milk but they still want to suck so they get it up their nose and they back away. I hope they will begin to get the idea soon. They are gaining in ambulatory ability. They will not stay in their bed - their mother is no longer there. Their mother now sits in a chair in the middle of the room and sweeps them off the floor and shoves a plastic nipple into their mouth and dumps them in a box! The room smells of milk and cat.
I know Theodosia, Christos and Kathy are coming from Aegina today but I do not know when. At 9:30 I learn from Aris that they are returning on the last boat which leaves Aegina at 10:30 p.m. I feed the kittens again. Most of them are now taking two half syringes of milk, some greedily, but there is still the holdout. When Theodosia came at 1:30 a.m. she immediately fed them. Even if they did not want it, she held them up and squirted a whole syringe of milk into them, even the stubborn one. Sated and sleepy they quieted quickly as soon as we turned off the lights. I was very happy to relinquish my surrogate mother duties and amazed that all nine are still alive. I am feeling better but still do not have my energy back.
August 22 We Go To The City
Theodosia is on Aegina Island at another of Sophia's summer houses. I opted out having had a lot of sun and water at Rafina and wanting to see at least ONE museum before returning home. Christos returned to work. Kathy was undecided about Aegina but can go later if she chooses. For now she is in Haidari.
Tuesday Kathy and I set off early for Athens. It was very hot. We took the city bus and then navigated the Metro (subway) after studying the system map. It is really very well labeled, put in place for the 2004 Olympics. We went to Omonia square and had turopita and bougatsa for brunch, checked out a large department store, the greatest virtues of which were clean restrooms and a cafe on the top floor; we utilized both. Then we walked to the Hellenic American Union to check on the cost and format of the intensive course for non-Greeks. 400 Euros for one month, five days/week, 3 hours a day, morning or evening classes. I had purchased a child's story book (7 years and up) in Rafina to help me learn Greek. The story is so clever and fun to figure out that Kathy wanted one of her own. We found "Little Basoula the Witch" is one of a series and luckily the bookstore had a different one from mine so we can trade them when we finish. We went to the National Gardens for a little shade, but we realized the length of time between our rest stops was getting shorter and we had better head home.
Since Christos went back to work and Theodosia is on Aegina the pantry at the house in Athens had not been restocked. Coming home from Athens yesterday I recognized the supermarket where Theodosia took me when I first arrived and it was only a block from the local bus route. So this morning Kathy and I went shopping as early as we could get away. It was still hot. A third wave of temperatures over 100 degrees - never before heard of here! We bought the bare minimums as we were carrying two heavy bags each on the bus but at least we had some necessities - like toilet paper.
Tuesday Kathy and I set off early for Athens. It was very hot. We took the city bus and then navigated the Metro (subway) after studying the system map. It is really very well labeled, put in place for the 2004 Olympics. We went to Omonia square and had turopita and bougatsa for brunch, checked out a large department store, the greatest virtues of which were clean restrooms and a cafe on the top floor; we utilized both. Then we walked to the Hellenic American Union to check on the cost and format of the intensive course for non-Greeks. 400 Euros for one month, five days/week, 3 hours a day, morning or evening classes. I had purchased a child's story book (7 years and up) in Rafina to help me learn Greek. The story is so clever and fun to figure out that Kathy wanted one of her own. We found "Little Basoula the Witch" is one of a series and luckily the bookstore had a different one from mine so we can trade them when we finish. We went to the National Gardens for a little shade, but we realized the length of time between our rest stops was getting shorter and we had better head home.
Since Christos went back to work and Theodosia is on Aegina the pantry at the house in Athens had not been restocked. Coming home from Athens yesterday I recognized the supermarket where Theodosia took me when I first arrived and it was only a block from the local bus route. So this morning Kathy and I went shopping as early as we could get away. It was still hot. A third wave of temperatures over 100 degrees - never before heard of here! We bought the bare minimums as we were carrying two heavy bags each on the bus but at least we had some necessities - like toilet paper.
Monday, August 20, 2007
August 20 Goldfish,Cards and Kittens
We returned from Rafina in late evening on Friday. On Saturday, Theodosia, Christos and Nikos all took the boat for Aegina to join Sophia and her family. Kathy and I spent the weekend with Christos' brother, Vasilios, his wife, Dina, their son, Andreas, and their daughter, Maria and her fiance, Diamondis, in Athens. On Saturday we had a wonderful meal including a souffle that Maria had made. Then they took us to an overlook of the Pireas harbor with a beautiful view. It was actually a large bowling center with bowling lanes downstairs and a restaurant on the upper level. Since this is traditional vacation time for Athens, and a weekend to boot, (everyone who can flees the heat of the city on weekends) traffic was minimal and the restaurant had only a few patrons. We relaxed with (what else?) pagoto, and took pictures of the view. Maria and Andreas translated for us as neither Vasilios or Dina speak English.
While there my minor headache began to pound big time so we returned to their house and I took some pain reliever and laid down for an hour. Who knows what caused the headache. I've only had one other since I've been here. After an hour it had disappeared and I came out of the bedroom to find Kathy playing cards with the family. They taught us a card game called "Kseree" and another card game called "Agonie"and we played until 11:30 when they brought out all the leftovers and we ate again. They took us back to Christos' house to sleep as they did not have room in their apartment for us and came back for us Sunday morning.
On Sunday we ate a little earlier around 1:00 and had "goldfish", a good sized fish, (not the pet variety) and roasted potatoes, salad, tzatziki, leftover souffle, horta and I forget what all else. At 3:00 we took two cars to travel about an hour to Halkuda and Eretria. Eretria is a beautiful resort area on the coast of Evia Island which lies just east of mainland Greece. Actually Evia was once a part of the mainland which accounts for the fact that it is the largest island in Greece. The channel that runs between island and mainland is quite wide in places and ferries ply it at frequent intervals. Eretria had an unending beach and many swam there. There were open showers set up near the beach. Changing rooms are not available at most beaches. An interesting aspect of this beach was the area directly behind a small building, open to the beach and the cafe, where the matrons changed from their swim suits using their cover-ups as a privacy shield, pulling off their swim suits and putting on their clothes under their cover-up. Obviously an acceptable practice.
We stopped briefly in Halkuda to see the place where water runs under the bridge in one direction for six hours, and then changes direction and runs the other way for the next six hours. A mystery. It was not an allusion; you could clearly see the water flowing strongly against the rocks at the bridge abutment. Kathy proposed a theory that since the sea is close at hand and may in fact circle the area, it could have generated a reciprocal motion where the water flows one way until an equilibrium is passed and then it changes and flows the other way. She consulted Maria, who has a mechanical engineering degree, as to her idea, but Maria did not seem interested in positing a theory. In essence her reply was "Pios nakseri" (who knows). Some mysteries are best enjoyed and not explained.
The demise of two kittens was wrong. Only one died. Amazingly the other nine are alive and their eyes are open and it won't be long before they will be wandering from their bed. Already one has fallen over the side and as we watched, she worked and worked to get back into the bed and finally made it unaided. We have been supplementing mother's milk with milk from a syringe and many of the kittens are getting the hang of taking milk from the syringe. It is so much fun just to watch them pile on top of each other to find a comfortable place to sleep. They are working to get their legs to obey them but they are already surprisingly strong and by instinct stretch and curl up like any older cat.
While there my minor headache began to pound big time so we returned to their house and I took some pain reliever and laid down for an hour. Who knows what caused the headache. I've only had one other since I've been here. After an hour it had disappeared and I came out of the bedroom to find Kathy playing cards with the family. They taught us a card game called "Kseree" and another card game called "Agonie"and we played until 11:30 when they brought out all the leftovers and we ate again. They took us back to Christos' house to sleep as they did not have room in their apartment for us and came back for us Sunday morning.
On Sunday we ate a little earlier around 1:00 and had "goldfish", a good sized fish, (not the pet variety) and roasted potatoes, salad, tzatziki, leftover souffle, horta and I forget what all else. At 3:00 we took two cars to travel about an hour to Halkuda and Eretria. Eretria is a beautiful resort area on the coast of Evia Island which lies just east of mainland Greece. Actually Evia was once a part of the mainland which accounts for the fact that it is the largest island in Greece. The channel that runs between island and mainland is quite wide in places and ferries ply it at frequent intervals. Eretria had an unending beach and many swam there. There were open showers set up near the beach. Changing rooms are not available at most beaches. An interesting aspect of this beach was the area directly behind a small building, open to the beach and the cafe, where the matrons changed from their swim suits using their cover-ups as a privacy shield, pulling off their swim suits and putting on their clothes under their cover-up. Obviously an acceptable practice.
We stopped briefly in Halkuda to see the place where water runs under the bridge in one direction for six hours, and then changes direction and runs the other way for the next six hours. A mystery. It was not an allusion; you could clearly see the water flowing strongly against the rocks at the bridge abutment. Kathy proposed a theory that since the sea is close at hand and may in fact circle the area, it could have generated a reciprocal motion where the water flows one way until an equilibrium is passed and then it changes and flows the other way. She consulted Maria, who has a mechanical engineering degree, as to her idea, but Maria did not seem interested in positing a theory. In essence her reply was "Pios nakseri" (who knows). Some mysteries are best enjoyed and not explained.
The demise of two kittens was wrong. Only one died. Amazingly the other nine are alive and their eyes are open and it won't be long before they will be wandering from their bed. Already one has fallen over the side and as we watched, she worked and worked to get back into the bed and finally made it unaided. We have been supplementing mother's milk with milk from a syringe and many of the kittens are getting the hang of taking milk from the syringe. It is so much fun just to watch them pile on top of each other to find a comfortable place to sleep. They are working to get their legs to obey them but they are already surprisingly strong and by instinct stretch and curl up like any older cat.
Friday, August 17, 2007
August 17 Goodbye to Rafina!
We are leaving Rafina and returning to Athens this evening. Our things are packed and we have had one last swim in the sea (we are already nostalgic) and we are at the internet cafe so we can check our email and I can do my blog, while they finish closing up the house.
Besides swimming and eating and sleeping, we have done a FEW other things. Wednesday was a holiday in Greece, a family day; all the stores were closed. Theodosia, Christos and Nikos went to church services. We were kind of looking forward to a festival, but we missed it, I guess, as shortly after we went to bed Tuesday night, after midnight, there was loud music. I thought it was somebody with a loud car radio, but the next morning Theodosia said it must have been from the village. We were disappointed. To make up for missing the festivities, on Wednesday night we went up the coast to a very nice place right on the sea, La Costa hotel. The water was lapping right next to our table. A band was playing some good dance music, but it was too difficult to dance on the pebbly beach. We ordered tall glasses of pagoto, which were delivered to our table with sparklers flaring on top of them. Very nice place.
Thursday when we came in to the internet cafe we had barely sat down to the PCs and got started when there were electrical problems and they had to close the place down. A bystander said there was a fire somewhere and that might be causing the problem. So we got no internet time and we had an hour and a half to kill. We did some shopping and then saw some roadies setting up equipment on a stage in the square. Obviously a band was going to play. Kathy asked one of the men when and he said 9:30, so we asked Theodosia if we could come in early in the evening to get seats and she brought us in, saying she and Christos would come later. They waited too long. The first 45 minutes by the Upside Down Band was some pretty good rock and roll. Then they changed to Pink Floyd and the music was okay but they used way too many strobe lights to be comfortable. Unfortunately that's when Theodosia and Christos came. We retired to one of the outdoor restaurants and had chocolate and banana crepes. Wonderful creations. Better than the one I had on my first trip to Greece. So the evening was not a whole loss!
We are looking forward to seeing the kittens in Athens, now two weeks old.
Besides swimming and eating and sleeping, we have done a FEW other things. Wednesday was a holiday in Greece, a family day; all the stores were closed. Theodosia, Christos and Nikos went to church services. We were kind of looking forward to a festival, but we missed it, I guess, as shortly after we went to bed Tuesday night, after midnight, there was loud music. I thought it was somebody with a loud car radio, but the next morning Theodosia said it must have been from the village. We were disappointed. To make up for missing the festivities, on Wednesday night we went up the coast to a very nice place right on the sea, La Costa hotel. The water was lapping right next to our table. A band was playing some good dance music, but it was too difficult to dance on the pebbly beach. We ordered tall glasses of pagoto, which were delivered to our table with sparklers flaring on top of them. Very nice place.
Thursday when we came in to the internet cafe we had barely sat down to the PCs and got started when there were electrical problems and they had to close the place down. A bystander said there was a fire somewhere and that might be causing the problem. So we got no internet time and we had an hour and a half to kill. We did some shopping and then saw some roadies setting up equipment on a stage in the square. Obviously a band was going to play. Kathy asked one of the men when and he said 9:30, so we asked Theodosia if we could come in early in the evening to get seats and she brought us in, saying she and Christos would come later. They waited too long. The first 45 minutes by the Upside Down Band was some pretty good rock and roll. Then they changed to Pink Floyd and the music was okay but they used way too many strobe lights to be comfortable. Unfortunately that's when Theodosia and Christos came. We retired to one of the outdoor restaurants and had chocolate and banana crepes. Wonderful creations. Better than the one I had on my first trip to Greece. So the evening was not a whole loss!
We are looking forward to seeing the kittens in Athens, now two weeks old.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
August 14 Continuation
Sometime Saturday Kathy realized that she was running out of her asthma medication. Too late we realized we might have called Theodosia and had her bring more from Athena. We expected to be returning to Athens ourselves by now, but plans had been changed by her ER visit.
Sunday we spent a quiet day resting. As the supermarket was closed, Christos went to town and bought a cooked chicken and some fried potatoes and we had the usual Greek salad. O, yes, and pagoto. Theodosia who can not remain quiet for long, told us we would go to Marathona early on Monday to see where the Marathon race originated and we would be home by noon before the sun was high.
Theodosia told us that older Greeks say you can find your way anywhere by asking people. We supplemented her asking with a very good map of Attica that we bought from the bookstore. When we found the tomb of the Greeks and Persians who were buried on the field of the Marathon struggle, it was closed! It was Monday! A huge grass-covered mound covers their graves. We took a few pictures, then tried to find the place that housed the Marathon Trophy, but the signs we had been following suddenly stopped and we did not find it. Instead we found the 2004 Olympic rowing center. Occupied solely by the guard at the entrance, it is used as a training center, the water having been diverted from the sea; the rowing lanes are visible, the bleachers stand empty. We took some pictures and then Theodosia said we would go and see the only lake Attica has and it is man-made.
The mountains come down close to the sea in Marathona and we drove up the mountain about half an hour to Lake Marathona formed by a dam, which serves a a supply of water for Athens. It was built in 1924, during one of the short periods Greece was not at war. The placard said that the Ulen engineering firm from the United States helped the Greeks to build it. Theodosia says that the older people, when asked if their water is good say, oh, yes, it is Ulen water.
When we returned to the house, Kathy's medical needs were made known to Christos and he agreed to go to Athens to get the medications. Kathy was going too and they would return the next day. He delayed in getting started and Kathy and I played cards to keep ourselves awake. At 12:30 p.m. he startled us by coming into the room and saying he would get the medications, that it was late now, and Kathy did not need to come. So Kathy drew him a map of the bedroom in Athens and explained where the medications were. She said she needed them by 10:00 a.m. the next day. We retired. Theodosia assured us that Christos would have them in Rafina by 10 the next morning - and he did.
Sunday we spent a quiet day resting. As the supermarket was closed, Christos went to town and bought a cooked chicken and some fried potatoes and we had the usual Greek salad. O, yes, and pagoto. Theodosia who can not remain quiet for long, told us we would go to Marathona early on Monday to see where the Marathon race originated and we would be home by noon before the sun was high.
Theodosia told us that older Greeks say you can find your way anywhere by asking people. We supplemented her asking with a very good map of Attica that we bought from the bookstore. When we found the tomb of the Greeks and Persians who were buried on the field of the Marathon struggle, it was closed! It was Monday! A huge grass-covered mound covers their graves. We took a few pictures, then tried to find the place that housed the Marathon Trophy, but the signs we had been following suddenly stopped and we did not find it. Instead we found the 2004 Olympic rowing center. Occupied solely by the guard at the entrance, it is used as a training center, the water having been diverted from the sea; the rowing lanes are visible, the bleachers stand empty. We took some pictures and then Theodosia said we would go and see the only lake Attica has and it is man-made.
The mountains come down close to the sea in Marathona and we drove up the mountain about half an hour to Lake Marathona formed by a dam, which serves a a supply of water for Athens. It was built in 1924, during one of the short periods Greece was not at war. The placard said that the Ulen engineering firm from the United States helped the Greeks to build it. Theodosia says that the older people, when asked if their water is good say, oh, yes, it is Ulen water.
When we returned to the house, Kathy's medical needs were made known to Christos and he agreed to go to Athens to get the medications. Kathy was going too and they would return the next day. He delayed in getting started and Kathy and I played cards to keep ourselves awake. At 12:30 p.m. he startled us by coming into the room and saying he would get the medications, that it was late now, and Kathy did not need to come. So Kathy drew him a map of the bedroom in Athens and explained where the medications were. She said she needed them by 10:00 a.m. the next day. We retired. Theodosia assured us that Christos would have them in Rafina by 10 the next morning - and he did.
August 14
Things can change rapidly. Last Friday mid-afternoon, Theodosia called. She was in the hospital in Athens with chest pains. We waited for a while; she was getting tests. I asked Christos if we were going to Athens. He indicated after we swam, but a few minutes later came to the door to say he alone was going to Athena. Kathy and I waited with Nikos, Sophia's husband. Sophia and the rest of the family had gone to be with Sophia's sister. We heard Nikos make or take some calls but he did not share any info with us. We went for our evening swim but Nikos did not go; he said he would stay to answer the phone. When we returned and prepared lunch leftovers for supper, Nikos said he would wait to eat with Christos. Finally in the evening Nikos came and said "Theodosia all right". We were relieved. At 12:30 when I turned off my light Christos had not come. Neither was he there on Saturday morning.
We were not too worried about that. We figured Theodosia was resting and we were not going to call her; she would call us when she was ready. But no one called. When we went swimming in the morning, Nikos did not go with us, which was unusual, especially since he had not gone the night before either. Kathy and I decided to walk in to the village to use the internet and get some groceries we needed and take a taxi back. We asked Nikos to write down the address for the taxi driver.
When we returned to the house at 2:00, Christos was not here. Nikos had obviously been on the phone with his wife and was all set to have us help him prepare lunch. With his limited English and my limited Greek, some of the potatoes got cut and some got sliced, but all got fried in olive oil. Then we fried a couple eggs and made Greek salad as usual. Nikos had cooked beans, his first choice for "healthy food".
Finally, needing at least a little information, I called the house in Athens. Christos answered. Trying to get information on the phone is much harder as one has no physical clues, which Christos gives in abundance. But I finally ascertained that he was coming back to Rafina definitely "simera" (today). Nothing about Theodosia. We got ready to go swimming and waited for Nikos. He was in the shower, rather unusual, as he usually showers off under a hose outside after swimming. He showed us where he would put the key to the house in case he was not there when we returned. We decided he must have an appointment. We went swimming. When we returned the house was all closed, we found the key, showered, made our supper, and as it was now dark we sat on the patio and played cards. Surely Christos would come soon. We half-joked about being left alone. My phone either had no more minutes or was not working properly so we could not use it. Suddenly I imagined that Nikos had showered in preparation to taking the bus to join his wife. We laughed; we were abandoned! About 10 we heard a car door and thought: Christos! But it was Nikos who walked in, said hi, and disappeared into his room. He had taken a taxi, something he never does. What was going on?
When Christos and Theodosia finally arrived about 11:30 p.m., we were standing on the porch much relieved to see Theodosia in obvious good health. She immediately explained that the chest pains had been from stress, that the hospital had done tests and taken x-rays and she had slept nearly all day Saturday. Christos went immediately into the house and that mystery was explained to us too. Nikos had been stung with something while swimming and his leg was all swollen, which information he had not shared with us. He had gone into town to the pharmacy to get something for his leg and that was the reason for his disappearance.
Stay tuned for the next chapter.
We were not too worried about that. We figured Theodosia was resting and we were not going to call her; she would call us when she was ready. But no one called. When we went swimming in the morning, Nikos did not go with us, which was unusual, especially since he had not gone the night before either. Kathy and I decided to walk in to the village to use the internet and get some groceries we needed and take a taxi back. We asked Nikos to write down the address for the taxi driver.
When we returned to the house at 2:00, Christos was not here. Nikos had obviously been on the phone with his wife and was all set to have us help him prepare lunch. With his limited English and my limited Greek, some of the potatoes got cut and some got sliced, but all got fried in olive oil. Then we fried a couple eggs and made Greek salad as usual. Nikos had cooked beans, his first choice for "healthy food".
Finally, needing at least a little information, I called the house in Athens. Christos answered. Trying to get information on the phone is much harder as one has no physical clues, which Christos gives in abundance. But I finally ascertained that he was coming back to Rafina definitely "simera" (today). Nothing about Theodosia. We got ready to go swimming and waited for Nikos. He was in the shower, rather unusual, as he usually showers off under a hose outside after swimming. He showed us where he would put the key to the house in case he was not there when we returned. We decided he must have an appointment. We went swimming. When we returned the house was all closed, we found the key, showered, made our supper, and as it was now dark we sat on the patio and played cards. Surely Christos would come soon. We half-joked about being left alone. My phone either had no more minutes or was not working properly so we could not use it. Suddenly I imagined that Nikos had showered in preparation to taking the bus to join his wife. We laughed; we were abandoned! About 10 we heard a car door and thought: Christos! But it was Nikos who walked in, said hi, and disappeared into his room. He had taken a taxi, something he never does. What was going on?
When Christos and Theodosia finally arrived about 11:30 p.m., we were standing on the porch much relieved to see Theodosia in obvious good health. She immediately explained that the chest pains had been from stress, that the hospital had done tests and taken x-rays and she had slept nearly all day Saturday. Christos went immediately into the house and that mystery was explained to us too. Nikos had been stung with something while swimming and his leg was all swollen, which information he had not shared with us. He had gone into town to the pharmacy to get something for his leg and that was the reason for his disappearance.
Stay tuned for the next chapter.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
August 10 - Friday
We have been in Rafina since last Tuesday. Here the routine is a cycle that goes swim, eat, rest/sleep/read, swim and repeat it all again. Some of our party go swimming at least twice a day. Rough life.
Yesterday when Theodosia went to Athens to take her mother to a church conference where Violetta will stay for a week, she dropped Kathy and I off in Rafina village (about 2 miles) and we checked our email at the internet cafe. Then we wandered around looking for electronic shops where we might buy a cable for Kathy's MP3 player to hook into a stereo so she could share some of her songs with the family. We found three shops but no cable. When we tried to call Christos to come and get us, my phone would not ring his number, just gave us a recording that he had his phone turned off which we did not believe. No way could we walk back in the heat. And we were not sure we could direct a taxi to the place we were staying as it is only a summer home and we did not have the address. Finally we called Theodosia on her cell phone and she called Christos to come get us.
Now that Christos is on vacation and there are two of us to try and catch what he is saying, we are learning more Greek. Today he had Kathy and I help him make hemas which is similar to our spaghetti except that they do not use a tomato sauce. He grated one tomato, carrot, onion, and added these along with fresh herbs and powdered garlic, to a mix of ground veal and pork, so it was well seasoned but essentially a meat sauce. When we told him that we cook our tomatoes down for a thick tomato sauce, he said that many tomatoes were too heavy for the stomach. Later in the evening, he took us into the village of Rafina to walk along the waterfront and bought us roasted corn from a street vendor - and pagoto, of course.
Theodosia called from Athens to report that two of the kittens have died in spite of the fact she had tried to supplement their feedings with milk from an eye dropper.
Yesterday when Theodosia went to Athens to take her mother to a church conference where Violetta will stay for a week, she dropped Kathy and I off in Rafina village (about 2 miles) and we checked our email at the internet cafe. Then we wandered around looking for electronic shops where we might buy a cable for Kathy's MP3 player to hook into a stereo so she could share some of her songs with the family. We found three shops but no cable. When we tried to call Christos to come and get us, my phone would not ring his number, just gave us a recording that he had his phone turned off which we did not believe. No way could we walk back in the heat. And we were not sure we could direct a taxi to the place we were staying as it is only a summer home and we did not have the address. Finally we called Theodosia on her cell phone and she called Christos to come get us.
Now that Christos is on vacation and there are two of us to try and catch what he is saying, we are learning more Greek. Today he had Kathy and I help him make hemas which is similar to our spaghetti except that they do not use a tomato sauce. He grated one tomato, carrot, onion, and added these along with fresh herbs and powdered garlic, to a mix of ground veal and pork, so it was well seasoned but essentially a meat sauce. When we told him that we cook our tomatoes down for a thick tomato sauce, he said that many tomatoes were too heavy for the stomach. Later in the evening, he took us into the village of Rafina to walk along the waterfront and bought us roasted corn from a street vendor - and pagoto, of course.
Theodosia called from Athens to report that two of the kittens have died in spite of the fact she had tried to supplement their feedings with milk from an eye dropper.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
August 6 Where is the Post Office?
Today Kathy and I took the local bus to Haidari so she could exchange some American money and mail her post cards. The people at the bank remembered me (oh-oh, here comes that American woman again and this time she's brought a friend), so her exchange went a little quicker than mine as they had the routine down now. Then we set out to find the Post Office. We walked further than we thought it would be but after asking at least five people, we found it.
When we walked in it looked like social services offices in the U.S. Lots of people waiting in chairs. It was obviously "take-a-number" which we did and eventually got chairs so we could people-watch and listen. Whenever there is an animated discussion or disagreement, bystanders in Greece are not always satisfied with being voyeurs - there is always at least one person who wants to offer advice or make suggestions or comments, even when they are not involved in the issue at hand. Makes people-watching lots of fun. Eventually our turn came and we got the post cards mailed and walked back to the main street. By now we were hot even though there was a pleasant breeze blowing, and we needed a rest room. We stopped at a nice restaurant and had a frappe and a cappuccino and used the facilities and congratulated ourselves on being able to accomplish these simple activities without Theodosia's help.
Turns out the problem with our internet access is not at our house. The ISP has chosen this time to update their system. I commented to Kathy they would not dare to take so long to get the bugs worked out in the U.S. You can just imagine what would happen if an ISP was down for ten days. People would be leaving it like rats from a sinking ship!
All ten kittens are holding their own and mamma cat is a devoted mother.
When we walked in it looked like social services offices in the U.S. Lots of people waiting in chairs. It was obviously "take-a-number" which we did and eventually got chairs so we could people-watch and listen. Whenever there is an animated discussion or disagreement, bystanders in Greece are not always satisfied with being voyeurs - there is always at least one person who wants to offer advice or make suggestions or comments, even when they are not involved in the issue at hand. Makes people-watching lots of fun. Eventually our turn came and we got the post cards mailed and walked back to the main street. By now we were hot even though there was a pleasant breeze blowing, and we needed a rest room. We stopped at a nice restaurant and had a frappe and a cappuccino and used the facilities and congratulated ourselves on being able to accomplish these simple activities without Theodosia's help.
Turns out the problem with our internet access is not at our house. The ISP has chosen this time to update their system. I commented to Kathy they would not dare to take so long to get the bugs worked out in the U.S. You can just imagine what would happen if an ISP was down for ten days. People would be leaving it like rats from a sinking ship!
All ten kittens are holding their own and mamma cat is a devoted mother.
August 4 A horse, of course!
Kathy came prepared with a list of the riding clubs in Athens area and we set out early to find the nearest one. We found it with little difficulty since Kathy had printed off Maporama directions. With Theodosia translating for us we made inquiry. The club is not open in August as Kathy suspected. Everyone including the horses goes on vacation. That is, everyone except for the grooms, obviously. The man at the office said we could look at the horses. We looked in on about thirty horses, all beautiful and perfectly groomed. We took pictures of some.
A visit to a second horse club nearby established that club was open during the week but this was a Saturday. There was a jumping lesson going on in an outdoor ring. Theodosia talked to a man who has his horse stabled there. He gave her the name and phone number of the owner who could set up an appointment for Kathy and an instructor to give her a lesson if she wanted. Kathy was very pleased to see the horses and Theodosia has expanded her already extensive fund of information. Theodosia joked maybe she might even go riding with Kathy some day. That I would like to see, Theodosia on a horse.
In the evening we were invited to Christos' brother's for a dinner which turned out to be a belated birthday celebration for me. We had wonderful food to eat, mousaka, macaronipita, salata, kolokethopita (phylo with pumpkin filling), feta, chicken from a Chinese place, tzatziki, pork chops, meat balls and topped that off with ice cream cake and the last course, pieces of fresh fruit. Theodosia and Christos gave me a small battery-operated clock and when it needed a battery, our hostess found one and other eager hands installed it, set the time and gave it to me, all set to go. I love it; it is beautiful.
The kittens are all still alive and fighting each other furiously for their turn at the milk stations of which there are only six. The tiny kittens know nothing of sharing, only survival.
A visit to a second horse club nearby established that club was open during the week but this was a Saturday. There was a jumping lesson going on in an outdoor ring. Theodosia talked to a man who has his horse stabled there. He gave her the name and phone number of the owner who could set up an appointment for Kathy and an instructor to give her a lesson if she wanted. Kathy was very pleased to see the horses and Theodosia has expanded her already extensive fund of information. Theodosia joked maybe she might even go riding with Kathy some day. That I would like to see, Theodosia on a horse.
In the evening we were invited to Christos' brother's for a dinner which turned out to be a belated birthday celebration for me. We had wonderful food to eat, mousaka, macaronipita, salata, kolokethopita (phylo with pumpkin filling), feta, chicken from a Chinese place, tzatziki, pork chops, meat balls and topped that off with ice cream cake and the last course, pieces of fresh fruit. Theodosia and Christos gave me a small battery-operated clock and when it needed a battery, our hostess found one and other eager hands installed it, set the time and gave it to me, all set to go. I love it; it is beautiful.
The kittens are all still alive and fighting each other furiously for their turn at the milk stations of which there are only six. The tiny kittens know nothing of sharing, only survival.
August 3 A Day of Arrivals
We left Rafina early Friday morning to pick up my daughter, Kathy from the airport. She has come to spend her three week vacation with me in Greece. The plane was on time and after she had collected her baggage we had a snack and came to the house in Athens. When we arrived we discovered Theodosia's cat, that has been waddling around with a huge belly for the last couple of weeks, was beginning to give birth. So while I helped Kathy get settled, Theodosia played midwife. When I checked in at the birthing room a couple hours later, there was one kitten. Two hours later there were six! I said to Theodosia I told you so. I had been predicting six kittens but Theodosia said none of her cats had more than three or four kittens and certainly not for a first litter.
We had supper and talked about how Kathy could find a place to ride horses while here in Greece. Theodosia knows nothing of horses in Athens, but for Kathy she is happy to help her find some. When I went upstairs next I looked in on the squirming kittens. What? There were seven! One yellow one only half dried, and then I saw another just born and as I watched, another!! Nine! Theodosia came rushing in to resume her midwife role.
Later in the evening we all went to say goodnight to the cat and kittens. It was hard to see them as they laid on top of each other in a pile. We counted six dark ones and four yellow. That can't be right. We counted again. Sure enough. There were ten. The latest arrival was conspicuous for a white collar, the only one so marked. News of the cat who had ten kittens went around the circle of family and friends like lightening. Who could believe it! There is nothing like new babies to make one reflect on how amazing life is. Where once there was one cat, now there are eleven!
We had supper and talked about how Kathy could find a place to ride horses while here in Greece. Theodosia knows nothing of horses in Athens, but for Kathy she is happy to help her find some. When I went upstairs next I looked in on the squirming kittens. What? There were seven! One yellow one only half dried, and then I saw another just born and as I watched, another!! Nine! Theodosia came rushing in to resume her midwife role.
Later in the evening we all went to say goodnight to the cat and kittens. It was hard to see them as they laid on top of each other in a pile. We counted six dark ones and four yellow. That can't be right. We counted again. Sure enough. There were ten. The latest arrival was conspicuous for a white collar, the only one so marked. News of the cat who had ten kittens went around the circle of family and friends like lightening. Who could believe it! There is nothing like new babies to make one reflect on how amazing life is. Where once there was one cat, now there are eleven!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Wednesday, August 1
The previous blog was written last Monday but we lost our internet connection at home in Athens last Saturday and this is my first opportunity to post my blog.
We are once again in Rafina and I am at an internet cafe. I hope I may find an English language newspaper here in the port. I have only seen one since I arrived on Greece, though I have watched CNN on TV. There is no TV at Sophia's summer house here in Rafina, only the radio. The swimming is great, especially early in the morning or in the evening when the sun is not high. Christos is insistent that one must wait three hours after eating before swimming, so we swim first in the morning, and then really enjoy breakfast on the patio. True to their predictions, with August comes a nice breeze from the north and the temperature moderates.
We are once again in Rafina and I am at an internet cafe. I hope I may find an English language newspaper here in the port. I have only seen one since I arrived on Greece, though I have watched CNN on TV. There is no TV at Sophia's summer house here in Rafina, only the radio. The swimming is great, especially early in the morning or in the evening when the sun is not high. Christos is insistent that one must wait three hours after eating before swimming, so we swim first in the morning, and then really enjoy breakfast on the patio. True to their predictions, with August comes a nice breeze from the north and the temperature moderates.
July 30 A Moonlight Cruise
Saturday we went in late afternoon, at the invitation of friends, to board a small boat in Loutraki to travel through the man-made channel between Peloponnese and the rest of the Greek mainland. Similar to the Panama canal in strategy, the deep channel is cut down through solid rock and allows ships to pass through instead of going around the huge Peloponnesian peninsula, a great savings in time. Before the six-kilometer-long channel was cut, boats were portaged across the mountain on a bed of timbers! After we traversed the channel and returned we continued cruising under a full moon, enjoying the beauty of the lights along the coast including those of the city of Corinth.
We stayed overnight with our friends and the next day went swimming, of course, and had wonderful food to eat, but the best part of the visit for me was the opportunity to spend two or three hours talking with two young Greeks who spoke fluent English. They were both well educated and obviously very bright, but I was impressed with how much they knew of Greek and also of American politics. Our conversation was wide ranging including not only politics, but economics, medical insurance, education, job opportunities, cars, foreign trade, movies and literature. I found them to be thoughtful, pragmatic and wanting something better for their homeland. One of the big differences, they said between the U.S. and Greece is that even though Greece has laws to protect its citizens, many laws are not enforced. (That certainly is obvious in traffic!) We had fun talking together and we enjoyed ourselves, sitting on the beach under an umbrella, sipping frappes, with Brazilian music playing behind us in the cafe, while the rest of the household had their nap.
I inevitably paid for not taking a nap, "running out of steam" later in the day and sleeping in the car on the way back to Athens. But not before we made a stop for "pagoto", ice cream. I will gain five pounds simply on the amount of ice cream I eat here!
We stayed overnight with our friends and the next day went swimming, of course, and had wonderful food to eat, but the best part of the visit for me was the opportunity to spend two or three hours talking with two young Greeks who spoke fluent English. They were both well educated and obviously very bright, but I was impressed with how much they knew of Greek and also of American politics. Our conversation was wide ranging including not only politics, but economics, medical insurance, education, job opportunities, cars, foreign trade, movies and literature. I found them to be thoughtful, pragmatic and wanting something better for their homeland. One of the big differences, they said between the U.S. and Greece is that even though Greece has laws to protect its citizens, many laws are not enforced. (That certainly is obvious in traffic!) We had fun talking together and we enjoyed ourselves, sitting on the beach under an umbrella, sipping frappes, with Brazilian music playing behind us in the cafe, while the rest of the household had their nap.
I inevitably paid for not taking a nap, "running out of steam" later in the day and sleeping in the car on the way back to Athens. But not before we made a stop for "pagoto", ice cream. I will gain five pounds simply on the amount of ice cream I eat here!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
July 27 The Frying Pan and the Fire
The heat wave finally broke, but not before Athens recorded its highest temperature yet: 46 degrees Celsius. This morning with a fresh cool breeze blowing, my pleasure sitting on my balcony with my coffee is diminished only a little by the huge jackhammer pounding away at the mountainside two streets above me.
Construction in this suburb is on-going. All the land here has been purchased by investors or developers. To build a single family home in this area is nearly impossible as the cost of land has increased 15 times what it was in 1990. On my morning walks I see apartment houses in all stages of construction, including some that stand empty presumably waiting for someone to purchase the apartment and determine its final details.
Disastrous forest fires continue throughout Greece. One hundred homes were burned yesterday in Axaia and three homeowners lost their lives trying to save their homes. Some fires in forested areas are started by arsonists. In Greece, landowners are not allowed to cut trees even on their own property. The climate is very dry but there is ample supply of water, so trees and shrubs are watered regularly by homeowners and city workers alike. The trees on this street include varieties of palm, olive, evergreen and fruit trees. The newer apartment complexes have landscaping shrubbery similar to what one sees in the U.S. All of it is green and thriving. Greeks see the trees as a source of fresh air and oxygen and they take care of them.
But the pressure to find land on which to build has led to arson. If an area is burned, those who have money and want to build outside the city, seek to build there saying there should be an exception because there are no longer trees there. This has been shown by investigative reporters evidently, and the people have complained so strongly to the government that they have decreed they will raze all of the villas built in the prohibited areas. I am skeptical. The same money that allows them to get electricity in these isolated hilltops can also buy special privileges or waivers, I am sure.
Construction in this suburb is on-going. All the land here has been purchased by investors or developers. To build a single family home in this area is nearly impossible as the cost of land has increased 15 times what it was in 1990. On my morning walks I see apartment houses in all stages of construction, including some that stand empty presumably waiting for someone to purchase the apartment and determine its final details.
Disastrous forest fires continue throughout Greece. One hundred homes were burned yesterday in Axaia and three homeowners lost their lives trying to save their homes. Some fires in forested areas are started by arsonists. In Greece, landowners are not allowed to cut trees even on their own property. The climate is very dry but there is ample supply of water, so trees and shrubs are watered regularly by homeowners and city workers alike. The trees on this street include varieties of palm, olive, evergreen and fruit trees. The newer apartment complexes have landscaping shrubbery similar to what one sees in the U.S. All of it is green and thriving. Greeks see the trees as a source of fresh air and oxygen and they take care of them.
But the pressure to find land on which to build has led to arson. If an area is burned, those who have money and want to build outside the city, seek to build there saying there should be an exception because there are no longer trees there. This has been shown by investigative reporters evidently, and the people have complained so strongly to the government that they have decreed they will raze all of the villas built in the prohibited areas. I am skeptical. The same money that allows them to get electricity in these isolated hilltops can also buy special privileges or waivers, I am sure.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
July 25 Viva le Tour de France!
On this the third day of the second heat wave for Athens, I can not stand being cooped up any more. I set my alarm for 6:30 this morning and went for a longer walk than usual, came back and took a shower. I wanted to go to Haidari today but Theodosia does not want me to go anywhere because of the heat. This morning, a thick haze blots out the sun and obscures the view. The temperature is already 76.
For the past two days I have been in my room with the shutters closed and the A/C on, making only occasional trips downstairs to the 'fridge for water or iced tea. The temperature in the second floor hall outside my room was easily 100 yesterday. Downstairs in the living room is better, but I can not use my computer there as the wireless signal is weak there. So my days are a rotating series of: work on the computer, study Greek, watch TV, translate the newspaper headlines, and read the only English language book available, "Kennedys".
Greeks pay about one Euro a month as part of their phone bill and for that they get 35 channels of TV, including CNN, talk shows, Greek version of Deal or No Deal, pre-school animated education in both Greek and English (I am an avid student), American, French and Turkish movies with Greek sub-titles and the Eurosport channel, and much more. I have become a fan of the Tour de France. I researched it on the internet enough to understand more of what's going on and can follow the top competitors on the TV. Today there will be another stage of the race and it will help pass the time. Theodosia has students all day and into the evening but this is the last week and then she will have a well-deserved vacation.
For the past two days I have been in my room with the shutters closed and the A/C on, making only occasional trips downstairs to the 'fridge for water or iced tea. The temperature in the second floor hall outside my room was easily 100 yesterday. Downstairs in the living room is better, but I can not use my computer there as the wireless signal is weak there. So my days are a rotating series of: work on the computer, study Greek, watch TV, translate the newspaper headlines, and read the only English language book available, "Kennedys".
Greeks pay about one Euro a month as part of their phone bill and for that they get 35 channels of TV, including CNN, talk shows, Greek version of Deal or No Deal, pre-school animated education in both Greek and English (I am an avid student), American, French and Turkish movies with Greek sub-titles and the Eurosport channel, and much more. I have become a fan of the Tour de France. I researched it on the internet enough to understand more of what's going on and can follow the top competitors on the TV. Today there will be another stage of the race and it will help pass the time. Theodosia has students all day and into the evening but this is the last week and then she will have a well-deserved vacation.
Monday, July 23, 2007
July 24 Aah! The sun, the sea and a little opera!
We went to Rafina again this past weekend. We go not only because it is beautiful but because Sophia is a very close friend of Theodosia and wants her to come, especially if she will help Alexandre with his mathematics study. They visit Sophia in Rafina every summer but this year more often to help Alexandre, until the end of this month when Sophia's family goes to another summer house on an island.
So I got to swim on Saturday evening, and twice on Sunday, staying out of the hottest sun and applying sun screen often. As usual we had wonderful things to eat: Sophia is a good cook. It seemed like we were eating about every two hours. I was feeling much better this trip than two weeks ago. Sunday morning at breakfast on their patio, there was beautiful music from Nikos' transistor radio (which has a piece of broken fence railing for an antenna). I asked him who the singer was and he could not say except that it was Italian opera. I am not an opera fan but it was very nice to sit there and drink coffee and dunk my bread. (See! I am learning to be Greek!)
I practiced my Greek with Sophia's daughter, Vangelita, while she practiced her English. Theodosia, who can not resist being a teacher, corrected and encouraged both of us. I said next time we would bring some board games. One does not need much Greek to play board games. I have a book in English about the Kennedys, that we picked up at a flea market for a couple Euros, to read during the afternoon naptime. I do not bring my computer to Rafina.
Today they predict extreme temperature for Athens, 44° Celsius, which translates to about 120, I think. This morning there is a breeze and I have my doors open to the balcony, but soon I will be forced to close them and turn on the A/C. Theodosia worries for her cats and wants to be sure they are inside. The cats here look a little different than in Kentucky. They are longer bodied and have larger ears. One of her cats is pregnant and growing bigger every day. When she sprawls on the marble floor to get cool, she looks like a bowling pin lying on its side with four little legs attached. Theodosia has put cardboard boxes all over the house in hopes she will have her kittens inside instead of outside. She loves her cats, all of which are strays she has rescued.
So I got to swim on Saturday evening, and twice on Sunday, staying out of the hottest sun and applying sun screen often. As usual we had wonderful things to eat: Sophia is a good cook. It seemed like we were eating about every two hours. I was feeling much better this trip than two weeks ago. Sunday morning at breakfast on their patio, there was beautiful music from Nikos' transistor radio (which has a piece of broken fence railing for an antenna). I asked him who the singer was and he could not say except that it was Italian opera. I am not an opera fan but it was very nice to sit there and drink coffee and dunk my bread. (See! I am learning to be Greek!)
I practiced my Greek with Sophia's daughter, Vangelita, while she practiced her English. Theodosia, who can not resist being a teacher, corrected and encouraged both of us. I said next time we would bring some board games. One does not need much Greek to play board games. I have a book in English about the Kennedys, that we picked up at a flea market for a couple Euros, to read during the afternoon naptime. I do not bring my computer to Rafina.
Today they predict extreme temperature for Athens, 44° Celsius, which translates to about 120, I think. This morning there is a breeze and I have my doors open to the balcony, but soon I will be forced to close them and turn on the A/C. Theodosia worries for her cats and wants to be sure they are inside. The cats here look a little different than in Kentucky. They are longer bodied and have larger ears. One of her cats is pregnant and growing bigger every day. When she sprawls on the marble floor to get cool, she looks like a bowling pin lying on its side with four little legs attached. Theodosia has put cardboard boxes all over the house in hopes she will have her kittens inside instead of outside. She loves her cats, all of which are strays she has rescued.
Friday, July 20, 2007
July 20 And It Really Didn't Hurt!
Today Theodosia went to the University to "swear" and get her Masters degree. I did not understand this "swearing" and she explained that degree candidates have to take an oath to uphold the honor of their profession and their school, to always act ethically and to do nothing to bring shame upon them. Without the oath, they do not get the degree. She received the highest "grade" they give.
While she did that, Aris took me to the dentist for extraction of my broken tooth. The dentist speaks about as much English as I do Greek. With Aris as translator, the dentist said I had two options. He could pull the root of the broken tooth, or he could fashion a temporary tooth that would be okay until I went home and then I could have someone build me a bridge to close the empty space. I agreed to building the temporary tooth.
This dentist had the best hands of any dentist I have ever gone to. Even though the tooth itself had no nerves and so no feeling, he never poked or pinched my gums at any time. I could not believe it! Even though I could tell what he was doing, he was so good he moved flawlessly from one part of the operation to another without at any time causing me pain in my gum! He drilled four holes in the base of the tooth and screwed in pins and then built up a temporary tooth little by little. He smoothed off the tooth and I was done. No novacaine, no x-ray, no rubber gloves, no assistant. He did wear a mask and washed his hands. He was obviously a seasoned professional. He had all modern equipment and the one-room office was in a house, perhaps in his own apartment. I was most happy. The cost was 70 Euros, about $100, inexpensive for the work that he did.
I was so pleased with the work of the dentist that the K. family think they may try him for their own dental care, as they do not have a regular dentist. They found this one for me by asking their neighbor who referred us to him. Evidently he is the dentist who also attends the mayor's needs. Can there be a better recommendation than that? Perhaps my experience is a stronger recommendation yet.
While she did that, Aris took me to the dentist for extraction of my broken tooth. The dentist speaks about as much English as I do Greek. With Aris as translator, the dentist said I had two options. He could pull the root of the broken tooth, or he could fashion a temporary tooth that would be okay until I went home and then I could have someone build me a bridge to close the empty space. I agreed to building the temporary tooth.
This dentist had the best hands of any dentist I have ever gone to. Even though the tooth itself had no nerves and so no feeling, he never poked or pinched my gums at any time. I could not believe it! Even though I could tell what he was doing, he was so good he moved flawlessly from one part of the operation to another without at any time causing me pain in my gum! He drilled four holes in the base of the tooth and screwed in pins and then built up a temporary tooth little by little. He smoothed off the tooth and I was done. No novacaine, no x-ray, no rubber gloves, no assistant. He did wear a mask and washed his hands. He was obviously a seasoned professional. He had all modern equipment and the one-room office was in a house, perhaps in his own apartment. I was most happy. The cost was 70 Euros, about $100, inexpensive for the work that he did.
I was so pleased with the work of the dentist that the K. family think they may try him for their own dental care, as they do not have a regular dentist. They found this one for me by asking their neighbor who referred us to him. Evidently he is the dentist who also attends the mayor's needs. Can there be a better recommendation than that? Perhaps my experience is a stronger recommendation yet.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
July 19 A Little Excursion
Yesterday morning I gathered my courage and took the city bus into Athens. Luckily this bus driver knew some English and when I asked what I should do with my ticket, he said put it in the machine and motioned to the back of the bus. I inserted the ticket in the slot and it beeped. I stood undecided if I had done it correctly or if the machine was to take the ticket, and he said "one time". I said thank you and sat down.
When the bus emptied at the downtown terminal, I sat for a few minutes on a low wall in the shade to get my bearings, trying to familiarize myself with the area so I would recognize it when I returned. I looked for street signs and it took a while to find them. It was a very busy intersection. Meanwhile the street sweepers were cleaning papers and cigarette butts from around my feet. After a bit I figured out which direction I needed to walk and in about ten minutes found my destination, the Municipal Art Gallery. When I went in I inquired if I needed a ticket (in Greek) and they answered (in English) It is free; upstairs.
I enjoyed the exhibit. It was the work of graduates of the 7th Workshop of Painting of Athens University of Fine Arts. The exhibitors were to respond to the film "Metropolis" in any art form. There were drawings on digital paper, oil on board, canvas, and paper, photos, video presentations, and symbolic representations using articles from everyday life. I liked the explanations of how and why they made the creations they did - trying to express the ever-changing feel of the city at the same time reflecting the grit of real life. When I was finished I thanked the attendant and she asked where I was from. In my halting Greek I managed to tell her I was from America and staying with friends in Haidari for the summer. She wished me "kali kalokeri" (good summer) and I responded in kind. I found my way back to the bus station easily and saw with relief that the A15 bus was waiting, as the sun was getting high and hot. I was home by l1:45 and pleased with my excursion. I spent the afternoon writing, exchanging emails and studying Greek. This evening, Theodosia tells me, we will attend a chuch fair, so be sure to take a nap and take no pills! :-)
When the bus emptied at the downtown terminal, I sat for a few minutes on a low wall in the shade to get my bearings, trying to familiarize myself with the area so I would recognize it when I returned. I looked for street signs and it took a while to find them. It was a very busy intersection. Meanwhile the street sweepers were cleaning papers and cigarette butts from around my feet. After a bit I figured out which direction I needed to walk and in about ten minutes found my destination, the Municipal Art Gallery. When I went in I inquired if I needed a ticket (in Greek) and they answered (in English) It is free; upstairs.
I enjoyed the exhibit. It was the work of graduates of the 7th Workshop of Painting of Athens University of Fine Arts. The exhibitors were to respond to the film "Metropolis" in any art form. There were drawings on digital paper, oil on board, canvas, and paper, photos, video presentations, and symbolic representations using articles from everyday life. I liked the explanations of how and why they made the creations they did - trying to express the ever-changing feel of the city at the same time reflecting the grit of real life. When I was finished I thanked the attendant and she asked where I was from. In my halting Greek I managed to tell her I was from America and staying with friends in Haidari for the summer. She wished me "kali kalokeri" (good summer) and I responded in kind. I found my way back to the bus station easily and saw with relief that the A15 bus was waiting, as the sun was getting high and hot. I was home by l1:45 and pleased with my excursion. I spent the afternoon writing, exchanging emails and studying Greek. This evening, Theodosia tells me, we will attend a chuch fair, so be sure to take a nap and take no pills! :-)
Monday, July 16, 2007
July 16 A Series of Mistakes
Saturday morning I went for my usual walk and then decided against cereal for breakfast in favor of bread and coffee. First mistake. I sliced off some bread which was not very fresh and put marmalade on it. I took a bite and broke off a tooth! (That's why Greeks dunk their bread in their coffee.) The tooth broke off at the gum line but I expect the root needs to be extracted. No dentist available on Saturday of course. Thank goodness it does not hurt. I think this tooth had a root canal operation some years ago.
In the afternoon I watched the Tour de France on TV. It was a good race. I could understand parts of the commentary because many phrases were repetitious. I was enjoying it so much I decided against having my afternoon nap. Second mistake. It was Saturday and I should have known the K. family would likely stay up late. Sure enough about 8:30 p.m. they decided to visit Christos' brother, Nikos and his wife, Maria. On the way we picked up another brother and his wife. When we finally got to Nikos house (about 10:00) we were immediately ushered to the balcony where we were offered water and soft drinks. I accepted a can of tea but had barely tasted it when everyone got up to leave - to go to a local taberna for a meal.
Theodosia told me they were ordering wine and I said okay. Third mistake. Nikos ordered white wine, rice pilaf with meat, Crete salad (similar to traditional Greek salad except it is served on bread), tzatziki, and horiatiki (similar to spinach - Greeks love their greens with lemon and salt) and a few cokes for the table. It was all very good.
Just when I thought we had finished the meal, they brought out roasted cutlets. I had a few pieces. Suddenly I felt like I was cross-eyed. There were three women sitting across from me carrying on an animated conversation. I could hear them and my mind was clear but I could not make my eyes focus on them. I told Christos next to me that I thought I had too much wine. He was surprised, as was I - I had not had that much - but I thought I should warn him in case I needed help from the restaurant.
Within a few minutes my eyes returned to normal, luckily before we left the taberna and returned to Nikos' house. There we were immediately served pieces of fruit, and then pieces of the dessert that Theodosia had brought. It was not bougatsa, but similar to it. A thick layer of custard between thin phylo. It was delicious. It is the only sweet that Christos will eat and he had two pieces! Then Maria wanted to know if I did not want pagoto (miniature ice cream on a stick). I declined, regretfully.
Nikos had to work the next day or we would have stayed until 2 or3. As it was we did not leave until after 1:00 and I did not get to bed until nearly 3. It was the next day before I remembered that I had taken an antihistamine just before leaving the house as I was sneezing and figured I had an allergy to something. Now I know why they say do not mix medications with alcohol! The combination of the wine, food, antihistamine and the late hour caused me to sleep to 10:30 Sunday morning. Now I have to get my sleep routine adjusted again.
In the afternoon I watched the Tour de France on TV. It was a good race. I could understand parts of the commentary because many phrases were repetitious. I was enjoying it so much I decided against having my afternoon nap. Second mistake. It was Saturday and I should have known the K. family would likely stay up late. Sure enough about 8:30 p.m. they decided to visit Christos' brother, Nikos and his wife, Maria. On the way we picked up another brother and his wife. When we finally got to Nikos house (about 10:00) we were immediately ushered to the balcony where we were offered water and soft drinks. I accepted a can of tea but had barely tasted it when everyone got up to leave - to go to a local taberna for a meal.
Theodosia told me they were ordering wine and I said okay. Third mistake. Nikos ordered white wine, rice pilaf with meat, Crete salad (similar to traditional Greek salad except it is served on bread), tzatziki, and horiatiki (similar to spinach - Greeks love their greens with lemon and salt) and a few cokes for the table. It was all very good.
Just when I thought we had finished the meal, they brought out roasted cutlets. I had a few pieces. Suddenly I felt like I was cross-eyed. There were three women sitting across from me carrying on an animated conversation. I could hear them and my mind was clear but I could not make my eyes focus on them. I told Christos next to me that I thought I had too much wine. He was surprised, as was I - I had not had that much - but I thought I should warn him in case I needed help from the restaurant.
Within a few minutes my eyes returned to normal, luckily before we left the taberna and returned to Nikos' house. There we were immediately served pieces of fruit, and then pieces of the dessert that Theodosia had brought. It was not bougatsa, but similar to it. A thick layer of custard between thin phylo. It was delicious. It is the only sweet that Christos will eat and he had two pieces! Then Maria wanted to know if I did not want pagoto (miniature ice cream on a stick). I declined, regretfully.
Nikos had to work the next day or we would have stayed until 2 or3. As it was we did not leave until after 1:00 and I did not get to bed until nearly 3. It was the next day before I remembered that I had taken an antihistamine just before leaving the house as I was sneezing and figured I had an allergy to something. Now I know why they say do not mix medications with alcohol! The combination of the wine, food, antihistamine and the late hour caused me to sleep to 10:30 Sunday morning. Now I have to get my sleep routine adjusted again.
Friday, July 13, 2007
July 13, 2007 Meals and Meal Times
Yesterday I needed fresh milk for my cereal so I walked to the local mini-mart, called a "periptera" here in Greece, and bought two liters of milk. My friends have become accustomed to my strange habit of eating breakfast, and they have accommodated me by purchasing a half case of individual packages of cold "fitness" cereal. It is actually very good cereal and I have it with fruit every morning.
In spite of what the guide books say about when and what the Greeks eat, very little holds true for the K. family. It is true that they have only coffee and dry breads in the morning, but they do not have pastry at 11 or dessert at 4 and then eat their supper at 11, as I was anticipating. Here, as in most families in the U.S., everyone eats pick-up meals because everyone is on a different schedule. It is rare that everyone sits to eat at the same time. That being the case I have been told to fix whatever I want to eat, whenever I want to eat it. With caveats.
For my supper last night, I cut up some boiled potatoes, onions, carrots and cucumber for a version of potato salad. They do not have mayonnaise. They use oil on all their vegetables. I have learned that too much oil upsets my stomach so I tossed the salad lightly with olive oil, herb seasonings and salt. Violet, Theodosia's mother, who considers the kitchen her turf, watched me covertly but said nothing. I think she is still miffed because I would not eat the cauliflower she cooked two days ago. It was cooked so long it was mush. I inquired and they do have a steamer, but I have to rescue the vegetables before Violet cooks them if I want some to steam.
Sometimes I eat supper with Christos when he comes home from work between five and six. If Theodosia gets a break between students about 1:30, I sit and visit or eat with her while she eats lunch. Their son, Aris, a college student on summer vacation, may get food from the kitchen and eat in his room; usually he orders out. Theodosia's day does not end until 9:30 or 10 p.m. and I have difficulty discouraging her from fixing food or ordering food for me at that hour. She is the one most likely to eat at 11.
The household usually quiets down between 1 and 2 a.m. though I can hear the TV on in some rooms when I go to the bathroom. At 4 a.m. this morning someone outside was playing a radio so loudly it could be heard several streets away. It was lovely Greek music, but I would have appreciated it more in the daytime!
Dhen pirazi! (No matter!)
In spite of what the guide books say about when and what the Greeks eat, very little holds true for the K. family. It is true that they have only coffee and dry breads in the morning, but they do not have pastry at 11 or dessert at 4 and then eat their supper at 11, as I was anticipating. Here, as in most families in the U.S., everyone eats pick-up meals because everyone is on a different schedule. It is rare that everyone sits to eat at the same time. That being the case I have been told to fix whatever I want to eat, whenever I want to eat it. With caveats.
For my supper last night, I cut up some boiled potatoes, onions, carrots and cucumber for a version of potato salad. They do not have mayonnaise. They use oil on all their vegetables. I have learned that too much oil upsets my stomach so I tossed the salad lightly with olive oil, herb seasonings and salt. Violet, Theodosia's mother, who considers the kitchen her turf, watched me covertly but said nothing. I think she is still miffed because I would not eat the cauliflower she cooked two days ago. It was cooked so long it was mush. I inquired and they do have a steamer, but I have to rescue the vegetables before Violet cooks them if I want some to steam.
Sometimes I eat supper with Christos when he comes home from work between five and six. If Theodosia gets a break between students about 1:30, I sit and visit or eat with her while she eats lunch. Their son, Aris, a college student on summer vacation, may get food from the kitchen and eat in his room; usually he orders out. Theodosia's day does not end until 9:30 or 10 p.m. and I have difficulty discouraging her from fixing food or ordering food for me at that hour. She is the one most likely to eat at 11.
The household usually quiets down between 1 and 2 a.m. though I can hear the TV on in some rooms when I go to the bathroom. At 4 a.m. this morning someone outside was playing a radio so loudly it could be heard several streets away. It was lovely Greek music, but I would have appreciated it more in the daytime!
Dhen pirazi! (No matter!)
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
July 11, 2007 TZAK POT !
I was surprised when I read in the Herald Tribune that the per capita spending on lotto and various gambling games in Greece is many times that of other countries, including the U.S. A graph with a breakdown of where the gambling money was spent showed that nearly 80% of the money in Greece is bet on sports. Gambling on sports is legal in Greece and brings much money into the government coffers.
The K. family with whom I am staying does not indulge in lotto or instant tickets or sports gambling. Christos, one of five brothers, grew up "dirt poor" as they say, actually with a dirt floor in their home, in a mountain village. As the young men became old enough they left the village for Athens where they could find work. They remember hard times and they borrow nothing; everything is paid by cash, not even in installment payments. They have no credit cards.
The only time they participated in a lottery was in the government lottery for apartments. Housing is expensive in Greece and most people can not own a house; they may own an apartment. Due to the severe housing shortage the government ran a lottery and gave apartments to those who were chosen. Qualifying to be included in the lottery required a great quantity of paper work to be submitted. With Christos' help, the proper forms were submitted and two of his brothers won apartments - very nice apartments. I have visited them both. Without the lottery both of these brothers would undoubtedly still be renting. It is particularly fortunate for them as neither of them attained a high school education and have been hourly wage earners all their lives.
Following the end of World War II, Greece had a very hard time with civil war and great distress for her people. Now, for the first time in her long history, the Greek people have lived without war for the past thirty years. That in itself seems to the older generations, who suffered so much, almost too good to be true. Perhaps for them the real "TZAK POT" is Peace.
The K. family with whom I am staying does not indulge in lotto or instant tickets or sports gambling. Christos, one of five brothers, grew up "dirt poor" as they say, actually with a dirt floor in their home, in a mountain village. As the young men became old enough they left the village for Athens where they could find work. They remember hard times and they borrow nothing; everything is paid by cash, not even in installment payments. They have no credit cards.
The only time they participated in a lottery was in the government lottery for apartments. Housing is expensive in Greece and most people can not own a house; they may own an apartment. Due to the severe housing shortage the government ran a lottery and gave apartments to those who were chosen. Qualifying to be included in the lottery required a great quantity of paper work to be submitted. With Christos' help, the proper forms were submitted and two of his brothers won apartments - very nice apartments. I have visited them both. Without the lottery both of these brothers would undoubtedly still be renting. It is particularly fortunate for them as neither of them attained a high school education and have been hourly wage earners all their lives.
Following the end of World War II, Greece had a very hard time with civil war and great distress for her people. Now, for the first time in her long history, the Greek people have lived without war for the past thirty years. That in itself seems to the older generations, who suffered so much, almost too good to be true. Perhaps for them the real "TZAK POT" is Peace.
Monday, July 9, 2007
July 9, 2007 The Beautiful Sea
"By the sea, the beautiful sea..." keeps running through my head. In Athens, Greeks do not speak of "going to the beach". They say "going to the sea." Yesterday we were in Rafina, the only other port besides Pireas that is on the Aegean Sea. Actually Rafina is not on the sea itself but on a channel that runs between the mainland and a large island.
There is a beautiful 180 degree half moon beach in Rafina. The water is warm and the view is lovely. It has been a long time since I have swum in salt water and enjoyed its buoyancy. In spite of the fact that Rafina is a seaside resort, the beach was not overcrowded. We walked from the cottage of Theodosia and Christos' friends, where we had spent the night, to the beach. Due to communication difficulties, I did not realize we would be walking and was halfway through the mile when I realized that I should not be wearing my flip flops. So today I am not walking anywhere except in the house as I have blisters behind the toes on both feet.
Nor am I eating much today. Sophia likes to cook and we had much too much to eat and then we went to the village square to a restaurant and topped it off with ice cream before heading back to Athens! The combination of fresh air, sun and water had me dozing all the way home and as soon as I hit my bed, I was asleep. Hours later I realized I had not even turned off the ceiling light!
This visit was not only a pleasure trip but an opportunity for Theodosia to drill Alexandre, our hosts' 17 year old son, in math for the upcoming college entrance exams. His father is a professor in literature and his mother a mathematician, but Alexandre talks of joining the army and shooting bad guys in Iraq. There was the inevitable discussion of other options, with our hosts reinforced by my friends' suggestions and advice. As the discussion continued Alexandre became more dramatic, leaping from his chair and employing wild gesticulations. I tried to get a picture, but he was too frenetic. In spite of the frustration on both sides, there was no anger; only love. Some things are not different in Greece.
There is a beautiful 180 degree half moon beach in Rafina. The water is warm and the view is lovely. It has been a long time since I have swum in salt water and enjoyed its buoyancy. In spite of the fact that Rafina is a seaside resort, the beach was not overcrowded. We walked from the cottage of Theodosia and Christos' friends, where we had spent the night, to the beach. Due to communication difficulties, I did not realize we would be walking and was halfway through the mile when I realized that I should not be wearing my flip flops. So today I am not walking anywhere except in the house as I have blisters behind the toes on both feet.
Nor am I eating much today. Sophia likes to cook and we had much too much to eat and then we went to the village square to a restaurant and topped it off with ice cream before heading back to Athens! The combination of fresh air, sun and water had me dozing all the way home and as soon as I hit my bed, I was asleep. Hours later I realized I had not even turned off the ceiling light!
This visit was not only a pleasure trip but an opportunity for Theodosia to drill Alexandre, our hosts' 17 year old son, in math for the upcoming college entrance exams. His father is a professor in literature and his mother a mathematician, but Alexandre talks of joining the army and shooting bad guys in Iraq. There was the inevitable discussion of other options, with our hosts reinforced by my friends' suggestions and advice. As the discussion continued Alexandre became more dramatic, leaping from his chair and employing wild gesticulations. I tried to get a picture, but he was too frenetic. In spite of the frustration on both sides, there was no anger; only love. Some things are not different in Greece.
Friday, July 6, 2007
July 6, 2007 Theater in the Park
There is a small park, about 2-3 acres, carved out of the hillside, right at the top of our street. It has a level area for performances. Last night, there was a theatre group there which put on a play, obviously for families, as it was lively and colorful. Even though I did not understand any of the speaking, I could get some idea from the actions.
The cast included a "royal guard" of eight, costumed to represent horses, with tails behind and heads which were held up by their "rider". It was fun watching them imitate riding horseback. They also were the chorus. What would a Greek play be without a chorus? Anyway the audience of about 100 enjoyed it.
Theodosia said the performance is arranged for this community by the mayor and that in the past, the mayor has invited Aris and his band to play there. They set up a low platform for the entertainers and white plastic chairs for the audience, which are both taken down and carried away afterwards. It was very low-key; no one was selling refreshments or anything else, just a freebie for the community. Very nice.
The cast included a "royal guard" of eight, costumed to represent horses, with tails behind and heads which were held up by their "rider". It was fun watching them imitate riding horseback. They also were the chorus. What would a Greek play be without a chorus? Anyway the audience of about 100 enjoyed it.
Theodosia said the performance is arranged for this community by the mayor and that in the past, the mayor has invited Aris and his band to play there. They set up a low platform for the entertainers and white plastic chairs for the audience, which are both taken down and carried away afterwards. It was very low-key; no one was selling refreshments or anything else, just a freebie for the community. Very nice.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
July 4, 2007 Supper in Monastiraki
Monastiraki is one of several centers in Athens that tourists like to visit. There is a large flea market there, but on last evening we had other things in mind. Theodosia took me on a driving tour to show me where the city bus would go so that I would know where to get off to visit Omonia "square". Actually Omonia is more of a circle than a square, with major roads leading from it like spokes from the hub of a wheel. We stopped at the Hellenic American Union, which teaches and certifies Greeks in English language proficiency, to pick up info about activities there. And then we stopped on the way home in Monastiraki at about 11 p.m. for supper.
Seated at a table outside on a busy corner we had ample opportunity to people-watch. We ordered souvlaki and mousaki and patates and cokes. While we were eating, several people came by with wares to offer. Greeks are adept at brushing these people off. They simply ignore them or use body language that is known to all. But when a little girl came by, Theodosia, who detests that children are allowed to work on the streets, asked her why she was selling things and the child immediately walked away. When another came by later, and Theodosia asked where is your mother, the girl, about six years old, simply turned her head away. When she asked a second time, the girl motioned in the vicinity of the open square where street salesmen had spread sheets on the ground to display their wares. When she asked where is your father, the girl averted her face but did not answer. Asked a second time she averted her face in the other direction, but she did not move from the table. She knew she had hooked a customer, so simply stood there without a word until Theodosia fished the Euro out of her purse to buy a cigarette lighter, and when she had the coins in hand, she immediately put them in her pocket and moved to the next table to repeat her performance.
Theodosia tries to understand what parent allows their six year old to sell wares on a busy street at 11 p.m. I pointed out that the girl was clean, well-dressed in a clean top and short skirt, with her hair carefully brushed so obviously someone cares for her, or else they have learned that she will make more sales if she presents herself that way. She contrasted with the gypsy children who were neither clean, well dressed or groomed. Her refusal to answer questions is likely on orders not to talk to people. But unless someone is lurking in the crowd keeping an eye on the child, I fear for her safety. We could see no one watching. The restaurant waiters, however, did not chase her away, so either she has tacit permission to be there or is allowed because she does not interfere with the trade.
Then we watched something that even Theodosia had never seen. I saw the man first, about in his early twenties. What caught my attention was that he had his eyes "glued" to the plate that had been shoved aside by the people sitting at the next table. His eyes never left the plate, not once, and then his hand slowly came out and closed over a potato and he walked away a few steps to eat it. Again he never looked at the people, only at the plate, and approached, slowly reached out and closed his hand over food on the plate and stuffed it in his mouth. When Theodosia held out a stick of souvlaki that we had not eaten, he did not take it but rushed off, tipping over the beer bottle from the table. The waiter came over calmly, picked up the bottle, and said "he will be back." So obviously he was known to them too. Theodosia said he must have something wrong mentally to act that way. I have to admit it was strange watching him, not dissimilar to a dog watching for a chance to get scraps from the table.
These members of society who exist on another level from those who have financial means, bob in and out of view like corks or pieces of jetsam on the surface of the ocean. With little effort it seems, we have trained ourselves not to see them.
Seated at a table outside on a busy corner we had ample opportunity to people-watch. We ordered souvlaki and mousaki and patates and cokes. While we were eating, several people came by with wares to offer. Greeks are adept at brushing these people off. They simply ignore them or use body language that is known to all. But when a little girl came by, Theodosia, who detests that children are allowed to work on the streets, asked her why she was selling things and the child immediately walked away. When another came by later, and Theodosia asked where is your mother, the girl, about six years old, simply turned her head away. When she asked a second time, the girl motioned in the vicinity of the open square where street salesmen had spread sheets on the ground to display their wares. When she asked where is your father, the girl averted her face but did not answer. Asked a second time she averted her face in the other direction, but she did not move from the table. She knew she had hooked a customer, so simply stood there without a word until Theodosia fished the Euro out of her purse to buy a cigarette lighter, and when she had the coins in hand, she immediately put them in her pocket and moved to the next table to repeat her performance.
Theodosia tries to understand what parent allows their six year old to sell wares on a busy street at 11 p.m. I pointed out that the girl was clean, well-dressed in a clean top and short skirt, with her hair carefully brushed so obviously someone cares for her, or else they have learned that she will make more sales if she presents herself that way. She contrasted with the gypsy children who were neither clean, well dressed or groomed. Her refusal to answer questions is likely on orders not to talk to people. But unless someone is lurking in the crowd keeping an eye on the child, I fear for her safety. We could see no one watching. The restaurant waiters, however, did not chase her away, so either she has tacit permission to be there or is allowed because she does not interfere with the trade.
Then we watched something that even Theodosia had never seen. I saw the man first, about in his early twenties. What caught my attention was that he had his eyes "glued" to the plate that had been shoved aside by the people sitting at the next table. His eyes never left the plate, not once, and then his hand slowly came out and closed over a potato and he walked away a few steps to eat it. Again he never looked at the people, only at the plate, and approached, slowly reached out and closed his hand over food on the plate and stuffed it in his mouth. When Theodosia held out a stick of souvlaki that we had not eaten, he did not take it but rushed off, tipping over the beer bottle from the table. The waiter came over calmly, picked up the bottle, and said "he will be back." So obviously he was known to them too. Theodosia said he must have something wrong mentally to act that way. I have to admit it was strange watching him, not dissimilar to a dog watching for a chance to get scraps from the table.
These members of society who exist on another level from those who have financial means, bob in and out of view like corks or pieces of jetsam on the surface of the ocean. With little effort it seems, we have trained ourselves not to see them.
Monday, July 2, 2007
July 3, 2007 School is in Session!
Public school classes in Athens ended May 16 and the next two weeks examinations were given, after which teachers graded papers and turned in their reports. Theodosia took me with her on the last day of school (last Friday) as she wanted me to see the campus. It is a Lycee, three years only, comparable to our junior and senior years of high school plus one year of college prep. Theodosia teaches algebra, geometry and "special math".
Classes do not end for her however. She has a full complement of students whom she tutors in preparation for college entrance examinations. These exams determine the level of college for which students may apply. Since her specialty is Math, the students she tutors are aiming for the premier science college, the Polytechnic Institute. She is in great demand because she has a reputation for getting her students well prepared. Parents beg her to teach their children, often offering to pay as much as double her usual fees if she will take them on. The phone rings constantly with requests for her help. Even though she limits the number of students she tutors, they take up all her day, five days a week. She will get vacation in the month of August when most families will go on vacation.
My education continues, too. Yesterday I rode the local bus circuit, without getting off, so I would see where it went. I paid special attention to how people signalled the driver to stop (a knob on some of the poles which when pressed lights up a sign in the front that says "WAGON HALT") and timed the ride for when it passed certain areas. We went by the main "plaka" in Haidari where Christos took me Saturday night to walk the promenade and have supper. I had noted a bank there so will go again today to exchange some money.
Violet, Theodosia's mother, gives me Greek "lessons" daily. These usually consist of her asking me questions in Greek, which I then try to comprehend and answer. The one good thing about her inquisitions is that she will rephrase if I do not get it the first time. Usually I find at least one word I recognize to give me a clue what she is asking and then I have to search for the words to answer. She doesn't trust herself, or me, because she always checks with Theodosia or Aris later to see if what she thinks I told her is really true.
When words fail, use body language, that age-old communication art-form.
Classes do not end for her however. She has a full complement of students whom she tutors in preparation for college entrance examinations. These exams determine the level of college for which students may apply. Since her specialty is Math, the students she tutors are aiming for the premier science college, the Polytechnic Institute. She is in great demand because she has a reputation for getting her students well prepared. Parents beg her to teach their children, often offering to pay as much as double her usual fees if she will take them on. The phone rings constantly with requests for her help. Even though she limits the number of students she tutors, they take up all her day, five days a week. She will get vacation in the month of August when most families will go on vacation.
My education continues, too. Yesterday I rode the local bus circuit, without getting off, so I would see where it went. I paid special attention to how people signalled the driver to stop (a knob on some of the poles which when pressed lights up a sign in the front that says "WAGON HALT") and timed the ride for when it passed certain areas. We went by the main "plaka" in Haidari where Christos took me Saturday night to walk the promenade and have supper. I had noted a bank there so will go again today to exchange some money.
Violet, Theodosia's mother, gives me Greek "lessons" daily. These usually consist of her asking me questions in Greek, which I then try to comprehend and answer. The one good thing about her inquisitions is that she will rephrase if I do not get it the first time. Usually I find at least one word I recognize to give me a clue what she is asking and then I have to search for the words to answer. She doesn't trust herself, or me, because she always checks with Theodosia or Aris later to see if what she thinks I told her is really true.
When words fail, use body language, that age-old communication art-form.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
June 30, 2007 Greek Traffic - Eek!
It is a good thing that I trust Theodosia when she is driving the car! Streets are not terribly narrow in all places but people park wherever they can find a place, both sides of the streets and on the curbs and sidewalks. And where do the people walk then? Why, in the street of course. So our car dodges not only other cars, but motorcyles, scooters, trucks, buses, huge repair equipment, dogs, people, open car doors - you get the picture. Because the view at intersections is often obstructed, the practice is to move into the intersection so you can see if there is oncoming traffic. When there is, they pass within inches of your front bumper.
The narrower streets are not all one-way, so there is much backing up and horn honking and squeezing by and poking one's car into the traffic hoping that the other cars will let you in.
The large main thoroughfares are a challenge just getting into the traffic. There is so much traffic that the center of the city allows cars only on odd or even days depended on your license number. Otherwise you have to go around or use the back streets. There are street signs but the names are long and in Greek characters, and we have gone by before I can even glimpse the name.
There will be no car driving for me! But there is a local bus that stops just at the foot of Theodosia's street and it makes a loop of the Haidari district - for free. That will be my first foray. At the top her street (she lives on a hillside) there is a city bus which will take me down to the center of Athens when I get brave enough and oriented enough to try that.
For now I am satisfied to explore the area on foot. Theodosia and Christos live on the outskirts of Athens. Probably we could call it a suburb. Athens reminds me a little of Albuquerque, NM, because the center is ringed by "mountains" but here they are closer to the center than in Albuquerque. My friends' house is on a street so steep it just stops and does not connect to the street above it which one gets to by a series of steps. They drive their car up the street, park in front of their house and when they leave, they back down the street to the next level. No worry about through traffic!
The narrower streets are not all one-way, so there is much backing up and horn honking and squeezing by and poking one's car into the traffic hoping that the other cars will let you in.
The large main thoroughfares are a challenge just getting into the traffic. There is so much traffic that the center of the city allows cars only on odd or even days depended on your license number. Otherwise you have to go around or use the back streets. There are street signs but the names are long and in Greek characters, and we have gone by before I can even glimpse the name.
There will be no car driving for me! But there is a local bus that stops just at the foot of Theodosia's street and it makes a loop of the Haidari district - for free. That will be my first foray. At the top her street (she lives on a hillside) there is a city bus which will take me down to the center of Athens when I get brave enough and oriented enough to try that.
For now I am satisfied to explore the area on foot. Theodosia and Christos live on the outskirts of Athens. Probably we could call it a suburb. Athens reminds me a little of Albuquerque, NM, because the center is ringed by "mountains" but here they are closer to the center than in Albuquerque. My friends' house is on a street so steep it just stops and does not connect to the street above it which one gets to by a series of steps. They drive their car up the street, park in front of their house and when they leave, they back down the street to the next level. No worry about through traffic!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
June 28, 2007 Haidari, Athens, Greece
Well, I worried for nothing. The plane was on time and we made the connection with no problem. We even had time go to McDonald's. (Mia and Marco did not think much of airplane food; can't say I was impressed either but it was adequate.)
We got through customs in Athens with no hassle and then went to get our luggage. Visitors are not allowed in the baggage area in the airport so we had to struggle with our heavy bags ourselves. I offered to get a cart, but I would have had to exchange some dollars and the children were so eager to see their father, they could not wait, so we towed our heavy bags as best we could, not too far, and then we were through the door and greeted enthusiastically by their father and by my friend, Theodosia.
Father and friend exchanged some rapid-fire Greek, I turned over passports to him, and gave him a phone number where he could contact me. We parted company with a promise to get together sometime in the summer. Then we walked out of the airport into a blast furnace! Athens was in the middle of the worst heat wave in thirty years. It was 89 degrees and not a cloud in the sky!
Theodosia had exciting news. The day before she had presented her thesis for her Masters Degree in Mathematics and received many accolades. It was the culmination of two and a half years of work and she was overjoyed to be released from a very hard year, but we needed to go to the University so she could get one more important signature for her accreditation. We spent as little time in the sun as we could and rested and drank lots of water and still I was near heat exhaustion when we got home. (She still drives the old Datson car she had two years ago and it has no A/C.)
The first thing I did was take a cool bath, but even then it was a long time before the heat receded from my face. The heat wave continued yesterday and is beginning to abate a little now. The TV advised people to stay inside or go to "cooling centers" if they did not have A/C. My bedroom has A/C. I slept most of yesterday, rising to eat a little, visit a little and then back to bed. My head was "thick" and I could not think well. Today I am myself again.
Today Theodosia and Christos' son, Aris, set up my laptop to connect on their wireless system, so I will be able to readily post to my blog. More later.
We got through customs in Athens with no hassle and then went to get our luggage. Visitors are not allowed in the baggage area in the airport so we had to struggle with our heavy bags ourselves. I offered to get a cart, but I would have had to exchange some dollars and the children were so eager to see their father, they could not wait, so we towed our heavy bags as best we could, not too far, and then we were through the door and greeted enthusiastically by their father and by my friend, Theodosia.
Father and friend exchanged some rapid-fire Greek, I turned over passports to him, and gave him a phone number where he could contact me. We parted company with a promise to get together sometime in the summer. Then we walked out of the airport into a blast furnace! Athens was in the middle of the worst heat wave in thirty years. It was 89 degrees and not a cloud in the sky!
Theodosia had exciting news. The day before she had presented her thesis for her Masters Degree in Mathematics and received many accolades. It was the culmination of two and a half years of work and she was overjoyed to be released from a very hard year, but we needed to go to the University so she could get one more important signature for her accreditation. We spent as little time in the sun as we could and rested and drank lots of water and still I was near heat exhaustion when we got home. (She still drives the old Datson car she had two years ago and it has no A/C.)
The first thing I did was take a cool bath, but even then it was a long time before the heat receded from my face. The heat wave continued yesterday and is beginning to abate a little now. The TV advised people to stay inside or go to "cooling centers" if they did not have A/C. My bedroom has A/C. I slept most of yesterday, rising to eat a little, visit a little and then back to bed. My head was "thick" and I could not think well. Today I am myself again.
Today Theodosia and Christos' son, Aris, set up my laptop to connect on their wireless system, so I will be able to readily post to my blog. More later.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
June 24, 2007 Seattle - Off We Go
Several calls to the airline finally convinced them to give me and Mia and Marco seats closer to the front of the plane to speed up disembarking in Newark to make our connection with the plane for Athens. The time between flights is only an hour and 45 minutes and if you fly, you know that all kinds of things can eat away at those precious minutes.
Having missed my connection in New York, because my plane had landed but sat on the tarmac and could not get to the gate, on my last trip to Athens, I will not breathe easily until my charges and I are on the plane headed out of Newark. My son, Jon, requested an electric cart to move us from one gate to the other. That will help if it actually turns up at the gate; the airlines is loathe to commit themselves that it will be there. "We will put in a request for it" is the usual response.
Jon made sure I have the proper converter to plug my laptop into the wall outlet once I am in Greece so, if I can connect to my friend's phone line, I can send email. If that doesn't work, there are always the internet cafes where for a few dollars you can get online to receive and send email.
Mia, Marco, and I will all meet at the airport at 5:30 tomorrow morning, Seattle time. We will arrive in Athens 10:30 a.m. the next day. I don't know about the younger set, but I will be ready for a long nap when I get to Christos' house. I don't sleep well on planes.
Next blog will be from Athens!
Having missed my connection in New York, because my plane had landed but sat on the tarmac and could not get to the gate, on my last trip to Athens, I will not breathe easily until my charges and I are on the plane headed out of Newark. My son, Jon, requested an electric cart to move us from one gate to the other. That will help if it actually turns up at the gate; the airlines is loathe to commit themselves that it will be there. "We will put in a request for it" is the usual response.
Jon made sure I have the proper converter to plug my laptop into the wall outlet once I am in Greece so, if I can connect to my friend's phone line, I can send email. If that doesn't work, there are always the internet cafes where for a few dollars you can get online to receive and send email.
Mia, Marco, and I will all meet at the airport at 5:30 tomorrow morning, Seattle time. We will arrive in Athens 10:30 a.m. the next day. I don't know about the younger set, but I will be ready for a long nap when I get to Christos' house. I don't sleep well on planes.
Next blog will be from Athens!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
June 21, 2007 Travel Notes
My daughter-in-law, Beth Whitman, who wrote the book, "Wanderlust and Lipstick: the Essential Guide for Women Traveling Solo", upon hearing my travel story, said that I should share it on my blog.
I bought my Town and Country van upon my retirement for the express purpose of having a place to sleep in the event my genealogy research needed one more day in an area. It is aggravating to drive miles to a motel when one is doing research in a small town off the beaten path.
Just such a situation presented itself in Allegany County last Monday. I was in the area where I wanted to be, and I needed one more day to do research. Folks told me there was a motel just off the state highway in the small town where I needed to see the town clerk. I located the motel set off in a field, on the outskirts of town, but I was not impressed and knew I would pay too much for what I would find. Just across the street was an ice cream stand and I stopped for a cone. Behind the stand was a small RV park, lawns nicely manicured and obviously not full.
I inquired of the manager, told him I only needed access to the washroom and would sleep in my van. He said I could pull in right next to his trailer and I would be only a few feet from the washroom. Since I needed neither water nor electricity, his camping fee was $10! Best of all, the washroom was the finest I have every found in a campsite. It had seats and foot pads in the showers, was light, clean, neat, well supplied and it was heated!
It took me five minutes to shift the van's back seat to the side, unroll my pad and sleeping bag. Then I went for a long walk in beautiful countryside. Bright and early the next morning, I bypassed McDonald's and had breakfast in the small restaurant in town where I got pancakes, sausage, eggs and home fries for $3.97. Tables there were shoved together so patrons could sit and visit. I inquired of these local folk about the Benham family and got not only clues but specific directions to a family home. This is my kind of fun!
I bought my Town and Country van upon my retirement for the express purpose of having a place to sleep in the event my genealogy research needed one more day in an area. It is aggravating to drive miles to a motel when one is doing research in a small town off the beaten path.
Just such a situation presented itself in Allegany County last Monday. I was in the area where I wanted to be, and I needed one more day to do research. Folks told me there was a motel just off the state highway in the small town where I needed to see the town clerk. I located the motel set off in a field, on the outskirts of town, but I was not impressed and knew I would pay too much for what I would find. Just across the street was an ice cream stand and I stopped for a cone. Behind the stand was a small RV park, lawns nicely manicured and obviously not full.
I inquired of the manager, told him I only needed access to the washroom and would sleep in my van. He said I could pull in right next to his trailer and I would be only a few feet from the washroom. Since I needed neither water nor electricity, his camping fee was $10! Best of all, the washroom was the finest I have every found in a campsite. It had seats and foot pads in the showers, was light, clean, neat, well supplied and it was heated!
It took me five minutes to shift the van's back seat to the side, unroll my pad and sleeping bag. Then I went for a long walk in beautiful countryside. Bright and early the next morning, I bypassed McDonald's and had breakfast in the small restaurant in town where I got pancakes, sausage, eggs and home fries for $3.97. Tables there were shoved together so patrons could sit and visit. I inquired of these local folk about the Benham family and got not only clues but specific directions to a family home. This is my kind of fun!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
June 19, 2007 Genealogy Sleuthing
For some time I have wanted to research in Cattaraugus County in the southern tier of New York State, so yesterday I drove west from Cortland. It took nearly all day to get to the County Clerk's office only to learn that the records I wanted were with the Town Clerk, back 20 miles from the way I had come. By the time I got to Hinsdale, it was 4 o'clock. Didn't matter. The Town Clerk didn't have an office anyway.
I knocked on the door of Lila Cooper, the local historian, a 95 year old former school teacher, who could rattle off names and relationships faster than I could write them down. She phoned the Town Clerk and got me an invitation to come and look at the town records at her home. Lila also told me the family I was interested in settled 7 miles further east which put me just over the county line into Allegany County. No wonder I could not find any of the people I had been looking for!
Bright and early this morning I visited the local restaurant, so popular that the owners have just pushed several tables together so that the regulars can sit together and chat. Visiting with folks there I got several more "leads" and spent the whole day happily looking up records, taking photos at the cemetery and visiting two other ladies in their nineties. Now that I have had my genealogy "fix", I can turn my attention to the next leg of my journey. Tomorrow it's off to Seattle!
I knocked on the door of Lila Cooper, the local historian, a 95 year old former school teacher, who could rattle off names and relationships faster than I could write them down. She phoned the Town Clerk and got me an invitation to come and look at the town records at her home. Lila also told me the family I was interested in settled 7 miles further east which put me just over the county line into Allegany County. No wonder I could not find any of the people I had been looking for!
Bright and early this morning I visited the local restaurant, so popular that the owners have just pushed several tables together so that the regulars can sit together and chat. Visiting with folks there I got several more "leads" and spent the whole day happily looking up records, taking photos at the cemetery and visiting two other ladies in their nineties. Now that I have had my genealogy "fix", I can turn my attention to the next leg of my journey. Tomorrow it's off to Seattle!
Saturday, June 16, 2007
June 16, 2007 A week in the north country
It's hard to believe that it was a week ago that I last wrote. Some of the time I have been unable to access the internet. But I have enjoyed the slower pace and seeing siblings and cousins I seldom see. My dad's birthday party was lots of fun; we had balloons, cake, ice cream, and gifts of course. My niece, Debbie, had printed up song sheets in large-size print, with lots of the old songs sung 60-70 years ago and the residents at the assisted living home where Dad stays enjoyed trying to sing them. My sister commented that one thing they found out about our Lee family is that none of us can sing! But we had a good time anyway.
I visited my father daily at the Adult Home. The second day I arrived right after he had taken a tumble. He evidently turned his foot under when he fell and had a slight bruise on it, and hobbled around for a couple of days, but by the time I left, he was walking much more normally, though he still wore a slipper on that foot. At 95 years, he still can play three bingo cards without missing a number!
Tomorrow I start wending my way south again by way of Cortland, NY, and then Cattaraugus County where I will take the opportunity to do a little genealogical sleuthing. New York state is beautiful in the summer. Lots of deer, birds and small critters, all shepherding their young at this time of year. Everything is so green and verdant. Greece is nowhere near as green but it has it's own charm.
I visited my father daily at the Adult Home. The second day I arrived right after he had taken a tumble. He evidently turned his foot under when he fell and had a slight bruise on it, and hobbled around for a couple of days, but by the time I left, he was walking much more normally, though he still wore a slipper on that foot. At 95 years, he still can play three bingo cards without missing a number!
Tomorrow I start wending my way south again by way of Cortland, NY, and then Cattaraugus County where I will take the opportunity to do a little genealogical sleuthing. New York state is beautiful in the summer. Lots of deer, birds and small critters, all shepherding their young at this time of year. Everything is so green and verdant. Greece is nowhere near as green but it has it's own charm.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
June 9, 2007 The First Leg
As I closed the door of my house today, I paused to breathe a prayer, enveloping the house in a golden aura of protection that it would remain safe while I was away. I remarked to a friend last week that this will be the longest continuous time that I have been away from home since I left to go to college. I like being home. I usually get homesick if I am away more than three weeks.
But just as when I went to college, I am sure Greece will hold many new experiences as well as the opportunity to grow and have a good time. (I must have an affinity for Greece as I took a term of ancient Greek in college to fulfill one of the classics requirements. The sum total of that semester is an ability to recognize and write the Greek alphabet. Period.)
However, first I will pay a visit to my father who celebrated his 95th birthday last week. I will see him tomorrow in northern New York, where I will spend a few days visiting family.
But just as when I went to college, I am sure Greece will hold many new experiences as well as the opportunity to grow and have a good time. (I must have an affinity for Greece as I took a term of ancient Greek in college to fulfill one of the classics requirements. The sum total of that semester is an ability to recognize and write the Greek alphabet. Period.)
However, first I will pay a visit to my father who celebrated his 95th birthday last week. I will see him tomorrow in northern New York, where I will spend a few days visiting family.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
June 2, 2007 It's all Greek to me!
While one of my Greek friends in Athens speaks fluent English, she should not have to translate everything for me. I have been working hard - about 4 hours a day - to learn more Greek. I'm using a variety of methods. I have some tapes from the library I use in my walkman, a Pimsleur language course on CD, a grammar text, vocabulary software on my PC and I have labels on my home furnishings showing their Greek names. (You'd be surprised how effective that last method is. It's the same as we used for early readers in the pre-school.)
Sometimes I feel like I am oozing Greek from my pores. I wake up in the morning with Greek phrases running through my mind and find myself automatically translating everyday conversations into Greek in my head. That's a good thing - unless I become too distracted. Right now I have two more days of office "temp" work and then I start packing.
Sometimes I feel like I am oozing Greek from my pores. I wake up in the morning with Greek phrases running through my mind and find myself automatically translating everyday conversations into Greek in my head. That's a good thing - unless I become too distracted. Right now I have two more days of office "temp" work and then I start packing.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
May 29, 2007 Count down mode
27 days to take-off and I am counting. My list is getting shorter, but some of the items take time.
How did I get to go to Greece for the summer? I applied as companion to accompany two children from Seattle to Athens where they will spend the summer with their father. My ticket to Athens is the pay for this service. Once I hand them off to their dad in the airport, the summer is mine until I bring them home in September. My friends in Athens are delighted I'm going to spend so much time with them.
I visited my friends, the Kostoulas family, in 2005 for ten days and they complained that was not nearly enough time to show me all they wanted to - so now they will have another chance and a more leisurely visit. I have no idea what we will be doing and that is part of the adventure and the reason for this blog, so you can share it with me.
How did I get to go to Greece for the summer? I applied as companion to accompany two children from Seattle to Athens where they will spend the summer with their father. My ticket to Athens is the pay for this service. Once I hand them off to their dad in the airport, the summer is mine until I bring them home in September. My friends in Athens are delighted I'm going to spend so much time with them.
I visited my friends, the Kostoulas family, in 2005 for ten days and they complained that was not nearly enough time to show me all they wanted to - so now they will have another chance and a more leisurely visit. I have no idea what we will be doing and that is part of the adventure and the reason for this blog, so you can share it with me.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Stay Young - Do Something New
Every year I want to have some new experience - (they say it helps one to stay young) and there are a plethora of new things to try. The last few years my new experiences have involved using my computer. A couple years ago I created my website. Now I am creating a blog, which I probably would not have been motivated to do except for the fact that I am spending the summer in Greece!
That means I will not be putting out the Douglass Digest for a few months, and my family and friends insist I must let them know what I am doing during the three months I will be gone.
If I can get this set up right, you should be able to see my blog right on my website. More later.
That means I will not be putting out the Douglass Digest for a few months, and my family and friends insist I must let them know what I am doing during the three months I will be gone.
If I can get this set up right, you should be able to see my blog right on my website. More later.
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