16th, 17th, 18th week Greek East Coast to Rafina Docks, Andros

Monday 15^th August 2011 One of the residents had a flock of white ducks some others ducks which had very funny red frills on their necks and heads! You can tell I don't know anything about ducks. However they had shelter and lots of corn, someone had thrown them a water melon. Lots of people were swimming off this beach and there was the usual taverna linked into another beach just a bit up the coast. That night a café not far from where I had parked drew in a lot of customers and the parking space became quite full. There were now 3 motorhomes here, 2 Italians and me. The outlook to sea was wonderful being a bay, surrounded by the mountains of the coast around me and islands out to sea, shame about the slight haze not sure whether it was pollution or sea fret.

Put in more diesel at 38071 80€, (N38°21'27” E23°19'15” don't know why I took this GPS must have been a good spot!) Tried to follow the coast road as much as I could, it was so hot I decided to stop for a swim at Eriksson Pemptis Martiou between Kbardi and Koraliou N38°20'07” E23°42'58”, debated whether to stay here but the parking was right on the road. Stayed until sunset and then drove further south to what looked like a good spot, other people were camped there. I noticed that this area was inhabited by an abundance of seiks with their turbans, obviously they had migrated here and found a living. It was a very large space, a pizza restaurant to the south and a low building opposite the beach called Atlantis.

Atlantis, open air disco

The Restaurant next to the carpark camping spot

The Borganvillia Balcony at Sara's 

Only later at about 10.30 pm did I find out it was an open air disco! Got out the ear plugs, music at least didn't thump to my very bones, slept quite well, until I woke and there was silence. (Leoforas Athion 38102 miles N38°19'21” E23°46'-59”) (157km from Sara including ferry.) At Kalamos (N38°17'52” E23°54'10”) I stopped at a small fruit and veg market in the town. Only bought 70c worth of green apples but because I had waited quite a long time for a couple of Greek ladies to decide on their purchases, the young stall holder gave me four over ripe bananas for being patient. From here, I took a road that I thought would take me along the coast, but just a dead end. I stopped by a café, Katherine the owner invited me in for coffee, I declined because, I said I had to get to Rafina by 2pm. She was fascinated because I was on my own and this was the first of the Greek feminine “Bravo's” I had along the route. Got lots of others on arrival at Andros, in Sara's village when she explained where I had been etc., to the Greeks in their own language. I did eventually find my way to Rafina, drove straight into a very empty port, and waited for Sara to arrive from the airport from the UK. She had been to look after her mother who had recently broken her femur and had had convalescence, eventually returning home for her other sister Jenny to take over the caring. I hadn't seen Sara since 2007 so we had a lot to talk about. We bought the ferry ticket, bit steep 106€ just one way, cheated a bit on the length of the van too! When we finally got around to boarding, the official did look a long time at the van's length and I began to feel quite guilty. We boarded early as the boat didn't leave until 5.30pm we sat in the lounge and drank very good cups of tea, whilst the boat filled up with Athenians taking their August vacation on Andros. On arrival, we could see John waiting on the quayside. He was there to pick up some other Brits, a lady who had had a car accident and had had to go to Athens in order to have her wrist put in plaster overnight! I learn later that John had a funny turn one night, whilst Sara was away and a friend was called, whose driving wasn't the best! She said John certainly wasn't that ill because he was able to have a go at her about her driving to the Clinic at 3am in the morning! He also had a retired theatre sister in attendance explaining what the Greek medical staff were doing! Other neighbourly ladies looked after their animals during John's brief absence in order to decide whether or not he had had a heart attack. Fortunately not, but overwork on some satellite dishes, dehydration, too many carbohydrates had given him a warning shock to make certain life changes!

Looking out from the balcony

The journey to their house was beautiful, up a very winding road. We by passed the short cut as it was very steep and the van would have bottomed out and then past the local church to their road, which I thought was OK as I drove down, did bottom out a couple of times until I parked in front of their house, on quite a steep drive. Turned round, put on chocks and sorted myself out whilst Sara cooked dinner on the BBQ. Well, we still didn't stop talking, it was 11pm before I went to bed! Late for me.

The Toad on the balcony

All tired the next morning, catching up on events, phone calls coming by the dozen to welcome Sara home. We did eventually go back into Batsi to the supermarket for supplies and I noticed the road that I had driven down. Well, my head was on a different planet. If I'd been normal I don't think I would have driven down their road. But I have to go up it. At the rear of my van there is a bundle of wires very inconveniently coming outside one of the main metal struts at the back, very bad design, and the outside protective cable was no longer protecting the wires. Not good, probably worse on the way up! There go the lights again. Well have to think of something to protect them before venturing out onto the main roads again! The next few days went by meeting the local Brit population and many of the Greeks from the village. We went to a Church day on Tuesday 23rd August. The service started at 7.30am, we got there around 10am. The church was full, people outside in their Sunday best, although it was a Tuesday. Many came because they had been born in this village, but subsequently lived in Athens or elsewhere. The Papa got increasingly cross with all the talking going on and he seemed to make the service last even longer, till 11.45am. Many people were getting quite fed up. There was breaking of the bread, huge loaves with aniseed, yummy, small cakes in aluminium trays. You were invited to have a sprinkle of lemon and oil to freshen your hands by the Church warden. We had been invited to Christos and Zoe's house for Tsipouro, nibbles, which then turned into a full blown meal! Lovely leek and cheese flaky pastry flan, moussaka, Greek salad; then pasta and tomato sauce, then bread and cheese and finally water melon! I'd had some kind of heavy spirit earlier which I decided not to replenish, just stuck to water. We were all quite stuffed, returned home and slept for quite a while. We had visits from neighbours who wanted to meet this woman who had been travelling by herself across Europe. Although quite an achievement, I just do it.

The Caretaker of the small monastery along the coast

Can't say that I'm not nervous at times, you have to keep vigilant always, but it has been lovely to just sit back and not have all the responsibility for living for a few weeks! Unfortunately Sara's mum had a set back, serious pain, contemplation by surgeons as to whether they would have to re-operate, so life with long distance phone calls was quite stressful for a number of days. Added to which my cousin's sister was about to visit on the 31st August and there was lots of talk about her previous eventful visit!

On Thursday 25th August we went to Angelos and Christina's house for a Greek supper. Apparently he's quite well known in Greece and he appreciated the fact that Sara and John didn't know about him, and appreciated their acceptance of him as just a normal person! He produced music records/CD's in Athens and we were welcomed to Beatles music quite loudly from inside the house, then modern jazz and finally Adele 21. Again the welcome was marvellous, the food very varied, break sticks,bread, mushroom/garlic dip, very strong local cheese, aubergine/garlic dip and what ever you wanted to drink. Being on antibiotics, I declined, so Sprite was the drink for me. The second course was mushroom flan, rice and vegetables with a lovely dressing and of course another very tasty vegetable salad and some meat balls for the non-vegetarians. Desert consisted of a lovely chocolate/orange biscuit mouse and a walnut cake with honey drizzle. Explosion of tastes, but being eaten gone 10pm with nearly all the ladies smoking in between courses. Which, sorry didn't go down very well with my digestion! I think we left, with others around 12 o'clock having had a really good meal, mostly Greek conversation, but fascinating to listen and watch their facial expressions, hand gestures and speed at which their language came out! Don't know whether I ever could learn this language; not good at any language, including my own!

Local Government Building in capital Hora

On Saturday 27th August we went into Batsi for the 75th Birthday dinner for Sheila, the local Anglican vicar. There were a good 15 people attending, seated at a long table. Talking went on for some time and we didn't get our dinner till about 9.30pm which obviously made it very late before eating! Don't think I'll ever get used to that. However, the portions were very large and it was beautiful, although overfull we had a good evening surrounded by the last of the Athenian visitors to the island for the August holiday. That night we walked along the sea front to the car park only to find Greek parking at its worst. John's car was surrounded on all sides by cars! We couldn't get out. The air was getting quite colourful. Knowing Greek habits John knew it was hopeless to move these cars, it could be hours. However, in true Luke fashion, and being an ex-cop, he manoeuvred his car gently until he was in front of a gap probably as wide as his narrow Hyundai 4x4 car.

With wing mirrors pulled in, Sara on one side and me on the other, he worked his way with less than an inch on each side through the gap, without touching either car! Big star for John Luke for having the patience. He later said he was about to buffer the front of the car and push one of them out of the way! Really glad he didn't do that, but it's something you consider doing when the Greeks park the way they do, without any thought, except enjoying their night out! I think this was the same in Turkey too!

Hora along the coast, beautiful

On Monday night Sam the local vet, her boyfriend Yanni, and Irenei, a veterinary nurse and also an American Greek, arrived for a discussion on the annual donkey charity event. This is being organised again with a the local veterinarian Sam, John Luke (farrier) and a visiting vet, equine dentist and a farrier all from Thessoloniki attending for 4 days towards the end of September. There is a film advertising the charity on YouTube namely http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtxUTCVUJTg we've delivered a lot of advertising sheets for further distribution. Sara and John make their home available for the visiting veterinarians for the duration.

Old Dove Cote

18^th week; Andros

We were also waiting for another lady to appear, but she didn't and we couldn't get hold of her. The conversation got round to the Greek state of affairs and we heard Sam and Yanni giving their opinions, which were totally opposite to the American and British opinions about their country. We did feel there was a lot of heads in the sand. Instead of trying to stamp out the corruption in the political field and bringing in new honest people, preferably not people already involved in 'family' politics they just didn't want to be involved, which obviously isn't going to solve their country's problems. They didn't like suggestions that they sell off some of the country's assets, or their own in order to raise taxes, they felt they shouldn't have to do that. Who was going to pull Greece out of the mire. The conversation just had to end there as it was really late, after 12.

My cousin and her husband arrived on Wednesday 31st August. Life changed somewhat over the next few days.  The weather having been very windy last week, then a few very grey days, has perked up again and is quite hot. We visited another restaurant last night down on the beach owned by Yannis and Sally, Sara's long term English friend. It was a grand meal. We had taramasalata, only white soft row, not a colouring in sight, cheese puff balls (hand made), something I'd never had before and reminded me of my mothers' Welsh Rabbit. Afterwards, along with some red wine, we each had different courses, Sara and I had chicken kebab, some salad and small portion of chips, John and Desna had pork braised in brandy and Ouzo and Peter had goat casserole. We had water melon and figs to finish and the others had Raki, I didn't indulge. Again we ate very late and got home after 11. Slept in very late next morning 8.50am, latest but I was exhausted when I got up! No nap yesterday! Revived after a long sleep at midday.

Following John back down to the carpark

Saturday, 3rd September 2011. Didn't do a lot today, mainly recovering after a long day yesterday. Now it's got a bit cooler I'm going down to sort out my battery, which had lost a lot of it's charge. Mended the wiring loom yesterday, re-insulating the wire damaged on the journey down the drive here! Van started better next time. Feel that the battery needs topping up. Have found that the alarm can be put in Valet mode so that you can disconnect the battery, and actually fill up the battery with distilled water.

Well that didn't happen, we decided that the battery was actually getting old and wasn't keeping its charge. Although the transparent indicator on the battery didn't show white, it was just black, no green at all, and according to the instructions that meant the battery was nearing its end! Screwed everything back up, plugged in the battery charger, will keep my fingers crossed till I got home. It really was good having John there, I could bounce information and knowledge off him.