Back in the swing

Well we've been back now for something just under 2 weeks and it seems like yesterday, don't know how we used to get any enjoyment from a two week holiday when we were working, the time just seems to fly by.

Thank you to all those who sent me cards and good wishes for my birthday on Saturday we had a nice quite day in knowing that Sunday was Jorgos' day off and that chances were that he would be calling on Sunday morning to say are we going upstairs for kafe (up into the mountains for a coffee). I also got a pressy from Jorgos and Mantha of a candle on a glass dish which looked very pretty but probably a bit girly for my tastes so Sandra has it now. They don't really do Birthdays as such because their name day is the important thing for them but I don't think there is a saint Les so I may be able to start a trend there!

Sure enough we were half way through washing with the twin tub when the phone rang and Jorgos says we are ready we go upstairs for Kafe! Half an hour later they all turn up at our door and we set off for the hills. The picture on the left shows the Taverna we went to in an idyllic setting up in the mountains. The guy stood up is the owner, he was a journalist for the Athens Times and bought the cafe when he retired. He's a really nice guy and of course speaks no Anglika. We had only intended having a coffee and then moving on but there were about 60 people in who were having a wake after a memorial service at the church next door. Of course they had a meal and wine laid on and insisted, Greek style that we ate and drank with them. So we had a free meal.

After we had stayed long enough to ensure we wouldn't cause any offence, the discussion turned to were we would go next. Mantha had for a few days been going on about Metsovo and how she would like to go there, I had said that we would wait for better weather in the spring as we had had more than enough of the white stuff when we were in England. However she had a strategy and had obviously arranged with Effie to get a vote going and despite my misgivings Metsovo it was.

Metsovo is like the Greek equivalent of St. Moritz a tourist town just below many ski resorts and is geared up for all the skiers. I had a feeling from when we passed it going to Thessalonika, that it would be a couple of hours driving but Christos said no it would only be one hour, he was spot on as well. Because it was sunday and many people had come to visit and the police had stopped cars going down into the town but were parking them on the road which passes above leaving about a 1km walk into the town itself. There was a free bus shuttle down but we chose to walk down rather than wait for the bus. When you get there it has the look and feel of an alpine resort rather than Greek, you could almost be in Switzerland or Austria. This photograph was taken from the road above the town near where we parked the car as you can see it's very beautiful (polly ormorphos). While in the town Jorgos met up with some people he knew (the village doctor) and he insisted that the doctor and her sister go for a coffee with us so the Mantha Effie and Sandra went to a taverna for a meal and the boys with their new guest went to a coffee house for Kafe Elleniko (Greek Coffee). After about an hour we re-met and had a look around the town before catching the shuttle bus back up to the main road. After this we returned back to our house and had Coffee and some very expensive "pasta" (small Cakes) which Sandra and Mantha had bought in Metsovo. A very nice day out for all.

On Monday we decided that as the weather was somewhat colder than it has been we would have a trip to Arta to get the new washing machine we had promised ourselves while the sales were on so we had a look around and the best deals were to be had at Kotsovolos which is owned by Dixon's. We got a automatic washer and a 26 inch television for about £500, which has had to go on the credit card to be paid off over a few months as we are skint at the moment. The washer will make it better for Sandra as she won't have to rinse out all the clothes by hand in cold water how that the weather is chilly, and now we can see the Telly from the other side of the room so we both benefit from it, just hope we don't get chucked out of the house as we can't possibly bring all this lot back to England!!!

Tonight, we are going to Ioaninna for a bit of a knees up. All the people in Assos are going it's like a festival type thing but I'll tell you more about it next week.