"ee it's reet grand for't' time o' year..."

Just writing the title to this weeks blog reminds me of how much the local people are getting into speaking Yorkshire English as a result of Sandra and I being here among them. You'll often here a Greek dialogue going "blah, blah, blah Luvley blah, blah grand" it's really amusing. On the subject of learning the lingo, we are definitely getting better although there is still a long way to go before we can hold a debate with them over whatever Mr. Papandrayou is taking off them this week but at least we can be understood even if it means going around a bit to get there. The weather is now about what you would expect a good day in August to be mid 20's and wall to wall blue sky although we have had a couple of dull days this week with drizzle it's still been "luvley" and warm. I read in someone else's blog (Tortusville) that they have just had breakfast outside for the first time this year, we do it most days but still not had an "Al fresco" evening meal because it's still chilling in the evenings, although with the change of clocks at the weekend it may herald the first BBQ of the year for us.

Last Sunday the kafenion was "Close-ed", so it was ride out day again for the Stavroy's and us. We were going to take them around the Amvraticus Gulf for the day staying off somewhere for something to eat but when we arrived at the petrol station to pick them up Mantha had a small case packed and said she was going to stay with her Daughter, Effie, in Lefkada for a few days, so we changed our destination and went for a ride around Lefkas Island with them and dropped Mantha at her daughters late in the afternoon before setting off home. I was surprised to show them things in Lefkas which they had never seen before despite living within an hours drive of the island like this picture of the islands of Skorpios (which belongs to the Onassis family), Meganissi and in the distance Kalamos and Kastos (the latter of which is marvelous and will be remembered for ever by Sandra and I and our good friends Allen and Jean). The picture was actually taken last year in February. We then went on to have Lunch at Vasiliki, a resort at the southern end of Lefkas Island. Again Jorgos surprised us by knowing a man with a taverna, it turned out that the owner, sat at the front of the table, was from the next village to us, Polystafilio (which translates to Many Grapes). After Lunch we went to see Effie who was at work at a posh hotel near Nidre called Ionian Blue rooms are about 300 Euros a night in season here but you can see why it's really top notch and it cost us 22 euros for four coffees and a mineral water (poli costizi!). This Picture is of Sandra and Mantha stood in the coffee bar overlooking the blue Ionian sea.

Monday and with no Mantha at the Kafenion Sandra was chief cook and bottle washer well she prepared lunches for the family and mezes (snacks) for the punters, she also kept the place clean and tidy so the Mantha didn't have to come home on Tuesday evening to a tip.

We have had a death in the village this week and old lady of 90 who we didn't know but it brought some interesting things to our attention. It seems that when someone in the village dies everyone in the village, and I mean everyone, stops working until after the funeral. This lady died on Monday morning and the funeral was Tuesday afternoon so no one worked for 2 days as a mark of respect. Her family also will abide by some other traditions such as they will wear black arm bands for 40 days and the will not celebrate Easter as this will be within 40 days of the death. The men in the family will not shave for the 40 days and no one will play music of TV loudly everything kept really quite and serene. At the end of the 40 days they will have a remembrance service followed by a large meal in a taverna to celebrate the dead persons life. This service and celebration will be repeated again after 1 year again after 3 years again after 5 years and again after 10 years. There's no wonder the Greek economy is down the tubes! Most people in this village have not worked for three days this week as today, Thursday, is a bank holiday, oh well...

We went to Lefkas again yesterday to get some bits of timber and order some foam rubber for a couple of little projects and when we returned we noticed a car parked just up the road in the place where we used to park ours, this is very unusual so we were a little curious. Half an hour later, Yanni who lives below us came up and explained it was his Daughter who had come to pick him up and take him into hospital at Thessaloniki, about three hours away, he would not leave until we had come home and he could let us know where he was and also give us the key for his house as no one else could be trusted, needless to say we have ransacked it and stolen all the money now! It is very touching the way that they seem to place a great deal of faith in us even though they don't really know us that well.

We have had lunch with Jorgos and Mantha at the cafe today. We had a traditional meal of salted cod fried with rice and mashed garlic potatoes, this is the last day before Easter that anyone can eat meat, fish, dairy products or eggs and they will be sustained for the next week with Bread, pasta, rice and beans with of course salad and vegetables. On the way back home Sandra picked some wild flowers along the road side and did this little arrangement, ahhhhhh. (Excuse towels etc. but we do live here!)