καλο πασχα (kalo Pasha, happy Easter)

Happy Easter every one hope you all have a good un! We have had another busy week up the the hills. Sandra was looking after the kafenion again on Tuesday while Mantha was with her daughter in Lefkas but no Mezes this time just kept the place clean and tidy and served a few drinks to the regulars. Jorgos has been asking for a while if I would have a look at his spit turning device on his BBQ prior to Easter as he didn't think it was working. I asked Sandra while she was at the cafe to bring it back with her in the car so I could have a look where I had plenty of tools and no one looking over my shoulder offering friendly advice! She asked Jorgos who said it was to big and heavy to get into the car so I would have to go down there and have a look, I thought this a little strange as they are usually just a small motor which you link onto the spit, normally no bigger than a small thermos flask. I duly went down there and found the BBQ was a real industrial job which you could probably get six lambs on with three rotating spits. It was built into a shed (as can be seen on this picture) at the rear of the petrol station and obviously this had been built around the BBQ as we had to take the door off and lever the machine through the door frame removing much paint from both. The machine stands about 8ft x 8ft x 3ft and we only want to cook a chicken!! (no I lie!) Anyway to cut a long story a little shorter after having a look at the wiring which was the usual untidy and suspect looking stuff that you find in Greece, I decided to just plug it in and find out if it worked. After plugging in I touched it gingerly to make sure that it wasn't all live and then switched on the motor, wow, it worked! So a good clean off and we are ready to get the Lambs stuck across it and the mint sauce ready!

While I was messing about with this Sandra was trying to fulfil a promise she had made last week to Liz and Tony to get them some straw to "bed" the 100+ red Easter eggs for their party on Easter Sunday. As it happened a 4x4 pickup truck pulled into the petrol station for a fill up and it was loaded with hay. She asked one of the guys there if he thought that she could have some of the hay and he said that it would be loads of money to acquire a bale, she said that she didn't want a bale and she just want to pinch a carrier bag full. So she went up to the driver with the man she had been talking to to interpret and grabbed a carrier bag full, I think he would have given her more if she had wanted.

Picture outside Jorgos and Mantha's Fuel station and Kafenion.

We have been to Lefkas again today to get the foam we ordered last week, that was a killer and for the Lefkas yachties benefit don't buy any foam from the place opposite the Lan Shop. A piece 1ft x 3.5ft x six inches cost 43 euros but it is good quality foam. I had asked them the price last week and they said that it wouldn't cost much at all, if it wasn't for the fact that we needed it almost now I would have told them to keep it. The lesson I suppose is to get a price before agreeing to buy it, lesson learnt! Anyway we had an enjoyable lunchtime with the guys down at Il Porto (sorry it's just Porto now) and delivered the straw and some baking Sandra had done for Flash before heading off to our favourite fish restaurant for a meal.

Post publishing extra:
I had forgotten to add that we now have our very own wild tortoise that pays us a visit caught him on camera here on the road but had to take him out of the undergrowth to get a decent picture as they are remarkably well camouflaged.

That's about it for now, Happy Easter again.... Hope that Tony's Party goes well and there are no more swimming pool incidents while you are all under the influence ;=)