We have brought a little bit of Manchester with us to Greece. Mainly in the form of unseasonably cool and cloudy weather, but I also develop my own cold with hoarse voice, runny nose and alternating between feeling hot and shivery.
So it’s not a great way to start our holiday, but fortunately we are starting in Greece and in the company of Barbara and Peter. Barbara is still recovering from a broken ankle from when she fell, taking the dog for a walk, back in February. And the pace of life in the village is naturally peaceful and slow, or mostly so......
Our days start early, when Dimitri and his gang of builders arrive to landscape the garden. The gentle sound of the concrete mixer, competing with the more rural sounds of the braying donkey and the cockerels greeting the new day.
They are doing a great job however
And the days start with optimistic sunshine, sparkling on the sea, heralding the start of a glorious and warm day. But this doesn’t last. Usually by lunchtime grey clouds fill the sky and I am wearing every warm layer I have.
The exception to this is Sunday, our final day, which has warm sunshine from beginning to end
But we are not here for the weather, and it’s great to catch up with our hosts. Barbara has bought an office chair, which she uses to travel at speed around the ground floor kitchen and living area.
Time spent cooking and assembling meals is probably my favourite time. Nothing is rushed, and laughter fills the house as we chat, prepare the food, and chat some more
Peter and Barbara have acquired a stray local puppy, who is now a very lively and somewhat mis-shapen two year old. Jumbo loves to be around people and accompanies us on walks along the mountain tracks. Compared to our previous visit the wild flowers seem less abundant. The seasons are moving earlier, as our planet warms, and it is surprising how much change has occurred in only five years
But the wild flowers amongst the olive groves are still impressive enough, with a profusion of butterflies and the scent of wild herbs filling the air.
We have several trips around and about during our stay:
Finikounda: a nearby coastal village, where we ate at a small restaurant overlooking the sea. My lamb with roast potatoes was wonderful, tender meat full of flavour and lemon infused potatoes. So simple, so tasty
Drive up to a local hilltop church
overlooking Finikounda
and Peter sharing his knowledge of the local fauna
Trip to Nestor’s Palace, a bronze age Mycenaean site referenced in Homer’s Odessy, and destroyed by fire over 3,000 years ago. We spent a long time at the ticket office negotiating a €3 discount for Peter as a Senior Greek resident. Vera and I, as Senior residents of Brexit Britain, did not qualify for this. Although quite modest as a palace, it still manages to impress. The storage jars for olive oil are still in place; the stone bath, evidently a perk only available to those of the highest rank; the hundreds of drinking vessels, highlighting the social nature of food and feasting
Bird reserve near Pylos
Vera firing up the new BBQ. We are leaving tomorrow, but warm sunny weather has returned at last
Beer and kebabs in the local bar on Sunday evening. We are joined by Johannes from Denmark
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