My Garden

 Green, green

The grass is green.

But we have no grass ....

Just oxalis and nasturtiums 

Last year was the year of the nasturtium. They took over all my winter garden. This year the oxalis has taken over, turning the brown earth to green.

And there are bees.  I heard bees buzzing among the yellow oxalis flowers.  It's a long time since I've heard bees.  They used to love the mint flowers in summer.  Maybe they'll be back enjoying the mint in a few months.

Our new door decoration.  We have this boat lit up at night.  The lights are very bright.  It's a pity we don't have passersby who can admire it too.

The lights come on automatically at 8 and turn off at 2am.  K loves fixing the electrical stuff

The grape vine is greening and so are the roses.

Poppi yet again did some perfect pruning

I love the way the nasturtiums come in a colour range

We have a pelican in the old wheelbarrow.  The rocket is still growing but it is almost time to plant a few tomatoes

A beautiful display of whatever these are

The mint under the garden tap grew all winter

Another colourful display.  However I've since had to pull this out.  It suddenly gasped it's last breath

Clean up is proceeding. I've already filled 3 huge bags of sorrel and nasturtiums

I've left a cover of nasturtiums in one corner.  They're still flowering

I shall turn this old outdoor grill into a planter too.  It's already got a good layer of old ash at the bottom

Winter Green

 I had better post this before the green turns to brown.  

Our larger neighbourhood in it's green winter coat..but not for long... 

Our neighbourhood taken from higher up

Our house is just out of the picture

Our neighbour up higher, Yiolanda, takes better photos than me. It all looks emerald green in this photo

Another of her photos

The perfect bow

My photo of the tiny flowers along our verges

Clumps of poppies everywhere

Tourists

 Tourist season in Crete has begun.

Flights from Britain and Germany today landing in Heraklion and Chania are being met by Cretan music, dancing AND glasses of raki and local delicacies.

Naturally these first, official,  tourists for the 2025 season are ecstatic and say they'll come again

(as long as their holiday resort is just as welcoming and up to their expectations and the sun keeps shining and the alcohol is cheap).

Meanwhile Santorini is filling with tourists as well. The strong quakes have stopped. Schools are open again and local businesses are hoping for a flood of Easter visitors.

Cruise ships which had been diverted to Crete have Santorini back as a  destination.

Ye gods and little fishes, I'd avoid Santorini like the plague after seeing that photo

So many tourists to see what?  A sunset that is brilliant on any greek island, and far better enjoyed without those crowds of other humans. 

Come to Poros 

The sunset is amazing here too, the Greek island atmosphere unequaled

Sunset with family

A Greek Island Evening

 Crisis before calm

Our power suddenly went out late afternoon.  Then Elli sent me a video taken from her rooftop.

Serious smoke.

A small church down near the waterfront was on fire.  It's rare to have a serious fire on Poros.

The interior of the church was destroyed but thankfully the building is ok and the houses right on top of it were saved.

Our electricity was turned off because there's also a transformer right up against one end of the church.

These last 2 photos from Frontline Reporter, grandson George, who just happened to be on scene

These little churches are always open and anyone can pop in and light a candle and say a prayer.

The candles are planted into metal bowls full of sand. Not easily upset.

I just heard, through the Poros grapevine, that it started when a bunch of wires caught fire.  I imagine the wiring was antiquarian.

One icon was saved.

A miracle, they say

Later in the evening

Dusk on Elli's rooftop terrace.

A warm spring evening with a glass of good wine and a meze, a view over the twinkling lights of Poros and it's harbour and across to the mountains on the mainland.

Looks idyllic doesn't it

Flags a Flying

 

Freedom or death 

Today commemorates the beginning of the war of independence from the Ottoman Turks

Blue and white flags are flying everywhere

School children from pre-school to High school parade along the waterfront 

It's a religious festival too

And a family gathering at a harbour café for us

Coffee for some

Or beer and salt cod with garlic sauce 

Luli and her mother

The reason it's a family gathering

Luli, the last of our grandchildren still at school and in the parade.

We all clap like mad and call out to her as she marches past.

And it wouldn't be a blog post without Poppi, and her Aunty Elli

Greek Coffee for Kiwis 2

 Cross her palm with silver and she will predict a long life and a tall blonde stranger. A cup of Greek coffee consists of an inch of coffee and another inch of grounds at the bottom.  If you want some fun, turn the cup upside down and my daughter, Danae,  will tell you your future

Gary and Tony

Preparing to learn their fate

We took our visiting kiwi family up to the Monastery cafe for 'coffee'. 

After their cappuccinos and cokes we ordered a Greek coffee so Danae could look into their future. 

Proprietor and friend, Meletis, brought us 4 big spoons and the four of them each sipped a couple of spoonfuls

This is the photo of the coffee cup ready for reading .

What can You see in that black mess?

Is that a dragon and over on the left  a genie with a teapot?

You'll read in a minute what Danae saw.

Sherryn and Gary having a first taste of thick grainy Greek coffee 

Danae saw a lion and a giraffe and a map of Africa.  They were obviously all going on  safari after their Greek trip .

A dragon? Sudden changes. That happens when you're travelling from the southern to the northern hemisphere. 

And she remembers seeing a koala????

Koala is not on Danae's list of greek symbols naturally but a bear is.  I know you're not supposed to call them koala bears but it's close enough.

A bear means a trip.

Those kiwi visitors do a lot of tripping around so she was right there 

Soon they'll be tripping to a Safari park in Africa.

Right????

And an octopus.

The octopus symbolises good luck and happiness.

 Good luck to have relatives on an exotic Greek island. 

Happiness guaranteed after a few ouzos and a plate or 2 of Ks traditional octopus meze.

Danae with me

So how much of that came true? 

The Octopus and ouzo!!! 

Reading the Grounds 1

 A teller of tales.

  

 Reading the dregs of a small cup of greek coffee is a fun way of ending a morning of coffee with friends. Most of us prefer a freddo (iced coffee) but now and again we order greek coffee for a special ritual

  One of my daughters, Danae, is really good at this.  Not only has she got a great imagination but she can see things we can't.  And often they come true

If she's not sure what somethings means, a fish perhaps or a flower then she consults her online oracle and all is made clear.

It's an ancient art called tasseography, or cafemanteia in Greek.

A greek coffee is served in a small cup (think espresso) and has an inch of dregs (mud) at the bottom.  To have your cup read you need to leave a little coffee or you'll just get a big black cloud.

Swirl the coffee and the dregs around and then turn it upside down and rest it on the saucer.

The end of the coffee with its dregs

Let it sit on the saucer for a few minutes so the grounds drip down and leave you a tell-tale pattern on the inside of the cup

Find an interpreter with some imagination 

Turn the cup up the right way and listen to your future

This particular coffee cup belonged to my other daughter, Elli. 

So this is what her sister says

She's going to have a few obstacles in her path.  But it'll all turn out well and she'll have success.

That's all a bit general but at least positive.

But the next prediction was

A holiday, probably by train

D could see a train and wagons

That's just what her sister needs.  She's an accountant and it's tax time.  

So I'll be keeping an eye on those prophecies and let you know.

Can you see the kiwi

A kiwi means????

Lots of visitors from Kiwi-land.

When the fortune has been told the reader gives the cup back and the other person puts her (or his) finger in the cup, makes a fingerprint in there and makes a wish.

Apparently the coffee ground reader should make a guess, using their intuition, as to whether the wish will come true or not.  We haven't done that but it sounds as though we need to have another coffee together and try it out.

More tomorrow...

With authentic Kiwis.