Away Day

A different sort of day.  One which occurs only when we must make hospital visits or get official papers stamped or like today when we got a new sticker to say our car has passed its fitness test and a new pair of glasses for me.

It always means an early start.  Mornings are dark and damp.  I don't like having to go out early in the winter.  The sun didn't really start warming me up until 11am today.  

We made the 9.10am car ferry across to the mainland.  Takes slightly more than 5 minutes to cross.  No wind and so no waves today.  And the ferry was only half full.  At least I didn't have to back the car onto the ferry but I still 'bite my nails' while K is doing the backing.  I  get into a tizzy when I have to do it myself.  I get my rights and lefts mixed up, blame that on the foreign language, but I'm still not exactly sure how to turn the wheel when the parking guy shouts 'straighten up'.  I'm one of those dithering old women who shouldn't be allowed to have a license, sometimes.  Everytime, which fortunately is not often, I swear and declare I'll leap (crawl) out of the car and demand they park the darn thing themselves.  They will if you insist but that would really be admitting I'm a dithering old tart/fart.

But K drove on today.  First on, zoom right down the back (I would be zig-zagging!) till you almost hit the bollard.  Then watch and smirk at the other drivers.

First stop, coffee and cheese pie for the road.  He's driving so I have to pull off small pieces and feed him.  No, I don't eat greasy cheese pies so early in the morning.  Upsets the stomach and we don't want that on a road trip.  But I'm the one who gets covered in crumbs and greasy, cheesy fingers breaking off small bites for the driver.

On the road again.  We have a routine.  First we listen to the news channel and then switch over to greek music.  Oh more joy.  But it keeps the driver happy.  'We' (not me) cross ourselves at every church along the route and there are quite a few of those.  I could give you a long list of them, their fiesta days, and the monasteries we pass too.  But I won't.  Half an hour later we pass into the Mythical Peloponese, so the sign says.  This is the lower part of the great greek mainland.  As well as churches and monasteries there are endless signs for ancient ruins, 4,000 year old bridges, mythical fortresses, museums, age old walk ways, bla bla bla.  Every step a trip through history.

Passing through acres and acres of citrus orchards. All the trees laden with oranges, lemons and mandarines

Second stop, the coffee shop next to the big supermarket round the corner from the ancient theatre.  Time for a quick wee and a coffee for me.  I know all the loo stops between here and anywhere!  Otherwise it would be 'crouch' over a prehistoric footpath or hide behind an ancient piece of rockery.  

Then on to the city of Nafplio.  Car fitness test, done in half an hour.  Off to order my new glasses.  Got that done in 10 minutes.  The 3rd pair of frames I tried were just perfect and they had these diddly sunshades which slide on and off too.   The have to be sent to Athens and next week will be couriered to Poros.  No hassle. 

It's market day so parking is non-existent.  We didn't go to the market.  Good I say.  It's fruit, vegetables, clothes, plants, fish, knickers.  Too many people.  We'll go to the Poros market on Friday.  Only fruit and vege.  We didn't want knickers anyway.

But just down the road where we could double park was a van selling olive trees.  Hooray.  I've been wanting to plant one in our back garden for ages.  6 euros for a tree about a metre high and guaranteed to give us enough Kalamon (kalamata) olives to fill up a few jars, so they said.

A quick stop to pick up an envelope of test results from a nearby lab for a relative and off to LIDLS.  I piled bags of macaroni and linguini in the trolley for the kids and managed to find another 40 euros of 'stuff' for us including a big bottle of red wine.  No-one around us seems to have red wine this year.  A 2 litre bottle for 2.50 euros was a bargain.  I hope I enjoy it.  All the shopping has been put away now and I can't even remember what else we bought.  I do recall vaccum packed boiled beetroot to the horror of my dear traditional husband who wants only the fresh stuff and the leaves as well.  He found  a couple of screwdrivers which I feel were superfluous.  How many screwdrivers does a man need?

Off again, this time heading for home.  We had a stop at another supermarket to pick up 4 packets of cornflakes for our neighbour.  She only eats this certain brand and it was on our route and I bought a bit more 'stuff' there as well.  We sat and had a more leisurely coffee and a ham and cheese roll (greek mpagket, french baguette )
and made it in time for the 3.30 car ferry back to Poros.  Done and dusted till another trip next week, this time for tests at a hospital, nothing serious.