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The whole country was covered in fine orange dust, from the Sahara, for days. My eyes were red and sore, the atmosphere heavy and dull, the horizon obscured and our car covered in orange streaks after a feeble few drops of rain. Thank goodness the skies have finally cleared and days are warm and sunny. The car is still a streaky mess.
The air was so damp that we lit a fire for a few nights. That should be the last of our fires. I've cleaned the wood stove and I don't want to see any more ashes. They've been strewn all over the garden all winter. We don't need any more fertiliser.
The whole extended family has been vaccinated from 18 year olds up. Grandchildren to grandparents, cousins and in-laws. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
Cafes and tavernas are opening with outside seating on May 3 which is the day after our Easter Sunday. No doubt all the island will be out if its a nice sunny day to celebrate this step back to normality.
Meantime Easter is coming up fast but it will be an easter similar to our last. No-one is allowed to travel back to their villages for this, the biggest holiday of the year. Many will try of course. There are sure to be loop holes.
The candle lit parade which takes place on Good Friday will take place this year but it won't be a gathering of the entire island. Each church will transport its flower decorated bier around their immediate neighbourhood . The midnight service on Saturday night will take place at 9pm, instead of midnight, with a curfew of 10pm. A huge difference from last year when the priest and chanter were the only ones at the midnight service. This year there will be worshippers outside. Its an important event because we receive the holy light on this eve which lights candles and shrines around the home.
23rd April is St George's day. Kronia Polla England. Because it lands in the middle of Lent this year the fiesta will take place on Monday after Easter Sunday, when my oldest grandson will surely be celebrating with his friends. Cafes and tavernas will be open with a curfew of 11pm.
This weekend is Palm Sunday when we can eat fish. On Saturday I shall make the sweet breads called Lazarakia to mark the rising of Lazarus.
Then Holy week begins with so many traditions and for some lots of church going.
We had the Sahara sand a few weeks back. I remember looking outside and the whole sky was yellow. It was obvious that something was about to happen. Now all our cars and outdoor things are covered with fine yellow Pine Pollen. WE need rain.
ReplyDeleteWe were hoping for a good downpour. At least it would have cleaned the car.
DeleteThat sounds busier than Christmas! Congrats on all being vaccinated now. Now you just have to deal with an influx of unvaccinated Athenians.
ReplyDeleteI bet they'll all turn up even though you're not allowed to move between counties...till 14 May I think.
DeleteWill be interesting to see what happens
Onions love wood ash.
ReplyDeleteOnion be eh, well no doubt that's why they're larger than usual this year
DeleteWe used to get that red Saharan sand too when we lived in Tenerife. It got everywhere!
ReplyDeleteGlad that you are all now vaccinated over there. I am due to have my second jab on June but am getting impatient as we still have odd cases popping up. We may have our borders fully open at the end of June, but with the talk in the UK of a third wave expected in the summer and this new India variant being resistant to the vaccines, I may just hibernate for the rest of the year!
That red dust won't just dust off, it has to be given a scrub. Hate it.
DeleteOur tourism opens on may 14 . Much could change!
There was a lot of dust here too, and it looks like it will rain only next October.
ReplyDeleteYou're worse than us. We should get a little rain till June. Not much falling at the moment
DeleteIf your family is all vaccinated, can you get together for Easter or are you still limited by the government orders?
ReplyDeleteBecause we live so close we can get together. So much fuss though
DeleteDo you still have to mask and keep social distancing? Like here.
ReplyDelete🌷🌿🌷
Definitely still masks and social distancing. We are slowly seeing freedom. Tourists in a couple of weeks
DeleteSounds just like when the bush fires were in Oz and we had yellow skies here, frightening.
ReplyDeleteYes you're right, but without that dangerous smoke !!
DeleteThe sand sounds awful. We had family living in interior Australia for a while and they used to get a lot of sand storms that sent sand into everything.
ReplyDeleteLove hearing about all your traditions and celebrations :)
Oh boy I would hate to have gritty sand in everything. I shouldn't complain!
DeleteBlessed Holy Week to you and your family! We are able to be there in person here in California, but in limited numbers, masked and socially distanced. But it's much better than last year, as you say.
ReplyDeleteThank you and same to you. Much much better than last year. No Holy light and no family gathering back then
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