15th August

 15th August.  The biggest holiday of the year. A church holiday marking the Dormition of the Virgin Mary.  To everyone's disappointment this year it falls on a Sunday and workers don't get an extra days holiday.

Athens has emptied of cars and greek people and they all seem to have come to Poros for the week.  If you want to visit central Athens this is the best time to do it, as long as you don't mind the  midday sun.

Poros is full.  Cars are everywhere.  There's always a line outside the supermarket, cafe tables are like hen's teeth and if you want to eat you'd better make a reservation.

We go for coffee in the early morning when tourists are still sleeping and sit on our table for a few hours enjoying the strange sight of all these transients.  We spend the mornings drinking freddo espresso and watching the yachts smack against each other as the car ferries create waves making fast journeys between island and mainland.

Then we go home and keep out of their way.  Our neighbourhood has filled up and the once upon a time youngsters have grown into rowdy teens and almost adults.  For the past two nights one of the houses across the valley has had noisy parties till 5 in the morning.  By road they are a kilometre away but as the crow flies they are too close for comfort and noise carries very clearly.  They had better leave soon or shut up before someone around here explodes.

We spent a very quiet 15th August, sleeping late because of the disruption and then drinking coffee and observing the ants.  This wasp was swatted to the ground, deceased.  5 minutes later it was surrounded by an army of tiny scurrying ants who pushed it up flagstones and down into the ruts between before, one metre and 10 minutes later, disappearing with it down a hole.  

They've got enough dead flies and wasps to last them through several winters.  

On the Eve of the Feast of the Virgin we were invited to a taverna by the sea.  It's a very greek taverna with hard uncomfortable wooden chairs with woven mat bottoms. That doesn't stop us from always being the last to leave. 

 Typical of its kind.  Greek salads and courgette fritters, chips, tzatziki, fresh fish if you can afford it and grilled meat.  It's the first place we bring all our family when they visit.  Lots of good memories and even more photos.

This was towards the end of the evening.  A table full of half empty dishes, mucky plates and assorted drinking glasses.  Everyone relaxed and happy.  We had birthday cake as well.  Our favourite greek relative was celebrating her birthday and her name day.

Kronia Polla Yioula. xx