First Swim

June 2024

Our first swim in the sea. 

A dismal sight on an island that lives from tourism.

A dusty beach.  No shade and not a drop to drink

Our local beach, Vayonia, which I write about every year.

We miss the old days when we swam and then sat at the beach bar enjoying an iced coffee.  K talked with the lads there and I read my book.

People still come, cars line the beach but it's not an enjoyable experience.  Many come, take a look, turn around and leave.  Groups of young tourists on quad bikes drive in yelling, noisy and belligerent and do wheelies along that stretch of dusty foreshore kicking up clouds of dirt, reving their engines and being damn annoying.

In the days of the beach bar the boys cleaned flotsam and jetsam from the sea and kept the beach clean, watered down the dust and dirt.

Where the locals gather

Under the only shade. Trees hanging down over a small piece of beach.

2016

Days gone by

The beach as it once was

A much younger Poppi

Fun in the sun

Jumping off the rocks

Under parental supervision

Beach bar

About 10 years ago

Papou with the grandchildren

I remember this. The kids had a sleepover and we went down at 8 am, waking up the sleepers on the yachts in the bay. Then we had a picnic breakfast. When the bar opened we all went for coffee and drinks. Great memories.

The canteen was closed down by the archeological department and by complaints from the one house on the beach. They turned it into a Airbnb and didn't want a noisy bar in front of them.  The visitors who stay there might have thought differently. It was rarely open at night and would have given the people who stayed there a place to drink and buy easy Greek  meals. Greek salad and souvlaki

 

Last Supper

 Time to say 'adieu' but not goodbye to the last of our visitors. 

Till next time.

We gathered for their final meal at a harbourside Souvlatzidiko. 

 What would you choose?

Greek salad?   Kalamari?   Mousaka?

They chose souvlaki!

Gyro, shaved off the big roll of pork or chicken bits.

Loaded with potatoes, onions, tomatoes and tzatziki and wrapped up in grilled pita bread.

Souvlaki and beer. Classic Greece

Can't have a blog post without Poppi and without K. Niece Julie, and a line up of empty Greek Alpha beer bottles. 

Next morning after early morning coffee and beer we loaded them and 40 kilos of NZ Herbivore butter onto the Hydrofoil for Athens and then onto London.

There'll be another Post very soon about this marvellous butter.  Craig and Julie were attending exhibitions in Thailand and London, with this cooler full of butter, showing and selling their product.  What's inbetween Bangkok and London?  Why Poros of course.  Another couple of frequent visitors.

Bye Jules, you might need to find your jacket before you land in  London. 

Oiiii Danae, where do you think you're going?

Give back that suitcase and get away from the gangplank.

Move it, move it!

See you All again soon

Thanks for coming

Tony and Rainy

Julie and Greg

Princess Anne and Nils Holgerson

Gary Cooper and our Enchantress Seirena

K, and most greeks, have trouble getting their tongues around English names so he renamed some of them 

🤔😅😁

Our next visitors are from Australia. We are already on their case. 

Blocko

 Our mountain road is sealed off for the long weekend to stop any accidental, or not, lighting of fires. Good work municipality and volunteers.

Visitors are allowed as far as our rustic Paradise Taverna. They can't visit the beach below us or the ancient ruins. They're not missing much.

Residents are allowed through naturally. The people on the *blocko are known to us and we are known to them. We stop for a chat before proceeding 

 - *A road block, blocko or mploko in Greek.

- no 'b' in Greek so 'mp' makes the same sound. Apparently.

- Don't be bamboozled by the greek letter Beta written as 'B'  but sounded 'V' in Greek.  The Greek alphabet starts Alpha, Veta....not alpha, beta

Greek lesson coming up sometime soon I think. 

A strong hot, dry wind has been blowing for days. There are wild fires endangering villages all over Greece. We don't want wild fires around here. 

I'm on smoke alert. At any whiff of fire I'm out in the road surveying my realm. 

The land next door is full of dry grass and brush. It's a class one fire hazard, abandoned by the owner, who lived in Athens and died recently. His heirs aren't overly interesting. It's for sale and the agent brought up an Albanian to clear it. The Albanian told him to get a bulldozer. 

All around us are pine forest and acres of olive trees. They make excellent firewood.

Long Weekend

There's a long weekend loomimg.  Poros, according to reports is 90% full.  That's rooms and hotels.  Many others will be staying with friends and relatives.  It's a good opportunity to get away from city grime and dust in this ongoing heatwave.  The wind is blowing hard and hot and sucking all the moisture out of us, and the garden.  

Maybe it's good weather for swimming.  It depends on which beach you go to and where the wind is blowing from.  Down below us the wind will be bringing the rubbish dumped in the Saronic Gulf into the bay, making the water murky and the beach full of plastic treasures.  I don't like foreign objects in my bathing water.  

A neighbour who was brought up by the beach came in for coffee not long ago and regaled us with tales of finding dead cows floating in the sea and now and again a body washed overboard from a cargo ship.

Monday is the Feast of the Holy Spirit.  7 weeks after Easter. Greek Orthodox Easter that it.  And it's a public holiday.

Maybe that's Whit Monday in other parts of the world.

This fiesta coincides with a few others this year.  Thursday, yesterday was the Summer Solstice.  Longest day and shortest night.  I'm enjoying these long days.  I get up earlier, get work done quickly before the heat of the day zonks me out.

Washing dries in half an hour, is hung out in the shade and brought in immediatey it dries before it turns to  bone, as they say here.  I guess that's where we get 'bone dry' from.

Tonight on the island of Hydra, just down the coast, they will be burning boats in a reenactment of the burning of the Ottoman (Turkish ) fleet during the Greek War of Independence in 1821.

I've never been but I know that many small boats from Poros fill up with friends and beer, and go down there to anchor in the bay and watch the spectacle.

On Sunday May wreaths are burnt on a bonfire in town and children, or older, jump the fire to bring them good luck.  In days of yore we used to have a neighbourhood BBQ and burn our wreaths.  Sadly it had to be abandoned as fire risks grew.  Now the 'Poriotisses', the Ladies of Poros have taken it over and there is greek dancing in one of the Squares at the end of town.  A glass of wine and a small sweet will be offered.  We went a few times when our granddaughters were dancing. I've jumped the fire a few times too and been saved from falling in a few times.  Been there, seen that.

That's all to do with the Fiesta of St John the Baptist or St John of the fleas.  K used to say that when he was  a child the kids were encouraged to jump over the fire to keep them flea-free for the rest of the summer.  Old superstitions which are no longer believed. 

On Monday we have been invited to attend a service at a tiny church down the coast.  It's a small private church dedicated to the Triada, Father, Son and Holy Ghost.  After the service there will be roast pig, the owners wine, music and dancing.  K has been before.  I have not been and do not want to go .  However if my dear husband insists then I shall have to attend to to keep him out of mischef and drive him home.  

All his friends will be there and there will be much jollity, telling of tall tales, drinking and good old boys getting worse for wear.  

I'm keeping my mouth shut and hoping he forgets. 

Our greek telephone provider has offered us unlimited free GBs over the holiday weekend.  They often do that on big holidays and I make good use of it.   Our internet comes and goes so Im happy to have free data.

I have been watching the UEFA Football cup in the evenings. There's nothing else on tv. K  loves the matches. He yells at the players and reprimands the ref when he misses a foul or won't give a yellow card. I've learnt the players names and try not to ask stupid questions. I still haven't worked out when someone is offside but he let's me know.

Greece isn't playing   I presume they were knocked out ages ago.  That's one of those stupid questions. 

We have a television set out on the terrace and the wild life makes their presence known. At 8pm a June bug  comes whirling around my head and then the mosquitoes start, whining in my ear. There's usually a wasp or 2 annoying me by darting around and refusing to leave even after my aggressive swatting. 

June bug. Called a golden fly here. Chrisomyga.

The full moon is brilliant, rising above  the olive groves just after dark. We have a grandstand view. 

And so summer rolls on

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday Kostas

He can finally be considered officially an OAP.  65.  6 years younger than me in case you're doing the maths.

The family travellers brought this huge banner with them.

In their suitcases.  K was suitably impressed and we have only just taken it down although his birthday was a few weeks ago.  It has been stored away till his next birthday.

And, yes, that's me on it too. A photo of us together at Xmas time.

Balls with lights for the garden.

Those clever kiwis had really thought about  the birthday celebrations 

And a string of light for around the terrace.

The line up for 'Strictly Maori Dancing'

Kiwi niece Julie on the left with kiwi s-in-law and 3 of my girls

 

They brought a dozen poi as well and had practiced a traditional Maori dance.  Poi is a form of rhythmical dance and song performed by maori women from Aotearoa (New Zealand) using balls on the end of a rope.

Greek kiwi girls got it immediately.  Our wahine does the poi.

These are the poi they brought with them. 12 of them!

Lots of fun.  As it should be on a birthday.

Thanks for carrying all these and more through Singapore, Italy and finally onto Greece.

We were blown away by this final surprise

For once it wasn't all about food

But

In case you wondered we had my delicious mousaka and Ks roast lamb, pork, chicken and potatoes. 

Still Missing

Missing -

There are now a string of tourists either dead or missing after starting out on hiking trips.

Police sources say 'the problem of missing hikers is not new.....but this year it seems more people got disorientated during the heatwave.'

We had a bit of a dip in temperatures and it was delightfully cooler yesterday but temps are rising and will continue for another week.

Greeks have been warned to stay indoors and drink lots of fluids.  However foreigners don't seem to get the message or understand these warnings and there are no laws to stop them hiking.  They seem unaware of the risks.

Michael Mosley.  Found after after 4 days.  Dead

An American in Amorgos.  Missing for a week. 

Dutchman on Samos.  Found.  Dead

American missing from the island of Mathraki, near Corfu.  Found yesterday.  Dead

Belgian man. Crete.  Dead.

2 French women. Missing on the island of Sikinos in  the Cyclades.

 All were near to or over 60 years of age. All of them were walking on days with blistering heat. Hiking can go wrong at any time. The 2 french women on Sikinos got in touch with their hotel  by phone but didn't know where they were. They sent a photo of one of them on the ground and that was the last communication 3 days ago. 

Don't veer off the track for any reason. Greek islands are full of ancient sites. You don't have to examine every stone. Barren rocky tracks make it easy to get lost, easy to slip, sprain an ankle, fall into a ravine. 

Sikinos

Greek Island in the Cyclades

Population 230

Ideal for a quiet holiday of a few days, swimming in clear waters away from the crowds.  Not much else to do. Except walking. Not in July or August. 

These little islands are not touristy, ideal for sampling local cuisine and local wine. Barren as they are there are still flourishing vineyards. Try the wine, probably from the barrel, served in a jug by the half kilo. 

Amorgos

Population 1,961

Another unspoilt island in the Cyclades. 

Rich in ancient history. There's a lot to do and see. You may need to hire a car. Described as 'hiking friendly' with lots of trails. Take care and enjoy them. Not in Midsummer. 

Monastery of Hozoviotissa, Amorgos

Built in 1017

Hanging 300m metres above the sea

Dedicated to the Virgin Mary

Cyclades

A group of 220 islands southwest of mainland Greece.

The islands are known for their blue and white architecture.

Tour de Poros

- School's  out .  Till 12 September. 

 Greek schools have the longest school holidays in Europe.  3 months, mid June till mid September.  It's just too hot and children can't concentrate.  A lot of schools don't have aircon but even if they did kids would still be out in the heat in the school yard and to and fro from school.

 Older children finished end of year and  University Exams a week ago.

Poppi is in Athens this week running, swimming and throwing the shot-put. It's the last part of her entrance exam to the prestigious Athens Gymnastics Academy. 

 Primary Schools have just closed.  In their last weeks there were fewer lessons and more outings,  cultural and sporting events . 

- 3rd June was World Bicycle Day

Primary school children and their teachers went on a ride along the harbour and back.

Bikes, and Helmets, were lent by the Bike Hire shops on the island.

Police stopped traffic .

We all (sitting at harbourfront Cafes drinking coffee) clapped as they rode passed.

An ambulance followed them to pick up any casualties.

- Athletics Festival

School children from Poros and towns across on the mainland competed in track events.

The Navy School has a football field and running track which are used for island sports events. It even  has a small grandstand . 

All the grandkids have taken part at some stage and we've sat on the hard stone bleachers cheering them on.

Happy Hols kids

Some of my grandchildren are working this summer.  Poppi will be visiting her sister on the island of Lipsi. 

It's Hot in Greece

-  I'm so glad our visitors had their holiday before the highs of the heatwave hit.  It's way hotter than usual for early June.  Yesterday the whole country was a furnace.  Around 39oC on Poros and the low, at 3am was 29o. 44o elsewhere. We spent a lot of the day inside with the aircon turned on but went out onto the balcony in the evening as the sun went down.  We have a TV set up out there and got ready to watch the final of Greek Masterchef.  Around 10pm there was a hot breeze which seemed to suck out my energy.  I felt sick and went inside to the bedroom, turned on the aircon again and lay listening to my favourite Youtube channels till I felt better.  Which I did.  I didn't miss much on Masterchef.  The standards are so high now, all professional cooks, and either could have won.  One did.  Naturally.  I googled in the morning.  That's Masterchef over for another year.  

Olympics here we come.

Today, Thursday  is slightly cooler.  Less hot perhaps would be a better description.  The sky is covered, once again, with a dust cloud from the Sahara and is blocking the sun.

- Midsummer 

Midsummer in Greece is Monday 24th June.  It coincides, naturallly, with a church festival, the Fiesta of  Orthodox Saint, Saint John the Baptist.

It's the longest day of the year, Summer Solstice.  That mystifies me.  How can it be midsummer when summer is yet to come.  We might think it's hot now but July and August are 2 months of hot, hot and even hotter. 

- Pumpkins 

Pumpkins are growing and spreading their greenery out over the dry baked soil.  Most of them have come up by themselves, sprouting in potplants and the wheelbarrow.  I should have thinned them out but I didn't.  It's survival of the fittest around here.

St Luke -

11 June was the Fiesta of St Luke the doctor.  He was Russian, born in the Crimea.  There is a Russian church with onion dome near us dedicated to him.  I have been with K a couple of times to light a candle.  My daughter's m-in-law is a great believer in him and often recounts his miracles.  He's a recent saint, died in 1961.  And that's all I know about him.  The m-in-law often reminds me of saints days and holds this one in high regard.

Summer is full of Saints days and fiestas.  It was the time of the year when crops had been gathered and threshed and there wasn't much work in the fields.  Time to celebrate.

- More of the missing.  

An American, 59,  has been missing on the island of Amorgos, in the Cyclades, since Tuesday.  He went on a walk like Dr Mosley and hasn't been since.  News says he had 2 telephones with him but he's not answering.

Meanwhile on the island of Samos a Dutch tourist, aged 74, has been missing since Sunday.  He went off on a walk too.

There are huge search operations for them, naturally, on both islands.

Going off for a hike on a Greek island is not a sensible thing to do in the summer unless you're prepared for high temperatures and difficult terrain.  Walk to the supermarket for a 6 pack, walk to the beach, with friends.  Even then, take water, a hat, let people know where you're going and when you'll be back. 

- Next years visit

I had a long conversation this morning with my brother and wife about next year's travels. 

We have aussie visitors at the beginning of September, a short 2 day visit, and then nothing till 2025.  So far. 

Older brother (one of them ) doesn't want a pig on the spit.  Well, he may well do, but he has other plans.  We will be travelling up north together to Meteora and the monasteries perched impossibly on the top of high peaks overlooking the town of Kalabaka.  And then we will move on to visit Delphi, the navel of the world according to ancient Greeks.  

Delphi

Meteora

I've never been to Meteora so will be looking forward to that.  We'll be coming back to Poros for a few days.  Plenty of time for K to feed them mousaka, stuffed tomatoes, octopus and ouzo.  And lots of kalamari from Sophia's taverna.  

To finish off

a delightful photo

I think

of my younger brother and myself

More to come soon on visitors antics....

Rooftop Tales

 Somehow I think this is going to be another long one..... 

NZers will totally understand.

Another 'must do' for our visitors has been a drink on daughter Elli's rooftop to admire the view and sunset. It took a bit of organising this time.  It's tax season and Elli works till 9pm or later every night.  Her summers are non-existent.  Every year tax returns are supposed to be finished by the end of June but every year the deadline is extended, sometimes to the end of July, sometimes to August.  That doesn't leave her much time for anything else. 

This is our old house above the harbour.  We built a wall around the flat rooftop and attached a rather frighteningly steep spiral staircase.  When we had people to eat up there I used to haul things up and down in a basket on a rope. 

 Elli has no time for all that and sits on her lower balcony instead and enjoys the cool of the night, and a gin, once she eventually gets home.

She and husband Kyriakos did clean it up though for her kiwi aunt and uncle so we could all watch one sunset.  We had drinks and nibbles while the sun went down.  It was a bit cloudy but just lovely.

The girls with kiwi Uncle

So much bla bla bla and laughter when they all get together

Me and my kiwi s-in-law Rainy

She sorts me out, gets me organised, fills in the english words that I've forgotten and mixes the gin 😊 I need a smiley face there. 

Our kiwi friends, Sherryn and Gary,  brought us a bottle of Prosecco too. Nothing but the best 😀 another smiley face 

We bought a big bag of ice at the supermarket and tipped it into a big thermos (chilly bin/eski) to ice the drinks and keep the beer cold.  

With Greek chips and kiwi dip it was perfect. 

My family knows what we like. They filled up their suitcases with onion soup mix and special kiwi reduced-cream-in-a-tin to make a taste of home.   There's nothing that says home more than a potato chip/crisp dipped deep into a bowl of classic kiwi onion dip.

And lamington mix, Raro drink mixes and kiwi fish batter in a packet, real NZ vanilla essence, chocolates, sauces and a host of other tastes of home. Not just for me but for my girls too who were taught very early on to enjoy 'foreign' food. 

We came for a Poros view

It was the company that kept us there, discussing everything from Greek funeral customs to NZ rowing. Our friends' son coaches the NZ Women's Olympic Rowing team. They quizzed Poppi on Greek rowing and she was overjoyed to be given a NZ rowing outfit from the Tokyo Olympics. 

The next time she rows in Athens she'll be wearing kiwi colours. Another smiley face perhaps 😊

As s-in-law Rainy says, we get on so well together it's a pity we live so far away.  We need to move Poros down somewhere near Fiji.

Pink and white bougainvillia in full bloom

And this my friends, is a Pohutukawa, the New Zealand Christmas tree.  Elli bought it thinking it was an olive tree, until it bloomed.  The leaves are very similar but this is Not an olive tree.

In NZ of course it blooms in December, here it blooms in June.  She is delighted.  

The puzzle is, how a Pohutukawa tree came to be in a nursery in Greece?

Panoramic view of all of us

Pallet benches and tables and a couple of comfy directors' chairs for the oldies.

*I only wrote the word 'kiwi' 8 times, 9 now. I'm loving it 🤩 

9 June a Long One

 A day when so much happened. One thing which didn't happen was us winning the euroJackpot.

Got that covered. I'll keep on playing the same numbers until I do win.

..... RIP Michael Mosley

Diet Guru and TV Presenter

Dr Mosley had been missing for 4 days on the small rocky island of Symi.  It's out near Rhodes and just across from the coast of Turkey.

The outlook was a bit grim. He was last seen on CCTV camera wandering off into a barren and rocky terrain with no shade, in blistering 38oC heat. 

He managed to reach the coast, via an almost impassable rocky track, but collapsed 10 metres from the sea, from heat stroke and exhaustion I presume. Greek news said he was found in a recovery position, feet slightly elevated, hands over his breast. He just couldn't go any further, lay down and passed away.

My brother Tony and I watched the search progress and hoped for a positive end. Alas.

I first heard of him in 2019. He had written several books on Intermittent fasting, weight loss and the control of blood sugars.

My younger brother was staying with us, as he is now, and we discussed the diet, Fast 800, which he had followed to successfully control his diabetes. I bought one of Dr Mosley's books later and in 2020 started my 4 year weight loss.  I did intermittent fasting and loosely followed Mosleys 5.2 diet for a year, losing 12 kilos with little effort.

He was well known and very well liked,  becoming a tv personality, converting people to a healthy lifestyle. His presentation was easy to understand and follow. I also tried his  HIIT exercise programme.  HIIT is a high  intensity workout which takes little time but has maximum results.

Look him up, it will be worth it.  His legacy lives on.

.....European Union Elections

No-one gives a damn about these. Whoever gets elected is immediately forgotten. You never hear from, or about them, till the next elections in 5 years time...unless they're involved in some money making scandal or are accused by the 'me too' brigade as some were in recent years. The rest of them enjoy a 5 years holiday in Brussels living it up on their 100,000 euros a month.

The results here were more or less what we expected. Less than 50% voted overall and here on Poros it was 38%, less than 2,000 people.

The island was full of visitors for the long weekend. Schools were closed Friday and the following Monday so teachers could go home and vote. Also the schools here are used as voting stations. 

The island made some extra money and visitors had a 4 day weekend by the sea. Voting was not part of the holiday packet. 

.....Departures

The first 'fournia' ('ovenful' as they say here) of visitors left a few days ago.  My younger brother, Tony, and sister-in-law Rainy have also left, on their way to more adventure.  They are now doing a cycling and yachting trip through some of  Croatia.  2 years ago they did a cycling trip through France, biking alongside canals, through shady lanes, villages and towns. 

I'm extremely lucky to have such  close family here and downunder, family who love Poros, and us, and return again and again. We are family. One large, extended Greek Kiwi Australian family. 

Obligatory 'walking Up the gangplank' photos. A last farewell to dear little bro and kiwi sis-in-law. Adieu but not goodbye. See you again soon 

And farewell to dear friends

Farewell kiwis. Gary and Sherryn on their way to meet more family in Europe.

We are just a port on most people's journey. If you're coming this far, 12,000 miles if I remember rightly, you might as well explore a little more of Europe. I totally understand.

And look, who's coming Down that gangplank

Niece Julie with husband Craig ( known as Greg here. It's easier for them to get their tongue around)

But more of all these kiwis in another post. 

.....Heatwave 

It got hot toward the end of last week but now temperatures are climbing into the late 30s.  40s in other places in the country.  At this time of the year these temps are bearable.  Nights are still cool enough for a sleep with windows open and a fan.  It's when the nights get hot and it's 28oC at 3am that we suffer.  There is a slight breeze today and cicadas are trilling happily, but not deafening.  Yet

Poros Council has opened airconditioned rooms for those without air con. We used our aircon yesterday for siesta and probably will today.  It's 1pm and I'm happy sitting beside the open window.  I'll be looking for cold though, not just cool, well before 5pm when the days heat has concentrated into a furnace.      I'm drinking lots of , sugar free, ice tea that I make myself,  It's very refreshing.

......Coldplay Concert

Granddaughters saw Coldplay live in Athens. 

All more or less in one day.

Enough 

Greek Island Happening

Finally time for our downunder family and friends to arrive. After months of anticipation.

And arrive they did, 6 of them came down the gangplank and into the warm embrace of a late summer evening on a Greek Island

Obligatory 'walking down the gangplank' photos.

The hydrofoil turned up right bang-on-time. That was something we didn't expect. Half the Poros family were a little late to the welcoming party.

Island time is a little behind city time.

From the hydrofoil, they dropped off their bags at the hotel and went straight to Sofia's taverna-by-the-sea for kalamari.

Only there was no kalamari.

Sunday afternoon at a beach taverna is more than bustling with diners.

 Summertime. Swimming. Icy drinks. Greek salads and kalamari. The lunchtime crowd ate all the kalamari

Didn't matter. She does the best grilled chicken on the island. And the best Greek salad.

Anyway, we had a reason to return again and again. And again.

First morning tradition.

Coffee at the Blue Chairs.

Cold coffee followed by something even cooler.

Time to catch up

Neil and Ann

The way to get around.

A buggy or a quad bike

Octopus hanging out to dry before it goes on the grill

Second night tradition.

Ouzo and octopus.

And the pig too

At long last.

The pig

Pig prep

Blasting away it's moustache

Boys work

Pushing that spit from one end to the other.

Ouch

And finally lifting it onto the Bbq 

A good time was had by all.

Including the grandsons.  Amazing, how low the level in the the whiskey and rum bottles dropped.

Lots of laughter.

Lots of beer

Lots of local rosé

.....written pozé in Greek

and renamed by the kiwis.

Pozé it is

Finished off by bite sized pieces of baclava, dripping honey syrup.

We ate well so K was happy. There were leftovers but not too many.  

The pig head is in the freezer.

The trotters will be made into broth .