A Saturday in Winter

 We went shopping in the big city, Nafplio, an hour away, even though rain was forecast.

Nafplio is one of the most picturesque cities near us. A modern city with a colourful  old town, narrow alleyways ending in squares full of cafe tables with museums, craft shops, traditional tavernas. A castle reached by climbing 1,000 steps, or driving your car up to the gate. More ancient ruins than you can shake a stick at and overflowing with Greek visitors . 

The last weekend before Xmas is not the time to go shopping anywhere.

It started raining as we entered town so decided not to go to the big farmers market. That was probably a bad decision. We went elsewhere and spent twice as much. Not because it was so expensive but because there was too much choice on the shelves. 

The first supermarket we went to was empty. Because it was still very early in the morning. That was Lidls, the slightly cheaper German chain. They had a tempting array of chocolates and cheap alcohol. 

The second supermarket was crowded. A huge parking area that was full. Long lines for all the cashiers. 

I'm too old for this sort of shopping. Their cheese counter seemed 100 metres long and the queue even longer. 

No cheese for us. It's all so damn expensive too. 

Long aisles, endless shelves. Everything from cheese to a new jacket or a sack of wood chips. 

I'll go down to our local grocer, get a bit of Danish blue, exchange a bit of banter with the grocer's wife and go home without feeling overwhelmed. 

The traffic was tail to tail when we got out of the 2nd supermarket. Nerves were taut. Not a day for relaxing shopping therapy. 

We crawled along and stopped on the edge of town for a souvlaki and tzatziki lunch. Most enjoyable. Their meat was tender. The tzatziki made in the shop. The fried potatoes obviously not pre-fried or frozen. But even that was more expensive. From 20 euros to 30 euros for the 2 of us. 

The rain stopped and we had a dry road home. 

I really am getting old. I'll be quite happy not to do that again for a few months. 

Pohutukawa 

The NZ Christmas tree

Greek Christouyenna

  Greek Xmas then and now

Christouyenna ....

  In greek

Χριστούγεννα 

My first Christmas here, in 1976, living in Piraeus was dark and cold. There were no decorations in Piraeus, no lights, no Xmas tree, no bright shops, music or happy shoppers. The western type celebrations didn't come for almost another ten years.

K was on leave from the Greek Navy and went back to Poros for the holiday to be with his family. I was not accepted back then, a foreigner who they hoped would just go away. I had a few English friends. It wasn't bleak but Christmas was not the huge festival it is now.

 Christmas day was simply a name day for those named Christos and Christina. The greek family ate together and visited their relatives named for Christ. The men were served whisky and the women a sweet liqueur. They were accompanied by pistachio nuts or a syrupy sweet. 

If you were lucky there were plates of roast pig, potatoes and jars of retsina, the local pine infused wine. 

Once enough wine and whisky was consumed the dancing began. Still does

New Years day was a more important celebration. Godparents brought presents, of new clothes or shoes. That was the tradition. 

 Saint Nick had nothing to do with Christmas or New Year. He was the protector of sailors and was celebrated on December 6th.

Saint Basil (Vasili) brings in the New Year on January 1st. It's another big name day. Vasili or female Vasiliki, Vaso or Kiki. 

Times have changed though. Name day gatherings are smaller. K spends all morning on the phone going through his phone list, calling those celebrating and wishing them 'Chronia Polla', Many Happy Returns. 

Back then the whole neighbourhood was likely to turn up in your yard to help you celebrate. For the men in the family. Female name days were far more sedate. 

Traditional Xmas Sweets

K makes the Greek Christmas cookies nowadays

Melimakarouna, honey cakes

And

Kourabiethes, almond and butter biscuits covered in icing sugar.

There's a plate of Xmas mince pies too. I make a few every year plus a few boozy boiled fruit cakes I baptise Xmas cakes

Xmas Trees

 Xmas trees this year

My daughter's Christmas Decor

I've tried to enlarge this photo but can't

In the middle of that red circle are two green legs and red Elfin boots of an exotiko who has dived head first into her tree

A stormy Poros waterfront and its boat of lights

We need to do a tour of the Poros Christmas lights.  

Last year we had hardly any decorations.  This year the new Mayor has lit up every corner

Our own, shorter,  Christmas tree up on the bench.

I have since arranged gnomes and presents underneath it too

The coffee shop, La Frianderie, just across the strait

They have the best coffee in the county and always have wonderful decorations, inside and out.

I had coffee with my English friend Jan there last weekend.  It was warm and cosy inside and a little wet outside.

We drank our cappuccinos and caught up on the news.

They also  have an excellent selection of handmade chocolates and biscuits.  I bought a few to fill in empty corners in Christmas parcels.

It's My Life

Rain, rain's gone away

We  got the rainfall we needed.  The fields are greening, the olives are swelling.  The islands that prayed for rain got their prayers answered. Rhodes got washed out and the island shut down for 2 days while they dealt with the flood.

And here on Poros there was heavy rain which woke me suddenly at 2am as  heavy splashes of rain shattered my dreams and spattered my face.  A leak in the damn roof.  K had already moved out into the spare room as he couldn't sleep.  Rain coming in over the bed has happened once before many years ago.  This time it was heavier, more splash than spatter.  I moved all the bedding away, put a big bowl under the worst and covered the mattress with a  heavy towel.  Duvet and pillow under arm I moved out onto the couch and left the drips to drop.  The next day it rained again but there was no water leaking in.  It just depends on how heavy the rain is and which way the wind is blowing. The other leak behind the fridge appears to have been fixed. 

Giving Blood 

We had our annual bodily fluid tests. Took the results to our cardio doctor who told us we were perfectly healthy. He took our blood pressure, gave us a cardiogram and charged us 100 euros. 

One thing less to worry about. 

6 December

Saint Nik's Day. He's the patron saint of the Greek navy. K put on his Sunday best and went to the service at the church dedicated to Saint Nikolas at the Navy Base. He met up with past and present officers for a glass of wine afterwards .

He was back at the base again yesterday, invited to the changeover ceremony for the new Navy Commander.

I don't go to these occasions. There's too much old-tar talk for me 

NZ calendars for 2025

We received our annual NZ calendars from brother and sister in law. They're wall calendars with colourful NZ scenes and big spaces for noting name days, birthdays, national days, baptisms and weddings. Mine hangs above the big desk computer so I can be reminded of each days important celebrations. The girls have theirs hanging on the kitchen wall. Thanks R and J

Book sale, raffles and a white elelphant stall to provide medicine and treatment for the strays of Poros.

2 lovely days. 

Cecile offered mulled wine 

Or coffee

I made a ginger cake

Jan who runs the show

And does the hands-on work for the strays 

Raffle prizes

Bottles of alcohol with nice glasses and dishes

I won a bottle of raki. K will be pleased when he sees it. 

The best part of the day

Sitting in the sun and chatting with other local aliens. 

I found  a few bargains too. Clothes, books and little pastry presses. 

Rudi, and Sotirakis, who have special needs will be looked after for a few more months.

Happy Birthday

The 4 days of Celebrations.

Me and my grandson George share the same birthday.  Poppi had her 18th a week or so ago, son in law Kyriakos, captain of the water taxi Socrates had his 50th and next weekend it is Grandson Jamie's 18th.  There are a lot of Saggitarians in the family, more in the extended family.

First day. Family gathering on Sunday. 

                                     

A birthday cake for us all. I blew the candle out and everyone sang 'happy birthday'. The song in Greek is about getting older and wiser with white hair. That's me 😄 

Then Poppi blew her candle out via WhatsApp. 

George was asleep. In Athens. He got a photo of the cake. 

Oh look! Another birthday cake. Thanks Yianni. He calls me Nana but as he learnt the word from me with my kiwi accent the 'a' sounds like an 'e'. I'm Nena and very happy to be so. 

These two cakes were caramel, so sweet, luscious. 

Even I enjoyed a slice, and a half, of both. 

Kyriakos about to blow that candle.  Again!! 

A much smaller crowd. No grandkids  🤔

Kids in the kitchen 

Thanks, once again. 

They sliced, served, cleaned, washed dishes and filled tupperware bowls to take home 😁

No grandkids

But here's Junior

And Boem

2 days later it was my actual birthday. And George's too. He went to work and had his blow-out the next day. 

His fridge full of alcohol and mixers . Not much food in there 😅

I went down to the harbour for a cold damp coffee. 

But, on day No 4....... 

K, Jan and I went for a wonderful meal at a restaurant across on the mainland. It's a few kilometres out. Not too far for driving home afterwards

It's a restaurant, not a common taverna. 

There was a roaring fire, cheerful and tasteful Christmas decorations, good service, excellent food, a very drinkable house rosé and great prices. 

A place that was missing in this area. 

I had a most enjoyable day with the best company. 

Me and my friend Jan

Or should I say 'my friend and I'.

And to finish the day we went for a quick shop at the big-ger supermarket on the mainland. Alpha-Veta. Or alpha beta if you're not Greek.

I was hoping to find some festive chocolate and alcohol for presents.

I found a little but the native was getting restless by then.

And the rain held off till we all got home.

72 and loving it.

Till next year..

Prep for Christmas

It's getting closer and closer to decoration time.  K has already put up a string of coloured lights along the perimeter wall which light up automatically at 7pm.  I must say I like them.  They're jolly and bright, especially when we have had a wet grey day.  The 5 boats have been lighting up inside the house for a lot longer.  I like their cheeriness too.  I may tell him to leave them for another month or so.

This Christmas liqueur was made a few weeks ago and is slowly maturing, flavours mellowing, ready for the 25th.  It's red wine, sugar, a cinnamon stick and as many rose geranium leaves as I could stuff into the jar.

For the last few years we have found xmas crackers for a very reasonable price at the big toy store here called Jumbo.  We ordered 3 packets of 4 crackers.  Unfortunately the order wasn't checked and the 3rd box were 6 mini crackers.  We will  have just enough for pulling at the table.  

This years pickled onions should be ready for eating right now.  This time I used white vinegar so they're much paler in the jar.  The jar on the left has red onions cut into pieces.  They've made the vinegar turn red.  Very festive

My collection of Christmas earrings.  Thanks Jan and the girls.

I shall start wearing them today so I can enjoy wearing all of them over Christmas and New Year

2 of our decorated boats keeping the house cheery and bright 

 

The Christmas doormat has been out for a while.  Thanks Jan.  She has gifted us a second one too.  Love them

And my xmas socks.  I've been wearing these for a while.  I've got 3 pairs, presents from Christmasses past.

In the car we have the radio tuned to Easy FM. They play Christmas music from November 1 to New Year.

In a few days we will be putting up our shortened Christmas tree.  K is chomping at the bit.  A bit early but I do have more of the Christmas spirit this year, so why not.