27th

 Today, in the Greek Orthodox church it's the feast of St Stephen.

The day when Good King Wenscelous once looked out...... 

Elsewhere it was celebrated yesterday, the 26th.  

The day has dawned chilly and very cloudy.  About 13o. No rain. 

Yesterday I started the clean up. Dishes were done on the Big day.  All the leftovers were divided up and taken away. I made sure they emptied the fridge as well. 

The girls did a fantastic job.  Bones and scraps were bagged too and left for the wild cats.  

The boys scrubbed the baking dishes till they shone.

I'm slowly and surreptitiously taking down Xmas decorations and storing them away. This year I've got it sorted. Every plastic container has 2026 written on it and the contents written on it. Next Christmas I can chose what I open and what I leave.  Minimal seems to be acceptable.

Except for the lights. K loves stringing them inside and out.  They're lovely at night, brightening up our rural neighbourhood.

Though actually it's St Basil who should be filling our stockings here in Greece and he doesn't arrive till New Year's Eve .

Saint Nick is patron saint of sailors.

I'm not supposed to do any washing today. It's not 'done' on a Saints day.

My Greek mother in law is no longer here to click her tongue and frown at me. The washing line is full.  The big tablecloth and half a dozen kitchen towels for a start. 

We went down to the harbour to pick up some medicine and dump half a dozen bags of rubbish and glass, plastic and paper for recycling.  Empty ouzo and wine bottles, beer cans, empty Xmas cracker boxes and loads of crumpled Xmas paper.

I also recycled  those tight Christmas t-shirts.

Next year I may buy more for the girls but I'll make sure they're not crop tops!

I start buying little presents for the stockings right away.

The repairman for our Wifi turned up today. The router was fried by lightening , even though we have a special breaker thing which is supposed to stop this happening.

It didn't cost us anything and took 10 minutes.  Good service especially on the Saturday between Xmas and New Year.

I'm back online. My phone had free data till the Wifi was up and running again but paying bills and  shopping online is difficult. I need a wider screen and larger keyboard.

Extra Extra

 The Fun Photos

Those Xmas tees were very stretchy but still too tight and too short 

They fitted the dog perfectly

Boem modelling his new Xmas t-shirt

Is it a bird 

Is it a plane

No

It's Super Elli

.......about to fly off to the kitchen sink 😂😂😂

They sheer joy of opening Christmas presents 

Xmas

 

Family

Granddaughters

In their too-small Xmas tees

Better luck next year Xmas Santa

Fun in the Winter Sun

All of us

Getting ready to pull crackers

And read those dreadful jokes

'What is pig skin used for?

To keep the pigs together'

A certain clever clogs got that right. Bravo Jan

More of the greek family

Me and Jan

Lots of food, drink, love and laughter

Hoping your Christmas day was as merry as ours

The sun came out

The family gathered

Santa brought presents

Happy Day 

Merry Christmas

 Merry Christmas everyone

Kala Christoyenna

Kirihimete

Jan and I wearing our Xmas outfits

Tis but once a year

More or less

That we can wear these 

Kronia Polla from K

Cheers Big Ears

Elli and Kyriako 

We had a massive thunderstorm which knocked our Wifi out

Can't comment on your blogs but am managing to send these greetings

Warm wishes for a happy day

North and South

Wherever you are

PS wouldn't be complete without Poppi 

Poros Pics

 December... 

It's still warm enough on a sunny day for coffee by the sea

The streets are merry and bright

Even at night

And alive with the piped sound of Christmas carols

The Central  

 'Mayoral Square' 

Down one end of the harbour winter works are under way. Sewage pipes are being replaced. 

The road is closed but the works hopefully will be completed over the winter months 

Better now than midsummer

Bundles of nets all along the waterfront are wrapped against the elements till spring

The little boat is decorated with flags for the festive season 

It is the tradition here to decorate boats at Christmas and New Year

All the yachts which make up the

'Greek Sails' flotilla are tied up to the wharf for winter refurbishment 

Rudi

 A Christmas bazaar 

A lovely time to catch up with some of the expats, rummage through clothes, books and knick-knacks, have a laugh or two and drink mulled wine in the sun

All for the good of this fellow

Dear Rudi needs a supply of medecine which is not cheap

These two make it all happen

Cecile provides the space, whisks up a merry brew and keeps us all jolly and bright

Jan, in that awesome pink hat brings it all together, encourages us to rummage and organises Rudi's daily dosage

Hobnobbing with friends

I found some nice lightweight shirts 

Books and a Xmas coffee mug

Curtains anyone? 

Rudi taking a break

 Isis.. Our Belgian goddess 

Isis gives up her office for the bazaar 

She's Rudi's Mum and looks after him day to day

I had a lovely few hours socialising with people who speak english

Winter

 Most days the sun shines.  Lucky for us. Our hot water is heated by solar panels.  In the summer the water is boiling. In winter there are very few days when it's not hot/warm enough for a shower. 

Empty beaches

Sometimes it rains

But mostly the sun will shine

Winter sun.  Sun 'With teeth' they say here

There are a few winter swimmers but they don't sit around to sunbathe afterwards

One water taxi waiting to cross the strait 

A virtually empty yacht harbour

Blue skies and blue sea

The car ferry coming in from the mainland village of Galatas

No lines of vans and trucks

A few motorbikes and cars and foot passengers like me