Monday 22 May 2017

Greek family compound


Where I used to live.


There are actually two blue metal doors here, both leading into the family compound in the photo below and the four family homes.  I used to hear them clang behind me when I entered and it felt like sound of a prison cell closing behind me.


The small courtyard which separates the two two-storey dwellings. There are steps on the right, out of the photo, which lead up to our house, now belonging to my daughter who loves the intimate family atmosphere.  In this courtyard we all gathered, and still do on many occasions to celebrate returns, departures, griefs and triumphs.


The orginal marble sink where we cleaned, cut and prepared meals and washed piles of fatty dishes with cold water and non sudsing homemade olive oil soap.  My sister in law has a dish washer now.


The blue and lilac wood over the white wall covers the living area.  When we moved in it was simply an open balcony with the toilet in one corner.  Covering it over gave us somewhere to gather, sit, eat and watch TV, not to mention bring the bathroom inside the house.



On street parking






We are half way up the hill.  These steps go on and on up to the top of the island where the old mill is located.  This is a winter photo where the steps are a little green and mossy.  Before Easter the steps are whitewashed and look bright and clean.





This beautiful house opposite us used to be a one floor, one room house with thick stone walls and a stable on the ground floor.  There was a donkey housed there for many years and bats in the eaves.




The road leading down to the Naval School



This narrow road and this particular sharp, blind corner is two-way causing horrible traffic jams in peak summer months and at Easter.  Locals know where to pull over and where two cars can pass.  City slickers or convoys of cars can cause great confusion and blind backing.  I'm glad I don't live there anymore.

12 comments:

  1. As much as I HATE traffic lights, I think that narrow road is crying out for one. I like that style of outdoor living; not quite the same here.

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    1. That's a damn good idea, Cro. There is a small village near which has a traffic light on its very narrow street. We'll 'throw your idea about' and see what people say. I'll let you know. Further up the road is one way but at this point it has to take cars going both ways.

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  2. Don't know if I could live in such close proximity to my family.
    And not much room at all. But I'm used to being in wide open spaces now
    It would have its pros and cons I'd imagine

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    1. Definitely pros and cons!!!! My daughter loves it living right above her aunt and next door to cousins, and my mother in law when she was alive, but Elli was brought up in this 'one big family' area and loves the closeness. It's really like one extended house instead of four. Mind you the cousin's new wife is not too happy, like me, and closes her front door for privacy.

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  3. Here we put mirors on narrow roads, and we have some.
    Again i enjoy so much to read about every day life in your beautiful island.

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    1. We have mirrors in places too, Yael. I don't think a mirror here would help. It needs a traffic policeman, at least in the summer. Cro's idea of a traffic light could be done.
      We have a mirror at the top of our small road here in the hills so we can go out onto the bigger road without getting run over

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  4. Would anyone obey traffic lights?
    Everywhere else I,ve seen them in Greece, they appear to just be fancy disco lights. Lead me in to a false sense of security, almost got squashed once.

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    1. They'd only be used for a couple of months in the summer and at Easter and Xmas when the island fills up and I think everyone would realise that it would solve a big problem. But actually getting it to happen is another thing altogether.

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  5. I love the sitting area in the courtyard.

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  6. Thank you. Lovely to see this. In the farm down the road here 2 generations live in the same farmhouse. Peter is friends with the son. The first wife left him. I knew her. She couldn't stand it. Second wife doesn't seem to mind. I wouldn't like it. It still happens around here. My brothers live close to each other and my mother. I didn't like that either.

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