Home and Away

Little things in our small world

A tuna

A big one for our seas

We were doing some grocery shopping when K got a phonecall.  'Bring a plastic bag I've got a fish for you'.

The fishing boat couldn't sell all it's catch and was handing some out to friends.

K cleaned it and chopped it up into steaks and we had some fried with a greek salad that day.

We also gave some away .  Give and you shall be given

We were parking our car again under the olive tree out of the sun.

However it gets covered in dry olive leaves and has to be swept and cleaned before we move it.

So it's back up next to the house.  K found a big piece of canvas.  One of those 'treasures'  which he won't let me get rid of.  It covers the roof and windscreen.  At least the paint won't get blistered

Danae opening up the expensive liquor shop.  She may sell, and does sell, 250 euro bottles of gin, but still has to sweep up and clean the loo 

Brother Tony is an artiste.

He made these necklaces from seaglass picked up on a local Maketu beach.  He brought a dozen, at least, for all of us.  Some are made with shells.  These are mine and I love them.  I wear the spirit of a kiwi beach.  I'm polishing them with balsam oil.  Tony says use baby oil.  But balsam oil is what we've got here.  Balsam oil comes from a herb of the same name which is used for skin repair.

   

And here's the boy.  With his eyes closed.

Holding a bottle of coke with his name on it.

For some promotion campaign or other. Coke zero in Greece is putting people's names on the bottles.

This one says

ΑΝΤΩΝΙΣ

Anthony

Our Mayor was talking to a Parliamentary Committee yesterday to put his case against the fishfarms.  He spoke very well and forcefully, we thought.  There were a dozen speakers, some for the Company that owns the Farms, most against them with lots of scientific data, research findings and the like.  The second to last speaker was the UnderSecretary for the Ministry of the Environment.  What an ignoramus.  He tried making a few weak jokes which no-one laughed at and basically put the Company's case across saying that he was sure Poros would benefit from a few more fish farms.  Fortunately our Mayor was able to rebuttal and he put him down quite sharply.  

Now, as all Committees do, they will go away and ponder for a few months, more than a few I would say.  They'll all be away on summer holidays for July and August.  While we all await a verdict or another round of protests and speeches.

For kiwis everywhere!

Mallowpuffs, my all time favourite.  I grew up with these and they're still on the supermarket shelves.

A biscuit base, marshmallow and covered in chocolate!!

Thanks Elli.  She finds these picture of NZ classic edibles and sends them to me to drool over.

Fish Farms? NO

NO

A huge protest took place against turning Poros into an industrial  fishery zone .  The island now has 4 fish farms breeding sea bass and sea bream.  With the new zoning regulations the fish farming industry will increase 28 times bringing tons of pollution from waste food and fish faeces.  

It is estimated that there will be 15 tons of organic waste dumped into the sea daily. Plus a substance called formalin which is used to prevent diseases in the fish cages and has been found to be carcogenic.  77 tons of it has already filtered into the sea surrounding the island  in the last 2.5 years. 

  The peaceful and clean bay below us, our swimming hole in the summertime, could potentially have a fish farm plonked in the middle of it.

Thousands have turned out from the towns and islands in the Saronic Gulf where there are  dozens of already established fish farms.  A small number of  Poros locals are employed by the Company but nothing like the number employed in the tourist business.  

Poros has lived primarily on tourism for the last 60 years, or more.  Over 20,000 yachts pass through the straits and tie up during the summer. Greek visitors come by road.  Poros is only 2 hours from Athens, one hour on the Catamaran.  We complain about the traffic jams these rich Greeks cause with their big flashy cars but they spend money and come all year round. Foreign tourists start arriving around Easter and keep holidaying till late October.

Speeches first

After all the speeches

There was a protest march to the centre of town

All the family were there

Grandaughters Nels and Poppi with their mother Danae and Poppi's goddaughter 

Then they all formed a human chain along the waterfront 

Poppi with her goddaughter. Sound asleep 

A serenade for Poros and it's protesters for Clean Seas and Beaches

WhatsUpp

 WhatsUp or WhatsApp?

I've had this conversation with visitors before.  I'm told it's App with an A.  But we all pronounce it with a U.   Penny dropped this time.  There is no U in greek.  A is pronounced U. So it's whatsUpp to us. OK

Novak Djokovic is apparently buying a house in Greece.

He is surveying property in Athens and looking at schools for his children.

He has been granted a golden visa which allows him residency in Greece.

He already has a house in New York and Miami, a villa in Marbella, a home in Monaco and a penthouse in Belgrade.

So many choices.  Wonder why he's thinking of Athens?

Personally, I'm a Raffa fan

Almora

For hydration in summer heat.  It provides electrolytes and strengthens the immune system.  K takes it because he sweats so much during the summer.  This one also contains magnesium which is supposed to help prevent cramps.

Poppi has just informed me she takes strawberry Almora.

Didn't know they had flavours

The summer cinema has opened

The showings take place on a rooftop near the harbour

5 euros for children

7 euros for adults

Just like a gang of naughty little boys. 

They were only having fun! 

More of Our Summer

 

Good morning

Kalimera

From our neighbourhood

Summer is here.  It has been a bit cooler this week but the Cicadas are trilling merrily away and I enjoy the birdsong at 5am.  Days are long.

It's midsummer next week, the summer solstice,  celebrated on the 24th June here.  There are different traditions in different parts of the country, most pagan.  It was once time to light bonfires at crossroads and burn the MayDay wreath.  Fires are frowned on now at this time of the year.  Our children and grandchildren used to jump the bonfire to bring good luck 

We have our TV outside for evening watching, with a cover to protect it from the searing midday sun. Our Greek MasterChef is coming to an end so it's less boring as we anticipate the winner and we watch Greek Chase and Who Wants to be a Millionaire. I'd be glued to CSI and Bones but...we have different preferences. 

My garden has become a toilet for nieghbourhood cats.  

I keep a bag of rotten lemons to throw at them and hose them when I can.  They hightail it over the fence only to return again a little later.

We used to feed 3 or 4. Then new neighbours moved in and gathered all the wild cats that roamed free. We estimate there are about 14 and lately we've been hearing kitten noises. 

The neighbours have a much larger piece of land but our garden is the main attraction 

Fly swatters. 

 Flies can be annoying when we are eating outside in the evening. My brother Tony suggested I tried these.  They're like fans and generally work well.  From a Chinese online shopping giant for a few euros

My solar fountain.  A present from my dear daughters.  

Just Summer Stuff

How nice of the council to put up umbrellas on the empty stretch of beach just below my daughters house. There are a couple of benches too. Almost a private beach. 

I've told her she should put up a sign

'Bitouni Beach' 

And maybe a 'trespassers will...' 

 

Dear  Piglet

That's the name of his house. He believes his grandfather's name was Trespassers William. 

But of course you all knew that

The yachts are packed in along the quay now

The honey stand and our favourite honey seller. 

She has half a dozen different tasting honeys. It depends where her hives are placed, in amongst the orange blossom, beside a bank of wild thyme or in a field of flowers. She has lip gloss made from honey, a honey salve for cuts and burns and jars of honey comb. 

Our farmers market is getting smaller and smaller. Besides the honey stand there are only another 4

We bought honey with the flavour of thyme, our favourite.  Tomatoes, apricots, zucchini, eggplant and summer greens called vlita.
They had melon and watermelon too but we buy those from a grocer whose supplier brings   melons that are always sweet and juicy. They're sure to be good.  

Watermelons are 45 cents a kilo
Apricots 2 euros
I can't remember the rest. You look, you like, you pay. Or you walk away. 

Evening on Poros

   Photos of a summer evening

Thanks to Luli and others in the family for their photos of the sunset from a Poros Rooftop and the magical pathway of the full moon over the sea.

Au Revoir

 Lovely days with family have come to an end.  First my Australian family and now my New Zealand family.

The kiwis have left, flying South.  Kiwis are flightless birds but this bunch seem to have found some wings.

Till we meet again my dears ...some sunny day

Their last evening coincided with K's birthday.

We gave him a party and a birthday 'cake'.  He got to blow out a candle and after 'happy birthday' in English and Greek young Poppi sang it in Spanish.

The 'cake' was a tub of icecream with 0% sugar.  Great idea Danae.  Everyone could eat it.  And they did

We put up the big banner they brought last year.

'Happy Birthday Kostas'

with a photo of us both

K filled the table with pork and chicken and lamb and lemon potatoes.  And there was plenty more

The last supper

At Sofia's taverna

Piles of grilled chicken 'chops' (small pieces) and naturally a greek salad. 

That sign says

'if you didn't book you're not going to get a table'

It was the fiesta of the Holy Spirit, 40 days after Easter, and the island was FULL.  

We ate early, at 12 , so they didn't have to rush to catch the afternoon Flying Cat (Catamaran).  The greeks eat much later so the taverna was relatively quiet.

I didn't take any photos of them walking up the gang plank.  It was sweltering hot and there were crowds of holiday makers with their suitcases waiting to board.

Poppi went back to Athens with them and guided them through to their train to the airport.  She has another month of studies before the  University closes for the summer

The famous grouse... I mean chicken.  Rainy has been told by her doctor, so she says, to eat plenty of salt.  This is very own salt shaker, polished till it glowed in readiness for her arrival.  Now it's been put back somewhere safe till next time.  Will I remember where?

The gin and rum won't last till their next visit!

My 3 grandaughters

Luli, Poppi and Nels

When We Were Young

 For Family and Friends

My sis in law and brother Tony and Rainy brought with them a small bag of old photos. Many were those I had sent home over the years. Fortunately I had scribbled the names on the back. Some names fade into the ether. 

I got out my bag of old photos too. There were a lot of old black and white photos from our childhood and school years. 

I wish I had shown them to older brother Paul when he was here last month. It's fascinating seeing old faces and hearing what's happened to them. 

Tony and Rainy still live in the area where we all went to school. I have 3 brothers and we all went to Te Puke Primary School and then onto Te Puke High. My sis in law Rainy also grew up in the same area and attended Te Puke High. Another 2 sis-in-laws also grew up in The Bay, went to the same school. The Bay, that's the Bay of Plenty.  Hi Joan and Bev.

The School Anthem..... 

Aim High

In the battle of life 

Aim high

Do not shrink from the strife

When at home or at work

Never falter or shirk

Plus Ultra

Aim high...... 

How on earth did I remember that!  It's been 55 years. 

We had a wonderful time. Reminiscing. Not at school. 

So many have passed on, so many they still know well. We needed brothers Richard and Paul to fill in the gaps. 

Here are some of the photos. 

K and I 

1980 I think. On the terrace of our 6th floor flat in Piraeus

Paul and Karen on the same terrace in 1980

We were both pregnant with our first children, Elli and Stephen

Again, with Paul and Karen

On the island of Naxos

My father and mother with K

Eating stewed snails

On the island of Crete where we lived for 3 years

K and Rainy bbqing in our back yard down in Crete.

Rainy pregnant with Samuel John

We lived in an 80 year old house in the village of Mournies.  When it rained the bathroom leaked badly and there were big cracks in the floor boards.  Amongst other things.  Memories are made of this

Richard and Joan

1990

Island of Salamina 

Eating offal soup after the midnight Orthodox Easter service

The little Greek girls on their first visit to NZ

Pukehina beach 1986

Elli, Tony, Danae

The swinging 70's

Me on the left with 2 girls I flatted with when studying in Wellington

Around 1972

And the surfing 70's

Long haired surfing brothers

Richard and Tony

Boards stacked on their Ford surf wagon

Classic surfing photo.