5, Four, 3, 2, 1


So for the next four weeks I am going to do a weekly roundup, as I count down to my “leaving on a jet plane, don’t know when I’ll be back again moment “. Well I do actually, sometime in the Spring.

With all this hot weather the allotment and house garden are suffering. In a way this is a good thing as neither are at their best, in fact the garden is loosing herbaceous perennials at an alarming rate.  So I won’t feel so bad coming back and not seeing it in its usual good condition. I have cleared the back pond out, anyone who has a pond knows this messy job has to be done on a regular basis. We need to get parts of the fence between us and our neighbour replaced as some of the panels are breaking up. At the allotment I have handed it over to another couple, but until I go we are working on it together. Again it’s not as tidy as it was, so that’s ok.  

When I was doing my island hopping, trying to decide where to live, I always finished on Sifnos and I have a good collection of clothes there now. I need to get Hazel to check my inventory is right, but it will mean I don’t need to carry loads of clothes over with me in September. In our spare bedroom the pile of stuff to go to Greece is mounting up, I am taking our Mac mini and I did a backup of it the other day onto its external drive. Sometime soon I need to get a doctors appointment and discuss what repeat medications they will prescribe me to take with me. One is a controlled drug, so they might not be so happy about prescribing lots of that…

Back at the house, I am emptying the freezer, I want to turn it off as it’s wasteful having it on with not much in it and most of the things in there Hazel would not eat anyway. I am gradually giving the car a good clean inside, it has carried a lot of garden waste and mud from dogs etc…

Unfortunately 😀 I have very quickly become very close to the the cocker spaniel puppy who lives in Neville’s house. I am looking after him  two days a week and despite the fact, he can be a real puppy nuisance, I love him to bits. He is very different from Neville, a lot of that comes from the fact they have had Walter as a puppy and he has been cared and loved from day one. Neville was a two year rescue and had a tough two years before he landed on his paws.

The infamous rental contract has yet to appear, but I did get an email from the estate agents saying the landlord was going to prepare it and send it soon! I have been trying to get a clause changed, which after translation implies I am responsible for things if they break. This does not say that if it’s an act of nature or if the item breaks on its own, that I am am not responsible! The agents say I wouldn’t be asked to pay for the repair, but getting them to clarify that in the document seems nigh on impossible! 

So during my short stay in Piraeus I need to get Greek sized passport photos for my permit to stay application and a Greek sim for my main mobile phone. I have moved to a real pay as you go sim with Giff Gaff on my mobile here, which means I will keep my UK number going for the time being. The New House has Wi-Fi already. Utility bills will be paid to the landlord, the only downside of this is when it comes to renewing my permit to live in Greece I won’t have utility bills, to prove I have been living there for the first year at least. However it does mean it should be easy not to end up paying for when I am not there in July and August.

In my big suitcase I will be taking a few food stuffs, Thai curry paste, and a few Chinese sauces in jars. Noodles as well I think. I have been trying to make a few things at home, making just one portion, instead of making multiple ones and freezing the others. I will also take some instant coffee granules, you can buy pouches of these, instead of heavy jars. 

 Next week, I think I need to send out reminders for the party on the ‘rec’ and think about my ferry tickets and overnight hotel booking in Piraeus.



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