A visit to the Museum

Wednesday 28th and Thursday 19rd October - Hora and Livadi

So I have had  my first Greek hair cut. It cost me ten Euros. It was what I would call it a short back and sides and it was over quite quickly. But this does not mean, she wipped a razor out and set it to number whatever. It was all trimmed carefully with scissors, apart from the neck hair which she did use an electric razor on.  So  it’s all neat and tidy.  In the UK I think the girls who cut it layered it, as I have very thick hair. The trouble is I don’t know wether that translates very well and I might just confuse the girl here. I got her name, I think it translates into Dimitra. When I was in Livadi today, I thanked the supermarket till lady who told me where the hairdresser was and asked he if she thought it looked ok. She said yes.

With all my luggage including guitar, I elected to have a taxi back up to Hora, after getting in, before we turned off to join the road uphill,  my driver stopped and spoke to this old guy by the road. He jumped in. He stayed with me for my journey and she seemed to take him back down the hill again. Philanthropic taxi driver? Maybe.

I unpacked everything, checked the landlords internet was working, hurrah! I then had a look at my food purchases. Later on I made Greek meatballs in a tomato sauce to this recipe. These were the meatballs I got from Lidl on Syros. There was enough for four portions. The tray I cooked the meatballs in got very messy, it took some cleaning. But at least all the fat is in the bin and not in my meal. I used the tubs I got from Jumbo on Syros again. I wish I got more. It was very tasty, I had it with pasta.

My onions are growing. These are the sets I was given by the Garden Centre owner. I have had to water them all, it is still about twenty and sunny. In fact by the end of the week we will have mid twenties again. I have moved them to another area on the roof, which will be better sheltered and more in the sun.

There are still people walking past the house, clearly on holiday. Not many of course. I heard a couple come down the track by the house yesterday and it’s quite slippery with all the stones that the builders have scattered over it. So it’s actually quite dangerous IMHO. I heard this slipping noise and a surprised “oh” but she managed to stay upright. I could then hear them chatting outside the taverna in French ( I don’t speak French either). I was waiting for them to open my door, but I think the bloke was Inspector Clueso, and he was having a good day, thank goodness! 

 

I watched my first program using the owners internet, and the VPN,  a very good Storyville program about a French couple who travelled the world, looking at volcanoes. Sadly at the beginning we learnt they lost their lives and the program was a requiem to their lives. It was very good. Most of the footage was their own. 

Photo interlude - nice little house on the start my todays walk.

Thinking of the language and how everyone says it’s so complicated and difficult, it’s seems strange that the Greeks manage it just fine! Do the children take longer to be proficient with their home language? I don’t think so. A tougher language might be better to keep your brain ticking over perhaps and make it more pliable to be able to learn other ones? Not that English is a doddle, we have our own set of idiosyncratic things that must baffle none  English speakers. 

This morning, I needed to top up the food supplies, on my way I saw the guy with the very old dog, the dog is called Max, the guy said he was very friendly. He was. At the shop, I saw Den, when I bought eggs, he told me they were from the island.  We had a chat and I asked him for the word to say “ok”, it’s “Entaxei”. I also asked him what his job was, I think he worked in an office, but now helped Markela in the shop. He asked what I did, I told him. They have two dogs, I said I would like to see them sometime. I think they are French bulldogs. After shopping I did that walk where I went down to the reservoir dam, where the path was not shown to be all the way through the valley.

Photo interlude - despite the sticky tape, still a runner!

While doing the walk to Livadi, although I did not have my litter picker, I removed a lot of cans and bottles, after I found one of those white bucket things that builders liquid items come in, like sealant to put them in. So every time I came across a dumpster I emptied the rubbish into it. I did not pick up face masks, or tissues. I will do them with my litter picker. However when I got to the artificial football pitch there was a pile of rubbish and in the pile was a big white bucket, new and in great condition. So I used this instead. The other one had been in the sun and was starting to crack up.  This is much better than a plastic sack which gets blown about and might split. 

I  found the Archaeological museum. I had two euros, the entrance fee. However the lady said in broken English, she sort of insinuated in a funny way, was I sixty five as she wasn’t sure! Everyone else says I look fifty! To be honest, I should have said yes. There were a dozen rooms, nothing outside in the yard, as there was meant to be. Half the rooms were empty. It was all over in minutes. The best bit was the story of Perseus and Medusa, I think he was the one who chopped Medusa’s head  off and bunged it in a sack. However I think he blundered as back here, he took it out of the sack and everyone was turned to stone. The frogs here ended up, being silenced. So not recommended!

Photo interlude Amphorae in museum

 When I got to my usual bakers, I fancied a flapjack, but they had nothing like that.  So, I went to what I am going to call Zoi’s cafe and had a coffee and a pastry. The waiter who works at the taverna next door to me was picking up an order for a dozen coffees, so I had to wait a bit. After having a rest I walked back up the road, not the path with my bucket and kept filling it up. I am under no illusions that the rubbish I removed will be replaced, there will be loads hidden by the undergrowth. There are some huge items, just tossed down the hill. I will walk it again with my picker and get rid of the masks etc. There are just about enough dumpsters along the road. At one point, a lady was doing a three point turn and she lent out and said “bravo”  to me. It seems we share that word. If she is the only one to thank me, that’s thanks enough!

Photo interlude - archaeological map of Serifos

 

I have had some email conversations with my landlord, he is in Athens, buying a dehumidifier for the house. My friends on Sifnos say this is a must in the winter. We seem to be having better communication now, and I think he wants to meet me again. I guess we can do that when he brings the dehumidifier over. 

This afternoon, a rest, then Greek and the Guitar!