Has David Bowie been reincarnated as a cat?

Tuesday 11th October  - Hora and Livadi

 Last night my mobile rang, the new Greek number. I think this is my first Greek call. It was the manager of the Real Estate Agency, the guy who showed me this place for the first time. He asked me if I had a VAT number. I explained individuals in the UK don’t tend to have one. Anyway he said the owners accountant had some questions for me. Could he have my email address? In a very untypical Greek speediness an email appeared. What he really wants is what they call a  AFM. So I replied explaining that after picking up my five year biometric card on Monday, that I intend to apply for a AFM. As he is an accountant who might be based on Serifos, it might be better to use his instead of my friends accountant on Sifnos. I asked him how much he would charge to help me get one. I also sent him photos of my five year paper permit and passport. Below is a photo of a cat, with two different coloured eyes. I snapped it by the rubbish bins in Hora. I name him or her David Bowie!

I did a test of the washing machine last night and there was no leak. So I am not sure what happened last time. I checked all the connectors and they looked ok. I am keeping the mop handy in the house for now!  I have used the VPN again last night, but since upgrading to the latest macOS the Wireguard icon doesn’t start the product. Luckily there is a sideways way of doing this from the network part of the macOS admin tool. I am watching Inside Man which is very good. On my way down to Livadi I spotted our departed Queen in the window of this house.

I did make a throwaway remark about this island being a geologists heaven. Turns out I was not far off the mark. One web page I read, it considered the island should be registered as a place that should be protected because if it’s diversity. Geotourism was a word used, which unlike the tourism that is normally associated with these islands relates to tourists coming specifically to observe the culture, geology, natural habitats and so on. There is a paper that I have bookmarked for later reading, that proposes the island be turned into a Geopark. The mine workings have been noted as a national monument, another paper I found discussed preservation of what is called the loading ladder, which would be a massive undertaking. We do know the administration building is being restored, that’s a good start. Here is a reminder of what the loading ladder looks like.

I also found out there were thermal springs used by the miners to help cure them of illnesses but they are dried up now. There is a description of where a mining gallery is that goes one kilometre into the mountain. Be assured I don’t  plan going in there, but I would like to find it. 

 

I decided to just walk down to Livadi today, give my legs a break. Even that is 6.6 KM, of course the way back up is a  good heart pounding exercise. On the way down, I met this Australian sitting in a balcony, he then called his friend, Yorgos, and I had a longer chat with him.  He spends time between Serifos, Melbourne and Athen, the latter is where he runs a boutique apartment and house renting business. He knows Serifos well and I may well see him in the coffee shop or bar in Pano Hora. As I passed the children school, they all said hello to me, I think the teacher then told them off, they were meant to  be concentrating on something! I went into the larger supermarket and got a couple of things I can’t get here. I treated myself to an ice cream and had that by the port  I popped into  the bank to see what they want to open an account, Passport, AFM, utility bill, P60 statement and a Pension Statement. I had lunch in “my”   bakery, ordered the ham, tomato and cheese pie and a coffee. I actually pointed to it and said “To Thello Parakelo “ this please. It seemed to work! I sat down and ate it, looking at the comings and goings in Livadi, more  Tavernas have removed their beach seating areas. On my way back I saw this fridge, it looks new, it did have some plastic over it, but that’s blown off now. It’s been there since I arrived.