Good Week

Monday 23rd January 2023

I went up to feed the juveniles on a lovely blue sunny day and no wind. There was a lovely smell of fresh bread as I walked past the bakery. On the way back, I looked up and tried practicing the Greek for Good  Week, which they do at over here on Mondays. I had to pop into Markela’s store and said that to her husband. I think he was pleased. I got some fruit and the washing solution my friend recommended. While I paid for my items I told the husband, the other new words I had learnt, that I have mentioned here before. He was impressed. He said something  about my good Greek language expertise! I said “no” in Greek and we both laughed. I decided to go in Marinos for a coffee, and did the Good Week again,  all his customers replied, and one of them helped me with my pronunciation which was good! I  ordered my coffee, and I tried to listen to them all talking. Loads of words I knew, but lots of words I don’t, but it’s improving. The News was on the TV and again I can pick out odd word from that. 

Photo Interlude - Dawn at Hora

When my coffee came over Marinos patted my eggs in the box and pointed to the words on the box, I think he was then reading them to me. I must google translate them. I used it to read the instructions on the bottle of magic solution, which is in fact some kind of bleach. I understand what it is now then. I paid for my coffee and got one of his satsumas which is kind of him. I told him his coffee was very good, in simple Greek language, ( very good ) I need to practice from Grans how to say it properly with the word coffee in it.

When I got back to the house, no power! I checked the meter box, and it’s dead like it was when I had my last power cut. These things happen over here. Good job I had my coffee in Marinos then! I will leave it for a while before telling the landlord. He is in Athens, I imagine he will call the electric folks out. I had my breakfast including the satsuma, I ate it last after my other fruit, so I could pop the pips back in the bowl, of which there were many! 

On my birthday which is  Thursday,  the day the rains might come, is the day the local Twyford Horticultural Society have their AGM. I would be there, if I wasn’t here, and I wished them my best in an email to the committee. I hope they get a good turnout. I have since then had some nice replies includ8ng birthday greetings.

Photo Interlude - Antirinums by the roadside today

Today I have an appointment at the Medical Centre, I am not going to go into details, but it’s about my repeat prescription, the person I am meeting came over on the boat yesterday. 

The towel washing is done and the verdict is the solution has worked its magic. That’s a result. 

I went down to the Medical Centre to meet the doctor. As I was early I sat out in the sun. There was a little boy with two pots with soil and a trowel. He went inside to get some water and mixed it all up. I saw a few of my Medical friends and despite saying the “Good Week” to myself all the way down the road, I could not bring it to mind. I managed to when I met the doctor though. Unlike “Happy Year” the remark will be useful next week. The doctor chat went well, I last met him after I had just arrived. There was a lot of catching up to do, and in fact after I recounted it to him, I realised the enormity of my achievement  in a few months. I am not very good at patting myself on the back, but as I continued walking down I tried to remind myself. We agreed to meet in a few more months, he comes over every month, if I need to see him I can.

Photo Interlude - view from Medical Centre

Before I walked down I looked at the second word for the greeting that’s eluded me and looked at each Greek letter in turn, and used the letter crib to tease the word apart to try and work out the proper pronunciation. I then listened to google translate. It’s a pity its does have a slow down button like Duolingo has. 

As I got to the bottom of the hill and walked along the flat bit into Livadi, I saw a guy next to that bit of land I was going to grow things on. He was surrounded by his chickens which were looking for things he had revealed with his fork. 

I got into the town and got my favourite pie, I was ready with that remark but despite my careful practice, it came out horribly wrong. The lady over the counter corrected me nicely. I went outside and ate the pie in the sun. To reinforce what I should be thinking about, I met several people, a friend, and people I know who work in the businesses in Livadi. I went into the supermarket to buy something, the server was doing something and had not seen me. After a while , I lent over and said sorry in Greek. She apologised in English, and I said ok several times in Greek to reassure her, it was no big deal.

There is an aggregate ship in the port, no surprise with all the building work going on. The lorries are carrying it to the industrial estate, so it makes the port a bit busier. It will be over in a day I imagine. I went into Grans. With my remark in my head, I gave the greeting to them, and it worked. Hooray! I then tried, the new words, that seem fixed in my head, despite the fact, I can’t see myself using them! The sentence is “I don’t read a newspaper every day”. They looked at me puzzled. The problem is for them, is it’s not complete, why then don’t you read a newspaper? I see their point. I then asked about the word, spelt the same, except for the accent being in a different place, it’s for “when” and “never”. One of the girls spoke both words and her interpretation was then clear, the first has a questioning tone to it, the second is a statement, and more forceful. Well that’s a start! I listened to the “never” version when I did the next chapter this morning.

Photo Interlude - View of the Donkey path, you can see the newer section, by the lack of weeds!

I finished my coffee, then walked to the Post Office for my parcel. What surprises me, is that the ladies are all wearing coats, buttoned up. It’s eighteen degrees at least. I am in shorts and a t shirt and when I go up the track the t shirt is going to have to come off! Meanwhile at the Post Office, one of the ladies who I first met when I went in, was back there. She remembers me. I have two letters, well they are cards. They aren’t in the normal blue box where I have been looking. Maybe I need to check with the counter from now on? Heaven knows how long they have been there. My second Amazon parcel was there too.

I had two calls today, one with one friend from Sifnos and the other with work colleague from my IT work. As ever the verbal dialogue is always important to me and enjoyable catching up with their news as ever.  I have opened the two cards both from Christmas, I have separately thanked both senders, a lovely surprise, which seems to happen every day here!