A dusting of snow

 Wednesday 8th February 2023

When I made my Spaghetti Carbonara last night, I realised that these eggs are really yellow. They are not battery hens, they are outside,  possibly in pens that have them pecking about in the ground and are probably fed food waste like leaves and bits. So the eggs  are all different sizes and shell colours. It was cold again today, when I fed the car park cats, there were half the numbers that I saw yesterday. 

Photo Interlude - cat in rusting truck by car park

For some reason I thought there would be the same number or even more given how inclement it is. After feeding them, I went to Marinos bar. It was super full today, maybe it’s a day off for workers? I asked one of the guys I know and he said maybe. I think the schools are closed, I heard that, as the word for schools, and closed I understood and are guessable I think. Interestingly I saw the bus today, with the driver, I now know. The mountains had a sprinkle of snow, which is lovely.

I noticed a lot of the guys in the bar, drink the Greek coffee, I put a photo of it the other day. A couple of them drink something that looks like tea, I need to investigate that further! My landlord popped in for a coffee too, wherever I go on the island he seems to be there! Because every other day, I have a big bag of old water bottles, that I use to replace the cat water, I explained to them, whose cats I am feeding, where I get the food and so on. One guy looked like he had a regular woolly hat plus what I used to call a balaclava remember them?

Photo Interlude - Very prickly cactus on road to Livadi ( most of them don’t have these spines )

My washing pile was getting a bit large, I washed a towel the other day and it’s been drying in the living area under the or conditioner. It’s getting dry, slowly. I decided to do a load of t shirt, socks and undergarments washing last night and I hung it all outside. Within seconds we had a bit more snow. But after I came back from Livadi, it was sunny again and things amazingly had started to dry out.  I had a nice chat with one of our UK neighbours last night. As usual it was good to catch up on the news, what they are up too, and seeing them soon. The word for cold, is getting good use at the moment, which helpful. Unfortunately the word for begin or start is proving troublesome, it’s a bit like the word for often, which also caused me grief. I bought the last section of the Greek course last night, so I have all the parts one to eight now. The next chapter I have to do, brings in the idea of saying sentences starting with the word “we”, for example like we want to buy something and so on. What this means is words I know already, like understand, which I already know various versions of for example, I, You, or He/She which have different endings, now have a new ending for when I say “we”.

I am having a  late lunch early dinner today. The friend and daughter who I am feeding the car park l cats for are getting an Aubergine curry that I have made this morning. I bought myself something to eat later on in the day instead of a hot meal. I drove down to Livadi, I did not want to get stuck down there and decided a day off walking would not do me any hard at all. When I went to Grans, the younger girl wasn’t there, I asked in Greek where she was and I got an answer. Thankfully in English. I offered to help, that would be have been hopeless. I could sweep the floor. In any case she turned up soon after. Here is the curry.

I got another email from the Serifos friends group. I thought it might be a reminder for their meeting, but this is relating to elections of their board of Directors. 

The Aubergine curry went down very well I am pleased to say. Another friend of all of us was there too, so that made four people and four dogs. My friend made an apple tart, they called it a quiche, which was also very tasty, no soggy bottom! All the dogs made a big fuss of me, which I loved of course. One of them called Fritzy, was especially keen to be close to me and wash me all over. He was gently nibbling my ears also. We went for a very brisk walk with all four dogs just before I left, it was very windy. I might even get a hat! It is meant to warm up by the weekend. The good news is the washing feels quite dry. I am going up to the dog rescue place on Sunday with my friends daughter.