Family business

I went to the Taverna next door to me Tuesday night. I know all the family and apart from the mum, they all have second jobs, as well as working at the Taverna. I managed to order all that I wanted in Greek, it wasn’t hard. But I wanted to tell them, that I was heading to Sifnos soon for two weeks, then the UK for two months, then back here in September. Again it wasn’t hard Greek. I also added a last sentence to say I was moving down the mountain and that I would still come to their place. After my meal, I went up to pay and said my three lines. The boys speak perfect English, and I think the mother and father got my words or the jist of it anyway. One of the sons partner was working there and the father was on the burner, mother keeping an eye on them all. She goes there in the morning and does all the prep work. They will be open for a few weeks in September then slowly slowly, things will close down again. 

In the morning I went to have my coffee, the first for two days, but I have been spotted driving the Dog Palace owner and her dogs up past the shop. I did have two sentences, one to explain that the Dog Palace owners car was broken and that I was driving. The second sentence, I did not use, but was about the fact I was leaving early now, because it’s hot for the dogs. It’s funny, because there was a guy from the mainland there on holiday, listening to all this. He said my pronunciation was a bit suspect, especially my ‘o’s which are much too long. He was here for the Cycladian cure as he called it. He also said that he could tell Marino was slowing his speech down and trying to make it easier for me to understand him. I explained why I came here and that I was trying to integrate as best as I could. 


I had some sweets given to me by my US friend, left behind the bar, Marinos got these out, and I gave one to a couple of people. Marinos gave me a grapefruit from his house garden, which I will have for my breakfast. It’s a day off duty for the Dog Palace, catching up on a few things, pop to the new house, organise a few things, then a swim at Agios Sostis. The freezer meals are going down nicely. The bed sheets are out in the wind, drying quickly I imagine. 

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