The hot springs at Eftalou (in the white dome) Well, I knew I’d see the Canadian writer again – and I did! She kindly phoned me yesterday afternoon to invite me to dine with her and her daughter in the evening, as they were both leaving the island today. We went to a fish restaurant very much off the beaten track and where there was no menu as it was assumed you could speak the lingo and knew what to order – which they did, so it was an experience I could never have had if I’d not been with them. A really lovely evening, with promises to stay in touch – and encouragement to write a song that I’d talked to her of writing that afternoon. The lyrics then spilled out at three in the morning, as they are wont to do. Ah! Happiness is a new song!
What I found out from my Canadian friend’s daughter regarding animal welfare on the island is that up to a couple of years ago, there were a lot of volunteer vets coming from overseas to neuter cats and dogs and the problem was beginning to be controlled, but Greek vets complained that these foreign vets were stealing their business from them and anyway didn’t have the appropriate licence to be practising here, so they all had to leave and now there’s no neutering programme and the problem’s as bad as it was before. A very sad situation. I saw one dead cat on the road on my way to Petra this morning, with two men working about three feet away from it as though it wasn’t there, and a load of dogs and cats just wandering around. I don’t think I could live here.
This morning I was much more assertive about what I wanted for breakfast, and how much – with the result that it was perfect! The Greek yogurt and another delicious orange were the highlight. The coffee was black again – you know why – but I’ve just been out and purchased a litre of proper milk, so things will be back to normal on the coffee and tea front as from today.
Athena at the hotel (her husband is Adonis, not Antonio – I misheard… I prefer Adonis – makes the pair of them sound like an ancient Greek god and goddess) told me about the thermal hot springs down the road at Eftalou, so I drove over there this morning – just past the fish restaurant actually. I was the only one in there to start with – and the water felt FABULOUS. Definitely worth a repeat visit or two while I’m here. Even going into the cold sea between dips in the lovely hot healing water felt great, and I’m still feeling the benefit of it several hours later.
On the way back to the hotel I stopped off at a mini mart to buy MILK and some juice and diet Coke. Had a chat with the affable chap who works there, who asked me if I was from Liverpool. Liverpool? Never been asked that before, not even in America, where the more usual question was whether I was Australian… Turned out it wasn’t Beatles-related, but was because he’s a big football fan – though, among English clubs, Chelsea is his team, not Liverpool – so why he didn’t he ask me if I was from London, I have no idea. Unless I'm sounding a bit scouse these days? Anyway, his main team is AEK Athens and we then had a surprisingly fluent conversation about Athens clubs and the Champions League, given that these are things I know next to nothing about.
Signing off now to go and work on the new song :)
What I found out from my Canadian friend’s daughter regarding animal welfare on the island is that up to a couple of years ago, there were a lot of volunteer vets coming from overseas to neuter cats and dogs and the problem was beginning to be controlled, but Greek vets complained that these foreign vets were stealing their business from them and anyway didn’t have the appropriate licence to be practising here, so they all had to leave and now there’s no neutering programme and the problem’s as bad as it was before. A very sad situation. I saw one dead cat on the road on my way to Petra this morning, with two men working about three feet away from it as though it wasn’t there, and a load of dogs and cats just wandering around. I don’t think I could live here.
This morning I was much more assertive about what I wanted for breakfast, and how much – with the result that it was perfect! The Greek yogurt and another delicious orange were the highlight. The coffee was black again – you know why – but I’ve just been out and purchased a litre of proper milk, so things will be back to normal on the coffee and tea front as from today.
Athena at the hotel (her husband is Adonis, not Antonio – I misheard… I prefer Adonis – makes the pair of them sound like an ancient Greek god and goddess) told me about the thermal hot springs down the road at Eftalou, so I drove over there this morning – just past the fish restaurant actually. I was the only one in there to start with – and the water felt FABULOUS. Definitely worth a repeat visit or two while I’m here. Even going into the cold sea between dips in the lovely hot healing water felt great, and I’m still feeling the benefit of it several hours later.
On the way back to the hotel I stopped off at a mini mart to buy MILK and some juice and diet Coke. Had a chat with the affable chap who works there, who asked me if I was from Liverpool. Liverpool? Never been asked that before, not even in America, where the more usual question was whether I was Australian… Turned out it wasn’t Beatles-related, but was because he’s a big football fan – though, among English clubs, Chelsea is his team, not Liverpool – so why he didn’t he ask me if I was from London, I have no idea. Unless I'm sounding a bit scouse these days? Anyway, his main team is AEK Athens and we then had a surprisingly fluent conversation about Athens clubs and the Champions League, given that these are things I know next to nothing about.
Signing off now to go and work on the new song :)
A donkey delivering fresh veg - met him on my way up to the castle yesterday
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