A home visit

SATURDAY 22^nd NOVEMBER

We awoke to rain, hailstones, thunder and lightning which continued for most of the morning.  The sea below was now very rough and the waves pounded against the rocks.  The wind howled making a noise like a dog ‘woofing’ as it hit the small gap between the wall and the patio door.  Theo went off early to Rethymno and Maria and I arranged to make chocolate sweets this afternoon.  We also arranged to eat together tonight – I will make a spicy sausage casserole and she will prepare a leg of lamb with potatoes in olive oil, lemon and oregano, one of our favourite dishes.

 

 

SUNDAY 23^rd NOVEMBER

A nice morning with less wind so we took a walk into the village passing the area that is to be the new harbour and stopping to watch the progress, and seeing for the first time a sailing boat that had presumably taken shelter.  We wondered where it had come from and when it had arrived.  As we stopped a small dog came to pester us and with its muddy paws I did not want it jumping up at me.  It obviously belonged to someone as it was wearing a collar.  We managed to ignore it and so it left us alone and presumably returned to be near the property that is hidden in the hillside overlooking this harbour.  We stopped for a drink in ‘On the Rocks’ where a French cyclist is staying for a few days.  He told us he has taken a year off and that it is 20 years since he was last in Plakias.  We didn’t get a drink as the owner seemed to have disappeared, but we were glad of the sit down. 

We had all been invited to Vic and Jean’s new house this afternoon and originally everyone was going in our car.  At 3.30 when we were ready to leave Theo and Maria were not and said they would follow in about 15 minutes in their car.  The rain began just as we arrived at the house.  The buildings may be complete but the road needs to be made up and the area landscaped.  We had been told to follow the road round and look for their car, their house would be close by. That was the easy bit as we had to walk over pieces of waste material placed on the uneven ground to reach their paved pathway.  Inside was delightful with a lovely compact kitchen off the lounge area which has a wood burning stove in one corner, patio outside with another large dining area, and then a winding marble staircase down to the bathroom, and two good sized bedrooms each having a door out onto another patio. Lambros had walked into the house and said “Where is the TV – the room is empty!”  Outside the front door was another marble staircase leading to the roof terrace from where looking up to the right we had a lovely view of Sellia, and looking down over the olive groves and out across the bay.  Thankfully the shower of rain had ceased by now.  We all sat and chatted until quite late and we left leaving Theo, Maria and Lambros to follow later and thanking Jean and Vic for inviting us to their new home.  

It was the last night in ‘Kastro’ as the family is going on a well earned holiday before spending Christmas and New Year at their home in Athens.  They have plans to visit the north of Greece in the coming month so we hope the weather will be kind to them.  We came home armed with bags containing large bottles of village wine and raki that we hope will see us through the rest of our holiday as we shall be returning to the UK before Yiannis and Athanasia return to Plakias.