Angelo's shirt

Angelo was wearing this creatively crafted shirt! 

Love it!

The garden

Although I was suffering from sleep deprivation yesterday morning ( due to a Greek coffee the night before), I had promised Andreas that I would help to clear a small garden area.

When I arrived he had just started. The grass and weeds were waist high. We worked away at the growth for about half an hour before additional recruits arrived...Coralie, Lonais & Aphrodite.

With their help the plot was cleared within an hour. Andreas still has hours of hard labour ahead but he has big plans. By noon he had made a trip to Katapola, returning with 40 tomato plants and some seeds.

A road block enroute to Agia Anna

Church bells rang non-stop for 45 minutes this morning, the last Sunday before Easter. I tried to upload a video clip of the sound but the iPad resisted my attempts! It was a cacophony of sound, at times rhythmic with several churches ringing their bells at the same time.

After morning coffee we decided to head down to Agia Anna for a swim. Enroute we encountered a road block!

This goatherd had about 200 goats and a few sheep that he was herding down the centre of the road. After following slowly behind for about 15 minutes he turned the herd up the hill where the final resting place would be on the other side of Profitis Ilias.

Agia Anna is where scenes from the movie "The Big Blue" we're filmed. Today the water was like glass, smooth and clear. It was amazing! There were four of us on the beach and John watching from above. Yes, that is me floating in the salty Aegean. It was heavenly. An Italian woman finally joined me and we shared conversations about Italy's economy before we both, reluctantly, climbed out 

A swimming and sharing day

Enjoyed a second swim of the year at Aegiali yesterday. It was about 25 degrees. There were two boys and myself in the water! It was heavenly but not as delicious as my swim at Agia Anna so today I will plunge into the "Big Blue" again.

Last night we were invited to a"sharing" of Coralie's artwork at the beautiful apartment that she has rented. After hearing about her process of printmaking with optional added touches of colour, it was a special treat to see the results. Abstracted versions of what she observes in the landscapes lined the walls, some with added colour, others simply black and white.

 

She had prepared some meze dishes and we brought wine & bread to share. Our small appreciative audience sat on the terrace...sipping, savouring and watching the sunset. John and Andreas also shared some philosophical insights!

Countdown to Easter

Scrape, scrape, scrape

Bounce, bounce, bounce

Men at work

Children at play

Someone whistles

Along the pathway

Music drifts with coffee

Climbing up the stairs

Blankets hang to dry

Smiling woman waves

The village has been so generously coated with whitewash that it is blinding! Only the locals are able to walk through the pathways without sunglasses! Whitewashed flowers and patterns decorate every step along the way. Bedding hangs from balconies, airing out for family and friends who will arrive this week. Rental cars and motorbikes are washed and serviced, waiting to explore the island. Small cafes and shops are slowly opening with freshly painted chairs and tables. Market shelves are loaded with Easter eggs. The disturbing aspect of Orthodox Easter, aside from religious nonsense, is the prevalence of fireworks. The youth of the island have access to all types of fireworks preceding the weekend celebrations and they are constantly exploding, scaring the pants off me.

It is about 25 degrees today and the weather forecast predicts at least another week of very warm temperatures. Our friend Kalliroi will arrive from Andros on Tuesday for the Easter celebrations.

Riikka, from Finland, will also join us soon for a joyous reunion.

In the underground kitchen

Following Theo's instructions, we chopped and tossed and herbed and baked last night's dinner of Briam...mixed organic veggies. The final result fed 10 of us. Cleopatra also made a delicious salad with strawberries, cheeses, nuts, lettuce and a balsamic dressing. Yumhhh!

First swim

The sun is shining today and the wind is warm. Coralie and I made our first plunge into the sea. It was delicious...very cold at first but refreshing. We swam out far enough to see Hozoviotissa Monastery clinging to the rock face above us. John sat at the small church and watched as we swam back to shore.

Earlier in the day I visited Angeliki Kourti at LIME, her tiny shop in Chora. Angie makes so many beautiful things that it is impossible to describe all of her creations. She uses beads, wire, fabric, stitchery, pieces of leather, metal, cord...anything that she can use her imagination and her hands to create!

 

The first time we visited her shop, I walked away with an amazing necklace and a beautiful bracelet. Her creations are hard to resist!

Meanwhile one of Jazzmin's cats finally gave birth two days ago. We aren't sure if the kittens survived because she continues to spend a lot of time at the bar, seeking solace with whoever is available.

This morning she nestled into John's arms for a snooze. It will be about 6 weeks before she brings the babies out to share. By that time we will be back in Canada.