Late Summer 2023

I am writing this in our flat in Newquay, Cornwall while Sheila and I await the arrival of our second grandchild, whom we already know will be a boy. Much of the content of this Post is of course about Crete, which at present seems very far away. We have been in the UK for nearly a month now and the grey West Country autumnal weather has taken rather a toll on the sun-tanned skin shown in many of the photos of us both which follow. Still life here has other compensations as we get to spend quality time with our granddaughter Isla, who is growing up so fast.

Our late summer adventure began with an early August trip to the UK with the purpose of attending my brother and his wife’s Golden Wedding celebrations in Devon. It was of course an occasion when family and Tim and Liz’s friends gathered and was all the more joyful because mostly these days, such get togethers only happen for a funeral!

My niece, Emma and her husband, Adrian and family were there from the USA and my nephew, Tom and his wife Elsie from New Zealand together with Elsie’s mother Helen, from Scotland. Rosie, Ed and Isla came up for the Saturday from Cornwall as did my cousin Liz from Wiltshire with her son John and a number of Tim’s childhood friends from the village in Somerset where we were brought up. Numbers on the day were enhanced by other friends mainly from the academic world and those made locally since they moved to Devon.

On the Friday evening, there was a family dinner in a local restaurant where we were able to catch up with what everyone had been up to and I particularly enjoyed chatting with my young teens great nephew and niece.

On the Saturday, there was a reception in a marquee on the lawn at Tim and Liz’s house with much chatting, re-connecting and new introductions.

Isla behaved impeccably (well almost} and rather upstaged the speeches by walking into the open space and saying hello to everyone round and about – much laughter and no one minded (I think!).

I really enjoyed the day and it was particularly good to see cousin Liz in such good form.

Many thanks to Tim and Liz for the invitation and so glad we could be there.

The following day, we took the train back to Reading and then on to Bracknell to stay with Phil for a couple of nights. She was required to help move some sheep while we were there and we had been designated to help. In reality, we did not have much to do but it was fun to be involved especially as Phil had provided us with an impressive CV as regards the management for sheep and goats!

Later, we met up with mutual friends John and Nicky for a pub lunch which was great fun and it was good to catch up with them and exchange family news.

The following day we took the train to Horsham (via Gatwick) to stay our final two nights with Richard and Jill but we had not got very far when said train came to a halt. After a while the guard informed us that there was a swan on the line and we could not move forward until it moved of its own accord or someone authorised by the King moved it. Swans are royal birds and as such are protected so we waited and we waited until it was clear we would miss our connection. Eventually, the driver got out and rather bravely I thought, took the matter in his own hands by shewing the swan back down to a river from whence presumably it had come! 

This all meant that we would be late arriving in Horsham but more excitement was to follow when there was an ‘incident’ at Horsham which meant that the train terminated at the station before, so we had to ask Jill to come and rescue us.

It was very good to see them both as we had not visited since before Covid, so of course there was much to talk about, which took up much of the afternoon. The next day they took us to the gardens at Leonardslee which have recently been re-instated to their former glory.

It was particularly enjoyable for me because I hired a mobility scooter to get me around and so was able to make a more or less complete tour with the others which would not have happened otherwise. It also gave me the opportunity to try one out because I am thinking of buying something similar in Crete to get around the village.

All too soon it was time to go home. Jill kindly dropped us off at Gatwick where flight delays soon became apparent, which led to us missing the connection in Athens and being put up in a hotel for the night.

It was a short trip but we packed in a lot. Friends and family were kind and generous, the weather was generally very good and we had a great time. Many thanks to all!

All was well with the house when we returned and we were soon back in to the usual round of Kavousi activities based largely around tavernas, the beach and socialising with friends. Especially enjoyable was the party to celebrate Marina’s birthday, held at their ‘house on the hill’ with fantastic views away to the west (see cover picture). Marina and Jean Pierre used to run a restaurant in Belgium and the food was wonderful and we had the opportunity to meet a number of ‘new’ people as well as catching up with old friends.

The weather was still very hot and so there were a number of trips to the beach  of course but other less glamorous matters needed to be attended to such as attending an appointment with a panel of doctors to determine if I was entitled to a disabled parking permit. It was a somewhat bizarre experience where it quickly became apparent that none of the three had read the application and had no idea really why I was there. However, they went through the motions subsequently informing me that I was ‘only’ 60% disabled so was not entitled to the permit because that required me reaching 67% on the scale. All very Greek and amusing in a way but irritating all the same, considering what I had had to do to get to that point!

During this period, our neighbour Maria broke her wrist when she fell over her dog, which was clearly very painful for her but the period of recovery did rather go on for a long while and there really is only so much that a body can say in sympathy with the situation. Fortunately she was fully recovered  by the end of September!

The summer sun meant a lot of work in the garden and the head gardener needed a hat for the job.

There was a downside to the hot weather however in that combined with an outbreak of mould in the village, it meant that we had very few edible grapes this summer. In fact it has been the worst year for grapes since we moved into our house ten years ago. The word is that our supply of cheap red wine for the forthcoming year will be in jeopardy and without the wine (and the skins), there will be no raki either. Maybe time to move back to the UK!

As reported in previous Posts, the progress on the new building below our terrace has been slow but steady this year but as August approached, Manolis the builder suddenly speeded up and it soon became apparent why. The owner and his wife and grandchildren were arriving for their holidays!

Although the outside was and still is, far from finished, Manolis the builder managed to get the inside completed enough to allow Panigiotis to enjoy the typical Athenian Greek family summer holiday in his ‘home’ village.

We went to an evening concert in Ag Nik to see a group of local singers, ably supported by some talented young (and not so young) musicians perform the songs of a Greek singer songwriter, Michalis Violaris from the 1970’s.

It was an enjoyable evening made additionally interesting by the audience whom were mostly of similar ages to ourselves and were all singing along with the performers. Strangely many in the audience had also brought both their dogs and grandchildren along, none of whom were singing fortunately!

September 12 was our 40th Wedding Anniversary. We decided not to seek the high spots of Athens but to go to a somewhat upmarket hotel at the other end of the island for a few days.

The hotel is situated a few miles to the west of Kissamos overlooking the sea and we had a room very close to the pool.

The weather was not quite so hot which was a blessing and our room was a large and comfortable.

To celebrate our arrival we had cocktails before dinner.

We spent the day itself by the pool

sipping sparkling wine

and reminiscing, followed by a walk along the beach in the early evening and a pleasant meal in the hotel restaurant. 

Sheila managed a few lengths of the pool.

We may not be quite as young looking as we were forty years ago

but still look pretty good – well Sheila more than me perhaps but that was always the case!

Over the following days we explored the north-western corner of the Island. We never got to Balos Beach and Gramvoussa (too many hire cars and tourists) and will leave that for another trip out of Season but we did find the ‘other’ Kavousi – yes there is another village in Crete with the same name.

It was rather disappointing and we think ‘our’ Kavousi is much better! We also had a lovely afternoon on a slightly windy beach near ancient Falassarna. 

On the way home, we stopped off at Souda near Chania to look at electric scooters but the shop was closed and in any event, when I called the guy he told me that he doesn’t actually keep any in stock – just buys one when he has an order. A sign of the times, I guess.

Late Summer is also the time for various health checks (both personal and mechanical) but this year because of our proposed trip to the UK in October/November some were brought forward and others postponed. So we both went to the dentist and were passed fit and well and I went to the ENT guy who told me that I don’t need a hearing aid yet! My trip to the cardiologist was postponed to December but the annual car service was brought forward which meant a day trip to Heraklion. The car was fine but Sheila’s usual shopping binge was postponed until we arrive in the UK.

We also had two late summer visitors.

Jane arrived in early September for a week. It was great to see her because it has been a while since she last came. She and Sheila walked to Azoria one day and we had a trip down memory lane to eat at Psarapoula restaurant and use their loungers later, after the obligatory swim. There were also a number of trips to Tholos to swim and to Pacheia Ammos to eat at both Natasha’s and Bobo’s and also to Panorama.

Jane also came with us to Marina’s party where she engaged the local Israeli millionaire in spirited conversation for some time. Just as well perhaps this was some time prior to the current hostilities in Gaza!

Annie was our other late summer visitor and like Jane has been a number of times before, so we did not feel that we had to organise too much sight-seeing. That said, Sheila and Annie did go to Spinalonga for the day and we all went to Katharo 

and took the dirt road through to the Lassithi Plateau

where we had a pleasant lunch at a taverna we found some years ago with Bruce and Cathy from Canada.

Sheila and Annie also had a number of local walks, including of course to the ancient olive tree, around the village and through the olives to the beach and we also managed to fit in cocktails at Mochlos on her last evening.

Finally, our Bird of Paradise plant seems to like its new location. This year, just before we left for the UK in October, it had no less than fourteen flowers!

And a last lunch at Dakos taverna before we took the bus to the airport…..