Summer Journal 2012, July 31

Kiss July Goodbye.  Well here we are at the close of July.  It's slightly cooler today.  I've pruned the roses, washed one big window in the study, gathered one bunch of oregano, and watered the vegetables.  We have to take the car to the garage for some minor check, and get a few things at the grocery store.  Here are some photos from yesterday:

Traditional Greek house (the little one in front)

Stell pointed this house out to me on the way to the bank yesterday.  He said most of the houses used to look like this in the village.  When we got to the bank he discovered there was a strike underway so it was locked.  He was pissed, so that meant we just would go and have an ouzo.  People here drink ouzos when they get pissed.  Pretty soon Vasiliki came along followed by her husband, Vasilis.  They are friends who live in Perugia, Italy.  She is a pediatrician and is from Ierissos.  She was pretty happy because she has a new five month old niece.  Gordhan and Malcolm thought she was "hot", so I always take photos of her for them.  I like her very much.

While we were at Sultana's, we noticed Christos the owner and Rula the Coffee-Shop Owner's Husband Whose Name I Can't Recall, doing something with huge artichokes.  They were removing the seeds, but I'm still not sure what this process is about unless they are getting seeds to grow more artichokes.  I'll try and find out today.  Here they are:

Finally, I'll close my July blogs with this photo I took from Milos just before we went swimming, which was such a relief yesterday.  It is a view of the place where they build the wooden boats and the Athos Hotel, which has not been open for about four years.  So this is what we "see" before we go into the "sea" each afternoon.  We did play cards again last night.  I've won two games, and Stell three, so we are going for the best out of seven.  He's been way too lucky, but I intend to break his lucky streak.   That's it for July - Margherita Cilantro Foustanella

Oh, one more thing I asked the little Anatasia's mom how long she would be here (she's three), because I want to introduce her to Alexander.  She said they will be here until September.  I explained that I realize she is an older woman for Alexander, but the Mom said not a problem because she is eight years older than her husband.  I also want to get Alexander some water wings like hers but I will wait until he's here.

Summer Journal 2012, July 30

Sweat is pouring off my face because of the heat.  I've cleaned yet another window - this time in the study.  Tomorrow I will do the only other window in this room and then move toward the front and back doors.  Some events that have happened since I last posted - Our nephew Ioannis introduced us to a man who is a movie director, Vasilis, and Vasilis gorgeous wife, Olympia, and their young son, Constantino.  Apparently Vasilis has won several awards for his films, mostly documentaries.  Now he has completed a thriller for American audiences which is called "Lurk".  I think it has been released already in the States, but for some reason he wants me to review it in a private screening here.   I wish Addie was with me, she's so better prepared to review a movie.  Oh well, if in fact this is arranged, I'll do my best.

Yesterday Stell was happy to enjoy a big fish dinner at Christo's.  You can detect by the look on his face that it was a joyful encounter (for Stell, not the fish).  I had taglatelle with pesto sauce and my favorite Mediterranean salad.  We didn't go to the village last night.  Instead we played cards, and finally I won.  Stell has won the first two games of the summer, so he's been flaunting his success.  I was so pleased to come out ahead for a change, if even for a small margin. 

In addition to the card game we had the fertilizing team in the yard.  Although you only see two of the team, there were actually four who broke away from the large herd and came here to fertilize.

 I can't wait to see Jaiden's face when the crew shows up.  Stell tried to chase them out, but he's never successful, and I'd show you pictures of that, but I since he was completely naked, I don't think this would be appropriate.  It is an incredibly hilarious scene.  Perhaps I should speak to Vasilis the movie director about a documentary? 

Summer Journal 2012, July 29

Today is my Dad's Birthday.  Stell and I will call him later.  Much easier than many years ago - now with the new phone cards, we have no trouble getting through and usually the connections are very clear.  It remains Georgia-hot here in Greece.  Highly unusual and the only relief is to go swimming, which we will do like everyday.  I've cleaned another window, which means I've finished the living room and kitchen so tomorrow I will start with the study.  I'm well into the book the Lost Prophet, but it is lengthy so I don't expect to finish it until the end of the week, then I'll read the complete book of Cole Campbell's essays. 

Last night we went to the Ierissos-Thessaloniki people dance.  We didn't come home until 2 a.m.  Nothing unusual for here.  The food was so-so, which is always true at these big party events.  We sat with the family  - Stell's two sisters, Anna and Ireni, Anna's daughters, Demetra and Mary, Demetra's husband Nicos, and our cousin, Lakis. Lakis kept repeating that he was going to drive us to Monaco.  A little later in the evening we were graced with the presence of Kostas.  He's 21 now.  His parents left after the party to begin to prepare an apartment for him in Thessaloniki. 

I'll keep my posting short today, so Stell can get his fair share of time on the Internet.  A week from tmorrow things will "pick up" because Paris, Carrie, Jaiden, and Alexander arrive.  They will rent a car in Thessaloniki and probably be here around sunset on Monday.  Read a fun poem this morning called Mambo Cadillac in the book of poems from Julie. 

Seize the day!  

Summer Journal 2012, July 28

Yesterday we  did make it to hear Professor Stella Kokkini's students talk about their field work in botany in this area.  They all were required to do their presentations in English for my benefit.  They were impressive.  They gave us an overview of the courses they were taking this semester.  Several of their other professors and the head of their program also attended.  Stella makes a big to-do about us attending.  I'm always honored that she wants us to see what her students are achieving.  Here are some photos:

After the seminar, we went to Sultana's and had an ouzo with Kyros.

This next photo was taken several nights ago with Thodoros' (Stell's cousin) family who were having dinner at Christos:

Tonight is the Ierissos People who Live in Thessaloniki party.  I'm dreading it because it is so hot here, but I'm GAGA - Go Along to Get Along.

This photo is just intended to demonstrate to Nic that we are eating lots of tentacles.

This was taken with Zoie and Ireni before they returned to Chicago.  Next to Stell is our nephew Nikos and across from Stell is our niece, Demetra.  They are the two surgeons from Athens, and the people who have provided us with our new little Peugeot.  Very kind.

Yes, all we do is Eat! Sleep! Swim!   I must go and clean two windows because I missed yesterday.  I'm behind!  Yikes.  

Summer Journal 2012, July 27

Does your Doag Bite - (I thought of  the Peter Sellers line yesterday at the beach.)  Our niece, Mary (who is my age) has a little nervous Dobermanish dog that she has been toting to the beach and doting over for two years.  Of course, he/she? is a magnet for little kids.  Yesterday her doag bit a little child on the beach and because the bite broke the skin and there was blood, she and the grandfather of the child had to find the pediatrician, who I think only put some antiseptic on the wound.  Mary was really rattled, but this was just the beginning, because when she went back to the beach some litigious older woman started screaming at Mary saying that dogs were not permitted on the beaches - there was regulations and people were going to sue and Mary was going to have to pay a huge fine.  She was really upset.  Stell and her husband, Ioannis told her to keep the dog at the apartment where she lives, but she says if she leaves it alone it barks constantly and the neighbors complain.  Dog Catch 22.

Here are a couple of little girls sitting at the bar who will really miss the little dog:

Niki and Friend

The set for Medea by Euripides

Last night I went to see the play, Medea.  Outstanding.  I read it online before going.  So many of my friends were perfoming.  First Stell and I went to this little church service for St. Pandelimon's Day, and then Stell skipped the play and went to eat with the Fat Cats at Toristico, but I went to the play and sat with Yiannis and Katerina Foras.   It was packed.  I had taken a photo of the plastic chairs set up earlier in the day.

Demetri as Jason

My friend, Demetri (son of Pericles and Despina), played Jason.  He was hilarious and a superb actor.  Because this was a modern translation, part of his role was to imitate Michael Jackson dancing which included the Moon Walk.  His costume was wonderfully outrageous.

Maria's twin sister

Before the play we walked by the New Elysee Sweet Shop hoping to get a picture of Maria for Chris. We thought we had taken it, when the young woman in the photo explained that she's Maria's twin sister (can't remember her name), and that Maria would be arriving later.  They are identical!  I don't know if we will ever catch up with Maria because we don't frequent this shop, but at least we caught her twin. 

Does she need new bluejeans?

I'm almost a 100 pages into Lost Prophet:  The Life and Times of Bayard Ruskin.  Today we are going to hear six of Stella Kokini's students do botany presentations about the herbs and other plants found on Halkidiki that were here at the time of Aristotle.  She likes us to critique her students.  Amazing because I only know I like herbs a lot. 













Summer Journal 2012, July 26

Yesterday was eventful ending with a successful Skype with colleagues at the Kettering Foundation.  The folks who were part of the Everyday Speech session were in a meeting room in a Dayton hotel and I could hear and see everyone very well, and also I could interact with them.  The miracles of technology.  For them it was 1 p.m.; for me it was 8 p.m. 

The first photo today is of an empty ice-cream parlor that Chris, Cody, and Corey enjoyed while here.  Fortunately the fact that it is now vacant now is not another sign of austerity.  They have simply moved to a fancier locale near the sea.  They met a young woman there named Maria and have had some exchanges with her, so they wanted me to check on her.  We found that she can completed her university degree in gymnastics and when we caught up with her she was making chocolate crepes at the new shop.  Later I will go by and take a picture of the new place, and also of her.  They had good business, however, as most of you know I'm not a contributor because I don't care for sweets. 

Vacated Sweets Shop

Now for the most incredible event of yesterday . . . . We had gone to Milos for an ouzo.  For those of you who don't know Milos it is a lovely bar next to the sea.  We had just sat down and started to sip, when an old farmer on a tractor pulled up in front of where we were sitting, which meant it pulled up on this pedestrian walkway between the bar and the sea. He was barricaded from going further by two large cement planters of flowers.  He stopped the tractor, got off, and came to our table and indicated he wanted a tsiparo (white lightening), which of course Stell ordered for him.  He kept calling me "Mrs." in Greece and at first told us he was from Gomati.  Wherever he was from, he was loaded.  Later we learned that he was from Nea Rhoda, the next down down the peninsula from Ierissos.  He had driven his tractor here to pick up his pension check, and obviously was spending it along the route home on several glasses of white lightening.  We learned his name was Kostas Voulos.  He was very animated - waving his arms about and continuing to move the glasses of water on the table into different positions.  Soon two handsome young policemen came to our table and tried to speak with him.  They were extremely polite and calm, but he was a bit rowdy with them. They sat and talked with him, and he called them "putanas", which means whores, nonetheless they kept their cool.  They paced about in Milos for several minutes, then one left and returned with a third police officer, obviously someone of higher rank.  The old farmer got back on his tractor, but they wrestled with him a bit and took his keys.  He came back to our table and continued his story - he himself used to work as an agricultural police officer.  Then one of the police cars returned with a woman, who we learned with his daughter.  She was naturally distressed, but it seems this was not the first time something like this had occurred.  She said his grandson would be coming soon to take him home.  I finally had finished my ouzo and had enough of the drama, so I left Stell with him to wait for the grandson.  The grandson never returned, so Stell drove him home to Nea Rhoda.  He tried to persuade Stell to come and have scrambled eggs and more tsiparo, which thank goodness, Stell declined.  At lunch we learned he had parked his tractor in front of Christo's restaurant before driving over to Milos and Christos had also given him a tsiparo, but then he was the one who phoned the police.  He did tell Stell that he knew the name "Kefalas" and he knew they were good people!

After the Farmer Kostas Volous event we went to Christo's for lunch.  Nula was visiting from Athens with her daughter Chrstina.  She is one of Christos Yacco's three daughters.  I remember all of them when they were waiting tables at the same restaurant when their father was the owner.  Two are now doctors, and Nula works with computers.  The doctors are not married and for some reason they won't have anything to do with Nula when she visits.  They actually leave town.  We don't know why.  It's very strange.  So the photos below are Nula, Christina, and Christos Yaccos:

Finally, we did get a photos of Nicos with his mother whose name I don't remember, and then one with her and his father Tassos.  Tassos is one of the three brothers who owns the restaurant where we dine almost daily.

Tonight I'm going to the theatre to see the local theatre group whose name means Thistles perform a modern version of Euripides, Midea. I think Stell is going to some church service at his cousin, Christos, at the same time.  I much prefer the ancient Greek messages, so we are temporarily separating. 

I have lots of vegetables.  My tomato plants are overflowing, I have gorgeous eggplants, cucumbers, and peppers.  Good sun, water, good soil. Also, the little peach tree is loaded, not like Kostas Volous, however.  

Summer Journal 2012, July 25

Very hot days - well we are starting the third hot one - feels like Georgia.  The little girl in the photo is Anastasia.  She's three.  She was born with a hole in her heart, so before she turned three she had open heart surgery.  Other than a very faint vertical scar down the middle of her body, you would have no idea that she has ever had a problem.  She's as active as any of the other children - has a huge smile.  Calls Stell Pappou.  If she can't see him, she wants to know, where is Pappou.  Her mother said she's been a very courageous little girl.  Thank goodness the doctors were able to do this surgery and she now can be a healthy child.  I think she looks very cool in those sunglasses. 

Anastasia with her Mother

Sunglasses, Ankle Bracelet, She's Classy

Yesterday we had lunch at the usual place - Christos.  We learned that Yiannis Foras was celebrating his 30th birthday.  He had a birthday hat similar to the one Heather gave us years ago.  He will be one of the actors in the play, Midea, that I will see tomorrow night.

Yiannis Foras on his 30th Birthday

The last photo is Stell with Christo's father.  I can't remember his name.  Both he and his wife contribute to the restaurant.  They have a huge vegetable farm, so they supply the fresh vegetables and she works in the kitchen.  I had stuffed colokethia with lemon sauce yesterday.  It is a squash-like vegetable and the lemon sauce was devine.  Stell had fish with also a magnificent sharp lemon sauce.
Frank Bruni would love it. 

Summer Journal 2012, July 24

Last night and this morning I gathered oregano.  There is a HUGE patch in front of the house.  Stell is going to buy some screen and Foras is going to make a sieve for me.  For now it will just have to be hung upside down to dry for about a week.  It's hot again today.  We will go to the  lykee and do a little shopping.  Nothing else major is planned.  I'm half way through Beastly Things.  When I finish it (and I think it is especially good this year), I'll read Lost Prophet:  The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin by John D'Emilio.

Summer Journal 2012, July 23

Yesterday when we were at Sultana's (Sunday, keep in mind), an Orthodox nun dressed in heavy black clothing came through the ouzeri selling icons and crosses.  I so badly wanted to take her photo because of the the juxtaposition of sin and salvation, but it would have been too rude.  In my many years of coming to Greece I have never seen a nun in an ouzeri.  Socrates bought two!

The photos below are of Stell and Kyros.  It is Kyros' daughter Natasha that we assisted with college several years ago.  She graduated with a degree in business and now works in one of the spas at one of the big hotels on the way to Ouranopoli.  Which reminds me, for those of you keeping track of my reporting on austerity.  The other night we saw Georgios and Anna Karavasilis with their twins, Nikos and Maria.  Anna works at one of the big hotel in Ouranopolis.  She has not been paid for four months and is owed 7,000 euros.  The hotel is very busy and still she has not been paid.  It is called Xeni - so you can know not to stay there if you come to Halkidiki.

Stell kai Kyros

Stell kai Kyros again

The next photos are of children.  The first is a little boy named Aggelos who we met at Milos.  He told us he was eight going on nine.  I would never say that I am 65 going on 66.  The second little boy is Vegalis.  He is Despina and Kosta's third child, and the one who fell asleep on my lap on Saturday night.  At the beach he told his mother, my niece, that he wanted to be with the "foreign woman."  Yes, he's my new heart throb.

Aggelos Going on Nine

Stell with Aggelos

Vegalis, My "Foreign" Boyfriend

Vegalis with his water wings

This last photo from yesterday is me eating a "Mediterranean" salad loaded with arugala  It's for Anna V and Bella who call me Aunt Arugla.

The Cat in the Hat Eating Arugala

Some of you know, our twenty-two year old jeep died this year, so we are driving a Peugot that I imagine Stell will purchase at the end of the summer from his niece and nephew, Demetra and Nikos.  It is a five speed, and the little knob to shift gears had fallen off, so Kostas (our nephew who has a body shop) brought a new knob and Stell is installing that now.  I, of course, did the daily chore of washing one more window. 

I did finish Born Round, which I "roundly" enjoyed and this morning will begin the Donna Leone Mystery.  I don't think we have any particular plans for the day.  We didn't go to the village for the first time last night.  Lots of stars and very easy to see the Big Dipper.  No coyote serenade, but I'm sure they will return as the grapes ripen.  The vineyard does not look good this year.  I think next summer Stell will turn it over to Foras as well as the olive trees. 

From Stavraqu, Margherita Cilantro Foustanella aka "Aunt Arugala"







Summer Journal 2012 July 22

Yesterday was another action packed day.  It started with a drive to the Marcos Hotel where we tracked down Stell's cousin, Anna.  She's 79, and she is the "keeper" of family history.  So we collected a lot more dates of people's marker events to fill in more of the family tree.  Here's a photo of Anna and one with Stell:

Yes, she has her own cell phone!

The plant in front of cousin Anna is basil.  Addie will explain to you that the Greeks don't cook with it, but when they are sitting around it they rub their hands through it just for the lovely aroma.

The beach has been just spectacular.  We are swimming a little later this year.  Usually around 3 p.m. with lunch at 4 p.m. at Christos.  I'll publish another photo from the beach and then a couple of a group of Roma who serenaded people at lunch.  The fellow with the clarinet was quite talented. 

Last night Depina and Kostas, and Georgia and Gregory had a huge cookout - Kostas does the cooking and our nieces had salads and potatoes cooked in olive oil, lots of retsina and beer supplied by Stell.  The photo above is Gregory with Stell.  I fell in love with little Vegalis who told his mother that he wanted to sit in my lap and for me to caress him (he's three). In what seemed like seconds he was sound asleep.  Unfortunately because I was holding him I didn't get a photo, but I will on another occasion.  Melted my heart.

Haralibos, his wife Nula, and their children, Spiros and Anatasia, also were with us.  They actually had come earlier and had a drink at sunset then helped us shop at Masoutis.  They are staying in the apartment. 

The other photos are me showing appreciation to the chef and one with Gregory and his daughter, Natasha.  She's heading for a six month study in Spain.  At the end of July she will go to find an apartment.

Thanking Chef Kostas

Natasha with her Baba, mother, Georgia and Aunt Despina

I'm about finished with Born Round (another perfect read for me selected by Addie).  I'm going to read the new Donna Leone book, Beastley Things, beginning tomorrow.  I cleaned the dusty car windows this morning and one more huge house window.  Siga, Siga (slowly, slowly).  I had a wonderful note from Heather, and photos from Pat Reagan, of the screening of Carving Up Oconee at the library in Watkinsville. 

This is Sunday morning so we heard the beautiful church bells earlier.  I had my typical breakfast - three olives, a slice of feta, some bread and a freshly picked tomato.  I don't know the plans for today.  I never do, and that is what makes the summer so marvelous.  Stell said years ago we are BAC= Beyond Appointments and Constraints.