Summer Journal 2012 -July 20

The pictures below are from yesterday.  It started with a visit to pay Tula for some of the materials used to construct the temple.  When we were there she was cooking french fries for four of her five grandchildren.  The littlest was the only girl (besides Maria who wasn't there).  The little girl is Eugenia, and she absolutely wanted to eat her french fries  with us and not go inside and sit with her brothers and cousins.  I took most of the photos of her, one of her brother Yiannis, and one with her grandfather.

Then we went by Sultana's for an ouzo.  Malcolm will be pleased to know that Sultana came and sat with us and I also took her picture.  When she looked at it, she said, "Wow."

Sultana

Last night was the panyieri (religious festival).  In all my years I have never seen so many people.  We wondered around, lit a few candles at the church, and then sat down for retsina and some rotisserie chicken.  I took the photo below of our cousin Nikos (whose brother is our taxi driver), and his niece and nephew, Theo and Alexander.  Their mother is from Russia.  They are both adorable children. 

Alexander and Theo with Uncle Nikos

The last photograph I took was of this Roma who was wondering from table to table playing a tune for the festival goers.  His wife (or the woman with him) was collecting money in her tambourine.

Actually I'll make the last photo a  picture of three of the windows, so I don't forget to say that one of my jobs this summer is to wash all the windows in the house.  There are at least twenty and most of them something like 8 x 4 feet.  I'm cleaning them with vinegar and drying them with newspapers.  It's rewarding but intense.  I do one each day.  

Three windows washed at least 17 to go