Summer Journal 2012, August 12

Last night was great.  Before we went to the village we were skyped by Apisata and Nic.  We could see them so well and hear them. They looked great, and I could tell that Apisata's eye was fine.  She told me the hornet stung her because it thought she was a flower!  She is a flower.  It just gave all of us a good feeling to be connected with them so easily across thousands of miles.  We  picked up a belated birthday cake for Carrie and then headed to Despina and Georgia's for a fabulous barbecue.  Kostas has built the barbecue and he was cooking.  He also has two new speakers installed for music.  Georgia made potatoes that are peeled, boiled, and then soaked in a lemon and oil mixture, and flavored with mint. I'll get to the party pictures soon, but first some photos from the beach - Paris with his long time friend, Sakis.  Nic, Paris and everyone who visits us feels Sakis (Thanassis) should be designated the ambassador to Ierissos.  He makes everyone feel so welcome:

In the next photo our charming waitress wanted in the picture:



Yesterday was Anya's last day.  She finally decided she would ask our cousin who has a taxi to pick her up at 6:30 p.m. for the airport.  We had our last ouzo with her and her daughter Helena.  Helena will stay in the house they now rent until September 8th.  Here they are with Stell, so Anya can say goodbye until next summer:

What makes all of these photos a little surreal is realing that protesting about the gold mine continues and also the fires in nearby Ouranopolis have now made the national, and some international news.  There are helicopters and fire planes constantly zooming over our house and around the area.  Finally we had a huge rain storm last night.  Stell said he thinks the monks are saying their prayers have been answered, since some of the fires were happening on their holy mountain, Mount Athos.

Kostas in front of the new barbecue he constructed

Stella and Carrie

Alexander fell in love with Stella.  Not hard to see why.

Our nephew Gregory with Stell and Paris

Our niece, Natasha.  Adeline loved her.  Carrie and I think she looks like Elizabeth Taylor in the turban.

Carrie with our niece, Maria.  Maria would like to come to the U.S. for a high school student exchange program.  Carrie and I will explore the possibilities. She was very excited this summer because she had gotten high marks on her English proficiency test.

Paris with his lovely cousins, Despina and Georgia.  You have no idea how happy they were to be together again.

Alexander with Stella.  They loved one another at first sight.

Stella, Carrie, and Alexander

The star entertainer of the evening - Nephew/Chef Kostas dancing atop his car.

The neighbors came outside and eventually joined the party once they saw that we had one of Greece's most recognized car-dancers!

How the party ended.