Surfs Up

So farewell to Christian – it’s been a blast. I’m sure one day we’ll get to Copenhagen for the exchange visit, maybe even with Poppy!

Yesterday we took advantage of a sunny spell. Christian was hunting for sea urchine shells and I was trying out my birthday wetsuit.

Oktapodi

A friend of mine, who shall remain anonymous, catches octopus by hand and keeps them in his swimming trunks as he swims back to the shore. When he pulls the octopus out, everything is covered in little, round, suction marks. (He also let’s his cat sit on his knee while he’s on the loo – but that’s a different story)

Here’s an excellent film about octopus-loving.

Couch Surfer #2

We’re hosting again. This time it’s Christian from Denmark, a 7ft viking who has been let loose on Europe. And it’s been another positive experience. Like hitch-hiking, there should be more of this in the world.

get involved at www.couchsurfing.com and come and stay!

Delapidation In The Flat

It’s an understatement to say that our flat has some quirks. I realised today that the shower is above the toilet in a cupboard in the kitchen on a converted balcony!

This is the latest casualty:

I initially broke the tap. Carl helped it on its way and I finished the job last night.

Nuts and Oranges.

Day 3 & 4
Spent the weekend dodging beer and wine, finding a combination of coffee and Perrier to be a reasonable alternative. And sat down last night to watch ‘Transformers’ the movie – which was brilliant – nibbling on nuts and oranges.

Perhaps not surprisingly I’ve been ill all day, spending most of it on the loo.
An unfair return for detoxing I feel.

Soft Gs and Rolling Rs

I can’t deny that I’ve been tetchy about speaking Greek recently. It’s bugging me that there are sounds I just can’t make. Soft Gs and Rolling Rs in particular. So when I speak I’m continually made to repeat words I have no ability to pronounce. Really frustrating.

I accept that there’s tonnes of grammar. Look at this minefield of noun forms.

It’s possible to learn this but I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to say αγαπη μου without causing offence.

Elemental

My short-list for summing up Crete in 3 words.
Sun
Chapels
Fish
Concrete
Fruit
Rain
Fire
Beards
Mountains
Sea
Wine
Cars

My choice:
Sea, Fruit, Concrete

Day 2: Long evening

Experiment.

Time to detox after a weekend drinking, followed by a liver-busting session last night. Dam the gratuity rakis. So how long can I go without a drink?

Day 1: Fine so far.

and then the comedown…

So back to reality… and the washing up etc
Thanks to Carlos and DLF for coming so far, for entertaining and enduring a beastly exchange rate. DLF I’m willing to concede I probably gave you food poisoning on the beach if you admit that by flushing the toilet in the ‘Indian way’ you soaked the restaurant’s bathroom with the shower.

Or perhaps it was the storm…

JTS: We’re filming Carl, anything to say?
Carl: Yes. If you want a photo taken, don’t ask a woman with only one arm!
(I just had

Big Fat Birthday Weekend Part 1

Enagron is an eco-hotel in the mountains where they milk goats to make their own cheeses and the like. We went on rambles through the orchards, where some of us ate stolen fruit which, as they say in Greece, tastes better….

‘bony’ vultures watched us from their nests…. bony because they drop their prey from a great height to crush their bones…

and pigs from their pens…

then back to the hotel for lamb roasted over a fire and boardgames. Anyone got any barley?