Three Days in One - All Good Things Must End

Dear Faithful,

The days are winding down here in Crete just as things are turning very warm. Our thoughts are now beginning to turn to the practicalities of life: getting clothes cleaned, packing, picking up a few souvenirs, etc. We will leave on Tuesday morning, June 14 for Athens and spend the night near the airport before catching a flight to Munich and on to Los Angeles (about a 12 hour flight!). Thus the break in the comfort of a Holiday Inn at the airport before folding ourselves into the discomfort of an Airbus for the long trip home.

The last 3 days we have been trying to see some places and enjoy our last meals at some of our favorite tavernas. Wednesday we decided to return to Moclos, the little seaside resort about an hour to the east.


We returned to the same little taverna that we had so enjoyed a week or so ago. The owner provided us with some white wine while we waited for the next supply of fresh fish to come in.


Along with some rock lobsters



Talk about fresh! We enjoyed a Greek Salad with a bit of a twist, having added some greens, some sort of herb (we asked the owner what it was and he refused to give us the name and said, “Just eat it!”) and green onions instead of sliced red onion. It was good and we ate it! Also we had some small fish, anchovies, fried. Delicious! On the drive back we passed the well-known archeological site of Gournia, the best preserved Minoan site on the island, about 3000 BC.



Having traveled on Wednesday, Thursday was a stay at home day. It was very hot, some we stayed by the pool for a bit, but even that was quite warm. However, that evening we went back to a taverna we have enjoyed a couple of times, Neromilos. This night they were featuring live Greek music. We got there about 8 and the place was packed. They were kind enough to set up an extra table for us and just in time as they were soon turning people away. The music was not anything special, but the atmosphere and we later learned that we were a part of the social event of Sisi, at least for the week. I captured a bit of the fun on video and you can see the owner, the broad-shouldered woman in the black tank top dancing with her daughter and a friend.



It was wild and we later learned that the little place had served 95 dinners that night! When we arrived home, about 11:30, our hosts were waiting up, like mom and dad, worried about what might have happened to us. Crete roads are very dangerous and even more so at night. There were beginning to realize their worst fears about our fate, when we arrived. Of course, we were then invited up to enjoy a nightcap. It was about 1:30 in the morning when Polley and I fell into bed.

Friday we headed for a look at the largest city in Crete, Iraklio(n), about 40 kilometers west of Sisi. It is a big city, at least for Crete and we wandered about a bit, but found a place to park and then just strolled about for a couple of hours. There is a large Venetian fortress at the Port



And a lot of older building along a pedestrian walkway.





WE eventually found ourselves in Freedom Square, which seems to be Creten speakers square. We found a taverna and just sat and watched life go by in this bustling small city.

That evening we went back to Remezzo’s for one of their pizzas. Friday there is live music so that was part of the motivation. About 9 pm it started and, like the night before at Neromilos, it was crowded. A particularly enthusiastic group of Eastern Europeans (I believe) really got into “Take Me Home Country Roads.” I caught a bit on video so that you could sense the atmosphere.



WE have certainly enjoyed our time here and are already talking about returning next year, but most likely later in the summer, late August or early September. The accommodations are terrific and Angela and Stuart have been wonderful hosts. We plan to take them to dinner on our last evening in Crete, Monday, before bidding them adieu early on Tuesday morning. This will like be the last blog as we need to turn our attention to make final plans for departure. I am going to do a brief video of our apartment and the grounds so that those of you interested in a trip here can get a sense of their place and of the surrounding grounds. Well worth a visit.

Best to all.

Ed and Polley

Lunchin' with the Lepers

Dear Friends and Family,

We are into our last week on Crete and the weather had definitely changed. Mornings are warm and the days just keep getting warmer. Sea breezes keep it tolerable, but when I walk in the mornings, between 8 and 9 usually, I come back completely drenched. Fortunately, there is pool to dive into and so quickly all is right with the world.

Sunday, Polley and I took our second field trip. We headed out east again, but as we reach the sea at Agio Nikolaos we turned north for the towns of Elounda and Plaka. From the guide book, Elounda is the most expensive resort town in Crete.


You actually wouldn’t know that without reading about it. It is lovely, but there are endless lovely beach towns in Crete. We continued to climb and were able to look back toward Elounda




However, with the warning about its being expensive, needless to say, we drove straight through and continued north to Plaka, a much smaller village that is about 10 miles or so further north. The notoriety for Plaka is that it was for much of the first half of the 20th century, directly across from Spinalonga, the leper colony for the Greeks.


Actually, I am reading a novel about Spinalonga that our hostess, Angela, gave me. Spinalonga began as a Venetian fortification and was eventually in the hands of the Turks. In the early 20th century the Greeks established the leper colony there and it operated until 1957, by which time they had found a cure for leprosy.

While you can take boat trips out to Spinalonga, we opted for sitting at a lovely little taverna directly across from the island. There is really nothing there but the crumbling buildings from a bygone era. It was also a very hot afternoon and the island is completely exposed. Over our glass of wine and some lunch, we watched the small tour boats come and go from the pier


to the island.


It truly is a lovely setting. Unfortunately, it was a disappointing lunch. Obviously, it was tourist fare and had little flavor. As I told Polley, when you have to salt your feta, there is definitely something wrong. We did enjoy sitting there, however, and when a French couple behind us ordered lobster (at 85 euro a kilo), we watched the fellow and a kitchen girl go down to the sea and pull two out to bring up and grill.



Following a forgettable lunch (when in Plaka, avoid Delphini’s), we decided to head still further north and go nearly to the end of the road and return via some old roads that offered some great views of the coast. We headed up the hills out of Plaka, looking back on the desolate island (except for tourists) of Spinalonga.





We passed through tiny little village, if you are able to call them that. It felt very much like trips we had taken to the very north of Scotland where for miles and miles you are the only car on the road. At some point, we were not the only car on the road as a pickup truck, no doubt driven by a Crazy Creten, came flying around a corner and for the first time in many years, I truly thought that Polley and I could experience our demise on a desolate Cretan road. At the last second, the driver got the truck under control and flew past us. Our mortality seemed to be a constant back seat passenger for the remainder of the journey.

We got home quite tired. The constant hairpin turns and shifting gears is exhausting. Siesta time!. We then went down to our internet bar and just relaxed by the harbor for about an hour and a half. An idyllic evening with just the hint of moving air. Then it was home for dinner in as we had a refrigerator full of restaurant leftovers. It will be a quiet day tomorrow where we will just be thankful there will be a tomorrow.

As predicted, Tuesday was quiet. It started very quiet for when we awoke we had no electricity. That actually went on for 8 hours! So it was coffee from very warm tap water. We enjoyed the pool in morning as there was little other choice. Our apartment has an electric gate so we were not able to really even leave the compound until Stuart hand-cranked the gate around 11 in the morning. Polley and I went into town for a glass of wine about noon and tried a new little place called The Cactus Pub. This took us back to a bar in Toulouse called Le Cactu which was about the only place near us then that you could get a drink on a Sunday. It was a nice little spot right on the harbor and was run by a Scots woman from Edinburgh. The rest of the day was the usual: lunch, siesta, pool. We went in to Sisi for our ouzo fix around 6:30. Also caught up on e-mails before going to dinner. We returned to Neromilos, the little taverna that we enjoyed the first night. It has a lovely garden setting and the husband and wife that run it re very nice; and the food is very good. We had a little tzatziki (we always try each place in terms of that starter), and then had Stifado which is a beef stew in a tomato sauce made with plenty of onions, wine and a bit of cumin. It was to die for! Then is was home for us to die. Not a hard day, but the day after travel is always tough. This may call for two days off before our next excursion.

Ed and Polley

Easterly Excursion

Family, friends and the uninvited,

WE continue to get to know our way around Crete. Actually, we continue to get to know our way around Sisi, a beach village of 1400 actual residents and the rest, albino, beached whales looking for a bit of color. I did make a major discovery on my walk yesterday morning, two, yes count them two more WiFi spots within the village. Our plan is to try one of them this evening as the place we have been using, although they have been very kind , is a restaurant and it always seems a bit crass to come in and use the WiFi for a 3 euro glass of wine. It is interesting that we would not think a thing of using it at home for a 3 dollar cup of coffee. Having said that, I think I can feel the guilt already beginning to fade!

We decided to take our first excursion today. We had told our hosts, Stuart and Angela, that we really wanted to avoid the typical beach towns (and on an island there are a lot of them!) and go to some places that are more traditionally Cretan (insert any of thousand Cretan play on words here). They actually enjoy the same thing and, thus, had a number of suggestions to make. We plan to spread them over the next week and a half that we are on the island.

Saturday we headed for Mochlos. This is a small beach village about an hour to an hour and a half east of where we are staying. WE started about 11 in the morning on the National Highway (that should tell you how many through-ways there on Crete. This was after filling the car with gas at $9.50 cents a gallon. Americans have little to complain about. Europeans, understandably so, have efficient small cars and in Greece many us motor bikes and scooters. We may be seeing the America of the future!.

After a fill-up (yamato!), we strted toward Aigos Nikolaus, a large resort town about 18 miles from us, right on the coast. From there we began to climb up some very dramatic hills (small mountains?) right along the Mediterranean. As we climbed the view was spectacular.






Beautiful clear water that seemed a gradation of nearly every shade of blue and green filled every bay as we wound our way up and up, passing through little towns from which one could launch oneself down to the sea.


After about 45 minutes we came to the turn off for Mochlos (also spelled Molos, and Moclos if any one cares to find it on the map (or Google). We wound our way along a narrow road for about 5 kilometers and suddenly were there. We made our way through the narrow streets of the little village, being lead along by the promise of public parking. We finally gave up on that and just found a place by the side of the sea.

Tucked into a little harbor



The village is little more than a series of tavernas, small hotels and vacation rentals.







We did not take much time to explore, as little time was needed. Things were very centrally located. Polley had an intuition about one of the half dozen places to eat and so we sat. The sun was shining, but as the taverna sat on a little point across from the harbor, it was a bit breezy. In order to hold down our wine glasses in the wind, we were forced to keep them full! Seafood was the main attraction of the places and as you can see from this fellow, Octopus was a featured delicacy.



Besides the wine, we had what the Greeks call “small fish.” These are actually anchovies, but sometimes you will find smelt as well on the menu.

I ordered the Matoli special (Matoli being one of the owners). It was a peeled bake potato, shaped like a little boat, that is filled with a spicy tomato-cheese sauce.

It was very good and I warn friends and family that it could end up on our dinner table sometime in the near future. We sat there for a couple of hours just enjoying the weather, the food and drink and the various tourists playing in the water. The drive back went quite quickly and we were home for a late siesta. A very nice afternoon.

Later we had an ouzo at a little bar called Ormos, where I had discovered the WiFi. It was a very powerful connection and will doubtless be our place of choice for an early evening cocktail. It is the perfect time for writing home as with the 10 hour time difference, Portland is just waking up as we are trying to decide where to eat. In fact, yesterday’s blog was sent from Ormos. Following the technological cocktail hour, we went an had a pizza at Remezzo’s. That is where we had first discovered WiFi in Sisi and we felt we owed them a dinner. WE had trouble deciding between a vegetarian pizza and one called Vesuvius, similar to the vegetarian but with the addition of generous drops of Tabasco. We ask if we might have half and half. This was a totally new concept to Sisi. But they were willing to try it and it was delicious. It may catch on in Crete!

So then it was home. I was very tired as the driving was quite physical what with the endless turns along the highway and down to Mochlos. It was good to force us to get out and explore. Our apartment is so comfortable with the pool that it is hard to pull ourselves away.

In fact, on Sunday our hosts told us they would be away for most of the day. A friend of theirs past away. The Greek tradition is to bury the person within two days and then 40 days after to have a kind of wake. That was what they were attending on Sunday. So, we had the place to ourselves. I went into the village and downloaded the Sunday New York Times and Polley and I lounged about the pool before going into Sisi for our glass of wine (alright, half liter!). We sat on the harbor side and watched boats come and go,along with three crazy ducks that swim about the harbor in formation, one while one in front, a black one in the middle and another white behind.




Back to the apartment for siesta and then back to the pool. About 6:30, we returned to Ormos for some ouzo and then to dinner at a newly discovered taverna, called Lafito. Very nice owner and a quaint little setting with this beautiful bougainvillea hanging in front.


We had some wonderful food: baked feta with capers, peppers, onion, and olive oil, some very good, tiny little dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and their special of the night, which were just meatballs in tomato sauce. The meatballs, however, were wonderfully moist. All very good, but, of course, we couldn’t finish it and now have more in our refrigerator. It may have to be dinner in on Monday evening. We are planning a day trip on Monday, so I will bring you back news from that. Weather is continuing to warm up, about 80 yesterday. There is, however, a nice breeze that really does not make things uncomfortable. More later .

Ed and Polley

Family, friends and others,

Well, a couple of more days have slipped by and we are very much enjoying our time in Crete. We have done very little thus far as the first couple of days seem to be about settling in.


Our first day was devoted to trying to get some supplies in and locating a WiFi spot. The Sturgis’, Stuart and Angela, had put in some basic supplies for us. We had a loaf of bread, a half dozen eggs, some bacon, milk, juice, and coffee. At my request, they had added a couple of bottles of wine as well. So our immediate needs, at first glance, seemed satisfied. However, when in Greece, for us, there are a few more essentials: olives, olive oil, cheese, a bit of salami, and, of course, ouzo! So with a map that Angela provided, on Thursday we ventured into Sisi, the little beach village located about a mile and a quarter from our very quiet, rural setting. With a bit searching we located two markets, one quite well stocked We stopped for a glass of wine, right on the harbor where we watched the fisherman cleaning out and organizing their nets.


It was a lovely little harbor and we enjoyed the warmth of the people and the weather.


Alas, no indication of an internet location.

We returned home for some lunch and a siesta. We also added what I think will be a late afternoon ritual, taking a dip in the pool and reading on the deck. Crete sun is very intense, so there is certainly some risk being out in the hottest hours. However, the late afternoon is perfect and sort of perks you up for the evening.

Thursday night we first went back into Sisi to see if we had any better luck look for an internet connection. We discovered that the internet café that people had told us about was no our of business. So we just wandered around look for signs indicating WiFi. At the point of just about giving up, we discovered a restaurant, Remezzo’s that, indeed, had it. We went in for a drink and with some fiddling and everyone in the restaurant helping us, we made a connection. Remezzo’s mady be our daily watering-hole for the remainder of the visit.

After sorting through e-mails, we went back to the little roadside taverna where we had stopped to meet Angela to go to our apartment.. When we had stopped on Wednesday, the food looked so good, so we thought it was worth a chance. It is run by a couple, she does all the cooking (and nearly any other chore called for) and he mainly sits on a chair.


I think he does the grilling when that is called for. We had an appetizer called Rusk. It is a combination of grated tomatoes, feta, oregano and, possibly, cinnamon. It was served on a very crusty, peasant sort of bagel. It was very good, but we would most likely make another bread choice as it was very brittle and hard to hold together. WE also had a Greek salad. It was very good and so large that we needed to bring it home. When we ask for a container to take the salad home in and also a bit of wine we had left, they just gave us on of their glass bowls and the beaker of wine and said bring them back the next time we visited. We were stunned. At first we were taking with the kindness and their willingness to trust complete strangers. Later, we thought what a ingenious and subtle marketing device: we will have to return!

Friday was little different from Thursday. I walked, but this time took our car to the road into Sisi rather than walking on the busy main highway, which I did the day -before, but decided was too scary. Upon my return we had a nice visit with Stuart. Both he and Angela are British and owned a successful hotel in England for many years. Finally, a bit burned out, they sold it and have built this beautiful home and attached bungalows here in Sisi. We discovered that Angela had designed the house, using a home design software program, and nothing else. Amazing.

WE, of course, returned the glassware to the Taverna, Aetos, and stayed for lunch. Their special for the day was moussaka. We had that and some of their tzatziki. Both very good and, of course, ended up needing to bring some of it home . . . on their plate, naturally!

Home for a siesta and a swim. The weather has been lovely, with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s and just a slight breeze as you might expect being near the ocean. Friday evening it was back to Remezzo’s for some wine and to watch the sunset.


It lived up to its billing. They also had some very nice live music later on what was a lovely evening


We finally tore ourselves away and got home it was nearly 10. We had so many leftovers that it was dinner in on Friday. A very lovely evening and already thoughts are beginning about returning to Crete in a year or so.

Ed and Polley

Family, friends and others,

We are in Crete. Yesterday, June 1, we left Ingrid’s at about 6:45 am for the Athens airport. Two hours later we found ourselves waiting for the fellow to whom we were to turn in the rental car. Despite having made a specific appointment with him the day before, he was no where to be found. Traveling again without a European cell phone proved a problem. Never again! Finally, I threw myself on the kindness of an information counter woman and we called. 15 minutes later they arrived, telling me that they had no record of my wanting a 9 am pickup. I bit my tongue, instead of the his, and turned the undamaged car over to him

Polley and I had little difficult checking out baggage except for the fact that the rules had changed. Instead of a 50 pound limit per bag, we how had a 44 kilo limit per person total. We were over! The nice girl compromised and charged us for a 10 kilo overage (it was actually 15) and another 20 euros and we were set. We had a bit of breakfast and zipped through security only to find our flight slightly delayed. However, we took off about 15 minutes late for the 45 minute flight and landed pretty much on time.

We got our bags and the rental car gal was waiting for us outside. Another Maria! I swear every other woman in this country is named Maria. It’s like the Sound of Music and the Immaculate Conception all rolled into one! He quickly got our car and were on the road to our apartment in Sisi.

Our landlord’s instructions directed us along the route ending at a taverna. The last mile or so being difficult to describe. So we were to make a phone call from this taverna! Of course, again, no phone and the taverna had no phone as well. Again, we were forced to depend on the kindness of strangers. A couple from Holland were sitting there with a mobile phone and were kind enough to allow us to us it. While we awaited our landlord (actually a woman, Angela) we enjoyed a glass of retsina and a lovely conversation with the couple from Holland.

Angela soon arrived and guided us up a very rough, rural road to a beautiful home that looks down at the village of Sisi and west to the party town of Malia. There home is on the top floor with two bungalows located below. Apparently we will be the only people staying between now and 14 June. The apartment is beautiful and very spacious with a large bedroom off the central room. Only the shower is quite tiny and takes a bit of maneuvering. There is a large deck and a beautiful swimming pool.






Life looks very good in Crete

The only down-side is the lack of internet conveniently located. Tomorrow we will search out an internet café or a place with Wi-Fi.

That evening we went into Sisi to locate a place to eat. It is very much a beach town and most places along the water seem very commercial. Waiters are feeding a line of gab about their food being the best. We decided to pull back from all this and found a lovely little place about ¼-1/2 mile off the beach, in a lovely garden setting. It is called Neromilos. It is family owned and run and features traditional Crete food. They gave us as a starter some Mizithra cheese and a dab or a kind of Cretan pork stew, cooked in wine with peppers and onion and seasoned with cumin. WE decided to share an entrée with was a Crete specialty of pork and potatoes, wrapped in parchment and baked in the oven. It was very good and between Polley, me and a friendly cat we managed to eat it all.

It was then home relatively early. We have been warned not to drive too late at night as Crete drivers are crazy. I can vouch for that just from our drive from the airport. If you go the speed limit, you must drive on the shoulder of the road, even when there is a clear passing lane. Locals cross double lines, zip in and out between trucks and cars, often ignoring on-coming vehicles. Any day trips we make, the rule will be we must be home by dark. More to come, but at what intervals, I can’t say.

Ed and Polley

Preparing for Crete, Saying Good-bye to Peleponnese

Friends and Family,

Well, another couple of days have slipped by since I last made contact. And in another two days, we will be leaving Ingrid’s and heading for Crete. We are looking forward to that adventure, but are also sad to leave Yorgos and Ingrid. This has been a lovely stay and we have met a number of nice people that we certainly hope to see again.

The weekend got underway with a birthday party for the little boy, also a George (Yorgos) of Frank and Irena.


This is a German family that own an apartment about half a mile from Ingrid’s. Another couple that stayed at Ingrid’s and then liked the area so much that they bought a place here. Although, they have been having problems with one of their association owners and are now thinking of selling. Anyway, we had such a nice time at the party, with a cake and fruit and lots to drink, that we neglected to ever get to dinner. We had this plan with 6 days left to eat at our three favorite restaurants twice each before leaving. Now we will have to sneak in a lunch at one of the places.

Saturday was a nice day and we walked about the beach, got a good deal of reading in and then went to Ilias’ taverna in Tolo. This is the place we had the dinner with the Italian film director (who has recovered and is heading back to Italy) and others. The food we had on the two previous occasions was wonderful. So we thought we’d try it on our own. It was very good. We had a big chunk of feta, some tomato and courgette balls that were very good along with a Greek salad.

While there we struck up a conversation with a young Irish couple that had just been married. Both work in bars in Dublin. Very sweet and quite funny, as the Irish often are. As a wedding gift, we decided to buy there dinner. They were very surprised and it was fun to see the expression on their faces when they realized it..

Sunday was a strange day. It started out beautiful, but apparently in the afternoon we had another terrific thunderstorm. I say apparently because in my drunkern stupor on Friday (at the birthday party) I had volunteered to drive Frank, Irena and their son to the airport in Athens! So, that was my afternoon. Two hours there and two hours back – at 8.57 a gallon! It was really bad and I had a nice chance to get to know them a bit better (Polley had to stay at home because our little car could not fit 5 plus luggage –She cleaned the apartment!). By the time I got back, about 6 in the evening, it was time for a drink, and dinner. We need to be back by 9 to meet Petros, the artist that has been around Ingrid’s during our stay. He showed us some of his work. He gave us a piece as a gift and we bought two others. Then we crashed. Extended driving in Greece can take it out of you.

Monday was a pretty easy time. Morning weather was great. Good walk to Drepano and back for some coffee and a trip in Tolo for the last laundry before heading to Crete. Polley and I walked to the Plaka Beach for a glass of wine. It was lovely when we sat down, but as is our custom, we can bring rain to the Saharah, it stated to rain. We waited for a slight break and ran home for lunch and siesta. That evening we enjoyed our last meal at Niko’s. Had some wonderful stuffed zucchini, his corgettes and, of course, his tzatziki. Wonderful food and a very nice man. We promised to see him again. However, after the drinking t Ingrid’s in the early evening and that at Niko’s, it was home for bed.

Of course, getting into bed is increasingly difficult. Last night it was 6 cats on the bed,


this one, snuggling up close


and the newest kitten through the glass


They are great fun and we will miss them.

We head for Crete on Wednesday and will try to stay with the blog, but it will need to be done from an internet café and may be a little more sporadic. Best to all.


Ed and Polley

Dwindling Days on the Peleponnese

Friends and Family,

Well, another couple of days have slipped by. The weather has continued to be weird (“Global Weirding” as Tom Friedman calls it.) Wednesday was a lovely day as we walked to Drepano for a glass of wine. Alright, a half liter! Read quite a bit and then out to dinner.

One thing that I treasure is our established routine. In fact, it has become so important to us, that anything that might disrupt it becomes a significant irritation. Unconsciously, it is almost exactly what we had in Mexico. We awake a bit earlier here, usually about 5:45 or 6 am. That is largely due to the cacophony of birds that commence their symphony at the sun comes up. There is quite a variation of song birds here and the music they produced is startling. That is our daily alarm clock.

We spend the next 90 minutes reading, feeding any number of cats, drinking coffee and generally getting ourselves going. I take the hour-long walk that has also become the opportunity to pick up a few things at the store. One thing that we have discovered late in our stay here is that the water at Ingrid’s is so “hard” that that it gums up the coffee maker and creates a kind of hard surface on the towels. It also made the coffee taste odd. We have now gone to bottled water and things have improved greatly. The sad things, especially for us Oregonians, is that Greece has no recycling plan. Thus plastic container after plastic container (glass as well) goes into the trash. It feels so odd to be throwing these things away, but there is no place else to dispose of them.

Anyway the morning constitutional over, Polley and I refresh the coffee, catch-up on e-mails, blogs (if I am sufficiently motivated) and some more reading. Then it is into one of the two villages for a glass of wine and a bit of voyeurism. In Tolo, a typical beach town, we watch the array of international visitors, mostly Germans and English, but there are some French, Italians and quite a number of American college students on two or three week summer programs. Tolo is a good base for them as it is relatively close to major antiquities and it has a beach.

Every other day, we walk to Drepano, which as I have mentioned before, is a real, working village. It is a different kind of show we are privy to in this little town. Farm vehicles go up and down the street, old men sit and talk in cafes, women walk children, shop and gossip on shop doorsteps. We have a little place where we can sit under the canopy of a trees, somewhat protected from the sun (when it shines), right in the middle of the village square. It all passes before us.

After the wine, we walk back, about a mile each way and have lunch. Lately we have been taking leftovers home from dinner. So we are now getting two meals for the price of one. Meals generally cost between 15 and 25 euro for the two of us. That is for wine, too much food and lunch the next day. Not too bad!

Siesta, of course, is next and then after 90 minutes or so we are up for a concentrated period of reading before going down to the bar for an ouzo and some nice conversation with Yorgos, Ingrid, assorted guests if they are available. Then it is off to dinner.

Unfortunately, on Wednesday night we tried a new place that we selected solely on it appearance. We were very disappointed! We did, however, come away with a great appreciation for those places we have enjoyed. So in the last 6 days here, we are decided to rotate our three favorite restaurants; It will Niko’s on Thursday, Ilias on Friday, Kastraki on Saturday and one more round on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Next Wednesday we head for Crete.

Yesterday we both found that we were tired, so we drove into Tolo for wine. Are we ever glad we did! Within 10 minutes of arriving, the skies darkened, lightning flashed and thunder echoed. Fortunately we had stopped into a covered café and so we sat for an hour or so and watched people scurry about, many reduced to fleeing on their motorbikes, which are great vehicles in Greece, except when it rains. And rain it did! We finally caught a break in the weather, dashed to our car and got home.

Lunch, siesta and then for a drink and dinner. Niko’s, the little taverna in Drepano (he calls it a tavernetta) has wonderful food. We had their amazing tzatziki, some zucchini fritters and for the first time, they had the stuffed tomatoes on their menu. Actually it was one stuffed tomato and one stuffed green pepper. Delicious! Our Austrian friend, pictured in an earlier blog, stopped by and we shared a 3rd half liter of wine! Thankfully, he heads back to Austria today. We enjoyed talking with him, but he did tend to cling to you once he had found you. Then it was home following two satisfying, uninterrupted days. We are planning to relish the 5 that remain.

Ed and Polley

High Drama: Near Death, New Birth

Friends and Family,

Well, I confess to another couple of days going by without a blog. But there has been a bit of drama at Ingrid’s and schedules have been thrown off, things on, then off, then on again. Near death and new life. Also the days seems to been passing much faster as we are down to one week before we leave for Crete.

Monday morning we awoke to learn that the Italian director, Ennio Peregalli, had been taken to the hospital in Nafplion, about 7 kilometers away. We had seen him Sunday morning at Polley’s Pilates session. He not feeling well then, but thought his back was just bothering him from the stress of the shoot. However, it was more than that and quite serious. He was diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer and also had some effects of an earlier by-pass surgery. We later learned that it was sort of 50/50 as to his living or dying. So, Yorgos had to go the hospital as no one spoke Greek. It was quickly ascertained that Ennio was going to be hospitalized for sometime and was not going to be able to travel. Martha, Merta and the Peregallis were schedule to catch the ferry to Italy on Tuesday morning. Martha, the lady from Switzerland took command. She and Merta had to get home so she arranged for Ennio’s daughter, who lives in Italy, to come. She was to arrive about midnight on Monday evening. We had all planned to go to dinner together that evening for a special dish, called Fish Soup. That, of course, was cancelled.

Plans were put together for the daughter to stay at Ingrid’s so that Yorgos could help her communicate with doctors, etc. Of course, Yorgos and Ingrid also had much of their plans turned upside down. As I say, lots of drama!

Polley and I, now not having Fish Soup made other plans and generally tried to stay out of everyone’s way while helping in any way we might. Then, Monday afternoon, the Fish Soup dinner was back on. So instead of our now dining alone, at maybe 7:30 or 8 and turning in early, we were back to dinner with 5 other people and waiting until 9:30 to begin. From the Greek Party onward, it has been a whirlwind!

Polley and I went into Tolo about 8:30 for a little time alone with a glass of wine. At 9:30 we arrived at Ilias’ Taverna, the place with had had dinner with Martha a couple of nights before. Like last time, the amount of food was amazing. Fried cheese as a starter along with carafe’s of wine and another beautiful, big salad. Then, the Fish Soup, served in individual tureens the size that would be suitable for dishing out to a table of 6. You can see the bowls on the right side of the photo.


It was a broth-based cream soup and they you added great hunks of fish. It was delicious, but Polley and I needed to stop then . But, on no! Then came a whole fish.


He said it weighed about 3 kilos, 6 pounds! Beautiful to look at and my God, was there a lot of flesh on it. More wine, of course, and then DESSERT!


As were finishing, Ennio’s wife/partner arrived for her dinner. It was now 11:40. She had been at the hospital and had now arrived to have here dinner and bring us up to date on Ennio, who was resting and stable. We, of course, had to sit for another hour and drink and pick at the dessert. And throw a bit of fish to this little fellow.


At 1 am, we excused ourselves. What a day.

Tuesday a little calm moved into our lives. Yorgos spent the day translating at the hospital, Ingrid was hanging on by a thread, so we made ourselves scarce. We had planned to take the bus into Athens to visit the Acropolis Museum, but gave up on that idea as we fell into bed at 1:30 in the morning. WE walked into Tolo for some wine, mostly read and napped and then went to Kastraki, the little place on the bay, for our own private dinner. We had an excellent Greek salad and Calamari. Such a pleasant place. Had a bit of a conversation with two French couples and returned home to fall down at a reasonable hour.

There was bit of sunshine in all of this, as a recently new-born kitten was introduced in the family. She had been inside for the last week or so and this was her first venture outside.


It was great fun to see the mother care for her and sort of show her around her new home.


Mama Cat even brought the baby down to our place, as if to say, “If you are ever hungry and cat find food, you can always come to Bungalow 4!”

Anyway, with a week to go, we are still treasuring everyday at Ingrid’s. The weather remains “iffy,” but we can’t control that. We will just enjoy what we can while it lasts! More later

Ed and Polley

The Fun Seems to Never Stop!

Friends and Family,

Well the last couple of days, following the Big Fat Greek Party were largely devoted to recovery. It was 8:30 am before Polley and I crawled out of bed (for those of you who know us that equates to about noon for the normal!) I did finally recover enough to get in a morning walk, this time Drepano. Walks are becoming increasingly warm and I usually return completely drenched. Days are now regularly topping our in the low 80s.

We helped Ingrid clean up a bit following the party. Because of the heat, we thought it better to walk to Tolo, along the beach, for a glass of wine. We returned for lunch and our siesta and then just enjoyed the day and our books. Polley is working her way through Freedom by Jonathan Franzen and I finished up Michael Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer, which is an easy read, but great fun. I have now jumped into David Grossman’s To the End of the Land, which I am enjoying, but is not an easy read.

Saturday evening some of the guests gathered around the bar. Some other friends, Frank and Irena, also came over, having been the object of a horror story at their condominium. The only “it takes only one bad apple to spoil the barrel” certainly seemed to apply as they struggle with an abusive owner in a nine-owner partnership. While I sometimes envy the ease of condo living, the hassles in association meetings I have heard about, seem to make it less than ideal. We did have a more light-hearted moment as Ingrid decided to become a two-handed smoker from her position behind bar.


About 9 Polley and I were to meet Martha, her friend, Merta, and the Italian film director, Ennio and his wife for dinner at a friend of Martha’s, Ilias. He owns a place in Tolo. We were, of course, early, like a half hour or more. However, we got some wine and just sat outside on the sidewalk. It was a still, warm evening; I think it is the nicest night we have had since arriving. Tolo was alive with activity, both Greek families and some tourists . Martha and her entourage arrived about 9:45 and we then had a feast that nearly defies description.

We started with this work of art.


It is a Greek salad and it was amazing. Sculptured skins of cucumbers and tomatoes formed to appear as flowers. Beside this were huge chunks of feta smothered in olive oil and oregano. That was followed by mussels in a tomato sauce, something called Saganaki Shrimp. There were, of course, endless carafes of wine and then, the main course, fish.


Martha was almost a surgeon in her deboning of it. We then has a grappa-like shot of white lightening. It was nearly one in the morning by the time we staggered into our bungalow. So much for resting up on vacation!

Sunday was another nice day. But we made sure it was for ourselves. Well, almost. In her drunkenness, Polley has volunteered to show Martha and Merta a couple of Pilates exercises for helping the back. So at noon we found ourselves on the side of the road above Tolo, waiting to follow Martha up to her home. She and Merta each own small bungalows above Tolo. The view is marvelous. The bungalow is not really much bigger than what we have at Ingrid’s, but the view of the bay defies description. So I will just show the pictures.




We didn’t stay long, but did manage to stop at Kastraki for a glass of wine. It was the first time in quite a while that there were just the two of us. It was nice to sit by the water and we were pleased that Kastraki was full. The tourists have been slow to arrive, but it now appears, as the weather warms up, that they are on their way.

That evening we planned another period of time alone with dinner at Nikos. However, we had not been in the restaurant 10 minutes when this fellow, a regular, struck up a conversation with us . . . and did not stop all evening.

He calls himself Frederico and he is from Austria. Fascinating guy who appears to be a homeless person, but who, in fact, seems to have some money and just chooses to appear to be a bum!


Very nice, but his limited English made it an exhausting evening. Turns out he is a big country music fan and he was delighted when I told him he looked like Kris Kristofferson! It is in fact kind of true. Kris would just need to be missing all his upper teeth! Service was very slow at Nikos as well. By the time our entrée came, we were too full of Tzatziki and bread that we just had Niko box it up for another day.

Like most places, the social calendar just seems to grow and grow. A couple of days of rest are in order. We shall see if that happens.

Ed and Polley