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

The Big Fat Greek Party

Friends and Family,

It was the day of the night of the “Big Fat Greek Party!” This promised to be a day to remember and I think it lived up to its billing.

I did a nice Drepano walk in the morning, but that was the last time we were leaving the grounds all day! Polley and I had committed to making a Caesar Salad and had trolled the two villages for all of the exotic ingredients. Polley spent the morning cleaning Romaine lettuce, as you don’t get nice pre-washed Hearts of Romaine here in Greece. So it was cleaning, and separating leaves and then cutting it all up. I did the dressing which was somewhat of a challenge. Fortunately, Ingrid had a blender and we able to get our part ready.

We gabbed a bit of lunch and a very short siesta as an Italian film director, Ennio Peregalli, was coming to shoot a short segment about Ingrid’s and Polley and I were to be “the arriving tourists.” Ennio had no English so we were introduced to a Swiss woman, Martha, who served as the organizer and translator. Both of them are pictured here, with Ennio taking a picture of me taking his picture.


For the next two and a half hours we filmed segments. First driving down the road and stopping to explore a map; then, we drive along and discover a sign for Ingrid’s; next we are captured on film turning into Ingrid’s. Then, we arrive, greeted by Ingrid, shown to one of the bungalows and finally, Yorgos is shot carrying my suitcase to the room! It is interesting that in the 15 years we have been coming here, Yorgos never once has carried my bag! It was fun and apparently we were “like professionals,” according to Ennio. All was done in one take. It is to be part of an hour-long film on this particular region of the Peleponnese. Our section will also be available on Ingrid’s website by the middle of July. “Coming soon to a computer near you!”

That evening, the party began. It was what I later referred to as “the Big Fat Greek Party.” Ingrid and Yorgos had been setting up for two days. They borrowed an assortment of grills and prepared salads and appetizers.


The fridge had been filled and even musicians were expected. It started about 8 in the evening as we walked in with the barbecues fired up.


It was an amazing collection of people. There were Germans, Italians, Swiss and Americans.


I managed to pick up this lovely lady at the bar.


I also got a picture of Yorgos and his father


About 10 pm, the musicians arrived and then the fun really began.


As we finished up eating, the Greeks began to dance. Yorgos on his own at first and then in groups, both the older and the young. I hope these little video segments give you a sense of the atmosphere. It was a wonderful experience. Great people, great food, a very special event. Around 12:30 in the morning, Polley and I gave up, but things continued, so we are told until about 2. The day after, coming soon.

Ed and Polley

The Big Day

Friends and Family,

This will be a very brief report as today is a big day. Last night we met with an Italian film director who is doing a one hour film on this area and in terms of accommodations he is featuring Ingrid's. So this afternoon he will begin filming and the typical tourist coming to the Bungalows will be Polley and Me. Ingrid and Yorgos have been working for days, adding lighting, cleaning the already clean grounds (owned by a German you know) and generally running in every direction. Following the filming they are planning a big, Greek barbecue. More on that later.

For now, I will just catch you up on yesterday and show a feel more flowers from my morning walks. Yesterday, after the morning walk to Tolo, Polley and I got the assignment for providing a salad for the feast. We decided to try and make a Caesar Salad in Greece! So the morning was mostly taken up with running from one village to the other looking for Greek delicacies, like rosemary, sage, dry mustard, anchovy paste, etc. Took a couple of hours, but we found it all! Well, truthfully, we found versions of all. Anchovy paste is not here, but anchovies we have. There will, no doubt, be some fiddling. More on the results tomorrow.

Following the great grocery race, Polley and I relaxed in Drepano. We, again, watched village life pass by. We returned home for lunch, just in time, as a big rain storm hit, dropping some of the biggest drops I haven't ever seen. It dropped a lot of water, but passed very quickly.

The evening cleared and we took an early dinner at Kastraki. We have nearly narrowed ourselves down to two tavernas, Kastraki and Nikos. Friday night will be the barbecue, but I trust we will be back at Niko's on Saturday. Food is excellent, both has a really nice staff and it is so reasonable. At Kastraki, last night, we had a fish roe dip, called tamarasalata: salty, but very good. We had fried anchovies and moussaka. This moussaka was even better than that we had enjoyed at Niko's.

It was back to Ingrid's following dinner to meet the director and get our instructions. He was hosted by a Swiss woman who lives here part of the year and speaks 6 languages! Amazing! Anyway, any time you add Italians to the mix, it is going to be loud and active. Great fun. God knows what this evening will bring. More on that later.

Her are a few more signs of spring in Greece. Enjoy!






Ed and Polley

Friends and Family,

Not a lot of change in our lives the last few days in Greece. In fact, we have commented a number of times that the rhythm here is surprisingly similar to that of Mexico. We rise, have coffee, feed whatever number of cats are gracing our bungalow. I walk for an hour or so as Polley maintains her Pilates regimen. After that, we shower, read or do a bit of housework, send e-mails, think about and, perhaps, actually produce the blog for the day. By then, believe it or not the morning has got away from us.

WE have pretty much maintained the habit of walking to one or the other of the two villages, Drepano, a mile east of us, and Tolo, about a mile west. Both are interesting walks, but as there are no sidewalks until you actually get into a village, it feels a bit dangerous on the roads. However, most drivers give us some room. But there are always a few that either don’t want to give an inch or simply seem to ignore you (most on the cell phones [called “handies” here]. However, no real close calls so far. It is also kind of intriguing that one walk, the one to Drepano, feels so much longer largely because it just passes endless rows of orange trees and it very flat. It is also feels a bit dirtier as you see endless trash along the highways. Greeks are just beginning to learn about littering and recycling. The walk to Tolo is much more scenic, climbing up a hill and then looking out on the bay. More of that walk is in town, so there are stores and hotels to look at.

However, once you arrive at the end of the journey, we so much more enjoy sitting in Drepano and watch the activities of a working village than in Tolo, which is a beach town and is pretty much like every small beach town in the world.

As spring is coming, I thought over the next couple of days, I would give you a sample of some of the color that has begun to pop out. We have had a number of warm days, with more on the way, after Thursday, and suddenly there seems to be color everywhere.





I took most of these on my walk yesterday and this morning. I will provide some more tomorrow

Ed and Polley

Days Drift By

Friends and Family,

The weather has certainly changed here, at last! Yesterday was another pleasant, warm day. Polley and I, in anticipating at trip to Athens to see the new Acropolis Museum, went into Napflio to check on the bus schedule. While I have driven in Athens before, it is not fun. So we are looking to take an early bus into the city sometime next week, visit the museum and perhaps just reacquaint ourselves with the city. We have certainly enjoyed it in the past, but it has been several years since we have spent much time there. The only problem now is that since the new economic restrictions, there have been flash strikes, closing down the city. That means that busses, all government buildings, including museums and even the University shut down. We hope to avoid one of those days.

We enjoyed the sunshine in Napflio. After getting a sense of the schedule for bus, we strolled the quaint streets lined with interesting, but often, very expensive shops. Things are still quiet in the town and in talking with one shop owner, her business is down about 50%. She says the islands are quite busy, but the Peleponnese seems to be suffering. We stopped for some wine and did what has become our favorite thing, just watching the activity on the large central square. There is a preponderance of kids, but, as we all know, they can entertain as well. After the wine and watching, we headed back to Ingrid’s.

Lunch and a siesta and some reading. We have read a number of good books on this trip. Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom, The Postmistress and The Help are all worth looking for. We are both now becoming committed e-book readers. It is so easy to carry and the whole world of books is open to you with the ease of an internet connection.

We have had a couple of nice evenings with Ingrid, Yorgos and other guests. Polley got a call into Rae and all seems well at home.

We headed off to dinner at Kastraki, the little place up the road that we go to regularly. Lovely sitting on the bay, very nice people, and very good food. Last night we tried something called “Eggplant Imam.” We also had shrimp dish in a very tasty tomato sauce with feta, and peppers. It was a little tricky to eat. The shrimp, heads, tails, shell and all, were huge and covered in tomato sauce so that you could hardly see the shell from the flesh. Excellent flavor, however. Also had the requisite, flat, friend potatoes. Wonderful.

The night before we tried a new place in the village of Drepano, called The Pelican. It looked like a nice setting and as we sat down they handed us a huge menu. However, when the owner, Yanis, came to discuss it with us, they seemed to have only about one thing for each category! No matter when we seemed to be drawn to, was not available. The one category that seemed to have the most options, was the meat and we just don’t eat a lot of meat in Greece. Why would you? Eventually, we had a delicious fried cheese (saganaki), some zucchini balls (if you weren’t aware that they had them) that looked a bit like oatmeal cookies. They were also very good. We then had the strangest calamari I have ever had. It was the whole squid, grilled. It was then our job to cut it up and eat it.


It was very livery tasting and Polley thought it was very fishy. Not our favorite calamari. The tail, however, was wonderful. Anyway, not high marks for The Pelican. The owner later came over to us and said that this early in the season and on a Monday, selection is always limited. He hoped we would return on a weekend. He then proceeded to vent about the Greek government, the economy and the European Union. Like every where else we have been, the creation of the European Union and the advent of the Euro seems to have widened the gulf between the haves and have-nots. People are really struggling. When you add the declining tourist dollars, things do not look bright for the future.

Nevertheless, we are trying to do our part and enjoying ourselves and the people. More later.

Ed and Polley

It's Getting Better

Friends and Family,

Somehow, missing that one day, and then having Blogspot down threw me off schedule. So I am back to trying to catch-up for the two days I missed. Actually, it should not take long.

Saturday was a beautiful day. There is a sense that the weather has truly changed. I walked to Drepano and was truly warm by the time I returned. Because there was hardly a cloud in the sky, we decided to vary our schedule and head for the beach. We returned to Karathona, where we had enjoyed a bottle of wine last week. While there were a few more people there, it was still relatively quiet. In fact, everyone continues to comment about how quiet it is everywhere. Anyway, we took some chairs and a table on the beach, ordered our bottle of Greek wine, pulled out Kindles and iPads and enjoyed the sunshine – for a bout an hour! Suddenly, the wind came up with the sun still shining, but paradise was no longer as advertised. So, we picked things up and moved up under a covering, enjoyed the remainder of the wine, before giving up and coming back home. Lunch was in (we keep coming away from restaurants with leftovers!), as was siesta. About 6 p.m. we ventured down to Yorgos’ bar. It was a lively group. There was a German couple and an artist friend of Ingrid and Yorgos, Petros, from Slovania. Virtually homeless, he lives on what the artwork he can sell and the odd-jobs people give him, either for food or money. It is these interactions that make you appreciate what you have. We have also had a nice time talking with Ingrid’s mother, who has been here for last month. She is from Cologne. Lovely lady, who goes back on Wednesday.

Anyway, that pretty much took up Saturday night. We came back to the room for some dinner, but had our little beach excursion as the only time we left the grounds.

Sunday was a even warmer day. It was the warmest morning we have had since arriving. They were predicting temperatures of about 80 and after Polley and I walked the mile of so into Tolo for a glass of wine, and then back, I am sure the prediction was correct.

We had some wine at a little place called Arcadia in Tolo. We had not been there 10 minutes when a whole table of American college students and one of their instructors sat at the table next to us. As we ease-dropped on their conversation, I was reminded of how important it is to at least have the minimal decencies of the language of the country you are visiting. These girls and their instructor seemed to have no sensitivity to the language of the people serving them. Hello, please, thank you, how are you, all seem like requirements of a program taking people abroad. Apparently that is not case in Tennessee!

We took the warm walk home, and Polley made a fabulous Greek salad. I may have said it before, but I think she could teach the Greeks something about Greek salads! Siesta, of course, and some time at the bar with Ingrid, Yorgos and her mother. This time, however, we were determined to get to a restaurant. We decided to return to Chez Gilles, a place we went the first week and had very much enjoyed. This time were very much disappointed. We had an octopus salad (alright, but nothing special), and a recommendation of something called cuttlefish cooked in a tomato-wine sauce. Very disappointing. The fish was so firm that it really bordered on tough. The sauce lacked any sort of complexity. We have now decided that we will not return to Chez Gilles. Very nice people, but the food seems to have gone down hill. The nice thing, of course, is there is always tomorrow and another place to try!

Ed and Polley

A Lovely Day in Greece with Things Looking Brighter

Friends and Family,

Following a night of rain and thunder, the weather that we were repeatedly promised, began to show up. Temperatures were promised for the mid-70s, with even better weather on the weekend.

My walk this morning was in the direction of Tolo, but I decided to try a road still higher up the side of the mountain behind the village. It was a killer and eventually dead-ended into a house and I had to turn back. However, on a clear morning, the view of Tolo bay was fantastic.


As I walked higher and higher (and I confess to having to stop to catch my breath), I say Tolo to one side

and the valley in the direction of Drepano in the other.





I even found a little church that sat higher up yet.

It was about 4.5 miles and I was pretty done in upon my return. Polley and I read in the sun while our hair was drying. We then set out on another walk, this time to Drepano for a glass of wine and some sense of being part of the village. I am acquiring some Greek phrases and can order wine in Greek now and when it first happens, the look of surprise on the Greeks faces is something. It is not an easy language, especially in terms of where the emphasis falls in words. And some of them are very long and have strange, seemingly conflicting sounds. Fun to try and they people seem to appreciate it.

Home for lunch, the leftovers of our delicious dinner at Nikos, moussaka and cheese pie. There is something about Greek food. It almost seems better as a leftover than it did on the first day.

We did get in the requisite siesta, but from this picture you might get a sense of how difficult it has become to find a place for us on the bed.


After we got up, some cats continued to sleep. This white and yellow tabby, we ca;; “Randy” for some obvious reasons when you see him around the females. He is a lovely guy and, as you can see, completely relaxed!


Following siesta and a bit more reading, we got the word from Yorgos that the weather conditions were such that he was going to spray the orange trees. Normally they do not spray, but some sort of bug had attacked the orchard, so it was necessary to spray. To be able to do so, there must be no chance of rain and it can’t be very windy. He has been waiting for several days for the proper conditions. Tonight is the night. So, he gave the guests the heads-up so we could make plans to be away from the insecticide.

Polley and I tried a cute little bar in Tolo called Remembrance. It sits right on the water and was relatively quiet (if you don’t count the Euro-Techno music). WE slowly sipped on some ouzo and watch the activity on the bay. We needed to be gone for a couple of hours. After one hour, we had had enough of Remembrance. We had intended to have dinner in, but decided to move on to Nikos in Drepano for just some wine, their delicious Tzatziki, and some olives. Niko is very nice and helps me with my Greek. Tonight he was even talking in French, just to display his linguistic aptitude. A nice time, and we highly recommend the food, as you can tell, having had Niko food for lunch and dinner.

It was home about 9, a call to our house sitter and then to bed with high hopes for the beach tomorrow.

Ed and Polley

A Slight Burp

Friends and others,

When I began this blog, two days ago, I was apologizing for missing a day. Then when I went to send the catch-up blog yesterday, Blogspot was down. So two days have now passed. For that I, again, apologize, but also must confess that the second day was not my fault. Anyway, It wasn’t that I ignored the computer yesterday, but it was that a couple of University discussions were going on and I felt (oh, silly me!) to chime in. That took a major part of the day along with the reading, drinking and eating. So let me see if I can recap the last two days.

Wednesday was a very nice morning so I decided to walk to Tolo. However, instead of traveling directly through town or along the beach, I decided to take the upper road above Tolo and then come back along the beach. Tolo is laid out in an interesting traffic patterns. About halfway through the town, the main road is two-way. Then, it suddenly shifts to one way, heading toward the harbor. You then have to proceed to the end of the town and take the upper road back until you can again connect with the two-way portion of the town. A few years ago I came to realize this as when I turned around and tried to go against the traffic, a fierce traffic cop stopped me and yelled for several minutes at me in Greek. Would you believe I have never forgotten since? It also makes a sort of sense, as in July and August this little sleepy beach town swells to about 12,000!

So, it was a clear morning and I proceeded up the hill and along the hill. The view was beautiful.


As I wandered along the road, I came across a home that had a very nice garden. Each of the planters along the border of the yard was a different sailing vessel. You can see them here.


Once I arrived at the harbor, I came back along the beach. Ingrid tells me there is an even higher road and I may give that a go in a couple of days.

Polley and I did our new ritual of walking to either Tolo or the village to the east, Drepano. Since I did Tolo in the morning, it was time for Drepano at noon. It is about a mile walk and except for the fact that there are no sidewalks and the cars do fly by you, it is a pleasant journey. We then sat at a little taverna on the square and just watched village life go on. Old woman, still dressed in the traditional black and supported by a cane, slowly making there way home from the store; old men in worn dress slacks, shirt (perhaps vest) and tired sportcoat, sitting and talking and drinking coffee. After our half liter (3 euros), it was back home for lunch and siesta. We read for a while, had a little time with Yorgos and Ingrid and Polley talked on Skype to Rae to catch up on the Portland scene. Then we headed to a little taverna we had tried in our first days here, Nikos. I was in the mood for some very Greek food. So, it was tzatziki as a starter. It was, I believe, the best I have ever had. It was thicker and had clearly been drained for an extended period of time. Also, a little ouzo wash it down. Then Polley had the Cheese Pie, filled with feta mixture; I had the moussaka. The food was fantastic. We, of course, couldn’t eat it all, so it will be a delicious lunch this afternoon.

Thursday started on a positive note as the sky was mostly clear and there seemed a real possibility that the weather was changing. I did a variation of the Drepano walk, but took a different route, cutting through some orange groves to the little village of Kallithea. Actually, it doesn’t seem much more than a bend in the road where some houses have and are being built. There are no stores, shops, tavernas, nothing, but little Greek bungalows. At one intersection I did capture this photo of a hill that is in Asini, not far from us.


It is lit at night and Ingrid tells me that you can climb it, which we may do in the near future.

I made my circuit and back home, enjoying the growing signs of summer.


It was then I got involved in University business which is increasingly become none of mine. However, as I chewed I things, I felt a need to respond. Thus, no blog yesterday.

The weather continue to look pretty promising so we headed to Tolo for our noontime refreshment. We did discover than our favorite little taverna, Kastraki, was back open. They had been closed for a couple of days and we thought that because business was so slow that there were no going to be there. But the little lady was there and we confirmed that we would return for dinner than evening. We continued on to Tolo and found a lovely little bar/café with these nice rectangular marble tables that were on a veranda looking right out at the sea. It was very nice. It was also clear that people in town were beginning to feel a change in the weather. Places that had been previously closed, were beginning to look open or people were out cleaning things up in preparation for opening. It was a new energy. However, as we sat at the little cafe, the weather began to change. Dark clouds moved in and we thought there might be danger of rain. The little lady at the supermarket assured us it was not going to rain and, in fact, it did not as we made our way home for lunch. Lunch was the left-over Tzatziki and some bread. Still wonderful! It was then siesta and some more reading. About the time we were preparing to see Yorgos at the bar, rain began, and then thunder. Things change very quickly here on the Peleponnese. We did brave the rain and join Yorgos at the bar and talked for an hour or so. Having given up on the idea of Kastraki for dinner, as it is quite exposed, the weather changed again. The sky began to clear and it looked hopeful. So, Kastraki was on and we went. Boy did we have a feast. We started with ouzo and then ordered a spicy cheese dip, the Greek fried potatoes, some fried smelt and some beans in tomato sauce. All delicious, but way more than we could eat. Friday will definitely be a dine-in day. We were also pleased to see 4 other people arrive for dinner that night, so it may indicate that things are picking up. The weather forecast for the next few days is positive, so let’s hope there is not another surprise. More tomorrow, I promise.

Ed and Polley

Desperately Seeking Greek Weather

Dear Curious and Devoted,

Just when we thought the good weather was headed our direction, the day turned cloudy and gray. As I walk through the town in the morning or as we sit at a taverna at lunch or dinner, it is so sad to see so few tables occupied. In fact, a place we have enjoyed on several occasions this time, Kastraki, the little taverna located very close to us with the lovely view of the bay, has closed until business picks up. This is the place were the last time we were there, we were the only ones to have dinner that night. And we are not heavy eaters. Little profit in having us as patrons.

Polley has decided that she needs to get some additional exercise (beyond her Pilates in the morning), so we began a noontime walk of a mile or so, ending up, of course at a taverna. A half liter of wine and then we stagger (just kidding) the mile back. We went to the middle of Tolo yesterday and sat at the Santa Maria, the same place we had dinner the night before. While we were there a bit early, we were the only ones in the place. The proprietor told us that in Greece if it is too cold or too hot, no one visits the restaurants!

As we walked, there were some additional signs of spring, like these lovely flowers growing along side the road.


We came back to our place for lunch our siesta and a good deal of reading. Partly because of the weather, it was a lazy day. I realize that may sound redundant, but it was even more so than usual.

Since there was sill tile work being done on the bar, we headed out for a little pre-func. I had seen a place while walking along the Tolo beach. It is quite fancy and it is called Gorillas



Polley and I enjoyed a couple of Ouzos



and watched the clouds sweep across the sky.


Eventually the sun came out for a brief period and it was lovely as it shined on the little island in the bay.



We had planned to go out to eat following our time in the Gorilla cage, but realized that the afternoon Greek salad was more than enough, so we caved in early. Alas, another night when a restaurant suffers. We will try to make up for it tomorrow, when I may have more to report (but don’t count on too much).

Ed and Polley

Friends and family members,

At the risk of sounding like a representative from the Greek tourist board, I must, again, say that this is such a lovely country. There is a mystical sense of calm and relaxation here. It is intriguing and a bit surprising because believe me the Greeks are not what you would call laidback. They drive too fast, push their way through intersections, and are in many ways very tightly wound. Yet, there is also a sense of joy about them as well. It may part of the reason they are in the economic trouble that they are in. There is that part of them that lives for today with little thought about the realities of tomorrow. Perhaps that is what happens to us when we arrive here. Cares seem to disappear and you just live for each day.

Yesterday was another very sunny day. There is still a certain coolness in the air and by the middle of the day there was quite a strong breeze. The forecast (ah, there I am looking ahead, very unGreek!) looks to promise cooler weather for the next couple of days before coming back nice for the weekend. Anyway, I took a walk to Tolo, strolling along the beach to the marina and then back through the town.

Polley and I read a bit before getting ready to go into Nafplio and over the hill to the beach at Karathones. It is a big, beautiful sandy beach that lies over the hill behind Nafplio on which the fortress at Palimidi stands. As you drive down you can see the expanse of the bay.


We discovered this place (although neither of us can remember how) the first year we visited Nafplio, 1994. At that time there was this great beach and just one small taverna that sat above the water and sand. Now there are half a dozen tavernas, including the original one that we visited (still owned by the same fellow) and dozens of beach chairs and umbrellas. We decided to visit one this time that was new. It was about 11:30 when we drove up and there were a few people sitting on the deck behind the bar. We ask if the were open and they said, “of course!” However, we later discovered that the bear of a man wearing a little tiny Speedo was the owner and he was sunning himself until a customer came along. He was very apologetic for his attire, but explained that there were so few people yet that he thought he might just catch a little sun until someone came along. Ah, those Greeks, so practical. I am sorry to say I did not get a photo of him in the suit: a bear in a bikini!

He did bring us a nice bottle of wine and we found a place in the sun. It is a lovely setting with dozens of palapas to sit under.




We sat up near the bar, primarily because it was a long was to the water for the waiter. We sipped some very decent local wine and just enjoyed the sun.


It may have been the first “color” we have gotten since arriving.. We truly enjoyed the time, slowly sipping our wine and watching the locals and a couple of tourists that later wandered in. About 1:30, we got back in the car and returned home for lunch and siesta.

Early in the evening we sat with Ingrid and Yorgos. They are in the midst of having work done to the bar at the insistence of the Health Police. As I said earlier, the demands are ridiculous as the place as always been very clean. But they have the power and must be obeyed. A tile floor was going in yesterday and today, and that will be followed by some cupboards and a few other requirements. Anyway, it was kind of fun. Because of the title work, you couldn’t get to things in the bar, so we sat around and drank our wine and shared in with our hosts. It was a nice change.

Polley and I then headed out to dinner in Tolo. We intended to eat at a place called Limonia, but it was closed. We are not sure if it is simply closed on Mondays or if it has not yet opened for the season. So we turned back into Tola and tried a new place that we had not eaten at before, Santa Maria. Ingrid has just told us that they had good, Greek food. So we gave it a try.




We had souvlaki (largely because Polley and I couldn’t remember what it was), which is basically chunks of meat (in this case, Pork) grilled on a skewer. It was served with tomatoes and cucumbers (the cucumbers were some of the best we have had). The other dish was Green Beans in Tomato Sauce. It was very good. The beans were cooked within an inch of their life (not since living in the Midwest had we had such vegetables), but, in fact, they were delicious. Very simple, but very good.

It was an early evening, but what with the wine at the beach, sitting with Ingrid and Yorgos, ouzo before dinner and a half liter of wine with dinner, we turned in relatively quickly. It was, however, a very pleasant, very typical Greek vacation day. See you tomorrow.

Ed and Polley