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Greek summer lifestyle and Gino, our inherited pet. Plus, FREE books!

 

Summer’s here at last, and it brings two novelties in my life with my husband, Andy. First, he got retired last month, so we spend our days together at home now. We are finally able to enjoy quiet beach picnics on the weekdays, avoiding the Sunday crowds. So far, the difference it makes to our summer fun and sense of peace is tremendous.

 

The second novelty is our new front yard, which came to be not by choice, but by necessity. We completed the decoration late June, and already, it’s proven to be a great blessing. Our front garden that used to be there was destroyed by a flood last December, and so was the cesspit situated underneath it. We had to make a new one from scratch and make a yard on top of it instead of a garden.

Evening meals out there are idyllic, with tealights and lit lanterns all around. A cool breeze blows in most evenings from the Geraneia mountain range that towers over our little seaside town of Nea Peramos. It’s just perfect.

The first time we had dinner in the yard, it was so amazing an experience that we totally lost track of time after our meal. We couldn’t believe it when we checked the time and saw it was eleven p.m!

 

It’s much too hot to use this space in the day this time of year, but I did sit with my laptop to try it out once. I even took off my flip flops to do a bit of grounding. Win-win😀

Andy took this photo just as Gino, our doggie, came over to sit by me.

Gino used to be my mother’s dog. In October 2018, she brought him over from the island of Limnos at the end of her long annual stay with my father in our family home there. She carried Gino in a little bundle, and he was ever so cute and small.

 

After my mother’s passing in 2020, my father took on his care, and together, they had much fun in the couple of years he spent on this Earth as a widower, before his own passing in 2023.

Dad used to take Gino along with him on vacation to Limnos, like he used to do with Mom. Whenever he had a souvlaki pitta take out, he’d buy one for himself and one for Gino, which I’ve always thought was really sweet.

The other thing Dad did was he used to sit Gino before him on his moped and take the lane down to the beach (a short ride along quiet village lanes) to go swimming with him. They were inseparable.

Now, I guess Gino is inseperable with Andy and me. He gives us much affection and joy, and we take care of him, for my parents’ sake too, as they both loved him immensely.

This summer, we plan to take Gino to Limnos on vacation with us. Gino hasn’t been there since my father took him last in 2022. I bet the doggie still has the map of the village and the surrounding fields indellible in his mind!

He used to find openings in the fencing of our property (or escape through the gates, if left open, and run off to the fields to hunt wild rabbits or just to roam. He was forever sniffing around, as I recall. Of course, I intend to keep him on the leash to keep him safe, and I expect he will not like the novelty.

My father didn’t use a leash on Gino while on Limnos, but the dog used to walk closely beside him most of the time and not run after the fowl and the sheep that roam free over there. Yet, he sometimes escaped his attention and ran off out of the blue, always in the direction of the open fields, to return home on his own, an hour or more later.

These days, Gino is a good boy and listens better to commands, but he is still a bit of a free spirit, and you never know when he will turn rogue again LOL, especially once he is on Limnos! He is chipped, of course, so I guess that’s something in case he escapes again. Fingers crossed!

 

This is a picture of Gino from the other day. He is fully groomed and ready for his summer vacation in August.

We had a bit of fun jesting with our neighbors, as they had trouble recognising him after his first-ever, radical transformation. Andy, forever the jester, told them when they asked that we had to let Gino go and get a new one. It didn’t take them long to work it out, of course, and there were chortles all around.

With his new haircut, Gino looks more like a Jack Russell now, don’t you think? He certainly feels like one to the touch. LOL!

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A trip to Arachova, aka Mykonos of the Winter

 

The view from the clock tower is fabulous from all sides

I recently had the pleasure to visit Arachova, a cosmopolitan town up in the mountains that the Greeks have nicknamed Mykonos of the Winter.

The same VIPs that flood Mykonos all summer do the same all winter in Arachova. It heaves with tourists from all walks of life, every hotel bed occupied on all the bank holiday or festive weekends during the winter season.

Having said that, it’s not like Mykonos at all when it comes to the ridiculously high prices. Thank goodness. Nor did I see any nudists walking around he he

We were lucky to visit Arachova on a dry and partly sunny day. Although there were many tourists around, it was comfortable to walk about and to find a table in its restaurants and cafes.

We were tipped off by someone in the know that we’d better try to eat our lunch quickly at the restaurant lest the waiter would start to give us dirty looks as the crowds are usually so big they’re used to serving fast to clear the tables for the next customers.

Yet, somehow, we found this perfect, reasonably priced restaurant with the most exquisite food where we had the chance to eat at our leisure. What’s more, our table was by the window, allowing us to enjoy a partial view to a church and the valley. It was just perfect.

Others in our coach group confessed they were less fortunate, winding up in an upmarket restaurant that served gourmet food rather than traditional Greek food (we always go for the latter – the genuine local experience) and they wound up paying way more than they were prepared to part with.

So, word of caution: If you visit Arachova do check the prices before you sit somewhere for food or drink. It’s not as bad as Mykonos as I stated earlier, but some places ARE pricey. Check the menu before entering and you’ll be fine 🙂

For what it’s worth, the restaurant we picked is called To Agnandio and you can see it in two of the photographs I posted on Facebook. On the back side, the building is flanked by a beautiful church. In the photo where the facade is showing (the wall is beautiful, decked with stonework), you can see the church behind it.

The town’s folklore museum is right next to it, and from within its yard, you’ll also find the short upward path that leads up to the Clock (Roloi), an important landmark that you must visit, if only for the panoramic views of the town, the valley, and the mountain of Parnassus.

A view to the clock tower of Arachova

We had ample time in Arachova to walk along it’s main street back and forth a couple times. This street is a rather narrow space for such a busy town, the pavements so tiny they might as well not be there at all. They provide a false sense of safety, in my opinion, and you can never take away your eyes from the traffic. It can be dangerous if you don’t, and extra care must be taken if you are visiting with children or elderly people.

The highlights for us were the short ascend up to the clock tower summit as well as the visit to the folklore museum (free admission).

Among the interesting artifacts on display in the museum, we were pleasantly surprised to find a few robotic structures that we learned were made and donated by a local pensioner. Having worked all his life for the Greek telephone company (OTE), he had a lot of old telephone equipment in his possession and had put it all in good use recycling it in this ingenious artistic manner (see the photos on Facebook).

The exhibits also included old pictures, and handiwork from traditional looms. It was an interesting glimpse into this town’s distant past, that was harrowing too, as it included references to the Nazi massacre of the Greek locals at the nearby town of Distomo during WWII.

Last but not least, Andy and I were pleasantly surprised to find among the beautiful shops one dedicated to tea! I was enamoured by the small decorative teapots and have regretted never buying one of them now that I see them in the photos. I did buy a bag of loose jasmine tea, though, that I enjoy in the afternoons as a special treat.

All in all, it was an unforgettable fun day. Arachova is very close to the major archeological site of Delphi. So, if you’re visiting Athens, do enquire at the travel agents offering daily trips. Chances are that if the destination of a coach excursion is Delphi you’ll have a stopover at Arachova for lunch. Both are must places to see. Highly recommended for a day out by coach or car!

Go HERE to see all the photos I took in Arachova. Enjoy!

 

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