The wind has stopped!

I woke early and it took me a few moments to realise that something was missing – the roar of the wind that has been the backing track for the last few days.

I was in the sea by 7:45 and if you’d seen me you’d probably say I was grinning from ear to ear – it was sheer bliss.

I decided I’d like a fresh crusty loaf for breakfast so walked up the hill to the minimarket – only to find that the bread delivery isn’t until 9 or 9:30. I ‘made do’ with day old bread as I normally do.

One down side of being up and about so early is that there isn’t a scrap of shade on my balcony until gone 9 and I end up squidged up by the wall trying to be patient until I have a comfortable wedge of shade to occupy.

It is really surreal sitting here and reading the BBC news site about (and having texts from home about) the rioting in London – it doesn’t really compute.

UPDATE:  The wind is back 🙁

Morning Routine:

On waking up: take thyroid medication – swimming shorts and flip-flops on – cotton-wool/vaseline ear plugs made and in – grab towel – walk down to beach – swim – rinse off in fresh water on way back.

Prepare breakfast:  orange juice, coffee, bread, cheese and olives.

Sit at table on terrace and enjoy.

It’s been very windy the last couple of days – the ride into town and back yesterday was ‘interesting’ – I saw the aftermath of a road traffic accident with a car on its side in a field the other side of a 4ft high stone wall – it reinforces my resolve to always wear all the protective gear on the scooter – driver/rider behaviour can be so bonkers.

My swim yesterday evening had me doing my best lifesavers’ sidestroke so I could watch a group of three couples dancing ceroc (or something) on the beach as I swam by – fantastic, they were having such good fun.  Shame I couldn’t hear the water with the earplugs and above the wind.

I enjoyed my brief stay in the hills — but I did miss hearing the sound of the sea.

I got myself quite worked up at the taverna I was staying in on the last evening – I was having dinner there and felt like I had suddenly become invisible – initially nobody coming to take my food order, then taking an age to get someone’s attention with the international sign language gesture for the bill (which I can’t help but do with a bit of silently mouthed background that makes me look like I’m not quite the full shilling).

I was happy to see that Adonis’ place was a little bit busier.

Susanne came up trumps again and I’ve moved back near the sea.  The place is the bay between Agios Sostis and Porto.  Very nice apartment with quite a big terrace.  Can just see a bit of the sea and across to Mykonos.

The beach is really nice – quite a few people when I went down at 7pm to swim but this morning at nine there were only a handful of people about.

That’s Mykonos on the horizon to the right.
I’m happy to be feeding myself again – back on the salads.

It was nice to have a cool(ish) night. I woke to find that the village was almost in cloud. I’d had a nice evening at Adonis’ place – again it was very quiet, despite me going at 10pm like the locals (the fact is was a Monday night might not have helped).

Adonis had suggested I try the beach at Livada, I had noticed it on the map and scootered over there late in the afternoon – the road soon ran out of tarmac and after a short while I bottled out and turned around. I am so programmed to do as I’m told, riding the hire scooter on the dirt road (for that read razor sharp rocks embedded in dried mud with the sharp bits pointing at my tyres) felt too naughty – it really needed a motocross or 4×4 to get down there, not a Piaggio Fly125 with tiny wheels. I really should have stopped to take a few photos as it was such spectacular landscape but got a bit fixated with just getting back.

I went up and over the hills and back to the main town and found it was pretty windy on that side of the island – I thought a cheesepie would calm me and I took the opportunity to pop in to see Margit and was still wanting to have a swim – I went back to ‘my old beach’ only to find it too windy to be at all pleasant and didn’t have my dip. I rode back to the village via Agios Sostis – which seems to have a lovely bay and quite a bit of accomodation. Margit suggested Susanne have a think about an alternative beachy self-catering place for me and I wait to hear what she comes up with – she certainly found me a good’un at Vriokastro and it was Susanne who suggested Polemis at Agia Anna on Naxos to us a few years ago (where M and I have been twice now – the first time was when we were supposed to be island-hopping hopped as far as Naxos and stayed!)

I moved out of the apartment this morning – feelings a bit mixed when I went for a fantastic morning swim.  Also the scardiest of the kittens ‘almost’ let me stroke her (I’m guessing at gender here).

I said my goodbyes to my neighbours (there is a photo on its way to me by email, I’m assured), and the cats.

It took two trips to get all the luggage up to the new place on the scooter.

It is a nice room but ‘an apartment, it ain’t’ – put all my food supplies and kitchen stuff in fridge/cupboard but there isn’t a plate or a knife – I guess if you are a taverna with rooms you want to encourage your guests to have their coffees and breakfasts etc in the taverna.  At least the cold stuff will stay cold until I move to another place with cooking facilities.

I have an amazing view.

I scootered for 20mins to Kolymbythra for my early evening swim – it was lovely but the getting there, getting dried and dressed (for the scooter) and riding back was a bit of a chore.  I think I’m missing my beach too much.