Vasillis and our Greek Life.

The Story So Far.
I met Vasillis the usual way, he was running a bar. Many nights we would talk through the night and slowly we realised that our friendship was becoming something other than just holiday friends.

Just over a week later, cheap fares and accomodation we were back. The people we had seen before were so pleased to see us. Even the ones we had never talked to. The gardener Spiros summed it up. He said "People say they come back but not like you". Strangely enough in September 2003 we met his granddaughter at Panorama. A lovely girl.

I said to Vasillis once that all the Greek people we had met were so nice. He said no they were not, they were no different to English people. He was right of course. I have to learn 'The Greek Way' I was told. I understand now. I still do not understand much of the Greek language but I have learned to wave my arms around a lot and mumble rude Greek words loudly. Seems to work. Please don't use the 'M' word, it's not very nice.

Vasillis seems to understand people very well. He said to me years ago that his philosophy was this :-
Tourists save up all year to spend one or two weeks here and enjoy their holiday. It is a lot of money and they have worked many hours to get it. We must do the best we can to make it something special. Then they will come back next year. Sounds fair enough to me, and yes - they do come back. I hope he won't mind if I say he seems very, very English at times.

Vasillis was brought up by his grandparents. They are wonderful. I speak very little Greek and they speak very little English. Grandma has learned to say 'hello'. Grandad just crushes me to death. I have never known a man so fit for his age. Everywhere we go Grandad is there. One day we stopped the scooter to say hello. He took a apricot from his pocket and broke it in half for my wife and I ( he had just been digging up potatoes ). That's The Greek Way. One of the best parts of it. Not all are.

Each year we have been there Vasillis has tried to find a Greek dish I will not eat. I have eaten lambs noolies, goats noolies, sparrows, and 4 lambs brains complete with the rest of the heads, everything. Bit different to the brains on toast my mother cooked. If he eats it I will eat it. Mind you chewing the meat off a jawbone complete with teeth does make one think of becoming a vegetarian. Actually I managed to miss the eyes but don't tell him - PLEASE.

Vasillis would not eat black pudding. What a wimp. What's wrong with a nice slice or two of fried blood and offal. Strange people the Greeks.

Vasillis is no longer a barman but has gone back to his old trade - cement Many of the places you see around Sidari, Melitsa and Peroulades are his handiwork. He is still known as Vasillis the cement mixer although he sold it years ago. Large lorries of the stuff now. He also has a rather unique method of parking.

Now we stay at his home with Agneta his wife and their children Maria and Zoe. It's nice to be around youngsters again.

I have written this web site and others soley as a way of saying thank you. Unfortunately the Greeks have a way of getting their own back. Like putting on half a stone every time we go there.

2003 - July.

Two weeks of heaven. Temperature around the mid 30's on a cool day. We did not bother with transport this time, only for the last two days when the scooter got fixed. It was the Coffee Shop - Panorama - sleep - - Coffee Shop - Panorama - Coffee Shop - where's my bed?. Two Greek festivals, one traditional in Peroulades and the other mayhem but fun in Megoulades. We ate what was one of the finest meals in our lives at The Rock in the Canal De Amour. King Prawns and Lobster. It may seem that ' the finest meals in our lives' is an exageration.
It is not.
2003 - September

The weather was more unsettled but back into temperatures that us poor mortals from the UK can tolerate easily. We did the usual tours on the scooter and sneaked in a few English Breakfasts just to check them out on your behalf of course. We ate at The Rock again. The hospitality of the Greeks cannot be surpassed, not anywhere. They also have the dirtiest sence of humour.

2004 - September

It is such a strange feeling to walk into our little bedroom we stay in at Vasilli's. It was as if we had only been away a few days. First stop George at Panorama. Nearly a year without a Sunset Cocktail - pure hell. A tour of the changes then into our usual seats at the bar and let life commence.