Key West Lou / DAY 16…..LAST DAY IN SANTORINI

DAY 16…..Greece the First Time
Posted on June 12, 2012 by Key West Lou

I was dead last night! The volcano did me in!

I did yesterday’s blog till 8 in the evening. Then I satisfied a need. For whatever reason, I had a desire for a chocolate milkshake. Yes, they sell them in Oia. It was delicious!

I was back in my cave by 9 and soon sound asleep. The sleep of the dead. The volcano responsible therefore.

I have been in Santorini longer than planned. I was to leave last Saturday. Put it off to Sunday. Then to today, Tuesday. Now, tomorrow. I definitely will be leaving tomorrow. Wednesday.

Destination Mykonos.

Going by boat. Speed boat. So called. Probably a big boat as yesterday. Makes three stops before reaching Mykonos.

I do not have a place to stay. Unusual for me. I am normally a planner. But this trip is loosey goosey. I am told to worry not. A lot of places to stay in Mykonos. Not yet the season.

Donna and Terri wrote me. We have friends in Mykonos. She told me a bar to go to. Terri sang for the owners in New York. Bobby Peoscue, probably spelled his name wrong, is playing piano there. He worked the place where Terri sang when she first came to Key West.

Loosey goosay not working in Mykonois. I am only staying three nights. I am anxious to move on to Fourni-Korseon. In English, Pirate’s Cove.

Fourni, as it is so called, is a very small island with a very small village. Only one bar. Serves the same one meal all day.

The attraction of Fourni is its expatriates. Writers, musicians, entrepreneurs, etc. I am told my time there will be enjoyable and well spent. The expatriates look forward to the few guests who arrive to visit their island

I do not know how long I will be in Fourni. Perhaps a couple of weeks. Where, then? I am thinking Morroco or Portofino. I have met many Morocco natives on this trip. They make their homeland sound interesting. Although a Muslim country, the people dance to their own tune. Women dress as in the USA. Mini skirts in vogue. Men and women walk the streets hand in hand. The young well educated. A fun place.

They speak of interesting historical places. Like Casablanca, the Casbah and the like. Shades of Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Tony Martin. Even Frank Sinatra. I saw Sinatra in person at the Paramount Theater on stage in 1943. My father took me. I was 8 years old. This young kid, skinny, with a big bow tie sang. The movie running with the live Sinatra was The Casbah with Tony Martin. The recollection fixed in my mind.

China is starting to tickle my fancy. I have met many Chinese here in Santorini on vacation. All interesting. All mysterious.

Portofino is a must. Have to get everything worked out. Decision time later. I have the time.

The Greek language is difficult to absorb. I have mentioned the katini I dined at three evenings. The one at the base of a lava cliff on the sea. I thought the place was a katini. In my mind, a canteen. The sign said Katina. Turns out Katina is the family name of the persons owning the restaurant.

The name of the place turns out to be Fish Eatery. However that is in English. The sign in Greek reads YapotaBepva. I am staying on the island of Santorini. The name Santorini is on the sign, also. In Greek. It read Eantopinh. Do you wonder why I make mistakes in translation?

Some interesting tidbits about Santorini.

The locals dress in black. Men and women alike. All black. The men wear black jeans and black tee shirts who work on the boats. How they stand the heat, I do not know.

Oia wakes up at 9 in the morning. Before then, the locals are busy sweeping in front of their stores, otherwise cleaning up, doing pre- opening tasks. They talk with each other. Not a precise description. They yell. A hundred feet away, they communicate in loud tones. Reminded me of the Italian neighborhood in Utica where I grew up.

Comes 9, everything goes silent. And stays that way til the next morning.

Water a problem. As everywhere. Santorini is a small island. No wells. Water is brought in by tanker. Some in large vats, some in bottles. It is said it is better to drink bottled water as the tanked water is not so good.

Everyone has water problems. Key West brings water in also. Except Key West gets it by pipe from Miami.

There are two super markets on the walk above the caves. Not really super markets, though so called. Really small grocery stores stacked with every conceivable thing.

I have been going to the one closest to me. The owner cheats. No matter how many times I buy the same thing, it is always a different price. By as much as 3 euros.

No cable TV here. Antennas like in the 1960s on rooftops.

Electric power via solar panels. One on each house. More on hotels. Each the size of a door. With a small tank behind each one. Not covering the entire roof as we are being told in Key West. As I understand it, solar panels in the U.S. are cheap. It is the labor that is costly. But we cover the entire roof in the U.S. Someone should look into the Greek concept.

You pay for bread in a restaurant. A small basket is anywhere from 1 euro to 2.5 euros. The bread sucks. The only food in Greece I have not enjoyed. It all tastes the same no matter where you eat. Bland with a soft/hard crust.

On the other hand, other type baked goods are delicious. Like the breakfast rolls I enjoy each morning.

Santorini is a vacation place. The season is the summer months. However, the island is open for business from April 1 to November 1. Otherwise, closed down. It gets very cold here in the winter.

Locals work 7 days a week. Some from 9 to 9. Others different evening hours. Hotel workers from 7 to 9. These are all morning to night times.

They do not complain. This is their time to make it. An industrious people.

It is now June. The weather is warm by day. Very warm. Absolutely no humidity. I have not sweat once no matter what I was doing. Evenings are cold, however. A sweater or jacket required. They tell me it remains that way in July and August.

So much for today. Chat with you in the morning.

Enjoy your day!

Today’s blog small pieces of information re Santorini. Tomorrow I leave for Mykonos.

Today only the blog as written in 2012. I have some tests at 8. Need to get ready.

Enjoy!

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