YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE…..

Some things are difficult to believe. Such as the story I am about to relate.

Two years ago, a new cave hotel opened in Oia. Adronis Suites. About 300 feet from Nikos’ place where I am staying. Everyone tells me the new cave hotel is expensive. Very expensive. How much? Responses varied from $1,000 to $1,500 per night. Hard to believe.

I stopped at the new hotel yesterday. Brochure? No brochure. They handed me their business card and said all I wanted to know would be on internet.

The rooms go for 3,700 euros a night! $5,000 American money!

I find it hard ot believe. I cannot believe it. I lived my life denying myself nothing. Went everywhere, did everything. Never was I asked for that kind of money. And rest assured that had I been asked, I would not have payed it!

Ridiculous!

I watched two young ladies checking in this morning. Early 20s. No way could they afford the place. They were scrawny appearing. Not that good looking. Not kept women if the thought occurred to you.

I have a feeling the hotel is some devious operation. Perhaps money laundering. Who knows. If legitimate, I spent a lifetime in the wrong business. I should have owned a couple of high end hotels like this place.

The wind has become a factor.

Amorgos had the burning sun every day. No humidity. Always cool because of the northwest wind which blew into the bay.

Santorini was hot yesterday. Hot hot. Like I cannot take anymore hot. No wind. More accurately stated, no wind on my side of the cliff. The Oia side.

The cooling wind comes from the northwest for Santorini, also. However, Oia faces southwest. The caves and Oia life are over the crest of the hill facing southwest. The cold northwest wind only 500 feet away. But on the other side of the crest. Ergo, the mountain itself blocks the cooling northwest wind for those of us on the southwest side.

The choice is the view or comfort. The view is worth the discomfort.

Oia’s evenings are cool. There is no humidity day or night here. The masterful wind from the northwest is called meltemi. It only exists in July and August. Then gone until the following year.

During the winter, the wind comes from the southwest. It reverses itself. Nikos said starting in late October the wind is so cold, even he and his family move to another part of the island.

I mentioned the huge number of cats on Amorgos. I rarely saw a dog. I recall my last 1 1/2 hours standing on the concrete port dock in Amorgosw in the boiling sun waiting for the ferry boat to arrive. While standing there, an elderly woman opened the door to her home. Out she came followed by 15 cats. I counted them.

On Santorini, I have only seen dogs. Many of them. Not a cat yet, though I am sure they are here.

Dinner last night was spectacular. I was tired. Heat exhaustion. I did not want to walk far. Ended up in a nearby tiny restaurant. Sat outside on the deck.

I asked what was good. Something different is cooked every evening. I wanted lamb chops. He said…..lamb on the spit!

We had a language problem. I made it known I would like to go in the kitchen and look at the lamb cooking. I was allowed to so do.

The cook was happy to see me. He was probably in his 60s. Bald headed. Fat. No shirt. Bare to the waist. Sweating big time. Chopping something up with a huge cleaver. Which he handled with precision.

There on the spit was this large former sheep turning and cooking. Actually being kept warm. It looked already cooked. Juices dripping off it.

I had lamb on the spit. I am convinced it was lamb and not goat. It looked like a lamb cooking and tasted unquestionably like lamb. I have never enjoyed a more tasteful piece of lamb. Juices still moist. Tender. Just the right amount of fatty taste.

When I finished, I went in the kitchen to congratulate the cook. Actually, thank him. I could see from the look on his face that I had made his evening.

The heat is already up today. I feel like I am in a blast furnace. I have walked. As soon as I finish here, I am going down to the pool to cool off.

Enjoy your day!

SCHINOUSSA ISLAND

I had a terrific breakfast this morning!

You will recall Maria and Nikolas have a garden. They sell vegetables to Amorgos’ restaurants. Maria was especially proud of their tomatoes.

Last night when I returned from Schinoussa Island, Nikolas drove up. He handed me a bag of tomatoes. Twelve plump beauties. I refrigerated them till this morning.

Tomatoes are actually part of the fruit family. So why not have them for breakfast! I sliced away, covered them with olive oil, threw on a little oreganato and salt. Earlier, I had gone to the bakery. I bought a small French loaf of whole wheat bread.

The sun had just come up. I sat outside and enjoyed my breakfast. Absolutely magnificent! The best tasting tomatoes I have ever eaten!

The tomatoes have nothiong to do with Schinoussa Island. They were so good I had to share my pleasure with you.

As sometimes we say in Key West…..I have to get off the rock, I felt like getting off Amorgos yesterday. Decided to visit Schinoussa Island.

The Greek Isles are like the Florida Keysandr the Thousand islands on the St. Lawrence. Many. All sizes, all shapes. Different attractions. You get to them by ferry boat. The ferry boat is the bus line between the smaller islands. I took the 7 a.m. ferry.

A two hour trip. Had to stop Koutonisti Island first. A pleasant trip. I slept most of the way.

Why Schinoussa? The locals are aware I enjoy Amorgos because of its peace and quiet. They told me if I really wanted peace and quiet, I should visit Schinoussa. I took their advice.

Schinoussa’s port was nowhere. I was dropped off where nothing existed. Only three small houses scattered in the distance. A dirt road. I subsequently found out most of the roads are unpaved.

A little more Schinoussa fact wise.

Schinoussa has a total population estimated beytween 120-150 persons. Its size is 2 miles x 2 miles. Much like the size of Key West. It has two cities. Chora, its capital and I cannot remember the name of the other. The other was on the opposite side of the island and had a population of 20. Many beaches. Sand fine, but gray colored. Water magnificent. Blue and clear.

Goats abound. White and black/gray. Another dart in my albino theory! A total of six pensiones on the whole island.

Very few vehicles. Transportation is by pedmobile. You walk. The alternative is to ride a donkey. Many of the natives do. There are few motor vehicles. Generally, they are pick up trucks.

The ferry boat cost 16 euros round trip. $17 American money. That had me sitting in the special lounge class. A comfortable easy chair. Refreshments available for purchase.

I landed. I was standing on Mother Earth. How the hell was I going to get around? By the way, I was the only one who got off the boat at Schinoussa.

A beat up pick up truick appeared out of nowhere. A man offered me a ride. He spoke excellent English. Turned out he owned one of the six pensiones on the island. His game was to pick up a tourist such as myself and show him his place. Grispos Villas.

Grispos Villas was lovely! Relatively new, great rooms and balconies overlooking the Aegean Sea. A magnificednt beach. A restaurant to boot. There are only four on the island.

The beaches were different from others I have recently seen. There were trees. Amorgos has no trees. Only large bushes and not many of them. Schinoussa was loaded with trees. The beaches reminded me of the ones in Tampa/St. Petersburg. A wide beach backed by trees. The trees were low overhanging and provided excellent shelter from the sun.

Grispos was the name of the man who picked me up at the port, the owner of Grispos Villas. He wanted to drive me around the island. I said no, let me walk. It was impossible to get lost. The island was relatively flat.

I was walking along a dirt road running parallel to the beach when another pick up truck came by and stopped. This one was really old. Like maybe 30 years. The driver was equally old. I should not say that as I am 78. He probably was younger. However his years in the sun had weathered, bronzed and wrinkled his face. As well as his vehicle.

His name was Dion.

He offered me a ride. I took it. By this time, I was tired from the sun and dusty. Remember, most of the roads are dirt.

Dion worked the land and kept goasts and mules. He had both colored goats. One of the whites was big. Not an albino, of course.

He took me to Chora. Chora is the island’s capital.

Every Greek isle has a Chora. It is the old town. The oldest on an island. Generally going back 1,500 years. Not this Chora. Looked relatively new compared to the others I had seen. It was.

This Chora was only one street long. It was constructed after 1800. Prior to 1800, no one lived on Schinoussa. For some reason I could not determine, a small group settled the island at that time. They came from Amorgos. Would you believe! No 1,500 years for this Chora. Probably less than 200 years.

I took the ferry back later in the afternoon. Arrived in Amorgos at six.

Schinoussa was quiet and peaceful. More quiet than Amorgos. Next year, I plan on spending a week on Schinoussa. Most of the time will be spent contemplating my navel.

A big military vessel came in last night. A Greek Navy ship. It is sitting just inside the entrance to the bay.

I am not a ship expert. Especially a military one. The ship had to be bigger than a cruiser or destroyer. Not as large as a carrier.

Very ominous. Created a bit of fear in me. I could understand how when we have trouble with a foreign country, we send a carrier to sit off its shore. Has to scare the hell out of those who see it!

Amorgos was loaded with sailors last night. All in deress whites.

My friend Terri White. She returns to New York City for an engagement on July 31. From a park bench to Park Ave.

Terri will be appearing at the 54 Below Broadway Night Club. If you are in New York at the time, watch Terri perform. She is the best!

Tonight, dinner in Chora. I am going to visit Maria at her store before.

Enjoy your day!

NIA

 

Don and Stephanie Manaher are grandparents again! Daughter Katie gave them a lovely new granddaughter. She has been named Nia.

The birth was two days ago. Don and Steph were at the hospital. Steph was in the birthing room and helped deliver Nia. Don was in the reception area waiting.

I was with Don and Steph at Don’s Place last night. Steph was buying everyone a drink in celebration. Her box of cigars.

Spent about 3 hours at Don’s. Chatted with Don, Steph, David, Hershel, Erika, Puff, Kurt, and I cannot recall who else. It was a good friday night crowd.

Dinner was at Don’s also. Steph sent out for food. Pizza, wings, and some sort of oriental peas. Don, Steph, David, and I enjoyed. I especially enjoyed. It was the first pizza and wings I have had in three months.

You are already aware of my dental calamity. I was back in the chair at 8:30 in the morning. Fix me! I hurt!

It took an hour. Think it worked this time. Pain 90 per cent gone. Better this morning. I was able to eat pizza and wings last night.

Spent the balance of the morning and part of the afternoon writing my column for next week’s KONK Life. The article is revealing. Hits you in the face with facts the US media seeems to ignore. The true story of the inter play between Greece and Germany arising out of the euro. I  venture that if there is a third world war, it could very well start in Greece between the Germans and Greeks. Not in the Middle East as most believe.

KONK Life will be on the news stand next thursday. Pick up a copy and read the column. I guarantee the contents will surprise you.

My television/internet show the Key West Lou Legal Hour was broadcast yesterday. No question which topic was enjoyed most. The one concerning an 18 year old girl up on drug charges in a Miami court who gave the Judge the finger and told him f–k you. She got 30 days for contempt of court.

Friday’s Key West Lou Legal Hour is now available 24 hours a day on You tube. Look for Key West Lou Legal Hour. Easy to find.

A friend living in Armogos e mailed me yesterday. Maria. Amorgos is a Greek island.  Maria and her husband own the apartment I rented by the sea. The one with the terrace I enjoyed so much.

Greece is in a bit of turmoil. Her words reflected the situation: “…things here a little difficult…we hope for the best.”

Difficult does not describe the chaos well enough. If you wish to know the down and dirty re what is happening in Greece, read my next week’s article in KONK Life. I apologize for repeating myself. However, I believe the world should be aware of what the Greek people are experiencing and where I think it may all lead.

Nemo. We now name snow storms. This one a BIG ONE! Boston really getting hit. I have a friend who lives on Cape Cod. Right in the middle of it all. She will probably be digging herself out for a month.

Enjoy your day!