SUNBURN / NO WATER

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I did good yesterday. Got sunburned. Then no water when I returned to the apartment. No water till this morning.

After an interesting lunch with some Amorgos businessmen, I decided to go to a beach. The businessmen had educated me further on the economic crisis. I would not be surprised if the Greek people at some point end up in the streets as the citizens of Egypt and Turkey recently have.

Greek isles have tons of hidden coves and beaches. I decided to spend the afternoon discovering one. I opted for Saint Anna Beach.

A twenty minute drive away. Cab or bus. Cab driver wanted 20 euros to deliver me and another 20 to pick me up. A rip off. I decided on the bus. 1.6 euros each way. The bus drops you off and picks you up four hours later.

Saint Anna Beach turned out to be two coves. Just for swimming. No boat activity. The bus dropped me and the two other passengers off. Canadians. The bus driver said business is terrible this year. They are considering cutting out some bus lines.

The road to the beach was up and down. More up than down. A narrow road. Only wide enough for the bus. I wondered what would happen if some one came driving the other way.

There was an immediate and direct drop down the mountain on one side of the road. A couple of inches to the wrong side and it would have been all over. The bus driver was a jockey of sorts. A rough rider. He had the steering wheel in one hand and a cell phone in the other. I got sufficiently uncomfortable at some point with the speed of the bus and the drop down the hill that I yelled out to him…..Two hands! He replied with a smile…..No problem, I do this every day.

We finally arrived. The beach was down a dirt pathway. Rather steep. I made it without falling. The beach is close to the monastery I visited last year. The water was clear. Very clear. Pure. Colored blue and green. Shades changing constantly.

The beach is dedicated to Saint Anna. Called therefore Saint Anna Beach. A small church was nearby bearing her name. I tried to enter. The door was locked.

The water is so crystal clear that back in 1988 a major French movie was partially filmed here. Le Grand Bleu. A diving film. Much of the filming was done at Saint Anna Cove because of the clearness and unobstructed view below the surface. Many underwater scenes were filmed. The movie has become a cult classic for divers world wide. The film was in English with French subtitles.

Le Grand Bleu won several major European awards. There is a restaurant on Amorgos called Le Grand Bleu. It shows the film twice a week for free to entice business.

I went in the water. The glorious Aegean. For the first time this trip. The water was cold. Though the days are hot, there is a constant cold, not cool, breeze running over the water. Once I adjusted, the water was fine.

I noticed a lot of little fish gathering around my feet. I was told later that they actually eat the top skin off. I could not tell.

I was in the water and then flat out on the beach. Back and forth. The sun was getting to me. I looked for some shade. No trees. Ho ho! I was in trouble!

Four hours later, the bus picked us up. As soon as I got into the apartment, I stripped and looked in the mirror. I was lobster red all over, except for the area covered by my bathing suit. I assumed I was in for a painful night.

The sun had tried me out. I spread a large towel over the bed and took a nap. Did not even bother to shower.

When I woke two hours later, it was time for dinner. Had to shower first. No water. I was still covered in sand and sun tan lotion. Waited a bit and tried again. No water. Eleni, help!

Eleni was no help. The water was off on the entire island. She did not know why. She did not know when it would return.

Screw it! I put some clothes over my sun tan encrusted sand body and headed out for dinner.

It was Mythos again! The food that good.

I had a dako salad to begin. My first. Fantastic! Small diced tomatoes on top of a thick slice of bean bread covered with crumbled bits of feta cheese. A light oil accompanying the dish.

Bean bread was a fist for me. It is dark. Hard. Before being placed in the salad, it is soaked in water to soften it. Then everything loaded on top. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the salad.

My meals have been outstanding. The Greek food on Amorgos the best. Sometime however there is a need to revert. I had a desire for pasta. Mythos had spaghetti bolognese on the menu. I ordered it. Another delight!

The pasta was more like perchetelli. A bit larger than spaghetti with a hole through it. The ground beef was tasty. The presentation top shelf. An inch of parmessan cheese spread around the outside of the dish.

What a meal! Enjoyed two gins and a large bottle of water with it. Total cost, including tip, 16 euros. $21 American money.

There was a table nearby of Swedish women. Two mothers and what appeared to be three daughters. The daughters college age. What beauties! Each dark tanned. Each with long flowing blond hair.

There still was no water when I returned to the apartment. I slept on the towel. Did feel grimy. Nothing I could do about it.

The water returned about 8 this morning. The shower felt terrific!

Yesterday, my computer set up was supposedly all fixed. Turns out it was not. What worked yesterdasy afternoon, did not work last night. I brought everything back to Spyros this morning. He cannot understand. It is getting confusing. I am doing this blog on one of his computers in his internet store. He just advised the tablet and data port were talking. The laptop was not. He will continue working on it. I refuse to let the situation bother me. However, I am occasionally compelled to mutter under my breath…..F__k Verizon!

Enjoy your day!

TOILET PAPER SAGA

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Before I get into the down and dirty, let me tell you how happy I am! No, I did not get married nor did I meet a lovely new woman. My data port connection is talking to my computers! Took two years. A shame.

I blame Verizon. I go into their Key West store and all the staff really do is sell. They know from nothing. They make like they do, however. Even Verizon’s alleged telephone professional staff is wanting.

I am on a little island called Amorgos in Greece. I keep saying the island is a hundred years behind the times. It is. On this tiny out of the way place, I discovered Spyros. Spyros Tsimelas. He lives on Amorgos all year long. He operates a small five computer internet store. The only game in town. I have been arriving at 10 every morning when he opens to do my blog and take care of other matters.

We got to talking about my problem. He asked to take a look at my equipment. Said he enjoyed working things out. Twenty four hours later, it all works. He figured out the two major problems and corrected them. He made a couple of other adjustments.

I label him a great man! He succeeded in less than 24 hours where Verizon failed over 2 years!

His bill was 15 euros. I said no way. I gave him 50. He was reluctant to take it. He finally did. Things are not valued as highly on Amorgos as back in the States.

Toilet paper has recently been in the news. Venezuela has a shortage. A real problem. They use 125 million rolls a month. They are coming up 40 million short. People are without. They are having to make do in other ways. It took one woman two weeks to find one roll of toilet paper she could buy.

Toilet paper on Amorgos is a problem, also! Though not in the same way as Venezuela.

I went into the men’s room at Mythos’ restaurant yesterday. Over the toilet was a sign: DO NOT THROW TOILET PAPER IN TOILETTE. Back at Eleni’s pension where I am staying, Eleni herself told me not to flush the toilet paper down the toilet.

There is a waste basket next to a toilet. The directions everywhere are to place the used toilet paper in the basket.

I suspect the problem has to do with the overall antiquated sewage system on the island.

There are some things I cannot do. Man has only one orifice requiring the use of toilet paper. I could not, I repeat, I could not, open the waste basket and drop my used toilet paper on top of the other tainted toilet paper. Gross!

Instead, I do it the usual way. I flush it down the toilet. If a disaster occurs or I am caught, I will say I did not see the sign, I forgot, I did not know, or what have you.

We all have limitations.

My yesterday was pleasant. I am doing basically nothing every day. Floating along.

I enjoyed lunch at a cafe on the port. Drank an ouzo afterwards. The view was spectacular. Magnificent probably a better description. The mountains, the clouds below the top of some, the white houses with blue trim, a blue sky, and water equally blue. I enjoyed!

Took a walk. Not 3 miles or anything close. About one mile. That was all I felt like doing. Then it was a nap for me. A two hour one.

Flora has come in to my life. She is the cleaning lady at Eleni’s where I am staying. She saw my clean but unpressed clothes on the couch. Maria washed them one last time, but could not get the ironing in. I have been wearing shirts and shorts out of the wash. Crushed also in the suitcase from the trip from Santorini to Amorgos. Wrinkled is not an apt description. Worse.

Flora said she would be happy to iron. She needed the extra money. Go to it, I said. I told her I was going to bed for a nap. Wake me when you are finished.

I woke two hours later. She was still at it. Finally, finished. Total time 2 1/2 hours.

We had made no deal as to how much. I handed her 20 euros. $30 American money. She said too much. I said, no. Keep it. She said no, again. Finally, she relented. Her eyes were tear filled as she did. Turns out Flora is from Albania. She is a college educated woman. 41. Teaches school. Single. Owns a home. She has a mortgage. Her teaching earnings are 300 euros a month. $400 American money. She does not get paid while not working. So she came to Amorgos for summer work. Ended up as the cleaning lady at Eleni’s. She is happy to have the job.

With the tears starting to slide out of her eyes, she said you have no idea how much money this is to me. My teacher salary amounts to 10 euros a day. Twenty euros represents two days’ pay. You have given me two days’ pay for 2 1/2 hours work.

Sometimes we do not know how good we have it.

Dinner was at Sunset. Mythos. I enjoyed the finest meal I have had thus far on the trip. Started with steamed greens covered with oil. Then the very best…..Roast lamb with potatoes done in the oven. I was told I would have to wait a half hour as it was cooked fresh. Where was I going? The meal was worth waiting for! Wow!

Of course, the meat was not lamb. It was that other little animal. Goat. I did not have the heart to confront the owner with the issue. I have become knowledgeable. I can tell the difference. It is not in the taste. It is in the form. The bone structure accompanying the meat is different.

There were five people sitting nearby. Early 20s. Four young ladies and one man. They caught my attention. They were all laughing and talking in sign language. Two of the ladies were apparently deaf and dumb. The two were talking everyone’s ears off, so to speak. The two were also absolutely beautiful! Hair, make up, attire all perfect. These were today ladies on an Amorgos holiday.

Another experience evidencing we do not know how good we have it. I was enjoying a conversation with two Italian ladies sitting at the next table. We were idling the time over coffee. Mythos gave us a dish of fresh watermelon on the house. Black seeds galore.

I mentioned that we have watermelon without seeds available in the United States. They were surprised. No seeds? Italian watermelon comes only with seeds.

I told them about seedless grapes. Again, surprise. They had never heard of them.

The conversation stayed on food. They told me they now have egg whites in bottles. New to Italy. I told them we have had egg whites for years.

An interesting world we live in.

Enjoy your day!

A QUIET DAY IN ANOTHER PARADISE

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Yesterday…..

Not all days are exciting and new. The thrill of discovery not always there. Some are quiet and laid back. My yesterday was.

Did my duty for God and country. The blog! At Spyros’s internet store. Spyros runs a pleasant operation. A clean updated store. Five relatively new computers. His personality helpful. The store is located on a lovely narrow walkway. Attractive stores within my view. I work looking out the window. Immediately across is the international book store. American newspapers expensive. Generally a week old.

Lunched at Mythos. An octopus salad. Octopus, lettuce and tomatoes in a light oil sauce. I do not know how Greeks would survive without oil. If olive trees ever get sick, Greek restaurants are in trouble!

The octopus was cooked. Delicious. Tender. The texture of sponge cake.

I walked after the lunch. A downer! I learned that my 3 mile walk from the day before was really 1 1/2 miles. Still better than nothing. I will get to 3 miles on this trip. I am committed.

Actually, I got to 2 miles yesterday. In the evening after dinner I walked a half mile. It was a half mile.

I keep referring to one of my favorite restaurants without naming it. I finally learned the name last night when I had dinner there. The Mouragio Restaurant. Dimitris is the owner and cook. A few days ago, I mentioned he wears crocs, also. Black ones. Unusual since Greece is not croc country.

Stuffed vines and mousaka for dinner. The place was empty when I arrived. When I left, there was not a table to be had. Mostly local customers. The two items for dinner, bread, a large bottle of water and one ozou. They charge for bread in Greece. Cost: 13 euros. About $17 American money.

Kapatola is empty. The festival guests have left. It is like Key West after a big weekend of some celebration or other.

Turkey is represented here by several sailboats and a very large vessel. The flags tell me the country of origin.

There was an exceptionally large power boat. One hundred feet plus. A yacht. Bearing a Turkish flag.

I paid attention to the yacht. There were three 30ish fellows on board. Dressed very casually. Drinking beer.

I suspected at the time that they were too young to have such a magnificent vessel. The boat probably cost $20-$30 million. They were either captaining the boat to wherever the owner might be or were drug dealers. It takes big money to own a boat like that.

After dinner, I walked by the yacht again. A magnificent table had been set on the rear deck of the boat. White table clothe and several types of fancy glassware. The three guys were sitting down having dinner. One was puffing a cigar. The three were being waited on by what was obviously the boat’s waitress/servant. A lady dressed in a white blouse and black pants.

My vote is they were drug dealers.

I loaded six novels in my tablet before leaving Key West two weeks ago. Yesterday, I finished the sixth and last one. I love reading so it did not bother me.

I want to briefly review the books with you. I do so in the order they impressed me.

Eisenhower in War and Peace by Jean Edward Smith was by far the best. As mentioned a few days ago, the author exposed Eisenhower’s warts. If you think about it, every President has had them.

Then Paris by Edward Rutherford. Two years ago I read another Rutherford novel. It was entitled New York. Loved it!

Rutherford writes in a strange style. He takes a person and traces the lineage/descendants from the start of the community to present day. That is how he tells about the city. The personal interrelationships keep you glued to the book.

The next was Burt Bacharach’s Anyone Who Had A Heart. His autobiography. Loved it! His ups and downs. Told in some places with humor, in other sadness. No punches pulled. He was once married to Angie Dickinson. They had an autistic child. A sad story. Autism was not a known disease/problem back then. So the daughter was never effectively treated. When she could be treated, it was too late. She committed suicide.

Thomas Jefferson – The Art of Power by Jon Meahcam. I am a history freak. The facts were interesting. I learned much. However, the writing style encumbered me. The sentences were too long. Sometime 5-6lines, compounded, etc. For me, not smooth reading.

The book was obviously the work of a scholar. It reminded me of a legal brief or educational treatise. Everything documented.

Meacham is a popular media person. He was editor of some big time weekly magazine till about two years ago. Now he is most frequently seen on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

I had a hard time enjoying the book.

Next was Best Kept Secret by Jeffrey Arthur. Strange, but I cannot recall anything about it. Obviously the book made an impression on me (said with tongue in cheek).

The last novel was No Easy Day by Mark Owen. Do not bother reading it. Boring.

I selected the book because the author was one of the super duper Seals in on the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. He was on the steps in back of the Seal who actually shot Bin Laden in the head.

The Bin Laden story came at the end of the book and was quite short. Most of the book was dedicated to what it took to be a Seal and the category above which required even more from an individual. Seal training was not my interest. Bin Laden’s demise was.

The cold wind is gone. I was up at 7 this morning sitting on the terrace. Glorious. Me, the sea and a mountain. I enjoyed a cup of coffee and just sat taking it in. The only sound was the water rushing towards shore. No other. Not even a bird.

Around 8 in the morning, the locals and some visitors walked by the terrace on their way to the beach. The path is immediately to my left. The same people swim every morning. All ages. Not for long. It is their exercise time.

I have yet to put my feet into the Aegean Sea.

The salt must be heavy in the water. Everyone seems to be floating on their backs with ease.

I am into cookies. They looked good in the bakery I frequent. I enjoyed them for breakfast yesterday morning.

I found another bakery last night. I bought their cookies this morning. Good! Like you would not believe! Texture and taste outstanding! I ate the whole dozen in one sitting. I do not feel guilty. This is only the second time on this trip that I have pigged out. Actually, I am eating less than normal. I even believe I may have lost a pound or two. My pants are more difficult to keep up.

Enjoy your day!

NOT A BAD BIRTHDAY

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Yesterday a good birthday. Spent the day selfishly. Doing what I wanted. No wife, friend or foe to accommodate. Just Louis.

Some observations to begin.

This morning was the best yet in Amorgos. I sat outside on the terrace reading till I left for the internet store at noon. The sun warm. Comfortable. It was impossible to sit out early morning till today because of the cold winds.

The locals tell me the winds come three days at a time from the northwest. Then they are gone. This is my fourth day on Amorgos. The natives were correct.

Bikinis. I have never seen a woman in a bikini that I did not like. The thought recurred to me this morning as I was walking to the internet store. With such great winds, sailing boats frequent the area. There were nine docked this morning. Each with one or more women on board. All in bikinis. Whether tall, short, slender bodied, heavy or what have you, a woman in a bikini is a sight to behold. All lovely. All sexy.

I have been on this trip two weeks. I loaded six books into my tablet before I left. I figured it would take me two months to read them. I am on my sixth and last book today. I will need to reload.

I finished Jefferson this morning. Terrific! I started Burt Bacharach’s book thereafter. Bacharach is the famous composer. What a book! I am only about fifty pages into it and love it! This guy has a sense of humor! Read his book!

I spent 4.5 hours yesterday at the internet store. Two tasks confronted me. I had to do next week’s KONK Life column. I called it Reflections. Commented on some events world wide. Then the blog. It’s a good thing I enjoy all this writing!

Lunch was Mythos. The restaurant has become another favorite. On the port and water, also.

Mythos’ owner is Vangelis. His first name. He and his family run the place. Vangelis, his wife, 15 year old daughter, and 10 year old son. There is also a 14 month baby daughter who walks around. Yes, she walks. Toddles. To the entertainment of the customers. A hard working family!

Why, I do not know. I ordered a huge glass of draught beer! I hate beer! A gallon jug! Not really that big, however. Though almost quart size.

Felt a bit bloated afterwards. Decided to walk.

My health has been so so. My fault. Stopped exercising in any fashion ages ago. Have been trying to get back into shape.

I said Louis, you are 78 today. Lets see how good you can do.

I walked around the bay. Three miles. I have not walked three miles in years. Did it. And felt no anguish afterwards.

I was proud of myself.

Back to Mythos for a moment. The bread on Amorgos is great. Thick cut with a strong hard crust. Not crispy, however. I have difficulty biting and chewing the crust. So I have taken to breaking away the soft portion within the crust and leaving the crust.

Vangelis came by with the baby. He said excuse me and took a piece of crust from my table. He gave it to the baby . She chewed it easily with the few teeth she had. I thought I have $35,000 teeth and cannot do what the baby does.

I have noticed that people of all ages sit around tables at the cafes playing a game. Looked familiar. It was. They play backgammon! Call it tavli.

Backgammon was popular back in the 1970s. I can remember playing it all the time at the Jockey Club in Miami. I guess it took a while to reach Amorgos. The observation is consistent with my thought that Amorgos is from another time.

Ran into my British widow friend Alice. If you are doing nothing, join me, she said. She had rented a car and wanted to show me the goats.

We drove up a mountain. There were clouds. First, we were below the clouds. Then in the clouds. Then on top of the clouds. Just like in an airplane. The only other time I had this experience was last year in Courmier. My chalet was half way up Mont Blanc. I woke one morning to a cloud bed below me.

We came upon the goats. She was correct. Had to be at least 200 of them. All beautiful, short, brown and black, and short in stature.

I was back to the Mythos Restaurant at 7. I had reserved a table. The stage for the music festival was right in front of the restaurant.

A great show. Young people from adjoining islands singing, dancing and playing music. Violins were the primary instrument. Some guitars. A small drum or two.

Dancing was in native costumes.

The Greek Orthodox priest I had seen earlier in the day was on stage playing with the teenagers.

Music loud. Very loud. Big time amplification.

The show most enjoyable! A pleasant way to spend the evening. Eating, drinking and being entertained in that fashion.

Spyros Tsimelas owns the internet store I am working out of. He was there last night. He had an important role. Spyros is the computer/internet guru on the island. The entire festival was being ustreamed on the internet. His responsibility.

I ordered stuffed calamari for dinner. Not what grandmother made. Hers were small and thin stuffed with bread crumbs, eggs and what have you. This was one calamari. Huge. Four by three inches. Thick walled. Stuffed with feta cheese, tomatoes and peppers. Delicious! I could not finish it. I left half the meal on the plate.

Vangelis came over and asked if I did not like the food. I learned later that in Europe people clean their plates. Not to do so is considered an insult to the cook.

To my Italian readers, although the walls of the calamari were 1/4 inch thick, the meat was tender. As tender as if it were as thin as the calamari prepared in the United States.

Time for lunch. Then, I do not know.

Enjoy your day!

FIRA

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Cash money can be a problem in Oia. The town I am staying in on Santorini. No one takes credit cards, with one exception. Car rentals. Restaurants, bars, hotels, stores, etc., do not. I am not sure it is the same in the other towns on Santorini. I assume it is.

I initially thought cash only so the merchants did not have to pay the 1 or 2 per cent to the credit card companies. Not the case. The purpose/reason is to beat taxes. Tax avoidance is a major sport in Greece. This is one of the reasons why Greece is broke. The government does not take in enough money to operate.

Arrests for tax fraud are rare. If so, the court process takes 10 years to complete. No one worries.

Obviously, you must carry many euros around with you.

Yesterday, I was down to 20 euros. Not much I could do with so little. I went to the ATM. It was broke. I went to the other ATM. It was broke. There are only two ATM machines in Oia.

I was sort of desperate for cash. The nearest ATM outside Oia is in Fira. Fira is the capital of Santorini. About 15 miles away. I took a bus.

The bus ride was pleasant. Took all of 20 minutes. A crazy curvy drive on a very narrow road. Many Americans on the bus.

The ATM in Fira was working. A relief!

I walked around Fira a bit.

The town was very crowded. Many tourists.

Cruise ships feed Fira with tourists just as in Key West. Four of varying sizes were sitting in the Aegean some distance off shore. As I stated yesterday, there is no dockage. The water is not deep enough for the cruise liners to come into shore. All use small shuttle boats to take the cruise ship customers back and forth.

This bugs the hell out of me. If Fira can get the cruise ships to come in and deposit their passengers in this fashion, why can’t Key West? This is a current problem in Key West. There is a push on for millions to be spent to deepen and widen the channel so the big boats can dock and drop their passengers off.

Fira sits high on a cliff. Just as Oia. A steep cliff. The passengers have to get to the top. They have options. They can walk up. A path exists. Generally stone. Over 500 steps. There is a cable car to take them up and down. Finally, donkeys and mules.

No one seems to mind.

Fira is different from Oia. I would describe Oia as more update. Fira a hundred years behind.

Whereas Oia’s walk is marble, Fira’s consists of lava, stones and pebbles hardened together. The walkways reminded me of a Chora. Chora is an old Greek section. Though Fira’s was improved.

Fira’s walk ways are 4-8 feet wide.

Enjoyed a sandwich and cold drink and returned by bus to Oia.

I have not spent much time laying by the water. I did yesterday. By the pool sitting halfway up a 2,000 foot cliff. The view of the bay before me.

When I returned to my room, I decided to sit on the terrace. My terrace on Back Street. I read the Eisenhower book for a while. Eisenhower was a crafty individual. He had warts. The book describes both the good and bad of the man.

Last night, I returned to Taverna Katina. No screwing around. I wanted to be sure of a good meal. That is exactly what I had. Basically, the same meal as two nights ago. Except this time I added egg plant salad as an appetizer. My entre was some fire red fish broiled. Tasted terrific, though a bit boney. Dessert again was baklava.

It finally happened! I saw a man with a beard!

He was sitting at the table next to me. We smiled at each other at the same time. We talked. He was from Australia. No beards here, he said. He also said he was beginning to feel strange having one. I laughed and agreed.

Earlier this morning, I was sitting on my terrace on Back Street enjoying a cup of coffee. An elderly woman was on the porch across the way. The porch on the flower/shrubbery covered house. White haired, pudgy, a black dress. She was sweeping the porch. She looked up and smiled at me. I said “ya sou.” Not spelled correctly. However, I have learned to pronounce it properly. It means hello, good day. She responded with the same Greek hello.

Ya sou is the only Greek word I have learned thus far.

After sweeping, she brought her coffee out and sat outside sipping and smiling at me.

She reminded me of my grandmother. My grandmother would rise, sweep the floor and then sit down for a cup of coffee. The same routine every day for many years.

My apartment is on the second floor. I have a next door neighbor. A young lady. In her early 30s. Other than a hello a couple of days ago, we have not seen each other. Our terraces are joined.

She came out in her night gown. I said hello. She said hello in English. Then tied her undies to a chair to dry. She had apparently just washed them. She then walked downstairs to the common area where there is a clothesline. She returned with black pants and a blouse. I have to iron these for work, she said.

Everything is easy in my Back Street complex. Everyone interacts like a family. The fact she was only in her night gown bothered her not at all.

I speak with the locals as much as possible about the economy. It is the same with everyone. Germany is no good! Merkel a rotten woman! We never should have gotten into the euro! We have been down and out before! We shall survive!

They will.

Enjoy your day!

A NOTHING DAY

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Yesterday moved fast. The day seemed short. Before I knew it, bed time had arrived.

The reasons are obvious.

I slept later than normal. A sign I am enjoying the trip.

It took me four hours to do yesterday’s blog. It was a two-dayer. I must have been verbose. It ran 2500 words. My blogs are normally 300 to 800 words.

When I finished the blog, it was mid afternoon. I was hungry. Returned to Mezza’s. It has become a favorite place.

One of my favorite Key West meals is Cuban cheese toast with tomato. The absolute best! The butter helps.

Mezza’s menu listed a cheese tomato toast sandwich. Why not? It was not the same. Good. Nowhere as good as the Key West version, however. The sandwich consisted of two slices of white thin bread toasted crispy with cheese and tomato. Hot. Cheese was melted. Bread slices unusually large.

I was still hungry. I think it was actually that my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Milk shakes on the menu! I enjoyed a chocolate milk shake. Terrific!

From where I was sitting in Mezza’s, I had a clear wide view of the bay. So lovely! I wish everyone could see it. While sitting there, I observed another Key West familiarity. Weddings. Saw three brides and grooms taking pictures. One reason Nikos had no room at his cave hotel for me is that a wedding party has taken most of his rooms for the week.

I spent the next few hours sitting on my little balcony overlooking Back Street. The breeze coming off the ocean at me from three directions. I read. The latest Eisenhower book. One thing I have learned is that generals live like kings. Great residences and service. Especially when in a war zone.

Got tired. Took a two hour nap.

I was finally out at nine. Where to have dinner the issue. I saw a new restaurant on a side street. A second floor job. Subdued lighting. I walked over. It was a Cypriot restaurant. I had never experienced Cypriot food. So up I went.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy my meal. Too rich. It stayed with me into the middle of the night.

No screwing around tonight. It is tried and true for me. Back to Taverna Katina!

Some observations.

Santorini has fishing boats similar to Amorgos. Basically converted row boats. They add a motor on the back. One man per boat. He will spend every day of his life earning a living this way. I took a pic or two of the boats. They were shown on Facebook yesterday.

I have come to the conclusion I have the only beard in Oia. Oia is the town in Santorini I am at. Not one beard have I seen other than mine in the mirror. Whether tourist or local. All clean shaven.

Age. I am constantly being made aware of mine. I think I am the only “old man” on the island. I have not seen one person that I would place in his or her late 70s.

I was only in Athens two nights last week. I would like more of Athens. I am trying to rearrange my schedule to be back there again for 2-3 additional days near the end of the trip.

My next stop is Amorgos. I will be there thursday. For three weeks. Love Amorgos! That is why I booked myself in there for such a long stay.

Enjoy your day!

SANTORINI

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I missed doing the blog yesterday. Sorry. I slept 12 straight hours. Woke 11 yesterday morning. Still had next week’s KONK Life column to do. Two days late. Guy de Boer bugging me. Took 3.5 hours to do. It was late afternoon by the time I finished. I was finished. I wanted to enjoy Santorini a bit.

Today’s blog therefore is a doubleheader. Stay with me. Some exciting things have occurred, including my pants falling down in front of two women.

Flew Athens to Santorini on Olympic Airlines. As with Aegean Airlines, the stewardesses were young ladies. Mid 20s at best. All beautiful. The flight was only a half hour. The plane was full. A pleasant ride. Especially over some of the other Greek Islands. The same experience you get when flying into Key West.

Nikos and his wife Maria own the cave hotel I stayed at last year. Nikos a gentleman. He met me at the airport.

Our destination was Oia. The other side of the island. A harrowing drive. Heart in your throat type. Very narrow two lane roads. Curves you would not believe. Every 100 feet. Many the hairpin type. The road goes up and down in huge dips. Everyone speeds.

When I e mailed Nikos to make a reservation, he sadly told me there was no room at the inn. He was booked solid. He further advised every other cave hotel was the same. I was disappointed. Also needed a placed to stay.

Nikos owns a building on the other side of the road. Nothing fancy. Typical rural Greek. He and his wife have an apartment there. He generally rents to locals. He had one empty, if I was interested.

I took it.

Love it! I call it Back Street. I am on the back side of the building away from the main road. There is a small narrow road on my side for parking. Second floor. What a view!

Beat up old buildings. One with wash hanging from the second floor every day. The other hiding its age behind large shrubs of flowers. Another side, an inner court area.

The room is huge. Four times the size of a normal hotel room. Made for a family. Small kitchen area. Very small bathroom. Most Greek bathrooms are. Taking a shower is an experience. Forget taking a bath. And the balcony. So peaceful to sit and work on, to read, and to contemplate my navel. No air conditioning. Do not need it, except at mid afternoon. Wind blows through a huge window and two doors I leave open. Even when I am sleeping. Hope springs eternal that some female will visit me in the middle of the night.

My neighbors are true Greeks. From another century. Old and young. Pleasant. Cheerful. Always saying hello in Greek.

Maria greeted me when I arrived. A two cheek kiss and hug. Maria to me is Mama mia. Not from the movie. She reminds me of my mother and grandmother.

Maria immediately wanted my dirty clothes. I had not had anything cleaned in almost a week. I said no. She insisted. I gave in. She did my clothes last year. Washes and irons everything. Will accept no money for her assistance.

The little dining table in the room held a basket of fresh fruit and a bottle of wine. Nikos and Maria also own a winery. Soon there was a knock on the door. Maria. She had a large bowl of fresh small tomatoes and another of apricots. A short while later she showed up with a tray of Greek coffee and baked goods.

Good people! The best!

Let me interject at this point a bit about Santorini. I sometimes think the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The view of the bay is magnificent. Surrounded by high multi colored cliffs rising straight up thousands of feet.

Santorini’s history is interesting. It once was one big island. In 1500 BC, some 3,600 years ago, one of the world’s largest volcano eruptions occurred. A good part of the island broke away. Now there are several smaller islands and the smaller main one. One of the islands is the volcano. The volcanic eruption explains the huge cliffs. Where the island separated. The tops of the cliffs are rust in color. Then at mid point become black and appear like huge chucks of coal.

I took some of Maria’s goodies and sat on my small terrace eating them, admiring the limited view, and thinking how lucky I was. I read a bit. I am on my third book in a week. All on the tablet.

Suddenly I was exhausted. Could not keep my eyes open, my head up. Jet lag was still with me. I went to bed and slept a couple of hours.

Dinner time. Needed a drink first. Found a new cafe. Mezza. I like it! They have gin, chocolate milk shakes, and tomato and cheese toast. Enjoyed a couple of drinks while taking in the view of the bay.

Alcohol is an experience here. Most restaurants have gin. Few quality brands. Gordon’s seems to be the gin of choice. It is like water. Does not have the kick of a stronger gin. Three Gordon’s is equal to one Beefeaters. Ozou is the popular drink. An anisette. I had a glass somewhere and put it in my coffee. Everyone went crazy. That is not how ouzo is to be drunk. You drink in straight or mixed with water. Since it is anisette to me, I drink it in the Italian tradition. In my coffee.

My first night’s dinner was not to my liking. My favorite off the beaten track restaurant was no longer there. Apparently out of business. I tried a new one on the main drag. The entre left much to be desired. The appetizer on the other hand was out of this world. Four large artichoke hearts covered with peas and potatoes, all prepared in olive oil. Delicious! Understand that everything in Greece is prepared with olive oil. There are olive trees everywhere.

I stopped at Mezza. There were what appeared to be three college age young ladies at the table next to me. Two men also. One a father to one of the girls. The conversation got a bit loud. All of a sudden I heard…..I’m gay!…..I’m gay!…..I’m gay! All three at one time. Whether they were for real or experimenting or trying to convince the men, I do not know. The whole thing reminded me of the Kevin Kline movie where Kline was a gay high school teacher. Someone outed him. The principal had a public meeting to dismiss Kline from the faculty. Town people as well as students attended. All of a sudden, the audience one at a time or in small groups stood up and said…..I’m gay.

The nights are cold. Both evenings, I needed to wear a sweatshirt. Warm by day. No humidity.

Nikos and I had a conversation on the way in from the airport. Business has picked up. Much better than last year. The influx consists of Americans, Indonesians, Australians, and Japanese. A ton of Australians. From what I could gather, Australia’s economy has been good the past three years.

I have spoken with several Greeks since I arrived in Greece itself. About the economy. In my two days in Athens, I was disappointed there was not a demonstration I could attend. There were two last year.

Things are no better. In fact worse. The attitude is…..What can we do? We are Greeks and have survived before. We will survive again. We must keep working at things.

The people hate politicians. All government people are crooks. They also hate Germans. No question. Very few Germans visiting this year. Probably because they anticipate a cool reception.

The euro/German thing brings out old memories. Of the German occupation in World WAr II. I heard it more often this year as opposed to last. I was told by all that the euro was a disaster and Greece should not have entered into it.

I hear war. It is not around the corner. However, I was talking to a people who think they are being put upon. Unemployment as a practical matter is over 50 per cent. College grads cannot get jobs. Fathers cannot feed their families. All real. The Greeks are being pushed. I assume Italy, Spain, Cyprus and Portugal are also. I said after last year’s visit that if another World War began, it would not be in the Middle East. It would be in Europe because of euro caused problems. I said it a year ago. Greeks are saying it today.

Santorini is much like Key West. A tourist town. They must make it in season. It gets cold here quickly. The season is 3-4 months.

Which brings me to yesterday, Sunday.

Slept well. As indicated before, did not wake till 11. Blog never got done. I spent quite a while on next week’s KONK Life column. The article deals with the makings of a radical. A Boston marathon bomber type. I tied it in with the story of a 14 year old boy who wore an NRA t-shirt to school, was told he could not wear it, and ended getting arrested. The case was resolved last week. The charges were dismissed. My concern is what the impact might be on this eighth grader in later years.

I made time for a manicure. My nails were starting to look like Fu Man Chu’s. Hair and Soul the place. Catherine the owner and manicurist. Originally from Australia, she married and has lived on Santorini for 10 years. She greeted me with a warm back again hello. We had a great conversation.

I then went down to the cave pool and spent a half hour looking out over the water under the shade of an umbrella. The volcano was directly in front of me. My nemis.

As I was sitting there a cruise ship came in. A big one. They stream across the bay to Fira which is another Santorini town. There is no dock or channel for the passengers. The cruise ships shuttle passengers to shore in small boats.

If Santorini can do it and get the big cruise ships to visit, why can’t Key West?

It could be the quality of the product Key West sells. There are no t-shirt shops on Santorini. No one hustles you to come into their store. The boat people are different from what Key West gets. They are a higher class economically. Key West gets a polyester crowd. Perhaps if Key West changed a bit what it has to offer, we could get these type passengers. The stipend per passenger paid to Key West would increase appropriately, also.

Last night was Taverna Katina! My favorite Santorini restaurant!

It sits at the bottom of one of the high cliffs. Immediately/directly on the water. The sun was setting as I arrived.

It always amazed me how a bartender remembers a customer who has not visited his bar in several years. He remembers the drink. I ate at Taverna Katina 3-4 times last year. The food that good! The waiter remembered me. You drink gin, he said. You can’t get enough, he added. The owner’s daughter even remembered me. Not by name, but knew I had been there before. Good for a hug and kiss welcome.

The sun on the cliffs is difficult to describe. The rust and black reflecting. Wow!

My reserved table was on the water on a concrete abutment. Another inch or two and me and the table would have been wet.

The meal to die for. Let me bore you.

I started with three appetizers. All small. Greens and oil. Oh! Fish eggs and oil. Wow! Eggplant fried in oil. Oh and wow!

Fish is sold by the pound. Only fish is sold. The menu has the euro amount per kilo. You select from the menu the type. I wanted sea bass. I was then taken into the kitchen to select my fish. I picked one out. It was weighed. I was told its exact cost.

The sea bass was served flayed. It was grilled only to a point. Then somehow cooked in light oil. Oil again. Delicious! I have never eaten fish so good. Not even in Key West. Coffee and baklava completed the meal. The coffee and dessert on the house.

Nikos drove me to Taverna Katina and returned to pick me up. Ten miles each way. The man again a gentleman. He would not let me take a taxi. After dinner, I was waiting outside the restaurant in a corner for the car to come down. The cliff behind me, the water 30 feet away. Two women were waiting for a cab. One British, the other Indian. We were chatting. I was cold. I started to put my sweat shirt on. As I lifted my arms, my pants fell down. Just like they did in Mykonos last year. It must be a Greek thing.

The ladies did not know what to say or do. I tried to lighten the moment. It always happens, I said. I’m really an exhibitionist at heart, I added. As soon as I said it, I thought how stupid. Turned out it was not. They both laughed. One exclaimed disappointment in that she could not see anything. The other asked why I did not wear a belt. I do, I told her. My problem is I have no ass to hold them up. Fortunately, at that point Nikos showed up. I got into the car hearing laughter and keep your pants up!

I did not go to bed. I was awake. Returned to Mezza. Enjoyed a Grand Marnier while watching Santorini visitors saunter by.

I continue to have computer data port problems. Verizon sucks! Two years in a row and they still do not have it right. Anyhow, the problem makes it impossible for me to do my blog radio show from outside the United States. I am off the air till after August 10. My television/internet show is running recordings of former broadcasts. You may wish to tune in friday mornings at 10. The blog and KONK Life column continue.

This is the longest blog I have ever written. If you are still with me, I hope you have found it interesting. I enjoy sharing my experiences with you.

Enjoy your day!

ROMAN ENCAMPMENT

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Novara did not always exist.

Way back in Antiquity well before the birth of Christ, Rome was interested in developing a commercial trade center in northern Italy. The present site of Novara was selected. Nothing but raw wild land at the time.

Romans legions were sent forth.

Roman custom was to erect a stone wall around where ever they were encamped or in the process of doing something. The wall was for protective purposes. To prevent an enemy from getting into the Roman camp.
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Such a wall was erected in what is now the Novara area. Today, it is the historical center of Novara. The area within which I am staying and take my walks.

The walls were thick. The outer one 3-4 feet. Of varying heights. Sometimes there was a second wall. Thinner. The walls were constructed of stone and brick, held together with some sort of concrete.

Rooms were also constructed underground beneath the walls. Passageways lead one to another.

Portions of the wall remain to this day. A thousand feet from where I am staying there are the ruins and remnants of one of the walls.

The Roman encampment was in a new area. The Roman new was nov and the name Novara was born. The ara at the end stands for area. New area became Novara.

Walked big time yesterday morning. About an hour. All about the historical center of town. The boxing ring still standing. May be a permanent thing. There were several young men and trainers in the ring. Definitely amateurs. I watched a while. They were being taught well.

What I thought might be a yoga workout platform in another spot turned out to be just that. Young children were participating in a yoga class as I walked by. There was also a small sign in Italian. I recognized the word yoga. It is the same in Italian and English.

The computer wi-fi saga continues. My disappointment with Verizon continues also.

I discovered yesterday morning that I had left the battery to the computer at the communications store. Back I went. My man from the day before was not there. Another stood in his place.

We initially had trouble communicating. Neither could speak the other’s language. Suddenly his eyes brightened, he threw his arms up and said in a loud voice…..Americano! The battery had been placed in an office for safekeeping. He returned it to me.

An English speaking employee came over to assist. My new man was able to show me how to place wi-fi in my computer and tablet. He could not do it himself for business reasons.

I returned to the apartment and followed the instructions. The tablet took and worked fine. My computer would not. I do not understand why. If one works, the other should also.

There is a neighborhood computer store nearby. Took the computer there. Some one thing is miss set in my computer. He did not want to screw with it. Nor did I did not want him to. Too many special programs loaded into it which I feared might be lost.

Here is what we are down to. The tablet will work fine for the blog and e mails. It will not work for the blog talk radio show. I need the laptop for sufficient power to broadcast.

This friend’s computer I am working on is strange as to its Skype st up. I could not get into to do the blog radio show last night. Ergo, no show. Hopefully next week.

I was disappointed I could not do the show. Just chatting with some Italian people has been an eye opener. I have interesting things to share.

Dinner last night was at what I would describe as a small neighborhood Italian restaurant. The place was unusually clean. Bright white tablecloths and napkins. I ended up drinking Italian beer. I am not a beer drinker. They had no gin. The beer was excellent. No after taste.

I started with antipasto. All meat. No vegetables or cheese. Salami, pepperoni (which they call sausage), prosciutto, and bacon. The bacon was very thinly sliced. I do not believe cooked at all. Covered with a bit of oil.

To die for! Delicious!

A good thing I did not order pasta for a main course. Could never have handled it. I had some light local fish sliced very thin. Apparently quick broiled in lemon juice and served. Outstanding!

I learn. Tipping is built into the bill. You do not have to tip in most European nations. In Italy, the tip is labeled on the bill as coperto. Being American, I like to add a few extra euros. I feel like I am cheating the waiter by not leaving something in addition on the plate.The bill came. Forty euros. I automatically pulled out a ten euro bill. A generous American tip!

My friends were immediately upon me! Turned out 10 of the 40 euros on the bill was for coperto. The house had already added on a 33.3 per cent tip. Outrageous! I became Italian. I left nothing!

This morning I take the train to Milan. A one half hour ride. I look forward to the train ride. Folklore has it Mussolini made the trains run on time. I am anxious to see if it is true.

I am even more excited for the reason I am going to Milan. To see Da Vinci’s Last Supper! What could be more thrilling!

Enjoy your day!

LAKE ORTA

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Each day is an adventure.

Yesterday’s adventure was a trip to Lake Orta.

The lake lies a one hour drive north of Novara. Go a bit further and you end up in Switzerland. An hour and a half away is France.

The trip to Orta was uphill. It took me into the Little Alps. So called because the mountains are smaller than the Alps themselves. No snow capped peaks.

The mountains, roads, trees and views reminded me of upstate New York’s Adirondacks. The same. With one major difference. The buildings. All huge and made of stone and granite. None wood. No wooden camps. Medieval Italy again. The buildings were all constructed in the 1,000 AD to !,500 AD era.

I finally ran into the Italy I experienced last year. Everything that goes down has to come up. The Orta village sits on the water at the base of a hill. Parking is near the bottom, though not quite. The last 1,000 feet is up to you.

The down trip went well. It always does. Up was another story. Shades of last year. I had to stop and rest a few times. However, I must admit I seem in better physical shape. The steps were long and twisting. Elevating at a 45 degree angle. The whole walkway only four feet wide. The buildings hovered next to and on top of each other. Built at a time when there was no vehicular traffic. Also at a time when narrow passageways were a safety factor in case of attack. The enemy would have to come drown the narrow walkways while the residents were pouring boiling oil down on them from the windows above.

I sat a couple of hours in the square. Piazza, actually. In italian, piazzetta. I am learning.

There was a tiny island about 300 feet off shore in Lake Orta. St. Giulio Island. A beauty. Completely covered with granite/stone structures 1-5 stories high. A church steeple visible off to the side.

I sat in the piazza and mellowed out on the view and a couple of drinks. Peaceful, restful.

I had dinner in a little hole in the wall restaurant located off one of the walkways. An outstanding meal! Rigatonis cooked in a light oil and mixed with small finely chopped vegetables and goat cheese.

My day started badly. Verizon sucks!

I spent hours and money getting set up for this trip. I cannot use my computer, tablet or data port. The problem is the data port. I cannot even put someone else’s wi-fi into my computer. It will not take. Verizon supposedly had everything worked out. They obviously do not know what they are doing, their store people do not know, the people they put me in touch with did not know. I am screwed. I wanted to do a number of things from Europe. Including my blog talk radio show.

I went to a computer store yesterday. Big! Like a huge super market. It was for communication items. The store made available computer geeks to help. Free of charge. Three spent over an hour with me. They finally concluded that Verizon did not know what they were doing. But they did not know, either. I had to go we elsewhere.

I did not come to Europe to get frustrated and run around trying to get my equipment to work. I am using a friend’s computer that accommodates my needs, except for tablet internet reception and being able to do my blog talk radio show.

I have not given up yet on the blog radio show. It is scheduled as usual for 9 tonight. That will be 4 am Novara time. I have a geek friend of a friend coming over later in the day to see if he can help. If so, the show will go on. If nothing, I failed in getting the problem corrected. Sorry.

Some observations.

The Italian people are very nice. Quiet. Congenial. Not boisterous. Do not raise their voices. Passive is the best term to describe them. Contrasted with Italo-Americans. Of which, I am one. We are boisterous, aggressive, know it all and in your face. I have concluded that those Italians who immigrated to the United States a hundred years ago were similarly passive, etc. as the ones today. However, being strangers in a new country they developed aggressive and loud qualities in order to survive and succeed. The new nature never left us.

Proving the point that Italians are passive, they have to be the most conquered and occupied country in the history of man. Italy’s history is replete with successful invaders. Starting with the Romans of antiquity to Attila the Hun to the World War II Germans.

The passivity was perhaps ingrained before the Roman invasion or has developed over the centuries from being an occupied country so many times.

I have not seen one beard in the three days I have been in Italy. Beard’s apparently are a local thing. Key West has them. Novara does not. I must look luck a nut when I am out walking wearing a baseball cap and exhibiting my beard. As stated yesterday, I have not seen one baseball cap either

My friend Silvio Berlusconi is in trouble again. Yesterday he was sentenced to seven years in jail for having sex with a 17 year old girl and abusing his power in trying to help her in a separate matter. He was sentenced two years ago to four years in jail for tax evasion. He is not considered convicted under Italian law until his appeals are exhausted. The process takes several years. His popularity continues. He is considered to have an excellent chance to be elected Prime Minister again.

I have a habit of saying…..Only in America! Sometimes…..Only in Key West! Now…..Only in Italy!

I discussed Napoleon yesterday and his impact on this area of Italy. Since then I have discovered that Napoleon was not French. He was born Italian. Born in Corsica of a noble family. The story is he ended up in France because he believed in freedom and equality and wanted to help the French fight for those things.

Immigration is a major issue in Italy as in the United States. In England, also. I had the good fortune to talk with a Brit last night.

The story is the same. The immigrants arrive, stay illegally and become social welfare burdens. The Italians and English have forms of socialized medicine. Because so many immigrants are eligible, care for all is delayed. Between three weeks and three months. Then there is the increased taxation to take care of the immigrant population.

A world problem.

My blog talk radio show tonight at 9. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Will I be there? The question of the moment. Tune in and see. That is the best I can do. If I am on, it should be a terrific show based on my travels and what is happening world wide.

Enjoy your day!

LOVELY EIMY PREGNANT

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Eimy is a most beautiful woman!

I last saw her two years ago. Sleek. A lovely figure. A radiant smile.

I saw Eimy again last night. Still so beautiful. Radiant. Beaming is actually a better description. Rounded in the middle. Eimy is pregnant!

Congratulations Eimy! Mike, too!

Her family way has not detracted from her natural beauty. Only enhanced it.

Mike and Eimy live in Las Vegas. Mike is a mortgage broker. Mine, actually. Eimy, a CPA. Not working at the present, however. She is a stay at home while awaiting the birth.

They love Key West. Have visited here before. They will return.

We met at Louie’s Backyard last night for hellos. With them was Pete from New York. Pete is an old friend, also. Pete works on Wall Street. He was here with his girl friend Julie.

Pete is a charming guy. Has a unique sense of humor.

Also with them were Tim and Jenny. Engaged. Live up the road in Hollywood.

Jenny is crazy about Key West. Loves its laid back atmosphere. She wants to be married here. We briefly chatted about her options. She is tuned into L’Attitudes. They will have to work overtime to pay for the reception.

Great people! I could not join them for dinner. I had already enjoyed dinner a couple of hours earlier with the family.

We celebrated Fathers’ Day last night at Benihana. Robert was excited. His first time. Ally was haughty. She was a pro. She had been there two times previously.

Needless to say, the eyes of both were glued to the with cook and cooking process.

Robert surprised me. He was wearing a tie. He proudly told me he made the knot himself. It was not a snap on. Cameron taught him how to do it the day before. The knot was perfect. The ends of the tie met. I played dumb. Robert promised to teach me. He told me…..Don’t worry Poppa, it’s easy.

I have to start packing today. I fly to Milan Thursday. I cannot wait. I am looking forward to the trip.

Show time tonight! My blog talk radio show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Nine my time.

A quick half hour. I share my thoughts on current topics and issues.

Three situations I definitely will touch upon are our involvement in Syria, the new Catholic Church program requiring Catholics to act as Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses in going door to door, and a Boston Children’s’ Hospital program offering free hand transplants to children who have no hands.

Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Enjoy your day!