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11 Sep 08 - 07:37 AM (#2437194) Subject: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Roger the Skiffler A correspondent writes: Greek phrase books never have what you need. A few years ago a friend found herself at the reception desk of an Athens hotel needing to say: "my husband with all our luggage is stuck in your revolving door". I was reminded of this by a recent incident. A group of English visitors are returning to their village in a hire car when they espy the travelling vegetable van near an isolated house. Needing fresh fruit and thinking that by the time he got to their village the best would have gone, they stopped and two made their purchases. At one stage, neither wanting a large bunch of bananas they played "wishbones" with the bunch to divide it between them. The van moved away while the party admired the view. As the van disappeared round the next bend, the car driver realised he did not have the car key. The car, bags and purchases were searched. No key. During the horseplay (monkey play?) with the bananas the key must have dropped among the fruit. Knowing the van would stop in the village they were heading for, it was decided to phone the taverna, less embarrassing than phoning Hervis.** No signal. "Gentle stroll" to a higher point on the winding road, scanning the ground in case the key had dropped. Got a signal. Bad news- stored phone number: "number not recognised". Good news- another member of the party had a business card from said taverna with different number. Phone answered by English speaker. Problem explained. "Has veggie man arrived?" "Yes just heard his horn." Key retrieved, youth dispatched on motor bike, could hardly ride for laughing! Reputation of said group of tourists as crazy established once and for all. Just about to drive off (motor cyclist has now gone), when old lady carrying shopping seen in rear view mirror, surely this is granny of same youth. Car is full but should they offer a lift? Second look. Surely she wouldn't be on foot this far from village, and doesn't she wear black, not grey? Must be another granny from another, nearer village. What is the penalty for kidnapping grannies and depositing them in the wrong village? Better not risk it. Checked phrase book in case similar episodes recur. Sadly, nowhere does it say: "Can you ask the travelling veggie-man to check his bananas for the key to a Hervis hire car." Nor "I am sorry, Officer, we have forced the wrong granny into our car and driven her to the wrong village, taking her attempts to refuse for natural diffidence." Recent improvements include a new road that no-one seems to use yet so ideal respite from those local drivers. New Greek road traffic regulations make it mandatory for all drivers to be on a hand-held mobile phone at all times, even though this only leaves one hand free for gesturing out of the window. If you are hit by a vehicle coming the wrong way down a one way street, it is the tourist who is in the wrong. Mains water is being laid to remote villages, the roadside trees, so lovingly planted a couple of years ago and nurtured since, have in some places been covered in cement from the recent excavations. A hand-written Greek notice on one tree deplores the vandalism. I couldn't translate it all but local sources tell me it said that the people who buried the tree must have been malakas since the cradle and the event would be taken up on television (must have been a slow news week). Other improvements include a doubling of the bus service from twice a day to four times. The fact that a certain regular lady tourist gave the Mayor an ear-bashing on the subject a couple of years ago may be coincidence. The forthcoming election may be nearer the point. The many and various uses of Duct tape have been recorded on this website. I noticed in the modern and sumptuous Monastery Church of Agias Savvas (no relation) the icon cabinet near the entrance wher devotees light their candles, richly carved, painted and adorned with gold leaf, has its base, curling up in the heat, held down with untidily torn uneven strips of silver duct tape. [*According to a book by Yiannis Desyporis there are 777 Wonderful Greek Islands, none of them called Dendros. If there is one called Dendros then I apologise to the mayor, Nomarch, car hire companies, travelling veggie men, grannies, taverna owners and all of a sensitive disposition] **(no such car hire company). RtS |
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11 Sep 08 - 08:04 AM (#2437213) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Micca Welcome back Roger, you are a welcome sight on a cold wet thursday here in London!! many thanks for your rays of Greek sun ( May I pont out that THERE IS NO Place called Greece, and any resemblance to any country ,living or dead, is pure co-incidence)) |
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11 Sep 08 - 10:44 AM (#2437360) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: katlaughing LOL...thanks, RtS!! |
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11 Sep 08 - 02:54 PM (#2437581) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Roger the Skiffler ....I should add that Dendros was invented some years ago by crime novelist Joan Aiken in her book Butterfly Picnic and it stuck in my memory. As there is an island called Thassos (forest) there should be one called Dendros (tree). RtS |
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11 Sep 08 - 05:24 PM (#2437730) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Micca like the one called Paxos after the stuffing? |
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11 Sep 08 - 06:18 PM (#2437784) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Morticia *Blissful little sigh of contentment.* Thanks Rog, I was panicking without my Greek fix.Dolmades more addictive than Ectasy? Yes,I really think so. |
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12 Sep 08 - 06:19 AM (#2438179) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Roger the Skiffler Every Greek island seems to have a supply of eminently photogenic little blue fishing boats. One I have photographed over the years has now been repainted a uniform grey; even the white stripes on the Greek flag have gone grey. There was some speculation that it was a stealth fishing boat for clandestine activities in the waters of the country to the east that we don't mention except at Christmas. It may have been to disguise it from the searchlights of the Port Police. The boat-building ex-pat referred to earlier had been presented with a list of compulsory safety equipment to be carried on board at all times. Failure to do so would result in confiscation of the vessel with no right of appeal. This seemed eminently sensible (except for the warning triangle) but, strangely, local craft rarely seem to contain any lifejackets or flares and sport thole pins made from any bit of tree branch roughly the right diameter and oars cobbled together from any old piece of wood. They are, however, usually well equipped with bits of old blanket and an array of plastic containers. I heard a couple of pieces of folklore that were new to me. Apparently a butterfly in the house is good luck . (So that's why we got home on one of the last XL Airways flights before they went bust) If you sneeze, someone is talking about you and if you ask someone else to give you three numbers the letter of the (Greek) alphabet these represent when added together is their first initial. I am always surprised that even the devoutly Orthodox also still believe quite strongly in the power of curses and the Evil Eye. A local theory for the decline in the bee population is not the Veroa Mite or Hive Colony Collapse but "ecologists" introducing additional wasps/hornets which kill the bees. There were certainly more about this year but a tip was to burn coffee beans or grounds to drive them away. I wish I'd known that before a hornet stung me on the ..er.. upper thigh affording me a few seconds pain and a few days itching before the antihistamines kicked in. It was a quiet holiday musically, for various reasons, not least the presence of alternative and more professional entertainment, but one evening the crew of a German yacht brought their accordion ashore and with two borrowed guitars entertained all to a series of yodelling and drinking songs. At one pint one of the guitarists switched to spoons and kazoo thus proving that I've not the only person to adopt that particular cacophonous combination. The Aegean Pilot suggests that yachts who moor to buoys provided free by, and bearing the names of, local establishments should, out of politeness, offer these businesses their custom. Locals take this as an absolute and failure to eat ashore or eating at a rival establishment can cause simmering resentment, particularly after a long and difficult season with the strong Euro deterring visitors from outside the Eurozone and cost of living rises inhibiting expenditure by all visitors. |
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12 Sep 08 - 09:33 AM (#2438296) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Micca hey Rog, its dejá vu all over again!!!! |
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12 Sep 08 - 12:07 PM (#2438425) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: George Papavgeris hey Rog, its dejá vu all over again!!!! |
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12 Sep 08 - 01:58 PM (#2438556) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Joe Offer Roger tells me he double-posted. I washed my eyeglasses twice, and still can't see his double post. Probably a volunteer editor beat me to it. Nice to see that Greek postcards back. I wish I could justify going to Greece again. Ah, found it - repeated again at "little blue." Got it fixed now, Rog. -Joe- |
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14 Sep 08 - 03:07 AM (#2439803) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Roger the Skiffler Thanks,Joe for deleting the doubling up! RtS |
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14 Sep 08 - 03:10 PM (#2440186) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: fat B****rd Good to read from you, Thimbles. Regards to SWMBO. |
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15 Sep 08 - 06:43 AM (#2440742) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Roger the Skiffler When I had finished jumping up and down and vocalising after the hornet sting mentioned above I pondered on the difference between Greek and AngloAmerican obscenities. Ours are mainly sexual whereas the Greek ones I've learned from my younger Greek friends have been mainly scatalogical. Perhaps the peculiar nature of Greek plumbing has something to do with it. Older memebers of the community deplore such debasement of their beautiful language and a mild "Theos Mou" or "Panagia Mou" usually suffices. However, I am aware of the dangers of learning a language from the youngest community members since one admitted to going up to non-speakers, tapping his wrist and asking in Greek "How many cucumbers can you put up your arse (ass)?". The foreigner assuming he is being asked the time (as he is expected to) holds up 3, 4 or 5 fingers as appropriate and fails to understand the hilarity ensuing. One icebnreaker I was told this year is to learn two phrases: "I do not speak Turkish" and "I have never been to Turkey". Any goatherd or fisherman casually acquainted becomes an instant blood brother on hearing these two phrases! In Greece, still, a turkey is just for Xmas. |
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15 Sep 08 - 09:09 AM (#2440868) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Roger the Skiffler ...imagine you are an XL passenger stranded in Greece and the message comes over the loudspeaker: "Good News. We have you on a flight home on Astraeus Airlines. Bad News. The pilot is Bruce Dickinson and he will be playing Iron Maiden's greatest Hits all the flight home." RtS |
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17 Sep 08 - 03:01 PM (#2443316) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: GUEST,aarvaarkneverkilledanyone This message has absolutely nothing to do with the thread, but simply a means of contacting you for a big thanks. I've the original recording which I treasure of Leon Roseelson singing "Jack of all Trades" which happens to be one of my absolute favourite folk-songs. There was just part of one line which hawever much I tried, I could not make out the lyrics. It's the "half-back" in the line "On Highbury Hill a half-back" and now I know!! Thanks for posting the lyrics back in 04. What makes the song rather special for me is that I know London and every location mentioned in the song quite intimately, including the route Waterloo to Wembley where I believe Hawker Siddley had their factory. Hence "aircraft assembly". I also remember all the other locations where the various specialised trades were located. I'm 67, so I suppose it's not all that surprising really! Thanks again F.L. |
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18 Sep 08 - 06:35 AM (#2443861) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Roger the Skiffler In the UK, "lads' mags" (which I am reliably informed often contain photos of unfeasibly well built young ladies and enviously endowed young gentlemen without any clothes) are restricted to the top shelf in newsagents to keep them out of the view of children. This seems to discriminate unfairly against mature persons of restricted growth. However, in Greece they are happily displayed lower down among the Asterix and Disney magazines beloved of Greek children. My in-depth researches have not spotted any issues of Playgoat among the international magazines on offer, although some of my younger Greek friends often tease each other with accusations of succumbing to the desires of a lonely goatherd for his caprine companions. This struck me recently when a broadcaster, blogger* and elegant writer about things Greek, among others, was photographing (yet another) goat. He was being heckled by his insensitive companions who felt this particular goat was playing up for the camera and was angling to be Playnanny of the Month ("eyes, teeth and horns, dear") when the animal in question reduced the spectators to tears of laughter as she licked her lips lasciviously as if on cue. Another young hobbled goat in an unfenced field liked to escape down to the beach in the hope of a more varied diet, it also followed around one of the village dogs (female), possibly in search of love, but I couldn't see a long term future in the relationship. *see http://briansibleysblog.blogspot.com/ RtS |
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18 Sep 08 - 06:43 AM (#2443866) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Roger the Skiffler aarvark...., nice to know I get some things right! RtS |
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22 Sep 08 - 06:09 AM (#2447106) Subject: RE: BS: Postcard from Dendros* 2008 From: Roger the Skiffler My lost key story and one of my lunches get on to Brian Sibley's Blog this month! See:http://briansibleysblog.blogspot.com/ RtS |