Stitches out!

The night proceeded calmly until I woke around 05:00 as IZO (AKA SBD) needed to be let out of his house for urgent gastric activity – I know the problem intimately. If I could rely on him keeping quiet, he wouldn’t need locking in. It was much later that we went for our walk which today included the Promontory AND the rocks. I wouldn’t say that normal service has been resumed but I feel a whole load better than I have for the past three days. Hopefully, I can now build up to giving the dogs a proper walk and getting some exercise myself. My Activity Circles have not closed for over two weeks – catastrophe! There were no overnight residents on the Promontory so I let four dogs go for a decent amount of time. Being later than I would normally like to walk, there is a risk of people arriving and also, once the sun starts creeping over the mountains it warms up. Today, there was a strong northerly wind which kept the apparent temperature down.

Heading back to the camping I felt some of the dogs starting to look backwards: I turned around to find Sascha and Zora a few meters away. I managed to reestablish order so that we could converse. They finally arrived at the camping around 03:00 so hadn’t had much sleep as Sascha took Zora for a walk before bed. Such dedication! He insisted on driving me to the hospital to have my stitches removed and we left around 09:00.

As it was just over two weeks since my previous visit, some of the staff members remembered me and I was able to thank them for their previous kindness and helpfulness. A man in a bright T-shirt approached me and asked what I needed. I told him about the injury and the repair at Chania. He was keen for me to return to the specialist there however I explained that I knew what to do so he reluctantly led me off to the treatment room where I was patched up two weeks earlier. He was still less than enthusiastic but I said I would take responsibility and, anyway, Dr Μανιμανάκι had agreed it was a simple procedure which just required ensuring the thumb was adequately protected and then immobilised afterwards. The doctor spoke very good English and told me he was from Cyprus but had studied in England and had spent a long time talking and getting to know English people when he was in Cyprus. He chilled out; he got on removing the sutures while I kept my thumb in the correct position. Under my direction, he applied some gauze then I put back the splint and he bandaged it all up to keep the thumb immobilised for the next two weeks. We then got to talking politics where he expressed his amazement at England wanting to leave the EU. I very quickly explained that I felt it was madness and that a no-deal Brexit could be seriously disruptive for both parties. We agreed that the EU is far from perfect but that remaining and doing something about it would be a better strategy. Since the end of the war, England’s prestige has rapidly declined: Brexit and the incompetent way it’s being handled has now reduced England to a global laughing stock bringing England’s prestige to a new low. Sadly, he is not the first foreigner to express a similar opinion.

Sascha and Zora were sitting by the car in a shady part of the car park. We got back in the car and were away by 09:45. How long would it have taken me if I was going by bus? As we were passing Spanniakos we went to look at the site so that Zora could stretch her legs. Next, we stopped at Petrakis which I’d not visited for nearly three weeks. I only needed a little shopping but staff members kept asking what I’d done to myself so it took a little time. Yannis tracked me down and told me the same orthopaedic surgeon had operated on him when he sliced open his hand on a window. Yiannis had to see a specialist in Athens to deal with the nerve damage which still affects him.

The dogs were only a little noisy when I left Sascha to have his breakfast. He was going to speak to Maria about the tent and hammock only a couple of meters from his van. I notice there is now a clear area in front of Sascha’s caravan. I made breakfast which was now really lunch!

On my way back from the shower later, I asked Μιχάλησ if the group had gone. He replied that they were leaving Friday morning so they will be having two more soirées. I explained that their presence made my life difficult and that they were there until around 22:30. He appeared not to be aware of this, not that it’s of any interest to him anyway. Like his brother, I can guarantee that this will quickly get back to Georgia which is far more effective than me protesting directly. Georgia hates tittle-tattle and the idea of anyone spreading dissension about the camping. Hopefully, she will confront me in the course of time and that will be amusing!

To make up for poor walks recently, I’ll take the dogs out around 19:00 for an hour or so. If there’s no one about, they can have a bit of a run.

We’re back now and the dogs have been fed earlier than of late as I’ve waited for the group to disperse before continuing with my evening routine. Sascha came by when there were only small groups on the other side of the fence. The dogs barked when he arrived and so I quietened them down. He and I stood having a long conversation quite near to the fence. Maybe others might see that it can be quite distracting to have someone only a short distance away.

We were out for over an hour and I’ve been less strict when the dogs have barked and simply done all the things I normally do. If anyone was splashed when I watered the plants, then I’m sorry…

Sascha and I are meeting up at 05:45 for a walk so I want to be in bed on time this evening and not hanging around waiting for the group to disperse. I’ve had enough of trying to be accommodating.

It’s now 22:00 and it’s suddenly gone quiet on the other side of the fence. A quick look in the camera confirms there is no one there. Quick, turn out the lights! Result! Peace at last!