Closing the stable door

The weather forecast predicted 0.87mm rain between Sunday evening and 07:00 Monday. The reality was that around 60mm rain fell before midnight Sunday! The tent sides have been put up this evening. The sky was very black for the Evening Walk yesterday and there was some mild humidification whilst we were out. The rain set in once we returned which was very fortunate. I thought it had passed on up the island but it only intensified. I got out of bed twice to rearrange the furniture under the awning to avoid the rain which was driving in. The storm was spectacular so Skinny spent quite a time under the decking.

All was quiet when I got up just before 05:00 however somewhat wet underfoot. We set off in darkness as the streetlights leading to the beach were off. Ursula was behind us today so we’d completed one circuit by the time she and Heidi arrived. I offloaded Luis, Charlie and Oskar and completed another two circuits with Skinny, Fido and Obi. We did the rocks then headed back to the camping. It was now light enough to see the results of the rainstorm. The sand was washed away on the Promontory, there was mud all over the roads together with tree branches and even a large lump of wood. Wandering around the camping, I could see how the rushing water had scoured the ground and dug a trench from the small gate onto the beach.

Skinny and I went off to the bakers and could see further devastation as we approached Kountoura. A tree had demolished a fence panel and there was mud everywhere. A machine had cleared the worst of it. There were some quite large stones and even a boulder in the road.

We picked up a cheese, ham and tomato pie for Tony and squelched our way back to the camping. Ursula had mentioned a lack of water pressure however I hadn’t realised there was NO water at all. I’d heated the water for a shower but had no way of actually having a shower due to lack of water! I toured the camping to check on the buildings and spent quite a lot of time messing around getting the Internet back up over the WiFi. Water had entered the central kitchen and affected a network switch there and also in the laundry room where the windows were actually left open allowing the rain to run down the wall into the equipment. I got everything working and then made some breakfast as it was heading towards lunchtime. I’d planned to get some IT jobs out of the way however these were never completed.

Looking at another approaching storm, I decided I really needed to get the awning sides up to avoid further dampness and inconvenience. I’m now sitting inside the awning tent with three sides up, reduced windiness and no rain. Not that it’s raining at present.

I took Luis to tea with Tony and Ursula around 16:30 and was able to enjoy the remainder of the chocolate cake. Very good it was too! After the cake, I took the dogs for quite a pleasant evening walk under cloud-filtered moonlight. It is full moon so soon we’ll have moonlight in the early morning! The walk was dry and uneventful so we returned for food and a reasonably peaceful evening. There was a bit of an outburst from IZO and Georgia’s dogs were also a little noisy. The sea is from the east as I can hear it on Alonáki Beach where one motorhome is parked with another in the car park further up.

Tomorrow, the plan is to visit Stavros in Maléme so that Heidi can get her paperwork completed for her return to BrexitLand, Charlie can get his Rabies shot and the mother pussy can have her kitten-rearing days put behind her. Assuming, of course, I can catch her!