Packing Up

Someone was hunting during the night as their shots caused Luis and Fido to join in for a chorus. My slumbers were less than restful.

A couple of vans were parked adjacent to the beach and at least one car in the beach car park. It was only later we discovered a tent on the Big Beach.

The first swing around The Promontory was uneventful and the walk to Azzuro quite contemplative. I had the company of Fido with Luis trailing behind in the darkness. I could make out other shadows in the distance. The dogs were all present at Plakaki so we walked back past Azzuro which has begun to pack up for the end of the season. Only one row of chairs and umbrellas remains as they’ve pulled up the front and rear rows leaving gaping holes for those early nighttime dog walkers to fall into: a little like Heffalump Traps.

Most of the dogs managed to walk silently past the small dome tent pitched on the Big Beach except Oskar who was immediately joined by Luis who is not one to miss out on a little gratuitous barking. Had I my wits about me I would have had the remote ready in my hand, however my mind was elsewhere.

Needless to say, we continued to the rocky summit for some more biscuits then back to the camping for about 07:15 and a cup of tea. Fortunately, I’d washed up everything the night before.

I did some interesting diaphragm breathing techniques during my twenty-minute meditation lesson finishing up by Elevating my Brain prior to departure.

It was an easy ride up the mountain. There was plenty of activity in Paleochora, swimming, eating, walking and shopping to name but a few. I dropped into Petrakis for some plant milk and tea. The nice lady was tending to her plants in the area outside the store and asked if I’d park my bike at the end of the path. On my return she’d left me a pepper plant and added some jasmine having given me a quick rundown of her collection.

It was getting on so I hastened back to Grammeno to release and feed the dogs. It’s easier now that the first km or so of the road out of Paleochora has received its second layer of tarmac. The men are still working on the pedestrian/cycleway but as for the lighting, who knows. The manholes have been tarmacked over but hopefully they will be reinstated nicely.

I took the time to plant my acquisitions in the hope that Isabella doesn’t dig them all up again. They are in pots close to my chair but she’s already managed to pull up one.

The morning passed quietly by. I enjoyed the warm sunshine and amused myself in various ways. I chatted with Verner from Austria who tells me his mother passed away on Thursday and he’d been unwell with discomfort in his left arm amongst other things. He explained that his sister had suffered a stroke and was in an induced coma. He’s visited the local doctor who advised him to see a neurologist about the arm. He has little sensation with only a column of ants marching up and down as he described it. I suggested pins and needles as a good similarly. He can get free medical care in Austria so plans to return there to get himself sorted out, see his sister and deal with his mother’s affairs. I suggested he could return at any time and should contact me for any information he might need. He was one of the all-winter residents so now we’re down to only one.

The camping and beach have been quite animated as people have been enjoying the lovely weather which I suspect is about to come to an abrupt halt next week. I can see a sizeable thunderstorm approaching from the west however its trajectory indicates it will pass the south of the island to bother those on the mainland rather than us. However, the whole week is particularly unsettled especially Thursday, Friday and Saturday. This would put a dampener on anyone planning to come for the weekend so I suspect it could mark the end of this summer season. Things could change but it’s likely to remain cool once the ground has had a good soaking which the forecast indicates for the end of the week.