Sunday, 26 September
Snippets

Demetrios is with Costas and Mena at their country home in the village of Nea Syllata. Yes, of course I was invited as well, but I still feel so weak I just didn’t even want to walk to the bus stop. So I told DH to go by himself and spend the night if he pleases.

And I have been, gratefully, indulging in low-energy, solitary pursuits, such as writing and knitting and reading and napping. Minimal housework. Maybe I’ll feel stronger tomorrow.

Demetrios has been calling often. He says Mena and Costas have fixed up their house in Syllata and it looks much better now. Well, yes, their daughter finally graduated from university; that’s why. They can afford stuff now. Demetrios says they have tiled all the once bare, concrete floors and painted the once bare, concrete walls and have installed a whole new bathroom. I can hardly wait to see it, but it’ll be at least a couple of weekends from now, because next weekend, we are going to meet David and Julia in Corfu.

* * *
The feral cats drive me crazy because there are so many pregnant ones and so many tiny kittens and I can’t do a single thing for them. I can’t take any home. I can’t take in a pregnant one even temporarily, because I tried that once and the poor thing was so distressed I had to release her. I don’t have the money this year to have any spayed or neutered, as in the past. Most of them don’t even need me to feed them, as other people are already doing it.

* * *
A politician, Mr. Pangalos, was interviewed on Greek television about the wretched state of the Greek economy. After a while, he said, “Stop asking me so many questions about this. We all know where the money has gone. We all ate it together! So why do we have to keep talking about it? You asked for government jobs, we gave you government jobs, and together, we ate all that money.”

A commentator later said yes, that’s true, but the politicians had the lion’s share of the feast; the rest of the people got comparatively very little.

There’s even a joke circulating now about this remark. A man dressed in shabby clothes and worn-out shoes is interviewed by a tax agent.

“So do I understand correctly?” asked the tax man. “You have 22 apartments?”

“Yes.”

“And five cars?”

“That’s right.”

“But, well, sir, excuse me, but you look very poor!”

“So I am, but I used to eat with Mr. Pangalos!”

* * *
The weather has been perfect. Since we came, it has rained only twice, I think, both times at night. Otherwise, the sky is cloudless, the sun bright, and the temperature perfect.