Back Again

So much for the hope that F would do the secretarial services now that we live together.  However, we have been in Piraeus one year on 6 December and she’s agreed to resume the blogging.

“Take a year to observe things” she said  “there’s a risk otherwise of banging off first impressions and being nothing but the complaining expat.”  Here is really different to what we have been used to and not always in what we consider to be a good way; but walk a mile in their shoes….. or on their paws.

Dec 2018, and a few days into this new confinement and I began to see the positive side to it.

We live in an apartment somewhere above ground level. I sit on the balcony railing from time to time but there is no way I would jump down from here. On the sunny side there is a huge balcony and F has added lot of potted plants so there is some green in our lives; green, and potting compost.

We have conducted a war over the potting compost and seem to have arrived at an unstable truce.  Despite having a human bathroom of my own, and a big tray of wood pellets (from which my wastes miraculously disappear.  It’s no miracle really; I’ve watched F sifting it out), I prefer to use the pot plants if I can.  (Think potty plants – ok silly pun.  I get that off Mr B.)  F in turn has covered any exposed potting soil with sea-worn bricks, stones, marble, old tiles and driftwood that she collects off the beach. 

Foiled.  Sort of.

The balcony has planter troughs at the ends.  One is planted with herbs and protected by half a beach.  The other never made it into greenery; I claimed it.  It’s full of sawdust now, and that’s our truce.  I have a place to do toilet al fresco and largely leave the pot plants alone.  Occasionally F forgets to protect a tray of seeds and I have to remind her…..