In Greece: Missing it all ~

'I asked him in those last days what he would miss and he smiled and said in a voice as soft as dusk, Every bit of it. I only wish I had seen that sooner,' wrote Brian Andreas, American poet and author.

Sunset from The Stone House on the Hill 

I jotted  Andreas' words on the opening page of my 2020 daily journal back in January. It struck me as a powerful reminder to enjoy 'every bit of it' as the year progressed. 

It was shortly before COVID19 and pandemic would turn the world upside down.

In the past my journal entries have been notes of travels and/or events and activities that make up our expat life in a Greek village. This year - it seems for weeks now - I've charted this country's 'numbers' and steps it is taking to keep the pandemic under control. In recent days I've recorded the steps being taken to lead the country back to its 'new normal'.

In reading my entries, I realize how much I have missed those most-ordinary of things that made up my pre-pandemic days. As the passage above says, I miss 'every bit of it'. 

Expats toasting and enjoying Boxing Day last December

I've often said that being an expat sometimes feels as if we are living on borrowed time. We are long-stay guests in a country that could easily change its mind and yank the welcome mat. Or change the rules and we'd no longer qualify to be residents. As boomers, we know that one day age and/or health could bring an end to the routines of our life here. 

We've often spoken of those routine and ordinary things that make life here so interesting and how much we'll miss them when the end comes.  I don't think we realized how much of which makes this life special, that we were taking for granted. . . until the pandemic lockdown brought a temporary end to them.

Dinner out and the bus comes through town 

It has been those tasks, errands, outings that when no longer allowed, we have missed. . .the friends with whom we gather. . .we have missed. . .

A quick trip to the grocery store, 

a morning cappuccino in the village,

a spur of the moment dinner out with friends along the harbor, 

watching the public bus inch its way along the crowded waterfront road, 

having friends over, 

getting our hair cut,

taking a day trip down the coast. . .

Watching our local fishermen sell the catch each day

Yes, we've missed 'every bit of it'.

A New Day Dawning

Dressed for my first trip to Kalamata

We went to Kalamata last week, thanks to the first phase of our country's return to normal. I'll confess that in pre-pandemic days, it sometimes felt like a chore to set off for a round of shopping and errands in the big city an hour's drive north of us. With the government's lockdown in March, trips to Kalamata ended. Essential shopping - groceries and pharmacy -- was done close to home.  

After a few weeks of it being off limits we found ourselves speculating on things to do when we could go back. It felt as though we were planning a major journey. We were missing it all.

The Greek government's slow, methodic and carefully-orchestrated emergence from the near-total lockdown allowed for hair salons and barber shops to be among the first businesses to re-open. We  made (long-overdue) hair appointments! Yes, a simple hair appointment was our first activity. In the days between making the appointment and going to Kalamata, we were as giddy over the upcoming outing as if we'd been planning a major trip.

Masked, gloved and in the salon

The salon had reduced the stations and was adhering to the government's strict guidelines for distancing and cleanliness. It felt more like a trip to a medical clinic than to a beauty shop - yet, we remain grateful that Greek businesses are adhering to the safeguards dictated by the government.  We also followed the rules, face masks and gloves were the 'go-to-town' dress up attire.  Instead of growing impatient at the time spent at the salon (an attitude I held before the pandemic) I kept thinking how lucky I was to be back at the salon.  I had missed it all.

Wait in line at the supermarket - social distancing enforced

A routine part of a trip to Kalamata is always a stop at one of the large supermarkets there. Back in the 'old normal' we'd whip  through the store, grabbing what we needed as quickly as possible.  This time we took our time thinking what a treat to have different choices again beyond our local village stores. Just putting jars of Skippy peanut butter - even at its outrageous import price -- into my shopping cart was a joy. We had missed it.

Phase 2: hardware stores open -The Scout waits his turn to enter

This week the government has moved to Phase II, allowing for most retail stores to open. Our village hardware store was among them.  I can't tell you how many times being homebound we have thought of projects to do or repairs to make but each required something from the shuttered hardware store. Monday morning, face masks in place we stood in line awaiting our turn to walk into our village hardware store.  We had missed them.

At the Kalamata Shell service station - no mask, no enter

Siga, siga, as they say here, slowly, slowly, our Greek world is re-opening.  It will be another three weeks before the tavernas and restaurants in the country are allowed to open and then strict distancing rules will be enforced. While I sang the praises in last week's post of our village parking lot as our pandemic social hub, I can tell you we miss the village tavernas where we have spent hours with friends enjoying beverages and meals. The protocols will be strict for distancing, serving and all aspects of the resumption of service but the idea of meeting others again at a local place has us eagerly counting the days. We have missed those times.

ATM users social distance in Kalamata

Large hotels and resorts in Greece are scheduled to open  June1st and seasonal hotels on July 1st. The Health Ministry has issued a 16-page protocol list for distancing, cleaning and disinfecting and it promises to be a whole new world of travel. One of the favorite parts of staying in a hotel in Greece has been the lavish buffet breakfasts they offer as part of the room rate. Those buffets are to be eliminated, just one of the many 'new normal' ways of travel here. We are eager to hit the road and do some road trips - it has been too long since we've been out enjoying all Greece has to offer. We have missed it.

Air travel is expected to resume in July. There is talk that travel between Greece and some European countries may be allowed by June 15th. However, the government is taking a cautious approach when it comes to tourists and travelers entering the country.

Few cars in Kalamata this week

The rules currently being contemplated will require international travelers 72-hours BEFORE BOARDING to be tested for the virus and to show negative results. If positive, they will not be allowed on the flight. Another talked about option is that travelers will have to have 'health certificates'.  We know already that we will be missing the old ways of travel when it comes time to take that first trip back to the States.

May Day the streets were empty in the village

The reopening of Greece is unfolding as a four-phase project. While we know the old normal is gone, we are looking forward to seeing friends, dining out, and even watching the bus make its regular run through town again. . .we will be masked and socially distanced but so appreciative to have back some semblance of our old favorites. 

We've missed it all.

From your comments and emails we know that many of you in various parts of the world are also cautiously returning to a new normal. We send continued wishes for you and yours to be safe and well. As always thanks for being with us. Add a comment or drop us a line and tell us what you have missed the most during this unusual period in our world.

Linking with:

Mosaic Monday
Through My Lens
Travel Tuesday
Our World Tuesday
My Corner of the World Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday

                                                                             

Greece ~ Seeing travel differently. . .

In the end, we decided to ride out the pandemic in Greece.  Our expat lifestyle won out over a return to the States. We'd reasoned that our sparsely populated, rural location in the Greek Peloponnese would lend itself to social distancing and isolation.  The fresh air and sunshine would certainly be positives. We'd have plenty to keep us busy.

The olive grove keeps us busy

Our decision to stay was made just as Greek authorities were shutting down air traffic and mainland  borders. In falling domino fashion, the entire country pretty much came to a standstill within a couple of weeks of our deciding to stay. For many of those weeks we've been allowed out to only six destinations. The government had to be told each time we left our home.  A hashtag 'Menoumespiti' became a rallying cry across social media here -- stay home!

On Greek Easter weekend the travel restrictions were enhanced from Saturday evening until midnight Monday night. Traffic was severely limited. Fines for violators were 300 euros for the driver, 150 for each passenger and your license plates were taken. Pretty smart move, as you can't drive without plates here and to get them back, you had to pay the fines! (One exception made in the village was to allow folks like us to pick up 'to go' Easter dinners that had been ordered before the shutdown was announced.)

A village scene from the parking lot

Tomorrow, Monday, May 4th  the country begins reopening.  We will no longer be required to notify the government of our movements. Small businesses, including hair dresser and barbers, will begin operating within strict social distancing guidelines. We will be required to wear facemasks in stores and other public areas for an unspecified amount of time or face a potential 150 euro fine. Numbers of COVID19 cases will be monitored on a 24-hour basis and if there is a spike, restrictions will be re-imposed. If numbers hold at acceptable levels, the country will continue to reopen in a gradual process that takes us to July.

The future of travel to and from Greece is still somewhat up in the air. There is talk of allowing only those from certain countries into the country; those with low COVID19 numbers. And there is uncertainty about how and when the European Union will reopen its borders.

For us, the pandemic has put the brakes on our spring travels and has slowed our desire to plan future travels. Neither of us are eager to put ourselves in an airplane or airport right now.

Traveling within Greece was a treat last year

Our longtime readers will likely remember that a year ago that I was whining about not being allowed to leave Greece while our residency permits were being renewed.  I described us as being held 'hostage' although we could travel to our heart's content anywhere we wanted to go within the country.

This year going to the grocery store or pharmacy feels like taking a major trip.  What a difference a year makes! Instead of grumbling about the limits on movement, we are singing the praises of those who imposed them. We are seeing travel -- and life, to a certain extent -- differently these days.

The Village Parking Lot - A Destination 

'Let's have a coffee in the parking lot,' I suggested after a recent grocery store trip. It is the village parking lot, the one in which we sometimes sip a glass of wine from a plastic glass while waiting for a 'to go' meal to be prepared.

Going out for wine - quite literally!

Now there is really nothing special about our municipal parking lot.  It is a relatively non-descript, barren stretch of  land bordering the Messinian Bay. Two tavernas serve drinks on portable decks in tourist season. It is the gateway to the harbor's boat launch.

The village parking lot and taverna deck in a pandemic

Back in normal tourist seasons it was difficult to find a parking space there. Sometimes even entering and exiting required holding your breath as you squeezed past double parked cars. We usually tried to avoid it until it emptied in the fall. Sometimes the most action in the lot during the winter is when winter storms create such fierce wave action that stones are tossed over the sea wall. A bulldozer is brought in to clear them so that cars can navigate the lot's unpaved surface.

Social distancing is a snap in this parking lot

But that parking lot has become a shining beacon, a destination, in our somewhat shrunken universe. Often ours is the only car in the lot; other times there might be a half dozen. Sometimes others are off in the distance sipping beverages as well. Sometimes if we are lucky, we might see someone we know.  A wave and called out greeting from a friend passing by feels like a major social interaction has occurred. 

Friends from the States - drinks before dinner

We entertained our last set of visitors from the United States in that very parking lot. They arrived just as the country was shutting down seasonal hotels, so their stay was cut short as they had to race back to Athens for one of the last flights out. They didn't get to see a lot of the village, but we are certain they will remember the parking lot where we had before dinner drinks and a to go dinner picnic on the seawall. 

Dinner in the parking lot

Until our coming and going was curtailed by the government, and social distancing the norm, I hadn't really appreciated that big old lot. I sincerely hope that when this ends, I will remember those trips to the parking lot as having been a special part of this pandemic lockdown.

Perhaps Columbian writer Gabriele Garcia Marquez said it best when he wrote,

May we always remember our trips to the parking lot

'What matters in life is not what happens to you but what you remember and how you remember it.'

Our thanks for being with us today - as always we appreciate the time you spend here.  We hope you continue to cope with the coronavirus safeguards within which you live and that you, your family and friends stay well.

Linking this week with:
Mosaic Monday
Through My Lens
Travel Tuesday
Our World Tuesday
My Corner of the World Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday

Ringing in Easter ~ The Sounds of Silence

The church bells are silent this year.  They've been silent for weeks. So silent, that it is downright eerie at times.

Easter as it was - not this year!

To be silent any time is not normal in a Greek village but especially now in the midst of Megali Evdomada - the week between Palm Sunday and Easter. Traditionally, this is the week when church bells chime with regularity; their messages either upbeat peals of joy or mournful dirges for the dead.

No candle lighting gatherings in the square this year

On Good Friday their call is so hauntingly sad -- commemorating the death of Jesus - that they can easily give one goosepimples - even if you didn't know the symbolism of their ringing.  Then late Saturday night when the crowds have gathered -- filling the streets near the church --  to call out Christos Anesti, (Christ is Risen) and to participate in candle-lighting, their joyous clanging is so loud that you clap hands over your ears to save the eardrums.

.

No Easter gatherings here this year 

So to silence church bells this sacred week in Greece is nearly incomprehensible. Here, where the Eastern Orthodox religion is considered a state religion and more than 95% of the near 11 million residents are members of the Greek Orthodox Church.

But this is Greek Easter in a time of pandemic. Nothing is as it was anywhere in the world. Greece is no exception. The holiday will be observed without gatherings and celebrations in or near the holy cornerstones of every village and city in this country.  These drastic curtailments being taken by the church and state reflect the seriousness with which COVID-19 is being dealt here.

In a televised address to the nation Monday evening our Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, "Our faith is not at risk, but the health of the faithful."

Many of you've written, asking how Greece is responding and how we are doing. The elimination of such sacred Easter traditions is the most recent illustration of just how seriously the government and citizens are dealing with curtailing the spread of coronavirus.  It is a good way to begin my answer to your questions:

What The Government is doing

Government emergency text alert to all mobile phones

Greece -- only a few years ago, the economic underdog of  the European Union --  is emerging as a poster child in the world for addressing coronavirus quickly and correctly.  Way back on Feb. 27th when the first COVID-19 case was identified here, the shutdowns began. All Karnivale gatherings were cancelled.  The numbers and scope of cancellations and restrictions built in the weeks that followed leaving no industry or individual untouched.   
  

Closed. . .the word of the pandemic.

Tourism has tanked. From beaches to store fronts, the closed signs have gone up in rapid succession.  Here all non-essential business, even hardware stores, are closed. All people living in the country need to notify the government when they leave their homes. We are not to visit family.  We are not to visit friends. 


PM Mitsotakis, has repeatedly likened the efforts to fighting a war. And it's clear he has a country that is willing to help him win the battle.  Mitsotakis, who has served as prime minister for less than a year (taking office last July), is proving himself to be a firm, decisive and unwavering leader. He has won the trust of the people. Opposing parties and the church are standing with him.

Stay at home orders are taken seriously

This united approach seems to be paying off.

Knowing that statistics change by the hour, I am using a snapshot in time, taken this Wednesday morning, to illustrate how the numbers look in our adopted home, Greece, as compared to our American home state of Washington:

Greece:  population about 11 million. COVID-19 cases: 2,170. Deaths: 101
Washington State: population 7.5 million COVID-19 cases: 11,154. Deaths: 544

Greece's actions may sound draconian, but you know what? We all -- Greeks and expats alike -- are appreciating them and feel safe being here because of them. Not once have I seen a FB post from a Greek or ex pat questioning the government's authority or right to restrict our movements.

Who knows when businesses will be allowed to open again

In fact when we see a friend in passing these day, we step back from them, as if they 'had the plague' no matter how thrilled we are to see him or her.  We even laugh about the 'good old days' only four weeks ago --  before the government ordered the country closed and only suggested social distancing -- we could at least have a take out wine in the parking lot and stand an appropriate distance apart from each other and visit. Can't do that any more!

Meeting a friend - social distancing - good old days - no longer allowed

The government has made it clear that this Easter Week is considered critical for containment of people and the virus. There is talk that cars could be banned from the roadways from Saturday evening until Monday evening to assure no one sneaks in that visit with close friends or decides to visit the relatives, as is traditionally done on this holiday.  That is how serious they are taking it here.

The Scout and The Scribe

A glass of wine with friends . . .in the Pacific Northwest

Aside from missing dinners out and face-to-face meet ups with friends, life in this rural part of the Peloponnese is continuing to be pretty routine at The Stone House on the Hill.  Like millions of others we've installed Zoom and learned to use it for social gatherings. We recently drank wine 'with' friends in Kirkland and Seattle during their brunch hour and our happy hour.

Sanitizing the community dumpsters

Certain routines remain the same as we must make regular runs to city dumpsters to deposit our garbage and to fill water bottles from the community taps. On such occasions if we happen to pass friends we feel giddy at the social interaction even if it is calling out hello in passing.

The mobile phone permission texts are becoming second nature. We have six destinations or reasons allowed for leaving our home.  And now that we are into the routine, sending a text isn't a big deal at all. In the photo below my notice is in the green, my approval is in the gray.

Destination sent, permission granted

Shopping once or twice a week, we wear disposable gloves. We've yet to wear face masks. Some clerks wear both masks and gloves. Some stores have also installed glass panels to separate the clerks from the customers. I suspect those panels will remain a part of our 'new normal' life when this seemingly winds down.

The food supplies (including fresh grown/harvested veggies) are plentiful as is the sanitary hand scrub, detergents and disinfectants and. . .Ta-Dah: toilet paper!  Our selection and supply of paper goods would make many of you green with envy.

We have no need to use Insta-shop or stand in long lines waiting to be admitted into a store. We don't need to call week's in advance to get a delivery time slot nailed down. There's usually been fewer than a dozen people in our large supermarket and maybe two or three in the smaller stores when we've been shopping -- all keep their distances.

Dinner out has a whole new look - at home

We have a few cafes and tavernas open for take out beverages and food.  Such food pick-up runs have become the new 'going out for dinner'.

Last Sunday we had Easter (the one celebrated in the Catholic and Protestant religions) dinner -- turkey and trimmings -- from our hangout, Hades. This coming Sunday to celebrate Orthodox Easter we will have a take out spit roast lamb meal from Hades.  We schedule a time to pick up the meal and it is ready for us.  If not we sip a glass of wine, from a plastic glass standing outside while it is packed up. The wait time is never more than a few minutes.

Our village service stations are open and stocked with supplies of gasoline and diesel.

Preserved lemons and dried orange slices

Instead of planning and daydreaming about trips, we have found ourselves focused on home and garden projects. I have been experimenting with craft projects -- all those things I've never taken the time to pursue before. I've been preserving lemons and drying oranges. I have a chair rehab in process for the garden and other crafty things that I likely would never have gotten around to had it not been for the stay at home order.

The Scout burns olive tree trimmings

Meanwhile The Scout is focused on garden and grove. In the last two weeks we've had our olive grove trimmed and the trees sprayed. We did our final burn for the allowed open fire season, cleaning up the grove as a fire prevention move ahead of the dry summer that is predicted for this area.

Earlier this week a two-man crew arrived for a small construction project that had been scheduled before the lock down began.  In each case the workers kept their distance as did we and the jobs were done. Life does need to go on, even if a bit differently than in the past.

What is Next?

Going out for a glass of wine - pandemic-style

Now in our third week of our government enforced lock down, we've learned it will be extended to May 11th. At that time - if the curve remains flat (and you all know what that means these days) -- the restrictions will begin letting up. There is a series of re-opening steps planned to take place slowly, slowly (siga, siga as we say here). However the government has made it clear that we 'elderly' ones over 60 are going to be among the last turned loose so we are hoping that by July we have a less restrictive world.

Pantazi Beach like all beaches are empty

Of course we wonder how many of the small businesses here - especially those dependent upon tourism; of which there will likely be none or very little - will even reopen this year. So our world could look and feel vastly different even when everything is 'back to normal'.

Sunset from The Stone House on the Hill

For now we are enjoying temperatures in the 70F's and each day celebrating the fact that we are not among those statistics I listed above.  Carpe Diem is the mantra and we are trying to do just that.
We hope this finds you and yours wherever you are in the world also staying safe staying healthy and being at peace with the actions taken during this unprecedented time in history.

Where are these two vagabonds dreaming of as their first destination once our restrictions are lifted?  Let me tell you. . .it is our hair salon in Kalamata!  It might end up being the best trip we take this year!!

Thanks again for being with us and we look forward to hearing from you in comments and by email.  What is on your list as your first destination when you can again safely leave home?

Linking with:

Mosaic Monday
Through My Lens
Travel Tuesday
Our World Tuesday
My Corner of the World Wednesday
Wordless Wednesday