Month: December 2022

December 15. Tomorrow we leave again. Back to cold Belgium. It will hurt because here today it is just over 20 degrees and full sun. All the doors are open here to let the heat in.

We arrived here three weeks ago now and these have been fantastic weeks. We are enjoying.

Our house

We rent a big house from an American couple. On Thanksgiving, we met them and had a pleasant evening together at a local tavern with live Greek music. A blissful start.

The house has the basics in terms of furniture. There are 3 (!) double beds with mattresses and pillows, fitted wardrobes, a fully installed kitchen, a washing machine, terrace table with chairs,…

Els brought a shopping list for Ikea, and that was the first thing she did, to Ikea, near the airport. Bart picked Els up there. A car full of practical things : cutting boards, oven bowls, cutlery, plates,…. Heading for the Mani! Now it’s for real. A great feeling.

We spent the next few days cleaning and decorating the house. Unpacking boxes, going to the supermarket,…. The ordinary things of life, but in a different place.

The weather

Open the shutters in the morning and enjoy the view. Some days are sunnier than others. Over the past few weeks, the weather has been very changeable. Sometimes heavy gusts of wind and heavy showers, often cloudy but also often a day or a few hours of bright sunshine.

Unfortunately, the Christmas market where Els was supposed to stand and lead a children’s workshop was postponed due to the bad weather. The Christmas market was supposed to take place on the street, nothing covered. But the weather gods were not kind to us. On Saturday it was decided to just postpone the ‘Christmas bazaar’ for a week. So now Sunday. Unfortunately, I couldn’t be there then. But we found a Dutch lady, Ilse, who will happily take over the children’s workshop. The forecast is already better: 21 degrees and sunshine.

In the garden, everything is growing and blooming. We will have our work waiting for us in January when we get back. The combination of showers and sun makes it very green here at the moment. And lots of flowers. And almost ripe oranges!

We are also enjoying some wonderful sunsets. Would this ever get boring?

Our daily rhythm

Bart works. Els doesn’t.

So his work rhythm determines our weekdays. In the afternoon, lunch together on the terrace upstairs. At his office. That’s where there is the most sun and the best view.

Els does a bit of everything: installation, tidying up, cleaning, shopping, ordering Ikea online, clay modelling (yes! I started again), going to yoga class, preparing an afternoon Christmas market with Gitte, making Christmas decorations for the Christmas market, an afternoon with Ilse for the children’s workshop, having breakfast in the tavern with Lee and Tony,… and in the evening Els is usually dead tired and watches some TV (Belgian, via internet) and crochet, of course. She won’t get bored easily!

Our social life

During the three weeks, and of course also before that when we came on holiday or prospecting in the region, we have already built up quite a few contacts. A lot of “expats” live here in the region. Lots of foreigners. Mainly British, but also Germans, Dutch,… and one couple of other Flemish people. We have a click with Gitte and Johan!

Our neighbours are Dutch. Occasionally we have a chat in the garden with Frans.

Els went to yoga class and there she met a fine British lady, Linda. Last night we went out for an evening drink with our husbands.

There is a group – Parea Sti Mani – that organises weekly (not in summer) walks here in the region. Bart went along last weekend, and again contacts of people we want to meet later came out of this.

So for now, everything is going well. Our honeymoon period here, as someone said. But mostly enjoying the sun and light!

After a long time of dreaming and preparation, the moment has arrived. The first departure to Greece. We are now 2 weeks further, just a throwback to the trip.

We leave in steps. Now for a month, and in mid-January a bigger move. That means going to Greece by car now, and take stuff with us for the first few weeks.

We had a rather complicated schedule with Bart first driving the car alone, dropping off luggage, and then leaving on a business trip, and Els coming by plane a week later. Finally, we met in Athens on Thursday 24/11 and drove together to Agios Nikolaos to start renting our new house from Friday 25/11.

The road trip from Belgium: 1400km to Ancona, with an overnight stay in Como in between, a wonderful 24h ferry trip to Patras, and a final 3 ¾ hours to Agios Nikolaos.

And I (Els) stayed behind in Belgium…. Another week and then I too can leave.

For weeks on end I’ve been hearing from different people, “Exciting, isn’t it?”. And then I think, and also say, “bah…. Not really exciting, I don’t feel that way. Looking forward to it though”. But in the meantime, I still found it a bit exciting.  It was nice to be able to follow Bart’s trip on Whatsapp and Instagram. I was happy that it went smoothly.

My week here consists of physiotherapy sessions, tidying and sorting (which is already done now, is less work in December/January) as well as making lists. A list of what to take with me in my hand luggage Wednesday. A list of what I will buy in Ikea, Thursday. A list of what to take in the car in January. A list of what to ask Bart when I see him again. A list of questions for the landlords regarding our new house.

And the most surprising thing about this week? I got an application to be at the Stoupa Christmas market! On 11th December. A Christmas market where all kinds of creative people sell their things for the benefit of a “charity”. And two days later I was asked if I would also accompany a children’s workshop there ? So you see…. Life goes on…. In a different place. Looking forward to it!