A Golden, Unproductive Sunday

Sunday arrives to my consciousness late and slowly. “Dinner” last night turned into visit, dinner (twice), music, dancing and overall a very late night. Give Greeks enough company, ouzo, beer and local wine and stand back. We went first to the home of one of MG and Costis' cousins, Miltos Pantelias, a well-known Greek artist and his wife, Irini Gonou, a well-known Greek sculptor.

The home has been in the family for several generations and it is easy to see why no one would ever sell it. Perched on a bluff, there is an unobstructed view of the sea that wraps around more than 180 degrees. We could see other islands in the near distance and hear the waves crashing along the bold shoreline. I was charmed even as we approached and before the view was laid out in front of us for embedded in the walkway are tiles embossed with raised images of local and seaside motifs which Irini made. Here a seashell, there an olive branch, over here a salamander. The path leads to the front of the house and a stone terrace, part of which is surrounded by a knee high wall enclosing chaise lounges perfectly positioned for sun bathing during the day, sunset watching in the evening and star gazing at night.

The top of this wall consists of terracotta sculptures of open books that look like someone was just there a minute ago but was called away, leaving their book partially read and lying open on its spine. Irini carved inscriptions in each. One is a poem inscribed in French across the two leaves of the book about a perfect day at the beach, another tells of the myth of Venus (Aphrodite) and so on. Later, after the sun sets, Venus is visible directly above the book telling of her myth.

We sit in the dusky light telling news, funny stories, their childhood memories and tales of former times involving local characters. The language is in a curious mixture of part Greek and part English in deference to me, but I find a curious thing is happening. I am beginning to understand and follow conversations even though, technically speaking, except to say “thank you” and ask “How are you?”, I do not speak Greek. Sometimes my “understanding” veers off in a direction that has nothing to do with what is being discussed, but it satisfies me and I learn new things ;) Much of the time, however, when someone is kind enough to translate for me, I have understood correctly. This must be how children learn to speak or how language immersion results in language acquisition. I do need to begin a program when we return to Boston as I believe these immersion experiences will allow me to learn the language more quickly. This will help as I am socially handicapped and dependent otherwise.

As we sit in the gathering dusk and enjoy the view of lights twinkling on the islands of Paros and Mykonos across the way, we snack on melons, grapes and plums from their garden. The grapes are exceptionally sweet and conversation turns to wine-making. Miltos tells us the best way to cultivate the sweetest grapes is simply by not watering them. All the sugars are concentrated and the resulting wine, he says, is the best. All the cousins and extended families are on the island for it is time to harvest and crush the grapes. This micro-climate brings the grapes to ripeness the earliest in Greece and everyone loves to be here at harvest time.

The moon is full tonight and rises like a glowing balloon. While its reflected light is so bright it makes viewing the constellations difficult, Miltos nevertheless brings a telescope to the terrace. We take turns spying on Aphrodite, Arkturos, Scorpios and the Polar star. Viewed with the naked eye, Aphrodite appears round, but with the aid of the telescope, we see her “half moon” shape. It is magical to see and a revelation to learn that, like our own Moon, Aphrodite is lighted by the sun and thus has phases like those of our Moon.

Just as I am thinking it is so enjoyable to have a light dinner of fruits, cheeses, bread and wine, Miltos announces, at 10pm, that it is time to go to dinner. Everyone piles into cars and we drive down to the beach to the restaurant of Panayiotis. He and Evangelina are at a table in the corner having their dinner. The local regulars and renters are finishing up their dinners. We are greeted by everyone as we make our way across the outside terrace. “Good evening, good health” is wished by everyone to everyone who enters. Again as parties leave, they send the same parting greetings to each remaining diner, sometimes shaking hands or hugging and double-cheek air-kissing, as they make their way to the exit. I find this a charming custom in Greece and it is how you know you are in an establishment patronized by locals or an establishment that caters primarily to tourists and foreigners. These simple and generous gestures make everyone feel part of the same experience, whether they are strangers here for one meal only or part of the family.

The scene unfolds like theater. Always there are four generations present. Even though it is after 10pm, there is a cluster of children ranging in age from about 3 to 13 playing hide and seek, taunting the cats and dogs lounging about, having a scavenger hunt and generally amusing themselves in their own drama. The oldest members of the crowd, similar to Chance the Gardner in the Peter Sellers film “Being There”, like to watch. Periodically they doze off but may suddenly rouse and break into song. The real action happens among the parents and grown children. There is a lot of teasing and telling of stories across the two generations. Each tries to embarrass the other, but this does not seem possible as the ironic barbs are delivered with such affection and good humor that it is impossible not to chortle at the punch line, even if you are the butt of the joke.

Meanwhile Evangelina has abandoned her dinner and gone to the kitchen to make and serve ours. Panayiotis tells us that they thought they were finished for the evening but are happy to see us and prepare a meal. Soon another couple arrives, then a party of 4, then a young man and two young women. Suddenly Evangelina is faced with 14 more meals to prepare and serve. It is now past 11pm and her day began at 5am when she rose to begin preparation of the casseroles before the heat of the day set in. When I ask how they manage all this, Panayiotis says, “We like much work”. I tell him I am glad of this because they have much work!

Dinners are arriving from the kitchen, wine is being drunk and someone begins to sing. An older man whips out a mandolin and begins to play. Panayiotis disappears into the kitchen and returns with a guitar. The party is now in full swing. Someone moves some empty tables and chairs aside and begins to dance. Others join in. Who needs Netflix when spontaneous entertainment unfolds like this? We go on and on until, literally, we hear the rooster’s crow. The final dirty dishes are cleared with all the revelers helping to put things back in good order for this day's breakfast crowd. The sleeping children are collected from the cushions upon which they lie curled up, carried to the cars and whisked away home. Tomorrow is Sunday and everyone can sleep till noon or beyond.

Fortunately, when our little party of three arises, we find there is no wind so windsurfing is off the agenda. I thank Mother Nature for granting small mercies to those in need of them! For the remainder of the afternoon, we go to the beach. We swim to exercise away the remains of last night's eating and drinking, walk along the beach to stretch our muscles, read to kick our minds into gear.

We eat an early (8pm) dinner on the terrace of scrambled eggs and toast, enjoy the moonlight and go to bed at 11pm, feeling put back together after the weekend. Tomorrow there are lighting fixture decisions and more shopping to be accomplished. The crew will install the kitchen and shower surrounds. In the afternoon we will make an excursion to a village and a beach on the eastern coast of the island and have dinner at a taverna Costis knows. We sleep peacefully now that we know where dinner will be eaten tomorrow evening.

Falling Into an Easy Pattern

Last evening we ate dinner on the terrace under the stars and nearly full moon, our table lighted with candles and graced with a delicious and simple dinner prepared by Costis. He boiled ziti al dente, drained it and in the same pot, sautéed 3 cloves of finely sliced garlic in about 4 Tbsps of fresh local olive oil. When the garlic was fragrant and golden he added a chiffonade of a handful of fresh local basil leaves and sautéed it until wilted. To this he added the still warm ziti and a generous sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan. The mixture was stirred just until the cheese melted, then he served it up on individual plates. While he was working this magic, I sliced the bread and prepared a salad of sliced local tomatoes, chopped fresh oregano, Kalamata olives, cubed local sheep's milk feta, slices of peeled cucumber, a bit of finely sliced onion and a tablespoonful of capers. We drank a local wine given to us by the ever-generous Panayiotis and had a wide-ranging conversation about art, beauty, lifestyles, politics, economics and the environment. The menu I can re-create at home. The warm wind, beautiful stars overhead, conversation and camaraderie cannot be duplicated. These are special memories to store up for cold nights during Boston's long winters.

We all trundled to bed about 12:30 arising at 7 for coffee and breakfast which we attended, in accordance to last night's plan, wearing our bathing suits. We nibbled, threw our dirty dishes in the sink and walked along the path to the beach, avoiding the many piles of cow and horse poop along the path we share with local farmers and their animals. It's actually a very fine walk; however, I made a note to myself to reserve a “special” pair of flip flops for walking to and from the beach. Nothing compares to a morning dip in the turquoise sea. The water glittered in the sunlight and proved to be an inviting temperature that does not shock. We had the beach to ourselves and truly reveled in our own paradise. We could not tarry too long, however, as today is another work day.

After showers and dressing, we met with Vangelis, who will make the cushions for our couch and for the three verandas. Discussing the many details of heights, depth, foam firmness, piping, sun protection and the like we struck on a plan which Vangelis will implement after we meet again at Christmas time, when we will next be here. The couch cushions, however, he will complete in time for our next visit.

Next we went next door to our house to watch the arrival of the doors and windows. We had heard that they would be installed by the time we arrived, but now understand they will be installed by the time we depart. It was quite something to watch the arrival of the 2,000 pound glass patio door. It is the largest, by far, single door this company has designed and installed and it was clear Demetrius, the project manager, was very nervous about how successful the implementation would be. His father said it was impossible to talk to him since 6 am.

The doors and windows were made to Demetrius' specifications and our wishes at a factory in Poland. From there they were trucked to Thessaloniki in north Greece where they were loaded onto another truck. The second truck drove the load across Greece to Athens. At Piraeus the truck came on the ferry to Naxos. At the port of Naxos, the second truck loaded the goods onto a third, local truck, captained by a local crane operator. The last part of the trip was very precarious and succeeded because Demetrius walked in front of the truck. He thus guided the driver through each and every rut and dip in the cratered path to our house site. Next, the crane operator skillfully guided the pallets onto the various terraces. The final maneuver was truly the piece de resistance. The 2,000 pound door, consisting of a single sheet of triple pane glass, was removed from the truck bed and dropped exactly into place without the intervention of a single human hand save that of the operator's hands on a remote control. He was able to guide it 1 centimeter in any direction and succeeded in putting the entire unit exactly into place as if it were no more complex than setting a glass on a tabletop. It fit into the space like a hand into a glove. Only after it had been screwed in place and slid open and closed to test it several times did Demetrius finally smile and sit down for a glass of water. I am sure he will sleep well tonight!

For now, however, his work continued. We met and finalized plans for the 3 bathrooms and powder room. Vanities, mirrors, lights, doors, windows, heaters, towel racks and pegs, colors...all is now designed and understood so that the bathrooms will be completed and installed in our absence. We reviewed the kitchen plans for the last time as the kitchen will be completed two days hence. The kitchen installation needs to be completed before the remaining doors and windows. We visited the marble and granite stone cutting factory yesterday and decided against black granite counter tops. We chose granite that is a flowing mix of terracotta and gray which will complement our floor tiles, appliances and cabinets while keeping the look lighter. As the kitchen is quite small, I hope it will appear more spacious with this lighter colored granite. Our new choice needs to be cut and delivered before the factory closes for holidays on August 1st. It cannot be measured or cut until the kitchen installation is complete.

Things are progressing very quickly now. While it is great fun, it is also tiring and we are in need of lunch as all this activity has taken until 3:00. When we arrive in BF's kitchen we find a huge workman's bucket of yellow and red grapes that Panayiotis brought earlier. We fall upon them greedily devouring them like starving little piglets. To my delight they are seedless. They naturally taste divine as they are fresh from the vine this morning. After lunch and Ouzo, we sleepily trundle off to our room to examine our eyelids for holes until it is time for an evening swim around 6.

This is an easy pattern we have developed in only a few days of being here. We arise early, swim, have breakfast, shop and work on house related projects, eat lunch around 3, take a siesta, swim in the evening, shower and dress, prepare dinner and eat around 10pm. Then it is off to bed around midnight. This evening, however, we have been invited to eat at Panayiotis’ restaurant. After our swim we will make our way by car to the north side of the island where we will meet up with 3 cousins who also have a house here and who come to escape the infernal heat of Athens during July and August.

There will be no work tomorrow as it is Sunday. We may try our hand at windsurfing and become three in the multitude of moving colorful dots upon the water that we see from the terrace. Monday it will be back to work for we need to select lighting fixtures and small appliances for the kitchen. No rest for the wicked.

We Love It!

We arrived in Naxos after an early morning fast ferry from Piraeus. We typically pay an additional 7 Euros to upgrade to first class and it was SO worth it in order to curl up to nap and read in a comfortable seat. Upon disembarking the ferry with many suitcases and duffel bags, we were greeted at the dock by an astonished brother, Costis. “What is IN all these cases?” We had trudged along on our journey, sweaty and sore of muscle from hauling the cases filled with house wares from Ikea that I finally managed to accumulate. Though we brought only a minimum of clothes and personal items, we were heavily burdened and glad for Costis’ help.

We caught up on each others' news as we joined the mad crush of drivers racing away from the port and through the town. The cars and taxis dispersed as we continued and finally we approached the beaches and villages. With great anticipation tinged with a touch of dread, we arrived at the houses. BF's is complete and we will stay here during our visit. Ours is to be completed in the coming 4 to 5 weeks and requires more decisions. I was anxious to see the installed tiles, windows, doors, outside pavers and other progress that had taken place since we were last here in May. We toured BF's house, admiring the details, the functionality, how beautiful it is, what a marvel he created, how well it all came together.

Finally I could resist no longer. Would we like our choices now that they were realized, would we be disappointed, and worse, would we find that we couldn't live with any of the outcomes? We walked across to our house and entered. I was aware of holding my breath.

Oh! The blessed relief we experienced upon seeing the floors and terraces! We instantly saw our choices were good; love at first sight. The guest bathrooms are thrilling. The copper-colored tiles and mosaics are simply spectacular. Our bathroom in aqua tiles and mosaics is bright and cool and lively. The turquoise doors for all the rooms inside are just the right splash of color in an otherwise all white palette. The outside signal blue doors and window frames are iconic against the white stucco. Oops! The paint color in the guest bath is simply nauseating. If I can choose another color quickly, the crew will repaint it. How does 5 seconds sound for fast!

As we depart for the paint and hardware store, Yannis, the electrician, playfully calls out to me, “Choose with care! The whole island is waiting to see what you will do next!” As we drive, Costis tells me that, indeed, locals have been coming by to view progress on the houses. Tongues have clucked at my choices of color, bath tiles, floor tiles, kitchen design. It is not traditional and I, a foreigner, am highly suspect. Well, I expected this as I was forewarned by MG. I've been a rule-bender my whole life so it doesn't bother me. What does bother me is that “they” may think I really wanted that ghastly color in the powder room. I, too, was shocked at the screaming chartreuse where I expected soft pear. In any case I choose neutral beige for the second go-round. I hope “they” will approve!

It is very helpful to stay in BF's house. My list of what we will need for functionality and comfort grows by the minute. Fly paper and fly swatters! Drawer lining! Dust pan and brush! Yoga mat! Door stoppers! What I did not expect is the force of the wind, the Mal Teme. It blows steadily during July and August. During the night it howled so strong it precipitated dreams of hurricanes, sailing in raging storms at sea, crossing the desert in a sandstorm. It howls so and anything outside not nailed down is blown across the countryside. It blows dust into the house through the screens and penetrates every crevice. Door and window management is an art during this season. However, if not for the wind, we would suffocate in the heat. As it is, the temperature is very comfortable and mosquitoes are kept at bay during the day. At sunset, the wind dies and the mosquitoes come out in force. We flee indoors.

Before then, however, it is time for Ouzo and pistachios on the terrace as we watch the spectacle of the sun going down in a blaze of orange and scarlet into the sea. Costis shows us his latest photographs in black and white. He has toured the island and taken remarkable images of the mountains, the sea and other geographic wonders. He is preparing for a one man show that will feature some of this latest work. He will contribute some of those we instantly love to the house. I am both elated at this gift and jealous of his talent. Perhaps we can also take one or two back to Boston to remind us of our home and life here when we are off island.

The water is hard and leaves deposits and rings everywhere it touches. Am I really going to be able to deal with a black granite counter top? My fear is that I will want to constantly buff it and eventually will engage in a war with it. MG mentioned that he thinks it is too dark. We call Panygiotis. Yes, the black granite has been ordered but not cut. We can go tomorrow and look at other options. He will be here at 10 am. Perhaps we don’t want those towel bars with warmers built-in. Their foot print is too large. Yes, the order can be canceled. We also need to select lighting fixtures for throughout the house, and air conditioners. The latter will be our solution to the dust...simply close everything up tight and turn on the energy efficient air conditioners during the period of the Mal Teme.

We return to BF’s kitchen to prepare our evening meal. Oh yes, we will need a tea kettle, sponges and rubber gloves, left-over containers, hot mitts.....

Adjustments

We arrived mid-afternoon at Athens Airport. Immediately the differences to Boston are apparent. Throngs of tanned, sweating, scantily dressed people pushing, shoving, gabbling away simultaneously and vying for a better position make me feel that I have been dropped into an ancient Middle Eastern bazaar. We retrieve our bags, pass through customs and exit, then are bodily assaulted by a furious blast of hot, dry air and a shockingly brilliant sun. We find our rental car and drive into Athens where we are to pick up a second car belonging to MG's brother, who left yesterday for the house in Naxos. MG has business meetings in Athens for three days. I plan to shop for house wares so both cars are necessary.

Much of Athens is plug ugly. There is no getting around it. The architecture is the worst of 70's cement buildings and the streets are dirty, small, choked with cars, signs, graffiti, and litter. There appears to be no zoning as existing side by side one finds a pharmacy, a gas station, an apartment house with shops on the first floor and a row of dumpsters overflowing with smelly trash, followed by a dry cleaner and a coffee shop. In the future I intend to skip Athens entirely and simply take a taxi from the airport to the ferry dock at Piraeus and head straight to the nature and beauty of the island. When I wish to see the Acropolis and other important sights, I’ll spend a day doing so before departing for home.

As MG, BF and I made our way to a local taverna later that evening, it occurred to me that Greece strongly resembles the Philippines, where I lived for several years when a young woman. I see resemblances in climate, disrespect for the environment and an ability to tolerate everything happening all around one at once. All the senses are stimulated simultaneously and nothing happens in an organized fashion as I expect. Things happen through signals that I cannot read. I can say with certainty that this is NOT Switzerland. Oh, how I love Switzerland where everything is organized, in good working order, where the environment and beauty are respected. I wonder how I will fare here over time.

As soon as he sets foot in Greece, MG becomes a different person. I see the young man he was when he lived here return to him. He becomes more animated, affectionate, funny, more expansive in his speech and gestures. I love watching the changes overtake him and half expect his hair to re-grow.

To find the taverna, we drove along rutted roads, dodged stray dogs, avoided motorbikes with headlights flashing from unexpected directions, were mindful of children who ran barefooted in the streets at 10pm, avoided cars going every which way, and were assaulted by radios blaring with voices in a foreign tongue. After a few days have passed, this will seem like a party. On the first night as we finally arrive in a cloud of dust at a beach, it seems harrowing.

I understand the urge to colonize. I want to collect all the trash, clean the graffiti, round up the stray dogs, wash the children and make them sit at the table, tidy up the gardens, paint the houses, tear down the shanties, organize the drivers, build sidewalks and curbs and make and enforce rules about everything to keep life contained, neat and tidy. As it is, I will require a few days to get used to it, stop judging and wanting to change it, and just relax. It is how it is and always has been.

Here’s the improbable restaurant scene: a shack set in the middle of a pebble beach with tables and chairs ringing the gently undulating water’s edge. Diners are stationed alongside late night bathers still sitting upon their towels, shouting at their children through the darkness. We devoured delicious, fresh and locally caught and sautéed octopus, anchovies, calamari and another fish the name of which escaped me. We enjoyed a large salad and drank wine from a carafe underneath the moon and stars as we watched yachts come into the harbor and anchor for the night.

After MG is finished with work in Athens, we will take the ferry to Naxos to see the results of our decisions and the work of the laborers during the past few weeks. I am very curious to see the outcomes, especially since I heard that the workmen don't approve of any of my choices. Neither the floor or bathroom tiles, layout of the rooms, location of closets and cupboards, kitchen design and appliances, nor paint colors are traditional. They feel sorry for MG who is forced to put up with his ignorant American woman. People harboring these secret or not so secret thoughts that their way of seeing and doing is the normal, best and right way seems to know no national boundaries. They want me to be like them and I want them to be like me. We all will have to adjust and truly embrace the French way: Vive la Difference.

MG has left for work and I realize this is my first time unattended while in Greece. I am prepared to make my way to Ikea to buy pots, pans, mixing bowls, candles, place mats, sheets, towels, pillows and the like. His brother left me a cell phone and a GPS that he programmed to English. The rest is up to me. I think I will avoid this as long as possible. I can see the pool in BF's back garden from where I sit in bed. The sun has not yet found it. Right now seems like a perfect time for an avoidance swim.

A short swim completely awakened me. The pool is filled with fresh water and heated only by the sun. During the night the temperature drops enough to slightly cool the water. The morning’s combination of cool and wet are ideal to wash away the fog left from too-warm sleeping conditions overnight. We could not locate the “on switch” for the overhead fan, so spent the night with our very skin reaching out for the slightest breeze.

On the back veranda, we ate breakfast of cheeses from Naxos, bread, coffee, yoghurt and fresh fruit from the garden. Even at this early hour, the heat is too intense for my northern genes. I attempted to read after breakfast and promptly fell asleep until what I thought was 11:25 a.m. but proved to be 5 minutes to 5 p.m.! The inertia from the heat combined with the time zone difference and loss of a night’s sleep due to travel makes me long for energy. I sit in front of an open window trying to catch a breeze. The air that blows is hot and dry. My eye cavities seem like they are filled with glue and my face feels as though if I smiled, the skin would crack and split. I see no reason, fortunately, to smile. I shall jump into the pool again even though it means another complete application of sunblock when I emerge.

How do people manage to live and work in this environment in the absence of air-conditioning? BF’s wife and daughter and I drove to an upholstery factory to find fabrics for our sofas. It was so hot that the weavers periodically poured water from jugs over their heads. We found the fabric we each wanted and left before we choked to death in the dust and lint. Some birds we noticed hanging dead from their nests in the ceiling rafters were not as lucky.

I will attempt a trip to Ikea tomorrow. The best I could manage was to begin a list. I am reading a book called “Honey from a Weed: Fasting and Feasting in Tuscany, Catalonia, The Cyclades and Apulia”. The author follows her stone-cutter husband as he moves among various marble sources. She writes of the food and lifestyles of the named areas. It is of particular interest to me because the Cycladic island where they lived is ours...and they lived in a small stone cottage that sounds similar to the former goatherd's hut on our property. Impossible to think two people lived in such a building as it consists of nothing more than thick stone walls, a packed dirt floor and a heavy earthen roof supported by beams upon which lie a mat of bamboo. The author clearly lived a close to the earth experience. Perhaps this is what inspired her to trace the culinary beginnings and practices of the areas she visited. She provides a list of a typical goatherd's cooking tools that bears no resemblance to my Ikea shopping list.

On Day 3 I discover a way to survive the heat and dryness. After a dip in the pool to awaken the senses and stir the brain, I sit in a wet bathing suit under a ceiling fan spinning at high speed. My hand and arm veins no longer rise from the surface of my skin like so many snakes trying to escape. The constant urge to sleep has passed. I am beginning to be here now.

Octopus Hunters

This seaside property extends far beyond the boundaries mentioned in the deed. We walk to the rocky part of the beach with masks, fins, snorkels, a small bottle of bleach and mesh bag in hand. Diving among the rocks we are in search of octopus for lunch as we also take our morning swimming exercise.

MG was the family octopus and lobster hunter when growing up across from the sea in Athens. He developed a technique and fearlessness that I have observed but, to date, not implemented personally. First step is to spot the octopus in its hole. Search for a round hole lined by one or more seashells that form part of the octopus' diet. Peek inside and if an octopus is in residence, visually mark the spot and rise to the surface for air. Dive again to the spot and sprinkle a few drops of bleach into the hole. The octopus will dart out and you'd best be ready for a quick take-down. Grab it any way you can the second it tries to make a break. Insert two fingers under the hood and grab on with a strong fist hold. Come to the surface for air and while there, quickly turn the hood back on itself. This will kill the creature. Pop it into the mesh bag and go on the hunt again. When enough have been taken for your meal, it is time to tenderize your catch.

Tenderizing consists of smacking each octopus against the rocks 40 times. Next take it by the hood and rub it in a circular motion until foam forms on the rocks. Continue this circular rubbing until no more foam rises. Rinse it off in the sea and it is now ready to be turned into lunch. We generally use what is the simplest and perhaps tastiest preparation, as follows. Cut the octopi into bite-sized morsels and saute in a bit of olive oil and chopped garlic and parsley. Take care not to overcook, which is easy to do and which you will heartily regret. A squirt of lemon and dash of salt and you shortly will eat the freshest most pleasing lunch that rivals the best taverna or swank San Francisco restaurant.

Walking back to the house from the beach, neighbors call out greetings and present offerings of fresh yoghurt, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers and herbs fresh from the garden. A next-door neighbor asks us to try his freshly bottled wine (as if we'd refuse…HA!) and brings a bottle of crisp white. We trade a small octopus for some fresh goat's milk as I am keen to try my hand at making feta cheese. When it is time to eat, we will add to this remarkable bounty a few olives and some local cheese purchased at an upscale cheese boutique in Naxos City. After showering, we sit on the veranda watching the water and anticipating a noon meal far superior to any money could buy.

Other days we may want a walk or hike rather than a swim for our exercise. Along the way, I collect wild oregano, rosemary, mulberries in May or in August some figs from an abandoned garden. We forage, hunt and fish in the sea, trade with neighbors, grow our own vegetables and buy staples locally. As we wander, I am on the lookout to meet a neighbor with an apiary. Local honey which the bees make flavored with hemlock or rosemary is out of this world. Perhaps, I think, he or she will take some of my home baked bread in exchange.

Only then does it dawn on me. I have traveled so far only to return to my roots in Pennsylvania where I learned to bake bread as my mother taught me. I wonder if the aroma tantalizes the neighbors as it did my brothers and sisters and I when we alighted from the yellow school bus. We could smell that delightful scent each Friday as the bus door flapped shut behind us. The tantalizing aroma made us quicken our steps, to reach the front door panting for breath and pushing each other out of the way. We were rewarded with a fresh, warm slice of bread and a smile from Mom. MG and I both love the prospect of creating wonderful experiences and lasting memories for our little grandchildren and for ourselves and friends as we all spend time together here in the coming seasons.

Technically this seaside property has a beginning and an end. In reality however, it reaches across boundless time and space.

Drunk on Shopping

It felt magical to walk onto the construction site and see two complete houses rising white and large from the ground where previously there had risen only tall grasses.Even though I had seen plans and photos they were little preparation for this experience. It is now a house that one can walk around inside, see the view from the "windows", imagine where the chairs and appliances will go. Chairs and appliances! OMG! The house is completely empty!

Our first task was to make final decisions on colors for doors, window frames, interior doors and kitchen cabinetry. BF had painted some boards with colors we thought we wanted. The decision was easy because of all the pre-work...Signal Blue for the window frames and exterior door, Powdery Turquoise for the interior doors, Pale Gray for the cupboard fronts with Medium Gray for the cupboard backs, all interior and exterior walls bright white. We'll soften the white, create interest and introduce color through the use of textiles.

All the bedrooms will have built in cupboards so next we turned our attention to designing these. How much hanging space?; how much drawer space?; shall we build in a desk area?; is a bookshelf a good idea?; shall we incorporate large mirrored expanses on the same or opposite walls? It was fun to think about future guests and imagine everything necessary for their comfort and enjoyment already designed in. After we took measurements and made sketches, we went to the cabinet-makers shop, Birbas.

There we discussed, drank raki and coffee, mocked up options on the computer, looked at product brochures and tried out showroom samples. With the competent assistance of Dimitri and in the space of one afternoon, our kitchen cupboards and bedroom cupboards/closets designs were firmed up. We will finalize after having a day or two to think about it some more to make sure we have included everything we want and need. We will have to live with any design mistakes!

Another big project was to source and select tiles for the house, terraces and bathrooms. We traveled all around Athens looking at various tile showrooms. A good friend of MG's suggested a showroom and it was here that we found everything we want. After much deliberation and looking at examples in other homes, we decided that we want the floor and terrace tiles to be the same. As we expect to have a seamless flow between the indoors and outdoors, having the same tiles flow through all inside and outside areas will help create that flow and uniformity while giving a feeling of greater space overall. I love, love, love the tiles we selected at SEYDAP. The tiles for the floor are 1 foot square and called "Riverstone". They do look more like stone than tile. The two guest baths will have large subway style tiles in an oxidized copper color on the floor and one wall with 1 inch mosaic tiles on the three other walls. Our bath will have oversize subway tiles in white on the floor with two walls in oversize aqua subway tiles and two walls of glass mosaic tiles. Here we also found modern, beautiful bathroom mirrors and shower enclosures. We placed a HUGE order.

Oh that raises a question! How will we get everything from Athens to the island? BF to the rescue again. His company uses a freight consolidator, Hermes, to move goods from the Athenian port of Piraeus to the islands. We will have all our orders shipped to Piraeus, consolidated and then brought to the island in one go.

Okay, on to Ikea. While in Boston, I thought of the idea of shopping on Ikea. When I mentioned it to people in Athens, it turns out that many people building homes in the Greek Islands furnish them with Ikea goods. It makes sense as their goods are of modern design, simple, good value for the money and not so precious that one will worry about them. Ideal for an island vacation home. Turns out there are two locations in Athens. We did a mad tour on day 1. So glad I've shopped Ikea at home because I knew how to navigate the store and could guide MG, who glazes over after 3 minutes of shopping. We agreed on a first set of options and took photos.

Next day we came back with MG's brother who will be a frequent visitor and has spent a lot of time on the island. With his input, we selected a dining table and chairs, beds, night stands and occasional chairs for the guest rooms and for our bedroom. We found chairs and coffee tables for the living room. As much of the furniture will be built in, we don't need much. We wrote out the order and left it with Costis to place it so the timing works out for the Piraeus consolidation.

That same afternoon we dragged Costis along with us to shop for mattresses. What a trooper! We discussed many configurations but in the end decided on 3 Queen and 2 single mattresses as providing the most options overall. The basement is a beautiful room with French doors to the outside, generous windows and a beautiful tile floor...we can create a dormitory there with portable beds and screens if we have many visitors clamoring to arrive during the same period.

We went to the mattress factory and laid on many mattresses in order to find the ones we each liked. We had them made to American specifications so U.S. sheets will fit. I like the patterns, colors and thread counts available in the U.S. so I will ship sheets and towels from Boston.

Okay, last set of purchases...outdoor furniture. There is a patio/terrace off each guest room, a terrace off the kitchen and a large terrace off the dining room and living room. The terraces off our bedroom, the kitchen and the living/dining room all have built in benches that will be outfitted with cushions. In the final count, we will need a large table and 8 dining chairs for the main terrace plus a small taverna style table and at least two Director's chairs for each of the other terraces.

MG and I went on our own to several stores to do the initial hunting. After awhile it all begins to blur and to look the same. Out of the confusion, however, came a useful insight. I don't want one large table stuck right in the middle of the terrace. It will become something to walk around, a blockage. Rather, I would like two tables that seat 6 each and can be placed on each side of the main terrace. This will give many more seating options for a small group or duo and we can seat 12 to 14 by placing the two tables together. I had to argue quite hard for this design concept, but in the end MG agreed. After thinking it through BF also decided to go with this option.

What luck. On the very day we decided that we would buy everything at superstore Leroy Merlin, a one-day only, 10% off sale was in progress. I don't understand Greek but s-a-l-e is one word I DO understand. Suddenly a posse of workers surrounded us as we ordered 4 of this, 8 of that, 6 of the other, and so on.

Even the sexy young woman dressed in a tight black dress with a zipper from the high hemline to her hip got into the act. "Miss Patio World 2010", as I dubbed her, was doing the Vanna White point this way and that as she directed the fork lift operators. Initially I couldn't understand what her job was. It didn't' take too long for her role to become evident. She provided my amusement for the day as I watched all the men from pot bellied to young and punk salivating over her. I guess "Sex Sells" is still a big marketing concept in Greece.

We filled up several pallets and ponderously made our way to the shipping dock so these goods could join the others in Piraeus.

MG hates to shop but he was dragged into it every day for a week since I don't speak Greek. He was most patient only saying to me once during all this, "you really need to learn to speak the language." He's right. I need to and want to learn Greek. And I will. But for right now, I'm just happy that all this work is behind us.

The whole experience felt as if we had won a lot of prize money and had to spend it all in 5 days in a mad dash around Athens and the islands. It will be big fun to return in July and see all the decisions we made implemented and before us in living color. I can hardly wait.

Greek Easter

The building is progressing well under Panagiotis' management. It MUST! It is nearly the time of year when he shifts his business from construction to landscaping, gardening and running his seaside restaurant and guest cottages. Now the decisions that need to be made are coming in a flurry. Do we want marble toppings on the walls surrounding the terraces or do we want them rounded and covered in stucco? I'd never thought about it but it seems it is an important question because where does one set drinks and plates of food when one is outside? There will be tables surely, but wouldn't it be convenient to have a marble ledge in addition? Always the thought is for food and for convenience. I like the way these people think! The tiles we selected for the floors are no longer in stock. What do we want instead? Given that we selected the purple interior door color to "go with" the floor tiles, should we reconsider using purple? Aqua is more universal and is sure to complement whatever terracotta tiles we now select. Back to the internet for searches. Do we want niches in the walls for icons as a nod to the local traditions? I don't think so, but then again, will we regret NOT having them? Do we want two refrigerators and one freezer or two freezers and one super sized refrigerator? Stainless steel fronts or white or black? Our evenings speed past as we research, consider, discuss, decide and then sleep on it before sending our decisions by email to Panagiotis.

Our breakfast talk now is of our future life in Greece. MG and I always make it a practice to have breakfast together. Even on mornings when I don't need to arise early and the covers feel so heavy, I still roll out to join him for breakfast. It makes a beautiful start to the day to sit across from the one you love, chit chat, feel the sun streaming in the window, hear the birds in the background and eat what my mother would call "a breakfast that sticks to your ribs."

The other morning MG wondered aloud, "Where will we eat breakfast when we are living on the island?" We enjoyed coming up with locations such as, side by side at the dining room table facing the sea or on the front terrace when the weather is fine, or on the terrace off our bedroom when we want a change. Note to self: I'll need lots of trays.

With Greek Easter approaching we also mused about how we would celebrate that holiday when living in Greece. In Boston, we annually have a table full of family and friends that typically includes the two grandchildren, son and daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law's mother and grandmother, mother's "new" husband, "new' husband's grown children with significant others, MG's ex-wife, plus assorted friends for a total of 12 to 14 people.

I spend 3 days in preparations that include developing the menu and selecting recipes, placing the order with the butcher for lamb, food shopping, advance sous chef work and cooking, hard boiling and dyeing eggs, and setting the table. We gather around 3 PM for cocktails and appetizers of hummus, pistachios and Greek olives. MG will have already hidden, challengingly well, the eggs, candies and miscellany for the grandchildren's egg hunt. In previous years I dressed up in a too elaborate, somewhat believable and very hot Easter Bunny costume and accompanied the children on the hunt. It involved a lot of pantomime plus back-breaking squat jumps. It became a bit too much with things needing attention in the kitchen and me hopping about in the back garden sweating jelly beans. Some years I was able to fob it off on an unsuspecting adult child of "new" husband's. Soon everyone began arriving late, in hopes, I suspect, that an earlier arrival would have been recruited to wear the costume. By the time the grandchildren were 9 and 5 the costume was retired.

In recollecting his childhood Easter meals in Athens, MG remembers everyone gathering in the outside garden, drinking, talking, smoking, snacking and taking turns turning the crank for the lamb as it roasted on a spit over an open fire. Here we don't roast a whole lamb over a spit outside, but I have found a fantastic recipe that everyone raves about for Sun Dried Tomato and Goat Cheese stuffed Lamb with Red Wine Sauce. Dinner also includes potatoes, a green salad, and two vegetables that I vary from year to year. After dinner, a dessert course of Greek baklava, galactobureko and kataifi with strong coffee, lots of stories and talking. However, before the children pass out from sugar overdose, we play the game "crack-the-egg" or chugrisma ton avghon. The children love this tradition their Papou has continued from his childhood and new guests are always delighted to be introduced to it.

I hard boil, dye red (it must be red...to symbolize the blood of Christ?), rub with olive oil, and finally, buff to a shine, enough eggs for each guest to have one egg. First everyone selects their egg from a bowl. The game begins with two people tapping their eggs together, either pointed end to pointed end or rounded end to rounded end. One egg will crack and the holder of the uncracked egg is the winner, who then goes on to challenge-tap someone else. An egg is "dead" only when both ends are cracked. The game continues until there remains only one egg with one uncracked end left. That egg is declared the winner. It sounds so silly, but we really have a good time doing it. Funny how one of the grandchildren always manages to pick the winning egg (wink, wink) Eating deviled eggs the next day is the consolation prize for everyone else!

I truly am looking forward to Easter next year in Greece to see the genuine, non-Americanized traditions unfold in real time. Our family will mix and dine, laugh and play chugrisma ton avghon with new friends and neighbors. MG and I will discuss over breakfast final details for the event and probably reminisce about past Greek Easter celebrations in Boston. Truth be told, I'd much rather take a turn with the spit than wear that bunny suit again.

Island Color

A bit uncertain about how to select colors for a house that is thousands of miles away and that we would live with for many years (MG doesn't particularly love change) I decided there was nothing to do but simply plunge in. First I needed some inspiration.

I began by going to my bookshelves where I rounded up books and magazines. I luxuriously spent two evenings flipping through gorgeous full color photos of interiors and exteriors of houses located in warm climates: the American South and Southwest, California, islands around the world, Southeast Asia, India. The books resembled porcupines with hundreds of post-it notes fluttering from the edges. I paid particular attention to bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms and outdoor terraces as these were the colors and materials I needed to nail down.

Next, I went to several book stores with the intention of purchasing books showing the interiors of Greek or Greek island homes. I searched everywhere and with the help of reference librarians, discovered with surprise that there are no books in print on modern Greek interior design or Greek style. Yes, opportunity for sarcasm to think, well, Greeks have no style, but there is plenty available on ancient Greek style and quaint villages. All these, however, contain only exterior shots. Hmmm...perhaps after I have lived there a few years I'll publish my own book about interior Greek style. I know several professional photographers in Athens, a publisher in New York...but STOP! Focus on the task at hand.

I next went to two local libraries and not finding any books there on modern Greek style either, I checked out an armload of books on modern kitchens, bathrooms and terraces/landscapes. Two more evenings of study and research and my head was crammed with images and ideas. My dreams were vivid and colorful as I floated through many houses and countries in my sleep.

The next day, I took out my trusty color wheel and began dialing. Ultimately, I decided on a tetrad color scheme so there would be 4 main colors to play with and use repeatedly throughout the house to give a sense of cohesion, unity and flow overall. I decided on red-violet, red-orange, blue-green and yellow-orange. The main driver for the scheme was the flooring. During this period MG was in Greece overseeing construction and scouting for tiles. By taking photos and sending them to me online, we selected the stones for the terraces and outside walkways. The outside stones will be blue-gray flagstones. We decided on terracotta tiles for the interior floors rather than the more traditional white marble. Knowing I could liven up the place with textiles, I previously agreed to stark white interior and exterior walls as MG wished and as is traditional. He agreed to terracotta flooring to add some warmth to the "cold" of the massive expanses of white walls and ceilings. The tetrad was driven by the red-orange of the flooring.

With all that settled, I played with my Benjamin Moore color deck to find shades and tones I LOVED in the red-violet, blue-green and yellow-orange colors. I then went to my local paint shop to pull color chips of the shades.

Meanwhile a decision was needed on whether to pave all external terraces in the flagstones or to make an exception and use the terracotta tiles on the main terrace. This terrace is visible and accessible from both the dining and living rooms. An argument could be made that a better sense of the desired effect of the indoors merging with the outdoors would be had if the main terrace was tiled rather than paved with stones. The eye would be pulled across the rooms to the outdoors. Using the flagstones on the terrace, while creating unity for the outside surfaces, could create a hard dividing line between the inside and the outside. I was a bit unsettled by not having all outside surfaces the same and by using what seemed to me to be an indoors material(tiles) outside, but I did want that indoor-outdoor flow. After all, that is why we were particular to modify the original plans so that these two "walls" would be built almost entirely of glass.

One morning while not thinking about this at all, I had the insight that if we used a gray colored grout on the inside tiles and the outside stones, this could be the color and material that created the indoor/outdoor flow. I re-looked at all the books and magazines to find photos of indoor terracotta tiles with gray grout and outdoor terraces with gray flagstones and gray grout. I much preferred the gray grout. In the case of the terracotta tiles, it made the floor less noticeable and appear old. I preferred this look to a white grout which made the tiles "pop" and everything scream I'M HERE AND I'M NEW. In the case of the outside paving, I had been somewhat "bothered" by the way the island masons leave large patches of white cement between the stones, which did not please my eye. In a strange case of figure-ground, the patches were dominant in my sight when looking at island flagstone walks and terraces. With the gray grout, I felt sure that I would not notice the cement areas and the stones would blend better. Voila! We could use tile indoors and flagstone outdoors without creating a dividing line to interrupt the continuity between inside and outside.

I created a mock up to show MG the color scheme and materials on the architectural renderings. He was due home from Greece that evening and I couldn't wait for "show and tell" to begin! We needed decisions quite soon on colors for the exterior doors and window frames, the interior doors, the bathroom tiles, and the kitchen cabinets and countertops. The doors, frames and kitchen cabinets are custom made and painted at the factory in Poland so dithering on these decisions would bring the entire construction to a halt.

We came to our decision quite easily as I was able to demonstrate the logic of my recommendations and show examples of what the finished product would look like. The exterior color would be that vibrant island blue you see everywhere in the Greek islands, the terracotta tiles are a warm red-orange with areas of gray tones, the interior doors and door frames would be red-violet (aka purple), the one inch mosaic tiles in the various bathrooms yellow-green (aka peridot), red-orange (aka persimmon),blue-green (aka aqua) and white in the 1/2 bath/powder room. These same colors would be repeated in various rooms in differing combinations throughout the house with textiles (table linens, dishes, bedding, drapes, couches and chairs, pillows, etc.) The kitchen cabinets would be gray with black granite countertops and stainless steel appliances, which would pick up the grout and the gray n the floor tiles. Great! I THRILL at the image in my head of how the house will look aglow with these colors, the strong sun shining in, guests on the terrace, grapes in the garden. I love it already.

AAARRRRGGGGHH! It isn't as easy as sending BF or the contractor the names and numbers of the Benjamin Moore colors I want because, I belatedly discover, in Europe another system is used. The color system in Europe is standardized and based on a German scheme known as RAL. The only way I could communicate what I want is to provide the RAL color codes. Well in this modern era of technology, amazing things can happen. I researched RAL online, located one company in the Northeast that would sell me a single RAL color deck, ordered it and it was on my doorstep via UPS the next day. Fine Paints of Europe came to the rescue. I selected the RAL colors closest to the Benjamin Moore colors and sent off an email the following day.

The only problem remaining is that when MG was in Greece we didn't know the colors we want for bathroom tiles. None of the photos he took show the colors on which I now had my heart set. It is too risky to send the RAL colors to the tile showroom in Athens and ask a random salesperson to select tiles closest to those colors. At the end of the day, we decided to have the house complete all but the bathroom tiles. When we travel to Greece in May we will select tiles in person, order them and have them installed after the fact. What a relief. All things are possible.

Next stage...finding textiles. Or would it be better at this point to think through whether it makes more sense to buy pots, pans, dishes, sheets, etc in Greece, or buy them here, fill a container with new and extra things we already own and ship it to Greece? I received a flier in the mail advertising a big one day sale at Bloomingdale's. Hmmmmm...how do I find out about shipping household goods overseas?

It Rises From the Field

Construction began in October 2009. Owing to the fact that there is virtually no wood on the island, what does exist is very precious and temporarily used to frame houses, not to be built into them. Therefore, unlike in the U.S., the entire house is constructed of poured concrete with openings filled in with bricks. The resulting house could withstand a war, an earthquake, a monsoon, a hurricane, a wrecking ball and a rock concert all on the same day.

First things first, however. The site, former farmland, required serious clearing. Fifteen foot canes lined the field with the remainder covered in knee high weeds amid sweeps of quite lovely wildflowers. Everyone hoped it would not be a rainy fall and we were very lucky in that regard. Work was able to continue without interruption throughout the fall and winter of 2009 and into the spring of 2010.

Once cleared, the men and machines moved in. Both houses were to be constructed serially using the same crews doing the same jobs days apart, first at BF's house then at our house. Holes for the foundations were dug and the frames for pouring concrete were built. Then came an overkill of rebar and the poured concrete foundations and first floors. After these set, the rebar and concrete for the upper floors was poured. Insulation was inserted during the pouring process.

The plumbing and electrical was taken care of somehow. I didn't pay particular attention to that part but I trust that when I turn on the faucet, water will flow and when I flip a switch a light will come on...and not the other way around.

Over the brick and concrete a finer layer of concrete was applied, both inside and out. And that's where we are, as of today. On top of this a finish layer of concrete will be applied. This, I learned, is what stucco is...a fine layer of concrete. Then all surfaces inside and out will be painted a whitest white, just like in the tourist brochures.

The current set of decisions are the ones that most interest me. What shade of the requisite "Greek island blue" shall we paint the exterior trim and doors? What color and style of tiles for the bathrooms? Black granite or white marble counter top? What color kitchen cabinets? Terra Cotta tiles throughout the house? What size? Marble or tiled stairs? Where will I find sun-resistant fabric and a local person with a sewing machine to make cushions for the outdoor terraces? What color grout for the flagstone paths and terraces? Where shall we locate the vegetable and flower garden? Is it feasible to raise goats and make our own feta? What about keeping bees? Shall we plant an olive grove?

The Greeks have a wonderful saying that translates roughly as follows: Plant figs for yourself, grapes for your children and olives for your grandchildren. How long would it take for us to plant the vines, grow the grapes and make our own wine? Can we plant mature vines to give us a head start?

Or should I just make friends with the neighbors to our right? Which, by the way, suggests the use to which one family puts their plot's little stone shed. I came upon our neighbors stomping grapes in their shed one warm afternoon while wandering along a path. with lots of gestures and smiles on both sides, they allowed me to take a photo and gave me a bunch of grapes to taste. Each tiny white grape was an explosion of sweet liquid honey in the mouth that tasted of sun, happy bees, vanilla and, inexplicably, violets. Lucky children!

Hiring a Contractor and a Beach Surprise

Unable to speak or understand Greek, I was freed from attending meetings with the architect and contractors. I wandered around the village, slept late, sat on the beach, read and otherwise amused myself while the men did all the heavy lifting. Lest I sound lazy, let me add a different perspective...this is practice for life on the island at a proper pace. Attitude is everything.

I noticed a sea change in MG. He had only to breathe the air in Greece, shake hands, hug and clap backs with BF, eat some moussaka, speak in his native tongue and he was transformed. The Boston version of him melted into the sand. His skin turned golden seemingly overnight, his gestures became expansive and full of meaning, he was more affectionate, laughed more, slowed his pace, was overall more easy. Ah, this is going to be very good. There are many more layers of this man to explore. He's home here, grounded, somehow more substantial. His memories flow. I love watching him with his brother and BF. The ties and bonds among the three are deep and strong. They are witty and funny, with lots of history, insider conversation and jokes. Surprisingly, I don't feel left out. The warmth between them flows over everything nearby. It spills onto me and I laugh and feel warm, too, even though I have no idea what is being said.

MG's brother told us that, in his well-researched view, the island we chose has some of the very best beaches in the Aegean. Further, "our beach" was the best of all. Now is this someone whose opinion can be trusted or not? I decided to investigate for myself.

Being fair-skinned of Irish heritage, I am sensitive to the sun and conscientious about not exposing myself to it whenever possible. In advance of hitting the beach on day 1, I applied my usual SPF 90 all over, hopped into my bikini and then donned a long-sleeved white SPF 50 shirt, a long loose skirt, flip flops, sunglasses and a large, floppy brimmed, SPF 50 hat. With magazines and water in hand, I sailed onto the beach.

OOPS! Others were picnicking, sunbathing, playing volleyball, strolling, looking for shells, snoozing, reading and whatever...all completely nude. Yes, as luck would have it "our beach" is a nude beach. Nothing like standing out as the oddball. I am choose to think of it as "clothing optional" and enjoy the day. The water is brilliant, perfect. MG and I wonder what the grandchildren will make of the nudity!

Between meetings, we four hopped in a rental car and toured the island, looking at homes built by our architect and others built by the cousin contractor, towards whom we were leaning. We were very happy with our choice of architect. The style of homes he has designed are traditional at first glance and conform to the strict local zoning laws. They look like what people expect to see on a Greek island...white stucco, blue wooden trim, stone walls and patios, amazing views. Upon closer inspection, however, we noticed the subtle yet radical differences in the rounded edges and smooth curves, unexpected openings, passages and overhangs. We will fit in and stand out at the same time.

We closely inspected homes built by the cousin contractor. They are solid in every way. He is a very enterprising man and an excellent businessperson. In addition to his contracting business, he owns and operates a seaside restaurant. He grows most of the vegetables and herbs used in the restaurant. Stacked up the hillside run a series of beautiful little guest houses, each with an open terrace, view, private entrance, bougainvillea shaded outside area and garden, all of which he has built and operates for paying guests during the summer months. All guests share the cats.

Over a late dinner served al fresco with the sound of the sea lapping in the background, they talk and I listen late into the night. After many glasses of wine of his vintage followed by kitro and cigars, suddenly grins and handshakes break out all around. I tune back in and realize that a deal has been struck. Panygiotis will be our contractor. He is a good man, a relative, an entrepreneur, a man of his word and also makes a damn good wine. He is the right choice. We all feel lucky.