I’m getting a bit behind with all the photos I’ve been snapping lately, so this post will be mainly photos and a brief description/explanation where necessary. Hope you like them. Firstly, the one above was taken on Sunday October 12th in the area known as Mavros Kolymvos, just west of Makry Gialos at around 11.30am.

Gallery above: The new Mayor of the village (although I suppose he’s been ‘in office’ for a while now) Manolis, has been busy upgrading the traditional-looking lampposts in the village to LED type. Just a few nights ago, after a week or so of darkness while the new lamps were being fitted, they were switched on. I reckon they look pretty good. What do you think? These were taken at around 3.30am. Here are just a few more of the village in daylight too…

We did our first real walk of the winter on Friday October 3rd, since the temperatures have been somewhat low for the time of year since the beginning of the month (although they’re cranking up again now. It’s 25ºC outside as I type this post). With it having been slightly cooler we made the walk to the tiny church on the hillside across the valley from the village. Here are two views looking back on the village, one from around halfway to the church, and the other taken from outside the churchyard wall…

The first of those two above shows well how the olive farmers rotavate their olive groves at the end of the summer, in the hope that there will be autumn rains that will soak into the soil and fatten up their olives for the harvest that begins in earnest during November. Apart from one big short-lived storm though, they’re still waiting.

Above: I know, I’m showing off again, but since the hibiscus in their pots and the trailing plant that I put into the raised beds that I’d built have brought us so much joy this summer, I couldn’t help but take photos of them.

Above: A tiny cairn that someone had built on the beach. It’s only about 9 inches tall, and I couldn’t believe that it had stayed erect for as long as it had. Plus a delicious milopita (apple pastry) that comes a very close second to bougatsa as a small indulgence to accompany our iced coffees on the beach now and then.

Above: When we walk the lane up the mountain from our village towards Meseleri there are a couple of almond trees right beside the road, and they’re sadly not harvested any more. So, without much encouragement needed, we stuffed our pockets with the ones we could reach. I shelled them after drying them for a couple of days and added them to our almond jar. When you consider that they are grown everywhere here, it’s a bit eye-watering to see how much you have to spend to buy them in the shops.

And, finally…

Above: In a small café in Makry Gialos on Sunday, I couldn’t help noticing this sign. Good eh?

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