Friday 26 July
After two weeks back home we are……
Sitting outside on a wide paved quayside, recently purloined by the latest cafe venturist, we sigh with the pleasure of returning and the scene before us.
A random selection of boats jostle along this quay, ‘stern to’, mostly privately owned and variously fitted out with brackets and burgees, wind vanes, solar panels and other weird and wonderful add ons. All combining to provide endless entertainment for the strollers, the curious and the critical, occasionally causing the downright nosey to stumble and nearly fall.
We are sharing a table with a transient group, Greek Mum with recently stitched leg after over enthusiastically kick starting her motorbike, ‘soon to be teenage’ son and his sister, tug of warring over the family lap top, plus Dad, chatting and joking whilst inwardly fretting over his roof problem.
A new face tonight, Mister Kairos ! An elderly, sharp witted gentleman, softly spoken and interested to talk. The skein of his history unwinds as he recounts a childhood upheaval from Constantinople ( now Turkey) to America, his various boats and sailing exploits and present life of 3 months in the USA, 3 months in Athens and the remainder of the year here. Soon his wife joins us but is not managing the heat so sinks into a comforting cigarette with Greek Mum.
Along comes father in law, he shakes a hand, pats a shoulder and glides back into the night. Mostly we drink water with the odd bottle of beer and occasional jug of rose, it doesn’t seem important somehow, though there is competition for the Greek version of Bombay Mix!
Suddenly Mister Kairos has to leave ( for just 10 minutes he tells us) a business call to the States, this is a tension we remember well.
