It was 20 years ago today ......

When we moved from Athens in 1995, we went to live in Kato Toumba – a densely populated area of Thessaloniki, but, nevertheless, one that retained a sense of community. It was very noisy and at times there were parking problems so once again we rejected urban life for something quieter. We looked around at maisonettes which did not appeal. In general they were cramped, expensive, affording less privacy that our single-floor, corner flat in Toumba.

Z had come across a half-finished house in an agricultural area in the Vasilika area and arranged a visit. It was winter 1998/9 and the weather cold, wet, overcast. The ground was muddy with knee-high thistles and my immediate reaction was to smile at the vendor and mouth to Z, ‘No way!’

                         

Yet Z was enthralled: the building was sound, the price reasonable, the unfinished state allowing us some leeway in making personal choices. He suggested we make a second visit so I agreed - with my mind made up anyway! But to my surprise what I saw before me was quite another place. No longer shrouded in mist, the place lay in a sun-washed plain that was welcoming us. The villages of Peristera and Vavdos could be seen nestling on their mountain ridges, while we heard the church bells of the nearby Lakkia peel out. And it was then that Z played his strategic card: he said that there was lots of land, an independent water supply, and that if I agreed that we take the place on, he would build me a swimming pool – a long-term dream of mine. And there and then the decision was made.   It was negotiated that the owner undertook to complete certain aspects of the house within six months. We would make a deposit and undertook to do the rest – and, boy, was there a lot to do!                    

                            

Here you see our two doggies test-running the newly-laid path and searching out shade under our inherited olive trees. That’s Alex on the left, Leyla on the right.

The move was to happen on the Wednesday, lorry booked, house all clean. But we took the first batch of what we could ourselves on the Saturday beforehand. The weather was incredibly hot – topping 40oC- and the house seemed so cool that I made the decision to spend the night there- no beds or mattresses, just lying on a layer of towels.  I never went back to the city!!

 We decided too that the pool work had to start first and the garden project would follow. Z had asked several companies for a pool construction estimate that came to about two fifths of the total cost of house, land, taxation and lawyer fees – astronomical! But one local company suggested we get local contractors to undertake the different stages  and that they would do a final inspection that all was well, on condition that we used their pump  and lighting equipment – done! We also got the contractors to deepen the well and construct a sturdier pump house. All that work, including laying the tiles and stone slabs around the house nd pool all came in at half the estimated pool outlay. Great, but as project manager Z was run off his feet: ordering materials, staging contractors’ services relatively seamlessly, being foreman and checking at each stage - the dude served several apprenticeships simultaneously that summer.

                                            

This pool construction was all done in searing heat but the day came when the equipment was all in place and tiles were grouted. We just needed 48 hours for them to dry out before we began to fill the pool. It was then that our Swedish family friends arrived to spend a few days of their holidays with us. As a race, they place language learning as a high priority, so I was impressed when I heard the Mum tell her two sons – about 5 and 7 years old - that in this house they were allowed to speak only Greek or English. (Can you imagine such a scene happening in Britain?!) Angelos, the elder, was beside himself when he saw the pool but his excitement quickly ebbed when he saw it was empty.

He stared in dismay, thinking for a few moments, then turned to Z and asked in Greek, in glorious, final-syllable lilting Scandinavian tones, ‘But where is the water?’ We arranged they had a swim elsewhere to offset their initial dismay!

                                                  

Above we see the water pipes being laid for the sprinkler system, once that was done we could seed the lawn and plant trees. In the second picture, the grass has begun to grow and the tunnel-cum-garage has been put in place. The temperatures are now more comfortable and the Greek flag flies on the flagstaff for the first time as we celebrate National Day on October 28^th. In four months Z has overseen a complete transformation.

  And here we are now, twenty years on.  We have a second floor constructed, an outer insulation coat applied and a garden that has matured.       

                                             

Our home still requires a lot of work; it’s a high maintenance project but we have also created many happy memories during that span of years.

And the same goes for the garden. Through trial and error we manage to produce vegetables every summer from our patch.  This year we have done battle with magpies for whom our ripe, sweet tomatoes are so enticing we find them ‘beaked’ in several places ! 

                                                      

Z’s response has been very successful in deterring our marauders: his suspended cds reflect the sun rays and clink against the cane supports.    His very own son et lumiere show!