Farewell, Leondaris!

 We have just said goodbye to our well-loved Leondaris. He has kept us company, entertained us and, above all, he has been a member of our family for nine full years. He was a strong character and his presence is hugely missed.

A local couple had found him abandoned by the roadside and, although they took him in, having a very small garden, they could not keep a puppy that was clearly going to become a big dog.  Z saw their electronic post and went to see him. Adorable though the puppy was, it was that he got on so well with the couple’s cats that won Z’s heart.   

                                                  

And so Leondaris came to stay. He immediately made himself at home and was a really cheeky wee pup with initial inability to control his ears – often in a one-up, one-down state!

And, as Z predicted, he got on well with our cats. Below he’s bidding Prunella a good morning in the garden.

                                            

In this next shot he’s reclining in the sun with Mr Mao – both instinctively able to suss out the sunniest spots and shady arbours as day develops.                                            

                                        

He was a great guard dog: the slightest sound would have him thundering down the path, throwing his weight against the outside gate to inspect instantly. A local tradesman, unaware we had a dog, once rang the outer bell. As we answered we heard him shriek – he was suddenly face-to-face with our canine constable!

 

Leon thoroughly enjoyed gardening with us and I always took a wee break from the weeding for puppy-cuddle-time. He welcomed guests and Konstantina, a regular visitor while she studied at the university here, was a firm favourite. His soft eyes could melt hearts – Chrissie said he was The Most Beautiful Dog. Ever. David had to stand – or try to stand - his exuberance as Leon rushed to embrace him, both paws of David’s shoulder. High impact! Margaret, sunning poolside on the recliner, watched in dismay as the naughtie proudly disappeared at high speed with her new sundress trailing from his mouth – eugh!

                                                

Here is one of my favourite shots of him. He was too intrigued by the snow to stay out of it. Mind you, his thick coat meant he was impervious to the cold.                                           

 Our doggie enjoyed his food and one of his real favourites was watermelon flesh and juice. In that preference he greatly resembled his master.                                   

With very heavy hearts we paid the vet/ferryman to help him more speedily on his way.     We hope he finds a puppy paradise where he can run free once more, chasing birds and butterfly shadows to his heart’s content.

 Dog  speed  - kalo tou taxidi!

Greek Bicentennial Celebrations.

 Our bicentennial celebrations went off very well and, although there was a biting wind, the sun shone brightly on guests and participants.

 Around the world countries honoured this special event by projecting related images onto their well-known buildings and landmarks. Below can be seen the San Francisco City Hall, Sydney Opera House, the Empire State Building, and the San Francisco suspension bridge.                                  

The Niagara Falls made an even more spectacular sight shaded in blue.

                                                

 

 

 

For me one of the most impressive lightshows came from Sao Paolo: their series of images included one of the national flag along with the Parthenon, images of an athlete and tumbler on a background of the Olympic Laurel wreath and, finally, with a touch of humour, the ubiquitous Greek talisman- the evil eye.

 

 Another country that merits mention is Haiti, being the first to recognize Greece as an independent state. This was a poor country formed by a slave uprising which defeated the French in 1804. The then Haitian President expressed his regret that they had no funds to donate, but arranged for a huge shipment of  25 tons of coffee to be sent, to be sold to buy weapons for the revolutionaries. What a wonderful example of support and solidarity!  

Of course, throughout Greece statues have long commemorated the freedom fighters of 1821 on whom the very existence of the current Hellenic Republic firmly rests. One that made an impression on me is that of Theodoros Kolokotronis on Stadiou Street just before it merges with Syntagma Square.  

                                        

He is easily identifiable by his kilted tunic, flowing locks, voluptuous moustache and unique helmet which he obtained when he served in the British army. This stood near the trolley stop I used every working day to get home to Paleon Phaliron. Invariably there was no trolley there and I had to wait for the next one. The statue proudly shows this great general leading his men into combat, but to me he invariably seemed to be saying,  'You just missed the number 30 – it went off in that direction 5 minutes ago!’

                                                   
Another famous character is the Lady Captain Laskarina Bouboulina who personifies the significant role played by women in the national struggle. She was a ship-owner from Spetses who not only donated her ships to the national fleet but personally fought on board. Not so well-known, but equally intrepid, was Domna Visvizi, the widow of a Thracian shipowner, who similarly donated to and fought for the war effort. 

 The celebration is not over, however, as lots of exhibitions and special events have been organized throughout the year which we look forward to enjoying.

And on March 25^th we shared one experience with the rest of Greece: at midday we sat down to the traditional meal of battered cod and garlic sauce. Everyone eats the sauce so no one can complain about what one waiter in Paleon Phaliron used to call ‘the garlic perfume’ of the others!                                           

Zito I Hellas - long live Greece!