Lefkas in August

Another Greek post from the Ionian.  Or indeed, to be more specific, another Lefkas post.

This time from Nidri (Nydri / Νυδρί).   

First off I’d like to give a thumbs up to George, originally from Albania, who runs the Saranda Ola Kala taverna with his wife, Elizabeth, and their lovely daughters, Maria and Eleana.

At the time of visiting, it was crazy busy at the height of the season but George understood our dietary requirements, (Keto diet to control diabetes), and could not have been more accommodating or helpful.  

The taverna is decorated with dish towels from around the world, gifts from grateful customers, and while serving fresh, good Greek food, George entertains his customers and people in the street with colloquial phrases, like “cheers mate” said in perfect British accents, randomly shouting out “merry Christmas” and doing ball and cup juggling tricks in the street between taking orders.  (That may all sound a bit too ‘jolly’ and trying too hard but it works!).

George used to work on the Anna Maria ferry from Corfu to Paxos about twenty-two years ago and also used to do some acrobatics, all before he had four stents put in.  My notes also have something about his aunt, Raki, who is 77 years old but I have no idea what I was meant to remember about her!

George, Elizabeth, Maria and Eleana managed to work in the August heat but still bring that extra bit to their day to make sure everyone left smiling.  Thanks.

Meanwhile, almost opposite, on the other side of the road, is Cafe Pyxida, one of the many large cafes that opens both on totemain street and the harbour front and working there, is Glikeria.  

Glikeria also brought that extra something to work with her.  Looking after my other half, she was pandering to his every need, checking what size and shape mug he would like his coffee in, offering him hot milk if he preferred, that I jokingly complained she would show me up.  She immediately gave me a hug and withdrew the offer of hot milk from himself!  

When I asked if I could take her photo for the blog, like so many beautiful people, she was worried about how she looked but she is a truly gorgeous, lovely, genuine person.  Thanks Glikeria. 

So thank you to everyone above and thumbs up for making all our (Nydri) lives that bit better.

Now you've read this far, do you want to say thank you to anyone?  Well this is the place to do it.

If you would like to write a post to thank someone or tell us something nice that happened just get in touch and we would love to hear from you and to spread the thanks.  You don't have to know how to do the formatting and stuff, we'll help you with all that.  We just need some words and preferably some nice smiley photos.  (don't forget to ask if you can take them).  

This blog is for you, somewhere for you to have your say.  Thanks. 

A Greek post

This is a mini post from the Ionian islands in Greece.  We have to make a little exception here to the term "staff" since on the islands in the tavernas in particular, nearly all the people who work are family. Of course there are exceptions but.... 

My first thumbs up and thank you goes to Yianna in her family cafe in Sivota on Lefkada (Λευκάδα - also known as Lefkas and a few other English variations).

Sivota has a big boating fraternity where sailing flotillas come in for one night and leave the next morning added to a few luxury motor yachts and the day to day yachties who spend their summers sailing around the beautiful Ionian.  However, because people come in, want serving and most of the time will never, ever come back this way, service can sometimes be a little perfunctory to get the numbers served without investing too much of one self.  Imagine, no one in a cafe one minute, then fifty English, Italian, German et al of all ages, wanting serving at the same time and then three hours later, no one again.  

Anyway, Yianna and her family were most definitely an exception.  We went in for a light lunch and had a lovely homemade beetroot dip followed by egg and chips with a chilled white wine, (okay, the lunch grew).  Yianna was funny and helpful to both us and in particular a table of Italians nearby who didn't have any Greek or English to understand the menus.  

Then, a rather unpleasant Belgium man came in off his footballer style motor boat; middle aged with paunch but still wearing a crop top with hot pant style shorts, a red bandanna tied on his head pirate fashion and dripping in jewellery.  You get the picture.  Whereas the Italians hadn't had the language to communicate, they made an effort and Yianna of course understood.  This "gentleman" used the method of saying the same word over and over, louder and louder within Yianna's personal space.  Yianna maintained her smile, and together with the whole cafe worked out what he wanted, (which she didn't have), and with a flourish she produced something alternative that she thought would please him, (it did), and the status quo was resumed.

So Yianna, thank you and a thumbs up  from us.

Staying in Sivota and next door, I would also like to give a thumbs up to the lovely guys in the Sivota Bakery but, my apologies,  I failed to get their names or photos).

Another person I failed to get a name or photograph for was the lovely lady cooking in one of our favourite tavernas, Trehantiri, in Vathi on Ithaka (Ιθάκη - aka Ithaki, Ithaca etc).  It was a very hot night and she handled an enormous influx of patrons brilliantly and I had one of the best pieces of chicken on a grill I can remember, and, all with such a warm smile.  So thank you and a thumbs up .

My last Greek post about service with a smile doesn't include a photograph or any names after some consideration, even though I did get lovely smiles on film, it just doesn't feel right and I hope you'll understand when I explain; we are now on Paxos, (Παξοί - Paxi), and we're sitting at a taverna at night, it's very hot again, still in the 30°s, (about 90°F), while the temperatures in the kitchens, which we can see must well be above 40°(about 104°F).

We could see this young woman in the kitchens doing all the washing up above the steaming hot water, and our companion, an Austrian yachtsman that lives in Greece, went and picked some bourgainvelia, and went over and gave them to her.  The smile he was rewarded with, and that she had on for the rest of the meal was truly a sight to behold.  Our decision to not use names or photographs was after consideration of the gossip that can occur in a small village and we wouldn't want any misunderstanding or a belief that there was more between this man and woman than this simple gesture.

Therefore a thumbs up both to the Austrian and the washer-up and in place of their smiles, a pretty picture of Paxos.  

Don't forget, if you have someone to thank or a smile to comment on, just send in a post and share it with the rest of us.   Look forward to hearing from you.