Two stories today!

1. Naughty or what?

As you will have read from earlier postings, my sunbeds are 12 euros for the pair with an umbrella. many people give me a 20 euro note and I always ask if they have the odd 2 euros to save my change and to prevent me loading the customer down with loads of coins.  Most people have a look and either say yes or no, if they look i don't mind, it at least shows they are thinking about it. Some however just offer a straight NO I DON'T. I shrug my shoulders, look in the cash bag and then apologise. "I'm so sorry, I have no one euro coins." I then root in my pocket and draw out one euro made up of one, two, five and ten cents. It is surprising, some people miraculously find the odd two euros when they see the change, but the ones I like most are those who say i don't want that, just take 13.  🙂 One euro tip for me!  o)

2. The Ferry Times.

A lady, (Greek) who has come to the beach about 2pm for the last few days only for me to tell her I have no beds or umbrellas left decided to come early today. She was waiting for me when I got to the beach at 10.30 and said "I want those sunbeds." She pointed to two on the front row.
"Are you using them now?" I asked.
"No, but i will be back in an hour."
"Okay, I don't normally do reservations, but i will save them for you until 12, no later. The beach will be full and I can't have beds empty as it costs me money."
"No no no, that's fine, I will be here by 11.30" she told me.  I allowed her to place her towels on the beds and she left.
11.30 came and went, as did noon. by 12.30 the only beds available were the ones she had reserved so I moved her towels and let them.  She arrived about one and complained loudly that I had given her sunbeds away. (She hadn't paid for them and even if she had I would have done the same.)
"You said an hour," I told her, "It's now an hour and a half after you said you would be here."
"But i booked them!"
"And i said i would hold them until 12," I said, "it is now one."
"But I came early to get them."
"And then left knowing what I had said."
"But I booked!" she shouted. By this time i was losing patience.
"Do you live on Mykonos?" I queried.
"No, I am Greek from Athens."
"Ah right. How did you get here?" I asked.
"On the ferry of course, from Pireaus."
"What time was the ferry?" I smiled.
"7.30 in the morning why?"
I smiled a bigger grin. "If you arrived at the ferry port at nine in the morning. what would have happened? Would the ferry still be there waiting for you?"
She thought for a moment or two. "No, I suppose not."
"Then if you can be on time for a ferry, you can be on time for two sunbeds."
I walked away leaving one Greek lady looking around for somewhere to sit!
Needless to say, I didn't get a tip from her!

Just love that Peter, absolutely brilliant.
Reminds of that programme about Easyjet and all the people who used to blow their tops because they had arrived too late for their flight and then expected airport business to stop for them, blaming the airline of course.

Every cloud has a silver lining and all that, Peter. At least the server crash today brought your post of the 6 July to my attention which I had previously missed having been in Madeira for a week. Very good.

With regard to the reference to the 7.30 am ferry from Piraeus, I know that extremely well from all the times we have used it getting to our friends' apartment on Syros. We certainly would not have missed it - a welcome relief from killing time in the port after arriving in the early hours of the morning at Athens airport!

I fear the Greeks, even when they do come bearing gifts - (Virgil)

I haven't started working on the beach yet but i was obliged to go to my friend's restaurant today to test the beer - well, I tested it yesterday but it may have gone off in the heat, thankfully it hadn't, but I expect I will need to go again tomorrow to ensure it is fit for the customers to drink  🙂

Anyway, I arrived and one of our regular customers - I'll call him Demitrious - was sat at a table overlooking the beach. He was drinking white wine and as people passed he was calling to them - yassas, ala kala, ti egene etc. etc. One group walked by and he suggested they came and had a drink. They took up his offer, plonking a botle of wine on the table as they took their seats. Demitrious ordered another carafe of wine and more glasses, theirs was opened and the new arrivals asked for some food, saganaki, taramasalata and calamari. The carafe and bottle were drunk and more ordered.  As they waited for the food, another four people joined the group ordering more wine and more food and the party got into full swing.
Demitrious asked my friend Costas to change the music to Greek, which he obligingly did and it didn't take long before the group was dancing. More drink was ordered and more nibbles as more and more passing people walked up the steps to join the party.
An hour went by and the drink still flowed but one group at a time decided it was time to leave and made their excuses to go, wishing everyone kalovrathi and kalinickta as they went. It finished up with just Demitrious and the first group that joined him there, and then they too made their goodbyes and went. Demitrious asked for his bill - expecting to pay for two carafes of wine and perhaps a dish of tsatziki and some pitta bread.
Iordanis, the barman, took it to him - 456 Euros.
Evryone else had gone leaving Demitrious with the whole account to settle.
I couldn't repeat the words he swore, even thouh they were in Greek.
It just goes to show, even if Greeks come to join you bearing a bottle of wine, make sure they pay their share of the bill before they leave.
Good for him though, Demitrious payed up but I doubt he will be asking people to join him again in a hurry !!!!!!!!!

Exactly the same thing happened to us at a bar in Austria. I can't remember how much it was now but we ended up paying for the nights drinks for a table of twelve.

Rose & Jim

The Fish
Well today was my first day on the beach this year and if its anything to go by, it will be an interesting year.

A couple were sat on the sunbeds, looking at the menu and called me over.
"What is the small fried fish?" the man asked, pointing at "Gavros" on the menu.  I told him it is fried fishes, sardines.
"I'll have one then," he told me.
I placed the order and a few minutes later they were ready so we took them to the place they were sat.
"I though you said a small fried fish!" the man said, looking at the plate.
"Yes fried fishes as you ordered," I replied.
"No! I wanted a small fried fish."
"These are small fried fish," I told him - the transalation fron Greek to English doesn't always work properly.
"No, no no! Fish, a small fish, fried, I wanted."
"Yes, these are the small fried fishes - large sardines," I responded.
"No no no no I wanted a 'small fried fish,' not all these!"
I looked at the plate of food - smiled - and pointed - - - -
"That is the small fried fish you asked for," I said pointing to ONE of the sardines, - "The rest are a free sample from us!!! Eat - enjoy - you're on holiday!"
I think he wanted a small cod and chips but he didn't get it. Still, there were no fishes left on the plate once he had eaten - and I was a five euro tip better off. - As I have said before - why can't everyone talk proper English like what I does?

A worthy start to the season.

Price Increase

It is with regret that I have to anounce the price of the sunbeds has increased. This is primarily due to the cost of the beach rental going up from 16E per square metre to 24E per suare metre and the increase in taxes, VAT and other things this government have introduced to try to meet the debt.  Unfrotunately, it has necessitated us putting up the cost of 2 sunbeds and an umbrella up from 12 to 18 euros a day. Still cheaper than Nammos who are charging 60

Of course, I got the normal complaints - but I was expecting that anyway so had a list of answers already prepared.

Germans - Blame Mrs  Merkil
French - Blame Mrs Merkil
Italians - Blame Mrs Merkil
Americans - Blame the Japanese
Russians - Blame the Americans
Japanese - Blame the Chinese
Greeks - Blame yourselves
Brits - Blame anyone who isn't a Brit

I think my best answer though was when one man said "Gee! we've beena usen this beach an' these beds for the past tin days (no typo on tin) and its been 12 ewros (again no typo - I leave it to my readers to guess the nationality - answers on the back of a ten euro note to ------)
I looked at him and answered. "Do you buy bread and milk from the same store each week?"
"Well yeah mostly we do,"
"So if the price goes from a dollar for milk to one dollar 50 cents," (ooops, I may have given away the guys nationality) "Do you say to the storekeeper, 'I've been buying my milk here for the last X years and its always been a dolllar a carton' or do you pay it?" 
"I pay it naturally, its a price increase!"
I smiled, held out my hand and said "18 euros please sir!"

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

I hope it doesn't put people off giving you tips  😮

I'm always giving 101 tips!

What is the charge for sitting on your own towel on the beach, or is that not allowed?

Like all Greek beaches Ray, there has to be a free public seating area and on "my" beach there is one about 15 yards to either side of the lifeguard station. there is no charge for sitting in that section.

Peter you are actually 'there.' I know Greece has been here before lots of times and pulled back, but what now is the real prospect of leaving the euro?

Peter you are actually 'there.' I know Greece has been here before lots of times and pulled back, but what now is the real prospect of leaving the euro?

Worrying! The new leader seems to be sticking to his mandate and refusing to make any more cuts to pensions or increases in direct taxes. All but one of the municipalities have refused to habd over any more money to the central government and without it i don't see any way they can meet the next repayment. However, the big players in Europe don't want Greece to leave the Euro as it would cause more chaos than them staying in. That said, I was in the bank this morning and ALL the customers in front of me were putting money in not taking it out. We should know one way or the other next week although rumour has it, they are already printing New Drachma notes.

All the best to you, whatever happens.