Wednesday 26 October 2016

Good Morning, Good Morning and Maybe Good Afternoon


These pictures have nothing to really do with todays post.  Its more 'Typing out loud', I'm afraid.  Today's post is more thinking.



These pictures are of Spetse,  in Greece.  Cars are banned from the town.  I kind of like that.



Water taxis bobbing about on the waterfront.  



The above picture is of the road back to Athens.  

I love a few places on the planet, Canada took my heart many years ago.  Even before Posh Boy, my childhood friend moved to England from Canada.  The love affair started there.  Its so clean, people are so friendly.  Its so easy to travel around.  Whats not to love?

New Zealand.  Land of the Hobbit.  Again another very clean place, easy to travel about and the people were super friendly.

France.  Oh, France, I fell in love with France on a school exchange in the suburbs of Paris.  The food, the clothes, the people.  I thought my penpals mother was the most chic person I had met in all my 12 years!  lol  It was an assault on the sense for 2 weeks France, indulged me, gave me some independence and with that came the idea that it could be somewhere I would like to live at some point.  It hasnt happened yet, but never say never right.  We nearly moved there when we were 24.  We even found the house, on the outskirts of Aubetterre sur Drone.  It had a round turret and was surrounded by sunflowers.  There was some complication with the family who were selling it.  The siblings could not agree, it was not meant to be.

Every year since we have been together, bar the last 2, we have been to Greece.  We have sailed around all the islands.  Just the 2 of us and a 33 foot yacht.  It is actually hard work when it is only 2 of you.  And although some people think it is posh or ritzy... it is nice you get to see lots of place and not from the land out to see, but vice versa.  The weather can some times be scary and pumping sea water to flush your own toilet can mean it is a little smelly in the head.  Radio checks with foreigners can be hit and miss, bilge pumping, exhaust checking, prop wraps, all things you have to be prepared for.  On the whole it is fab.

We have friends who live in Porto Heli (Porto Cheli), who most of the time we stay with when we finish the 2 weeks on the boat.  Gives us respite from wobbly legs.  Treat us to amazing food, from their amazing garden.  It has also crossed our mind to sell up and run off to the Greek sun.  The houses are extremely well priced there.

Lets do some star gazing - If you could live anywhere, where would you go?  And what type of house and garden would you want?  Go make a post on your own blog and leave me a comment so I know to visit.  I would be interested to know where you would go...

11 comments:

local alien said...

Laskarina Bouboulina. What a woman. Heroine of the Greek War of Independence (from Turkey of course). TThanks for all those wonderful photos and the nice words about both of my homelands. I suppose I shouldn't complain about leaving NZ because I ended up in Greece. How did you two end up on the rocks at Porto Heli?

Greek house market prices have gone way down.....unless the owners think you're a rich foreigner! Sorting out the paper work in a foreign speaking country must be so maddening. I think I'd choose an english speaking country to escape to, though cheap, english speaking and sunshine don't often go together. The older I get the more I think I would stay put but I would like to be able to travel back to NZ a bit more often.

Don't forget ' the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence'. Every country has its up side and down side.

northsider said...

We want to move to Portugal Sol because it's got fabulous weather and it's 35% cheaper to live there than the UK or Ireland. I think I would like to rent somewhere first for say a month, before committing ourselves to moving there. Another highly likely possibility is to buy a really cheap house or apartment and let it when we aren't there. Lovely photos Sol.

Sol said...

Hi Linda, with Brexit, we know we are better off here till we know what is going to happen. What we do know is that we want to get off of the wheel where we keep running. We wont be leaving England. We think it will be more south west. We did think about Scotland, we have many times as it would be easy as we have family there. But it is colder than I would like. Further south will be more than my liking.

We didnt end up on the rocks, a neighbouring boat on the pontoon did. We were having lunch, we saw a lot of activity. Then all of the fishermen (although I think they were just locals who had small boats), they rushed out with jet skis, dragging dinghys and little boats with them out into the middle of the bay. Nico jumps up, "tachoo", (I remember this as I thought he was saying tattoo), my friend who I went to school with his Wife, moved fast as lightning. and we were running down the road to the pontoon, they were screaming at the people who were on their terraces. Everyone started running. My friend shouts, cast off get away from the pontoon. Follow us.

We took our springs off, pushed as hard as we could and motored off into the middle of the bay following them as they dragged their boat and kids dinghys. We followed over to shelter behind the headland on the other side. Out of no where. The sky went black. Bolts of lightning were hitting the water out the other side of the bay. we dropped the anchor and they tided up to our side. The wind came and we were dragged back into the middle of the bay. We could see the hotel where they had water sports, racing out in their rib to save tourists from their wind surfers and dinghys. thats when we saw the yacht go right over, smashing into the rocks breaking the mast.

And then as if nothing had happened the clouds rolled out, the rain stopped, there were rainbows and the wind dropped. It was wild. That was our first storm on a yacht. We have had many since. We had many in France and another scary one in the English channel. I am getting a bit old for that.

Sol said...

Hi Dave, ive said before I think that I have been to Portugal a few times. My parents took me out of school to go there and try and purchase a huge farm of cork trees and the finca on it. Probably a good thing they kept putting the price up and my parents couldnt afford it then. Most bottles are screw caps now! Good luck, I hope you find what you are looking for. For us I just want to be closer to the sea and no mortgage. Now we both need to make these reality.

Janie Junebug said...

I would love to visit France and Greece, but most of all, England. Based on the cities I've seen so far, I'd like to live in San Francisco. I enjoyed reading about your travels.

Love,
Janie

Sol said...

Hi Janie, San Francisco seems like it is a really nice place and really picturesque. I think the trams will be fun as well, such a better way to get around. The trams in Vienna are very good, nice and clean and all on time.

Where would you like to see in the UK?

Stephanie Faris said...

How beautiful! I'd live within America...but maybe on a beach somewhere secluded from traffic and crowds. Close enough to have stores and other amenities but not so many people!

lovelygrey said...

Oh I'll have to have a think about that one. I'll be back when I've pondered. xx

Sol said...

Hi Stephanie, its cool to reead where others would live. The internet opens up so many options and to hear from people completely outside your own life. I completely get being near shops. There isnt a shop in the village, its nearly 10 miles to a shop here. it feels like forever away.

Hey Lovelygrey, go blog aabout it!

Chickpea said...

I fell in love with Canada as well, if I were to live anywhere else in the world it would be there in a little cabin.

Sol said...

Hi Chickpea, maybe Canada in the summer and then the summer in New Zealand! Now there is a thought! Hope you are well.