Time to come clean. It’s Louise’s birthday

Captain chaos strikes again !

It is Friday 13th !!

1 . A Bouquet of flowers (Lilies) are secreted into the garden hut late last night in advance of Mrs M’s birthday.

For some reason I then started to read about Lilies:

– extremely toxic to cats !

– death in 48 hours if they come in contact with even the minutest part of the plant,      water or pollen!

Google it if you don’t believe me.

2. A bottle of rose wine scoffed the night before – intended for the birthday breakfast also now gone !

Thinking,  I’ll donate them (the lilies) randomly to somebody, but I further discover from my “research” –  lilies are normally associated with funerals, FFS !

In the morning, says I to Mrs M: 

“Look out the kitchen window”

“If you look next to the hut you will see the flowers intended for you”.

BUT ……..

“You can’t have them.”   LOL

” Will be gone for a bit”  I say

Off down to Vathi (Samos town)  just intending to return the flowers rather than throwing them in the bin.

I’m not looking for a replacement, but the florist decides he is going to do something for me & no arguments please.

He is an absolute gentleman, and he is called Hercules.

Hercules making up a replacement bouquet

So now I am going back up the road with a replacement bunch of flowers to tell Louise they are from a Greek called Hercules.

You couldn’t make it up.

Anyway a nice lunch, body shop guff, even pink fizz and everything fine for the rest of the day ……..………………. so far.

Birthday breakfast with replacement flowers and fizzy pink stuff.

Captain Chaos himself!

Lunch at Chickens Taverna, Samos Town in glorious weather

Addendum

The wonderful Hercules got a bottle of Psilés Korfés, by way of thanks.

Ψηλές Κορφές is a well‑known dry white from Samos made from Muscat of Samos. It’s one of the island’s signature aromatic whites.

1^st March

Kalo Mina

Spring day & the bees are already busy

We have to make a decision where we are going to keep the boat while we are away for a year. Renew the marina contract or move to Samos Sail.

My initial thoughts had been Samos Sail’s yard around at Samos town for security.

I had originally indicated to Kleanthis a date of near the 9^th of April to get Camira around, lifted out, “winterised” and covered up.

However I felt having now booked our flights for the 13^th April this would be quite tight re a favourable weather window & prep time on the boat, so I asked him if I could come around the 2^ndor 3^rd March when the sea was forecasted flat calm.

He would talk to his brother and get back to me.

When he did, he was unable to accommodate me saying he didn’t have any cradles?  This was despite earlier in the year when I was in the yard he looked around & said he did have enough. He is now saying he made a mistake. To be fair I did originally say around the 9^th & he has confirmed he will have cradles available by then, from where I don’t know ?

Anyhow, the reason for the post is, thinking that it would be OK, we took a drive around to investigate the small harbour at Aghia Paraskevi, where incidentally Poppy & Dino live. The plan had been to sail around here for one night and then on to Samos town the next day. I had even confirmed with a fisherman in the harbour it would be OK. This would have enabled me to split the journey up nicely to arrive early in the morning for the lift out.

Waypoint 3 would have left me just under an hour to the yard

It was a nice day out anyway, so here are the pictures.

Ag Paraskevi harbour, the blue fishing boat is Poppy & Dino’s

Afterwards, coffee in the sun Vathi Square

I have just had a quote from the marina and price-wise there is not a lot in it.

Just not sure now?

Decision to be made by the week end of Louise’s Birthday.

7^th March

Strange goings on in “Another Day in Paradise” . It’s the six nations rugby season and having soundly beaten England at Murrayfield last week, Scotland are playing France today, so a bit of support is needed, and also to send to my Gallic friend Nicolas as a wind up.

Post match update Scotland 50 – France 40.

Ya Dancer !

We could actually win the tournament  ……………   it is an outside chance …………  but who knows?