Day 21
Day off. Almost
Under the current circumstances of this travel, a day-off is to me a day where we don't drive, where we don't work our brains to find a place to sleep...
The day definitely started like that.
We watched the aged locals coming to the beach from sunrise till midday. We watched how the fittest of two elderly men, helped the other one to the water, with a walking stick in one hand and a floating noodle under the other arm. In the water, they joined a grumpy-sounding man and the three of them went for some aquagym for at least one hour, probably two hours, walking the length of the beach several times while almost fully immersed.
Further away a group of women. They talked for hours while bobbing in the water. Later on they were joined by a woman floating in a large doughnut shaped buoy. She was using it like a toddler: swirling around, splashing herself, laying her back onto it with her feet up. Her happiness was incredibly palpable from the distance. And soon after, the group of women grew around her, and she kept swirling in order to address each and everyone.
Then the groups of men joined the group of women. After a number of Kala ea-sest-ai (How are you? literally Are you feeling good?) and the usual positive answers, they all – men and women – started to sing what seemed to be old Greek songs. It was delightful.
Amongst a dozen of campers, all much larger than us, we got singled out by the Police: Hello / Kalimera / Under Greek law camping is not allowed, but parking is ok, that is you must not have anything out of the car / I sincerely apologise Sir. I am very sorry. We just stopped for breakfast, we'll pack everything right away. / Ok. Ok.
Should I say that many cars and large campers with Greek plates were around us, with seats and food on foldable tables – a device we don't have – and that none of them got informed of the law?
Later on, as I was reading the news on DW, I stumbled on this article: Democracy falls in majority of countries worldwide I invite you to download the IDEA report that is the basis of this article, and to look for the ranking of your own country in the various tables at the end of the report. It is not uninteresting.
As the above was unfolding, we decided to go to an island for a few days. I chose the ferry company on two criteria: a functional and honest web site where we could register a trip for a van, and the least irritating customer service, because I don't see why I should give money to people who only give a damn for their customers' credit card and not the people. We headed to Athens late afternoon, and we found a not-so-quiet street where we parked and managed to sleep for a few hours before taking the ferry around 6 am.