22 January 2007

a word from Mara

Some of you thought Arthur placed the below blog without my knowing about it, but I was sitting right here as he wrote it. Yes, we will be having a civil marraige in March sometime, the BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING will have to wait untill I can speak a little greek. I would like to enjoy my wedding and understand what my guest are saying to me, other than Kala Stefana (good crowning) this is what people say when they wish us luck in our marraige. I still need to learn a good deal, the civil wedding will be small. Our two witnesses and his parents and maybe an aunt or two or a cousin, Arthur doesn't know who will show up, but hopefully small.
Love Mara

18 January 2007

a word from arthur

Hello, to all the family and friends in the United States.
I guess everyone is concerned about Maras adventure in Greece. Well she doesnt feel greek yet hahaha........ but she is trying to learn the Greek language.
Good news, Mara and I are getting married in March 2007,
we just need to get some papers done. We are going to the American embassy next week and afterwards we will take the papers to the town hall to arrange our civil marriage. The date will be set by the Mayor.



15 January 2007

Greek Hospitality Hospital


I found a place where no one is lifting a cigarette to thier mouth in long puffs of smoke.....
The Local Hospital
yep... I guess the people of Greece don't want their doctors to know that they smoke. Even though you will find people smoking as they walk down the street, as they eat at the restaurant, when they work (this is the worst when you walk into a shop and a cloud of smoke blows out of the door when you open it). Luckily I have only seen our butcher eat while cutting our lamb and not smoking, but customers will smoke in the shop.

So Why Was I at our local Hospital? Well, Arthur was tired of me hacking up a lung at home and doing nothing but sleep and eat for almost a week so he decided to show me the Greek medical hospitality to foriegn travelers. This takes one word
FREE...FREE...FREE...
Yep, if you happen to be traveling through greece and have an accident or get sick or just feel like going to a hospital, well its free. Of course there is small print, you will have to pay for the medicine, but the doctors time and diagnoses is free. I paid 25euros for my anti-biotics and cough syrup, Arthur was telling me that he knew a traveler who only paid 7euros when he broke his leg here and the hospital had to put a cast on it. Foriegners do take advantage of the system, unfortunately, but luckily enough for me they still have this wonderful system in place. So feel free to visit me anytime and feel comforted in knowing that I will take care of any of your medical needs while you are here to see me.

07 January 2007

Plastiras Lake


About 50 km from Kalampaka is Plastiras Lake, Arthur and I took two of our Dutch friends that are regulars at KokaRoka for the last twenty years. Jaap and Marianne are from Holand and they come once or twice a year to collect turtles, they were here for 5 days this time. We enjoyed some coffee and tea at the building that you see behind us. We then drove around the lake to where they have the dam that was built starting in 1925 and finishing around 1959, after the civil war (1946-1949) in Greece.