Last Days and Journey back to NZ
By Helen Grubner. Filed in Uncategorized |
Costas and I, Bar Balkoni, Spetses
One week ago today, I left Spetses to make the journey back to New Zealand. My last few days with Costas were as precious as all the others … good times continued in Bar Spetsa as well as Bar Balkoni after closing – on Thursday night with Raymond and Heather too, as on my last evening there, I would go home at midnight, knowing I had a long way to travel the next day. A group of French people were back in the Bar on that last evening until late, resulting in Costas not arriving home until after 0500 hours. Never mind, business is business! Unfortunately, every day of that last week, our sleep was disturbed from 0800 hours onwards by workmen using a pneumatic drill to dig out a cesspit at one of the neighbouring houses.
Wouldn’t you know it … a bright, sunny day, albeit with a chill in the breeze, on the morning I departed. Left the house in time for a coffee out – Raymond and Heather showed up too, then around 1035 hours I was reluctantly on my way. With three more stops to pick up passengers, by the time we arrived in Piraeus, my suitcase was well buried, however, not too long to wait for the X96 Airport bus, with just enough time to do all the necessaries and telephone Costas before departure. Too tired to think much about anything … reality hit at the time of takeoff – I was leaving Greece yet again.
Had a nice meal – Taramasalata with a stuffed vine leaf as a starter followed by chicken for dinner. With a tail wind, we made Dubai in good time and two hours later I was at the Copthorne Airport Hotel, five minutes bus ride away. Much to my surprise, when checking in I was given complimentary vouchers for dinner, a snack and breakfast. My interest, however, was only in getting to bed and asleep as soon as possible, knowing at 0700 hours, the wake up call would come and by 0800 hours I would be on a bus back to the airport to check in for the long haul back to Wanganui, via Sydney and Auckland. Remembering only too well how I had my duty free alcohol confiscated last year at Sydney airport, this time it was again purchased in Athens then safely packed away in my checked in luggage in Dubai.
Past experience on these long hauls has been – by the time I arrive back in New Zealand, I have heartburn or indigestion from eating then sitting all those hours on the aeroplane. So, this time I decided to change from the Standard Meal to Vegetarian option … never again! My first meal consisted of Noodles and Veges in curry sauce – I had to pick out all the red chillies to make it edible and still it was way too hot! Very sweet stewed boysenberries for dessert … not impressed! Breakfast on the Sydney/Auckland leg was chunks of potatoes, again in a curry sauce – hardly a breakfast affair! Oh well, at least now I know to stick with Standard Meals in the future.
For the Dubai/Sydney/Auckland sector I was once again on the A380-800 Airbus in my favourite seat number 50K … with the two seats next to me vacant from Dubai to Sydney, I was able to have my feet up all the way and even managed to curl up for a few hours and doze – this was truly a bonus. As always, I listened to a stack of music – from the Essential Albums and UK No.1 Hits from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Unusually for me, I also watched a couple of movies I had missed seeing at the Cinema … “The King’s Speech” which I thoroughly enjoyed and “Eat Pray Love” with Julia Roberts.
So it was that I arrived back in Wanganui late on Monday afternoon, to be met by my Mum, son Dave and his girlfriend Kayla. There is nowhere else I would rather be than Spetses right now, but for the meantime, I will create a life in two places. I am back at work and quickly adjusting to life here … my plan is to head back to Greece in October, attend the wedding of Joanna and Antonis in Kastelli on Crete on 22 October, then return to Spetses for another visit of about five weeks’ duration. Now that is truly something to aim for!