Ashley Gets Lost

On Friday Felix and I went on a lunch date to our favorite mommy and me snack spot, The Souvlakeri in Kalyves, to split a double bacon cheeseburger and our favorite guilty pleasure. They are called “Special Potatoes” on the menu, but we call them garbage fries because we’re classy. It’s a pile of crispy fries, shredded cheese, bacon, and what they call “orange sauce.” What is orange sauce? I don’t know and I don’t care. Give me more of it right now please.

Until we moved here, I had no idea that Felix’s official favorite animal is geese. There’s a beautiful little river going through town that hosts a whole gaggle, so we always have to stop to say hi. I bought an apple and bit chunks off for Felix to throw for his friends. I do not have photos of the event, but I do have a photo of the geese from another visit.

After our adventures, I tried my hand at making one of my specialty dishes, beef stroganoff. It turned out fine, but not great. I had to swap out some key ingredients. In America I’d use a can of beef consomme for the broth. No such luck here. I used a bouillon paste I found instead, and I think that was the cause of the biggest flavor difference. As I said, it turned out fine, but it was still fairly disappointing. I can and have made my other number one dinner stunner, a red sauce. It was only missing fennel seeds, which I have gotten my dirty paws on for next time!

The bar/cafe down the road hosts a concert every Friday night, and I try to go at least every other week if I can convince myself to leave the house. I succeeded this week, enjoying this beautiful sunset on my walk down.

Also this is that same beautiful sunset from inside the house while I was putting on my shoes. No shirt, no shoes, no filter! Joshua is wearing a shirt, but BMO is following all the guidelines.

I also got to see my favorite Plaka dumpster cat, whom a facebook friend referred to as Bobbi. I like it! That night I decided to see if we could be more than casual acquaintances, and it turns out that this kitty is very much into getting pet by random ladies on the street. It looks like a crusty old geezer from afar, but I can promise it is so soft and sweet. Sorry it’s a little blurry, but it’s still cute.

I usually go to these shows with my friend Gabi, but she’s been under the weather, so I went by myself and had to make friends. Ew! Fortunately she’s introduced me to some other expats who are usually there, so I just had remember that I’m awesome and that people like me. I drank a little too much, danced, and no doubt established myself as sort of strange but hopefully fun and delightful! I also met another American couple who are not living here full time yet but are working on it.

The bar makes super fun cocktails. I got a mai tai and it came in this grumpy fellow who looks just as sweaty as I’ve been lately! I usually pick one for fun and then switch to beer or wine. Wine is always the cheapest option! Stay tuned for information on joining an exclusive group called “The Liter Club” and tips on how to drink wine like it’s your job in Greece without breaking the bank!

Yesterday Joshua and I went to the city to buy a television. Yes, I know I just bragged about how I did not really miss having one, but apparently Felix has things he wants to watch WITH US. If you have a teenager and there are things they actually want to do with you, you facilitate that thing happening. We also had to get a table for a tv and went rug shopping. We are going to check out some more rug shops before making a decision.

This morning I woke up early ish and decided I’d go check out the weekly “Boot sale” in Georgioupolis. Boot is like British for car trunk or some such, and that’s cute because nobody is actually selling out of their trunk. It has people selling stuff garage sale style on the harbor in addition to people selling handmade items. This morning there was someone selling plants! They did not speak much English, and when I asked how much a monstera was, I was told ten and ten. I said ok and that I’d be back after I had breakfast.

Breakfast was this savory crepe filled with turkey, bacon, cream cheese, and mustard. And when I say filled with cream cheese, I mean FILLED WITH CREAM CHEESE. Like I was playing with lactose intolerant (sometimes?) fire with this baby, some hours later and I appear to be unburnt, praise Aristaeus, god of beekeeping and cheese.

On our last trip to the boot sale, we met a pile of adorable ginger kittens. Here’s one Joshua snagged for snugs.

I ran into them again today, and they are getting so big and I love them and I want them all.

This brave little tiger let me pet him a bunch and then gave me some love bites.

I went back to the plant people, who were delighted to see that I was not just being polite when I said I’d come back, and pointed out the one I wanted. The whole ten and ten thing was confusing, so I offered a ten. No, it turns out ten is a number they know in English, but twenty is not. Ten and ten literally meant two tens. We had a laugh, and I left with a gorgeous plant. Buckled this baby up in the backseat where she could be extra safe.

Two things: I am in a very committed relationship with face sunscreen but I have freckles now? I think they’re cute and I’m ok with it. I bought this hat at a shop in town, and Joshua said it makes me look like an American tourist. I told him to suck it. It makes me look like a lady with dirty hair who also likes stupid looking tigers.

In the true spirit of getting lost, I took an alternate route home. Our little area has a million little roads that connect through tiny villages (often with streets not big enough for two cars at the same time!). Sometimes you’re driving and there are road signs pointing to certain villages, and there will be one pointing ahead that says it goes to the one you came from? So yeah, I thought if I just followed some signs I’d see some new things and eventually make my way home. It worked out just like that, and I saw this place, which I absolutely must go visit when I don’t have a plant and fresh produce in my car on a 90 degree day.

If you’re still with me after this epic novel of a weekend recap where nothing really happens, thanks! I can’t believe we’ve been here for over two months now. We finally FINALLY own our home. I can pet dumpster cats like some kind of trash Snow White. I can drive here now with little to no fear. We are regulars at a restaurant in town. I am filling my porch up with plants. Everything is so so good. I do have several low points a week where I am missing people or Dairy Queen blizzards or the convenience of ordering groceries online and having them delivered. But it is easy to be happy in a place where the water is so blue, I can buy beautiful tomatoes from the hands of the farmer who grew them, and there’s a man with a van selling giant bags of oranges for 7 euros so I can have fresh orange juice every day.

Did I do anything super exciting this weekend? Nope. Was it magical? Absolutely.