Sailing to Kimolos/Τσιτσο,το λιμανι φευγει!!

After spending the hot summer months in Athens,we finally embarked on our vacations journey to Kimolos!!!

What a joy to leave the harbor of Piraeus and all the bustle and hustle of traffic and city noise behind us!!

In recent years the journey to the Cyclades is done with new type fast ferries,all luxury,air conditioning etc BUT there isn't a place to sit and enjoy the sea crossing on deck.In fact there is no deck.It feels like traveling on a large airplane to be honest.
So,old,open deck ferry for us and our beloved scooter!!
I can lean against the rail -with an occasional cigarette on my hand (shame on me)-and gaze for hours at the foaming trail of the ship's propellers :)

Can't help remembering a little first-grade poem about the Greek flag:
"My country's flag is blue like the sea
and white like the foam!"

Very few passengers on board,mostly couples -old and young-and of course four legged darlings having a wonderful time. Since the ship is far from full,pets-mostly dogs-can spend the trip outside the special cages. I hate the sight of dogs on deck inside the cages-mandatory when the ship is crowded -and I hate ships where the cages are leaning on the hot hot metal of the chimney.
I often pick up a fight with the captain about it!!!

Some fellow passengers enjoy a little nap in the sun and Rex the German Sheppard is keeping an eye on the luggage ;)

It took us 8 hours on choppy waters to reach Kimolos but who's complaining? Meltemia,the annual strong Northern winds,have been particularly persistent this year and I love the way they stir the Aegean! As we say,they fill the sea with flocks of little white sheep!

The sun is heading to the West and we are getting near our destination.The ship made stops in Serifos,Sifnos,Folegandros and then -leaving the NATURA protected uninhabited island of Polyaegos behind-is heading for Milos and small Kimolos!!!!!

A bundle of joy!!/Ο καινουργιος !

It has been the worst summer in years!

A very close beloved relative has been fighting for his life, another one died two weeks ago,family came crushing down-everyone blaming everyone else-and no ray of hope anywhere...

(have you ever noticed that bad things happen all at the same time?)

Then,just after the funeral of my father-in-law,as I was getting back home....yes,you've guessed it...I heard a faint miaow!

This little bundle of fur was trying to crawl from the pavement on the road....and of course I couldn't let it be run over by the next passing car!

Luckily, our home has all the necessary gear for taking care of kittens:) Special kitten powder milk, spray for the fleas,an electric blanket to keep it warm and two very stressed and depressed humans,ready to nurse it back to health.

So,ladies and gentlemen,this is the new member of our feline pride!!

It is remarkable how the presence of a new little life can brighten even the darkest of moods.My husband-going through the hardest times of his life-started to smile again.He delights in taking care of the little one and cant stop laughing when he sees him trying to stand on his little feet and take the first steps.

We reserved the honor of name-giving for our dear relative who was fighting for his life-and sanity-for the last two months. He chose the name Balak,like the football player,just because the little ones head marks are....yes,like a football!!

The members of the cat-clan reacted in a very predictable fashion. The twins, Her Majesty and Sampson-having seen dozens of kittens coming and going-were cool and welcoming. Sampson,also known as Buddha, the most kind hearted of our cats, was the first to smell him,lick him and took him under his protection. 

The three younger ones are not sure what this new creature is and keep their distance, hissing sometimes ,but they will accept him too in time :) Tarcin can't believe his eyes! "Mommy" takes care of someone else!!!He is turning green with envy!!

Little Balak is thriving now. He has been dewormed, he is eating baby food like crazy and is intrepidly exploring the house and the verandas on his little shaky legs-although I don't let him roam too much.He is too small and fragile yet!!

So, a droplet of joy, in the midst of so much pain, anger and frustration!! A smile despite the darkness!! Let's hope there will be a light at the end of the tunnel soon...

Ευγε Σισμανόγλειο!

Οι τελευταίοι δυο μήνες ήταν από τους δυσκολότερους εδώ και πολλά χρόνια...Η πίεση ανέβαινε καθημερινά με γεωμετρική πρόοδο. Ο στόχος ένας και μοναδικός: να γλυτώσει τη ζωή του ένας πολύ αγαπημένος συγγενής και στη συνέχεια να δώσει τη μάχη για την ψυχική του ισορροπία! Το σκοτάδι στο τούνελ έγινε ακόμα πιό πυκνό,όταν ήρθε ο Θεριστής να πάρει άλλο,επίσης αγαπημένο,πρόσωπο...(ινα επιβεβαιωθεί το ρηθέν "ενός κακού,μύρια έπονται")

Να ομολογήσω ότι ήρθαν στιγμές που τσάκισα, απελπίστηκα, εκλαψα,αλλά-γιά να μετρήσουμε τα θετικά-ξαναβρηκα την εμπιστοσύνη μου στα κρατικά νοσοκομεία,τουλάχιστον στο Σισμανόγλειο. Απο την χαμογελαστή κυρία που καθαριζε τα δωμάτια ως τους εξαιρετικούς γιατρούς της Β Παθολογικής και της Ψυχιατρικής,τις νοσοκόμες που πάλευαν να τα βγάλουν πέρα η κάθε μια με 30 ασθενείς (!) το Σισμανόγλειο διαψεύδει την εικόνα "ολα κατερρέουν στην δημόσια υγεια/ολοι οι γιατροι τα παίρνουν/το χάλι μας το μαύρο κλπ".

Από καρδιάς ενα μεγάλο εύγε και ευχαριστώ σε όλους!!!