A Wonderful Birthday Day
I am having a wonderful day, a wonderful, wonderful birthday day!
Today my quads hurt more than yesterday... And so do Anadi's, and so we went to the sea to swim, swim, swim. But once we got in to the choppy windy birthday sea, I just wanted to play play play!
And so instead we did dolphin under water swimming, and stretching of the achy limbs, some running on the spot...
And then I did birthday dancing in the sea...
I waved to my Saturn in the sky returning once more, and setting me off for the next 28 years a journeying....!
We shivered on the beach before the sun started to warm us, and then crossed the road to our favourite breakfast bar, the lagoon....
As we sat there engulfed in the lovely sofas eating fresh fruit salad and drinking freshly squeezed orange juice with a steaming americano, the couple we rescued last night walked past the window!
'There they are...' I said to Anadi, 'Our teenage pensioners'!
They looked healthy and well as they walked on by. They didn't see us, but we were glad they were looking good... Even if maybe they were nursing a headache!
We met them last night....
We were driving through Ipsos to collect our washing... A lady was sitting on the pavement and a man - her husband? - seemed to be trying to help her...
'Do you think they're okay?' I said to Anadi... 'I think she is just sorting through her handbag' he said....
On the way back from the laundrette, she was still there, looking to be alone now... 'I'm not sure she IS alright', I said. We were stopping to get some euros... 'Okay, you go and check on her while I go across to the cash point' Anadi said...
As I approached, her husband came towards me from across the road... 'Do you need some help'? I asked him...
It was then that I realised that they had had a drop too much of the ouzo... It had got the better of them...
They couldn't find their hotel... I called Giorgos at Stefanos Place thinking he would know, and eventually we established the name and whereabouts of the hotel.
Anadi ran up the road to check out where it was....
Then we bundled our teenage pensioners into the car and drove them home...
They were so near their hotel, but so far away in so many ways. They couldn't find it, and they couldn't really move from the pavement. They were very vulnerable in that moment....
And very grateful when we swept up their hotel driveway... ' Ah, here we are, this is it...' but also keen to get away, to hide and to recover....
Yet we have all been there, maybe not the exact circumstances... But vulnerable, in need of help, so lost, so far from where we want to be, no way of getting there... Not capable of getting there in that moment, and yet so much nearer than we ever knew...
It is at these times, that a scoop up, a helping hand, a quick lift to the next stage from someone stronger at the time, someone able to find the way with ease... Can make all the difference in the world...
Anadi and I were happy to see them this morning, walking past our breakfast bar looking relaxed and happy on their holiday in Corfu...
The lady who owns the lagoon brought me a surprise birthday cocktail!
I spent a very happy morning opening my cards, that had winged their way all the way to Corfu, engaging with my friends on line - the joys of our technical age - and opening my present, my beautiful dress, from Anadi!
We drove to Palaiokastritsa for lunch and sat in a pink taverna looking over the sea which was at its most turquoise, most bright, most birthday blue.
The restaurant was full of Greek men... They welcomed us in - and later raised their glasses to me and Anadi as we sat in the corner in clearly celebratory style.
Yamas!
Yamas we replied, 'it's my birthday' I said...
'All of them on the terrace turned and in unison said
'Happy Birthday to you....'
