Aegean Alliance

The salt water of Aegean must be in my veins, everywhere I go, I meet people who would have been more at home in my previous life. The majority of my working day, yesterday at the hospital, where the Surgeon was one Mr. Bollas (‘Ο κ. Βολλας’), rather amusing as it is also the name of the most important man on the Island of Symi, where I once lived.

Surly it is wrong to translate a propper name? So please forgive me.

Yannis Bollas very much the local plumber, working for the council; he was the man you needed more often than not when you suffered the inevitable water problems. When you live in a place where fresh water is rationed, you wait for tankers to deliver the supply, sometimes you do not have water at all, and that is just a fact. I could talk all day about Symi islands water issues, but will stop there. My point being it's was sort of important to be “friend” of the plumber!

Of course I was also friend of his mother, and that is the best way to get anything done in Greece!

The Mr Bollas whom I met yesterday, was also a plumber, of sorts! I’m glad it wasn’t me who had to have the colonoscopy, even so I would have felt in safe hands. So much of English comes from the Greek language. ‘κολονοσκόπηση’ is just a typical example, but they, the Greeks are always suprised to hear it from one who is a fair haired Brit.

A new neighbour moved into the in the apartment block, a friendly Turkish guy, now lives upstairs. He came to introduce himself and seems a nice enough chap. I haven’t let on the extent of my limited Turkish, or just how well I know that part of the world ;-) His home town being just north up the coast Izmir.

After work I went to Star (local pub) where the land lord also happens to be Greek.

It's a Small World, and the Aegean Alliance is Strong

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