I remember the day Rod Conacher died. It was a hot summer in Astros, Greece. Glorious for a beach holiday with my father and brother and his children. We lived in the air conditioned flats and moved into the sea for the morning and sat under the thatch pergola of Costa’s psarotaverna for languid lunches.…
Conversations with Kristen the Collie
“You really should roll the ‘R’ in my name”whispered Kristen the Collie, ear cocked as she looked at her new owner, my father, who went to fetch her leash. That goes a long way back, when I took your son from the village in Greece to Woodstock in New York. But that’s for another conversation.…
Conversations at the Local Tavern
My best school friend and I put the finishing touches to the taverna. We struggled to bolt heavy steel brackets into the walls to hold the pelmet covering the massive sliding doors that opened onto an equal size veranda and then the garden. We screwed a three split pole planks onto the bracket to hide…
Conversations about Pigs
One year when my brother and I were teenagers my father sent us to Greece in December. The trade-off for going to spend 3 weeks in the village was a few days skiing in Seefeld, Austria. Two years before that my father had taken my brother alone on a winter trip. All I remember from…
Conversations about Recognition
We were out to dinner with some friends last night and the chef was one of Ines’ patients from about two years back. Ines had never been to Vintage India but knew she worked there and looked for her to say hello. They both recognised each other. But that’s not the kind of recognition I…
Conversations about Breathing
I enjoy meditating. I wait for the slowing of my heartbeat and breath to allow my soul to connect to who I am. I start the morning in peace and hope for a better day. When my father was agitated or angry his breathing would speed up. If he thought the issue at hand was…
Converations from Tripolis
I have walked from Tripolis to Kakouri. One third of the distance might include the outskirts of Tripolis, until you reach the provincial road to Levidi that crosses your path perpendicularly. After this the road narrows. There is a small church on cement stilts opposite on the right. The road narrows and has a shiny…
Conversations on St Basil’s Day
I am sitting on the veranda at Costa Calla in the Karkloof Mountains do the Midlands of KwaZulu Natal. The Old Year ended with a big storm and then mist and drizzle as we turned in to bed before midnight. The New Year has started with a clear bright sunrise at 4:45 am and a…
Conversations with Priests
One of the most memorable things about my parents wedding in 1959 is the wedding cake with two Greek flags fluttering on the top tier of the wedding cake. But the most memorable thing is that the priest who married them at the Johannesburg Church of the Saints Constantine and Helene disappeared shortly after the…
Conversations about Professionals
My father expected professionals to be just that: professional. He consulted the best in the field, always paid top dollar and if ever concerned, he would get a second opinion. He was difficult as a patient. He was demanding. He would ask thorny questions. He would expect availability. He would offer his opinion and assistance.…
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