June turned out to be a very hot month with temperatures exceeding all records. I usually set up my beach stall twice a week – weather permitting. But during a heatwave, when the cooling breezes are just not there – I stay away! In contrast I have recently missed another selling day because it was just too windy! Yet despite only selling on 6 days, sales figures for June have been the highest since 2015 and I sold a total of 29 Seashell Mosaic Collage Paintings.
But I have had another nightmare with the canvas supplier I’ve been using in Athens for years. Last year I didn’t receive the ones I needed the most until the end of July. These are the bespoke canvases I use for my best seller – the ‘Baby Turtles Race for Life’ design. This year I placed my order for 130 canvases of varying sizes in plenty of time, at the beginning of February. I thought that surely they could make them within 3 months. Yet I am still waiting for the same 40 canvases that I make my Baby turtles design from. I called the owner of the company a couple of weeks ago and pleaded with him to make these canvases asap. He did respond and the following week they arrived. But he had made them in the wrong size!! They should have been 10x30cms but I received 10x40cms! Duh??!!! This is a large Art company in Athens and I have learned over the years that most Greek companies have no concept of customer service and this can make life both stressful and frustrating .
However I refused to dwell on these problems and everything has worked out OK, as it also did last year. People have been buying my two Cat designs and up until now, these have taken the slot of best seller over the Baby Turtles. In June alone I sold 8 of these artworks. I have had to produce 4 more Cat designs recently, even though I thought I had made enough in the winter and stocks are already running low.
Because the temperatures here on Crete have remained consistently high, my friends and I have made sure we get at least one relaxing beach day a week – usually on a Saturday. We’ve been mostly choosing Almy in Kalyves as we don’t get charged for the lovely comfy sunbeds there. But more than that – it’s a great spot on the far beach in Kalyves and we always enjoy a nice lunch there. Swimming in the cool clear sea is blissful! I spent a lovely day at Almy yesterday with Lisa, Debbie and Solveig, who is holidaying on Crete at the moment.
Socially it’s been crazy busy with so much going on that I’ve had to miss certain events! There is live music on at my local taverna, Vangeli’s every Friday night. There have also been gigs on at Nikita’s, The Donkey Café in Vamos and Vamos Plateia. Add to that a couple of parties, dinner at a close friend’s in Kokkino Chorio and the Football!
Yes, I may not be a dedicated fan of football but I do enjoy getting into the spirit of watching the major tournaments such as the World Cup and the current UEFA Eurpoean Football Championship 2024. I particularly enjoyed watching England win over Switzerland and then The Netherlands win over Turkey – on the same night. It meant that England would go on to play The Netherlands in the semi finals. England triumphed but I would also have been happy to see The Netherlands win as I am half Dutch! So later tonight I will walk up to Vangeli’s for the final between England and Spain. It is frustrating that it is on a Sunday night at 10pm here as I have to get up early for a long day of selling in the heat in Almyrida tomorrow . Never mind… I’ve done it before (last Wednesday actually) and I’m hoping it’s going to be a memorable evening… fingers crossed.
I am excited because in just over a week my close friends Jill and Rick are coming to stay with me for a holiday. They have been coming to see me in Crete for as long as I have been living here. Almost every year for 15 years! They absolutely love Almyrida with its laid back atmosphere and quite importantly these days – its lack of over-tourism. I can’t wait to pick them up from the airport!