Sales of my unique Seashell Mosaics and Collages have been truly mega in August. Reaching a record level again – I have been rushed off my feet work-wise! Among the poplular choices this year have been my little Greek Donkey and small Sailboat designs and, as always, the Baby Turtles Race for the sea.
Little Greek Donkey – 20 x 20cms
So, for my life balance and overall well-being it has been essential that I have retained my role as a tourist on Sundays. At least I am making sure that I take one day of rest in my busy week. Nick and I have had some lovely trips out on these Sundays. We’ve been to Rethymnon and Platanias again and closer to home – Georgioupoli and Kalives. Each time we have lunch at a nice seaside taverna and dinner at a restaurant where we know the food is delicious. We visited a different part of Rethymnon for the day but ended up at the Chinese restaurant for dinner and last Sunday when we visited Platanias, we just had to pay The Black Lantern in Maleme another visit because their Sunday roasts are to die for! During the day we pack in luxurious amounts of swimming, relaxing and playing Canasta. Nick and I so love to play Canasta that we started to play leagues of the best of five games. Whoever wins each league gets to choose where we have dinner and the loser pays! It gives us that extra incentive to win! I have really enjoyed these days off and always look forward to them at the end of each week.
Girl’s night out at Nikita’s in Almyrida
On the social front I have been to a couple of great parties recently. The first was at Nikita’s seaside terrace in Almyrida where I joined several of my friends for a girly night out – dancing endlessly to 70’s, 80’s and 90’s music – great fun! Then Vangeli of Vangeli’s Taverna in Plaka held a birthday party for himself, hiring a live band to play outside the taverna and that was also a great night!
The weather has been extremely hot this September so far. Temperatures reached the early forties this past week and with little or no breeze I’ve felt like I was melting in the heat, especially when I’ve been working on my stall at the edge of Almyrida Bay. Frequent dips in the sea and the pool of the Almyrida Residence opposite me have helped keep me cool – but not for long! So I even drenched my sundress under the beach shower and put it back on dripping wet, in a bid to keep my body temperature down!
One of the stunning sunsets as viewed from my balcony
On the days when I’m at home working I have sometimes finished in time to watch the sunset on my balcony sofa. Although I can’t do this every day, I will have had five whole months of summer sunsets to enjoy and never tire of their tranquillity and breathtaking beauty! Sometimes they are so stunning that I have to take a photograph and one day soon I hope to incorporate one into one of my designs.
Now that we are well into September it’s time for me to once again look forward to my cherished annual week’s holiday with my sisters and my Mum. This year it is at Leonie’s in Cyprus, which is but a short RyanAir flight away from Chania airport. I am so excited to be seeing my Mum and Leonie, whom I haven’t seen since last August, when I played host and Karen, whom I last saw at Christmas in the UK. I leave in just a week and in the meantime, the pace of my life has slowed down a little as the summer is drawing to a close and Almyrida is a little less busy now.