Our friends from Vancouver, Wayne and Donna Naughty and their daughter Allison, arrive to spend two weeks with us. Shortly after arrival they decide to go for a walk in the village. They check out the wild fig trees, for fruit left after the harvest. Unfortunately, the trees have been picked clean. A little later in the fall, the women of the village will also remove all the leaves and dry them, to feed the goats through the winter.
The Naughtys enjoy exploring many of the ruined cave houses, destroyed in the 1956 earthquake. Messa Gonia was particularly hard hit during this massive quake, which not only destroyed many homes, but killed about12 people. Because of this, some of the villagers left the island, others moved to the village of Kamari by the sea, leaving their damaged homes as they were.
This is however, a changing condition, as people are buying the land and rebuilding the ruined houses to earth quake standards. Messa Gonia is one of the villages where only traditional architcture is allowed. Reinforcing rods have been added to the procedure for added safety.
On their way back to the house, the Naughtys decide to visit the small church next door. They are disappointed to find that it's locked. They are just leaving, when an old lady in a printed housedress, comes running down the path. She takes a key from her pocket and opens the door. She then gives each of them a candle. The woman takes them on a tour of the church, with it's ornate chandelier and gilt, pointing out the icons and telling a story about each of them. The fact that she speaks only Greek and the Naughtys speak only English, does not take away from the experience. At the end of the tour, she gives them a small bouquet of Greek basil that grows in the churchyard. Wayne in turn, leaves a donation for the church. The lady is overjoyed by his generosity. A sweet experience on their first day.
Each morning as we breakfast on the patio, we are visited by a hoard of stray cats. My favourites are Curly, a small black and white kitten with an attitude and a curly half-tail, Harlequin, a poor, skinny, rag-a-muffin calico and an orange and white pregnant female with the most beautiful serene face. This one can also stand up and balance on her back feet for long periods of time and can climb a tree in an instant.
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