Rethinking BioDiesel

Rumble rumble rumble - I woke up this morning to the familiar sound of deisel trucks idling in the street downstairs. The good news is that the petrol strike is over. The bad news is that it will take a while for the gas station tanks to fill up, and the profiteering impulse to slow down.

After Orienteering last Sunday I went looking for gas and found - nothing. As I don't tend to pay much attention to the Greek papers (it's usually the same soap opera for months at a time), and can't bear to watch the news, I neglected to understand the gravity of a trucker's strike. Yup - those long lines of trucks backed up onto the freeway actually did signal something - the end of deliveries, for a while at least, of just about everything. And while we are pretty well stocked with toilet paper, frozen peas, diapers and beer, the gas tank had plunged to reserve. (All those trips back and forth to "our tree" (see post about carnival etc.) have made our weekly gas consumption double, but I'm not used to thinking about filling it up so often.) 

Imagine my surprise when eco-friendly Ado & Chris suddenly find that they are just as dependent on petroleum as the rest of the world! No gas, no travel, at least not anywhere outside the city.

When we lived in Berkeley, Chris started musing about converting our car to biodiesel with a kit that allows your engine to run on used cooking oil. (I think the Ecology Center uses it for it's Recycling trucks, and there were a couple of other folks who had started to promote it as well.) Cute, I thought, and a bit weird, but when gas prices hit $2 a gallon it didn't sound so bad after all. Then we moved here, and didn't have a car for the first year, which was kind of nice in itself, especially when you consider the parking problems in the city. But for the last four years we've watched gas prices go up up up (they're still 20% higher than in the US - even at $4/gallon!) - the average price before the strike last week was 1.07 euros / liter, which translates to about 45 euros to fill the tank on our Toyota. The weekend saw the price shoot up - I saw 1.30 in some places - as the stations took advantage of the get-out-of-town-at-any-cost Saturday morning rush. (So maybe it's a good thing I didn't get the seriousness of it and fill up!) Anyhow, things are suddenly starting to look a little, well, different. And our hippy Berkeley roots are starting to seem a bit, well (dare I say it??) forward thinking...

For now, the pumps are back on again, and as our neighbor gas-guy said this morning, "if people hadn't panicked so much, the supply would have lasted at least a week longer"  (go figure!!). But I am beginning to wonder if  maybe those used-oil-in-your-engine-kits aren't such a bad idea. Just think - a town that smells not of diesel and exhaust fumes, but calamari! Sit in traffic and breath in the ripeness of cheese fritters! Pull up to the back of any friendly taverna and tell 'em to fill it up - and eat lunch while you're waiting!! 'Cause while the lorry drivers may go on strike, the french fry cookers never will...

Mother's Day

We went for Orienteering (that's 'map & compass' in non-outdoors-speak) in the forest outside the city. Chris had a meeting so he wasn't there, but we had fun anyway. After a minor misunderstanding about the starting point (in place of Kostas - the leader - we found a large group of Russians BBQing and drinking Jack Daniels while playing football (note this is 11 am). Although it was tempting to join them, we persevered in our search and finally found the right spot.

Kosta set us all up with maps and compasses and some quick training in how to orient yourself, set the compass, and punch the card with the nifty stapler-type thing to be found at each point.



Then, after some discussion (there has to be discussion!) about who would go where first, we split into 2 groups. There were various degrees of difficulty and we didn't really think the 3.5 km Intermediate route was the best choice for the toddlers, so us Mommies opted instead for the 1 k version (the first 2 points were actually even visible from the base, so we had it pretty easy...). 

Although, the good thing about little people is that if they start wingeing too much about pricklies, you can always put 'em up on your shoulders for a bit. Also they are easily bribed by hike-friendly food such as bananas, crackers and juice - and they can't manage (don't forget to whine as you say this) "are we there yet"- at least not in any recogniseable form! So me & Joji stayed with Daria, Nefeli and Maia. Helen had hurt her leg doing an arabesque out of the shower the other day, so she had honorary toddler-status for the day and came with us.
We found the first two points and then stopped for a brief picnic, when Kosta came down from the base to re-train us on setting the compass (we would have gone off in the wrong direction, so it was a good thing he was keeping an eye out for us...)

Nefeli was in charge of punching the card - she did a great job!


Joji and Maia debate the merits of crackers vs. juice...






Joji practising his orienteering skills on a non-fixed point in the landscape...

Most of the big kids and the non-toddler-age parents went off into the woods, well-armed with compasses and mosquito repellent. They made it halfway through the map before being driven back to base by the downpour. (Those of us in the baby group had spent the rainy season comfortably sheltered under a handy kiosk, eating walnuts and chatting about parenting difficulties.) Now before you begin to think oh, how easy you had it, and those poor kids got soaked, please keep in mind that Joji weighs 12 kg (26 lbs.) and the hip-pack that I had containing snack, water, camera, first aid kit, and extra clothing for him weighed another 7 kg (15 lbs) so my hike up and down the hill, short though it may have been, wasn't exactly a 'lighter than air" experience. More like a trip through the forest with a sand bag tied around my waist and a slightly-squirmy monkey in my sling. (I'm not complaining, just trying to set some perspective...) And although we got under the shelter when it first began to pour, the initial half-hour was a non-stop game of tag with Joji as I tried to keep him under the roof and he ran out to splash in the puddle. Then he was exhausted and fell asleep in my arms, so the last half-hour I was standing and doing the mommy-rock until everyone came back to get their souvenir t-shirts. All this made it into a truly 'Mother-ish' mother's day - wouldn't have traded it for anything!! We ended the day with sunshine, at a taverna with lots of good food, ice cream, and craziness. A great time, lots of fresh air, and good company... 

3 months?! Or almost, since I've written here. Well, we've had a crazy, crazy time of it, with a combination of lots of work and lots of viruses. No time to write, no time to think, even, I feel as though the last few months have whipped by in a never-ending tornado of laundry, toy-management, and homework. But looking back, it seems that we actually have lots of news, and even a few photos to share. So here goes, I'll try a quick synopsis...

1. Little News...

Valentines Day - I cracked the Panayiotidis wine, and it was just as good, maybe better, as remembered. Gotta go back soon, as there are now only - gasp! - 5 bottles left!

Carnaval - Lia dressed up as a skeleton and Joji as a panda (in keeping with the black and white theme) - they were the hit of several parties...

Clean Monday (the first Day of Lent) in March- we went for a picnic and kite-flying. Great day, but Joji was on the verge of Bronchitis 1, so he was a bit cranky and not so happy to have the wind in his face all the time. The rest of us had fun, though.

Lia's Ballet Exam - lots of extra work paid off, and she said all went well. I watched the girls on their final practice day and they really looked great. Results to come back sometime between now and next September (!?)...

Crazy computer happenings - software conflicts (my fault entirely) and RAM failure (not my fault) just as I was starting some new graphic design projects. This was of course concurrent with Joji's week-long bout of Gastro-enteritis (in between Bronchitis 2 and 3) which meant that he was home from school and, therefore, underfoot at all times. He did discover his passion, however, during this period - mopping and sweeping - and we now think he might have a great future as a Sanitation Engineer...

 

2. Big News (here's the juicy part)

See that tree? (actually there's 2 trees and lots of scrub)

That will (hopefully) soon be OUR Tree. Yup - we found a plot of land that is exactly what we want/need, and the last 2 months have largely been taken up with a) deciding to buy it (that took about 3 seconds), and b) trying to buy it. Not an easy process. First, getting the loan (not too hard, but scary), then doing the deal. What seemed like a pretty straightforward transaction has turned into one big bureaucratic mess after another. All this stems from the fact that this piece of land is bordered on 2 sides by "Meadow" and "Forest" - both protected categories. (Do 2 trees make a forest?) Of course, this is part of what makes it so great in the first place, as it means that (theoretically) no one can build right next to us. But in practice, it means that we have to run from one government agency to the next trying to get answers (always different depending on which department you go to) and finish paperwork. Think of having to deal with the DMV, Post Office, and phone company -every day-  and you get the idea...

So we have a couple more weeks to satisfy all the bureaucrats, build a road, and dig for archealogical remains, and then we can close the sale. May 18 is the magic target date. More on this soon - meanwhile here's more photos... (Note the many 'meadow' and 'forest'-like features - grass, bugs, thorny-prickly things, sheepshit and dung beatles. Also 2 wonderful children aaaawwwwww...)

A day without wine, part 2

More photos. And a huge thanks to Lia and AnnaMaria for taking such good care of the crazy little boy!...

the treasure under the stairs... (photo by Lia)

the legendary tsipouro!

 the cava again (another photo by Lia)

Lia dances with her brother

AnnaMaria and Joji

Outside in the yard (photo by Lia)

A day without wine is like a day without sunshine.

We had both wine and sunshine on Sunday - a perfect day as we finally made it out to the Panayiotidis vineyard for winetasting. YUM. Panayiotis Panayiotidis is a second-generation winemaker with a family vineyard about 1/2 hour from here in the hills above the sea. We had tried his wine at the expo back in December, and asked if he had tastings available. He said sure - give me a call. So I called, and told him we'd be there on Sunday (our family + whoever else we could gather up). After a wonderful walk in Souroti with our friends Marianne, Peter & AnnaMaria, we all took off for Nea Mixaniona. Panagioti met us outside his house and vineyards. Amazing view of the bay and countryside, great biodynamic vineyards, and a big black doggy to guard it all! He showed us everything - the fermenting chambers, the bottling room and the cava, and then sat us down to an delicious seafood lunch with several bottles of select vintage wine. The 2002 tasted just like a really great California Zinfandel - deep berry flavors with tobacco and figs on the base. SOOOOO luscious. And he thinks it's the worst of the lot - they don't have Zin here!! But the real surprise was the tsipouro - mahogany colored (usually it's clear) and an oaky kind of accent, like a cross between your favorite whiskey and cognac but a little more ethereal. (Cam, eat your heart out! You'll just have to come back for another visit!!) I haven't had such a good time winetasting since we left Northern California!! Needless to say we came away with a few cases, a light head, and the promise to visit again very soon...

the wine circle - a biodynamic technique to harness energy for the wine

the barrels

the cava

the winemaker explains

and enjoys...

Gehzundheit! Well, it's been a trying few days as we have all caught the horrible fever/cough/runny nose plague which has taken the country by storm. I was off and running on several new projects, plus re-vamping my lectures for the week, when the daycare teacher called to say the baby had a temperature and could I please come get him. Chris came home that evening with the same symptoms. My version, thankfully, has been milder, but we have gone through an entire bottle of echinacea and one each of children's motrin and tylenol (not to mention the homeopathic remedies.) We took Joji to the doctor just to make sure he didn't have anything serious - it was 2 visits, actually, one in the morning and one in the evening for a follow-up to check that the meds were working. In between he managed to bash his head on the corner of my nightstand, and got a gash/goose-egg the size (and shape) of Kansas on his forehead.  Chris has been calling him Frank (as in -enstein). How old do they need to be for Teletubbies? (and more importantly, where can I get my hands on a 4-5 hour supply?) 

Lia had a sleepover at her friends on Friday, and then I took the two of them ice skating - Lia has taken to it like a fish to water, despite the fact that it was more like slush-skating as the weather has been warmer than expected the last few days. No surprise though, as she tends to do great at any sport which requires balance and grace (unlike her mother!!). She's already looking forward to the next time.

And now comes the news that the schools will not only be closed on Wednesday (known holiday) but Thursday also as the Greek Archbishop has died and all public offices need to shut down for official mourning. I'm sure all those public employees will have a great time mourning on the ski slopes and in the mall! What the rest of us poor shlubs are supposed to do about childcare is a mystery...

SO we've been playing tag-team on childcare, and trying to get a few minutes of grown-up jobs done here and there (I did manage 3 loads of laundry!!) and now everyone seems to be on the mend. We went out looking at land again yesterday - saw some interesting spots and mused some more about what a mess this stupid road will create. The search continues... Then today I finally gave up and took Joji out for errands as we were going mad cooped up in the house and the sun was shining and the wind was blowing and it was perfect blustery day. Got to the post office to find at least 75 people in front of us, so decided to leave it for tomorrow (corinny your package is yet another day late!). Went off to find some cookies and cheese pies and then to the park - wind or no wind we had a great time on the swings and the slide. (Joji's favorite slide position seems to be the 'legs-akimbo-and-backwards' version.) And it must have done the trick 'cause he slept for two hours when we got home, and I managed to get a little bit of work done!

Now his favorite game is climbing up and down on the laundry basket - with mommy's help, of course (where's the fun in doing it by yourself??) or climbing into and out of the toy cube. I think I will give Sesame Street a try so I can get the potatoes into the oven...

So the weekend has passed without accomplishing much of what was on "the list" - but of course that's no surprise. I did get one load of laundry done, the groceries bought, and the kitchen is free (for the moment at least) of dirty dishes! Friday had a nice chat and coffee with my American buddy, and last night we went out for Indian food with a group of friends. Had a great time - excellent food as well! Real curry -what a surprise, and the best part is that it's walking distance from our house! I got a to-go menu - why didn't we know about this place sooner?? So now, Lia is working on her homework (in between breaks to sing a little Avril LaVigne), and Chris has taken the baby out to lunch with his parents. We have a birthday party to go to this evening at 6 - its at a "kid place" (you know - big blowup structure, ball pit, lots of running and screaming in enclosed spaces - kind of like Chucky Cheese...) which, luckily, is also walking distance so I don't have to give up the FANTASTIC parking space I scored last night. This may seem trivial to all y'all in the US where houses come with all mod cons like driveways (or maybe even garages!) but here in Thessaloniki the daily battle for parking is an unfortunate fact of life. It can take up to 45 minutes to find a spot in our neighborhood, except during the dog days of summer when everyone's gone to the sea. (One of the reasons I actually like the city in the summer!) Anyway, the parking situation is one of the many reasons we are trying to move out of the city. We've been talking about it for a while now, and we finally got off the bench to look at property out in the country. We're looking in an area that's pretty close (only 20 minutes away) to the city, with beautiful rolling hills - it reminds me a lot of the Napa valley (without all the great wineries - not sure if that's fortunate or not!). We've seen some great plots, but the situation is complicated by a planned road that will cut through the area. Our friends have a house there and have helped us out tons by showing us land and and getting information about the road - the final route hasn't been decided yet but it's 99% sure they'll go through - you guessed it - the exact plots of land the realtors show us! Now we know why the prices were so good...  Well, its time to start the spaghetti bolognese. Ciao...