Paxos 19th August 2008

The sun rises at 6. 

A great orange orb floods the sky with pink and mauve, throwing a path of flame across the burnished bay which is as flat as a plate.

I decide to get up too.

I think I had better write a list

We must Hire a Boat. 

We must discover a Secret Cove.

We must Swim Every Day. 

We must find a Tiny Local Taverna.

We must Wander Through the Olive Groves.

We must familiarise ourselves with the Anaeid

We must quote Classical Greek Poetry at meal times.

It’s 6.15.

Everyone is still asleep.

I decide to go for a swim in the Infinity pool.

I swim in the Infinity Pool. It is very cold.

7.30 I get dressed. 

I wear a pair of gorgeous white trousers from Whistles and a floppy, flowery top and I have bare feet. I put my hair up with a clip and I put my black Dior sunglasses on top of my head. 

I decide to go and sit by the Infinity Poll and read Prosperos Cell because I haven’t got a copy of the Aeneid with me.

8.20. 

The children are all up. 

Maisie and Zac are swimming in the Infinity Pool. Abigail is wafting about in enormous sunglasses trailing yards of green chiffon. She looks like a particularly beautiful preying mantis.

“What shall we do today?’ I ask the children. ‘We need to explore don’t we? There are three main towns on the island called Gaios, Lakka and Loggos. We should explore them all shouldn’t we?’

‘What ?’ says Zac shaking water out of his ears.

‘Why ?’ says Maisie. ‘ I like it just here, in the pool.’ Maisie’s eyes are the same colour as the pool.

‘Why are you wearing white trousers?’ says Abigail. 

10.15.

John gets up. 

John has been lying n bed answering e-mails on his Blackerry.

‘I didn’t think I’d get a signal here.’ he says ‘but actually there’s no problem at all. Is there any breakfast?’ he asks. ‘Shall we watch the Olympics?’

Thursday 21st August 2008

Gaios & White Trousers. Yachts.

Gaios is full to the brim with Yachty Italians.  Yachty Italians wear White Trousers or Sarongs. 

‘I would rather die than wear white trousers.’ says Abigail. ‘At no point is it OK to wear white trousers unless you are actually in the Navy.’ says Abigail. ‘I cannot believe that a whole nation thinks it’s OK to wear them.’

I am quite offended. I have my white Whistles trousers on and was feeling quite stylish.

‘I’m wearing white trousers.’ I say to Abigail. ‘I’m not in the Navy.’ I say.

‘Yes, but you’re not a whole nation are you?’ she says looking at me critically  ‘And you’re not wearing them because you think they look amazing are you? I mean it’s more a case of you not really knowing what to wear isn’t it?’ 

Abigail is wearing some high waisted pink shorts and a stripy French Breton top. She is as thin as a stick and as white as bone. Her hair tumbles down her back like a rusty waterfall.

‘Why do people keep staring at me?’ she asks.

We walk through the Marina. The Marina is full to bursting with Gin Palaces and Yachts and Power Boats.

‘Wow’ says Zac ‘Look at these! Look at that one. That is so cool. Imagine owning one of those, just imagine.’

I can’t imagine.

John is walking slightly ahead of us. His back is wet with sweat. He is fiddling with his Blackberry. He is wearing  blue linen trousers and a crumpled linen shirt. He is wearing socks with his boat shoes. 

He looks like the quintessential Englishman Abroad.

Maisie says she wouldn’t really like to own a big Yacht but she would like a Rowing Boat.

We have lunch in a Taverna.   

Maisie has Kalamari.

John has Octopus.

Abigail has lettuce.

I say ‘Abigail, ‘You will literally die if you don’t eat something other than lettuce.’ 

Abigail has tomatoes with her lettuce.

She really is quite annoying.