Greece
I was on holiday in Greece with my family, aunts and their husbands.
We all stayed in the same hotel. At our disposal we had a kitchen,
living room and a number of bed rooms. There was plenty of space but,
due to the large number of us, the place felt crammed.
We
spent most of our time in the kitchen. There were not enough chairs,
so I sat on the floor. My relatives were old, so they liked to take
it easy, not doing much, merely talking with each other or watching
TV in the living room.
The
hotel staff had informed us that, if you went out, it would be good
to stay in a group. They said it wasn't safe to go out alone, at least
during the dark hours.
We
had arrived on Sunday but, excluding a couple of visits to the nearest
grocery store, we had spent the entire time in the hotel. We cooked
the food ourselves, which took a lot of time. After lunch we were
so stuffed that we didn't feel like going anywhere. And then we had
to have some coffee and desserts, which made us sleepy. After our
afternoon naps, the sun was already setting.
It
was already Wednesday. The three days in the hotel room was beginning
to feel boring. We'd been in Greece half a week, and we hadn't been
to the beach nor seen any sights.
"When
is the flight back to Finland?" I asked.
"Friday," my mother replied.
"We're running out of time, unless we finally go out of this
hotel and explore the surroundings."
"But it's the time for lunch," my aunt replied, "We
have to eat."
I
sat by the table and took a portion to my plate. At this rate we'd
see nothing but the hotel room.
After
the meal I decided to go out. If the others couldn't get theirselves
moving, I'd be happy to go on my own. I exited the hotel and walked
along the side streets. The weather was warm but the sky was grey.
This didn't seem very dangerous. The locals did their own things.
Men were sitting in cafés and tavernas. Women took care of
their children and gossiped with each other.
Behind
the bushes I heard some singing. The melody sounded typically Greek
to me. I didn't quite see where the song came from, but soon behind
the trees a Greek lady emerged, carrying a laundry basket and humming
a song.
"The
Greeks are very musical," I told my relatives. "Even ordinary
laundresses can sing graciously. Wouldn't you want to exit this hotel
and see how it looks outside? There are a number of bars where you
can enjoy the local way of life."
"It's not good to drink a lot in a foreign country," my
mother rebuked.
"But it's not compulsory to drink anything," I replied,
"Just one glass is enough."
The
following day the same pattern repeated itself. My relatives sat in
the living room and watched the telly. I tried to lure them out, but
they had to have their lunch first.
I
ate slowly, since it seemed there was no hurry.
"Well,
are you coming?" my father asked.
"Where?"
"Walk. Everyone's ready."
My
food was still unfinished, when the others already put their shoes
on. I grabbed some bread and packed my backbag.
The
others were already taking the stairs down. I put my shoes on and
ran after them. We were supposed to walk to a nearby soccer field,
so I hurried in that direction. I didn't see where my relatives went,
but I gathered I'd meet them in the field.
The
soccer field was located behind an area of store houses. The neighbourhood
was full of sports facilities. An artificial grass covered the fronts
of the store houses. The colour of the grass was red and yellow. On
it young players exercised their games.
I
walked past these buildings and finally reached my aunts. They were
old so they found it laborous to walk.
Walking
here in a different country everything seemed exotic and interesting.
There was so much to see. Even the store houses gave an atmosphere
of their own.
Only
half an hour had passed when my relatives turned back. It was time
for dinner.
