Two things happened in April that were particularly memorable and they both happened around Easter time. Easter is always fairly memorable to start with, what with the dynamite, fireworks and feasting (afterwards). But this Easter was special because, for the first time, I actually did something very Easter-ish and attended a service with Aruni.

It was the Big (Good) Friday morning service held at Ag. Lefteris, one of the village parish churches, the one just below Zoi’s Taverna and near the bus stop. I’d not been inside this one before and, for a not very religious person who is a little bit interested to see what goes on, was looking forward to it. We stayed for the last two and a half hours of the service which had apparently started an hour or so before we arrived and it was indeed interesting and a little moving.

Parts of the church were draped in black for it was (I guess) a funeral service of sorts, the banners and pennants were covered as were some of the icons. Centre stage (I don’t mean to offend anyone by using theatrical analogies but I can’t help it) in the middle of the church was an icon of the cross with Jesus bolted to it, which everyone kissed. I noticed that I was one of the few men in the church, the congregation was made up of women, mainly, and many of them sat right towards the back whereas I was expected to sit at the front. I was hoping there was no audience participation as I felt very conspicuous.

As I remarked to someone afterwards the first act was a little dull, but the music was lovely. The second half was brightened up by the arrival of the bier that the ladies of the parish had decorated; they carried it in and Jesus was un-bolted from the cross, wrapped in white and taken in to the ‘holy of holies’ by the priest. And yes he was bolted to it, this was a four foot high wooden cross and the point is that the icon must be taken down wrapped in the shroud and then later put on the bier, so that bolts are necessary if a little humorous. If you are even in Greece at Easter I urge you to attend the Friday (and other) services. You get a real feel for just how much of a ritual/pageant the services are and I also find them moving in places, particularly when the liturgy is sung in harmony.

The other thing that was memorable about April was our holiday. Two days, one night, in Marathunda. (Thanks to Mr. Kalodoukas for the loan of the houses). Neil and I went down with Jenine, Ian and young Sam in their car with Neil and Jenine packed into the back, sitting on the largest duvet even created, while Marj and Brian followed on their scooter. ‘I aint taken a bird on the back of me scooter since 1960 something…’ laughs Brian.

Needles to say at the beginning of April the bay of Marathunda is pretty quiet, well very quiet except for a few goats and the few people that live down there. The Kalodoukas family, or one branch of it, were having their Easter Sunday lunch at the back of the taverna and although we were invited to join in, we had our own fridge freezer full of food and then some, so declined.

You know, there is nothing like doing nothing and that is exactly what we did for two days. We sat in the sun staring at a calm sea, eating, having the odd glass of something a little stronger, chatted, played board games, cooked, washed up, walked through the meadow to collect water, watched Sam play in the sea and generally had a chilled out couple of days. A holiday. I didn’t want to get back to work.

But we did and now the shop is ready and open, well Neil’s been open all winter but the Gallery is almost ready now. The first visitors have arrived and old friends are being welcomed back. Our first guest of the year has arrived and more have booked tickets. Flowers have started to wilt in the changeable but dry weather we’ve been having, businesses have painted their premises, new ones are about to open, the green chairs have appeared outside Lefteris’ kafeneion and the boats are arriving regularly from Rhodes. Things moved up a notch in April and now everyone is ready for a knockout summer season.