Let’s go shopping!

When there’s nothing much else to do in the village on a sunny, but cold, winter’s day you can always go out shopping for a day. A whole day? Well, in theory yes…

We start at the supermarket nearest to home, still referred to as Fortini’s, or ‘the American’, or Michaelis’ or Fortnums – whatever you call it you always get a friendly welcome from George and Petros. Favourite thing to do in there? Search for the free gifts that come with the washing powder and Mayonnaise.

Then we’ll head into the ‘high street’. After calling in at Zoi’s (in the summer) for souvlakies the next retail outlet we come to is… the souvlaki shop and Noufri’s supermarket opposite where we stop for a chat and a glass of something far too strong for that time of day. Actually while we’re in the neighbourhood we can pop up that alleyway to visit the ladies clothes shop and the ‘German’ bakery and, if we needed to we could go further to the next little supermarket and beyond to the Pandapoleion – nothing to do with bears but another supermarket, ‘Lambros’.

O.k., done them now back to the high street and maybe a quick stop at Glaros for a coffee and a toasty before taking our sewing into Katina opposite. A drink at the Jean and Tonic next door while we wait? Or a browse in the new clothes shop opposite for a wedding dress we simply must have or a nick-nack from George’s household store next door? No, I think more bread from the wood-oven bakery, something to nibble on while browsing Michaelis’ new stationery and DVD rental shop.

And then it’s time for shoes and slippers at the cobblers and a quick bite to eat at Syloggos (when open) before crossing over to the kiosk for a packet of cigarettes and a weather update.

Double back across the ‘street’ – avoiding the ‘traffic’ to call in on Katarina in the household goods store for some very ornate vase or similar before calling in at Lefteris’ Kafenion for another coffee and toastie followed by a beer and peanuts at the Rainbow bar next door where the TV offers football or Animal Planet.

Pick up a joint from the butchers, some nails and other useful D.I.Y. bits and pieces from Petros, order flowers from the flower shop, admire the antiques at the architect’s office and stop off to say hello to Neil at SymiDream – get passport photos taken and catch up on the latest digital photo news. Then down to the corner, turn right and up to the hardware store for some paint to whitewash the house with. A quick nose around the ‘100 drachmae shop’, pick up some bathroom tiles from the tile shop, call into the next supermarket and get some new clothes and a bicycle from the shop on the corner.

Lunch is tempting at The Windmill but it won’t be open until the summer – under new management – so make do with a drink at the Micro café. Again in summer it would be possible to take a room at the Fiona or Village hotels to recover but, as it’s winter we’ll have to make do with another drink this time at the Sunrise café.

Staggering now – and not just under the weight of the paint, nails, flowers, bread, tiles, clothes, bicycle, antique dresser, limited edition photo, washing powder and so on – we head down the hill to see what the Campos supermarket has on offer and, that done, another drink at Ringo’s bar. Resist the temptation to head further towards Pedi for a dance at the newly opened Alethani club but instead head back towards the village and pick up more cigarettes and phone cards at the kiosk by the bus stop.

That’s taken us almost round in a circle and we have to decide where to go next. We missed the clothes shop opposite the Micro café, so pop back there (via the new flower and garden shop) for something to keep us warm as we head back down the road to ‘B&Q’ another supermarket on the way to Pedi. Getting hungry again so back up to Georgio’s Taverna, eat too much and so nip up to Irenie’s clothes shop for something bigger around the waist. Realise that fashionable men’s clothes only come in a size 24 waist and am wasting my time.

After lunch we find ourselves with time on our hands so decide to visit the old Pharmacy to check in with the village doctor, the three or four carpenters, the three schools and one technical college, the museum, the two graphic/web designers, the old man who puts your back right for you, the midwife, the private language school and any number of builders, painters, mechanics and plumbers before heading home for a well earned rest.

And if anyone else asks me this summer ‘but what do you do in the winter?’ I’ll refer them to this page!

(I must have forgotten someone so apologies if I have, and not all of these restaurants and hotels etc. are open in the winter.)