Thursday, July 27, 2006

Ancient Wisdom

A non-medical post for a change. See what going on Holiday does for you!

And for those that were worried I managed a whole week away without being "outed" once. The fact that it was almost too hot to move and so we spent all day most days in either the pool or the air conditioned bar might have had something to do with it... but whatever the reason a week free of unsightly scars and blemishes and tales of medical catastrophe was most welcome.

As a family we Jests are a pretty unadventurous lot. It took us until last year to brave a non-anglophone holiday with the kids (then aged 9 and 12) unless you count a dismal weekend in EuroDis' some while back, but that's hardly non-anglophone really and anyway it was cold and horrid and half taken up with airport delays and I really don't want to talk about it so there.

We had such a great time last year that we rebooked the same week at the same resort for this year, right at the start of the kids summer hol's, on an island in the Aegean. It's been blissful, if hot, as I said. It was also lovely to arrive back there to be welcomed in the restuarant by our waiter from last year, the redoubtable "George", as though we had never been away. We had very much hoped he would still be there (our little one had quite a thing for him last year-- now supplanted by Captain Jack Sparrow, but I'm specifically not allowed to tell you about that). She's now 10 and he is probably close to 60, very small, and very dapper, and his English is flawless, though he enjoyed teaching her little bits of Greek last year and she enjoyed using them again this year. And the most amazing thing was that he had truly remembered us after all that time and all the people he must have seen in the interim.

This holiday we also got to discover that he is a true philosopher. We flew out last Wednesday, to return yesterday, and we ate in the restaurant every evening except Tuesday when we had a planned excursion which precluded it. That meant that on Monday evening we had to tell George that we would not be needing our usual table ( yes, after just two weeks total spread over 12 months we had a usual table!) the next night and so Moday was our last night in his care.

He looked at us, very concerned, and said, "Only the one week? Still, it's better than nothing eh?"

Earlier in the week we saw him chatting to a three year old lad that had been left at the table by his mum for a moment while she went to get him another drink. George walked up to the table whistling much to the lad's delight. George looked at him and said "Can you whistle?" the lad shook his head. "Then you must learn!" he replied.

The tradition of Sophocles and Plato is in safe hands.

And yes we had a fantastic week, thanks for asking.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

How different, how very different, from restaurant service as experienced in our own dear blighty. According to various news items doing the rounds at present, one is actually fortunate if children are not ignored, assaulted, or threatened with being sold for behaving like children.

Many young girls are going through a Capt. Sparrow phase - although a number are sustaining a certain tendresse for Orlando Bloom.

If you've been listening to R4 or having any more thoughts - do share them with us.

Regards - Shinga

PS - great security code - mudkcguw

Doctor Jest said...

Shinga-- Interesting. We went to Raymond Blanc's bistro in Birmingham a while back for a family do. When we got there we were struck by a line on the menu. "This Restaurant does not tolerate children, it encourages them!"

And true to their word they did just that, and we all had a whale of a time. But you are right it is an exception to if not a rule, then certainly a norm, elsewhere on this island.

Kaly 'spera!

y.Wendy.y said...

Sounds like a perfect week to me....swimming pool, aircon bar...friendly waiters and Greek grub..ooh I am jealous...and glad you are back - you were missed.

So do you have a tan now? Or still pale and mysterious?

Doctor Jest said...

geena-- yes thanks it was a great week. Batteries now fully recharged (how green of me to go solar powered)and lets just say there are "lines" where there were none before.

(Mainly just above the knee. Decorum always decorum what!)

Z said...

What a happy post - a pleasure to read. And welcome back.

Doctor Jest said...

z-- that'll be the afterglow of Tuesday night's Ouzo (Yammas!).

Normal grumpy service likely to be resumed shortly.

y.Wendy.y said...

As long as there isn't a sock tan...

Doctor Jest said...

geena-- no, but the nail varnish did get a bit chipped what with all the Zorba dancing.