The national garden in Athens is a place I remember mom and dad used to take us to when we were kids. But I hadn’t been for many years. The other day a friend suggested we go have a coffee there and walk around a bit… a small oasis of cool in a hot Athens.

The old cafe there is quaint but so expensive… a double greek coffee was 4.60e or something. I can’t remember exactly, but it blew me away.

Still, it was cool and restful.

A nice little break from the headache that is my life at the moment.

So. what have I achieved in the days I’ve been in Athens? Well, I got a new credit/cash card to replace the new one I never received in the mail. I could have done that on Paros, but the deadline was approaching so I needed to get it done. That took 2 trips to the bank, but I was lucky. It was a quiet day so there was no waiting in queues.

I found a pet shop that sells BARF (raw) dog food for Vincent in the area so I didn’t have to go all over Athens to get it.

I got the paperwork together to apply for a new water meter for the unrenovated upstairs apartment – that entailed a trip to the local water authority office, then being told I needed to go to the main offices in another area get that underway. The application cost 63 euros. I now need to wait for about a month for the inspectors to come check out the position for the new water meter and will receive a bill for over 600 euros to get water connected. I need to go in in person to sign and pay.

Of course.

This is Greece.

I’m hoping I can give someone power of attorney to go in and sign for me and I can do an online transfer to pay. There is no way I want to pay another 100 euros minimum for a trip to Athens just to sign a piece of paper…

I have not managed to fix the issue with the water leak and damp… After trying 4 different plumbers (from before leaving Paros) who I’d speak to once and then never ever reach again, my uncle brought a guy over this evening who I gave the job to. I guess you could say I did succeed in organising it, but I’m told it will take AT LEAST two weeks to fix, given that they’re all busy and if a job more urgent than mine comes up, I’ll be dumped like a hot potato.

I found new tenants for my aunt’s house, but when they can actually move in depends on when the leak and damp issues are fixed. Which means they’re waiting and need to move asap and my aunt isn’t earning rent – which pays for the nursing home, so meanwhile we’ll have to cover any shortfall…

I really am over this whole thing. Old houses. Tenants. Being responsible for people other than myself.

There’s more. There’s always more. But I won’t bore you. Let’s just say my life right now is a mess.

z