Helloo,
Hope you’re good. Coming right at you with catchup email numero 3.
With two weeks in the can, it feels like things are settling in somewhat: I’ve started making myself batches of pasta for lunch; I’ve got used to Chris’s snoring; I do overnight oats.
I’ve been around people almost constantly for the past fortnight so today (Sunday, my day off), I’ve left the others to it so I can sit on the waterfront with a Freddo Espresso and bash this newsletter out.
It’s nice to be by yourself for a bit. Been living in this little Neilson world which contains about 10-15 British people. But sitting here makes me feel like I’m in Greece on my tod. Like I’m a lone traveller, with all the cliche ideas that come with it. For a minute I’m a spy sitting in a foreign port. Fishing boats and yachts bobbing just in front of me. Whispers of piano music drifting from the cafe trampled by emphatic chatter in a foreign tongue. Stray cats skulking across the paving stones, mewing at diners and pestering the fishermen. A black rib purrs into the harbour and moors up. My mark. I glance at my watch. Right on cue. The driver steps ashore and wanders into a souvineer shop. I close my laptop and leave a scrunched up five euro note on the table…
Nice to get carried away. I warned in newsletter 1 that this whole enterprise was extremely self indulgent. Brief update:
- We finished setting up the resort, so spent a lot more time doing fun stuff. We’ve been out windsurfing, and I’ve been a guinea pig for our courses. So I’ve received lessons in windsurfing, sailing and wing foiling. Has been fun.
- Josh left to go set up some more bikes in a different resort. Sad times.
- I’ve been given a beachie as my number 2 on bikes, so I now have someone to boss around. I like to give Mhairi menial tasks like fixing inner tubes, sweeping up and cleaning bikes with her toothbrush.
Wanted to talk about Greek food this week so lets start with the king of Greek cuisine: the gyros. A gyros is a soft, almost naan-like flatbread wrapped around chips, tzatziki, (optional) meat, some veg and a load of sauces and herbs. They’re so good and so cheap. Winning combo. I had my first last Tuesday, and since then it’s been like pringles: once you pop, you can’t stop.
Gyros are a staple of the diet for season workers, so the seating area outside the gyros shop in town has something of the ‘truce of the watering hole’ feel. Beachies come together from all the different resorts in peace. Neilson staff and Wildwind staff eat just metres apart, both aware that they must tolerate each other to access the gyros they need.
New staff have been arriving, and every new person means a meal out at one of the restaurants in town. As a resort team, we get bargain food on the basis that we’ll recommend the restaurant to guests. Every meal starts with incredible mezze. Olives, fried garlicky vegetables, salad, hummus, beans and so on. By the time the main comes (often pizza), we’re so full the majority is boxed up for lunch the next day.
And most meals out are followed by a night at one of two bars in town. Vas Bar, which is Neilson ‘territory’, or Zeus Bar, where Wildwind and Club Vas people go. Vas Bar is alright. It’s got a free pool table, we control the tunes and we get discount drinks. But after a few evenings we decided we wanted to try the other bar and get to know the other resort staff.
Our integration mission started well. We headed two doors down to Zeus Bar. The place was packed out with Wildwind and Club Vas staff. A few people were outside smoking.
‘You’re Neilson, right?’
‘Yeah, are we allowed in?’ I joked. Felt for a hot sec like they were going to say no. Thankfully, Josh recognised one of them and suddenly the conversation flowed like cold greek ouzo.
We moved inside and all was well. All three resorts were getting on like a Greek house on fire. Our plan was working. We left that evening feeling confident. The next day, as we rode along the promenade to work, we received friendly waves from Wildwind and Club Vas folk.
To cement our integration status, we returned on Thursday night. The whole team was out in force. Fair to say we were all a bit drunk when we decided to go to Zeus bar. The Wildwind crew were calmly having a few beers when we barged in, being loud and generally pretty embarrassing. Someone even ordered a round of baby guinnesses.
Alex (one of us) loudly started saying rude things about Zeus bar. People looked around awkwardly. Then, Josh, who had snuck into the DJ booth, was forcibly removed. He argued with the owner for a minute or so. Conversations hushed. This was a low point. We shuffled out in shame. The next day we woke up to the cold reality that our integration mission had been scrubbed back to the start point. No one waved on our way in to work. But we’re not giving up yet.
Well thats the gist of it this week. Next week should be good newsletter fodder. Not only do guests arrive, but my first visitor arrives. Cant wait to see ya Hannah.
And now, time for a gyros.
Keen to hear how everyone’s week has been.
Love,
James
