Day 2 with Dimitri

 Addendum to April 21, 23

When I woke up, Dimitri was already with the dog mom and her puppies. Fortunately, yesterday's encouragement had made an impact and Dimitri seemed ready to change the situation of the animals and take better care of them. It was definitely an excellent start to the day to see the little, incredibly cute puppies running around freely. The sun was also shining brightly and providing a taste of summer. It didn't take long before Dimitri explained to us in his usual hectic and commanding manner what he envisioned for the new fence that we were supposed to build for him or rather for the 5 chickens. His instructions were sometimes a bit vague, so in the end, we only had a rough understanding of how and what to do. The motto was just to start.

Dimitri went to the city for 1-2 hours to take care of something. We took advantage of the moment of peace to independently and efficiently finish building the fence. It was getting pretty hot and it reminded me once again of the conditions people here have to deal with in the summer.

As soon as Dimitri returned, the liveliness resumed. New instructions followed: 'Here, there, up, down, do it like this...'.

Our host had something very special planned for lunch. Since he is not used to cooking vegetarian food, he had previously consulted a friend about how to prepare artichokes. They were then cooked together with beans and a few other vegetables in a pot. A meal here is not a meal without at least 2 liters of olive oil. Dimitri also swears by vinegar and onions. So that was added as well. You don't have such a lunch every day. It was special, but tasty.

By the afternoon, the fence was finished. There were also a few other little things to do here and there, so we were busy. Even though Dimitri is usually impulsive and chaotic, it is still a lot of fun to be with him. Actually, he is always open to suggestions or different views, which makes him a crazy but reasonable guy. His quips are definitely gold and there's always something to laugh about. Plus, he is a good host who enjoys the company and wants to experience things, just like us.

So this led to a spontaneous trip to the next town. Every ride becomes an unpredictable adventure with his 'Ferrari,' as he calls it. Laughing, Dimitri says he's a pilot, while we rush down to the main road and pretend that there are no potholes or brakes. The broken trunk lid rattles with every bump. You surprisingly get used to it quickly.

Our first stop was at the nearby gas station, not to refuel, but because Dimitri uses a refrigerator in the gas station's outbuilding, among other things, to store the world's best feta cheese. He doesn't have running water or enough electricity for a refrigerator at his place. But he knows how to help himself and somehow manages to get by. Even though he talks a lot about wanting to sell his property, he often mentions that he enjoys and consciously leads his life this way. Our campervans also impressed him. He kept saying that he could imagine himself doing that too. As we passed by, he would often cast a curious glance at them and repeatedly ask if he could take a look inside. He thought the women would like that, he grinned.

Back on the highway, we suddenly stopped in the middle of the country road to quickly refuel. In the city, in the rush hour traffic, it got a bit wilder. I was laughing and shaking my head most of the time. Especially when it came to parking. Dimi simply parked his car wherever he felt like it, or actually everywhere where you're not supposed to park. He would often wave out the window, especially when women were in reach. Grandpa Dimitri makes his own rules, that was clear.

He actually doesn't like the city, as he made clear during the trip. Most people are superficial and too fancy.

Then Dimitri found a store that fixed his phone. So the day was actually very eventful and successful.

Well, actually, on the sandy bumpy road back to Dimi's property, we had to witness near the chicken coop how two of the dogs somehow managed to gain entry and were in the process of attacking a chicken. But we were too late, the chicken was already torn into pieces. Not a particularly pleasant sight.

Dimitri was very upset and angry. It was particularly annoying that it looked like the dog mom, who had just been set free, killed the chicken. Probably because she was hungry and wanted to eat it. Dimitri didn't care. He reacted strongly and went after the dog. We were able to calm the situation down so that nothing more happened.

The consequence was clear, though. Starting tomorrow, the mother dog should be leashed again. Initially, we were puzzled how the dogs were able to overcome the fence. The next day, we found a spot where the dogs probably dug under the fence.

To make matters worse, 3 of the 5 puppies had also disappeared. Dimitri was accordingly annoyed and had had enough for the day. After an intensive search, we were able to find the 3 fluffy, clumsy four-legged friends again. They had made themselves comfortable under a large tree trunk and had apparently found some old bone, which they instinctively gnawed on just like their role models.

By this time, I was borderline hypoglycemic and was relieved to end the day with half a glass of peanut butter and feta, or rather to end it as quickly as possible.

For the next day, another promising excursion was already planned, which I was looking forward to with great anticipation. Grandpa Dimitri wanted to show us the cultural stronghold of Olympia. It was almost as certain as Dimtri's driving style that this trip would offer a lot of craziness and surprises.