Interacting with the System

Week 7 – 11 November

The physio recommended a short course of treatment for Rob’s shoulder, so I committed to three trips to Lefkas this week, on Monday, Weds and Friday.    

Maria from the Architects rang on Tuesday and explained that we had to sign on with the IKA (Greek National Insurance) office before we could get a building permit.  We have to pay IKA for workers, even if they are ourselves.  I have no objection to contributing to the Welfare State, but I’d like to be sure the money goes where it should.  And how much, as we have such a limited budget, and this might forestall our build entirely.  Anyway, Maria explained that to get the permit we have to put some money through the IKA bank account, which – she assured me – is returned in 14 days.  We just have to prove cash liquidity.  It seems a bit risky putting money anywhere near the Greek Banking system just now, but – nothing ventured ...   So we did.

The Lefkas trips also produced some broccoli and cabbage and onion plants, and we’d persuaded some dodgy potatoes to put out sprouts, so Dave got the potato patch planted up.

While we were down that end of the garden, I had a good look at our olive crop this year -  this is it:

I make it about 35? 

We knew that olive trees tend to fruit alternate years, but we had expected, in a field with ten trees, to have 4-6 trees fruiting one year and the others the next.  Apparently not.  Apparently, they synchronise (weird or what?) so that a field will fruit all or nothing.  So, no oil this year.  We’re down to the last two 1.5 litre bottles of Goat Bottom Extra Virgin, so a disappointment there.

 This is a nice shot of our disputed corner.  The four olive trees are definitely ours, but the neighbour has drawn the line hard up against the furthest one.  

The little crab pear tree (like crab apples – work it out) is blossoming on one confused branch, and has a few tiny pears too.  But not much of a harvest.