Aunt Mechtild has a daughter Angela who is Andreas cousin.
Angela has two sons, Oliver and Constantin (Tinos).
Constantin was coming to Greece from Germany ( where he lives) for a holiday, with his partner and children and staying with Aunt Mechthild.
Andreas last saw Tinos 20 years ago so it was a no brainer to drive to Avlida to see him.
We had a lovely day starting with coffee and homemade Apple and Walnut cake on the terrace of Mechtilds villa with views across to Evia.
It was a very windy day which made for a pleasant cooling breeze and just before we headed off to the beach taverna for lunch, we noticed a large plume of smoke over on Evia.
A wild fire, and because of the strong winds it spread very rapidly. Despite the distance, we could smell the fire and hoped that it would be under control quickly.
We watched a ‘fire plane' scoop up seawater but had to abandon further attempts as the smoke was so dense it would become dangerous for the pilot.
We have seen many wildfires and it is always very distressing especially when close to villages or towns. An automated alarm via your mobile informs you where the fire is and if you are in that area you are instructed where to vacate to for safety.
We had a lovely lunch, catching up with all the news from Tinos but it was overshadowed by the harrowing sight of the fire.
My thought for the day:
Family and Friends – should be treasured and it is so important to make the effort to stay in touch. Without them, life would be very lonely and empty.