The day began at 08.30 hrs when Dave from Portsmouth woke us to come to a party. I was feeling the leftovers from last night's drinking - I always said that with ouzo you get a leftover rather than a hangover - but in true Matala spirit, I strolled over to his camp for a … Continue reading Big Trip Day 117 – Matala Party Morning
Author: Derek Lee
I was born in Croydon, South London and eventually settled in Northamptonshire. After more than 30 years as a clinical psychologist in the NHS, my welcome retirement finds me dabbling in bits and pieces - e.g., writing, running, martial arts and photography.
Big Trip Day 116 – Matala Party Night
The entries in my travelogue (how effortlessly over the past few weeks of posting have I elevated my tatty, intermittently written in, often illegible notebook to such a noble status!) for today (5th August 1973) refer to the activities of last night. Early in the evening there was smoking and... ...slight hassle when police came … Continue reading Big Trip Day 116 – Matala Party Night
Big Trip Day 114 – Matala Peach
The title is as intended, not a typographical error. Today's (3rd August 1973) very short entry in my travelogue refers to the events of last night. We were joined by the three US marines again. Last time they brought a large tin of kidney beans (why?!), but this evening they have brought two 7lb tins … Continue reading Big Trip Day 114 – Matala Peach
Big Trip Day 113 – Matala Wind
"The wind is in from Africa,Last night I couldn't sleep..." [From "Carey" by Joni Mitchell] Always good to throw in a Joni Mitchell line or two, and it certainly removes any ambiguity that might surround the meaning of today's title. No, it is not about gastronomical turbulence (although with my diet at Mama's Cafe that … Continue reading Big Trip Day 113 – Matala Wind
Big Trip Day 112 – Matala
Beach life continues apace. There is no end to the entertainment possibilities offered by this beautiful bay. I am writing today because this is when I wrote the entry in my travelogue, but the event was last night. We saw a Greek movie projected onto an outside wall. The story involved a girl caught underwater … Continue reading Big Trip Day 112 – Matala
Big Trip Day 107 – Return to Matala
We arrived back in Matala early yesterday evening. It is great to be back, although there are a lot of new faces. Tom is still here. If I remember correctly, he was from Sweden and had a thing about Bob Dylan's Don't Think Twice. If I remember incorrectly, he could have been from Barcelona and … Continue reading Big Trip Day 107 – Return to Matala
Big Trip Day 105 – To Malia
Our harbour-side vigil of the early hours - as described in yesterday's post - was rewarded with the arrival of the Kanaris. I don't know why I meticulously recorded the name of the ship. I did an online search in real time 2025 and located a ship of this name currently in the Aegean Sea. … Continue reading Big Trip Day 105 – To Malia
Big Trip Day 104 – Almost leaving Karpathos
It was a late morning rise at camp Jim & Derek today. We walked into town and bought 0.25 kg of monkey nuts each. In the late afternoon, we scurried back to camp with our treasure. Not being the best of campers, we struggled a bit with the fire - not helped by spilling water … Continue reading Big Trip Day 104 – Almost leaving Karpathos
Why Did the Buffalo Cross the Road?
It can be quite challenging to drive along our village roads. In some areas they resemble the surface of the moon. Meanwhile, the main road connecting to the village of Zdravets and the Varna to Burgas highway benefits from random patches of resurfacing undertaken by a fleet of diggers, trucks and assorted heavy equipment operated … Continue reading Why Did the Buffalo Cross the Road?
Meet the Village People
My earlier post mapped out the geographical aspects of the village, but it is of course the people that give meaning and texture to the terrain. I would like to introduce some of the people we have met since moving here, but I want to do this without appearing to be too disrespectful. They were … Continue reading Meet the Village People
Psychologist on the Move 