The Fire, part 2

As promised here are some pictures of the fire that was finally extinguished this morning. Four fire-fighting plans circled overhead starting at dawn, skimming the bay at 100 knots and they accelerating to altitude again. Unfortunately Jonathan's little camera does scant justice to this operation. The planes are the size of C-130s.

House Renovation

Jonathan met with Yioryio and the two Albanian stone masons at 9 a.m. This was first day where you correspondent actually did real, bonafide work--clearing rubble, cutting brush, and assisted the masons, who poured a concrete pad on the back of the house. As we worked, the firefighting planes continued their sorties. Here's a collection of photos showing the work.

 

After the masons left, Jonathan helped Yioryio and Yiota fill a basket with grapes from the vineyard across from the house. We sat in the shade of an olive tree and ate three varieties of grapes--a bit a nourishment after a several hours of solid work.

 

 

 

Jonathan is staying in the old stone house located to the right of the white chapel (the pointy tile roof), a two-minute walk from Loutsa beach. The house renovation is a ten-minute jog (or 15 minute walk, if that's your mode of travel) up the hillside. The village of Finikounda is further along to the coast to the right.

 

 

 

An enormous thunderstorm raced through from the north as Jonathan was on the beach at around 3 p.m. A pathological fear of lightning was sufficient motivation to make a run to the Fiat Punta, which was parked in the dunes under the shade of an olive tree.

The overcast was a welcome relief, as yesterday's strategic error of falling asleep on his stomach bore terrible consequences. Needless to say, he stood during the performance last night.