As the tourists are melting away the Island is returning to the locals more time for leisure is transparent. The Cycle club took off at speed along the Epar road not worried about mowing down tourists. Dressed in lycra with helmets it must be getting cooler. The English School group marched down the hill all dressed in Red uniform and swinging their arms in time, thought they might have been a Scout or Cubs group, whilst some walked others rode their bikes.
The Sunday football fixture in Kos town saw small children in their football kit excited and ready to be picked up for 'The Game of the Season'. As I walked along the seafront Greek fishermen sit patiently waiting with their rods to catch dinner for the day. Rod in one hand fag in the other. Whilst others bashed the living daylights out of their Octopus.
As the restaurants empty out the space is taken up by Greek men chatting, socialising, drinking coffee. Siga siga. To watch is fascinating as much is said without words as with. Shrug of the shoulder, nod of the head up or down, sideways, tutt, eyebrows lifted, hands open , closed , up down, circled, so many movements conveying so much and the pitch of speech happy, sad, angry, punctuated with malaka........not swigging beer but eating slowly, slowly. Who needs words?
The chickens have taken back the road and as I passed Kritikos a big rooster and his groupies were trying to persuade a tourist that eating cake by the trolleys was a treat to be shared. As he strutted about and pumped himself up he made it quite clear who was boss and not to be messed with and was rewarded with swiss roll and other picnic items as the man swiftly departed. I guess there are fewer coaches now driving into the airport so safer to cross.
As for the women I guess their time will come, but so far today those I've seen have been wearing rubber gloves, weeding, scrubbing floors and washing windows and busying themselves with chores and one elderly lady was swinging a mattock pick at the overgrown grass around her pathway. Not long now.
