Our grog: Bill's Guest Blog

It’s a good thing they’ve asked a guest blogger in because there’s stuff Anne isn’t ever going to tell you herself, not because she’s trying to hide it, but because it’s too close to her own nose to think it’s important, and because they’re a modest bunch anyway.

She’ll never tell you she gets up at 5.30 most mornings to get some writing done before another day of crazy demands kicks in; or that Petros refuses to hear Sam spoken of as a pupil, only as a professional. Each day Sam goes 5 miles to Petro’s studio for another day of chippety-chip, releasing captive image from marble block with remarkable sensitivity. M & M join him there most days for a couple of hours after school finishes at 2.30, and are both carving extraordinarily mature images.

Michael and Max with their marble carvings

But it’s still tough being part of a team of 6, each having different objectives – though everyone clearly shares the idea of getting the most out of their time in Tinos. I mean, Anne would like to get to the end of the beach to see what that little church is all about, it’s only a few hundred yards, but then Hector needs to make an in-depth study of the ripples in the first puddle when you throw a stone in, which means repeating the experiment about 500 times in the same puddle before moving on, so Anne hasn’t got to that church yet.

Actually Hector’s best thing is standing where sea meets land, totally mesmerised by the never ending, ever changing miracle of waves, and throwing stones with perfect timing to stop them, in a manner of which Canute himself would be proud. Whilst meanwhile Flora has been assigned the task by no less than God himself to inject PASSION into everyday life, to not let anyone be fooled by the apparent banality of a jam sandwich or putting on your wellington boots, but to introduce true feeling into our simple tasks. If ever you are feeling lost and need to re-firm your connection with the Universe, then go hang out with Flora for a while.

Carvings are above every window to 'let in the light of God'

Maquette by Sam

Madonna and Child above a fountain

Michael and Max are remarkable. They leave the house at 7.30 each morning, not because they are forced to (M & M, please confirm), but because they want to participate in peer life on the island, which in their case involves sitting though many hours of lessons that are all Greek to them, in order to join in the short, though many, breaks between classes when international communication affords them Real Education. Max can now say “I don’t want another ouzo” in Greek, and Michael can order a pork wrap with chips, ready-to-go.

This evening we all went to a café in town to hang out with Petros’ family, while M & M entertained us on accordion and drums with professional flair, and Michael fooled everyone by making light balls disappear into his mouth and re-appear out of his bum. Surely 10% off the ouzo for that?

None of which tells you what it’s really like here; for the very simple reason that if you really want to know, then you’ll have to come yourself, because there is no other way.

Praise be to Sam and Anne for their patience - and a Happy New Year to all ! Bill