Ν. Μπαρμπατσέα Εκπαιδευτικού, Stoupa, Greece

June 6th, 2007

10am

Stoupa, Greece. A small tourist town, beginning to buzz in the morning light. Earlier, he had watched the local Papas retreat from the all night taverna, to say Matins in the small Church, with a suspiciously red nose. Definitely unmarried. The beach had been thoroughly combed by little old women all dressed in black, who had then shuffled off to their souvenir booths and tavernas. Community spirit at its best. The ever deepening hue of the azure harbour, underneath the rising sun, contrasted sharply with the golden sands and the starkly shadowed rocks to the right, and the brightly painted fishing boats to the left. A trickle of visitors made their way to the loungers laid out in readiness; the season had not yet fully begun.

In the middle of all this, Harry took a seat at a small cafe opposite the promenade. Dressed in a (slightly rumpled) cream linen suit, white shirt open at the neck, and wide brimmed panama hat, he was the quintessential English Gentleman on holiday. It was hardly the 'Grand Tour' he had dreamed of, but a journey down the Peloponnese could be completed 'solus ipse' without too much melancholy - or suspicion in work. Visiting the great sites of Olympus, Mystras and Ithomi had been interesting, although he had wished for a better knowledge of Classics - and even more so for a suitable companion with said learning. He had called by Kardamyli, and the home of the adventurer Patrick Leigh Fermor, and spent an enjoyable afternoon in that veteran's company. A perfectly innocent holiday.

The waitress deposited his coffee in front of him with a pleasant smile.

"Ef̱charistó̱".

People watching without a backup team round the corner. Two women in their sixties passed by with a lanky boy dangling goggles and a snorkel. A young woman, clearly Greek, stopped to chat with the waitress. Various locals passed in and out of the small grocery shop next door. A group of girls, late teens, running for the beach. A blonde, blue-eyed, highly bronzed young family strolled along, the children dancing round their parents heels. So many different lives, so many possibilities. A swish of a long dark skirt caught his eye. It's owner was carrying a wicker basket, and paused a moment to remove her sunglasses, before entering the shop. A strand of nut brown hair escaped the shady hat she wore.

It was twenty minutes before she reappeared on the verandah of the shop, chatting in fluent Greek to an older woman for a few minutes. As she crossed the road and stood on the promenade, leaning against the railing looking out to sea, he dropped the cost of the drink beside the empty cup, and silently joined her, elbows resting lightly on the metal bar, just inches away from her hands.

"It's a beautiful morning." Out of the corner of his eye he saw her jump, slightly, and heard the swift intake of breath. Neither looked at the other.

"Yes, not that I was expecting it. The forecast is for a storm."

"A slight reprieve, perhaps."

"It will come. Are you visiting?"

"Yes. I had a good friend and colleague who spoke highly of this area, so much so that I thought I should see what she was going on about. Naively, I forgot that her knowledge of Classics would have informed her view. I can't say I know much about the subject." He risked a glance across at her, drinking in the ivory skin, sensitive lips, and dark eyelashes sitting on dusky cheeks. A slight smile played about her mouth as she paused to find the words of her response.

"Perhaps the experience will be an inspiration to learn."

"I'd have to find the right teacher." Another small smile, and as he turned his gaze back to the harbour, he thought he caught her head turning towards him - but when he looked back, she was resolutely staring at the fishing boats.

"Do you live here?"

"For now. It's a good spot for those of us interested in Classics. Mystras, Ithomi, Gythio, Olympus, all within easy travel distance. Are you staying long?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"Oh, you know... I was just travelling down the country as the mood took me, stopping at places that seem interesting. I've spent ten days so far, and my leave is up at the end of the month."

"And now?"

"To be honest, I'm a little sick of plodding round archeological sites with utterly no understanding of the culture I'm looking at. It would be far more interesting in the company of the right person." A nod, a shrug, a smile. Her fingers fidgeting with the wicker handle of her basket.

"Or, I could just extend my stay at the hotel here, if the company proved...alluring."

"This is a dream."

"Then it is a good dream." She stifled a laugh, lifting her hand to cover the grin.

"So, this storm - will it be a big one? I love a good thunder and lightening show."

"Oh, yes... They roll down off the mountains, or in from the sea, and are fantastically intense, for an hour or so. Then they blow away, leaving me quite bereft."

"Sounds like something to experience, preferably without the company of a hundred tourists. Do you know a good vantage point?"

"As it happens, I do."

"Well then, miss... I'm sorry, I don't know your name - but would you like to go for a walk?" She turned fully towards him, head bowed, fingers lightly brushing his for just a moment.

"I'd love to. Go for a walk, that is. With you." The eyelashes lifted to reveal deep green eyes that met his own, for the first time since that cold goodbye at the barge, six months previously. "and my name is Nancy. Nancy Turner."