Dad was wearing shorts and therefore he had to cover up in a sarong. He seriously look liked a cossack!
We entered the church just in time for an elaborate christening! Ma sê: "die kleintjie skree soos 'n maervark! Nou hoekom gee hulle nie vir die kind 'n bietjie ouzo nie! (So het sy ons gedoktor as kinders!) Dit is nou 'n heel onstigtelike seremonie en die kind hou definitief nie van haar naam nie! Arme kind, heel getraumatiseerd deur die hele storie!"
We still don't know the little girl's name!
The child screamed like blue murder throughout the whole ceremony! What a palava! She is carried into the church wearing a red dress and a flower halo around her head, (to depict the blood of Christ). She then gets undressed and starkers, she get dunked into the font three times. After that she gets dressed into brand new clothes, hat and all, to show herself as a new being with a new life dedicated to Christ! Up till today she was only called "baby", it is very bad luck to name a child before the priest does!
Five priests walked in a circle, chanting and one was swinging the incense, no sermon. Everybody talks whilst the ceremony is in full swing! People walk in and out of the packed little chapel. Old men smoke outside! Children walk around the font with candles. It's a " deurmekaarspul" of note!
By now it is thunder and lightning outside, natures chorus echo the whole experience inside the packed little church! All the ladies get handed sweet little ribbon broaches with a pearl and a cross to wear as celebration of the Baptism. We got ours too!
We leave the monastery, soaked and celebrated, then we drive up to the highest point on the island, by now it is storming! Right at the top is a taverna, and half wet and frozen we get inside and order some red wine! Yes me too, I drank red wine and we ordered some greek specialities. The food in Greece is truly extraordinary, I will dedicate a special blog just to the food!
We ate and drank and in the end we downed some Limoncella too! By now I am plastered and the restaurant owner thinks I am drunk! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!! The auntie is a bad influence!
We leave in the dark of the night winding our way down the mountain in a thick mist! And here the adventure begins!!! We got lost and ended up on a narrow dirt track winding our way down in the dark and the rain! Along the way some toothless wanderers were walking down the road! Old old people walking in the middle of the night! Some places dad and I had to walk too as Cristiana's little mosquito car could only manage to get through the dongas without our weight. On the way an old lady asked us for a lift and was furious when we said we cannot fit her into the car. We saw the island the way it was 30 years ago, no electricity and little tsipi's (farm houses made of stone!) Eventually we saw the lights on the next island Skopolos (where the Mama Mia film was made), and tracked our way back to the airport and from there we went home! That night I couldn't sleep, nor could mom! I blame it on the alcohol but mom blames it on adrenaline!
We have been to a funeral and now a Baptism too. Who knows, we might end up at a wedding too - hopefully mine!
No comments:
Post a Comment